Forum

[Adrian]

I'm not now quite sure of RE India's point in introducing the Electra-X, the AVL redesigned 500 engine was supposed to be a Euro 2 emissions-buster, yet they still managed to sell Euro 2-compliant versions of the old models alongside the Electra-X. Those were killed off by Euro 3, but strangely the factory also let that kill the Electra-X off rather than making it compliant, putting all their export eggs in the UCE/EFI basket until recently.



A sound Electra-X ought to tour Europe at least as well as an old BSA or Norton single. Should be a walk in the park for one of the new twins though, assuming the factory has learnt the lessons from the early Indian market Himalayan models and got quality control sorted from production bike 00001. We should be getting first reports through from new owners soon.



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[JonHill]

OK, Norm, what do I do to it and how much will it cost?

[JonHill]

OK, Norm, what do I need to do to it to make it good, how much will it cost and is it worth it?

[Norm]

Jon, no idea, I'm in Australia, no idea what it would cost over there. It also depends on what work you can do yourself like removing the motor and taking it to somebody who can rebuild it. Out here we were rebuilding them ourselves but it was still costing about $1000 for quality parts. If you have to get somebody to do the entire job I would say not worth it

[JonHill]

I am pretty capable of doing most stuff and would consider a rebuild if it makes economic sense. What needs replacing?
Obviously postage from the Antipodes might be a tad expensive!

[bumpkin]

Well this really cheered me up mines an 07 8000 miles so does this mean it could go bang soon ?

[ric]

Well you won't have too long to wait! mine went at 8,032 miles if I remember correctly and another X not too far from me managed to clock up an additional couple of hundred miles before its big end also shredded itself.
Fortunately there are now a variety of fit and forget solutions. A decade ago all you ended up with from the importers was another 'export quality' crankshaft assembly to replace the faulty one that came with the bike.

[Adrian]

ric,



in your recollection was it just the early (2005) examples failing, such as mine and Tiny Tim's as well as yours, or was it still happening with later ones?



Given the extra work this caused Watsonian-Squire at the time I should hope some fairly robust feedback went to the factory, but unless Sid volunteers the information we won't know how seriously it was taken and what remedial action followed. It's the same rod and big-end design that's being used in the UCE/EFI Bullets, except that the latest version has the gudgeon pin also running directly in the rod, no bronze bush - standard peactice now, I'm told. On the French forum there have been EFI (and later Electra-X) Bullet owners recording quite high mileages, even after dividing the total kilometers by 1.6, so something must have improved.



The design has the big-end needle roller bearing running directly in the eye of the con-rod, which is supposed to be hardened to suit. This too is standard practice in oriental single cylinder bike engine design, and it seemed to work just fine in the 350 AVL models. Now there HAVE been instances where this outer track hardening has failed, which is why our hosts were offering repair kits with sleeved-out rods. But from speaking to Henry Price, who has rebuilt quite a few Electra-X cranks, the main weakness on **early** Electra-X engines seems to have been mostly down to failure of the crankpin hardening.



Jon,



the Rolls-Royce of Electra-X crankshaft replacements is our hosts' performance crankshaft, part no. 200160K, but at £1260 including VAT your bike really has to be a keeper, as you can buy complete running Electras for not a lot more! My preferred option would have been to rebuild the existing crank with a sleeved rod with UK-made pin, part no.90125C, but our hosts are out of stock. Have a word with them and see if they're going to get any more in. They may still be able to offer crank rebuilds, but if not do an internet search for Price Part Motorcycles, and talk to Henry if you want a rebuild with EFI parts.

bumpkin, your engine (or Jon's) MIGHT be one with a much better pin, and an outer track which will hold together, but it's only fair that you should be aware of this.



By the way, this is not me spreading Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt in order to depress the retail prices of used Electra-X bikes so that I can buy loads of them cheap. Norm would have me certified, sectioned or whatever the Australian equivalent is.

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[bumpkin]

ric i wont be waiting and 100% wont have another electra x i love them but to much trouble

[Adrian]

bumpkin,



just to put things in perspective, all of this may be a pain in the posterior, however the failure of the standard alloy con-rod on a classic 500 Bullet, as has come up in this forum in the past, will make a much bigger and nastier mess of the engine, usually knocking huge chunks of (and destroying) the crankcases when it happens. In some respects we get off quite lightly...



When you say to(o) much trouble, is that actual or potential problems with yours?



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