Forum

[Norm]

Alex, it's not all the forums fault, the fault lies directly at the feet of the factory, build a shit product and even if it is only a problem with 50% of your production shit will stick. Build a bad product and your brand will be damaged. It appears that the UCE's are repairing some of this damage but what we find out here they are appealing to younger riders, few older riders are buying them

[Frank]

Alex, it's a shame you are giving up based not on your experience but on the tales of woe from others. Trying to gauge the true reliabilty of any machine via a forum is like trying to gauge the health of the nation by surveying only those sitting in doctor's waiting rooms. You are not going to get a full picture. If you are happy with your Electra X, as I am mine, stick with it. I sense there is a bit of mischief making in the raising of this thread again, don't fall for it!

[Paul]

Just like to say...
I've thrashed the nuts off an old classic 350 for 30,000 miles (50,000km) as a winter bike.
The bike was built from scrap parts with the engine from a bike that was stolen recovered after being abused by 'yoof's on a housing estate.
In this time it is still on it's original points, doesn't use any oil between oil changes (supermarket oil) and starts first kick always.

The point I'm trying to make is that the Electra wasn't really an order of magnitude better in terms of reliability, regardless of the wild claims of the time. There are loads of Indian classic bullets out there providing slow reliable transport, day in day out.
So buy an Electra because you want one, not because someone has said they are any more reliable than the previous original Bullets.

Bikes tend to be most reliable when you use them every day. Some bikes are built bad, some built better. There is a degree of luck in the equation.

Have you thought about a secondhand one of those new fangled UCE EFI things? They never go wrong

www.greenlane.biz

[m1ks]

T_I, I think you've ridden this horse as far as it will go.
As others have said, you can get opinions coming out of your ears but the only true way to know is by getting one and seeing how it goes. Balancing the positive vs negative opinions, this won't help either, yours may be one or the other entirely.
If reliability is a must then logically the best way forward is an FI UCE bullet.

[MartinB]

As a footnote and speaking now as someone who had a bad experience with a very cossetted low mileage Electra which i bought with deilvery (15) mileage only i'm very glad that i've changed to an EFI.

[Norm]

Hi Martin,
Glad to hear you are happy with your new UCE

[MartinB]

Thanks Norm.

I know it's an over-reaction but i didn't feel i'd ever have confidence in the electric start of my Electra ever again.The unit construction engine retains the character of the earlier engine but brings it more into the modern world at the same time and in a good way.

[grunda 12]

the bringer of bad news !!!noel (ogri,s) electra has got a problem ,a distinct knock from the big end ,listened to it sunday but heres the thing ,you can,t knock it because it got him from york back to sunny lancashire knocking without failure ,so it go,s to show even when all is not well it will run for at least 60 miles in a bad way,my advice is buy the guzzi ,dieselise the electra atb paul ,just thought i,d bring the thread up to date.

[Norm]

How many miles Paul?

[grunda 12]

hi norm ,i,m not sure how many miles but will know on sunday,we are going to do a swap ,noel gets my beloved grunda 12,i get a tired electra "grunda 13" a five speed diesel creation in the offing,could be my 1000cc paralell twin diesel,you may see the smoke down under!!!atb paul still smoking!!