Hi Vishnu - how are you doing?
By Clutch - I meant the clutch plates. Well, I do ride in traffic 50%, and 50% on freeway, i.e., my work timings are so uniform that one way is traffic, mostly crawling, and other way round is free (non peak time zone).
The mileage has drastically decreased from earlier 65 kmpl to now 55 kmpl, with Shell Petrol, and BP / Indian Oil as well.
My problematic rear tyre was replaced 3 weeks ago. Stock TVS Remora (Zapper Type) has been replaced by MRF EXEE RIDE 3.00 x 17 due to the issue with air loss from the mushroom puncture processed a couple of years ago. The rear tyre still had 5 to 7000 kms of life on its Zappers, but since I had to inflate on daily basis, like this evening I inflate with 43 psi (I know it's more), and tomorrow noon I would see the pressure as low as 15 psi, and for Chennai roads which have lot of patch works rather full road works, I could start feeling the instability once my wheels go over such patch works on the road and I could sense it as a safety hazard.
I discussed this with Chakra Tyres, my reliable wheel specialist for my Santro, and he gave two options, either to install a tube into my rear tubeless tyre and ride, if I am using it only for locals. When I told him, I ride from Avadi to Mount Road and back every day covering 50 odd kms, he frankly suggested me not to take a chance and replace the tyre with another tubeless, and he suggested Michellin, which he had stock of. I walked away from Michelin thanks to its softer side walls and durability factor, as I badly needed durability over soft ride quality, as the bike would be 99% used for single ride to office only by me, and hence coughed out Rs. 1600 after all loyalty discounts, waiving off fitting charges, etc, for a brand new MRF EZEE Ride, but this tyre was button type rather the previous TVS Remora being Zapper Type. I checked if riding on button tyres on rear with Zapper type (still stock TVS Remora Zapper) on the front would be an issue. I was assured of no issues due to this combination, and I have now ridden around 1500 kms with this new tyre, and after 3 weeks when I check air pressure, only 2 points have got reduced.
I still hold the old tyre which I brought back home (it has 5000-7000 kms life, and if someone needs one for his front wheel 3.00 x 17 for very local use, and he has an inflator or if he can inflate the tyre daily, he can still extract another 5 to 6 k kms out of it).
The 3 year completion service 13th paid service is due thi weekend (Date of Purchase : 23rd Sep 2016, Date of Registration : 22nd Sep 2016) and I have to visit Sri Lakshmi TVS in Padi of Chennai.
Replacements on cards:
> Clutch plates (approx 750.00 bucks with labour)
> Battery (will replace outside the ASC for monetary benefits and warranty reliability).
Battery actually gave up within 15000 kms and 1.3 years of usage, when it first started giving issues while cranking the engine. Then, the first crank of the day, or after 7-8 hours of sleep was not possible on self, and had to kick, however signal engine off's could be handled by the battery self start to bring the engine back to life on green light. However for the past 2 weeks, the battery is that bad that it doesn't self start at all, anywhere even after running 20 kms continuously.
Still, I have had no issues in horn and headlight performance out of the "almost dead battery", and thus I am managing.
Bike has completed
32500 kms on odo in
36 months of ownership (Thanks to my 2 months long leave from work post Kidney Surgery in April 2018 and occasional rains, and the bike in service station circumstances, where I haven't used my Victor, else the ideal Odo reading at this time should have been more than 36000 kms for sure.
I still have to digest the thak thak sound from the front suspension, which I have almost learnt to live with. The mechanic adjusts the fork to his best during every service. I have no other option, but to live with that.
Otherwise bike is awesome. I also suspect the culprit in degraded mileage to be the Cluch plates, and hopefully I might change it (32500 kms). Any suggestion on the same is welcome.
Thanks and Regards
Kumar