Living with a RM - Part 2 Indian Motorcycle Reviews & Impressions >
Junior Member 47 posts Horrock Junior Member 47 posts
Horrock
Part 1 covered my early days with my black 2015 Roadmaster.

I have now owned the bike for about 15 months and covered around 19,000km. I live in Perth, and so there are plenty of city miles in that distance, but I have also been to the Pilbara, around and through the South West, and made another trip over to Victoria and back in that time, so pretty varied usage.

Over time, we all make changes to our rides, and discover quirks which are the good, great and not-so-good about them. These are some of mine, in no particular order.

I know the 2017 RM has Sat-nav built in, but mine didn't. First thing i did was hard wire my Garmin Zumo to the battery, using a mount to fix the device to the left handlebar, made by Techmount in the US. I also discovered removing the tank is very straightforward, in case you were wondering.

I mentioned changing out the front speakers for a pair made by Polk Audio, which made a huge improvement to the audio quality. i found then on line here in Oz, and not too expensive, about $120 I think. You will need to either change the female terminals on the wiring loom to fit the different lugs on the Polks, or, like I did, make up a couple of adaptor wires with the required female terminals on one end, and the male lugs to fit the wiring loom on the other. This offers two advantages, easy conversion to stock, and more length for easier connection behind the speakers.

I've read about the factory backrest's limited rearward adjustment here. I am 175cm, and mine is wound out fully, especially when wearing my back protector, but I am comfortable.
If you are taller, here's a little trick to get more rearward positioning. Remove the pad assembly from the metal strut, reverse the strut and re-install the backrest. You might have to file the end of the adjustment screw to remove it. Reason to do this is the top of the strut has a kink forward, and so reversing it gets you more rearward adjustment.

The easy removal of the top box and panniers without tools is a great feature, and unlike Victorys, the bike looks dressed and complete without them. You need the bags off to check the tyre pressure and belt anyway. I bought a J&S Jack plus an adaptor for the Indian, mainly for servicing and cleaning, but I tend to lift the bike off its wheels if I won't be riding it for a couple weeks or more.

The gearbox is very good in my opinion. You always hear that "clack" going into 1st, but with familiarity, the other changes are pretty quiet and easy with a heel/toe shifter. All changes are silent with cold oil, and after things are warmed up, I pause in Neutral for a moment going up to 2nd, and for other up-shifts, I pre-load the lever before changing.

The engine always fires after the briefest crank, and I use a charger to keep the battery topped off if parked for a few days. The tail for connection hangs down behind the rear cylinder.

I find the Lexan, or whatever it is, of the screen is best cleaned with just water and servo paper or soft cloth. It can be tricky riding in cold conditions behind the screen sometimes. I have hit a slightly warmer patch to have the whole screen suddenly go opaque with condensation.

The plastic cover over the instruments is very soft material, and mine is scratched with minute marks, even though I have only ever used wet paper or cloth on it. Be careful. While on that, I agree that the speedo becomes unreadable for a time at dusk, until the darkness makes the illuminated markings visible again. Also, when it's sunny, polarised sunglasses make it very difficult to read the LED information in the display, and all the chrome causes considerable glare directly or off the screen in the right circumstances.

I have talked about fuel usage previously, and as the months and Km passed, this did not improve for me, and I decided to free up the engine in the hope it might make a difference to my consumption. I read up on the forums and talked to others, and decided to do the mufflers, air cleaner, Power Commander V, and to get the cat converter removed. I also wanted it dyno tuned.

I started looking around for an operator with some experience of the TS111 on a dyno in Perth, and at that stage I failed to find anyone who was keen to tackle the job. I had settled on Lloydz equipment for my a/c and cans, mainly for their reputation on the US site, and also due to them being available from an Australian distributor, Ghost Riders Motorcycles in Hoppers Crossing, outside Melbourne, VIC.

The owners are a guy named Romi Bogdan and his wife Cristina. Talking with Romi, I realised he was a very experienced dyno operator, and so I decided to ride over and let him supply and fit everything for me. Any excuse for a cross-Australia trip, eh?
Anyway, that all went as planned, and he handed back a transformed machine to me after all the work, which included a service and new tyres as well.

It is difficult to convey, but the overwhelming impression is one of free rolling effortless power. the bike accepts big throttle from down near 1000rpm in all gears, no snatchiness or backfiring, strong torquey power everywhere. Of course since then I have been looking for the fuel economy to improve, but, nah, if anything it is slightly worse.

I have kept a fuel log from Day 1, and I'm averaging about 6.1l/100km on 95 octane fuel. These days, my bike runs so well, I don't stress about fuel, it's the price we pay for rich enjoyment. I'd still love to know why my engine drinks more heavily than most of yours, but what the hell. I'll put up a scan of my dyno chart soon, but the numbers were Power 81.43hp, Torque 103.29ft-lbs.

The removal of the cat has reduced the heat factor on the right thigh considerably. On the move there's no problem, and at standstill in traffic, barely noticeable with kevlar jeans.

I replaced the Dunlops with Pirelli Night Dragons. The OEM tyres are not great in the wet, I think we can all agree, although they do wear very well. I have used Metzelers in the past, and loved their grip and feel, but they weren't available. These Pirellis are not quite to that standard on my seat-of-the-pants meter, but pretty good. The rear is a 65 profile vs 60 for the OEM, so it geared me up a fraction, and made the speedo more accurate.

I got rid of all the lead wheel weights, and installed Dyna Beads in both tyres. These are tiny dense ceramic spheres which travel round the tyre and locate themselves opposite heavy points to eliminate out-of-balance vibration. Never need to balance your wheels.

A few more minor gripes:
*The heated grips can't be adjusted when using a tank bag which covers the tank mounted button.
*I'd like to be able to adjust the driving lights without pulling the fairing to bits.
*The audio rubber encased buttons are a pain with thick gloves, and I'd love to see something like BMW use instead.

I had to improve the horn on my Victory, and buy an expensive alarm system, and spend $800 to get a decent quality fairing. The RM has all those as standard.

All in all, I am very very happy with this motorcycle. It has remained almost completely without any problems, and gives great satisfaction on every trip. The 2017 looks to have further improvements to the audio and has added sat-nav as well.

If you ride far and wide, the Roadmaster is The Business. Love it.
--------------------
Albany, Western Australia
ex 2015 Roadmaster 
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V-Twin Founding Member 7,820 posts
V-Twin
Nice part 2 write up mate. Thanks!
Melbourne, Victoria
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crash Founding Member 2,565 posts
crash
I am going to have to start mapping my fuel consumption so that we can make sure that we are comparing apples with apples.  I agree, how can two machines of the same build have such a discrepancy. 
Ulysses #30673
IMRG #AU100394
Current: RoadMaster (ebony and ivory)
Highett Victoria Australia
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V-Twin Founding Member 7,820 posts
V-Twin
crash wrote:
how can two machines of the same build have such a discrepancy.

Maybe we get better quality Petrol on the east coast? Also 95 vs 98 octane? After I had my S2C fitted in Brisbane and riding back to Melbourne, I remember looking at the dash (avg fuel consumption) and recall seeing low-5 litres/100kms but, I also recall seeing high-5 litres/100kms as well. Be it due to quality of fuel or head wind or whatever, I don't always get 5.1 - 5.2 litres/100kms.
Melbourne, Victoria
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DAVO Full Member 311 posts
DAVO
I am getting around 5.4 to 5.6 L / 100 km average on my Vintage, talking to one of the guys on the weekend he is getting around 6.1L / 100km on his Chieftan fitted with a PC5 and stage one I think it comes down to the weight of the bike effects the fuel consumption and the right hand
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V-Twin Founding Member 7,820 posts
V-Twin
DAVO wrote:
weight of the bike effects the fuel consumption and the right hand

If we all used this method, we might be able to discount the right hand effects.
http://www.indianmotorcycleforum.com.au/post/what-mileage-do-you-get-out-of-your-bike-8125623
Melbourne, Victoria
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1854cc Full Member 167 posts
1854cc
Thanks Horrock,

for taking the time to tell us about your experiences with the RM.  I really enjoy these types of write ups especially the parts about what people have done to their bikes and the results.

I usually know it all [rofl], but every now and then I learn something.  Never heard of those Dyna Beads.  Have to google that...

I do have a couple of a questions if you don't mind as follows:

  • Have you got the Autotune with your PCV ?
  • When you say cat removal, did you change headers OR gutted the stock headers ?
  • From your write up it would seem that your bike runs very well.  Does that mean you don't get that SURGE issue when pulling up at lights and what about that CLACKING ?

A few pics of your steel horse also wouldn't hurt if you have the time.  Always enjoy looking at these beautiful machines.

Ride safe
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V-Twin Founding Member 7,820 posts
V-Twin
1854cc wrote:

what about that CLACKING ?

Hey 1854,
Clacking will not go away with tune.  If you have not seen it yet, check this out.
http://www.indianmotorcycleforum.com.au/post/causes-of-indian-thunder-stroke-111-engine-clacking-8168637
Melbourne, Victoria
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Horrock Junior Member 47 posts
Horrock
G'Day 1854, thanks for the Q's

* No Autotune. Took the advice of my tuner, who said spending the money on a dyno instead for optimum setup was the way to go.
   I know there are advocates of the Autotune on this list, but all I can say is my engine seems to run beautifully since the mods.

*He removed the dual header section containing the catalytic converter honeycomb, cut it open like I--------I, cleaned it out, welded      it up and UHT painted it. 

*When the throttle is closed above about 1500rpm, the fuel is shut off completely to aid engine braking and consumption. fuel is re-introduced when revs drop lower to avoid stalling, regardless of the closed throttle, so it isn't technically "surging". Best avoided by changing down before rpm drop too low, or declutching as you roll to a standstill.

Thats my bike in the avatar, looks pretty standard really. I'll get one of the A/C and post it soon.
--------------------
Albany, Western Australia
ex 2015 Roadmaster 
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1854cc Full Member 167 posts
1854cc
V-Twin wrote:

Hey 1854,
Clacking will not go away with tune.  If you have not seen it yet, check this out.
http://www.indianmotorcycleforum.com.au/post/causes-of-indian-thunder-stroke-111-engine-clacking-8168637
Thanks for the link. I had not seen this yet and it makes sense.   A bit frightening to think that it will come down to the luck of the draw whether you end up with a TS111C for Clacker or not [smile]
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V-Twin Founding Member 7,820 posts
V-Twin
1854cc wrote:

Thanks for the link. I had not seen this yet and it makes sense.   A bit frightening to think that it will come down to the luck of the draw whether you end up with a TS111C for Clacker or not [smile]

Tell me about it!  [rolleyes]

Reports are starting to come in from USA that 2017 still has clacking issues.  There isn't enough data to be conclusive yet but it appears nothing significant was changed to minimise/eliminate clacking.  And of course Chieftain and RM, due to full fairings, will reflect more sound so the owners are more likely to hear clacking on them, over naked bikes.  Vintage and Springfield are somewhere in the middle with some reflection.
Melbourne, Victoria
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Horrock Junior Member 47 posts
Horrock
1854cc wrote:
Thanks Horrock,

for taking the time to tell us about your experiences with the RM.

A few pics of your steel horse also wouldn't hurt if you have the time.

Horrock wrote:


Thats my bike in the avatar, looks pretty standard really. I'll get one of the A/C and post it soon.


IMG_0438.JPG  IMG_0432.JPG  IMG_0437.JPG 
--------------------
Albany, Western Australia
ex 2015 Roadmaster 
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V-Twin Founding Member 7,820 posts
V-Twin
I like that LLoydz AC!  The first photo makes the AC appear more retro with big holes.  Very nice!  [thumb]
Melbourne, Victoria
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1854cc Full Member 167 posts
1854cc
Thanks for the pics.   I agree the holes give it a retro look and I like old school.
I can't tell from the pics but how much smaller if anything is the Lloydz compared to the stock ?   One of my biggest issues with the stock A/C is that to me it oversized for that engine, from an appearance point of view.  Lets face it looks matter [smile]
If it was 70% of the size that it is I would consider it proportionately correct.  Of course the fact that engine breathes easier with one of these is a beneficial side effect to me.
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Horrock Junior Member 47 posts
Horrock
1854,

The A/C is about the same diameter as the original.

I believe it is possible to re-use the "bed pan" cover from the OEM filter on the Lloydz unit.
--------------------
Albany, Western Australia
ex 2015 Roadmaster 
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Airhead Full Member 153 posts
Airhead
Horrock wrote:
1854,

The A/C is about the same diameter as the original.

I believe it is possible to re-use the "bed pan" cover from the OEM filter on the Lloydz unit.


People would actually do that??  I went the stage 1 round aircleaner 50/50 for looks/performance.  The bedpan is a shocker...
I like bluegrass, banjos and motorcycles.
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V-Twin Founding Member 7,820 posts
V-Twin
Airhead wrote:
People would actually do that??

People CAN, but should NOT!!    [biggrin]

Of course this is entirely personal but when I first gazed upon the Indian Vintage, I said to myself, that air box has to go!  Little like you, I changed to Indian High Flow AC for the appearance... any performance increase was a bonus.
Melbourne, Victoria
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Airhead Full Member 153 posts
Airhead
Horrock love the aircleaner, and on gas mileage (it's an American motorcycle right) I have averaged 5.6L per 100klms but the motorcycle is new and it has been all country kilometers.
I like bluegrass, banjos and motorcycles.
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Horrock Junior Member 47 posts
Horrock
Thanks, Air.

I keep hoping to find the secret of good fuel economy with mine, but no joy so far.

My average is 6.08 over about 19K.

Incidentally, Lloydz equipment is available through Ghost Riders Motorcycles in Hoppers Crossing, Vic.
--------------------
Albany, Western Australia
ex 2015 Roadmaster 
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Airhead Full Member 153 posts
Airhead
I wonder if the freer exhaust with less back pressure might have something to do with it, you are at 39miles per gallon which still isn't bad for such a large motorcycle.  According to the distance to empty I can get better than 321 klms from a tank, I mean by that  I can överfill"the tank and after about 25klms the figure of 321 klms to empty then starts to decrease.  Under similar circumstances I can get 320 klms out of my BMW R100RS before hitting a reserve of around 50klms capacity, an old Airhead 980cc's (just over half the size of the Roadmaster).  The obvious other thing is how much right hand gets used, so comparisons of the same rider on the same roads, or there abouts would be most valid.
I like bluegrass, banjos and motorcycles.
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V-Twin Founding Member 7,820 posts
V-Twin
Horrock wrote:
My average is 6.08 over about 19K.

If you have used this method to work out your mileage, 6 litres / 100kms seems higher.  Most people riding a full fairing bike like Chieftain and RM, solo, on a flat road with no head wind are getting 5.1 to 5.6 litres / 100kms.  I should also say, 'on a good day' as that is not what we get every single time we hit the highway.  You can put it down to quality of fuel, or hill you don't notice, or head wind you can't feel but 0.5 litres / 100kms variation seems normal between good day and bad day.
Melbourne, Victoria
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