Carb or FI or New Bike??

I own a Yamaha FZ and I have been quite happy with it for the past few years. I am on the verge of investing in another motorcycle. Before zoning in on a new machine, I want to know if it is possible to equip the motorcycle with a fuel-injection system. If yes, will it have any adverse effects on the motorcycle?

Brinda Rajput, Madhya Pradesh

Dear Brinda, it is possible to convert your carburetted Yamaha FZ to a fuel-injected one. However, it is not really an easy process because you would need to find the right technician who can carry out such a procedure without damaging the system. So we don’t really recommend you go in for such a procedure. It would wiser to invest in a new motorcycle with fuel-injection. We hope you find the right FI motorcycle for your needs.

Tubeless Tyres and Spoke Wheels

I have a Royal Enfield Bullet 350 and I go on long trips at least once in two months. Following numerous punctures, I am considering changing to tubeless tyres as they are more convenient to repair. I heard that spoke wheels can be shod with tubeless tyres after sealing the inside of the rim. Is it advisable to do so and will it have a negative effect on the handling?

Rajesh Bihari, Lucknow Dear Raj, it is true that tubeless tyres are easier to repair as you don’t have to dismount the tyre from the rim to repair a puncture. However, it is not possible to fit a tubeless tyre to a conventional spoke wheel. There are bikes that do come with spoke wheels and tubeless tyres, but they use special wheels where the spokes are fitted in reverse and the inside of the wheel is completely sealed, just like an alloy wheel. Instead, we would recommend that you use good quality tyres and keep them inflated to the right tyre pressure that should keep the number of punctures to a minimum.

Spares for the Yamaha RD350

I am an avid reader of your magazine. I heard recently that Yamaha propose to start producing the RD 350’s spares. When do you think these will become available in major Indian cities? What is a CDI kit? Which is the most appropriate disc brake and CDI kit for the Yamaha RD 350 (1984 model)? Where and at what price may I find those in New Delhi?

Saeed Mirza, via e-mail

No, Yamaha have not started producing any spare parts for the RD 350 nor will they, so far as we know, in the near future. There are a number of CDI kits available in the market. We suggest that you go for a 12V RX135 ignition system that would fit your bike well. As for fitting disc brakes on your RD 350, you will have to weld the lugs on to the front forks for caliper mounting. Then you will need to replace the front wheel with one that has mounting points for the rotors. You may consider the disc brake assembly from the Pulsar or Yamaha FZ. Have the whole thing done by a competent mechanic or else there are chances that the whole modification job might just backfire.

Sluggish in Ducal Comparison

I have a question regarding my Bajaj Pulsar 200NS. My bike has done 20,000 km, but I am not really happy with its acceleration. I want my bike to have the same acceleration as the KTM 200 Duke. Please suggest to me how it may be done.

Diwan Zorawar, via e-mail

The main reason why the bike feels sluggish as compared to the KTM is that the Pulsar 200NS is heavier than the Duke. Besides, it has taller gearing and is slightly less powerful. To make your bike go as fast as the Duke, you would need to undertake a number of modifications to reduce weight, improve gearing and increase the power, all of which is not really worth the time and money. Instead, you can always consider upgrading to the Duke.