Here's an entry specifically for HU people and Enfield owners because nothing much has happened the last 10 days except for bike related stuff.
Enfield Service Centres

Here's an entry specifically for HU people and Enfield owners because nothing much has happened the last 10 days except for bike related stuff. So here's my impression of the four service centers we have visited in the last two weeks:

Panaji: Service manager was one of the rudest people I have met in India, and that is pretty rude. Wait time for a service was 8 days. No good.

Mapusa: On the main Panaji-Mapusa road, just south of Mapusa, on the east side.
Mechanic was pleasant and appeared competent but there was plenty of stuffing around and the things which he fixed didn't stay fixed very well. Worst of all, I had asked for all the screws and nuts to be tightened and anything else that needed fixing to be fixed. When I got the bike back there were three nuts that needed tightening straight away, the chain and sprocket are completely warn and he didn't even mention them, there was a safety pin still missing from the rear brake setup. No good.

Vijayawada:
Main Royal Enfield Dealer and service centre on Bandur Road. Large with a good stock of parts, but not for the Thunderbird Twinspark! Replacement front and rear sprocket and chain where not available within 400km apparently. Service was reasonable.

Rama Krishna – Bullet Mechanic.

Absolute GOLD! The best mechanic I've come across in India. Extremely friendly and helpful

with a shed full of rebuilt and project Bullets which he was proud to show off.

He noticed that my tail-light was held on with electrical tape and instantly had the broken bracket re-welded, no cost! Did business the old fashioned “have a chai with me I am very happy to meet you” way, rather than the “Hmm, a tourist, how can we rip him off” way. His English is very weak but his son works with him and has great English. We thought we were stuck here as nobody could find a replacement sprocket for me – they even thought about if they had any friends that would give me theirs so that we could keep traveling. Very kind. Somehow, when I was just about to give up and burn the bike to an ugly death, they managed to procure the spare parts from somewhere. I jumped the counter and hugged the son :)

Here are the labour costs for Enfield repairs, good for planning. Actually, I don't have the photo on me at the moment, I will add it later.

and parts:
Front&Rear Sprockets and Chain INR1950. Here is my old sprocket, with the tips of the teeth breaking off!

And thanks for playing.