[ijeet]

Thanks to all who tested and reviewed this bike.I am in Market for a ADV bike to be used solely for "Himalyan" runs like Sach pass, Leh etc.

My question to all, can this take almost 40-50deg inclines of Sach pass with 2 up and Luggage from a stand still? I am just concerned about lack of low end grunt as reported

-Ijeet

[timuseravan]

Originally Posted by ijeet

Thanks to all who tested and reviewed this bike.I am in Market for a ADV bike to be used solely for "Himalyan" runs like Sach pass, Leh etc.

My question to all, can this take almost 40-50deg inclines of Sach pass with 2 up and Luggage from a stand still? I am just concerned about lack of low end grunt as reported

-Ijeet

Bullet and Thunderbird 350 do that - so the Himalayan with more torque and lesser weight should have no problem.
However I would recommend to wait for atleast a year post launch for RE to work out the inevitable bigger niggles. You can face the minor ones

[Urban_Nomad]

Thanks for such a detailed post. Some queries in bold below:

Originally Posted by Hammer & Anvil

So here are the first points that struck me-

2 Very nice brakes for an Indian bike - But not great if we bring in some other names? How is it compared to a Conti GT? I've heard the anchors on that one are the bomb

4. It's a very very lead filled 390 - What similarities did you observe between the 2? I find them as different as chalk and cheese

8. The CG/Balance is over compensated from the earliest videos -the bike will wheelie very easy, especially two up - I am a bit confused. Earlier on this thread you mentioned that this was a front heavy bike. AFAIK, a front heavy bike would mean difficult to wheelie, no?

11. The rider pegs are sturdy for me to climb on- but they are a tad off to the rear. Anyone taller than me will have a lean forward stance / and head down position- so they will have to crane the neck/chin upwards to ride when in stand up mode/ that really sucks according to me . This is ok once in a while to combat a stretch of bad road, but to do standup over off road terrain- for over 4/5 minutes, I am guessing this is not it - Anyone taller than you would have a better reach at the handlebars and would depend on where in the seat they sit (too forward, or back against the arch). Moreover, you can always make simple tweaks like rotating the handlebars to suit you and avoid an unwanted stretch / lean. But the footpegs dont seem rear set. As compared to a Harley, yes .... But not rear set in the traditional sense. Come to think of it, every bike's pegs would be rear set as compared to a Harley

The Bullet does 60km/hr run time. The HD and Tiger would do 75-80km/hr
This one will do 70-75. - Thats saying a lot. But I am pretty sure depending on the terrain, the Tiger would easily do triple digits average speed. Depends on the rider's abilities too, but I have no doubt that given a few open stretches, the Tiger will put some serious distance between both the RE & HD

[Hammer & Anvil]

Here is some data that was missing from the rides-

The first gear touches close to 35, and Second cranks close to 70+ but higher gears run out of steam and the bike top ended at 120/5th @6000. At 120 the bike had poise, nothing was hurried or in a frenzy but we had hit a performance wall and that was it. The brakes were very good and at 120 had bite and it did not feel like they would take forever to cone into play. Nilkanth- thanks for the amazing run.

The resonance, we had more time to pay attention and that band was @4500 but if you just pushed it thru a bit, then we hit 6000 in every gear including 5th.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by Hammer & Anvil

5. It's got fantastic low seat height - 800mm, so if you can sit astride a Duke 200/390 or a Ninja 650 - then the bike can seat you.
...
8. The CG/Balance is over compensated from the earliest videos -the bike will wheelie very easy, especially two up.

Hi,
Sometime back you had described seat height of 800 mm to be stratospheric. What would be the inseam necessary to flatfoot the bike?

Your impressions on stability when powering up an incline, with pillion.

Road speed in first at peak torque rpm?
Lowest road speed without chain snatch (no fanning of clutch)?

Where would you place the gearbox shift quality, compared to other RE models?

Regards
Sutripta

[petrolhead_neel]

BikDekho's review of the Himalayan, by Bunny Punia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa-3xPJ1kGU

Regards,
Neel

[anilp]

Looks like the Himalayan won't make it to the capital. What was RE thinking?

https://www.rushlane.com/royal-enfie...-12190782.html

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Royal Enfield has announced that it will launch the Himalayan adventure tourer motorcycle on March 16, 2016.

Link to Team-BHP News Article

Went up to the showroom in Manali in great expectancy on the 15th, and was shocked to find nothing at all going on or being readied. No banner, no gear, no Himalayan waiting in the back room, in what might fairly be described as THE seat of Indian Himalayan motorcycle touring. Proprietor says he's ordered one and that it should come by mid-April. Rather disappointing, and it seems RE should've made more of this venue for the launch.

But... oh, no... I've checked out the website... the thing weighs 182kg's!!! WHAT??? Aaaargh!!! How did they manage to do it??? I knew the jump-landings in those videos had made it look terribly heavy... but now my worst fear has been realized. 25bhp on a 182kg bike... (vs. the 30bhp on my old 130kg DR350...). Is it really going to be more nimble and daily-use friendly at around the same weight as the classic Bullet?

Well, the peak torque does come in low-ish (4-4,500), and fairly refined, so perhaps it will yet prove itself tolerable. Still want to test-ride - but the excess bulk is a HUGE surprise and disappointment for me, the dealer was indicating 1.75-2L, which it seems now was incorrect. Still, I'm thinking the equivalently bulky, more powerful, less costly carb'd 500 (was 1.4L?) could prove the bigger temptation for too many, especially for those wanting to tour primarily the well-beaten paths where pavements are steadily improving, and for those who find the classic Bullet look simply timeless (I'm getting near to that sentiment myself).

I really can hardly believe this... I should've known it all sounded too good to be true.

-Eric

[P.S.]

Eagerly waiting for a comparison of this with a TB 500 by an owner fan boy of the latter.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by 21Archer84

Apologies for bumping into your post. But, on similar lines, I was wondering if we can move the headlamp assembly to the forks or in the regular fashion, so that they move in the direction of turn you take?

I'm not an adventure guy, was hoping RE would launch 2 variants, one for the regular chaps like me and others the adventure junkies, which is not the case. The initial test mules made me think so.

If I get one, which I'm more leaning to woule be my first RE, I wish to make this look more softer from it's current adventure looks, may be by taking out the beak, the mountings for the add-on tanks in the front and moving the headlamp unit as said above. Any suggestions on if this is possible to do without much fuss?

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Hey - Even if you were to:

* Fabricate a custom mount
* reroute wiring as required
* Fit the headlamp as you desired without having to make further alterations

It would still not work, except for absolutely crawling speed, such as U turns

Unlike a car, you dont as much "turn" the bike; but lean it to go into the desired direction. Look up the term - Countersteering

While cornering hard, your front tyre would actually be facing the opposite direction of the turn. There is a reason that this "feature" is not offered on the most premium of bikes

An easier solution would be to mount a couple of flood type LED lights for lateral illumination

I'm not mechanically adept or even remotely DIY, but -

Shouldn't this be easy with all the sensors available today? Fit two flood LED lights and then all you need is a gyro sensor to figure out which side the bike is leaning, and it can automatically switch on the respective light! Of course, weather proofing it may be tough, but i would guess the technology is quite easily available, no?

[pcpranav]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

I'm not mechanically adept or even remotely DIY, but -

Shouldn't this be easy with all the sensors available today? Fit two flood LED lights and then all you need is a gyro sensor to figure out which side the bike is leaning, and it can automatically switch on the respective light! Of course, weather proofing it may be tough, but i would guess the technology is quite easily available, no?

Sir, concept-wise well pointed, using technologies like Gyro sensor etc.
Well, I have been closely watching this thread, and right now I actually logged in to comment that this bike seems even missing a 12v socket ! Ideally, RE should have integrated a 'water-proof' variant of 12v socket, and then even put some marketing slogan!

I would like to see comments about:
- power deliveries (solo & with pillion) compared to STD500, CL500;
- pillion comfort, especially with those RE panniers on long rides;

any word on warranty for this bike ?
do refer : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...-warranty.html

regards,

[Hammer & Anvil]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

800mm
stability
Road speed in first at peak torque rpm?
Lowest road speed without chain snatch (no fanning of clutch)?
gearbox shift quality

Sutripta

Inseam- i am 29" and i half foot on both sides, so I am guessing 32" would flatfoot it easy.

The 800 is high, and i guess its necessary for this bike design- maybe i did not quite relate to it earlier- or i was messed about my Fat Boy coming in at 625 - i stand corrected. Come to think of the wheel sizes and the GC given... BUT they bike is SLIM! and that allows me to put more foot on it than i do with my Classic 500- which has one of those hollowed out 'Irfan/Perfect' seats...

Gear box was neat and firm- no false neutrals or slips. It did have a tendency not to find neutral easy- as was evident watching many of the riders- but I guess thats a artifact of not knowing how light foot to tap from 2nd.

With Pillion, we did 120 and flattened out the engine- the stability was amazing. Straights, bends, inclines. Though the stiffness of the rear shock may need to be tightened depending on the road/load to prevent excessive sag in fast undulating bends- but once you figure out what works for you, you are set.

The tires may not be suited for asphalt or cement, as we thought the tires broke easy, especially on down shifting due to torque. Maybe 'road tires' would be good for those who would use this to combat bad city/rural roads- a thought.

This is a very 'firm' solid gear box. every gear was slotted in proper and good- so that makes it better than my C500- much better.

No comments on the slow speed numbers- the bike starts hauling from 2000 and continues to hustle till 6000, with that emotional break for a few seconds @4500.

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Thanks for such a detailed post. Some queries in bold below:
2 brakes
4. 390
8. The CG/Balance
11. The rider pegs

...put some serious distance between both the RE & HD[/b]

U/N
Thanks for the vote/note on the review-
2. The brakes were good, and I have not had the chance to test braking on a GT- which to my mind was a cafe racer- one street- bar to bar hopping in Dublin kinds. I therefore cannot comment on better or worse. But at 120 to give you a reference- the H brakes had bite- and that was reassuring. Coming from bigger bikes to the H, I was content with them- and it works for me.
4. The more time you spend on the H, the more the 390 starts to feel its younger or more athletic brother- maybe psychological given that the engines are apparently the same, just long stroked to reduce compression, and other 'stuff' Maybe I relate to its ability to fly over bad patches of road, and actually good you brought it up- I think this one would beat a 390 in terms of comfort and ease of riding- a better seat, and the fact that you could actually watch the scenery at 40kmph with 2500rpm- and be comfortable-
8. The first video unmistakably show a front bias- the CSS one especially- and the guys then said it was a year old etc- before deleting it altogetehr- so they either fixed it to the knife-edge that now with a heavy pillion and loaded panniers- you would need to watch the front. I think they did something with the layout to fix the front and along with that the foot pegs quality too- which are truly adventure class now- that one can climb over and not have it fall off :-)
11. I ride a bunch of motorcycles, and the foot pegs to the rear are an issue on this one - i repeat- for sustained off roading. The handle bars- funny that I never need them on any one from my Fat Boy to the Tiger I ride- but I am guessing- handle bar risers will sort out that issue. Maybe, I was influenced by watching many get discomfitted by the 3' wide handlebar- and this bothered me in addition. Or maybe I am short only for this bike.
Not really just Harleys- the foot pegs- on my C500 are perfect- straight down.

The H would eat the Bullets (the C and TBTS) for breakfast over any kind of ride. Good road, bad road, no road, road- whatever. Spirited riding or just easy throttle- you will beat them.

Harley? for ride comfort, speed, pickup - not a chance-
Over bad roads the H would win- But this is not a HD versus H article, that would not be possible or fair.

Thanks for the read and questions- i hope you got some answers from my POV.
KD

[fiestarry]

Originally Posted by timuseravan

The bike looks like a quick mod-job at someones garage and not a production version. After my last niggle-filled Classic 500 ownership I am very afraid to touch another RE bike. But still I plan to test ride this weekend.

U said it ! Crude looking, agricultural engine with poor bottom end, bad brakes, kate moss front tyres and a too low seat are the attributes I have gathered from the posts here about this 'product' from RE.
And where is the ABS for which the Mojo was pilloried?
Fans will ride an RE made pump set with ball bearings for wheels if only to prove their undying loyalty.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by fiestarry

U said it ! Crude looking, agricultural engine with poor bottom end, bad brakes, kate moss front tyres and a too low seat are the attributes I have gathered from the posts here about this 'product' from RE.
And where is the ABS for which the Mojo was pilloried?
Fans will ride an RE made pump set with ball bearings for wheels if only to prove their undying loyalty.

This post was IMO not required at all.

If you do not like products from Royal Enfield for their ancient technologies or looks, does not mean the bike is failure in anyway and in turn bad mouth it on a public forum.

It is a bike which has everything required for touring albeit a couple of notches below a full blown ADV tourer which costs atleast 3 times more, but I don't think they are there just for show.
I wonder if you had ridden the bike and then commented. I have not either , but from what I read, the only thing I will regret is the power, more so since I have been riding a D390, but I wouldn't blame RE based on this since this is not a full blown power bike, but more of a touring bike which can do 100kmh loaded without a sweat.

Regarding the ABS , it is something which will obviously be added later on along with Fi , since both these are required by policies.

For now, the prices would have increased with these parts and RE wanted to sell a bike in this segment at this price point in which there is no other manufacturer present.
I don't find a reason to complain when we as motorcyclists have it going so good with so many different types of bikes along different price points.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by fiestarry

U said it ! Crude looking, agricultural engine with poor bottom end, bad brakes, kate moss front tyres and a too low seat are the attributes I have gathered from the posts here about this 'product' from RE.
And where is the ABS for which the Mojo was pilloried?
Fans will ride an RE made pump set with ball bearings for wheels if only to prove their undying loyalty.

Your post just shows you wouldn't understand adventure touring concept at all. Before making sharp comments it's a good idea to ride it for yourself. It's my humble request to stop making personal judgements on RE owners or riders.