21st April 2016, 18:57 | #166 |
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread! Thanks mate! Could you please share the viscosity and recommended engine oil details mentioned in the owner's manual. That will answer a lot of questions! As 10,000 is a lot of kms. Cheers |
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21st April 2016, 22:33 | #167 |
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread!
Thanks for the info buddy. Really helpful. I only wish RE rolls out an extended warranty option. The move can considerably increase the reliability factor which is in question in most reviews. If offered I would definitely opt for it. On the other hand, I am a bit surprised looking at he 15000km interval for clutch plate replacement and the 10000km brake pad replacement. Is this a normal range or is it too frequent? I don't remember replacing either of these in my unicorn which I owned for 7 years and 27000kms and always serviced at authorised service centers. May be I am wrong. What do you think guys? Last edited by Jude300 : 21st April 2016 at 22:34. |
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21st April 2016, 23:40 | #168 |
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread! |
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25th April 2016, 12:10 | #169 |
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread! I was waiting to lay my hands on the RE Himalayan since its launch, but waited the dust and the initial euphoria to settle down. Finally went to the showroom last weekend for a test drive. I always follow a procedure before I take a test drive. Firstly I called up RE showroom to check if there is a test ride motorcycle available as I didn't wanted to waste my time. Yes came the reply from the eager sales personnel. I got ready and headed to the showroom. RE showrooms have undergone a lot of transformation over the past year in terms of overall branding, merchandize, look and feel of the showroom, courteous staff(atleast in the showroom I visited), nice display of motorcycles, etc. I had already scanned the Himalayan while it was on display so was not interested in scanning it further. I met the sales guy and he was very eager to offer me a test ride. He took a photo of my Driving License on his smartphone and handed me the keys to the Granite Black Himalayan standing outside the showroom. Coming to my experience of this test ride. Overall Looks and Color: The granite matte black color looks very understated and didn't excite me. Whereas the display matte white color looked awesome. The white color really complements the Himalayan's overall looks and stance. Choice of color is highly subjective and my pick is White. The camo color Himalayan spyed during the test rides were even better. I am sure RE would come up with some new colors in due course of time looking at how often they have been changing the colors on all their current offerings. The color quality is top notch although I feel scratches on matt colors stand out and are difficult to get rid of. As an ADV tourer enthusiast I feel Himalayan's looks are no nonsense and it is not built to please the eyes but to please the purpose for which it is built. It is more like the Kawasaki KLR650 bare bones, simple to fix and strictly Purpose-Built. In aviation terms it is more like rough and rugged Russian MiG, easy to fix while taking a massive beating and will still go on. One doesn't has to worry about breaking plastic fairing while the bike falls and spending thousands to fix it. One doesn't has to think twice about the plastic fairing before taking the motorcycle on those rocky and slush trails. The blacked out engine and casing looks very cool and business. It will be easy to wash away the dirt and will protect the casing from pitting that happens with aluminium metal. Cycle Parts: Well RE has gone a step further in enhancing the cycle parts, but as some members mentioned the exposed welded joints and hex weld nuts looks very industrial and some may not like it. The body panels are all well made and so are the mounting rails. The rear parcel carrier looks functional and can be used to mount a tail bag. The front mounting rails for the jerry cans looks solid and functional. As the jerry cans were absent one couldn't make out how it feels when the front end is loaded with those two jerry cans that can add up 10 kgs. of approx weight. The usage of allen screws are aplenty and although they look good the quality is questionable. Why I say this is because the allen screws on my Tbird500 rounded off at their head after a couple of times of opening and closing. The allen key slips and fails to hold a grip on the allen screw head. In my case the three allen screws holding the rear back black cover on Tbird's stock silencer had rounded off and had to be removed by welding it to a screwdriver. I sincerely hope RE has used good quality Allen screws this time. DIY'ers mates we need to have a good set of allen keys in all shapes and sizes. The exhaust looks nice and sturdy and complements the bike really well. It is function over form and will tremendously help while water fording without worrying about water getting into the exhaust. The instrument cluster didn't vibrate while riding which is good. I for one like it as it looks like an aeroplane cockpit with host of information laid out. The tyres are Ceat make and are very good in terms of feedback while providing adequate grip and comfort. I took a sharp turn on some concrete gravel and the tyres didn't slip. The front 21 incher wheel makes mince meat out of potholes and Mt. Everest like speed breakers. It just glides through the undulations like nobody's business. The fatter rear tyre provides enough traction and grip and adds that chunky look to the rear end. Ergonomics: Coming from Standards and Tbird's, the ergonomics of the Himalayan are totally different. It is neither commuterish nor is it lazy boy laid back. As soon as I sat on the Himalayan I was surprised to find that everything fell in its place and needed no adjustment from my side per se. The handlebar is nice to hold and has a beautiful feel to it. The foot pegs are a little rear set more than the Standard series. Did I mention about how strong and sturdy they felt. I was leaning a bit forward due to rear set footpegs but loved the position. The fuel tank knee recesses enabled me to grip the fuel tank with my knees while standing on the foot pegs. I didn't had to adjust while standing and it came all very naturally. For a moment I felt like I am in the Dakar rally. One point to note here is that the foot pegs are a tad smaller than what is seen in the pictures. The handlebar is very well placed in terms of sitting and holding the handle unlike my Tbird500 which feels like resting while being totally unstressed. The seats are way better than my Tbird500 both front as well as rear. The seats are a little soft but not as soft as the Tbird500. It will make the rider feel comfortable for long hauls. I didn't delve much into the pillion seat as I don't take pillion riders while doing long rides. RE needs to be given credit for making this ADV Tourer motorcycle seat height friendly for average Indian height. I am about 5'9 and a half and could rest both my feet on the ground comfortably. Hats off to RE and Harris Performance for achieving this.. I have seldom seen people not mentioning about the side and centre stands in many reviews. I tested both and felt the side stand could've been a little shorter or at a more slanting angle. Putting a side stand on a flat surface like a concrete road made me a little nervous. The centre stand is nice and sturdy typical of RE and I had no issues mounting it on the centre stand. I didn't notice any love bites between the chain and the centre stand. Although the Himalayan is just 10 kgs lighter than my present Tbird500 it hides its weight surprisingly well. I mean I felt I am riding a 165 odd kgs motorcycle as opposed to a 182 kgs motorcycle. Credit goes to the beautiful chassis and weight distribution done by Harris Performance. I am sure this chassis is capable of taking a much more powerful and larger displacement engine(read rumoured 610cc single cylinder and 750cc parallel twin). One thing I couldn't connect with was the steering. Although the handlebar is good it is wasted as the headlight and IC doesn't turn with the handle. It felt like a disconnect and made it very difficult for me to judge while riding through the turns and curves on the roads. I shortlist the cars(former Opel Astra and current Mitsubishi Lancer) whose mile long bonnet is visible while driving. Similarly I am used to motorcycles whose head turns with the handle. It felt very odd to me while riding the Himalayan. Maybe RE would've done this to reduce the overall weight on the front side of the motorcycle, as there would be additional weight on the front due to mounted jerry cans. It is just a question of getting used to but I am certainly not comfortable with this setting. Start up, idling and exhaust note: I thumbed the starter and the engine roared to life. I felt a little concerned about the absence of the kick starter. If RE is listening please consider adding it. The engine note is very similar to other OHC single cylinders and I was taken aback by the refinement and smoothness by RE standards of course. I feel most of the Bulleteer's wont be able to connect with the sound at all but it is a bliss to have a muted mild thump while doing long rides and I like the exhaust note of the Himalayan on that front. The motorcycle was idling at a higher RPM. I asked the sales guy is it so always or you guys have calibrated it that way. He said there are many test riders who abuse the motorcycle and hence it is idling that way. I didn't buy it but I am sure someone must have calibrated it. The Himalayan is UNLIKE any other RE so far and I could see RE has come a long way since churning out 1950's models to this one model of the present day. Engine and Gearbox: Before I get into the details I have to mentioned that the Engine is all about Torque. I popped the clutch and the bike leaped forward like an eager race horse. I was pleasantly surprised by the Torque and pull in the first gear and so on of an OHC engine as opposed to the RE pushrods. I mean the torque delivery is instant and doesn't come in late. It is right there available for the rider which is a blessing while doing steep inclines. Especially when taking sharp turns on an incline. The torque just keeps flowing in every gear and helps the bike putter in slow speeds which is great for city as well as dirt trail riding. I fully agree with CS Santosh when he said that a common man will not be overwhelmed by the power and will be comfortable riding this motorcycle. I reiterate his words that the power is enough if one loves torque and at what RPM it comes in(read bottom end torque at lower RPMs) and not just BHP rating. The 24 odd BHP although looks less on paper but is adequate for our roads and I was taken aback by its punch and ability to catch up speeds. Being a carb I was taken aback by the nice and crisp throttle response. The throttle required very little input and was very good. The gearing is done very carefully taking into the consideration the nature of this bike. The first couple of gears are very tall and will help while doing crawling speeds on dirt trails. The motorcycle does not knock/jerk in slow speeds in second and even third gear. This means the torque band is very well spread across the gear ratios. I am sure it can do 90-100 KMPH all day without breaking a sweat. Although from my riding experience I felt it will be most comfortable at speeds up to 90 KMPH and can hold it there all day. Although the summer sun was blazing outside I couldn't feel the heat at all from the air cooled engine. Maybe it will be due to the long stroke and lower compression ratio motor coupled with an oil cooler unit. Ideal engine for our never ending Indian summer. The oil cooler unit is the cherry topping on the ice cream. Suspension: The suspension was very good and the rear mono suspension sunk a bit under my 85 kgs weight when I sat on the bike. I knew it from the videos that the rear suspension was at a softer setting for comfort. Again I don't take pillion riders so the softer suspension with added luggage wont be a concern for lone riders like me. I am sure it will bottom out with two up and 25-30 odd kgs of luggage. The front suspension is very well balanced and not as soft as my Tbird500. It is very good as it does not sink in immediately under hard braking and neither does it nose dive like the Tbird. This is a very crucial feature to have while riding on dirt trails and otherwise while sudden braking. The front suspension is long and the fork gaiters makes it look cool and mean business while protecting it from flying dirt and natures elements. I was surprised to see such a tall front suspension and huge 21 inch tyre still made the front accessible from riding and reach point of view, now that's some brilliant engineering geometry. The swing arm design looks the same as the Tbird but for sure is a longer and sturdier unit. It is a very common tried and tested simple design which does duty on many other motorcycles. Brakes: The brakes are more of progressive and do not have that sharp bite. The rear brake is sharper than the front brake. The front brake doesn't feel numb and gives feedback in terms of braking. I am used to 60:40 braking ratio hence was comfortable using the rear brakes in unison with front brakes. Engine braking is present but not as good as the pushrods. I sincerely hope RE provides ABS with an option to switch it off while doing offroad riding. The steel braided brake lines are sturdy and functional while providing adequate braking for this 180 odd kgs motorcycle. The rider has to judge the braking distance as it has progressive brakes, panic braking without ABS maybe challenging. Lights: The tiny front and rear indicators looks very similar to the ones on CGT. The orange cover looks cool while making the indicators visible. The rear LED tail lamp looks sturdy and modern. Smaller details like a sturdy cover for tail light is a welcome addition on an ADV tourer which will have luggage tied all around like a mountain yak. The rear tail light reminds me of yesteryears BSA gold star tail light. The headlight a 55w powerful halogen is tried and tested. Like I mentioned before on some other thread that the light throw and illumination of my AVL Tbird's halogen is better than my Tbird500's projector beam. The round headlight with chrome ring casing is a signature RE design. I wasn't able to test the 55w headlight as it was afternoon but I am sure it will be more powerful than my 45w AVL Tbird headlight. Price: The price for which it is offered is a steal IMO. I mean it is cheaper than some of its older siblings and offers much more. The on road price puts it right between its 350cc and 500cc siblings. Some points to be noted: There were no accessories(specific to Himalayan) on display which is a disappointment even after months passing after launch. I don't see any hand guards on the Himalayan and doubt if they are offered by RE or if we have to get it done from outside. At least have a display model in the showroom with all the accessories like luggage panniers, jerry cans, etc. mounted to give a prospective buyer some perspective about these add on accessories. RE can provide a 12V charging socket as an accessory as it is good to have on an ADV tourer. I was perplexed by the absence of the balancer rod in the middle of the handlebar. This was present on the test ride motorcycles. Why did RE exclude them? It would have served it purpose apart from being a mounting point for GPS devices. Adjusting the rear mono suspension is not as easy as the other existing models as it can get tricky to access it within the place it is tucked in. I am not sure if the Himalayan has a roll over sensor that shuts down the engine and fueling in case of a fall which it will be often subjected to. Will I buy it? If I were in the market for an ADV tourer on budget I would've bought it eyes closed. But I would like to wait it out for the 610cc single and 750cc parallel twin engine to make its way into the Himalayan. By that time my Fixed Deposit would've compounded with the compounding in Himalayan Engine displacement. Last edited by navin_v8 : 25th April 2016 at 12:13. |
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26th April 2016, 16:49 | #170 |
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread! Very elaborate review Navin_V8. Really like the review of parts missed out in earlier reviews. I understand with just test ride it's difficult to comment on cruising abilities of this bike but if anyone has some luck in this area and would be ready to share, it would be really helpful. Thanks! |
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26th April 2016, 18:59 | #171 | |
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread! Quote:
1. Cruising at 90-100kmph all day is fine but how soon does it reach those speeds? Does it feel peppy and fun or is it lazy and laid back getting to those speeds? 2. How do you feel is the build quality/paint quality? I too am in love with the White option compared to the black one. 3. Did you get a chance to feel how the brakes perform? Thanks mate! | |
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27th April 2016, 09:35 | #172 | |
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread! Quote:
1. Frankly, H is faster than most of the current RE's available, may be exception is 500. It is on par with most of the bikes from Yamaha or Bajaj's of the world, albiet, their engine volumes are less. Mojo is probably slightly faster to 100kmph mark, but by a very small margin. Duke 200 is quite lot faster than H in this regard. I am not comparing it with Duke 390 as the difference to the milestone is quite large. Having said that, H achieves the milestone around 9 sec which is very decent, but something that will not scorch the road. 2. Build quality is fair. Can do better, especially when in comes to welding on the frame and cables. Haven't had a long ride and I guess, we will have to wait for some more time, untill we start getting ownership reports. Haven't really seen White colour, Black paint quality is fine (matt). 3. For me with background of TB350, brakes seem to be adequate and definitely better than TB350 UCE which has drum brakes on the rear. On the whole, H was exciting for me to start thinking about change from TB350 UCE to H. | |
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27th April 2016, 10:10 | #173 | |||
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread! Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
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27th April 2016, 22:33 | #174 | |
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread! Quote:
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29th April 2016, 11:17 | #175 | |
BHPian | re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread! First crash reported on Himalayan Source https://www.rushlane.com/royal-enfie...-12193237.html Quote:
Image courtesy rushlane.com | |
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29th April 2016, 12:32 | #176 |
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread!
This has been reported quite a bit by various online publications and I think you should reserve your judgement till the company officially makes a comment on this situation. The reports on all these websites are contradictory; some say the Dio rider was over 70 kmph and the Himalayan was at much lower speeds. And there is no firsthand account of this accident either, to add any credibility. |
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29th April 2016, 12:43 | #177 | ||
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread! Quote:
Quote:
We don't know how exactly the crash happened, but we do know that they both were speeding and had a head on collision. A head-on is dangerous. Any bike won't be in good condition after this kind of crash it would break the forks, damage the chassis. Chances are low that it would be anything other than a total write-off. If you want to cancel you're booking, that's your choice. But the notion on which you're basing this action is really illogical. Anyhow, in the event of a crash, you should seek your own safety rather than the motorcycle's. | ||
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29th April 2016, 12:47 | #178 |
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread! Mine was booking #2 in Sai AutoCraft, Mahadevpura, Bangalore. But since I booked the White, I did not get it in the first slot. Now, I got a call a few minutes back from them saying the bike has arrived and is ready for delivery. I told them I will come to either cancel or postpone the booking to the 4th slot (probably after 2 months). Why am I doing this ? Because I have been hearing a lot of horror stories (like the one above) and a lot of issues are creeping up. reports of badly done wiring, braking issues and a few deliveries in Chennai being called off due to PDI failures on quality. Plus, my biggest let down was when I took my wife (2 weeks after my booking) for a TD, the bike had done only 400km but was in such a bad condition, I couldnt press the clutch lever, the gears wouldnt engage and the engine was extremely rough. I understand its a TD vehicle but still, in such a bad condition and that too after service ? Nahhhhhhh. I am in no hurry right now. My trust steed, the CBR250R keeps me very happy and my recent acquisition last week, the RC390 is just settling in. The Himalayan can wait. So, if anyone who booked at the same showroom is in a hurry and needs to swap their booking with mine (showroom has agreed to doing this), please feel free to buzz me on 9886848331 and I will happily oblige. Cheers, Coplay |
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29th April 2016, 20:10 | #179 |
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread!
Coplay, it would be a great help to prospective buyers if you share the exact problems and sources. |
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29th April 2016, 23:15 | #180 |
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| re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread! It seems that the factory is not producing many white bikes at the moment. I was given an option by my dealership to change my colour to black to expedite the delivery and bring the waiting period down to a month after about 3 weeks of placing the order. It is likely that as the orders for the white pile up, the factory might start producing whole batches of white bikes with only a few blacks. |
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