[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Hello All,

Let me introduce to you all, Uno! My 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan BS6. I’ve had it for just about 3 weeks and I have covered only a measly 75kms on the ODO at this point in time owing to some complications (I’ll get to it later in this thread). However, the 75 kms that the bike has covered is a combination of every type of road imaginable (in Bangalore City atleast) and thereby, would give you an idea of how the bike performs. Onward to the selection process!



The Requirements were:

- Excellent Seating Position and Comfort
- Decent Fuel Economy for 20-25km City use everyday
- Good Service Network
- Spare Parts Availability (OEM or Third Party)
- Good Reliability

The Bikes Considered were:

Bajaj Dominar 400 UG - Excellent Bike, Absolutely Stunning to look at and loaded to the gill with features. However, one look at the reviews of all the Bajaj dealerships within 10 - 15 km of my residence made me stay away.

Yezdi Adventure - Seemed like a solid competitor to the Himalayan, however, glaring quality control issues, lack of a large service network, horrible dealer reviews and yet to be proven reliability kept me away again.

Royal Enfield Himalayan - Test rode a friend’s 2021 BS6 Himalayan before going to the dealership. Fell in love with the ride comfort and the low end tractability. Shortlisted.

Royal Enfield Scram - Checked it out at the dealership, but it didn’t really appeal to me and felt like a cut down Himalayan. Don’t get me wrong, It is a very good bike but I figured I might as well go all out and get the Himalayan instead.

Hero Xpulse 200 4V - Although the it is a capable motorcycle, the design didn’t resonate with me as much hence I did not shortlist it.


Dealership Experience (TD, Booking and Purchase)


I went to the Royal Enfield Electronic City Motors Dealership for two reasons.

- My friend who owned the 2021 Himalayan, bought it from the Koramangala Dealership and he told me that it was the worst purchase experience that he had faced till date. So bad in fact that he had to escalate it to RE’s head office. So stayed away from there.
- A quick search on Google showed abysmal reviews of the RE Bommasandra Dealership. Stayed away from there as well.

I also knew there was a Company Owned Store in Jayanagar I could go to with Excellent Reviews, but I figured I’ll try the Ecity Showroom first because they did have fairly decent reviews and I could always shift to a different dealership if I didn’t like it. I also knew that RE Himalayan didn’t have the best reputation in the motorcycle world because of the issues that plagued the initial BS3 models. However, RE has ironed out most of the kinks in the BS6 but one which I’ll get into later.

We went to the Dealership on the 16th of May 2022. I didn’t have high expectations from RE’s sales team and I was proven right. The sales personnel seemed very laid back (although they did explain all the features of the vehicle). I asked for a TD of the Himalayan, to which they readily agreed and I was taken outside to a White 2021 Himalayan that honestly looked like it had seen better days. I took it for a spin and the Gearbox on that particular vehicle was the worst I have used in my life. It took a gargantuan effort to shift it from N to 1st and would constantly have False Neutrals while shifting into 2nd. However, because I had test ridden my friend’s bike just the day before, I knew the Gear Box is actually pretty decent so I let this go. The Bike did well both on and off the road, was pretty composed and I liked it. I was told that the delivery time is anywhere between 30 - 45 Days. We got a proforma invoice from them and went back home.

I thought about it for a couple of hours and finally decided to go with my heart and make the booking. The booking amount was Rs 10,000 and could be done at home with the MiY Portal on Royal Enfield’s website. I sent the booking confirmation screenshot to my SA. I constantly followed up with him after that, and around 3 weeks in, I got a call from him saying the bike is ready and I can begin the payment process. Since we paid via cheque, it took 2-3 days to process and the bike was ready for delivery on the 10th of June. This is where my experience turned a little sour. I was asked to come to the dealership at 5:30 p.m, which I confirmed 15 mins before leaving my house as well. Reached the dealership and the SA told us to wait for 15 mins and then the bike would be ready. We agreed and finished all the remaining paperwork. 15 mins became 1 hour and my SA was nowhere to be seen. I asked another employee who said he would follow up and the bike was brought out around 20 mins later. We took the photo and they gave us the User manual and complimentary helmet and a run through of the controls of the bike. Towards the end, while checking the VIN, we realised that this wasn’t my bike! In a hurry, they took it back and we had to wait another 30 mins while they brought out the correct bike. I felt bad for the sole service technician who had to clean both bikes because of a dealer error. Anyway, I rode the bike back home and have had it for 30 Days exactly as of writing this post.



I was also not given a temporary registration number and had to wait 20 days for the HSRP. This too, the dealership managed to mess up. I confirmed with the SA the night before and 15 mins before leaving and he told me that the Dealership doesn’t have a drilling machine. I was infuriated and I asked him how he’ll affix the plate. He put me on hold for 5 mins and then told me that I could Come. As of now, the Platye hasn’t been drilled through and the Frame has been riveted into the bike. The Plate has just been placed inside the frame and closed. I will probable end up supergluing it to the frame or I’ll have to find some other alternative because I doubt the frame will hold it in place forever.


Read Three Quarters



Side View



The Console of the Vehicle, has the Speedo, Tacho, gear Shift Indicator, Tell Tale Lights, Fuel gauge and the Trip Display




LHS Controls: Beam toggle switches for the high and low beam, pass switch, Indicators and horn




RHS Controls: Kill Switch, Hazard Lights Switch and Ignition



Pricing

Ex Showroom Price (Including Booking Amount): 218339 Rs
Insurance (External from Acko): 18648 Rs for 2.1L IDV
Road Tax and Registration Charges: 51668 Rs
Accesories from Dealer (Large Engine Guard, Oil Cooler Guard, Number Plate Frame): 3300 Rs
Additional Accesories from Third Party:
- Raida Rainpro Raincover - 889 Rs
- Bobo Mobile Holder - 1199 Rs
- Rynox Bungee Cord - 250 Rs
- Gear Sock - 160 Rs

Total Cost: 2,94,553 Rs


Bobo Mobile Holder from Amazon. Excellent and VFM


"Protaper" Gear Sock from Amazon. Protects shoes from damage


Oil Cooler Guard from RE


Likes

- Supreme Comfort, certainly is built for All Roads and No Roads.
- Low End Torque
- Good Engine Refinement
- Decent Cruising Speed (80 - 100 kmph)
- Good Mileage (Around 30kmpl in the City with moderate traffic and from what I’ve been told, 40 - 45kmpl on the Highway)

Dislikes


- Slightly Clunky Gearbox. It is smooth but isn’t as butter smooth as Yamaha or Honda
- Slightly Heavy Clutch, but it is manageable
- A Pain to clean if it gets very dirty
- RE hasn’t resolved the Cone Set issue yet. However, Art of Motorcycles sells an inexpensive Nylon Cap which completely solves the issue which I will get Installed soon.
- Weight. The Achilles Heel of the Himalayan. It isn’t an issue while riding it but is a major pain while trying to move it by pushing it or while trying to prop it onto the main stand.
- Tubed Tires. I really think there should’ve been an option of alloys of some sort
- Decently adequate Headlamps. Horrible High beam, Decent Low beam

The Ride:

The Ride is one of the best qualities of this motorcycle. It can take on good roads and bad roads with ease and I have ridden it into the worst of potholes and still haven’t had an issue. On Twisty Roads, the bike isn’t the most agile but the handling is pretty decent. The motorcycles is very composed on both good an bad roads and you don’t feel like you would tip over or stall. For my Height (177 cms, around 5 9’), the windshield is good. I don’t really miss the Tripper which was omitted in the 22 model. The Phone mount serves the purpose.

Just like any other Higher Capacity Engine, the bike does tend to heat up a bit, maybe moreso before the first service, but it hasn’t been very intrusive. You do feel the warmth at slow speeds and traffic but it fades away once you get moving.

All in all, I’m very happy with the motorcycle and I’ll keep this thread updated on everything related! Cheers.

[Janjua]

Congratulations WhiskeyTangoFox!
Himalayan is an awesome bike. Now plan a road trip to the Himalayas.
Ride hard, ride safe.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycles section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage today

[LongDrive lover]

Congratulations! Very good initial review. I would wait for further ownership experience from you as you crunch more miles on your Himalayan. Do you have plans for additional solutions (like for tubed tires or improving lights, etc)?

[TheHelix0202]

One of my favourite colours for the bike. It’s both subtle and sexy at the same time. The Himalayan made into the shortlist of my next bike, but lost just because I needed something nimbler, and also because the kinks in the tank as well as the jerry can holders were fouling with my tall legs. No comfortable place to keep my legs, even if I sat further along the minuscule seat! Absolutely stupid of them to not get the dimensions right for taller people.

Otherwise this bike’s sofa like comfort and the ease with which one can straddle it at dead slow speeds are perfect! Enjoy your spanking new steed for many a lovely mile!

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Thank you all for your Kind words!

Originally Posted by Janjua

Now plan a road trip to the Himalayas.
Ride hard, ride safe.

Thank you Janjua! Haha yes, In the time I own this bike, I definitely will plan something of the sort! Cheers

Originally Posted by LongDrive lover

Do you have plans for additional solutions (like for tubed tires or improving lights, etc)?

Absolutely. Tubed Tires, maybe not right now because that is a relatively expensive affair and I don't think there are many viable alternatives right now. Headlight, yes. I will have to do that soon, but I can wait for a while since majority of my riding will be within what is technically city limits and has adequate lighting.

One Mod I want to do on priority and this is something I'd probably recommend to all Himalayan Owners (not promoting a product) is the Art of Motorcycles Nylon Cap for the Cone Set. Although RE fixed almost all major issues the bike had over its 2 generations, this is something they missed and the cone set will inevitable rust after 5k - 7k kms if exposed to moist conditions. If its a new bike, the Cap will sufffice I guess, but if the cone set is already rusted, they install NTN bearings and make it completely waterproof. I have seen people who have ridden even 10k - 11k kms after that and still have bearings that look like new.

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

I needed something nimbler, and also because the kinks in the tank as well as the jerry can holders were fouling with my tall legs. No comfortable place to keep my legs, even if I sat further along the minuscule seat! Absolutely stupid of them to not get the dimensions right for taller people.

Understandable! Although did you ride the BS4 or BS6 Himalayan? Because they have altered the design of the Jerry Can Holders to accomodate for this in the BS6 Iteration.

[TheHelix0202]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

Understandable! Although did you ride the BS4 or BS6 Himalayan? Because they have altered the design of the Jerry Can Holders to accomodate for this in the BS6 Iteration.

I’ve ridden the BS3 extensively on the highway. I test rode the BS6 in B2B city traffic, narrow lanes as well as wider lanes. Still the same. Shame, really! This is a worldwide complaint, even prominent in the West.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

I’ve ridden the BS3 extensively on the highway. I test rode the BS6 in B2B city traffic, narrow lanes as well as wider lanes. Still the same. Shame, really! This is a worldwide complaint, even prominent in the West.

Oh well, I guess that is an issue then. The bike works fine for my height atleast and a couple of my friends who are just over the 6 ft mark.

[superchamp]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

Let me introduce to you all, Uno! My 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan BS6. I’ve had it for just about 3 weeks and I have covered only a measly 75kms on the ODO at this point in time owing to some complications (I’ll get to it later in this thread).

Congrats on the new purchase. I have been looking at Himalayan, 310 gs And ktm adventure 390 as well. Will evaluate before I take a call.
Wish you many happy miles in the Himalayan.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by superchamp

Congrats on the new purchase. I have been looking at Himalayan, 310 gs And ktm adventure 390 as well. Will evaluate before I take a call.
Wish you many happy miles in the Himalayan.

Thank you!. I'm looking forward to your ownership review on the bike you do end up choosing

[NTab]

First of all, Congratulations @WhiskeyTangoFox.

Originally Posted by superchamp

Congrats on the new purchase. I have been looking at Himalayan, 310 gs And ktm adventure 390 as well. Will evaluate before I take a call.
Wish you many happy miles in the Himalayan.

I was also in the same boat just like you. But the KTM guys in my city didn’t give me a test ride, actually they didn’t have any test ride vehicle. So had to drop it. I don’t have BMW service centre here (nearest one is 400kms) so buying GS310 seemed like a bad idea.

So finally I ended up buying a himmy yesterday. Very happy with the bike.

[superchamp]

Originally Posted by NTab

First of all, Congratulations @WhiskeyTangoFox.

So finally I ended up buying a himmy yesterday. Very happy with the bike.

Congrats.. Waiting for your review

[NTab]

Originally Posted by superchamp

Congrats.. Waiting for your review

Thank you. I will write a comprehensive one on the Himalayan thread. I am waiting for few performance parts to get delivered. Will post after installing all those.

[Full_Minchingu]

Congratulations for your new ride! I like this bike for its sheer presence on the road, when ever I spot this bike in my rear view mirror, I promptly give way.

Looking forward for your bike's first service updates. I hope the service folks wont make your experience miserable like the delivery folks did.

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

The Requirements were:

- Excellent Seating Position and Comfort
- Decent Fuel Economy for 20-25km City use everyday
- Good Service Network
- Spare Parts Availability (OEM or Third Party)
- Good Reliability

I wonder why you did not consider the Suzuki V-Strom SX 250. I ticks almost all of your requirements. Have seen some good reviews on that as well.

Regards,
-Badri

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by NTab

First of all, Congratulations @WhiskeyTangoFox.

I was also in the same boat just like you. But the KTM guys in my city didn’t give me a test ride, actually they didn’t have any test ride vehicle. So had to drop it. I don’t have BMW service centre here (nearest one is 400kms) so buying GS310 seemed like a bad idea.

So finally I ended up buying a himmy yesterday. Very happy with the bike.

Thank you! I knew that both KTM and BMW's services costs would murder my wallet right now so, I didn't even consider those. Plus they were almost a lakh over the price of the Himalayan as of now. Congratulations on your purchase! I'm looking forward to your review

Originally Posted by Full_Minchingu

Congratulations for your new ride! I like this bike for its sheer presence on the road, when ever I spot this bike in my rear view mirror, I promptly give way.

Hahaha, Thank You! I used to give way to Himalayans too. It Feels like riding a horse, absolutely love it.

Originally Posted by Full_Minchingu

Looking forward for your bike's first service updates. I hope the service folks wont make your experience miserable like the delivery folks did.

The bike is due for the first service on the 25th of this month. The Service Team from the dealership (Electronic City Motors, Bangalore) called me up today asking if I want to book a service for the 10th. Since I was busy on the 25th and the bike hasn't still run enough IMO for the first service, (It has covered just under 200km now. Recommended Mileage is 450km), I've deferred it to 17th. I hope they do the service well cause I have heard mixed reviews about this service centre albeit mostly positive. If I'm not satisfied, I'll take it to the Company Service Centre in BTM Layout next time.

Originally Posted by Full_Minchingu

I wonder why you did not consider the Suzuki V-Strom SX 250. I ticks almost all of your requirements. Have seen some good reviews on that as well.

True, however, by the Vstrom 250 was launched, I had already booked the vehicle and was nearing the delivery date. Although Suzuki makes solid vehicles, their service team is a let down from what I hear and considering that it is a very new motorcycle, it would be difficult to source parts form outside as well in case of any unfortunate malfunction. The Himalayan has been around for 6 years and most mechanics are familiar with it by now, plus there is Art of Motorcycles in Bangalore which is known to be onw of the best places to go to if Himalayan owner (or any motorcycle owner for that matter of fact) for fixing issues.