[n_aditya]

Hello all, hope the year is revving with a positive vibe for you.

This is going to be a series of long posts, so kindly bear with me. I will document my Himalayan 450 ownership in as much detail as I can on this thread. Please feel free to ask any questions or share your suggestions which can help me and other H450 owners as well.

A little context:

Motorcycling is not new to me. I used to ride my dad's Kinetic Honda back in college and then moved up to a Hero Honda CD 100.

Later, I picked up a Suzuki Fiero and that started my passion in motorbiking. Although the bike was restricted to intra-city commuting, I did enjoy the revv happy nature of the Fiero. It was fast and a lot of fun.

Somewhere in late 2009, Kawasaki launched the Ninja 250R in India and it was love at first sight for me. I was so smitten that I spent all my free time obsessing over the bike, reading and learning about the history and popularity it had gained over the years. This was a new launch though, with fuel injection, liquid cooling and a first for me as well. I had only owned and ridden small capacity air cooled bikes prior to the Kawasaki Ninja 250R.

Here is my Ninja 250R ownership thread - link (2010 Kawasaki Ninja 250R - My First Sportsbike. 52,000 kms on the clock. UPDATE: Sold!).

I had the Ninja for 6 years and clocked 52,000 kms before I sold it. Made a lot of friends, went on a lot of rides (tons of places in KA, TN and KL) and also participated in IndiMotard's TWO Track School twice (Level-1 & Level-2). This significantly improved my riding skills and helped me unlearn some habits.

Some pics with the Ninja:



This pic was clicked by our dear Rudra, the God of photography:



Better than any pic from a marketing brochure or sales catalog, don't you agree?





The upgrade bug used to bite me in the backside every now and then but every time I took the Ninja for a spin, that thought would disappear.

[n_aditya]

One Sunday morning, while I was casually browsing one of my whatsapp groups, I came across a message from our Jaggu uncle. His friend was selling his 2014 Triumph Bonneville SE and I just happened to stop at this exact post while scrolling through a few hundred messages (yes, a few hundred messages at the very least every day ). Asked the wife if she wanted to go and see the bike and she readily agreed.

In a couple of days, the Bonnie was home. It had only 7200 kms on the clock in two years, was as good as new, had a remap and a pair of mad sounding pipes along with a super comfy touring seat. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to the big bike. Jumping onto a 865cc, 65 bhp machine from a 250cc, 33 bhp machine was scary. The acceleration was linear but this was remapped which made power delivery insanely scary and additive.

My bonnie's ownership thread is here (A much needed upgrade | Triumph Bonneville comes home | EDIT: Sold (page 9)).

I did quite a few rides although not as much as the Ninja. Some of my favorite pics:

Rudra's magic:



Some random shots:

















and the last ride on this which I did to Goa in Oct 2023:





I put the bike up for sale with close to 43,000 kms on the clock and it was sold to someone who saw my ad on this forum's classifieds. Thank you, Team BHP

The person who came to look at the bike made a token advance of five thousand rupees within 30 minutes of seeing the bike. He had not even ridden it.

Although I was sad to let this wonderful machine go, I was happy it was going to an equally passionate rider. I did not expect it would get sold so fast. In 3 weeks, the bike was gone. Seeing him ride off on the D day, made me very emotional and the rest of my Sunday was spent in silence, reminiscing fond memories of my beloved bonnie.

[n_aditya]

Last year (2023) one of my best buddies who is also a member of this forum (ku69rd) suggested I pick up the Himalayan 450 which was going to be launched towards the end of the year.

It was a valid suggestion.

An adventure machine meant I could clock more distance and explore a lot more that our country has to offer. I've always wanted to visit cities up North like Amritsar for the lovely Punjabi food, and down South such as Dhanushkodi, Rameshwaram, Kanyakumari, Madurai, and of course the West - Mumbai, Pune, Kohlapur. While flights are an option and quick in terms of travel time, nothing beats riding and experiencing so much more en route. It's not the destination, it's the journey.

However, as much as I wanted to, there was no way I could afford to keep two bikes in my garage. I had space but no time to do justice to two bikes.

So on to the adv's. I took a test ride of the KTM 390ADV and in less than half a km, I returned the bike to the dealership disappointed. The engine was rough, had a lot of clatter and sounded very rugged. Yes, coming from parallel twin engines, this was expected and natural. I should have given the KTM another chance and maybe I would have liked it but I guess fate had other plans in store.

So when YouTube started getting flooded with reviews of the Himlayan 450, it caught my attention. With all due respect to RE owners and no offense meant, I never liked RE earlier. I had heard horror stories from some of my friends of bikes being unreliable, read up on the internet on how parts fell off due to excessive vibrations, chassis breaking off into two (H411 for example), etc. I had told ku69rd that I wouldn't touch RE with a barge pole and here I am today

RE has of course come a long way over the years. The Interceptor 650 was a big leap for RE and for the prospective customer base. The bike was engineered well and a couple of friends picked this up. This was a Bonnie on a budget if I may say so. It could easily cruise at triple digits on the highways and with a pillion.

When RE launched the Hunter 350, I was pleasantly surprised. The fit and finish of the bike (have not ridden it but looks wow) is miles ahead even when compared with similar bikes in the competition.

When RE soft-launched the Himalayan 450 at EICMA late last year, I was all eyes and ears. I had never participated in any RE event earlier and although it could have been done better in some aspects, the sheer passion from the folks at RE was there for all to see. You may call this marketing and I would agree too When pre-bookings opened up, I made my choice and booked the Hanle Black.

A few days later, the bike was officially launched at Goa (Motoverse) and I headed to HSR Enterprises, Rajajinagar (link) to see the bike in the flesh. There was quite a crowd at the dealership and I patiently waited for a while for the crowd to disperse so that I could see the bike properly. I loved the black paint finish. The gold dust in the paint looked superb under the lights but the gold wheels were too tacky for me.

I took a test ride of the motorcycle a couple of days later - first solo and then pillion with the wife. I was pleasantly surprised that it was so easy to handle and even U-turns were effortless. I am 166 cms in height and was thinking it would be a challenge to reach the ground. Thankfully, I can reach comfortably without tip toe'ing. I don't think I will need to opt for the low-seat accessory as well.

I inquired with the sales head at HSR Enterprises, Mr. Mithun, if there would be a change in my booking queue if I opted for another color. Mr. Mithun is extremely patient, professional and very well-informed. He assured me that there would be no change and I asked for a couple of days to decide. I wanted to see the Poppy Slate Blue in the flesh and was almost sold on this color. Unfortunately, this color shade was not available anywhere to see in person and I decided to go ahead with Kaza Brown. This shade of brown is almost off-white and an empty canvas which gives one the option of customizing the graphics or color combo as per personal choice.

Days went by and I was enquiring every other day with Mithun when I could expect to take delivery of the bike. The introductory pricing was only valid until 31st Dec 2023 and prices were set to increase by at least 15-20k post 1st Jan'24. Initially, there was no clarity if the introductory pricing would be honored if deliveries were made in 2024. This clarity only came towards mid-December 2023 and kudos to RE for officially clarifying this. I know some were planning to cancel their bookings if the price protection was not honored.

On the afternoon of 14th Dec, I received a call from Mithun stating that my Kaza Brown 450 was due to arrive at their dealership and he asked when I could make the payment for it. I was overjoyed. I honestly did not expect to get the bike home before 2023 came to an end or for that matter, even in the first half of Jan 2024.

I already had made a payment of INR 10,000/- as part of the pre-booking and now had to transfer the balance amount which was done the very next morning (15th Dec). Here is the break-up of the price:

Basic price - 2,69,000/-

Registration & KA Road Tax - 54,828/-

Insurance (Comprehensive, Zero Depreciation, Return to Invoice, Engine Protector top-up covers) - 23,393/-

Extended Warranty + Road Side Assistance (5 years package) - 7199/-

Total - INR 3,54,400/-.


Went to the dealership and signed the registration forms on 16th Dec. The bike was ready on Monday morning, 18th Dec 2023.

Excitement as I enter the dealership:



Thimma ready to be handed over:



Thanks to ku69rd for the delicious cake. He arranged for this even though he could not make it to the dealership as he was out riding in Vizag.





Couple of shots out in the open:

[n_aditya]

18 Dec 2023 (Date of Delivery)

With the delivery procedures complete, I headed over to Bonnet & Spokes (link) for a full PPF treatment in matt finish (Kaza Brown is matt finished so made sense to get the matt PPF).

Sagar from Bonnet & Spokes was ready and waiting for me. I had informed him of my visit a few days earlier but had not confirmed the date. In the excitement of taking delivery in two days flat, I forgot to inform him and book an appointment. Thankfully, there were not too many vehicles that day and his well-trained staff took Thimma for a quick wash and then proceeded with the PPF installation.

Here are some pics from the installation process and post the installation:





















It took around 4 hours for the team at Bonnet & Spokes to complete the PPF installation.

Supreme™ PPF series by Avery Dennison was installed on my bike. This is a self-healing film and comes with two years replacement warranty. The installation is so well done that you cannot tell if the bike is wrapped with this film. More details here.

[n_aditya]

19 Dec 2023:

With the PPF in place, it was time for the customary pooja before Thimma was taken anywhere else.

Visited a couple of temples close to home and got the blessings of the almighty for hassle-free ownership and safe rides.

[n_aditya]

20 Dec 2023:

Thimma was now ready to stretch his legs a bit. I was eager to complete the first milestone in the prescribed run-in period for the engine.

As per the owner's manual:



4000 RPM on the Himalayan 450 translates to 82 kmph and 6000 RPM translates to 122 kmph.

I was pleasantly surprised as on the Ninja 250R that I owned earlier:

0 to 800 kms - 4000 RPM (~60 kmph, which was the most painful 800 kms I rode in my life )

801 - 1600 kms - 6000 RPM (~100 kmph - such a relief it was).

I was nearing my planned time off from work and was due to travel with my family for a couple of days. I did not want to keep the bike idle and wait until my family trip was done so I rode to work after a very long time. I used to ride the bonnie to work but for almost a year, I had resorted to public transport which was less time-consuming and effortless as well.

Left home at 0600 hrs as usual and was in the office in less than an hour (~30 kms one way). I thoroughly enjoyed my first proper ride (the test ride and the ride home on the day of delivery were only a few kms) and was amazed at the way Thimma gobbled up Bangalore roads for breakfast.

Here are a few pics from the office parking lot:












It was pretty early and I am always the first employee to get in, that explains the empty lot

100 kms was clocked on the odo and I was hoping to finish the first 500 kms as soon as possible.

[n_aditya]

22 Dec 2023:

My vacation had officially begun and I was due to travel with family later in the afternoon. I wanted to squeeze in a quick ride before the trip.

Was weighing options as to which direction to head out and finally decided to head toward Hoskote. It had been quite a long time since I had ridden in that direction.

Left early, reached Hoskote and turned back towards Bangalore.

Stopped to take a couple of pics on my way back:

[n_aditya]

27 Dec 2023:

My family trip was done and I had the rest of the week to myself.

The bike had 210 kms on the clock and I wanted to rack up the remaining miles and drop Thimma off for the first service the next morning.

Slight confusion again on which direction to take and finally decided to head toward Kanakapura and beyond.

I could only start at 10:00 AM and thankfully there was not much traffic. Some stretches towards Kanakapura had slight deviations on the highway due to road work and construction and I welcomed that with a smile inside my helmet. Thimma just glided over those patches.

Some pics that were taken at Kanakapura and near Mekedaatu/Sangama:

















Covered around 150-160 kms and got back home in time for lunch. Odo was at 350 odd kms now.

A few hours later, at around 4:00 pm or so in the afternoon, I was thinking if I should head out again and cover the remaining 150-odd kms to complete the run-in period. I had the option of doing an early morning ride the next day and heading to the service center directly.

I called the service manager at HSR Enterprises on Magadi Road (link) and he asked me to come at 09:00 AM so that he could return the bike before lunchtime.

That was enough for me to decide - chose to finish the run-in and not wait another day, which meant that I could drop the bike off first thing in the morning for the first service.

Quick calculation and I chose to go towards Maddur/Mandya which would be 150 kms both ways - just enough miles on the odo for the first service.

Lovely sunset that I captured:



Service due notification on the instrument console:

[n_aditya]

28 Dec 2023:

Reached the ASC of HSR Enterprises, Magadi road (link) and my bike was seventh in the queue.

Mr. Rahul, service in-charge attended to me within minutes of reaching the facility.

I explained to him that I needed the headlight to be realigned as the high beam was pointing to the sky.

I was also facing trouble connecting my OnePlus Nord CE 5G (Android 13) to the console. After numerous tries via the RE app, swapping O with 0, 0 with O, upper case with lower case, lower case with upper case, and so many other permutations and combinations, I finally was able to give up

The service technicians also tried but it did not work. They took a few pics and videos and said they would escalate the matter to RE. I am yet to hear from anyone on this.

On the contrary, my best friend's iPhone was able to connect almost immediately with no issues. Talk about RE being picky on the phones it wants to pair with HAHAHA...!!!

Finally, Thimma was ready after an oil change, air filter cleaning (which required the tank to be removed.. quite a task it was) and some mandatory inspection tasks.





I would rate the quality of service 4/5. The service staff was very courtous and patient in trying to understand my issues.

However, since they do not have water wash facility, the bike was not squeaky clean when it was handed back. The dry wash residue was visible on the handlebar and other parts of the bike.

I made a mental note to wash the bike myself very soon.

Visited the dealership on my way back after the first service to get the HSRP installed.

They had two accessories in stock.

The top case base plate:




The radiator guard:




I would have preferred these in black, especially the radiator guard but they are only available in stainless steel and aluminum right now.

Can you see the RE logo on the mirrors? Looks like a small fly sitting there lol. Neat little design if you ask me. Also, the mirrors don't vibrate at all.

[n_aditya]

29 Dec 2023:

My wife's new scooter which was brought home a week before Thimma's arrival was due for a quick wash.

And I decided that while I was at it, I would give Thimma his first (cold water) bath as well.





My son who has always been eager to help with washing and waxing my bikes was ready to help this time around as well

Armed with a bucket, Sonax shampoo and a few microfiber towels, we headed to the parking area where both vehicles were washed thoroughly.

I must admit that this must have been the quickest wash cycle ever. I used to take fours to wash, wax, clean and lube the chain on the Ninja.

On the Bonnie, it was a little quicker since there were no side fairings.

Now, it is super quick with Thimma, thanks to the PPF installation. No need for wax since I have matt finish PPF on the bike. Chain was lubed a day prior during first service, so that was not needed as well.

[n_aditya]

30 Dec 2023:

With the first service done, I could now revv the bike to 6,000 RPM.

Planned a ride to Shoolagiri with the wife.

I wanted her to experience the pillion seat and progressively spend more time on the saddle as we plan to do long rides together. My wife has been very supportive in everything I do, especially motorcycling (*touchwood*) and I am grateful to her for that.

We headed out a little after 0630 AM and the traffic was pretty heavy. I guess many people were heading out of town for the holidays, or whatever was left of it.

We had breakfast at Shri Krishna Inn and headed back.

No pics of the food but Thimma was more than happy to pose





Just like the rider's seat, the pillion seat also needs a bit of breaking in, I guess.

I faced a slight pain in the butt while on the saddle and this would immediately disappear once I am off the bike.

Post the first service, the bike feels a little more smooth.

The acceleration post 4,500 RPM is nice and the intake noise changes from a deep throaty rumble to a slightly high-pitched roar.

While the acceleration is nowhere close to the bonnie, it is linear and the bike pulls very clean off the line. The gearbox is slick and the clutch is super light. You can shift with just your index finger, believe it or not..!!!

In comparison, the Bonnie had a massively heavy clutch. On my first ride to Mysore with my wife, I found engaging the clutch to be quite a task. When I returned home and a few hours later, my left forearm was hurting a bit (felt like I had lifted weights at the gym).

Even with two-up riding, the acceleration on the Himalayan 450 was strong and I did not feel like the bike was struggling to pull our combined weight.

[n_aditya]

In summary...!!!

What I liked about this motorcycle and in no specific order:

1. The suspension - very comfortable and super plush. This is one bike that you can ride on all roads and no roads. I used to detest riding the bonnie in the city or over bad patches due to the stiff suspension. However, on this, I am welcoming it. Standing over the footpegs and skimming over bad stretches without having to slow down to a crawl is so enjoyable.

2. The brakes - especially the front, are sharp and provide good feedback. The front suspension does dive a bit on hard braking but you will soon get used to it and plan your braking maneuver.

3. The mirrors - the stock mirrors offer adequate visibility and do NOT vibrate. They are also slightly tinted with a gray/smoke shade to reduce eye fatigue from those pesky LED headlights of those behind you. However, coverage is limited and there are blind spots. You WILL need to turn your head and look behind you as someone may be creeping on your side to overtake you. On another note, my LHS mirror became loose on its own accord and I had to tighten the double nut using my spanner set. Strangely, I noticed this loose LHS mirror on the test ride bike as well.

4. The Engine - revv happy engine that comes to life post 3,500 RPM. At 2,000 RPM, it feels like the engine is knocking but a twist of the right wrist immediately delivers the required torque to accelerate the motorcycle.

5. The Dynamics - the Himalayan 450 is so well balanced that I was able to keep my feet (both feet) on the pegs at speeds as low as 3 kmph.. even with a pillion on-board. The weight of the bike just disappears on the move and taking tight turns is not at all challenging. The bike inspires confidence and I was telling myself inside my helmet to not get fooled into this (while going over a patch of gravel) and push the bike over my limits. After all, this was the first time I was riding an ADV and on roads that I have not ridden on and in this manner. I hope I am making sense.

Also, quite easy to plonk the bike on the main stand and get the bike off the main stand. Thankfully, RE has provided a main stand so chain cleaning and lubing will be easy.

6. The instrument console - love/hate relationship at the moment. Lots of useful information, easy to read and decipher, nice animation, toggle joystick fairly easy to use but not able to connect my phone. I've been trying since I got the bike and have stopped trying now. I was told the issue would be fixed in the firmware update that should be released this month. Let's see.

7. Paint job - the paint finish and quality is pretty good.

8. Fuel efficiency - the trip meter was displaying 35 kmpl during the first run-in period. I noticed that it was off by 3 kmpl on the tankful to tankful measurement, which meant that I was getting 32 kmpl. This should improve now post the first service or may remain more or less the same depending on how much the bike is revved.

9. The LED turn indicators - nicely designed with the tail lights integrated at the rear.

10. Eco mode - I rode for a few kms on this mode (with ABS ON) and I could feel the engine delivered lower output in terms of performance. Acceleration from standstill and through the gears was noticeably slower. This mode should deliver slightly higher FE and is maybe best suited for city runs.


What I don't like or things that can improve (in no specific order):


1. The headlight - completely useless and does not provide adequate lighting to ride on the highway at dusk. I have to wait for 5 years or 50,000 kms (warranty period) to install aux lights or plan my rides in a way that I reach my destination before sundown.

2. The console - It's not only the connection issue between the console and my Android phone but also with the clock.

If I set the clock to 24-hour format, after the ignition is turned off and on, the clock automatically switches to 12-hour format and 12 hours earlier or later.

To explain this better, if the time is 1:00 PM now and I have set the time as 13:00 in the 24-hour format, the clock reads 1:00 am when the key is turned off and on. Even after factory resetting the console and setting the clock to PM in 12-hour format or 13:00 in 24 -hour format, this issue persists. I have given up for now and will wait for the firmware update. Hope someone at RE reads this and resolves the issue. Google Play reviews for the RE app also has many users complaining of connection issues between their Android phones and the console. Did I mention that I tried connecting my wife's Android phone as well? No, I did not mention it but I did try and it did not work

3. Vibrations or more precisely, a buzz - this I could notice only after the first service milestone since I was limited to 4,000 RPM. The buzz is prominent in the footpegs and right throttle grip at 5,000 RPM and stays till about 6,000 RPM. Since I am sticking with the recommended revv range, I am not sure if this buzz disappears after 6,000 RPM.

Highway riding will usually be around 4,500 RPM to 5,500 RPM (90-110 kmph) so this can be intrusive. I heard that post the second service, the bike is significantly smoother and these vibes are far lesser. Grip Puppies should solve this issue at least on the throttle/handlebar. The buzz on the pegs did not bother me much since my riding boots have pretty thick soles.

4. Kick stand lean angle - quite steep and it takes a sizeable amount of space which can pose a challenge while parking in tight spaces. Taking the bike off the kick stand can be an issue for short and/or lean riders. The weight however is not an issue once you start riding.

5. Handlebar position - this is my personal opinion.. I feel the handlebar is slightly angled or turned to the left. When I am riding, I have constant pain in my right shoulder. I do have arthritis on this shoulder and I'm working on building strength but did not have this pain on the bonnie. Maybe the handlebar needs a little adjustment for reach. I will have this looked at over the weekend and hopefully it will be corrected.

6. Intake noise - sounds like those chappri-ridden (lol) Honda Dio's with aftermarket air filters when you accelerate hard. But after 4,500 RPM, the intake note changes so that's a good thing. This is a single cylinder so it will sound a little basic/rough. The exhaust has a soft pop when you let go of the throttle. This should sound nice with an aftermarket pipe sometime in the future.

Thimma is at 700 odd kms at the moment. I hope to reach the 1000 kms mark or more before this weekend comes to a close.

Hope this thread was helpful in some way and you enjoyed reading it. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

BIG thanks to ku69rd for all the encouragement, rk_sans and ku69rd again for the helpful tips while selling off the bonnie, nischal (not sure if he's a member here) for coming along and being part of the celebrations on my special day when the bike was delivered.

[n_aditya]

Here is how the console looks when the low fuel warning indicator comes on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5jKda3OJ24

You will see the yellow fuel indicator blinking. Next to it is a white fuel pump icon displayed along with the range.

I guess there is around 4-5 liters in the tank when this low fuel indicator comes on.

The check engine light and the engine warning lamp (red triangle) go off when the engine is started. ABS light goes off when the bike exceeds 5 kmph. Only rear ABS can be turned off using the menu button on the right side of the handlebar.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[shaikhmimran]

Congratulations Adi on your new bike. Could never imagine you buying a RE motorcycle, which goes to show how their products have matured over time. I am sure your feedback on the bike as a veteran motorcyclist has so far been valuable to everyone. Coming to two things you pointed out. The previous gen Himalayan used to topple on side stand occassionally and the extra lean seems deliberate now. And I am particularly looking to how the vibes even out after few thousand kms. Frankly, with the J series engines, RE had shown they can make a vibe free single so a bit surprised with the Himalayan so far. Maybe it's the high revving nature of the bike, time will tell. Please keep sharing your ownership experience and wish you happy motorcycling.