[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Finally my bike is here. Landed today afternoon. Taking delivery tomorrow.

Congratulations!! Man that color is do good!!!

[Captain Slow]

Originally Posted by BlackPanther31

Can you please tell me which TVS model is better than the New Himalayan.
This bike is miles ahead compared to all other RE models. No other bike manufactured in india has better pillion riding comfort as the new himalayan.

To begin, the TVS 310 exhibits significantly less vibration than this one!

As for the 450, even on short rides, I find myself feeling exhausted and fatigued. My hands and rear go numb after covering just 100-120 kilometers at speeds of 100-110.
The standout feature of the Himalayan 450 is its suspension; eats up pot holes like they don't exist! however, in my opinion, the engine requires substantial refinement and fine-tuning. Surprisingly, even the Dominar 400 vibrates less than this.

Returning to the engine, I can't help but wonder where it was designed and manufactured?.

I'm aware that the 650 was designed and tuned in the UK, marking it as the crown jewel of RE!

I'm seriously considering dumping the 450 and picking up the Shotgun or SM650.

[Ridesbysky]

Originally Posted by Captain Slow

I'm seriously considering dumping the 450 and picking up the Shotgun or SM650.

But how would someone go with a cruiser if they want to ride an adventure tourer motorcycle. There are many bikes then, and even cars where one can get better engine but they are not at this price point plus this category. I didn’t understand the comparison.

[klgiridhar]

After taking couple of small test rides of the Himalayan and pinning down my impressions in the earlier thread (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post5684862 (2023 Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 | Now officially revealed)), as the dealer test rides aren't giving me the full picture I wanted, especially the highway performance, I have rented out the bike from Royal Brothers Bangalore for a day and covered close to 230km, 80-100 km in the city and the rest on the highway. Also rented out Scrambler 400x as well and here are my observations after spending a day with each:

HIMALAYAN 452 - Super fun on the open roads but very unpolished

Starting with the pros:

+ Suspension: This has been reiterated by many BHPians, including me in my first impressions, the suspension is just outstanding. It felt absolutely perfect in the city, absorbing every single undulation on the road. In addition, what surprised me the most, is its composure on the highways, with the bike super stable even at high speeds. RE has really hit a sweet spot with the suspension.

+ Fuel Efficiency: Didn't do a tankful to tankful analysis but when I took the bike, the onboard display showed around 30.2 kpl. By the time I returned it, it went up to 31.3 kpl which is a pleasant surprise. I did return the bike with more fuel than I expected, filled it up initially with the expectation of getting around 28-30 kpl.

+ Highway Performance: Once we cross 3.5-4k rpm, it felt like I switched on some turbo button . Overtaking everyone felt so effortless, no hesitation from the engine and it pulls really hard, just point and shoot. Some videos on the YouTube showed that the 452 has little to no speedo error, so we are covering very good distances in no time as well. (but there's a catch here. More on that in cons)

Didn't focus much on the display and other little things as they didn't matter much once I started riding. So, that's where my pros ended.

Coming to the Cons:



- Feels like it's on life support below 3k rpm - a little more punch here would have been nice for going around within city but this lack of low end required me to constantly shift the gears within the city. On the highway though, it felt like the silence before the storm but within city limits, I rarely crossed 4k rpm.

- Vibrations: My initial impressions were from the bike I test rode from whitefield showroom which felt quite rough, then I went to the electronic city showroom and took a test ride again. The test ride bike there felt much better and smoother below 4k rpm (both bikes had around 500km on the odo, maybe improper maintenance or quality control from RE?) but yes, coming back to the bike I rented out, it had 3647 km on the odo. Up until 4.5k rpm, the bike felt fairly smooth with minimal buzz on the handlebar, though the vibes were more on the footpegs (to reiterate, I ride a CB350RS right now). But from close to 4.7k rpm to 5.7k rpm, the whole bike becomes vibey - the handlebar, the footpegs, the seat, the mirrors. I tried staying in 100-110 kph for a while but it felt so uncomfortable that I had to raise my speed to 115 or settle down below 95. Couldn't ride close to 120 for too long, so finally settled down at 90-95 during my last 70 km of highway ride. Couldn't take the vibes anymore. We can atleast reduce the handlebar vibrations a bit by using grip puppies or something and the footpeg vibes are manageable with better shoes but vibes on the seat (?).

- Seat: Continuing from above, do not know what they have tested for thousands of kilometers. The vibes on the seat are the most annoying part. I couldn't go non-stop for more than 80 km (I usually stop after 200km on my RS for mandatory hydration break, not due to fatigue). In addition to the vibes, there is something off with the contouring of the rider's seat (not everyone might face this but I felt uncomfortable on the stock seat after a while), there is good enough room to move around and if we try and sit on the wider part of the seat, the front of the pillion seat sticks out onto our back and all the vibrations made the experience underwhelming.

I was constantly thinking, all that explosive and super addictive performance from the engine is thrown to the bin by the vibes. RE should seriously work on the refinement.

- Mirrors: Don't want to elaborate much on these stock mirrors. One word - Useless. You won't be able to see anything after 95 kph. Just a buzzy mess. Equivalent to not having any mirrors. They are only useful within city.

Neutral but necessary upgrades needed immediately:

Grip puppies: These would go on by default. I have these on my RS as well, just like the way they feel but I have seen them reducing quite a bit of buzz as well on other bikes.

Taller windshield: The stock one is surprisingly insulating until my chest, but the problem is all the wind is being thrown directly onto my helmet (above 95 kph). Either we have to go without that windshield or go for a taller one.

Touring seat: As I said, I felt the stock seat to be off and was uncomfortable. So, this would be a default add on for me if I buy this bike. I hope it reduces the vibrations felt on the seat as well.

Different mirrors: These are a must for those primarily going on highways most of the time.

Since we reached till here, let me give a quick comparison of the Himalayan with the Scrambler 400X here itself.

Scrambler 400X: Extremely fun within the city, not so much on the highway

Positives:

Is lighter, much more refined than the Himalayan, has very good bottom end, very good drivability, can pull from as low as 40 in 6th gear, soft suspension absorbs normal bumps very well in the city and easy to handle once on the move. Also exhaust sounds nice. Stock seat too feels very plush. I had a blast with the 400X within the city.



Negatives:

Until 75-80, is creamy smooth and feels faster than Himalayan but then after that, even though the speed builds up, but it doesn't feel effortless. It's like, "I have the power, but I don't want to give it to you but if you force me, I will reluctantly oblige." In comparison, the Himalayan feels like a rocket after 4000 rpm and on highways, even though there was buzz and vibrations, it felt so effortless to overtake everything, just point and shoot. Also, the 400X has around 9-10% speedo error it seems, at 110, I might actually be doing only around 100 and it felt like that as well.

400x too has buzz starting from around 90 kph but it was not so straining as in the Himalayan (I was able to sit at 110 easily without much fatigue on my hands, while in Himalayan, you have to either be below 95 or above 115). What's still a downside are the vibes through the seat. The scram 400x too has them starting from 90-100 kph, still better than Himalayan, but not by much when it comes to seat.

Neutral observations:

Fuel efficiency is comparable, but I feel Himalayan will give slightly more. Also has smaller 13 litres tank, so overall, much less range than the Himalayan. Not an actual negative but is an important factor.

The suspension is set up on the softer side. It rounds of most undulations very nicely, but the sudden ones are sent to our spine directly. Lacks the finesse of the Himalayan's suspension.

Do these bikes feel like an upgrade over the 350s of the market?

Himalayan 452: The engine definitely feels explosive and the suspension is incredible. If RE can sort out the issue of vibrations and make it more smoother, this definitely feels like an upgrade over the current crop of long stroke 350s (but I don't have much confidence on RE). I was having a blast when I was overtaking on the highway with the Himalayan, even though I hated the cruising phase.

Scrambler 400X: No, it doesn't feel like an upgrade from my RS. There was never a high moment in the rev band, and you will get used to it very soon and start craving for another upgrade 2 or 3 years down the line. To put it bluntly, feels a little boring. But it felt extremely easy to ride, so will be an excellent choice as a first bike.

What am I thinking now?



A Honda - the Honda NX500 to be precise. After riding both the Himalayan and Scrambler 400X, I can easily see the value the NX500 offers, and I am relating more to the words told by BHPian KarthikK in this official review. Can't wait to test ride it and if everything works out, am looking forward to buying it in the second half of this year. Also, I am very used to the amazing Big Wing service experience and the peace of mind a Honda offers. Even though my RS is from the first batch, I haven't faced any issue other than the battery conking off. So, I have established a level of trust with Honda.

[sinharishi]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Taking delivery tomorrow.

Took delivery today. The experience was good, this was my first time buying a 2-wheeler. Did the PDI in the service area just before taking delivery. Checked all controls, tool kit, lights etc. Once the bike was paired with a phone, the system went through an update. Delivery was smooth, except - got the lowest standard/quality helmet from RE and the security guard was pissed because I gave him no tip.

Sharing some pictures:

[bhansali_hardik]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Took delivery today. The experience was good, this was my first time buying a 2-wheeler. Did the PDI in the service area just before taking delivery.

Congrats! That's a great looking color, looks much better in real world IMHO.

[Linea]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Took delivery today. The experience was good, this was my first time buying a 2-wheeler. Did the PDI in the service area just before taking delivery. Checked all controls, tool kit, lights etc. Once the bike was paired with a phone, the system went through an update. Delivery was smooth, except - got the lowest standard/quality helmet from RE and the security guard was pissed because I gave him no tip.

Hi sinharishi, congrats on getting your bike delivered. I booked the same colour too and am eagerly waiting for updates from dealer.

Would you mind sharing your booking date? It might give me a rough idea of when mine might arrive.


Happy riding!

[Nilesh5417]

Anyone tried any tricks to soften the vibes at the handlebars? Heavier bar ends, grip puppies, anything else? And what's been the feedback?

Post service, the left side of my handlebar vibrates more than the right is what I have observed. Did not notice this since I was riding with gloves all this while but on a recent small trip within the neighbourhood, could notice this clearly.

[Captain Slow]

Originally Posted by klgiridhar

- Vibrations: Couldn't ride close to 120 for too long, so finally settled down at 90-95 during my last 70 km of highway ride. Couldn't take the vibes anymore.

I echo your views and and as an owner of the of the CB350 and and this new Himalayan 450, The Vibrations are pretty bad!
What I'm really surprised about is why none of the reviews mentions this!

[Sebring]

You can try Grip Puppies

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

Anyone tried any tricks to soften the vibes at the handlebars? Heavier bar ends, grip puppies, anything else? And what's been the feedback?

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Sharing some pictures:

That color looks fabulous. And the dual tone seat too. I had initially booked Hanle black but the wheels were too gaudy for me and I had the option to switch to another color. Was torn between this one and Kaza Brown but since there were no bikes in this color anywhere to see in the flesh, I went with Kaza brown.

Do get full PFF done on the bike. Maintaining the gloss and sheen will be easier with PPF. Just a simple wash and dry will suffice without the need for wax treatment which takes a lot of time and effort.

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

Anyone tried any tricks to soften the vibes at the handlebars? Heavier bar ends, grip puppies, anything else? And what's been the feedback?

Post service, the left side of my handlebar vibrates more than the right is what I have observed. Did not notice this since I was riding with gloves all this while but on a recent small trip within the neighbourhood, could notice this clearly.

I got Grip Puppies installed and it reduced the buzz on the handlebars to quite an extent.

Originally Posted by Captain Slow

I echo your views and and as an owner of the of the CB350 and and this new Himalayan 450, The Vibrations are pretty bad! What I'm really surprised about is why none of the reviews mentions this!

Unfortunately, the RE loyalists (won't call them fanboys and offend them) vehemently deny any presence of buzz or vibes. Like I mentioned on my thread as well, it looks like each bike has a character of its own. Some vibrate, some have console issues, some have handlebars misaligned, etc. But no, these are not issues, these are normal. Just mention this and see how defensive they get

[n_aditya]

Those who are hearing a clatter noise from the engine, please note, this is not an issue with the tappets but the cam chain tensioner.

https://youtu.be/aSoG6g9w7to?si=FY_PH_ItwH1eSy-U

RE identified the issue and replaced the part. Hope this helps other H450 owners.

[Captain Slow]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Those who are hearing a clatter noise from the engine, please note, this is not an issue with the tappets but the cam chain tensioner.

https://Youtu.be/aSoG6g9w7to?si=FY_PH_ItwH1eSy-U

RE identified the issue and replaced the part. Hope this helps other H450 owners.

The Services centers say only one thing - Saar its normal! As long as the bike starts and runs everything is normal for them

[Spaceman]

Hi. I own an Himalayan 450 Hanle Black edition. Recently, there's been a hopping issue in the front wheel. Cruising at speeds ranging 50 to 60 kmph, when I disengage the clutch and the accelerator, the front part seems to be hopping/jumping. Does anybody know why this happens ? Thanks in advance

[tech_rider]

Found this interesting video. Some insights from couple of guys involved in design team in UK. The way they are riding bike in mountain seems scary to me.

Watch from 07:35

https://youtu.be/RPYCzKzb9xk?si=NvHGKJkYLOi2Zbts