Royal Enfield Himalayan 450: 5800 km done, trips, service visit & more

Destination was Kemmanagundi and boy, the ride and the scenery along the way was mesmerizing.

BHPian n_aditya recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Been a while since I updated my ownership thread so here goes.

I was hearing a metallic clatter from the engine a little after 2500 kms or so. Got the bike checked out at one of the RE ASC's in my neighborhood.

Turned out that there was excessive valve noise and the service manager was kind enough to push RE for approval to replace the entire head assembly under warranty. The approval came through quite quickly and subsequently the part too. Got the head assembly changed and this was at 3800 kms. Only had to pay INR 400/- for the coolant replacement.

I was disappointed on one hand that the engine was so finicky and in such a short time, a major part had to be replaced. Had never faced this in ANY of my vehicles earlier. On the other hand however, I appreciate the service support from RE to address the issue in the shortest possible time.

At this time, they also changed the handlebar bolts which reduced the buzz by more than 50%. The buzz which was very intrusive and numbing my fingers between 4500-6000 RPM is almost absent now.

Did a quick run-in of the engine for 600 odd kms limiting the RPM to 4,000. Completed this in a day and got the oil changed at the same ASC.

I had a ride with my biker friends coming up and did not want to trudge along and be a slowpoke. Destination was Kemmanagundi and boy, the ride and the scenery along the way was mesmerizing. Unfortunately, on the way back, I missed a turn and ended up too far ahead to turn back and join the rest of the gang. I rode back all the way to Bangalore solo. The ride was fast and enjoyable but I sorely missed the company of my friends.

Did another wonderfully picturesque, relaxing, all-day ride with a buddy of mine (ku69rd) a couple of weeks ago.

Route we took:

Bangalore > Madaksira > Kalyandurg > Bellary > Sandur > Kudligi > Davangere > Hiriyur > Bangalore.

The weather was forgiving and Thimma was so comfortable that 700 odd kms in a single day was nearly effortless. Nearly effortless I say because the stock seats aren't really comfortable for such long distances. Will be upgrading to the touring seats shortly. I tried them out on another bike and the height increases marginally but not so much that it intimidates a short rider. I am by no means tall and the stock seat on my bike is at the 825mm setting. I can flat foot one leg at a time or both legs on the balls of my feet.

Here are a few pics from the ride:

At Madhugiri:

At Kudligi:

At Narihala Dam, Kudligi:

We stopped for lunch at Sandur Palace. Photos of the palace shot by ku.

Right now, the odo reads 5800 odd kms.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.