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Why did I choose Himalayan 450: Mods, likes and dislikes after 5000 km

24th March 2025, 16:10 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

I have had handlebar risers on all my previous motorcycles but not on the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450.

BHPian sreejithsin recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

My Himalayan Story - 6 months of user experience, 5000+ KM Covered

I always fancied having an adventure motorcycle, ever since I saw the very first version of the Himalayan. I waited too long for that 'perfect' ADV, perfect in quality, price and comfort. This is not to say that the H450 is the perfect ADV. It was about the time during which I owned other motorcycles - a Bullet Electra, an Interceptor, a CB350 (still have) and an XPulse. This is just to let you know my background since my ownership experience will be biased by the characteristics of my previous motorcycles - the vibrations of a UCE bullet, the smoothness of the 650 twin albeit its uncomfortable riding posture, the easiness of doing off roads on an XPulse and the gentleman motorcycle - the CB350 - gentle in engine, clutch, handling, fuel and everything else.

Why did I choose the new Himalayan?

I was using the CB350 for long rides and XPulse for short rides and trails. I mainly wanted a bigger (in size and performance) motorcycle for touring. Like many, I too waited for Honda to relaunch their 500X. When NX500 launched I paid the booking amount without thinking much. Then, a friend convinced me to book the new Himalayan too. I made the booking on Dec 31, 2023, just in time to get price protection (RE increased H450 pricing by around 10-15k for all models starting Jan 2024).

Test Ride Experience

I test rode the motorcycle from 2 different showrooms. Both bikes had different characters. The first one was reasonably good, but the second one had more pronounced vibrations and engine roughness which led me to believe that it is not for me. Reviews from initial batches were also mixed. This was the time after the initial media hype, when first batch owners painted the real picture. What I gathered from these reviews and test rides were that:

The engine was not so smooth, it had clatter, the note was not music
There were vibrations in the seat and pegs
Engine had heating

What made the difference for me, is when I decided to rent the motorcycle for a day. The motorcycle which I got was well maintained, having done only around 3000 kms. It was a different experience from the showroom test rides. I would like to state here that the experience of riding my own Himalayan is two levels above even the rented motorcycle. Has RE changed anything in between, or maybe it is due to how the bike is maintained and run in.

-The rented Hanle Black from Royal Brothers-

Regarding NX

I decided to cancel my booking on NX, I am not sure if this was the right decision, but I had my reasons, which were

Price, almost 8L on road with basic accessories
It was not E20 compliant - though the dealer and others have vouched that Honda has over-engineered it for 20% ethanol, I decided to believe the owner's manual of the test ride bike at the showroom. If I was buying NX, it would be to keep it for a very long time and I didn't feel comfortable regarding this aspect.
The value proposition which Himalayan offered.
Legs felt a bit cramped due to more rear-set pegs compared to H450.

Delivery

I had booked for Hanle Black, but decided to change it to Kaza Brown to save some money - which I could use on accessories. The only thing the bike lacked for me at that point in time was tubeless tires. So I took delivery of my 3rd RE motorcycle in June 2024.

-Running in around coastal Kochi-

Mods

Installed the crash bar, radiator guard and saddle stays from the showroom before taking delivery
The new Himalayan really leans on the side stand. So fixed a side stand extender by Zana, which also reduces the lean by a small bit.
There was quite an amount of wind blast, so instead of going for a touring windscreen, bought and installed the pro-spec windshield extender for Himalayan. Easy installation and does a good job for me (and my speeds). Importantly, it does not make things worse.

The tank of the Kaza Brown model is a blank canvas. Installed grip-on tank pads which look good and also work well for knee grip on the tank.

There were vibrations on the handlebar and installing the grip puppies made a world of difference. I do not feel them anymore. Definitely recommended if you face numb fingers after hours of ride. The only negative is that it increases the diameter of the handlebar grip (which in stock condition itself is bigger than normal I guess). So, if you have small palms, this may not be comfortable to grip. For the same reason, you won't be able to install a throttle assist / hand rest after installing grip puppies.

Barkbusters knuckle guard.
For permanent storage on the bike, I have installed Carbonado modpack 5L tail bag (looks nice, but not sure about long-term quality - no issues till now) and frame bags from RiderZone.

Likes

The posture. I am 6ft tall and for me the posture which the h450 offers is outstanding. The legs are relaxed (not too much committed). The handlebar is also positioned nicely. I have had handlebar risers on all previous motorcycles - but not on the Himalayan 450. I have tilted the handlebar for my liking and that is it.
There is no issue of heating especially when you are wearing riding gear. I do not use this for commuting, I would not rate it high for commuting either - though it is definitely doable without much hassle
The clutch. I was spoiled by the light clutch on the Honda. I used to get pain in my palms while riding long time on my Interceptor. I have also heard that the 411 had a heavy clutch. But the 450 clutch is comfortable for me. I would rate it medium-soft.
Ride by wire throttle.
Seat height adjustment - It's easy to change the setting as per your liking, I am happy with the lower seat setting, but this option is nice to have.
Display. When the initial images and videos came out, I was not a big fan of the cockpit view. The circular display did not appeal to me. I wanted it rectangular. But after 4 months, I love how the console looks. The pod display has some problems associated with the joystick, especially during rains, but definitely this is one of the highlights of this motorcycle. The map which can be cast on this display is very good, but unfortunately not usable since the phone display has to be ON all the time.
Suspension, Brakes, Gearbox
Mileage - the console shows average mileage of around 34-35 kmpl.
I do like how the engine sounds, it's a bit noisy, but no clatter as of now, I hope it stays the same. And it is reasonably refined for my usage.
Tubeless spokes. Booked on day 1 of launch. Great value addition to the bike for the stellar price at which it is offered.

Dislikes

I wish the handlebar grip was smaller
I wish the console google-map was usable without the phone display being ON all the time
I wish the lean angle of side stand was not that much
The joystick is not very responsive. I might have to get it replaced down the line. And sometimes the console sort of receives ghost inputs - all this happened during monsoon time. Even now, a simple task like resetting the trip meter is a hassle, with multiple fiddling of the joystick to make the correct selection.