[mobike008]

It was an unusually lazy Sunday with not much to do so decided to walk over (Yeah, they are situated at walking distance from home) to the RE showroom and take a test ride of the Himalayan.

I haven't really followed the launch of this motorcycle and happened to read a few posts here on this thread. I think almost everything that is to be said has been written and observed by members here.

I just wanted to share a very quick update of my experience of it's test-ride

When i entered the showroom there was absolutely no delay in giving me the test-ride. No License asked, No forms to be filled. I was straight away ushered out and handed over the keys to a black colored Himalayan with 768kms on it's odometer.

I was amazed at this attitude and was grinning with a naughty thought what if i decided to run away with the bike? However, that naughty thought was quickly laid to rest when the sales person showed signs of joining me for the test ride. LOL!

He didn't seem to be a in a hurry so I decided to take a longish test ride of nearly 15+ kms and here are my observations

1. Ergonomics : The ergonomics seemed really spot on. Though the handle bar felt little too wide and nice to grip. However, the front/top end seems quite heavy both at standstill and riding speeds. I took almost till the end of the test ride to feel comfortable to chuck the bike in corners due to this heaviness.

2. Quality : The console looks really cool but, that's about it. Rest of the bike looked really poor quality and I could spot some rust to the innards just below the tank. The coolness was also carry forwarded to the rear lights. When I compared it with my erstwhile Classic Chrome Bullet, the quality felt sub-par

3. Engine : Well this is heart of the bike and I must confess the engine felt really lethargic. When half-clutched, the bike seems peppy and rearing to go but, when you release the clutch fully then you realize the bike takes a long time to come into the power band and is contrary to that peppy feeling at half-clutch. I had to really work the gears and bend down to go past the 80kmph speed. Engine is not smooth and felt coarse.

The power is not comparable to Classic 500 EFI unit which had an amazing amount of torque. Wonder why not give the exact same EFI engine instead of this wimpy 410 cc carbureted version? Not everyone is going to take it to "Himalayas" that warrants a carbureted engine for ease of maintenance.

4. Clutch : Clutch action was smooth and no complaints there. It was a pleasure to use it

5. Gears : I read a few posts that gears were not shifting but, for me the gears shifted real easy and it was actually quite smooth and I was running up and down the gear-box just to get a feel of the box and I didn't miss a single gear. Not sure if it's specific bike related but, if it is then tells a lot of its final QA before selling the bikes.

6. Horn : Surprisingly, it was loud and clear and stock horn is more than enough to announce your arrival. Happy with its sound and power

7. Ride : Ride was supple & pleasant and there was nothing to complain. I would mark it as neutral as I was just riding them on city roads so do not know how they perform on bad roads

8. Handling : Bike felt light in motion and very unlike a regular RE and changed direction quite effortlessly (after you get used to that front heaviness) but, I did not like the wide handle bar as I felt the bike can handle better with a slightly shorter handlebar (7/8). Not sure if they are bigger than that size

9. Brakes : I was impressed with brakes. They were very good and unlike an RE where you grab the brakes and pray for the bike to stop. These actually inspires confidence. Front brakes had a good bite and lever also felt good to use.

10. Tyres : Loved the knobby tyre pattern and they certainly looked good and I'm sure in off-road condition they will show their true colors

11. Windscreen : For my 6.1 inch frame. Just one word. "Use-less"

12. Lovely features like gear indicator and compass ( this looked skewed to me). Impressed by the gear indicator which is a very nice touch

Nevertheless, it's a great initiative by RE and they should focus on improving the basics like a better/smoother engine with more power and improve the overall quality and I'm sure I will be standing in the line to buy one in future when I want a cheap/economic bike to thrash it around for off-road purpose as I don't think it can be a good long distance tourer with what it has to offer right now

Till that time comes, I plan to enjoy it from a distance

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by mobike008

The power is not comparable to Classic 500 EFI unit which had an amazing amount of torque. Wonder why not give the exact same EFI engine instead of this wimpy 410 cc carbureted version? Not everyone is going to take it to "Himalayas" that warrants a carbureted engine for ease of maintenance

I will beg to disagree. The ThunderBird 500 EFI that I test rode back to back with this bike was shaking, rattling and rolling @100+ speeds while the Himalayan is rock stable at those speeds. You can ride the Himalayan whole day long at 100+kmph which I feel is sufficient power for our highways. A properly broken-in bike will be further capable of breaching 120~140kmph speeds. If anything, a Himalayan will run circles around a Classic 500 EFI whole day long.

Cheers...

[ayon]

I have an observation regarding the gearbox. Has anyone else noticed the same?
I have driven about 1800kms till date with about 600 kms in the hills. Have noticed major problem of the bike climbing up an incline in first gear.
Noticed it in the chock-a-block traffic of kasauli and finally mussorie. The bike seems to stall in first gear on releasing the clutch below 2000. This prevents the bike from crawling up the incline at crawl speeds without slipping the clutch and constantly revving the engine. Very irritating and tiring and am sure its bad for the clutch.
Any observations or advice?

[kkr2k2]

Originally Posted by ayon

........
The bike seems to stall in first gear on releasing the clutch below 2000.......

Any observations or advice?

Sounds like carburetor issue.

Could it be an altitude issue?

[neil.jericho]

Good review, agree with some of the points that you had shared.

Originally Posted by mobike008

7. Ride : Ride was supple & pleasant and there was nothing to complain. I would mark it as neutral as I was just riding them on city roads so do not know how they perform on bad roads

Hope the next time you can take it for some off roading which is where the bike truly shines. I think its a good bike for the urban commute though.

Originally Posted by mobike008

9. Brakes : I was impressed with brakes. They were very good and unlike an RE where you grab the brakes and pray for the bike to stop. These actually inspires confidence. Front brakes had a good bite and lever also felt good to use.

The brakes on the Continental GT are pretty probably the best on Royal Enfield bikes. The Himalayan's front brake isnt as sharp as that.

Originally Posted by mobike008

11. Windscreen : For my 6.1 inch frame. Just one word. "Use-less"

With just a 6.1 inch frame you should easily be able to fit behind the windscreen

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

The brakes on the Continental GT are pretty probably the best on Royal Enfield bikes. The Himalayan's front brake isnt as sharp as that.

Never rode the Continental GT. So no comments with respect to comparison. But, H brakes were a pleasant surprise considering the typical grab the brakes and wait for things to happen RE brakes

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

With just a 6.1 inch frame you should easily be able to fit behind the windscreen

I didn't quite understand what you mean. My Versys with a 840mm seat height and a much taller windscreen "still" warrants a better windscreen as there is wind buffeting at high speeds. Whereas, Himalayan's seat height is just 800 mm and it's windscreen is much smaller in size and is pretty much useless even if I bend for my height

[timuseravan]

Originally Posted by mobike008

I didn't quite understand what you mean. My Versys with a 840mm seat height and a much taller windscreen "still" warrants a better windscreen as there is wind buffeting at high speeds. Whereas, Himalayan's seat height is just 800 mm and it's windscreen is much smaller in size and is pretty much useless even if I bend for my height

Its a joke
You meant 6.1 feet right?

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by timuseravan

Its a joke
You meant 6.1 feet right?

Apologies, my bad! I just replied in haste without looking at the whole word

[rohing]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Welcome to the 'Himalayan' goat family!! Lolz...

Thank you.

Originally Posted by dkaile

1. Solution has already been told to you. Had you read the previous few pages, you would have got it there too. Do it NOW.

Thanks. I will get it done at my 500kms service. I asked the service center and they claim to be ignorant about such a fix and ask me to stick to original Himalayan equipment. Can I email someone in RE about this?

Originally Posted by dkaile

2. Also told previously. Anyhow, the 5th gear is NOT happy below 60kmph. If you do not use the gears judiciously you will get knocking. So the game is to shift appropriately to this engine and gearbox combo and not according to the bikes previously used by you. And let the engine break-in properly and 120 should not be a issue in this gear.

Makes sense. Maybe it will change after a couple of services. What is the run in period and RPM we need to stick to during run-in? I don't have a manual so searching for this basic information. I am in good mind to complain about this to RE I.e. how can I not even get a manual with the bike...

Originally Posted by dkaile

3. Why not?

May be I have got used the ECU machines that's why the expectation.

Originally Posted by dkaile

4. Sufficient for our roads. Read my ownership thread for details.

Will wait to runin period to complete before I reach my conclusion on this

Originally Posted by dkaile

5. Search for another dealership or there are lots of mechanics of RE around. It will be a simple bike to run and maintain.

Thanks. Will have to do that.

Originally Posted by dkaile

6. Service Interval is 5k and oil change interval is 10k. Same has also been validated in the owners manual. Though I would suggest you to get the oil changed @5k intervals for now. 4 Services are FREE (till 15k) while the consumables are chargeable. First service+Oil change at 500kms or a month. After that every 6 months of 5k kms.

Cheers....

Thanks.

Yesterday was driving the bike in light rain in tarmac. Sorely missing a ABS unit in the back. Especially for sharp braking in traffic. The rear swung a couple of times when I had to brake suddenly from 40kmph.

[maker_of_things]

Originally Posted by rohing

Yesterday was driving the bike in light rain in tarmac. Sorely missing a ABS unit in the back. Especially for sharp braking in traffic. The rear swung a couple of times when I had to brake suddenly from 40kmph.

Yes, this doesn't have an ABS, so you will have to make do with what you've got. ABS is relatively new, people have been riding without it for quite a long time. You've to learn you use both the brakes together in the correct way.

There is a thread on teambhp which discusses correct braking technique. Usually it differs from person to person and bike to bike. Please refer it and Google some motorcycle braking techniques, it'll be of help.

Off the hand, I'm gonna suggest you to go light on the rear brakes at speeds above 15-20 kmph. Let your primary brake be the front one.

[Ketan]

Originally Posted by maker_of_things

Off the hand, I'm gonna suggest you to go light on the rear brakes at speeds above 15-20 kmph. Let your primary brake be the front one.

I've been reading this at many places, people using 70/30 front/rear brakes for Himalayan.
I've been using opposite, most of the times on my Machismo and read that a sudden use of front disc will result in skid if tyre doesn't have good grip or if its not in straight line. I've also read about accidents caused due to inappropriate use of front disc brakes in motorcycles. Can someone help me understand how 70/30 (front/rear) will be of use when I'm on sandy tarmac or on a wet surface, even a slight angle handlebar may result in a bad fall at not so high speeds on such surfaces when I'm using 70% of front brakes, isn't that true!

[CGB]

Originally Posted by Ketan

Can someone help me understand how 70/30 (front/rear) will be of use when I'm on sandy tarmac or on a wet surface, even a slight angle handlebar may result in a bad fall at not so high speeds on such surfaces when I'm using 70% of front brakes, isn't that true!

During both the situations, Use the rear brake generously, as it'll help in reducing speeds. On retardation, use the front brakes to stop. Using the front brakes during turn or wet will make a bike to loose it's composure.

[maker_of_things]

Originally Posted by Ketan

I've been reading this at many places, people using 70/30 front/rear brakes for Himalayan.
I've been using opposite, most of the times on my Machismo and read that a sudden use of front disc will result in skid if tyre doesn't have good grip or if its not in straight line.

Basically, the dominant brake is always the front brake. When you stop a motorcycle, any motorcycle, a huge shift in weight to the front wheel occurs. This is why the front brake on any motorcycle is always dominant. Even on a bike with the same size brakes on both wheels, the front will always provide the majority of the stopping power.

Relying solely on the rear brake is not a good practice as when the weight shifts to the front, the front tyre fattens thus increasing the contact area, meaning more grip. At the same time, the rear tyre loses some amount of contact area as the weight shifts to front, which means rear brake will not be as effective as the front in the same situation.

70:30 is not the correct ratio for all the bikes. This is not a universal equation or anything like that. This differs from bike to bike. But in any case the majority braking power remains with the front wheel.

Originally Posted by Ketan

I've also read about accidents caused due to inappropriate use of front disc brakes in motorcycles. Can someone help me understand how 70/30 (front/rear) will be of use when I'm on sandy tarmac or on a wet surface, even a slight angle handlebar may result in a bad fall at not so high speeds on such surfaces when I'm using 70% of front brakes, isn't that true!

You get into trouble when the front wheel locks, if you can brake till just before the point of no return (i.e. where the front locks) you're good to go.

Correctly using the front brake lever also matters. When scenarios that require immediate braking with risk to life and risk of injury, people panic and grab the front lever. This locks up the front wheel and you crash. Quoting from this Jalopnik article:

On a modern motorcycle squeezing the front brake lever pushes a hydraulic piston into a cylinder which forces fluid out and through a tube that's connected to a caliper. In terms of mechanical activity, it's a pretty simple process. There's no computers involved; the caliper's pistons are forced outward by the pressure of the fluid and they squish brake pads into a rotor that's connected to the front wheel. So, squeeze the lever, and the force you apply is proportional to the force applied to the front wheel.

Did you catch that part? Squeeze the lever, and the force you apply is proportional to the force applied to the front wheel. Grab the lever hard and fast, and what is going to happen? Immediate force squeezes the brake pads into the disk that's attached to your front wheel. Endowed only with its usual amount of grip, the front wheel stops.

Unfortunately, just because the wheel stops, doesn't mean you and the bike stop too. You and your bike have a lot of momentum and something trivial like a stopped front wheel dragging some rubber on the ground is not going to get in the way of physics. Squeeze the lever over a longer period of time (we're talking milliseconds here) and your suspension will help you stop without crashing.

Also, on sandy tarmac/wet surface use both brakes. The key take away is to never come down hard on the brake levers rear or front.

IMO, these things come with practice. Practice panic braking, where you don't grab the front lever instead you squeeze it slowly (not slow like a tortoise, but slow as opposed to grabbing the brakes with full force) till you stop.

There's also a dedicated T-BHP thread where many have discussed the braking techniques: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...ng-skills.html

https://youtu.be/wfMS_lnEdQo

[rohing]

Thanks all of you for the several tips on braking. Very helpful. The last time I rode a bike on a daily basis was in late 90's. The general rule of thumb that I grew up with (both for cycles & motorcycles at that time) was to be very stingy in using the front brake. Most (80%+) of braking was encouraged to be through the rear brake and it worked out OK then. But clearly that does not hold true with much sharper disc brakes...I guess that I have to figure out the optimal combination for the Himalayan. Some basic testing at lower speeds, 50-50 seems to work OK.

[Jr Godzilla]

Originally Posted by rohing

Some basic testing at lower speeds, 50-50 seems to work OK.

should rather be 70F 30R
however, depends on the surface, road straight or at a turn or other parameters.