[dkaile]

Originally Posted by The Great

but these were my observations yesterday on the highway

Well then we should agree to disagree. A 'properly' tuned Himalayan would run circles around the RE 500 imho, no disrespect meant to any owner. The lack of urgency in power delivery is felt in many Himalayans due to the fact that the company is slightly de-tuning it to be a more efficient machine thereby compromising its performance. This is just a personal opinion based on my 'limited' knowledge and experience.

Cheers....

[The Great]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Well then we should agree to disagree.

Sure, that's the beauty of our forum. A healthy argument is always for the benefit rather than a loss.

A 'properly' tuned Himalayan would run circles around the RE 500 imho,

Maybe, once the engine is modded but I doubt the circles part

no disrespect meant to any owner.

None taken sir, of course

The lack of urgency in power delivery is felt in many Himalayans due to the fact that the company is slightly de-tuning it to be a more efficient machine thereby compromising its performance. This is just a personal opinion based on my 'limited' knowledge and experience.

Cheers....

Basically I believe it is marketed as the off-roading bike which can also do road stuff. I am sure once the tuning options come out the bike would have a different character.

On the Classic 500 though I felt the stock power is enough for me.

The Himalayan is slowly growing on me but I am waiting for the twin cylinder bike and / or hoping himalayan gets a power increase and ABS, before making any decision.

Cheers !

[mobike008]

They take their time and like our forum do a great job (except their's are all video reviews) on their reviews

Enjoy this video of the Himalayan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aod9...ature=youtu.be

[timuseravan]

Originally Posted by The Great

On the Classic 500 though I felt the stock power is enough for me.

The Himalayan is slowly growing on me but I am waiting for the twin cylinder bike and / or hoping himalayan gets a power increase and ABS, before making any decision.

Cheers !

Completely agree - I never felt that the stock stock C500 is underpowered! RE is missing out on a lot of customers for Himalayan due to the power situation. It is otherwise a brilliant bike for Indian conditions.

[nasirkaka]

RE is missing out on a lot of customers for Himalayan due to the power situation

I am one of them. :(
Love the bike, only if it had a bit more. Waiting for 2017 where some new adventure category offerings are expected. Is there any concrete news on RE developing a twin?

[sdubey23]

Well, in my opinion almost all RE bikes tout similar performance. So when it comes to racing, a lot has got to do with the rider. If you negate the rider in all this it is not a fair argument, for the Himalayan at least.

Also, on the power front, the Himalayan makes sufficient power for our Indian conditions at least. Given the state of our roads and road sense of our public, one would dare not cross 110 - 120kph without risking their lives. For these speeds the Himalayan is perfect. The best part of the bike however is how it performs in broken tarmac, mud and gravel roads which is most of the roads in India. I can easily maintain 60 - 70kph speed on such roads without feeling a thing while the suspension is busy doing its job under me, keeping me comfy and steady. Ride a KTM or a Pulsar or even a bullet on these roads and the value of the Himalayan becomes immediately apparent. When it comes to off-road conditions like rocky terrain hill climbs or a slushy slippery terrain in the mountains, the Himalayan swallows it all, inspiring confidence in you. These are some of the most overlooked aspects of the Himalayan which nobody talks about.

Himalayan is also cheap to own and maintain. Needs a service every 8k kms (Company says 10k kms but I prefer earlier). Its a lot less complicated motorcycle because of the tried and tested carb - a technology that has been around for over a century I think. I've seen fuel pumps on other bikes fail twice on big rides where the riders have had to break their ride and ship the bike back. Fuel pumps are all good but they're extremely sensitive to poor fuel quality - a common phenomenon across our country.

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with those ridiculous horse power figures. It is all just the marketing talking and the only place where you'll be able to 'use' the power is in a coffee table conversation frankly. Look at some of the new bikes touting some 40bhp at 10k RPM. I mean, if you're stuck in slush in the middle of nowhere, then the torque from your 24bhp engine you get at 2500 RPM is worth a lot more than the 40bhp at 10k RPM. Other motorcycles do produce same amount of torque at a higher RPM but as you all know, you cannot just wrestle your way out of a sticky situation by revving the engine. All you'll end up with is wheel spins just sinking your bike deeper into the slush or sand. So, low-end torque is important keeping in mind real-life off-road conditions where the bike will be used.

I don't intend to offend or hurt anybody but my point is don't fall for the marketing talk that these companies throw at you. You DON'T NEED the extra 10 or 20 or 40 bhps that these companies offer. If you keep a practical outlook for motorcycles then the Himalayan easily checks all the necessary boxes.

Originally Posted by aks_karthik

Hi All,

Anyone tried this exhaust. looks promising and hope for some 5 to 10 BHP.
But asking price is little higher side.

http://motogarage.in/greasehouse-grunt-himalayan/545/#

Attachment 1576005

Its important to observe that the whole engine acts as a set unit - from your air filter to exhaust. Just swapping the exhaust is not going to practically make any difference to the power output. While even a dyno test will show you a marginal increase in power, it is important to note where the power is increasing. On the Himalayan for example, if I see a 2bhp increase at 8000 RPM then it is as good as no increase coz the engine is never going to be revved up to 8000 rpm. Theoretically, a big YES. Yes it does add a boost compared to a stock exhaust. But is this power usable? In most cases, NO. The most you can practically gain is 2 - 5% as per the experts. So, does a 5k or a 10k invesment makes sense to gain 0.5 or at the most 1 bhp? I don't think so. You won't even notice it. Trust me. Don't fall for the aftermarket talks and their tall claims. They're just trying to make a quick buck. Be practical. Stick to stock and be happy with what you've got coz in most cases that is all you need.

if you're serious about increasing the power of your bike with aftermarket parts then it is important to go through the whole thing to observe somewhere around 20% increment in power. When I say whole thing I mean: A bigger carb, engine head porting (again port velocity is what matters. Not how big you make the intake port), modified valves, high compression piston, better spark plugs and finally a aftermarket freeflow exhaust. Only when you do all these can you see a noticeable improvement over your stock motorcycle.

[trishul]

Took delivery of RE Himalayan few days back on a Thursday evening in Hyderabad from GoGreen motors, Gachibowli. Right after delivery, I headed straight to the service center as I was unable to change gears and was stuck in first gear. Not notchy or hard shifts as one has been hearing but I could not change gears, period. The service guy made some tweaks and said things were going to improve in time but the gear shifting remained troublesome. Hitting the gear lever to the right before shifting up appeared to help at times. Finally on Saturday took the bike again to the service center and this time Mr. Dileep attended to it after several hours of waiting. From what I could tell from afar he tweaked the gear lever assembly further. Its much better now as in at most times I can change gears from first to second and not be stuck on first. Hoping it gets ironed out completely on my first serve.

Before I share a quick review now that I have crossed 100km mark let me give a brief background. My previous bike was the KTM Duke 200 and in bangalore traffic this bike was quite a blessing. Light, nimble and restless. There was always an urgency to the bike. My car spent more time in the carpark while my duke made the two hour daily time in traffic manageable. Loved the bike, perfect for city and with traffic. No heating issues, my only wish on that bike was Metzeler tyres for more grip and ABS. But recently moved back to Hyderabad and ended up selling both my KA registered car and bike before the move. Once in Hyderabad, I was enjoying my commute in my four wheels given the bad roads, heavy rains and far less traffic compared to Bangalore. But wished for a bike for short solo trips around town and weekend rides. I was also mulling a plan to ride to Leh next year and realized I should start preparing now.

My requirements were good ergonomics with upride posture so had to be naked or touring, preferred local build so no import duty tax and a good service network. My choices were down to the duke twins and the RE Himalayan. With duke twins up for an upgrade next year, 310GS slated for late 2017 and the adventure tourer based on the 390 not ready until 2018 as per the rumor mills, I was left with no other choice but the RE Himalayan.

Took a test drive of the RE Himalayan a week back. Loved the riding position and seat height. Love the minimal, jugaad, Mad Max-esque dystopian looks of the bike. However, for its looks its surprisingly a heavy bike. For me, after the duke 200 this is 40kgs heavier. But was quite nimble and easy to manoeuvre in traffic. Given its weight and compared to my previous ride its definitely underpowered but decent amount of torque kicks in the third gear to keep you engaged. Exhaust note is not as punchy as the bullet but is growing on me. Bike was in stock and no waiting. Paid by check and was delivered in a few days once the check cleared. Honestly, not a fan of RE given my previous testride experience of the 500 Classic and hearing experiences of friends. But the Himalayan managed to pull me in and having little to no competition helps too.

Now that I have driven for over 100kms here's my initial review of the bike so far.
Positives:
* Affordable tourer for both long distance and in-town runs too
* Minimalistic and Mad Max-esque looks
* Fair amount of torque, pulls well from third gear
* Go anywhere build and suspension
Negatives:
* RE build quality shows up right after delivery in my vehicle with gear lever issue.
* No official crash guard available from the manufacturer 8 months since launch of the bike. None of the RE Himalayan accessories available yet in Hyderabad.
* Fair bit of engine heat felt in heavy stop n go traffic but hopefully not as much as say the D390.
* Frequent shifts in traffic. Second gear is unusable in slow traffic and have to frequently downshift to first.
* Sorely missed heel gear shifter to upshift gears.
* Seat cushion not very firm. I will have to take some long weekend rides to fully test it out.

Overall I am pleased with the RE Himalayan. RE has come a long way but its still has much to improve in terms of build, support and service quality levels. I did see several RE Himalayan owners at the service center with several complaints on their bikes with issues in exhaust noise, vibrations and lack of spares. There was only one trained technician at this service center and probably only one in town as everyone around was mentioning him by name (Mr. Dileep). I do expect a fair bit of trips to the RE service center knowing RE and I went in prepared for that. I am just hoping it will serve me well enough for my trip to Leh and more next year. I do hope RE seriously works on continually improving the RE Himalayan before the competition shows up starting with the G310GS out late next year and the KTM 390 tourer later in 2018.

[Hammer & Anvil]

The bike has no power. It has suspension, and watching them overtake my Harley and other Bullets on the roads between Coondapur and Karwar was proof of the same- and then once the roads ironed out - for example between Nipani and Poona, they were easy to overake.
Now before you complain or point out the use of the Himalayan, I will tell you the araces that were held were in the 'terrain' that the H is supposed to be meant for, and watching even the HImalayans race between themselves was sad.
There were Himalayans with Excel rims, knobby tires, and even one with a larger sprocket- so, they had all the possible mods that were feasible for them to ride to RM and back- as did the Bullets- who were reduced to removing mudguards and racing on Ralco or Ceat tires as the stock MRFs were too smooth...
So, the bottom line is NO POWER.
EFI as seen will address the Pollution Norms more than the power, and thats the pitch to get out ahead of the Delhi court issues that the bike had and overseas markets too. The test bike in Soniya Motors refused to get out of first- just a week ago- or make it the week before the RM- and they had to heel-jerk it out- I would kill if anyone changed gears on my bike that way.
What do I expect? I expect that the company put out a bunch of test rides with their fav magazines and correspondents and let their fan base know what they have done in the bikes to the latest version thats supposed to have come in the first week of November.
Many in the company know me as do many other outspoken writers here through various interactions- what would it cost them to indulge in a confidence building meet where they could call me or others like me- and tell them- ride it now and tell us.

[timuseravan]

Originally Posted by sdubey23

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with those ridiculous horse power figures. It is all just the marketing talking and the only place where you'll be able to 'use' the power is in a coffee table conversation frankly. Look at some of the new bikes touting some 40bhp at 10k RPM.
I don't intend to offend or hurt anybody but my point is don't fall for the marketing talk that these companies throw at you. You DON'T NEED the extra 10 or 20 or 40 bhps that these companies offer. If you keep a practical outlook for motorcycles then the Himalayan easily checks all the necessary boxes.

TBhp is not a general vehicle forum but enthusiast one. Most of us have more than a decade of experience riding and some even have multiple decades - so when we say lack of power, it is not just falling for "marketing talking" or "coffee table conversation". By 40bhp at 10k RPM, I assume you mean the D390 but it will out-accelerate any of the RE bikes at any RPM. Do I use the 45bhp at 10k rpm? Off course not - I would have to be on race track for that but the power delivery is not just at top but all along the way. Duke is effortless fasts. And that is not the expectation for Himalayan but at the very least it should meet the power/torque figures of C500.

No one ever needs extra 10 or 20 or 40 bhps - I have seen people riding decades old Chetak in remote villages of Leh. But like I said we are all enthusiasts here and lack of power in Himalayan is a deal killer.

Some one has the theory that the Himalayan is so brilliant in all other respects that the lack of power stands out and that may indeed be the case.

[nasirkaka]

True that..
and BHP is a relative term and its requirement may differ from person to person. What maybe adequate for A may not be enough for B. Individual's riding style, terrain and purpose differs. Himalayan shines in off-road scenario but throw it on the highway from Bangalore to Pune and one would be yearning for some more power. A lot of us say there aren't good roads to ride in india, but there are many!! where we can use the extra BHPs. And its not really about riding fast as in rash, but with with better and powerful bikes the average distance covered improves. ON my tours, i use to average 45-50 kmph on machismo 350, 60 kmph on my C5, 70kmph on the 390 and 80 kmph on my versys 650. (approx average of distance covered during a day including breaks etc). So BHP is definitely one of the important factor of motorcycling. We realize this as we slowly upgrade to higher displacement bikes.I love the himalayan for what it is, and would have bought it if it has a bit more power, as my usage would include a bit of both off and on road.

[sdubey23]

Originally Posted by timuseravan

TBhp is not a general vehicle forum but enthusiast one. Most of us have more than a decade of experience riding and some even have multiple decades - so when we say lack of power, it is not just falling for "marketing talking" or "coffee table conversation". By 40bhp at 10k RPM, I assume you mean the D390 but it will out-accelerate any of the RE bikes at any RPM. Do I use the 45bhp at 10k rpm? Off course not - I would have to be on race track for that but the power delivery is not just at top but all along the way. Duke is effortless fasts. And that is not the expectation for Himalayan but at the very least it should meet the power/torque figures of C500.

No one ever needs extra 10 or 20 or 40 bhps - I have seen people riding decades old Chetak in remote villages of Leh. But like I said we are all enthusiasts here and lack of power in Himalayan is a deal killer.

Some one has the theory that the Himalayan is so brilliant in all other respects that the lack of power stands out and that may indeed be the case.

Agree with you on the need for more power. Trust me, not a day goes by when even I ponder about how it would be to take-off on a Tiger or a 1200GS Guess it's just a matter of where you draw the line and say "This is enough"

Also, off-late I'm hit with this thought: Lack of simplicity in design and engineering of motorcycles nowadays. The thing is as the bhps increase, so does the complexity in the workings of the motorcycle. This takes away from the robust and DIY nature which is needed for adventure motorcycles.

[nasirkaka]

Trust me, not a day goes by when even I ponder about how it would be to take-off on a Tiger or a 1200GS Guess it's just a matter of where you draw the line and say "This is enough"

The point would be come to an approximation on a usable BHP range for touring in our Indian conditions. Currently i alternate between riding duke 390 (43 bhp) and Versys 650 (68bhp). Although there is good difference of 25 BHP and a cylinder on paper, in real life it does not really feel so. Both the bikes are very close to each other when it comes to acceleration from 0 - 140. (i know i am taking a lot of factors for granted here such as weight difference, RMP, torque figures, etc). What this tells is that around 35-40 BHP is a decent and usable figure for a bike weighing around 170kgs and would keep most of the touring folks happy. A Multi or a GS churning 100+ bhps is definitely dream material but most of their ponies remain unused in day to day riding. 35-40 would be a good starting number for a single pot engine. Himalayan is a completely new and modern engine, developed in europe with all latest cad cam technology. They even did away from the push-rod thing on this LS410 and still managed only 25+. The chassi and suspension feels like it can handle more, just that the engine could do with more. A lot of people i know could have been potential customers for the Himalayan but for the bike being bit under-powered.

[Sridhar K]

Originally Posted by Sridhar K

I went to book up TB350 and also test rode the Himalayan. Within one test ride, Himalayan was such a delight (ride, handling and the engine response). My family was for the TB and hence booked TB350. But I still can't forget the ride in Himalayan. Though I can convince them to take Himalayan, the show stopper for me is the height of the bike. I am 5'8" but with a short legs and tall upper body. I found Himalayan a bit uncomfortable to get on and get off :(

Any options to reduce the height of the seat by couple of inches?

Thanks to everyone for their feedback and suggestions. I did a test ride again. The issue is not with the height of the seats as much as with the sloping seats which were fouling with my legs when getting on and off the bike.

This time I went with loose pants and there was no issue. Tried getting on and off several times. Finally changed the booking from TB350 to Himalayan snow white. Vehicle is ready and I intend to submit the docs for a token loan amount.

Power is no issue with me but ride quality is key considering the quality of roads I get to drive.

Originally Posted by Sridhar K

Thanks to everyone for their feedback and suggestions. I did a test ride again. The issue is not with the height of the seats as much as with the sloping seats which were fouling with my legs when getting on and off the bike.

This time I went with loose pants and there was no issue. Tried getting on and off several times. Finally changed the booking from TB350 to Himalayan snow white. Vehicle is ready and I intend to submit the docs for a token loan amount.

Power is no issue with me but ride quality is key considering the quality of roads I get to drive.

Came across this in you tube
How to handle and ride a tall motorcycle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s07hML6bJOA

[sdubey23]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

The point would be come to an approximation on a usable BHP range for touring in our Indian conditions. Currently i alternate between riding duke 390 (43 bhp) and Versys 650 (68bhp). Although there is good difference of 25 BHP and a cylinder on paper, in real life it does not really feel so. Both the bikes are very close to each other when it comes to acceleration from 0 - 140. (i know i am taking a lot of factors for granted here such as weight difference, RMP, torque figures, etc). What this tells is that around 35-40 BHP is a decent and usable figure for a bike weighing around 170kgs and would keep most of the touring folks happy. A Multi or a GS churning 100+ bhps is definitely dream material but most of their ponies remain unused in day to day riding. 35-40 would be a good starting number for a single pot engine. Himalayan is a completely new and modern engine, developed in europe with all latest cad cam technology. They even did away from the push-rod thing on this LS410 and still managed only 25+. The chassi and suspension feels like it can handle more, just that the engine could do with more. A lot of people i know could have been potential customers for the Himalayan but for the bike being bit under-powered.

Yes. Agree. In comparison to RE's engine and the other options in the market, RE's engine does make less power. The least they could have done is make it a DOHC or a SOHC 4 valve engine or a Three valve configuration. If not for power, it would have made the engine smoother and more responsive negating some feeling of power-loss that people are feeling. However, the biggest issue being faced today for RE Himalayan owners is the lack of refinement and cheap quality parts resulting in breakdowns (The stator coil) and hard gear shifts due to lack of refinement in clutch & gear assembly. Can't believe customers in 2016 have to deal with these probs in a motorcycle.

By the way, I've heard a lot of customers are getting their clutch and gear assembly replaced? Is it true? Would like to know from other BHPians and if anybody has done this on their bike. Thanks

[rahulkodinya]

A 5000 Km Update:

Today I completed another 200 KMs after 5000 KM service. Let me share my experience.

Expenses:
- Front wheel balancing (After I hit a really bad pothole, brake pad was rubbing against disc. Went 2 times to Service center to get that fixed, but still there is a slight rubbing)
- Oil change at 500, 1500, 3000, 5000 KM. From now on I will get it done at every 5000 KM, though RE recommends 10000.
- Tappet Pin Replacement (Part of Recall).

Problems:
- I get some Krrrr sound from Speedometer when ignition switch is turned ON. Few other Himalayans are making similar noise. Still unsolved.
- Manual recommends 3mm free play at the end of the clutch lever. RE guys always set it to 10+ MM. May be required for other RE bikes. This heats up clutch in 'Stop n Go' traffic and shifting becomes harder. I maintain 3 mm free play and absolutely no gear shifting and neutral finding problems since day one.
- Engine heats a lot more than its 350cc siblings.
- Windshield starts vibrating as early as 90Kmph.

Character:
- Engine feels quite good up to 105 mark. Though it is ready to go further (tried up to 125) but noise and vibrations keeps increasing linearly.
- Braking: Front wheel handles hard braking very well. Rear wheel locks sooner.
- I am not a speed addict but do participate in traffic light drags. It easily keeps me ahead of 220s, Apache 180 and 500cc brothers. At par with Duke200 and 200ns for speeds < 90/100. Seems respectable to me.
- Jumping over potholes and humps is fun. Very capable in this aspect.
- Received many comments about its unusual looks. One friend even compared it with a Horse .
- Very comfortable ride for pillion. Wifey loves that. It is not easy get yourself on the rear seat. It is bit higher. Rest is fine.