[ManasN95]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Now with the Bs6 version, RE seems to have slowly and steadily perfected the Himalayan 410 and a bigger engined version putting out 40 bhp sounds just about right to me. I am sure Royal Enfield is listening.

I hope they are, because I'm desperately waiting for such a Himalayan! I'm sure many of us would be.

I'm resisting temptations to walk into a RE showroom and test ride a Himayalan BS6 or I'll fall for her, and I don't want to end up buying the current Himalayan only for them to tease a more powerful Himalayan in the next 6-7 months! I'll again have the itch which "Abba nahi manenge" (Parents won't allow)

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by ManasN95

I hope they are, because I'm desperately waiting for such a Himalayan! I'm sure many of us would be.

I'm resisting temptations to walk into a RE showroom and test ride a Himayalan BS6 or I'll fall for her, and I don't want to end up buying the current Himalayan only for them to tease a more powerful Himalayan in the next 6-7 months! I'll again have the itch which "Abba nahi manenge" (Parents won't allow)

6-7 months is a joke. Any new himalayan launch is many years away! They either need a whole new engine for the existing frame, or a whole new frame for the 650 engine.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by ManasN95

I hope they are, because I'm desperately waiting for such a Himalayan! I'm sure many of us would be.

I'm resisting temptations to walk into a RE showroom and test ride a Himayalan BS6 or I'll fall for her, and I don't want to end up buying the current Himalayan only for them to tease a more powerful Himalayan in the next 6-7 months! I'll again have the itch which "Abba nahi manenge" (Parents won't allow)

If Royal Enfield had an updated Himalayan prototype or a new product, it would have been showcased at Rider Mania or EICMA 2020. Unfortunately both events are not happening due to the current pandemic. So we will have to wait and see if they do a virtual launch or press release to showcase what is next. I will suggest that you wait a couple of months more and then take a call.

From what Ive heard, the 650 engine and the current Himalayan chassis dont mix well. So as Red Liner said, one of the two has to be new.

[Red Liner]

Figured some of you Himalayan aficionados might like to watch this POV of the himmie on a loose jeep track trail.

https://youtu.be/XjkR75exNVE

No talk, No music, no bs, just the ride, the sound of crunching soft earth and the melody of the exhausts. Bliss.

[cataclysm]

Back in August 2019, I had been without a motorcycle for a whole year. Having sold my RE Classic 500 Chrome in August 2018 after riding it for 7 years with around 55k on the odo, I was really feeling the itch to ride. Now this itch had previously disappeared.

In Feb 2018 I was T-boned by a young rider who decided to jump the red light. He rammed his Classic 500 Desert Storm on my Classic 500 Chrome A broken collar bone, 4 cracked ribs, and 2 months of bed rest later, I finally recovered. I had decided that I was done with riding.

Till the itch came back.

I've always loved adventure bikes and dirt bikes. Sadly nothing like that was ever available in India. I do remember riding my cousin's Bajaj SX and did I love it or what? Maybe that's where my love for ADVs and dirt bikes came from.

Anyways, when the itch came back I decided to head down to the local RE showroom and check out the Himalayan and the 650 twins. Loved the 650 twins but was pretty underwhelmed by the Himalayan. The suspension setup was amazing but the power delivery was strictly average. There were no smiles or anything.

Since I was looking for an ADV, I had to reluctantly rule out the Interceptor. And KTM 390 ADV was still far away (I had been waiting for it since 2015-16, when I first heard there might be something like this coming out). So I took a week to decide if I should buy the Himalayan or not. But the itch was so strong that I booked it in Aug 2019, despite not liking it too much.

A day before the date of the delivery, I had a change of heart and decided to cancel my booking. Paying north of 2 lakhs didn't seem worth it for something I did not enjoy too much.

So I was back to being bike-less. The next month, whilst casually browsing OLX, I found a used BS4 Himalayan with just 9k on the odo. The guy was selling it for 1 lakh, which seemed reasonable to me for an almost 2 year old bike. It was in great condition as well, so I bought it. And at this price it did seem VFM to me.

Even though it still doesn't put a smile on my face, it cures the itch. And it's at home in the mountains and the rough roads that I like to ride in.

Maybe the smile doesn't come back for I fear another encounter with another moronic rider/driver.

Or maybe I should buy the 390 ADV

[sibitg]

Hi friends, I am looking for a new Bike for SAFE riding in both highways and rural roads, NOT for speeding. So I am looking for one with good handling characteristics and breaking. Is RE Himalayan a good option? Any other better options around this price point? Looking for your valuable suggestions. Thanks in advance!

[shyamg28]

Originally Posted by sibitg

Hi friends, I am looking for a new Bike for SAFE riding in both highways and rural roads, NOT for speeding. So I am looking for one with good handling characteristics and breaking. Is RE Himalayan a good option? Any other better options around this price point?

Hello! Could you state more clearly and in detail, what your requirements are as well as budget?
Also, what is your riding experience? It will help members formulate a better response

I'm at around 24k kms on my Himalayan so let me give my perspective.

Generically speaking, the Himalayan is extremely comfortable in terms of ergonomics, suspension as well as seat comfort. It will sail through rough roads without you having to slow down too much. It has neutral handling on road and makes for an extremely easy ride experience.

On the highway, it lacks some punch. Now this is relative - if you're good with a crusing speed of 90-100kph, it will hold that all day long without you having to strain too much.

You can look at the RE Twins in this thread (Ridden: Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 & Continental GT 650 Twin). The Hero XPulse (Hero teases small adventure bike. EDIT: It's the XPulse 200) too could serve your purpose at a much lesser cost, with great value for money.
There are likely more options as well.

[sibitg]

Originally Posted by shyamg28

Hello! Could you state more clearly and in detail, what your requirements are as well as budget?
Also, what is your riding experience? It will help members formulate a better response

Thanks Shyam. I do not want to take much speed. But should be easy to navigate through our crowded rough roads as well as wet slippery highways. And good breaking preferably with dual channel ABS. Price is around Rs 2 lakh.
Also heard about Honda Hness, but no reviews yet.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by sibitg

Hi friends, I am looking for a new Bike for SAFE riding in both highways and rural roads, NOT for speeding. So I am looking for one with good handling characteristics and breaking. Is RE Himalayan a good option? Any other better options around this price point? Looking for your valuable suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Originally Posted by sibitg

Thanks Shyam. I do not want to take much speed. But should be easy to navigate through our crowded rough roads as well as wet slippery highways. And good breaking preferably with dual channel ABS. Price is around Rs 2 lakh.
Also heard about Honda Hness, but no reviews yet.

The Himalayan is definitely a good option. But you may not "need" a Himalayan. I think options like the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V or the Dominar 250 or even the Xpulse 200 are also good bikes to consider.

[janakiram_m]

My BS3 Himalayan's clutch cable broke today. I didn't have RSA and the service center was just 1km away which prompted the stupid idea to push it there. Regretted it just after 50 metres . I got to SC at 5pm and told them to do the annual service also which was due a month back.

As usual the SA was pushing Polish, RSA(which I might take), AMC etc. I told him AMC won't benefit me since the service interval is 1 year for the Himalayan and they were offering 4 coupons for two years, two would go to waste in my case. That's when he told me that service interval has been revised for Himalayan @ 6 months/5000 km.

I specifically remember the launch were the longer service interval was one of the USP for the motorcycle. Is this revision true? And if it is, what does this mean to the first gen bikes which were serviced at a longer interval?

[shyamg28]

Originally Posted by janakiram_m

I specifically remember the launch were the longer service interval was one of the USP for the motorcycle. Is this revision true? And if it is, what does this mean to the first gen bikes which were serviced at a longer interval?

Mine is a BSIV (sans ABS, so basically the 2nd revision of the Himalayan) and the service interval is 6 months/5000 kms.

2nd service:


3rd service:


4th service:

[bblost]

Originally Posted by janakiram_m

My BS3 Himalayan's clutch cable broke today.

All the warnings about try this at your own risk.

Practice changing gears without using the clutch. You need to pay attention to the engine sounds, feel and all that.

Its a good skill to have.

I once rode my old Thunderbird over 30 kilometers with a busted clutch cable. You never know when and where these old school tricks can come in handy.

[ArizonaJim]

IMO, all motorcycles with a clutch cable need to have that cable lubricated at least once a year. More often in humid areas like much of India.

Although it should be, lubricating the clutch cable is often overlooked by the service departments so, when the oil and oil filter are changed, this important job is overlooked.
When a person goes into the shop to have the oil changed, they should insist that the clutch cable gets properly lubricated.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by bblost

All the warnings about try this at your own risk.

Practice changing gears without using the clutch. You need to pay attention to the engine sounds, feel and all that.

Its a good skill to have.

I once rode my old Thunderbird over 30 kilometers with a busted clutch cable. You never know when and where these old school tricks can come in handy.

True that.

The overconfidence of riding a brand new bike got the best of me and I once went on a 750kms commute without carrying spares, and this was the result.



Total distance covered was later calculated and I'd ridden close to 300 KM's without disengaging the clutch.

These days I just keep a Vespa Inner Cable and Lock in my tool kit, it's easier to replace the inner cable alone as all you'd need to do is pull out the snapped inner, insert Vespa one and then lock it at the other end using the lock. Costs 60rs for OE and 30rs for Non-OE. Can be used to jugaad clutch as well as throttle if the situation demands.

As for shifting without disengaging clutch. Close throttle to Upshift, Open Throttle to Downshift. The goal is to take load off the tranny and hence timing is critical. You can do it under load by force but that's what ends up destroying shift forks, hence the requirement for finess.

As for starting from a stop. Walk with the bike and once you've gained momentum slot into 1st.

And with respect to control cables, change them once a year, don't even bother giving it a second thought, they cost peanuts in comparison to the peace of mind on offer.

Lubing used to be a thing of yore as modern cables come with an anti-friction coating, Teflon if I'm not wrong.

A.P.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Lubing used to be a thing of yore as modern cables come with an anti-friction coating, Teflon if I'm not wrong.

A.P.

Lubing yes, but a spritz of wd40 works on teflon coated cables. You should see the gunk that comes out. Keeps your clutch lever nice and free as well.