[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by bblost

Attachment 1780256

I cannot really give a clear review of the Fego Float

Beautiful picture!

I’m quite amazed that there’s so much discomfort riding what is probably one of the comfiest motorcycles in India

Not that I’ve ridden it for thousands of kms personally, but know many who have. In fact, I met someone just yesterday on a trail ride who finished his ride from chandrataal to Gurgaon in one go, without breaking the journey. The only comfort mod I could see was that he had a thicker padded seat. That’s all

The bigger factor in my opinion is fitness level. He was in good shape and looked like he took care of his health. How would you rate yourself in that department? Being sore in 250 ish kms, that too on the H isn’t normal IMO

If you plan to ride long distances comfortably, you have to focus on your health. It’s not an option. You can also look at getting a custom seat made. I think you mentioned having one on your T-bird, so you’re not a stranger to this either

Hope the situation improves for you. Take care

[bblost]

In the past few months, I rode my old Thunderbird to:

Chennai.
Rann of kutch from Ahmedabad.
Pune.

No pain or any issues.

I also cycle to work. 18 KMS one way.

So, I don't feel like my fitness is the issue here.

Maybe the Himalayan seat is touching me in places, I have never been touched before. Just kidding.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by bblost

In the past few months, I rode my old Thunderbird to:

Chennai.
Rann of kutch from Ahmedabad.
Pune.

No pain or any issues.

Maybe the Himalayan seat is touching me in places, I have never been touched before. Just kidding.

Mate I believe it is not just the seats but also the overall ergonomics of both the Tbird and the Himalayan. I too ride an AVL Tbird and Tbird500 and find their seating comfortable for long rides. IMO I feel the overall ergonomics also come into play while doing long rides. There are certain pressure points in the body which gets inflammated, this depends from person to person. Although I haven't rode the Himalayan for long rides so can't say about its seating, for short rides it was for sure comfortable, barring the weird feeling of its headlight not turning as compared to all the other RE motorcycles .

[rideon74]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

Mate I believe it is not just the seats but also the overall ergonomics of both the Tbird and the Himalayan. I too ride an AVL Tbird and Tbird500 and find their seating comfortable for long rides. IMO I feel the overall ergonomics also come into play while doing long rides. There are certain pressure points in the body which gets inflammated, this depends from person to person. Although I haven't rode the Himalayan for long rides so can't say about its seating, for short rides it was for sure comfortable, barring the weird feeling of its headlight not turning as compared to all the other RE motorcycles .

A good point. From my ownership experience so far with the REH, it has dawned upon me that the ergonomics of the Himalayan may not suit all body structures. In the ergonomics triangle diagram (source: IJMS, Chandra & Atreya) one can see that the green triangle relates to Himalayan. There are valid reasons for RE opting for this - evident in its dual purpose nature.



But for some (like myself) the long rides find the butt slipped forward to the middle of the seat, getting sore in due time and the slightly bent knee angle leading to some soreness there too. All such drama only after around 150km or so in the saddle. A seat customisation or add-on is in the offing and for the knees, the right kind of exercise is to be adopted.

@bblost Thanks for your initial inputs on the Fego Float. Its perhaps too early to come to conclusions about its worth. Have decided to give it a go myself - anything that helps even a little to keep on mile munching is welcome right now.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by rideon74

@bblost Thanks for your initial inputs on the Fego Float.

Under Inflated >>>>>>> Over Inflated.

[Trojan]

Originally Posted by bblost

Maybe the Himalayan seat is touching me in places, I have never been touched before. Just kidding.

I understand what you're saying man, I too did not find the seat comfortable over long distances. The reason which I felt was causing this is the fact that the material is such which prevents any kind of airflow/ventilation once you are seated. Over 75kms and this starts giving issues.
It could also be on account of my weight (92kg) due to which this is impacting a bit more.
Well, so to cut it short, I was not really enjoying the rides as much due to this. As a counter measure I thought of trying the netted seat cover and got it done at a friends shop.
Voila, problem solved, this created the much needed ventilation while making the seat stiffer as well. With constant movement during riding there is no common pressure point as it is now divided throughout the seat and results in a lot better seating comfort.
Maybe you could try this - not expensive by any means.
Only issue being - access to the tool box can get hampered as the nets foul with the lockset if not put properly.

Cheers!
Trojan

[bblost]

Thanks Trojan.

I was thinking about this netted cover but it looks so uncomfortable. But I will definitely give it a try if the Fego does not work out.

I went back to my Google timeline and checked my time. The return trip where I used the Fego was on significantly worse roads. But actually has a better average speed!!!!

My weight is a little more than yours. But as Obelisk the cartoon character likes to say, It's all muscle.

[rideon74]

Perhaps I'm late to come to know of this but fellow newbie owners to note: Between the aluminium skid plate and the underbelly of the engine sits the EVAP canister & the valve solenoid (I'm guessing that's what the little box thingy is). So if you ever get in the mood to deep clean your REH like I did today - ensure you've got some support set up when all the bolts of the skid plate are taken off.

I had one of those mildly alarming 'Whoa! What the heck?' moment when the last bolt was undone and the plate dangled on the hose from the fuel tank! Grabbed it in an instant though. Jeez, they could've mentioned of the precaution needed in the owner's handbook!

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by rideon74

Perhaps I'm late to come to know of this but fellow newbie owners to note: Between the aluminium skid plate and the underbelly of the engine sits the EVAP canister & the valve solenoid (I'm guessing that's what the little box thingy is). So if you ever get in the mood to deep clean your REH like I did today - ensure you've got some support set up when all the bolts of the skid plate are taken off.

I had one of those mildly alarming 'Whoa! What the heck?' moment when the last bolt was undone and the plate dangled on the hose from the fuel tank! Grabbed it in an instant though. Jeez, they could've mentioned of the precaution needed in the owner's handbook!

That's a worse spot one can install a canister and solenoid valve, but well, who are we to guess it, RE knows better. Usually, EVAP canisters are placed close to the fuel tank so that the vapours are routed in efficiently. Secondly, the placement is the worse place to keep a canister, at least for two primary reasons from my ownership of the bike.

The skid plate is a dirt magnet and all the goop that gets routed from the front wheel, cleanly solicits the area. Secondly, the hoses and the plastic container retainers "can be" prone to early failures arising from cracked rubber hoses and rusted retainers which can over time lead to tubes undoing/getting cracked and what not, which we've seen time and time again due to dirt getting accumulated over these parts.

But nonetheless, with RE, tubes undoing themselves, bolts loosening up are all part of the deal we're entitled too, which we wholeheartedly agree.

Cheers!
VJ

[bblost]

I did a completely unscientific test on the bike seat.
Made a fist and pushed down as hard as I can.

Then compared with another Classic 350, which was parked nearby.

The Himalayan seat is feels like soft butter when compared to the slab of meat, which is the Classic.

My old bike feels like a stack of newspapers.

The best resolution is going to be a replacing the foam inside the seat.

[rakesh_r]

I have always been a sucker for "Improved Lighting" ever since I have started driving or riding. From a simple 100/90 bulb swap with Aux lights on the Swift, retrofitting Projectors with HID in the Scross, LED bulb swap on my ex- Aprillia SR150 Scoot to AC to DC conversion on my Unicorn, lighting has always been an important criteria.
My recent acquisition, a snow White BS4 Himalayan, I felt the stock lighting was a bit insufficient for the Indian highways.
Did some research on the web, found the Denallis to be the best in business, but costed a bomb. Researched further and stumbled upon a brand called Auxbeam which made some budget good quality LEDs. Ordered the 4D Spots online and got them within 4 days, way to go Aramex.
Next was the wiring harness. Since the bike is under warranty, i wanted the install to be extremely neat and shouldn't involve any wires to be spliced. At first, thought of either making my own harness or using a wiring kit with relay for horns untill i stumbled upon Bhpian Snehal Shekar's ownership thread, where he had ordered the wiring harness from Biking Spirit. Promptly ordered the same, pics shared from Snehal's thread.Next was the clamps to mount the lights, ordered those from Art of Motorcycles, found them to be of extremely good quality.
Got one of the RE dealers to do the installation which was done in an hour or so.
Initial Impressions- The lights are of good quality and has good range, will post a review after using it extensively.

[rideon74]

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

...
Researched further and stumbled upon a brand called Auxbeam which made some budget good quality LEDs. Ordered the 4D Spots online and got them within 4 days, way to go Aramex.

Would be very grateful if you would post your review after some time of usage. Especially points like the spread vs. the focus zone percentages and product durability after riding in rainy conditions.

Am quite surprised that you were able to get a RE dealer to complete the installation. Out here at Coimbatore city, all three dealerships maintain that fitment of auxiliary lights will void the warranty. Many of the REH owners go ahead and fit them anyhow.

Personally, I was in dilemma whether to take a chance or not after I was advised by the ride manager at the company outlet here. So my plans of upgrading to the 4D spots from the same brand were temporarily put on hold.

Thanks for the detailed info and the pics. Looking forward to your updates after a period of using the AuxBeams.

[Red Liner]

Do you have a link for the auxbeam purchase and how much was it?

[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by rideon74

Would be very grateful if you would post your review after some time of usage. Especially points like the spread vs. the focus zone percentages and product durability after riding in rainy conditions.

Am quite surprised that you were able to get a RE dealer to complete the installation. Out here at Coimbatore city, all three dealerships maintain that fitment of auxiliary lights will void the warranty. Many of the REH owners go ahead and fit them anyhow.

Personally, I was in dilemma whether to take a chance or not after I was advised by the ride manager at the company outlet here. So my plans of upgrading to the 4D spots from the same brand were temporarily put on hold.

Thanks for the detailed info and the pics. Looking forward to your updates after a period of using the AuxBeams.

Royal Enfields are meant for long rides, as said by Royal Enfield themselves. One cant expect to ride on the Indian highways with stock lights. If you can get the wiring done without cutting or splicing the wires then your warranty stays intact. That's one of the reasons why I bought a wiring harness.

[rideon74]

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

Royal Enfields are meant for long rides, as said by Royal Enfield themselves. One cant expect to ride on the Indian highways with stock lights. If you can get the wiring done without cutting or splicing the wires then your warranty stays intact. That's one of the reasons why I bought a wiring harness.

I hear you about the purpose of buying an Enfield and an REH in particular.

A point of note: in my first experiment with a cheap option for Aux lights from Amazon, I found no need to splice any wires. Only a 4mm dia hole was needed at the back of the headlight casing to connect positive lead to the ignition socket in series with the switch.

Agreed about RE not having a reason to talk about void warranties if the electrical load is within the limits prescribed and the stock wiring is not spliced or altered. Wisely, you've invested in a wiring harness.

My ears perked up to the caution sounded out by the company ride manager only since it would be vexing process to deal with the SVC's obstinacy in the unfortunate instance an aftermarket fitment causes any harm to the electricals. Investing in a reputed brand is the only insurance we have against such unwanted scenarios.

Personally, I've asked my bro in the US to bring over the AuxBeams & the harness option listed on their website which could be sometime in August. Hence my eagerness to know of your feedback after sometime of using them.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Do you have a link for the auxbeam purchase and how much was it?

I'm guessing this is the product that's being discussed about:

https://www.auxbeam.com/fog-light/fo...cycle/70025604