re: The 1st-gen Royal Enfield Himalayan thread! I went for a test ride yesterday. Here is what i learnt:
Location: Royal Enfield Saket
Distance Riden: 8kms (single rider)
Surfaces ridden on: road, mud, gravel, broken roads
Avg speeds: 40-60kph
1) Engine: The New engine is very different from the old Thumpers. Very smooth, and sounds nice too. A very pleasant surprise. A lot of reviews complain about how the motors does not rev smoothly and has less power, etc. But I noticed no such issue, this bike is designed to be a tourer and in particular in the hills. I dont think you need 10k rpm power there. Gearbox was very different again, far better than the old 'BULT' box. Felt very much like a pulsar gearbox; smooth while running, no false neutrals, but at standstill finding neutral was a task.
2) Ride and comfort: I am 6ft tall and quite heavy. I found the seating to be natural and comfortable. Once on the road, even though i was on a bike after a few months, i was right at home and confident. Suspension is slightly stiffer than i had imagined looking at the bike. One thing i noticed was a slight fatigue on my shoulder muscles, although iam not sure if it was because of the handlebar position or a combination of my extremely sedentary lifestyle and the fact that i was on 2 wheels after 3 months. I did ride into a muddy parking area and tried my hand in a little offroading There were no issues and the Himalayan sailed over mud, a small pile of bricks, some old wooden planks, etc with ease. I was never uncomfortable during any of theses. Being someone who has nil experience riding offroad, id say thats a good job done by RE.
3) Handling and feel: Its no secret that this bike is not meant for corner carving at the Faridabad Gurgaon road on Sunday mornings and this sentiment was confirmed when i rode the Himalayan. The bike is poised and confident while while riding straight and at slow speeds and clutch riding. I really liked that even though i was riding after such a long time and that too a new type of bike, i was completely at home. Didnt really get much space or the opportunity to take corners in the crowded areas of Saket but i feel she can hold her own in the twisties of the Himalayas. Brakes are nice with slightly less bite upfront but responsive rear. Logical since you dont want hyperactive brakes upfront in wet and slushy surfaces. As for vibrations, my test ride bike was smooth and i didnt feel anything upto maybe 4.5k rpm. After that, they did creep in but that didnt bother me at all. There were some annoying sounds coming from the motor that i couldnt really make sense of, maybe the valve rockers that are being changed now. The noise was there but no feel of them anywhere to me.
4) Overall: I liked the bike and can definitely see myself owning one and being happy with it. Its comfortable, smooth, powerful enough for me (i dont believe you need 44 bhp to make a relaxed trip upto Shimla with the wife at back) . The only thing i have a slight doubt on is highway performance. I dont plan on riding down the highway with the taps open, but i do want a bike that can 'cruise' at 100-120 kph without feeling stressed. Can the Himalayan do this? I dont know, owners and other riders, please let me know. |