[The Great]

Everyone is praising the Himalayan, but almost everyone is confident that it will have initial niggles (as from the past history of Enfields) and one should wait for them to get sorted out.

I hope they must have done this in the testing phase and try to wipe the past image of the initial problematic batch.

[surjaonwheelz]

Hello Riders,

//M and I test rode the Himalayan on Staurday at Dhone Automobiles, Kasarwadi, PCMC. //M was there before time but the Himalayan & I was late! The bike was supposedly moved to another showroom of theirs. But on our request, it was called back for only the two of us! Lucky we.

//M rode off first. I had to keep the showroom personnel busy as they wanted booking commitments. They also requested me to keep my test ride as short as possible as people are waiting in their other showroom (Market yard). //M returned after a while and I hoped on.

Very rider friendly I must say. The power felt smooth, no urge to change gears due to vibrations. I'm a laid back rider but still pushed myself to ride the Himalayan spiritedly. I ride a CL350 so power felt adequate. (I've never ridden any two wheeler with more than 25 bhp)
The Himalayan begs you to stand up on the foot pegs and ride away. We looked for any place to try out its off-road capabilities but couldn't find one. Only the speed breakers tested the suspension and it felt good and solid. The steering is easy to maneuver, felt light as the head light is mounted on the frame. The brakes were progressive but could've favored a little more bite. Our bike's tuning was not right as when I closed the throttle there was the "bhatt" "bhatt" burp sound!

Both the black and white are matt finishes. This results in the petrol tank (metal) match with the other fiber parts such as side panels and mud guards. The engine is finished in a grainy matt black finish as found in the Bonnie or the HD ones which looks and feels great. I was so enjoying the ride that I didn't pay much attention to the instrument cluster. There was a slight flutter in the wind screen at higher revs.

Later in the day I went to King's Auto Riders, Baner with a friend. Bookings are open and service interval is truly at 10k kms interval. The first one remains at 500 kms. Also the Liquid Gun will not lubricate the Himalayan! May be a 'molten gun' or a 'liquid canon' will.

I was elated with the efforts from RE. This RE will not be sought by chrome and brass lovers. You will not miss the thump coz it's not from that league! I'm glad that the Himalayan will not be bought to accessorize and show off its silencer's roar. After the initial hype, I think the sales will be much lower (may be lower than the TB350). As this bike shouts purpose over form. As a daily commuter this is rather impractical in the mud & slush of the monsoons. This will splash mud all over, the Impulse owners might know what it feels like! But as a weekend bike those who seek to use it anywhere and everywhere, will not be disappointed.

Its affordable, approachable and available!

Ride safe!

[nasirkaka]

Had a very disappointing short test ride on saturay afternoon @ teknic motors, Indiranagar.I am still reserving my judgement on the H, as i have a feeling that the test ride bike was in real bad shape. Will try and ride it again at some other location and take a call.
Some thought from this test ride. Its just been about 1 year since i have been away from REs, and was really looking forward to the H. There was a black display model which looked quite appealing with minimalistic and function-follows-form kind of looks with much better welds and decent quality of parts in general.
There was a long Q for test ride and we were given tokens with a number. Mine was No 10, so i got to talk to 5-6 guys who rode it before i did and almost all of them had similar feedback. Good ergonomics, comfortable posture, under-powered and un-refined engine, very-much inline with how i felt after the test ride.
This test bike's engine was very ROUGH and noisy with some unwanted clatter from the engine. A few UCE which were there around sounded much much more refined in comparison. I am really HOPING this is the case just with this test bike and in general the engine is much refined. Cant really accept a totally new engine design from scratch in 2015 with all cad/cam tech available to have so much clatter. Move up the gears, and the bike felt sluggish interms of throttle response and initial pickup. tried lower speeds at higher gears and the torque did not feel anything to wrote home about. Not sure if i am spoilt by the 390 or recently the V650, or was i over expecting from the H? This bike did not even rev as freely as my old C5. There was a weird burble from the exhaust, somewhat like mild popping. The windshield was vibrating much beyond acceptable limits, and there was general harshness all over as if someone had mixed mud in the gas.
I did however like the overall posture/comfort and shocks felt comfortable over broken patches. The gear shifts were not precise, and find neutral was a task. Even the gear indicator worked on a time-lag of about 2-3 seconds. Brakes felt much better compared to the older lot REs.

I had gone along with a friend who was carrying his cheque book for the booking amount. After his ride, even he was sort of dissapointed and returned without drawing his book. I will again be going for a test ride along with a different dealer, and may be a longer one, and take a call.
So far, this was love at first sight! and hate the first ride!! :(

[tharian]

Since there is a dedicated thread now for test rides of the Himalayan, let me add to it with the short one I had over the weekend.

I headed to the showroom early, being a Saturday I knew it would be crowded. I was there by 11 am and the bike was free. Cut straight to the chase and asked the guy for a test ride and gets me the key in no time. Must say this was contradictory to their behaviour I noticed on the launch day.

Felt similar to getting onto the Duke when I swung my leg over, trying not to hit the carrier, but the difference being once I sat on it, I felt right at home. It was perfect for me which can be seen from the picture below. Weight cannot be felt at all , I felt it was as easy as the Duke to move and handle when reversing or taking it out from the parking lot. As mentioned many times here, first to neutral didn't happen whatever I did. Probably due to the half clutch adjustment on the bike. I hated the hard gear shifts as well although I could shift quick and go through the gears all the way to 5th at around 60kmh. Must say the engine was very smooth at these speeds in low revs.
I didn't take it out onto the main road since the bike was not registered and my DL was with the showroom. Instead I took it through some inner roads and a small dirt patch enclosure besides the road were some sand trucks were parked.
Before I say any more, I had my friend as pillion when I went off road. The bike was very stable on sand, ruts while braking as well as accelerating. There was just one time when the rear slid out on the dirt for a second when I gave good throttle , but tyre gripped immediately and straightened out. There was some deep sharp edged ruts which if had taken on my old Enfield at the same speed, would have re-arranged my innards.
This is a bike meant for guys who like to experiment on the dirt trails or off roads and need not worry much on the bike biting back.
At one point I dropped off my pillion and went through the gears to check the pick up , impressed. It picks up speeds very well even though not on WOT , it is fine upto around 70-80kmh.

My pillion mentioned that the seat was comfortable and wasn't any were as bad as the D390 , although they look similar. I felt the same with the rider seat too. For some reason, my backside had the nice feel to it which we normally get when we sit on some well cushioned sofa's.

I felt right at home riding this bike. The seating/handle position was perfect for me. Not sure if that windshield made any difference since the ride was short to notice. I did not hear the clatter many members had mentioned, but I did hear an occasional thunk.

But, somewhere I did feel there is the Enfield feel to the ride , probably the long stroke.

This would be a bike which will see more of tarmac unless it is used by bike rentals up North or even here. But,I feel it is a bike that should be used for the purpose it is made for more than touring . We have the TB500 for that.

Please ignore the footwear and lack of gear. It was a short ride due to the same reason.

[//M]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

//M and I test rode the Himalayan on Staurday

I got a chance to ride the Himalayan on a Saturday morning with bhpian surjaonwheelz. Being a Saturday morning, the roads were empty, the shops had not yet opened up for the day. With no offroad trails around, I did what I could do best !

Took the Himalayan for a spin, rode it till my heart's content in the limited time. Saw a flight of stairs (not much but 8-10 odd steps) leading to a General store yet to be opened, stood up in the footpegs and aimed the flight of stairs with the Himalayan. One - two - three - four - it was easy, turned around and with whatever momentum I had, I went down the stairs in style. Ah I was impressed with the suspension.

Next were the series of speedbreakers, the Himalayan glided over the speedbreakers and I had the confidence to lean the bike & play with the handling. I so wish I could ride it on a longer, murky, uneven jungle trail.

And finally got a chance to push the bike in the straight relatively empty roads in the morning.

Overall my impressions :

Positives -
1. The suspension is great, comfortable enough to glide over obstacles.
2. The seats seemed to be very comfortable.
3. The utilitarian look is not very industrial, but very purposeful.
4. Quite easy to ride and zip through traffic.
5. Attracts a lot of attention. Specially the matte white paint really does.
6. The lower-end of the new motor felt good.
7. The riding position is comfortable for a 6-footer.
8. Very less vibrations compared to the other Enfield bikes.

Negatives -
1. Brakes felt a tad too hard.
2. There was a weird tic-tic sound from somewhere near the exhaust, quite irritating.
3. The top-end is lethargic as with other Enfields (I ride a Classic 500).
4. As most people have mentioned, the compass was indeed confused/confusing.


Overall the Himalayan is impressive, but I would have loved a wee bit more power from the new motor. Anything around 32 bhp should have been good and would have aided well to the top-end.

Will I buy it?

Yes, maybe.

I may go ahead with the Himalayan by end of this year (its wise to wait for a few months for the initial niggles to be sorted out). I plan to take it on a longish ride to the elusive north-eastern states of India to actually utilize its potential, also would love to go up & down a few trails in the western ghats, enjoy the sea on a hard-sand beach, do the customary ride to the Himalayas in the North and throw it around a bit on the ghats to enjoy the motorcycle.

I have had quite a lot of fun in the 40000 odd kms on my Desert Storm - the off road jungle trails & tea estates in the Dooars, the coastal routes in Maharashtra & Odisha, monsoons of the Western Ghats, the entire Spiti circuit, a short ride to Bhutan and multiple rides through the jungles of Jharkhand - my Enfield has taken everything in its stride.

The expectations with the Himalayan will be a lot more.

[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by GTO

Mod Note: All Himalayan Test-Ride posts moved into a new thread . Will greatly help those considering this motorcycle.

Thanks to all for sharing!

Moderators,

I think we are not far from a team-bhp official bike reviews section!

We have capable riders in this forum. Please give it a thought.

Cheers,
Surja

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

Had a very disappointing short test ride on saturay afternoon @ teknic motors, Indiranagar.

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

This test bike's engine was very ROUGH and noisy with some unwanted clatter from the engine. A few UCE which were there around sounded much much more refined in comparison.

Sojogator, IronH4WK and I had gone to the same showroom for a test ride on Sunday and I had taken one on Saturday as well. We didnt feel the engine was very noisy or rough and certainly didnt get any unwanted clatter.

Given that all of us are talking about the same test ride bike from the same showroom, I guess each rider's perception of the bike varies substantially based on our experiences and expectations.

BTW how was your experience with the showroom folks at Teknic?

[raghu.bramha]

Great observations from tbhpians. Good to see so many good reviews of the bike and looks like the bike will do just fine with so many enthusiasts liking it. I had suggested this bike to my cousin when he was planning to buy a sports/adv bike. But he always complained about how the overall look of the bike is unappealing. The slightly high position of the headlamp is what he didn't like. He went the KTM way and i don't blame him.

It would be good if a twin rectangular LED bar headlamp setup replaces the boring round headlamp. Will try to get a render of it. I think overall product placement strategy from RE is bang on! and that pricing is just mouth watering.

[nasirkaka]

This test bike's engine was very ROUGH and noisy with some unwanted clatter from the engine. A few UCE which were there around sounded much much more refined in comparison.

Although there was a good crowd for testing the H, the showroom folks were courteous. Agreed to the test ride without any drama. On asking certain technical questions on the type of carb, jettings, etc the guy there was not much informed. But i am glad they even offered a water on asking. Have had two buying experience with RE, once on 2007 when RE still was associated with uncles and milkman and what not, and once in 2010 for the C5 when there were only 3 outlets in the entire of Bangalore. During both those times, they did behave as if they were gods, esp after paying the initial amount.

Am wondering how the engine felt smooth when u rode. ON the same day, it was just not me, a lot of guys who tested had same coarse feedback, and majority of them were in riding gears, and had come on older UCE models, 390s, and even a street 750 and had some riding experience. I will be try my hand at it again, and will take a call. No real hurry this time as i am still enjoying my honeymoon phase with the baby versys.

[Urban_Nomad]

It is so painful to be reading all these ride reports, coz I still havent managed to get my hands on one

I swear, I called every single showroom in Delhi and Gurgaon yesterday and not one had a test ride bike available!!!!!! Delhi - coz of the stupid BS4 thing and Gurgaon folks just did not have the bikes. What gives?

Anyhow, planning to get a test ride this Friday afternoon. I am thinking there's hardly gona be a crowd and I might get a decent long ride

But I am glad that the bike is at par with folks' expectation, a few comments around stickers and clatter notwithstanding. Cant wait to test it and see for myself

[deevee]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

It is so painful to be reading all these ride reports, coz I still havent managed to get my hands on one

I swear, I called every single showroom in Delhi and Gurgaon yesterday and not one had a test ride bike available!!!!!! Delhi - coz of the stupid BS4 thing and Gurgaon folks just did not have the bikes. What gives?

Anyhow, planning to get a test ride this Friday afternoon. I am thinking there's hardly gona be a crowd and I might get a decent long ride

But I am glad that the bike is at par with folks' expectation, a few comments around stickers and clatter notwithstanding. Cant wait to test it and see for myself

Hey you can test ride the Himalayan at Manzil motors Sohna road gurgaon. They have a matte white Tamil Nadu registered bike. Me and my brother test rode it this Sunday. Go early and enjoy the ride

[SamarthMehrotra]

Why is it that the ride characteristics described here remind me of the much cheaper Pulsar 220F?? The suspension; and ability to swallow bumps at high speeds are its strong points too. Though one can't ride it standing up. I am now itching to go on a test ride of the Himalayan!!!

[mh09ad5578]

nice!shows royal Enfield can evolve and produce really good new products/categories and not just keep recycling the nostalgia. Also kudos for taking the path less explored and not just concentrating on the mass market-it needs passion to do that! Even if the Himalyan is not a financial success (its a nitch product) i would still applaud RE for making a great product! Personal opinion -headlamp design/integration could have been handled better on a overall well designed package! and the blog by Mr Lal was fantastic. Might own a himalayan some day (when i start touring)good luck RE!proud of you.

[motorhead16]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Disclaimer: The below opinions are mine and mine alone. I would also like to place on record that am not prejudiced and opinionated against RE.So after waiting for like eternity for the Himalayan to get launched, I went to the RE showroom at Indira Nagar today. I could see that there was a lot of buzz around the bike and a whole lot of folks ( mostly middle aged wanting to get their first bike) enquiring and test riding the bike.

This is exactly my opinion after the test ride. You just nailed it with the last point. The bike feels very sluggish and underpowered. just doesn't have that rush and urge to move. The brakes are bored to do their job and the power sucks big time. I went to the showroom with almost 99% commitment to book this bike, but left disheartened and extremely disappointed. Forget smooth shifting, the gear shifts are horrible on this bike. For those saying the build and finish are good, its still nothing compared to the bikes the Japanese make. Lot of exposed wire, small dents in even the showroom display bikes. This is not the definitive tourer. Will wait for KTM's answer to this bike.

[rakesh_r]

Before reading further, kindly bear in mind, I am no RE Fanboy and only have a fair knowledge on the mechanicals.
Did a brief test ride of the Himalayan at Brahma Motors, Shivajinagar. Got to laud RE for the efforts they have made. First and foremost, the bike is well balanced, i could easily weave through busy traffic even with a pillion without getting nervous. Seating posture felt close to the Karizma. Build quality if not the best but leaps and leagues ahead of its other siblings. As people have said before,its an SUV on two wheels. Undulations on concrete roads due to uneven laying of concrete layers, sewer covers are now thing of the past, you can easily glide over them without getting nervous, people in Mumbai will understand this better. I felt the braking to be much better than my CL 500.
Regarding the clutch, i felt it not releasing quickly maybe the TD bike (350Km on the odo) needed a clutch adjustment.
The bike cries for a good carb setting, quite evident the bike is running super lean, i could feel the bike knocking plus the constant popping sound when i let go off the accelerator. Am sure with a good upjetting and some fine tuning the issue will get sorted out.
Regarding the heat, yes the bike does heat up i observed it is more on the left hand side, could be possible that the heat could be from the oil cooler.
Instrumentation Console- Serves its purpose but a bit crowded.
The windscreen mounting should have been a bit more sturdy as it was flapping.
Exhaust note- I sort of liked the note.Sounds a bit like the old Fiero but with a deep bass.
Regarding the engine clatter, was a bit audible but not a deal breaker.
The question arises- will i buy one? The answer would be a big YES. Couple of reasons-
1- Its cheaper for me. Neither can i afford to buy nor maintain a true blue ADV or a superbike as of now.
2-The bike can run even with a dead battery, that makes the bike score some brownie points in terms of reliability.
3- Can comfortably take two up with some luggage without any issues.
4- The 10K oil change interval- While looking at the bike i noticed the oil level sight glass. The engine oil was i guess green in color. If this is true high chances that RE might be using the expensive Motul 300v (just a guess) which could be pushed close to 10k. I will still consider the drain interval somewhere between 7 to 8K.
5-I am not a speed junkie and consider 120 as the max speed i would do in this country on a motorcycle.
6- Crude built- Makes it easy for me to work on the bike in case of any issues.
7-I detest fairing, especially after owning a ZMA very briefly.