[MileCruncher]

Totally forgot to mention this in my earlier post about maintenance about the bike.

I was told by the Sales Advisor that for Himalayan, while oil change interval was 10K, but apparently piston needs to be changed at 25K.

Do RE bikes need engine overhaul that early? Am really perplexed!

[Gordon]

He probably meant spark plug.

[amitc7]

Just had a test ride of the Himalayan - in a word it is the best Royal Enfield!

To every and anyone who is over analysing the product and comparing it with Tigers and GS1200's please stop.

This is a INR 175000 product on road, nothing else in the market comes close to it for its form and function period.

Does it need ABS? For its function definitely NO! I wouldn't want to go off road in a bike which won't try to stop on loose surfaces.

Let's get to the point, good engine that is perfectly tuned for high torque at low revs, BHP not very important, it was comfortably holding 110-120 on the highway.

Handling is sublime and I went over ruts, potholes, speed breakers and a few loose shale and gravel tracks at 80 kmph and didn't feel a thing, nothing at the handlebar or footpegs, I was standing up, but I think the seat is well insulated too.

The biggest problem for me and all my 6' heavy frame 125 kg was actually the footpeg placement, I had to crouch for the handlebar and that was not nice after a minute or two. Shorter people would be comfortable, that said it is aimed at an average 5'8" Indian and not Attalia the Hun.

As far as cheapness of material or non usage of space age alloys is concerned, who really cares, use it for 2-3 years junk it and get another one and it will still be cheaper than the Tiger GS Adventure touring pack ABS equipped fat and heavy thing you can name.
I have a Duke 390, I mean please compare appropriately one has metal, the other is made mainly out of molten plastic buckets.

Weaved through a busy Chennai traffic and it feels light, but with the right amount of feedback coming through.

A very important point to note, the dealer knowing me very well insisted that the bike get a full 30 min look over before I was handed for the ride, meaning the carb tuning, tyre pressure and chain slack was all just so.

[maker_of_things]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Totally forgot to mention this in my earlier post about maintenance about the bike.

I was told by the Sales Advisor that for Himalayan, while oil change interval was 10K, but apparently piston needs to be changed at 25K.

Do RE bikes need engine overhaul that early? Am really perplexed!

Pretty sure he mixed up spark plug with piston. You wouldn't need a piston change at 25k in any bike, even in Enfields. Unless you like to rev the hell out of bikes in neutral and always ride it at redline.

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by Gordon

He probably meant spark plug.

Originally Posted by maker_of_things

Pretty sure he mixed up spark plug with piston. You wouldn't need a piston change at 25k in any bike, even in Enfields. Unless you like to rev the hell out of bikes in neutral and always ride it at redline.

I asked twice and he meant Pistons. Also it cannot be spark plugs coz most bike change spark plugs every service or 5K for optimum performance. This definitely warrants more digging!

[P.S.]

It's hearsay rubbish
No such thing. Confirmed similar rumor with the Gurgaon dealership

Unless you abuse the engine,youre good like any other engine.
In his words "kya sir, Kuch bhi. Bike nahi bechni kya humko"

[petrolhead_neel]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

I asked twice and he meant Pistons. Also it cannot be spark plugs coz most bike change spark plugs every service or 5K for optimum performance. This definitely warrants more digging!

It is indeed spark plugs. I have read somewhere that the spark plugs of the Himalayan need to be changed every 25k kms. I remember this very clearly though I have forgotten the source. I even had a talk with the local RE dealership, who said the same. And he knows his bikes.

25k kms is too early for a piston change.

And no, spark plugs need not be changed every 5k kms. My Dad's Honda got its plugs changed at 25K+ kms, and his Classic 350 is still on factory fitted spark plugs at 12K+ kms.

Neel

[maker_of_things]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel

It is indeed spark plugs. I have read somewhere that the spark plugs of the Himalayan need to be changed every 25k kms. I remember this very clearly though I have forgotten the source. I even had a talk with the local RE dealership, who said the same. And he knows his bikes.

Yep, it was said by RE in the very first torture testing video in which the footpeg broke off.

[ArizonaJim]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Totally forgot to mention this in my earlier post about maintenance about the bike.

I was told by the Sales Advisor that for Himalayan, while oil change interval was 10K, but apparently piston needs to be changed at 25K.

Do RE bikes need engine overhaul that early? Am really perplexed!

IMO, no modern motorcycle manufacturer would allow a product to be sold if it needed a piston replacement at 25K km.
They would be the laughingstock of the industry and their reputation would be ruined for years.

There are of course limits on the life of any mechanical product but with a modern motorcycle these life limits are designed to be in excess of 100,000 km.
This assumes the product is fully maintained and not abused.

25K (15,500 miles) is a reasonable figure for a standard tipped spark plug today.

That said, if the spark plug is one which is made with old fashioned tips it is a good idea to check it at least every 10K to see if the center electrode is eroding. (This would be uncommon for a Royal Enfields slow running engines but the high revving engines which often run at speeds of up to 8000-11,000 rpm can cause this type of wear).

In the days of leaded petrol, a life of 5000 km was typical in any engine but with today's unleaded fuels, many of which contain detergents, the life expectancy of a standard tipped spark plug has been vastly improved. 25K would be a reasonable time to change the spark plug.

This brings me to the subject of standard spark plug tips vs exotic metal tip spark plugs.

The exotic tip spark plugs do not add power or fuel economy.
Their primary benefit is the life expectancy with high rpm engines.

In many automobiles getting access to change a spark plug can be a major challenge. The man hours evolved can end up costing several times the cost of the replacement spark plugs.
For this reason, using super long life exotic metal tipped spark plugs which rarely need replacing in your auto can be a cost benefit.

For a motorcycle like the Royal Enfield, where its spark plugs are basically staring you in the eye every time you look at it and changing a spark plug is a 5 minute job, I feel the expense of the exotic tipped spark plugs is a pure waste of money.

OK. I'll get down off my soap box now.

[Sheel]

Anyone knows as to why there is no EFI in this? Especially when RE's GT has one.

Any plans of launching the Himalayan with FI?

[P.S.]

My TB 500 is due for delivery. With the Himalayan out, I am a little confused as I'm sure the latter is more capable of handling Indian roads better. (bigger fork travel I guess will handle potholes better)
Questions
1. People who've ridden both, which is more comfortable for a) touring b) weekends
2. If off roading is not a concern, which is preferred?
(knee issue so prefer avoiding jerks)
3. Will be doing a lot of touring in the hills (UK and himachal) TB should be equivalent right?
4. Which is better 2 up for touring.
5. Whose braking is better?

Any other input on TB 500 vs Himalayan would be appreciated as well

Have had 4 wheelers all my life, learning 2 wheelers so can't really test ride fully yet.

[petrolhead_neel]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Anyone knows as to why there is no EFI in this? Especially when RE's GT has one.

Any plans of launching the Himalayan with FI?

RE claims that they wanted it to be simple, easy to repair, and also to keep the costs down.

Most sources claim that FI version will come after some time. With stricter emission norms coming into action, an FI Himalayan should be in the pipeline. Let's hope that it gets ABS as well. Also, I shared a screenshot a few pages ago where the official RE account of Instagram replied to someone's comment that an FI version will be exported to other countries.

Neel

[TorqueyTechie]

Saw this review by a non-RE fan on youtube. Review was basically on city roads and traffic so does not cover the entire functional aspects of the bike though.

Please do watch for the language in the video. Also reviewer has done some stunts which are not to be done on city roads though.

Himalayan review

[The Great]

Originally Posted by P.S.

My TB 500 is due for delivery. With the Himalayan out, I am a little confused as I'm sure the latter is more capable of handling Indian roads better. (bigger fork travel I guess will handle potholes better)
Questions
1. People who've ridden both, which is more comfortable for a) touring b) weekends
2. If off roading is not a concern, which is preferred?
(knee issue so prefer avoiding jerks)
3. Will be doing a lot of touring in the hills (UK and himachal) TB should be equivalent right?
4. Which is better 2 up for touring.
5. Whose braking is better?

Any other input on TB 500 vs Himalayan would be appreciated as well

Have had 4 wheelers all my life, learning 2 wheelers so can't really test ride fully yet.

The TBTS 500 has already proved its ability and JRavi sir's golden quadrilateral ride is good enough for me to rate high for the TB500.

Himalayan is the new kid on the block and its yet to prove its mark.

If off-roading is not your priority then TBTS 500 is the better choice IMO.

Let Himalayan settle for some years. The best part is the resale of Enfield's are high. So even if you decide to change the bike after some years you wont feel a deep hole in your pocket too. And by that time the Himalayan would have passed many exams too.

TB vs Himalayan is bound to happen in sometime surely. Small test rides wouldn't give a fair picture of the bike.

Hope this helps sir. Cheers for the New Bike !!

[sukiwa]

Had a short test-ride of Himalayan today, few observations.

Seat height isn't that tall compared to other RE bikes.
Foot pegs position felt little towards rear for my 6' height, it's just a matter of getting used to.
Compared to TB350 that I am used to, this felt quicker.
Gear shifting is smooth compared to TB350, but not as smooth as Japanese bikes. Gear indicator behaved little slow in showing gear number in dash. Also I had trouble getting bike into neutral on return at showroom.
Ride on nearby lane (undergoing re-layering work) was smooth, pillion didn't complain.

Will attempt a longer ride later.
BTW, bike at Siddh Auto had 600 odd Kms on odo and engine already showing signs of oil leak. Chain looked little bit dry too.