[petrolhead_neel]

So, the Royal Enfield Himalayan has quite stirred up the Indian motorcycle industry. There are good reasons for that. Royal Enfield has given the Himalayan the image of an affordable ADV tourer. Price-wise, the Himalayan is the only ADV you can buy in India in that price range. So, it has no direct competition, as of now. But you do get a lot of other bikes in the price range, which though aren't ADV tourers, trump the Himalayan in the other areas.

This is a public poll. You have to choose the option that you'd go for. The results of this poll will reflect the views of BHPians. I have selected the following options for the poll. However, I am also leaving an option for "Something else." If you are choosing that, be sure to post a detailed reply on this thread regarding your views.

1. Royal Enfield Himalayan



Further reading:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...de-thread.html

2. Mahindra Mojo

Mahindra's attempt at this segment!
Further reading:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...red-india.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...ndra-mojo.html

3. KTM Duke 390/200



This bike doesn't need an intro now, does it? Quite some time after it was first launched, still winning the VFM game. A kind of do-it-all bike, can go touring, and can also go to the track the next day! Off roading is not really its forte, but BHPians and other riders have done that too. Some modifications can significantly increase its touring and off road potential.

4. Other bikes from the RE stable

All over India, the REs are famed to be the go-anywhere bike. They have stood the test of time. Although they aren't particularly reliable, and do not boast of the latest technology, some old strengths still remain.

5. Save $$$ and go for a bigger ADV tourer


As they say, the bigger the better! Are you willing to save up money for buying something like the Kawasaki Versys 650 or the Triumph Tiger?

6. Something else (To be mentioned)

Pictures taken from RE website and Team-BHP. Due credit to respective owners and photographers.

Happy voting,
Neel

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle Section. Thanks for sharing!

[landcruiser123]

I personally haven't ridden the Himalayan, but from what people tell me, I think it's got excellent suspension tuning. And it's way better then the Continental GT.

I think the Himalayan should work for people with a low budget.

But why the KTM bikes in this list? They're naked street bikes, meant to primarily be used in the city. (That's the reason they don't have wind deflectors)

My vote goes to Mojo. Here is my ranking:

1. Mahindra Mojo [Pirelli tubeless tyres, power, torque & backlit switches]

2. Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 [power, torque and contoured rider's seat]

3. Royal Enfield Himalayan [best fit and finish among Royal Enfield models]

I test-rode # 1 and 3 and own 2. See here for details.

Thanks for hosting my Thunderbird 500's photograph in your opening post, petrolhead_neel.

[howler]

Does it make sense voting for something that none has got their hands on as yet ? And I agree the Dukes aren't adventure tourers ...in any sense of the word. Mojo too,.

[petrolhead_neel]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

I personally haven't ridden the Himalayan, but from what people tell me, I think it's got excellent suspension tuning. And it's way better then the Continental GT.

I think the Himalayan should work for people with a low a low budget.

But why the KTM bikes in this list? They're naked street bikes, meant to primarily be used in the city. (That's the reason they don't have wind deflectors)

As I said, people have used their KTMs to go places. And when you are comparing something to the Himalayan, you have to think about the price point too. Price wise, the KTMs do compete with the Himalayan.

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

My vote goes to Mojo. Here is my ranking:

1. Mahindra Mojo [Pirelli tubeless tyres, power, torque & backlit switches]

2. Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 [power, torque and contoured rider's seat]

3. Royal Enfield Himalayan [best fit and finish among Royal Enfield models]

I test-rode # 1 and 3 and own 2. See here for details.

Thanks for hosting my Thunderbird 500's photograph in your opening post, petrolhead_neel.

Welcome Sir!

I have read your Himalayan vs Mojo comparo and quite agree.

Originally Posted by howler

Does it make sense voting for something that none has got their hands on as yet ? And I agree the Dukes aren't adventure tourers ...in any sense of the word. Mojo too,.

In fact, people have started taking deliveries of the Himalayan. Check the Himalayan thread for more details.

Agreed that the Duke and Mojo aren't ADV tourers, But considering from a price point of view they do compete with the Himalayan, even if someone is looking for a bike to tour on. As I said, there are a lot of areas where the other bikes trump the Himalayan, and vice versa.

Hope this helps.

Neel

P. S: Mods, I think that the "Adventure" word should be removed from the title, to make things less confusing.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel

P. S: Mods, I think that the "Adventure" word should be removed from the title, to make things less confusing.

If you remove the adventure aspect then the Himalayan doesn't make much sense.

Fact is, it's the only adventure tourer this side of 2 lakhs, and a damn good one at that. A bit more grunt would have been much appreciated though.

[rahulkodinya]

I have been riding RE350 for 14 years and 92k kms. I am looking for an upgrade with a budget of 2 lakhs. Listing my requirements here:

1) City riding: My daily ride is not more than 30 KMs in any case. I rarely get involved in traffic light drag races. I don't either zig-zag a lot. Generally, I am not at all in hurry while riding bikes. Good low end torque is my preference here. (REs do better here)

2) Highway Riding: Relaxed 80-90. ((D390 / Mojo) >> (RE500 / REH) >> RE350). All other bikes in the list outperform REs. H seems more relaxed and less vibrating than RE500 at 4k RPM for speeds like 80-90. Though, undoubtedly RE500 has lot more power left for acceleration upto 120-130.

3) Upright riding position, Wide, flat, Comfortable seat occasionally with a pillion. (In this regard, All REs have edge over other bikes in the list. H is clear winner in suspension setup and riding comfort.)

4) Aesthetics: This is very subjective, just sharing my opinion. Being in mid 30's, I feel that Dukes and Mojo are too flashy for my age. If things go well, my relationship with bike would be for at least 15 years. I cant imagine myself riding Duke or even Mojo in my 50's.

Putting together, I shortlisted TB500 and H. Being a RE bike, I cant say for sure that H will give me a trouble free ownership. But as of now, my pick is H.

[saargoga]

From the options present here none make it to my list, I have a few bikes C5, Fazer, Ninja, Avenger for over 5-6 years now. Touring and Adventure trips all over Himalayas on different bikes.

Out of all of them my personal favorite is Fazer, none of the bikes display comfort and magnificent handling of Yammy. I always pick this one if I want do a longer trip.

Being rev happy doesn't interest me much neither do larger cc engines, give me a fazer with FI in 200cc and I am all happy.

My personal favorite would be a Bajaj AS400 or a Fazer Fi200, with or without ABS. I know its a very distant possibility even if we have news regarding Bajaj making some kind of tourer in a month or so.

[Jude300]

Originally Posted by rahulkodinya

I have been riding RE350 for 14 years and 92k kms. I am looking for an upgrade with a budget of 2 lakhs. Listing my requirements here:

14 years with an RE; kudos to you!!!

2) Highway Riding: Relaxed 80-90. ((D390 / Mojo) >> (RE500 / REH) >> RE350). All other bikes in the list outperform REs. H seems more relaxed and less vibrating than RE500 at 4k RPM for speeds like 80-90. Though, undoubtedly RE500 has lot more power left for acceleration upto 120-130.

Reading your post, I am getting the mirror impact. Most of your cosiderations are mine too. I hate vibrations and that's one thing that's making me keep TB500 out of my option. Yet to do a good TD of it though as J Ravi sir's TB500 motorcycle diaries has put me in a bit of a confused state.

4) Aesthetics: This is very subjective, just sharing my opinion. Being in mid 30's, I feel that Dukes and Mojo are too flashy for my age. If things go well, my relationship with bike would be for at least 15 years. I cant imagine myself riding Duke or even Mojo in my 50's.

I think the same too. I never wanted to flaunt boyishness with my bikes / cars. Even in my 20's years I owned the Honda Unicorn and loved it for its superb refinement and totally trouble free nature. Even then, I used to pamper my machines and have never pushed them to the limits. Now in my early 30's I love the matured looks of the REs. The Himalayan is rugged too. I like that even better. The TB on the other hand is great looking too but has a very polished personality and will perfectly suit me when I take it to office in my 40's, may be. But for now, my heart votes for the Himalayan though I am aware its not trouble free as the Unicorn.

[rahulkodinya]

Originally Posted by Jude300

14 years with an RE; kudos to you!!!

Thanks Jude300. It is 2002 Machismo. So far, 2 major jobs: tappet valve replacement at 52k and bore replacement at 85k. Rest all was quite good and memorable. Recently rode it for 650 Kms in a day on a trip to kemmangundi.

Originally Posted by Jude300

The Himalayan is rugged too. I like that even better. The TB on the other hand is great looking too but has a very polished personality and will perfectly suit me when I take it to office in my 40's, may be. But for now, my heart votes for the Himalayan though I am aware its not trouble free as the Unicorn.

My better half was really against the looks of H till she visited the RE showroom. She always confused it with a dirt bike. I must say that photographs do not do justice to the looks of H.

[nasirkaka]

Himalayan is a sincere and fresh attempt by RE, but i guess they miss-calculated one vital point, that is power and torque. One of the main reason why impulse did not do very well, things would have been different only if it had a karizma or a bigger engine. There is definitely a growing market for a good affordable adventure tourer and Himalayan is ALMOST there but not quite. A totally new engine, big enough displacement at 410cc, doing away with push-rods for the first time, and all they have managed to extract is 25 odd bhps at crank, and tricking down by the time it comes to the wheel. Even the torque figures are not earth shattering for a bike which is 182++ kgs. Its not even at par with the earlier generation UCE 500. Not sure if many would be ditching their existing 500cc UCEs in the form if TB or the classic variants and going for this one. As it is, UCE 500 itself is under powered. I wonder if many would really mind if it was not a LS configuration and a bit more rev happy, making about 33 bhps. a very few would be using it ONLY for the OFF-ROADING pleasure, but more of a mix usage like with any other REs. The bike will do really well interms of suspension and ergonomics, but would be left wanting for more on thAT open highway, which one may have to take TO REACH that off-road location. It may do really well around Himalayas but that is not whole of India. Throw in the eastern and western ghats of southern India and i am sure a lot of us would be feeling a bit let down with that current torque figure. Would have been really nice if RE had given some more power and torque to the Himalayan to make it much more capable adventure tourer.

coming to other bikes, 390 is great for touring provided the roads are good. Its fast, surefooted, light, agile, and super fun as long as the road surface is good. Its even better in twisties. i have added a visor for wind protection and have done a few 500+ kms a day ride, and it does great. If the roads are bad, this bikes gets to you with its hard suspension and seat.

Mojo offers great equipment for the money and its decently peppy too. have test rode it and its comfortable with upright posture, good ergonomics, refined engine and had one of the best exhaust note for a single pot engine.

Versys or tiger is way different from cost point. Apart from price, these bikes are so different from himalayan, inspite of belonging to the same adventure tourer family. I ride a versys, and its like a SUV on two wheels. those fully adjustable shocks are just too good for anything our roads throw. Braking is crisp with a refined ABS system which boosts confidence. Handling, engine refinement, quality of fittings and finish are all much different. These bikes can munch miles and thank that to the power and torque figures. On tours, a lot of time is consumed in braking and accelerating, and these bikes their bigger and powerful engine minimize that braking and accelerating time greatly.

So if one is a bit serious about touring and can afford, must go for one of these bigger adventure tourers. Else it all boils down to personal requirements and appeal. I would have opted for Himalayan if it had more power on tap or if i was doing 80% of riding on trails/offroads/no roads. Given my current usage where i encounter 8-10% of such conditions, i am better off with the 390 as its well built, agile, reliable, light weight, and cost effective to maintain aswell.

[//M]

I ride a Classic 500 Desert Storm and have done some serious touring across India on my motorcycle. However, it is not the ideal touring bike. There are better options. This is strictly my personal opinion.

Amongst the Enfield's, I found the Standard 500 to be the most comfortable and easy to ride motorcycle. I'm not a fan of the Thunderbird's handlebar and I feel even after swapping the handlebar with a flatter one is not that comfortable. Personally the Standard 500 is the Enfield I would like to tour on.

Apart from the Enfield's, the Duke 390 also makes a strong case but again the hard seat and small fuel tank are not so touring friendly. IMO, it is at best a weekend touring machine, a bike that one can throw around in the corners and have a lot of fun with it. But for longish distances, I doubt if it is comfortable.

No personal experience with the Mojo so cannot comment about it.

Test rode the Himalayan, its a very capable and purpose-built motorcycle which would be the best thing tourers ever need. I'll have to wait and watch its prowess in the coming months. This bike, however, suffers from weak top end something which is useful while touring in the open roads that lead to the dirt tracks & off-beat places around the country.

One bike, that I usually find no mention of is the CBR250. It is a very capable motorcycle for urban riding / track riding / touring. Even this poll doesn't has CBR250 as an option which is sad because it deserves to be here. For someone like me who is not into serious mud-plugging (where the Himalayan would shine), the CBR250 makes for a worthy tourer. Open roads, corners, bad roads and ghat roads - its a capable and practical bike. Add to that a comfortable seat, good range from the fuel tank, reliability, easy-to-fix-a-puncture while touring, decent performance - all these make it worth a mention. One thing that CBR250 lacks is a soul, they say. IMHO, the CBR250 is an underrated motorcycle and an immensely capable tourer (if one is not into off-roading and riding over dirt tracks for miles).

I have got a good chance of riding almost all Enfield's on sale currently over decent distances, have fallen in love with the abilities of the Duke 390 and have a limited but useful experience with the bigger bikes as well. Still I would like to vote for the CBR250 simply because for the price, IMO its the perfect tourer.

Anything bigger like a Versys 650 or a Tiger 800 are a different territory so let's not compare everything on the same page.

[Aniket6]

The ideal choice as per me is Yamaha R3 or Ninja 300. I too had similar dilemma and did extensive research and finally bought myself a R3.

Some of my observations -

1. RE bikes in my opinion have NVH on higher side making them relative more stressful on highways especially doing around 100-120 speeds. Handling ain't good either.

2. KTMs, from my friends experiences aren't really too high on quality and reliability. Also tank range is pretty low for Highways.

3. Ninja and R3 have following qualities making them ideal highway tourers -

a. Fairing and windshield combo prevents wind blast upto 140 kmph. Meaning, 100-120 is easily sustained for long durations.

b. Seating position isn't too aggressive and good for touring.

c. Incredibly low vibes from twin cylinder engines do not cause stress over long rides. Very easy to maintain good highway speeds.

d. Handling is great with still very good ride quality.

e. Bikes overall are very reliable and great all rounders. Can be used in city or tracks along with touring.

f. Initial cost is relatively high for ~40 hp, which is a downside.

g. Another downside is that a pillion won't be comfortable for long rides.

[Sheel]

Err, there is a cheaper option than R3 and Ninja 300, not as fast and exciting but does have ABS, for touring I would pick on this.

There should be a certain price band to decide though, someone who can afford a Ninja 300, 9 out of 10 times, he or she won't even look at the CBR 250R, ABS or not.