I never named any of my machines but this time, I have. The all black colour, the raw look, the matured characteristics and its off-road capabilities all seemed so relatable to the Black Panther from the Jungle Book and hence named it
Bagheera.
I was never a fan of the Royal Enfield and was not really in need of a bike. This itch started sometime late last year and I was having this feeling to ride bikes again. The choice was RE Classic for no particular reason but the negative feedbacks from some RE owners did trouble me. To settle things I did rent a bike and it turned out that it was not the bike to my liking. However, the longing for a bike didn’t fade and I was looking for other options and none of the existing bikes big / small, cheap / expensive impressed me. And bang, RE launches the Himalayan. Honestly, the pictures in the websites did not impress me. But as destiny would want it, I ended up checking out the Himalayan on a lousy Saturday and there it stole my adventurous heart.
The test drive experience is detailed in the thread
here.
Now after more than 2 months, my Bagheera comes home.
First, I would summarize my ownership experience so far with the bike and it has not been very different from my test drive experience.
What I like: - Function over form, an industrial build that is built for purpose and built to last. Yes, its solid. Fit and finish are best among other REs.
- Excellent handling and suspension setup. Soft and low seats add to the comfort. The chassis is a marvel.
- Like someone said, it’s an SUV on 2 wheels. You get a commanding view of the road and sitting on the saddle the other bikes seem short / puny.
- Relatively refined engine with very little vibrations compared to other REs. Have not pushed it beyond 3000 RPM so far as I always run-in my vehicles properly.
- It has got an excellent mid-range and the taller gearing ratios are great for city commutes.
- Braking is good. I usually ride easy and I don’t have any complaints here when I drive within the city. For those who ride fast and brake hard or during the long highway cruise a little bit of more bite would have been good.
- 10,000 Km oil change is a big welcome especially for a touring bike.
- The headlight is really good. Lights up the road really well.
- The throaty exhaust note is nice and gives that subtle ‘thump’ occasionally. It makes the bike feel more young and peppy than the matured siblings. I’m loving it.
- Affordably priced. Rs. 1.8 lakhs OTR is a good deal.
What I don't like: - The engine could have been a little more powerful. 24HP might not be sufficient for long drives.
- Did I say relatively refined? Yes, only when compared with other RE engines. The engine clatter spoils the fun a bit.
- The switches for the lights and the engine on/off are still of poor quality. Badly needs improvement.
- Gear shift is still not as smooth as it should be. Clutch is a bit heavy too. However, many owners have said that the gear shift has smoothened a lot after the first service.
- Absence of ABS
- The tyres are not tubless tyres. Punctures can be a painful.
- A 12V charging port would have been an awesome feature that would help charging mobiles / GPS devices.
- The saree guard is for namesake and just to satisfy law. The only piece I think does not feel solid.
- The rear view mirrors do not shake / vibrate but do not completely serve the purpose as its coverage is very little.
Looks:
It’s subjective. But I have to confess, I love the rugged and bare bone design. And for those who have not seen it in flesh, I would urge you to do have a look and then make a decision. This bike is something that looks a million times better in real than in the pics. Let me tell, it’s not small as it seems.
Handling:
One of the problems that I had when I rode the Classic 500 was that it was hard to maneuver the machine. On the other hand the Himalayan is so easy to maneuver and city commutes are really easy. Taking U-turns take little effort. The machine is heavy but still handles well. It is well planted to the surface (road / no road). This is one thing that the Himalayan excels and is unbeatable.
Engine & heat:
It’s a mixed bag. While it does not vibrate like the other RE engines it is still not the smoothest. It has a noisy clatter and I don’t like that much. It has good amount of torque and power delivery is smooth. It loves to rev and can effortlessly do 40+ in second gear.
The heat from the engine seems to be getting lesser day by day. I could feel the heat on my seats and thighs on the first day just after delivery which made me feel a little uncomfortable. But today I could hardly feel the heat was feeling comfortable.
I like the silver screws on the black engine that look like stars on dark sky.
The welds are neat in the recent lots.
Clutch & Gear:
The clutch is heavy and the gear shifts need a bit of effort, especially the first and second. However, they slot in properly and I have not had any false gears so far. Also, I could slot the gear to neutral most of the time. The clutch desperately needs to be softened. I was driving in heavy traffic today and after a point I could not work on the clutch as my palms were paining badly. Think I need to go to the gym to strengthen my palms.
To protect my shoes from being damaged, I have bought and installed the rubber motorcycle gear shoe protector. It seems to be doing its job well.
Seats:
I am 5ft 10” and I sit very comfortably on the seats with my two legs properly planted to the road. The seats are soft and so far have not felt any discomfort in my city rides. The pillion seats are set up high but they are flat. My wife finds it difficult to get on to the bike due to the height. But once seated, it’s very comfortable and has enough space. The seating posture is upright and you need to extend your arm fully to hold the handle when you are seated away from the tank. This posture induces a bit of neck pain (not sure if this is just for me). But when I sit closer to the tank, I don't feel the pain. However, I feel that while on the highways, this shouldn't be a problem as you can be more relaxed.
Below the seats are the first aid kit, toolkit and document holder. The battery is also placed below the seat.
The seats can be easily removed. The Key hole is neatly hidden.
The pillion seat comes off first.
With the pillion seat removed.
The tool kit below the pillion seat fastened by a simple rubber band.
Note the date of manufacture.
With both seats removed.
The rider seat.
Note the date of manufacture.
The battery neatly set below the rider seat.
The document holder.
Brakes:
The brakes are good enough for me. I usually ride easy and I don’t have any complaints here when I drive within the city. For those who ride fast and brake hard or during the long highway cruise a little bit of more bite would have been good.
There was only one instance when the bike’s back tire skidded / fish tailed a little bit. All other times it has been good.
The front disc.
The rear disc.
Tyres & Suspension:
The tyres do their job well but are not as sticky as I would have expected. The front suspension has a cushioning feel whereas the rear mono shock is a bit stiff. Thus the ride is not very plush but at the same time not very hard as well. It’s a neutral ride quality and no big complaints here.
The wider rear tyre.
Fit & Finish:
The recent lot (including my bike) has better welds and the fit and finish overall is very good. Being purpose built there is no part in the Himalayan that does not carry any function.
Instrument cluster:
The instrument cluster has all the information that is required. The only feature missing is the absence of a 12V charging point. While the bike supports almost all its required for touring, it fails here. This is a big miss by RE and hope it would include it in the future upgrades. For now I will go for an after-market one.
The fuel indicator seems to work fine and there is a side stand indicator as well. The temperature reading is atleast a couple of degrees higher than the actual temperature. There is a trip meter that triggers once the fuel indicator reaches the red zone indicating the KMs traveled since entering the red zone. However, I have not switched to reserve even while the indicator has reached almost the last point.
Notice the Side stand indicator below the KM reading. There is no beep / sound to indicate it though.
This is the press type switch that senses that the bike is on side stand.