[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

Keep an eye on those tappets though. A friend in Delhi is having a tough time with the same on his Himalayan.

Good point that I missed discussing. One thing my mechanic was trained luckily was the engine of the Himalayan. He taught me to adjust the tappets myself in case the noise increases and I am far away from the dealership. It's a simple ten minutes process. He ensured they were properly set during the PDI and tightened all head bolts and casing bolts to avoid any oil leakage. I will share the process with photographs next time I feel the need for their adjustment.

Cheers...

Originally Posted by 100BHP

How's the 0-60 acceleration in city conditions. I had found it to be lazy to pick up speed during test ride.

Not in the least. My observation is quite contrary. It zips through city traffic with aplomb. Search for videos by fellow TeamBhpian Sheldon Dcruz on YouTube and you can catch a glimpse of him zipping past city traffic with ease on his Himalayan.

Cheers....

[dkaile]

Bolt Motorcycle Charger Review

Hearing some good reviews on the net and seeing the lack of any charging port on the Himalayan, I decided to order this 'Made in India' product which triples as a USB 2A Charger + Ride Tracker + Phone Tank Pouch and came to me @1699/- bucks. Reached in 1 day of ordering yesterday and I Installed it myself. Had to take off the tank to route the wiring properly to the battery, which as I had said previously is a 2 bolt job.

Very nice and multi layer packaging along with water resistant tank phone pouch and usb cable



This is all that which came in the package.



The main charger unit is removable to prevent theft.



Now I was not impressed that it came without any fuse protection for my bike's circuitry. It claims to have internal protection but that will only protect the charger unit. In the unfortunate event of the charger wire coming down to the battery getting pinched and causing a short-circuit it will damage my bike's circuitry. So I added a in-line fuse to the positive (red) wire and properly soldered and heat shrunk the connections.



So I had to remove the seat and tank to route the wire properly under it and clip-tied them to existing wiring. In the process got to know my bike better.



Here is the clamp unit attached to the handlebar. The attaching bolts should have been shorter.



and with the main unit attached. Note that the light starts glowing the moment you attach it and this will lead to battery drain if left unattended to the battery. The company claims this is not a design flaw and the unit needs to be removed immediately if you are not charging as it is a anti-theft design.



Here it is charging my Asus Zenfone 2 which comes with a 3000mAh battery. I found the charging much slower than the original 2A fast charger provided with the phone, which should NOT have been the case when I was spending 1700 bucks on this 2A charger. I found the charging slightly faster when the bike was off. Overall not very happy with the charging speed and I have conveyed the same to the company.



Overall - It is a OK product. I found the phone pouch to be cumbersome to attach to the tank and spoils the look. A magnetic phone pouch may have been better but maybe the company did not give that as it could interfere with the compass on the phone while using navigation software. Have not used their tracking app so cannot comment how useful it will be or is it just a marketing ploy.

My other grouses with the product -
* Lack of in-line fuse protection which I had to solder
* Lack of plastic dust cap on the USB port
* Always on design can drain battery though the company claims it needs to be taken off immediately after charging
* No added attachments to add another power source to power other devices like a emergency inflator, though I think the company is working on that as it can be easily added to the existing clamp design

I would still recommend the AliExpress charger I had posted a few posts back, for now.

-----------

In related matter I found a slight bulge on the rider seat which I had failed to notice while taking delivery. Also there were some marks on one of the Himalayan marked side panel and also some scratches on one of the mirrors. So got all three replaced at the dealership which they were kind enough to do.

The new rider seat



The new side panel. Note that it's PLASTIC but looks metal and should not cost more than 100~200 bucks, so will be easy to replace in case of any damage or scratches.



This is the Clutch Cable of the Classic 350 in case anyone is interested in the part number. Few other people have started replacing them and have posted positive feedback as per my friend and fellow Himalayan owner TeamBhp'ian Sheldon



BTW had a 50km ride today on the bike and absolutely loved it. My Heritage is gonna see some days under wraps.

Cheers...

[krackr]

Sunday evening. Wife asks me what am I doing. I ask her not to laugh. I am on TBHP I say. Hmm..and? Reading up on the Himalayan. Is a smile allowed at least - she asks. Can't blame her. After all there's no point reading an ownership review with intent but without action. I have been going through umpteen write ups and umpteen videos on the Himalayan, realizing every time that it is not for me. With a car and an Activa, definitely not. All I would do is use it for the occasional long commute to office, or for the frequent weekend ride to the neighbourhood restaurant. The Bajaj Avenger ad only ignites the wish to quit the rat race, and nothing more. So would I really be able to enjoy the bike? Nah!

And then we have such posts. Just the right amount of 'expected' details, and more info which is found nowhere else, pointers to more posts, and the pics - they are so good..flawless. Ah, awesomely clicked photographs which complement the narrative style and content. The pics make the bike look like a dream machine. Enviable skillset combo. Enjoyed reading.

Four hours later I have just two questions:
- Why should I go for the Himalayan if I am not going to use it? Desperate for a justification.
- Which camera?

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by krackr

I have just two questions:
- Why should I go for the Himalayan if I am not going to use it? Desperate for a justification.
- Which camera?

Thanks.
1. Why should you need anyone to justify your purchase? From your post's contents it seems you don't need this bike. But if the travel bug still bites you, go out there and test ride whatever bike you like. Don't make this or anything else for that matter, a impulsive purchase you regret later.
2. Combination of my Nikon DSLR and a Asus Zenfone 2.

Cheers...

[krackr]

Originally Posted by dkaile

..Why should you need anyone to justify your purchase? From your post's contents it seems you don't need this bike..
..Don't make this or anything else for that matter, a impulsive purchase you regret later.
Cheers..

Hehe no nothing like that. You are right in that I do not need this bike, or any bike actually. Would never go for anything which would give me buyer's remorse. But this one begs you to rethink. This is where the heart steps in, and takes over. Better find a reason - it beckons. Form, function, beauty is what your post brought out. Who wouldn't fall!!

Once again

[dkaile]

First Long Ride 200+ kms 19-06-2016

So the 1st Sunday after the Himalayan arrived and how could it not be tested properly. I did a 200+ kms solo ride to Gajraula with a bit of off-road tracks too.



The road till Hapur is a mixed bag



Then the pristine stretch arrives. The bike was as fast as the Harleys to overtake traffic, and that's not a understatement. Too eager to cross 100+ speeds. Had to reign myself in to keep it around 80-90 till break-in is completed. Did max 120 for now in a small burst and the bike had enough juice left for more. This is one torquey bike. Don't go by bhp figures, you wont have any issues on our highways and it will easily leave the Fortuners behind. Also flicking the bike was just a pleasure, it was so well balanced and easy. It changes direction by a thumb press.



I was soon at my destination



Quick breakfast and I got going



Then it was time to head on some off-road trails



Some craters were enormous. But the bike is just 182 kgs, half of my Heritage Softail, but still felt heavy off-road. You need to be careful passing through huge craters because if the bike leans too much, it will be difficult not to put it down. Still when comparing to it's nearest Kwaker rival it has a 34 kgs weight advantage than the Versys 650 and still manages 32 Nm of torque to the Kwaker's 64. Further it has 200mm of front wheel travel to it's 150mm. That's a full 50mm more! And 180mm rear wheel travel to its 145. And the ground clearance of 220mm to the Versys's 170 and still the saddle height is lower at 800mm to it's competitors 840mm. Even in slight off-road modes these figures can be a life saver.



Satisfying to say the least



200+ kms with average temperature of 43 degrees. Also encountered a burst of heavy unseasonal downpour for 10~15 kms in between. And the bike remained rock stable on wet tarmac. What a day! Tasted nearly all road conditions at one go...



The bike gets a big Thumbs Up!!


#Himalayan #whatabike

Cheers for now...

[krackr]

Originally Posted by dkaile

..200+ kms with average temperature of 43 degrees.
..#Himalayan #whatabike

That's quite a ride. Considering such a long distance, did you experience any heat near your thighs, had come across such comments elsewhere.

Also appreciate your views on its behaviour in real life traffic, more in terms of manoeuverability and pause-go-pause, or if you plan to do that ride too, will wait for a writeup.

And that's a nice Harley helmet supporting a Royal Enfield.

Thanks.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by krackr

Considering such a long distance, did you experience any heat near your thighs, had come across such comments elsewhere.

Also appreciate your views on its behaviour in real life traffic, or if you plan to do that ride too, will wait for a writeup.

Like I had mentioned earlier too in my Test Ride posts, the heat, weight and engine noise are peanuts after riding the big burly Harleys. But don't expect it to behave like a 100cc commuter. I felt no heat at all near the thighs except inside my riding jacket, where I was drenched and that was due to the peak Indian Summer rather than anything to do with the bike. And this ride was quite small and easy. The real test will be on the Leh Ride (2500 kms) which, God willing, I plan to undertake soon.

It is very flickable in real life traffic too. As I had suggested earlier, kindly search and watch videos by fellow TeamBhpian Sheldon Dcruz on YouTube and you can catch him zipping past city traffic with aplomb on his Himalayan as he uses it as a daily driver to his office in Gurgaon traffic.

And that's a MT (Made in Spain) helmet with Harley stickering... Lolz. Time to remove all stickering all together, I suppose.

Cheers...

[Ace F355]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is 'The Himalayan'...

Congratulations Dheeraj. Thanks for finding time to write this review for all of us. Great pics too! As a Bullet owner, I completely agree with you on build quality of RE's new bikes. I used to say Continental GT doesn't feel anything like a RE (quality wise) and one look at Himalayan can make you forget GT. It is a lovely tourer and designed to take rough road with minimal maintenance which becomes scarce once you are obscured into wilderness. Kudos to RE for keeping to a good VFM proposition for an Indian grand tourer at heart IMO.

I have to say your garage is really versatile now, both for cars and bikes. Good going, Cheers!

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Then it was time to head on some off-road trails

Dhiraj mate this is what I wanted to see as to how the Himalayan behaves on off road trails from an owner's perspective. Thanks for sharing your views. Can you tell me how does Himalayan behave at crawling speeds in terms of balance, braking(does it nose dive on hard braking), turning, and does it run on second gear at crawling speeds without jerking? Does the engine heat up while doing crawling speeds on off road trails?

What braking ratio did you use on off road trails? Also what kind of average speeds can the Himalayan maintain on off road trails? Does it drift or slide on loose mud/sand/gravel if at all you came across them? Last but not the least what was the overall mileage you got while doing this trip?

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

Can you tell me how does Himalayan behave on off road trails?

Sorry Naveen mate. It was too small a trail to really put it through it's full off-road paces. I was more interested to sit and relax in the shade besides a beautiful pond... Lolz.

Anyways, like I said before, I feel it's a tad 20-30 kgs heavy to do any kind of hardcore off-roading. But unless there are huge craters you will have no problems on dusty or gravel trails and the speed will really depend on the the kind of track. No nose diving either. For highways, I use 70 front and 30 back braking ratio. Haven't checked the tank to tank mileage yet but from what I estimate from the meter, it should be around 30kmpl. My usage pattern will also be 90% highway cruisability and that is for what I bought this bike. But it should be able to do the Kaza - Spiti Valley stretch with ease, if you know what I mean.

Cheers...

[Viper21]

Hey dkail, great bike. I am planning to take a test ride this week. This is one neat review. Couple of questions.
1. Does the chain always touch the area near the left footpeg?
2. What about that backfire that even Sheldon talks about while deceleration?

[dkaile]

The Himalayan instrument cluster and lights at Night

The digital instrument cluster. It's all LED. It's lights are always ON irrespective of the light switch



The Rear LED Tail Light and the LED Licence Plate Illuminator light. Both are much brighter than coming out in this picture



The Rear LED. It's a 12V - 4/1W LED unit manufactured by FIEM. The LED's inside are neatly stacked in 2 rows of 4 each. Beautiful!



The Rear Light Cluster with Hazard's ON. Again the Indicator Lights are much brighter as could be captured in the picture. They house a 10W bulb each.



The Front Parking/Position LED Light. Very prominent in itself



With Low Beam ON. Notice that the OSRAM 12V H4 light bulb of 60/55W is quite on the WHITER side. No need to upgrade to a Philips Extreme Vision or similar. The headlight unit too is manufactured by FIEM as are most electricals and Side View Mirrors.



The High Beam



The High Beam with Hazard's ON. Again the Indicator lights are more brighter than in the picture



As a whole the lights are quite satisfactory and adding any kind of LED Auxiliary Lights, which can easily be attached to the stock frame around the tank, would only add to greater visibility for touring. Now on the lookout for some good Auxiliary Lights. Somehow, resisting the urge to upgrade the Minda Horn (a 2.5Amp unit), as I am in love with the Beep Beep sound of the 'Road Runner' horn...lolz.


-------------------------

Originally Posted by Viper21

Couple of questions.
1. Does the chain always touch the area near the left footpeg?
2. What about that backfire that even Sheldon talks about while deceleration?

Thanks mate.
1. The chain 'rests' on the rubber gasket custom made for it while on centre stands, as I had depicted in the picture. That's the way it's meant to be with this bike having a monoshock. The chain does NOT touch rear footpegs. It further straightens when the bike is off the stand and the rider is sitting on it.
2. Zero backfire heard or felt till now. Maybe it's a matter of tuning the bike properly.

Cheers....

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by Viper21

1. Does the chain always touch the area near the left footpeg?

It's called the chain slider. Designed to prevent the chain touching the swingarm and the chain to slide over it.

[arulpeem]

Originally Posted by dkaile

He taught me to adjust the tappets myself in case the noise increases and I am far away from the dealership. It's a simple ten minutes process.

Hi Dheeraj, thanks for an excellent review and a comprehensive set of photographs. It would be good to learn to set the tappet by myself. I will make it a point today evening to learn it from the mechanic when I pick it up from the RE service station. I heard from a very reliable source that they would replace the cam shaft with a slight longer one and that would ensure that tappets remain in their settings for a much longer duration than now. He didn't say how long it would take. Till then I will learn to live with the issue.