[kushkacowboy]

Originally Posted by hikozaru

Scramblers are so passe. They are the raised hatches and other fake SUVs of the bike world. RE should make a supermoto from the Himalayan instead and beat KTM to the punch with a SMT450 (supermoto touring).

Impracticalities like price and 2-stroke engine obsolescence aside, I definitely agree that India's current motorcycle market is ripe for a supermoto entrance, but I don't think Royal Enfield should be the ones to open the floodgates per se. Half the fun of a supermoto is it's chuckability, and let's just say RE and making lightweight machines don't really mesh well. A marque with a smaller footprint in India like Kawasaki or even Suzuki could test the waters by importing some cbu units of the KLX or DRZ SMs. Realistically speaking though both these companies are very risk-averse, won't spend a dime in passing emissions standards for a low-volume niche product, will price anything cbu through the roof, and are more than happy just selling scooters here, but in a perfect world I will pine for a TVS Supermoto built on their sherco-tvs rtr450 dakar/ petronas-tvs rtr200 supercross platforms. Alas, a man can dream.

[maskebail]

Found this on Instagram, any thoughts /comments on it ?
Is it really that easy to put the bike in ignition ? I think this guy is just remembering some movie scenes.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C04JW..._web_copy_link

[hikozaru]

Originally Posted by kushkacowboy

Impracticalities like price and 2-stroke engine obsolescence aside, I definitely agree that India's current motorcycle market is ripe for a supermoto entrance, but I don't think Royal Enfield should be the ones to open the floodgates per se. Half the fun of a supermoto is it's chuckability, and let's just say RE and making lightweight machines don't really mesh well.

Of the modern supermotos, i.e. passing Euro5+,BS6.2, only the Hypermotard 698 mono weighs substantially less at around 160kg but it is a toy bike and has no place for most indian garages. KTM's SMT890 weighs just north of 200kg. Ducati's Hypermotard 950 weighs about 200Kg. Sure, the Himalayan makes about half the power but it weighs 4kg less already in stock form, comes with a centre stand, more fuel in the tank. I am sure the upcoming rally version will make an excellent base for a touring supermoto.

I also don't understand why RE gets so much flak for heavy bikes. Their bikes are heavy because they use retro tech. I've seen no one complain that a Thruxton or a Bonneville is as heavy as a 650twin. If anything modern KTMs are also heavy for what they are. Ninja 400 and Z400 are both lighter than the latest (and the old) Duke 390, RC390 while packing a little more punch too.

Originally Posted by kushkacowboy

A marque with a smaller footprint in India like Kawasaki or even Suzuki could test the waters by importing some cbu units of the KLX or DRZ SMs. Realistically speaking though both these companies are very risk-averse, won't spend a dime in passing emissions standards for a low-volume niche product, will price anything cbu through the roof, and are more than happy just selling scooters here

Kawasaki sells their KX and KLX bikes in India as CBUs and at a high price as you guessed but they do sell them here, so kudos to them. Forget about the DRZs. They are dinosaur engines that will never pass our stringent pollution norms.

[CodeEvo]

So I visited my dealership today and they gave this T shirt for booking.




Now coming to the delivery timeline, they are indeed sticking to "We cant promise the pre-booking price if the delivery is post 31st December" Also to top this off they are confirming that Road tax for Karnataka is going to increase from January 1st 2024 (Can anyone confirm if this is true?).

They also confirmed that if RE keeps the word and gives the pre-booking price, the RTO will be billed on the new ex showroom price we end up paying more for road tax+ insurance then the ex showroom price will be discounted.

They are telling me there is a bike in transit and they are ready to deliver it next week since I was one of the first person to book Kaza brown from the dealership.

Would you take the delivery in December 2023 or wait till January 2024 and pay more?

[tech_rider]

I went today for test ride along with wife and son. The dealer near my house had test ride bike available only from yesterday. There were 4 ot 5 people before me waiting for test ride. Finally my turn came, my 7year old boy sat infront and wife as pillion we took ride for about 3km. Dealer executives did not allow longer ride.

We got Kaza brown version. Our experience was not very good
Heat was major concern, I felt heat just on mounting, before starting. During ride my wife was also complaining about heat on both her legs. On informing dealer, they told that it could be because of continuous test rides and people might have been testing limits, and it totally expected. Coming from 13 year old Honda dazzler and Himalayan felt huge for me. Ride was well balanced than I expected. Take off stand felt very heavy. Breaking was sharp, acceleration was so wild that couple of times wife was about to fall off. Her next complaint was pillion seat height. She had good front visibility on dazzler and on Himalayan she found my helmet hindering her visibility.

Nevertheless, inspite of the issues, I went ahead with booking. Price protection was confirmed last week, was double confirmed today also. They claimed 2 to 3 months waiting period. I am planning to wait for fellow bhpians ownership reviews. I might cancel if many people are complaining about heat. I booked Kamet White variant. We wanted to take a look at that color before booking, but dealer only had hanle black and kaza white. They were claiming even they have not seen that variant, but they are getting lots of booking for this variant.

People who were not getting confirmation on price protection, I request you to drop mail to RE with dealer details and inform them price protection is denied by them. I believe they will take care of rest. If they don't honor this, I might cancel bike, depending on the hike they are planning to introduce.

[Rajeevraj]

I recently purchased a KTM 390 Adventure and once I finally narrowed down into an ADV bike like the KTM, the Himalayan 450 was also a logical option to have considered. Since the bike had not been launched yet and I personally have not been an Royal Enfield fan, so did not give much thought to it. After the launch, the reviews and the wonderful feedback, was curious to check out the bike. Yesterday I happened to pass by the Royal Enfield showroom on ORR (Mahadevpura) and I had some time in hand, thought to check it out and do a test ride if available. Some thoughts below based on my experience.

Note and Disclaimer: I have had the KTM for less than 2 months and have not had recent experience riding the newer Royal Enfield bikes and have never ridden the previous Himalayan. So please don't take this as any kind of expert opinion.

Showroom Experience:

• This is a small showroom and has a service center attached. Being a Saturday evening was crowded. Interestingly they did not have a Himalayan for display in the ground floor. Not sure if they have display on the first floor.
• No one attended to me for nearly 10 min. Was looking around and checking their riding gear options in the mean time.
• Finally I asked someone and said I wanted a test ride. Was expecting some excuse but surprisingly the SA took my license, filled the form and gave me the key and vaguely pointed outside saying the bike is parked there. Later came out and showed it and told me the typical test ride route. So no waiting for the test ride but there were 2-3 folks who came immediately after me who wanted the test ride.
• I could have taken a longer ride than what they said as no one seemed to be tracking or checking it. Since there were people waiting and I wanted to just get a feel, stuck to the 4-5km route that they recommended.
• Post test ride, no attempt to capture any further details. I guess they have enough bookings and are used to people coming for random test rides.
• Waiting period is 60-90 days as per the SA.

The Test Ride:

• As many folks have pointed out, the side stand angle is quite high and the bike leans quite a lot to the side. It is a large bike accentuated by that 21 inch front wheels and large tank. Looks nice and imposing. The KTM 390 looks imposing because of it's height. So both of them look good and large in different ways.
• Weight and Movement from rest: It is heavy, but did not find it difficult in any manner to take it off the stand. Pushing backwards with my foot was also fine. Of course, the KTM 390 Adv being lighter is easier to handle, but at the same time the KTM is much taller. So for a tall rider, the KTM is easier to handle at rest, for a shorter rider, in spite of the additional weight, the Himalayan should not pose an issue to handle at standstill. Don't see it as a deal breaker.
• Seating: Not sure what the seat height was set as, but obviously it is much lower than the KTM 390. The seat is on the softer side and hence you sink into it and go a little more lower. The KTM has a hard seat and you don't sink into it.
• View from the saddle: This is interesting. In the KTM, because you sit high, you get an imposing view ahead. Your range of vision starts with the cluster and the windscreen and then you are looking ahead and mostly above the vehicles in front. In the Himalayan, you sit lower and because of the massive tank and the wheels, what you see is a lot of bike. The tank is in your vision and then of course the cluster, screen and the view upfront. So both are imposing in their own way and you get that feel of 'I am on a large bike' in both cases. The Himalayan because you see a lot of the bike especially that nice large tank and the KTM because of the higher position and view up ahead.
• The display: The switch gear felt a little sticky compared to the KTM, but looked solid.Did not spend much time on the cluster. But a nice circular display, all info laid out well and visibility is good. I personally liked the more colorful cluster of the KTM. Hero-Harley should learn a thing or two from RE on a proper round display. The X440 has a square screen stuck into a round display.
• Seating Position: The seating position is probably a slightly more set forward than the KTM, but did not feel much of a difference. In the Himalayan felt the handle bars are a little higher than I am used to. But I know people put Handle bar risers on the KTM, so maybe the Himalayan position is better suited especially for off roading.
• The Engine: First word that came to my mind when I switched on and started off regarding the engine note was that it sounded 'sweet'. Bit of a shock for me as I have associated RE to a particular type of sound. Again, I do not know if other newer Enfields sound this way, but I loved the sound of this engine.
• The Ride: Was comfortable from the start and liked how smooth this bike was. Gear shifts were good, the power and torque seemed very linear and got up to good speeds in no time. There seemed enough grunt at the lower rpms and the bike seemed ok to be at 30kmph in 3-4th gear. As is well known, the KTM 390 is not very happy in the lower RPMs and 30-40kmph is typically 2-3rd gear territory in the KTM. The KTM can be snatchy in these lower gears while the Himalayan was very smooth. This would make city riding with the Himalayan easier although the weight can be a concern for some people.
• Outright acceleration: Here the KTM is more fun. That brute acceleration that the KTM can do is not done by the Himalayan. It does get up to speeds well(to the extent the ride allowed) but does it in a more calmer, linear fashion. Although have to note that the engine revvs nicely with a nice growl. Again something I don't relate to in an Enfield.
• Suspension: As all reviews indicated felt very good with whatever I could infer in the short test ride. Since I have the KTM 390 with the adjustable suspension and since I have adjusted it to a more comfort setting, overall felt very similar.
• Heating: Towards the end of the test ride, I could feel the heat as is expected from a 400cc engine. But seemed absolutely normal and not uncomfortable in anyway.

So that was a short summary from a short test ride. If I was buying today would I consider the Himalayan? I think absolutely yes. I think I would have still bought the KTM as its strengths relate more to what I wanted especially the additional electronics. But no doubt the Himalayan is going to be a runaway success in this space. Would be interesting to see what KTM does with the 2024(or 2025? Adv) which would be more of a direct competitor especially for the off roading use cases.

Couple of pictures. The collage pic is not exactly the same position, but best I had currently.

[100Kmphormore]

Himalayan 450 ridden!

Truly a step up in every way from the now discontinued 411 - I would say this is at the beginnings of what can be a VStrom 650 like platform for the Himalayan. I read somewhere in the reviews someone stating not even a bolt from the 411 was used - you walk away from the bike feeling just that. I have put 20850 km on my 411 and also ridden the 390 Adventure, it’s prime competitor. Scramblers arent ADVs and will handle differently hence no comparison with them. 10 km test ride across 20 minutes - Kaza Brown variant.

Engine - Fantastic! Not torquey like the 411, but has a balance of top end acceleration as well as low end torque due to the same 40 hp, 40 Nm power figures. It doesnt feel strangled like the 411. You can stay in 3rd gear all day in the city on long straights, shifting to 2nd for an overtake and probably 1st if extremely needed. Vibrations are for a short period of 5000-6500 rpm but not irritating.

Brakes - Excellent. They stop convincingly. The 411 sucked big time on these not serving well in either off-road or highway.

Suspension - The best point of this bike. Almost TATA like - nothing even filters to you through the seat, probably a moon sized crater will. It actually pushes you to expose it to more such. Doesn’t wallow or bounce around like the 411, sticks to the road thanks to the USD forks.

Ergonomics - feels the same as the 411. The round TFT meter is easy to read though the indicator blinking and high beam may get missed being very small at the bottom. Does not feel like a big bike and the seat height is pretty manageable. The stock seat at 825 is amazing and not very narrow - comfortable seats finally for 500 km+ days.

Handling - felt like a KTM! Feels very lightweight atleast 20 kg lesser compared to mine, though it’s only 5 kg lesser. I know it shouldn’t but dips into corners like anything thanks to the 140 section radials rather than knobbies.

Demerits -
Engine heat for the unaccustomed, feels like the Speed 400 but lesser. To me it was nothing compared to the iron box of an air cooled 411 unit. The fan kicks in around 10 mins of riding and cools quickly.

That side stand has to be redesigned. It leans too much to the left. The 411 hits the sweet spot in that. Heavily built guys with an existing fear of tipping the bike over trying to climb the pegs as on a ADV will not even attempt this.

The new engine already has Tappet sound issues (the 1420 km old test ride bike did) and a couple of cam shaft tensioner replacements done on month old bikes, though it may also be due to improper run in techniques. Got to be a more robust engine.

This is a win for riders who are now more upfront in demanding more bang for their buck at a 3.7L on road price - it will be 4L for those booking now.

[Rahulkool]

Today early morning sales guy from local RE dealership called me informing that Himalayan TD is available. I was just leaving for Pondy , so thought checking out the bike. Went to the showroom early and was the first one to TD the bike there with just 8kms on the odo. Rode around 15kms in city, being a Sunday morning traffic was sparse.



Engine - Decent low end toque, can potter around in 2nd gear. It has good mid range and ok top end, revs very easily. Did 100-110 effortlessly, engine feels adequate in terms of power, need a ride on highway. There are vibrations around 4500-6000RPM, good amount of vibes I could feel in foot pegs and tank, also some in handle bar (I was wearing riding boots and gloves) post 6000rpm it reduces a bit. Till 4000rpm engine is very smooth. Vibes are less in 5th gear, I didn't got opportunity to test 6th gear. I didn't felt any major engine heat, radiator fan was on a couple of times.

Seats - very comfy, initially I felt slight discomfort as I was sitting far ahead. After adjusting a bit and moving back it was very good. The handle bar felt slightly bent away from the rider, I feel a straight motocross style handle bar will be better.

Suspension - Best bit on the bike, glides on the road, travel is also good. But front suspension did bottom out on a couple of bad potholes, most of the reviews says it does not bottom out easily.

Speedometer is good, all the info is clearly visible, the joystick is usable with gloves. Bike didn't felt heavy or big once on the move, I rode in traffic and took couple of u turns, didn't felt heavy at all. I didn't felt any lag on the throttle input, bike responded well. I had to squeeze the front brake level way too much than interceptor, maybe because bike was new? Brakes very effective just that disk brakes usually don't take that much lever travel, rear brakes are better than my Interceptor. Accelerator/clutch is very smooth/effortless to operate, gear shifts are also very precise.

Although power figures on Interceptor and Himalayan seems not that different, the actual feel while riding is much apart. Power band is very narrow on the Himalayan, also the vibrations are a big spoilsport, in comparison Interceptor feels very smooth, I know its a single cylinder vs two cylinder. But as I own an Interceptor I have done the comparison.

[espraveen]

Test ride experience of a Dominar400 (33000 KMs ridden in the last 4 years) owner (rider height 181CMs for perspective):
> Himalayan's gear shifts are smoother than the Dominar
> Ride position is more commanding on the Himalayan (of course!)
> Acceleration is more or less similar to Dominar400
> Exhaust note is tamer than the Dominar400 (Dominar's exhaust note is the best in 400CC segment in my opinion!)
> Suspension is way better in the Himalayan
> Flickability: Dominar400 has a long wheelbase (1453mm), Himalayan450 has a longer wheelbase (1510mm). Dominar400 isn't a very flickable bike, but I've learnt to ride it comfortably in tight traffic scenarios. Himalayan450 is surprisingly flickable for a bike of its size and weight! (I daresay Himalayan is better than the Dominar)
> Dominar400 felt like a smaller bike after riding the Himalayan
> For a few brief moments, I stood on the footpegs, just to check, and first impressions, I felt the handle bar should be a little higher. This would have to be corroborated by longer periods of preferebaly off-roading in standing position though.
Overall, thoroughly impressed by Himalayan450
I have a Nov 11th booking for Kamet White variant and the booking stays.
Informed the dealer that I will take delivery whenever they make it available.
Dealer's perspective on price protection for early bookings: If the bike's delivery goes past Dec 31 due to RE's inability to deliver before Dec 31, launch price would stay beyond Dec 31. But if the reasons are on the customer's side (change in colour, unable to take delivery when the bike is allotted etc), then the customer will have to pay the increased price.

[Sam9293]

Originally Posted by espraveen

Test ride experience of a Dominar400 (33000 KMs ridden in the last 4 years) owner (rider height 181CMs for perspective):

Hey, thank you for your experience of the Himalayan. Can you share the tentative delivery date you have received for your Kamet White model?

Mod Note: Please quote ONLY the relevant bits of a post. Quoting a full, long post inconveniences our mobile readers.

[rishi.roger]

Originally Posted by espraveen

Test ride experience of a Dominar400 (33000 KMs ridden in the last 4 years) owner (rider height 181CMs for perspective):

Interesting perspective. I sold my Dominar 250 a day back, and currently waiting for Himalayan 450. I too have an early (Nov 10th) booking but waiting period seems very long. Dealer hasn't been able to deliver a single bike yet and I'm likely 4th/5th in his queue. RE says bike is in production and tentative date is Feb, first week.

How did you perceive the weight of Dominar vs Himalayan? The Dominar feels extremely front heavy, and paddling was a nightmare for me (5,7'ish, 75kgs).

I sold it off particularly because 250 felt low on power eventually (perhaps because my last ride was a 220c) and also it was a nightmare in bumper to bumper, and I absolutely got blown away by suspension configuration of Himalayan 450.

Are there any things that I should look forward to in terms of losses from Dominar ?

[tech_rider]

Delayed delivery now could be because of maximizing production only on next year start. Just my speculations. I believe people tend to get new bike with new year as manufacturing year. RE might have had some experience on this demand pattern.

During my test ride on Saturday, I saw at least 3 hanle black versions in showroom waiting for registration. So new bikes are started coming, but in low numbers I guess.

[rich_heart]

Originally Posted by skviknaraj

Yes it is hard to reverse the bike sitting on it at times. But if I find sitting and moving risky, I just get down and move it around.

On an even ground, it is easier but with heavier bikes it becomes very tricky when the ground is sloping. In such cases, I park he bike in reverse.

[Explorer_Jassi]

Originally Posted by Sam9293

Hey, thank you for your experience of the Himalayan. Can you share the tentative delivery date you have received for your Kamet White model ?

I booked Kamet white on 8th Nov in Pune ( King's Royal riders, Wakad), Recently my SA gave a tentative delivery date as 10th Feb 2024. I believe, the people who would book now will get the delivery around March-April.

[vishal.jayakuma]

Hello all! I had recently posted about my booking of the Himalayan in Hanle Black. I had booked the bike after just sitting on it but hadn't taken a test ride. Yesterday I went to the RE Company outlet in Besant Nagar. Here are my observations after testing all 3 650s and the Himalayan.

1. Interceptor 650: Right off the bat, this felt super comfortable for me. This was my first experience with the alloy wheel version of the 650 twins. The difference between this and the spoke wheel versions is night and day. It immediately felt a lot more stable and planted as compared to the older version. There was absolutely no wobbling. The front suspension is definitely setup softer than I would have liked; switching to a heavier fork oil is definitely in the cards. The tyres are the absolute weak link for this bike. The CEATs do not have enough grip for even the slightest sand patches, and in one instance, I ended up unsettling the rear tyre. Will definitely swap to the Vredestein Centauro STs from the CGT. I have always adored the 650 engine, and it is still smooth and extremely tractable. Lots of torque low down; you can ride this at any RPM in any gear. Taking all of this into account, I think this is the perfect motorcycle for my style of riding.

2. Continental GT 650: Right after the Interceptor, switching to the CGT took slight adjustments to riding posture and style. It immediately felt more difficult to back out of the parking lot, because of the clip-ons. On the go, you tend to feel a lot more plugged in, on the GT. The ride was sublime, but in the long run I feel that the Interceptor would be better suited for my riding style. Overall, wonderful machine and definitely looks the best in my opinion.

3. Super Meteor 650: I have always loved the Super Meteor. I have always loved Harleys, and this is the closest you can get to owning one, sans the high cost, maintenance and dealership issues. It is definitely much more difficult to maneuver this gigantic bike i.e taking U-turns mainly. On the go, this is the most comfortable riding setup in terms of posture, but the ergos take some getting used to. The feet forward stance makes it difficult for 5'8 me to shift gears with the toe shifter. In my opinion, the shifter doesn't inspire confidence, especially the transition from 2nd to 3rd. Apart from that, it feels rock solid and steady on any road. The suspension is definitely stiffer, but I quite enjoy that because of accurate feedback from the road, the bike and the weight perfectly supports it. The chassis is sublime, and I am thoroughly impressed with how far RE have come with this bike. The premium that Interstellar Grey carries over the Interceptor Black Ray (~50k on road price difference) has made me reconsider the decision.

4. Himalayan: Disclaimer: This is all purely my personal opinion. Kindly test ride the bike to decide for yourself how it feels for you.
This was an absolute shocker for me. The last test ride for the day and I was excited. I had booked the Hanle black without even testing it. I waited a year for this moment.
In short, disappointed. The handlebar felt a little odd; I am not sure why. I had recently tested the KTM Adventure 390 SW and those handlebars felt a lot more comfortable and suited for touring. Coming back to the Himalayan, there were vibrations at the handlebars and pegs. There was a lot of heating felt on the right leg, around the ankles. Mind you, I hadn't even crossed 200m yet. The engine on the other hand feels extremely rev-happy and torquey in the mid-RPM range. The surge of torque feels similar to the 650s and the engine is the bike's strong point. I did not feel like the suspension was miles ahead of the Interceptor, which was surprising for me, but it is pliant and comfortable. The radiator fan was on just after a 2-3 minute ride and it just felt odd to me. The throttle shut off for the ride-by-wire felt odd and disconnected, even when I completely shut it off before shifting. It wasn't very confidence-inspiring. Refinement levels were not satisfactory according to me.

EDIT: I have to mention that the Himalayan was being taken out continuously for test rides, so that could be the reason for the heating and radiator fan kicking in. Furthermore, I felt that the Kaza Brown and Kamet white look better than the Hanle Black in person. Just my personal opinion. I remember considering shifting my booking to Kamet White before the test ride. Test ride bike was in Kaza Brown.

Conclusion: I have decided to change my booking to an Interceptor 650 Black Ray. The showroom said 4-6 months maximum, which is kind of a deal-breaker for me, but I guess I just have to be patient and wait it out.

Sometimes you think you have it all figured out on paper, comparing facts and watching reviews, and becoming instant experts. It will all come crashing down like a house of cards the second you take a test ride. It all comes down to what your core requirements are, and how the bike makes you feel after that all-deciding test ride. I am moving from 29 to 30, and my final choice of motorcycle perfectly suits my current and near-future requirements. An old-soul trapped in a moderately young body, this fits the bill. One look at the analog speedometer and rev counter will remind you of retro motorcycles and the charm they exude. 6 years and the Interceptor still feels and rides beautifully. Sometimes (in my case, a lot of instances), it is better to be analog in a digital world.

Oh and did I mention how badass the 650 engine makes you feel when you rev it out?