[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by 100Kmphormore

While your mileage numbers are somewhat high, 42 might be an exaggeration, considering the engine feels very stressed out at 100 kmph itself, and pushing it beyond that will result in an aggressive drop in mileage.

True, my commute in the morning is via NH44 for about 6kms which is on and off cruising between 60-80kmph in the 5th gear post which it is bumper to bumper traffic for about 4 kms. Sure 42kmpl may be an exagerration and I can seem to recollect where I read the same. Although I'm pretty sure prolonged riding between 60-80kmph will give very good mileage. Plus I've noticed that although the mileage is pretty much constant, using higher octane fuel, the engine felt less stressed at 80. Maybe I'll try switching to Motul or Liquimoly Oil soon and see if that helps.

[NTab]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

I have heard of instances where people have touched 42kmpl on the Himmy! I would've definitely got more if I was riding between 60-80kmph continuouslym but since we were near a 100 most of the time, 35kmpl is pretty good. My bike has done just about 2800 kms now and will be doing the second service in December.

I normally average between 27kmpl to 30kmpl in the city and use Fuelio to keep track of everything.

Originally Posted by 100Kmphormore

While your mileage numbers are somewhat high, 42 might be an exaggeration, considering the engine feels very stressed out at 100 kmph itself, and pushing it beyond that will result in an aggressive drop in mileage. I get 25 in city and 29-30 if ridden sanely at 80 kmph. On a Coimbatore to Bengaluru 350 km run, where i did speeds between 120 - 140 kmph, i saw the mileage drop to 26. Reserve popped in at 240 km and it filled at some 9.25L. This was with regular breaks to cool down in the shade, and a lunch stop. My brother in law did a Mysuru to Udupi stretch on his BS4 Himalayan and he got 29, consistent with his 90 kmph cruising style.

The mileage @WhiskeyTangoFox is getting is similar to mine. I got horrible mileage(~15-20) during first 500 kms. After the first service the mileage improved drastically. So much so that I got ~32kmpl during city runs. And I was not driving on a constant rpm. As It was still in break-in, I was revving up till certain rpms, and constantly driving in different gears and different rpms.
During 1500kms on odo, I did a 450kms total stretch in a day, and my bike was constantly running around at 110-120kmph. The mileage I got was 30kmpl which was kind of surprising as I thought it will drop down to 25-26kmpl, given I was driving at full throttle.
I changed the oil around 2k kms and used Motul5100. Current mileage is yet to be checked, but I am expecting somewhere around ~32kmpl during sedate city riding.

Also @100Kmphormore , I am driving a BS6 Himmy and the engine doesn’t feel stressed at all around 100kmph. At the same time, my bike struggles a lot going over 120kmph.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by NTab

The mileage @WhiskeyTangoFox is getting is similar to mine. I got horrible mileage(~15-20) during first 500 kms. After the first service the mileage improved drastically. So much so that I got ~32kmpl during city runs. And I was not driving on a constant rpm. As It was still in break-in, I was revving up till certain rpms, and constantly driving in different gears and different rpms.

I changed the oil around 2k kms and used Motul5100.

I agree with NTab. The mileage prior to the first service was absolute trash. I and confident that maintaining 60-80 kmph comstantly in the 5th Gear would give 40+ kmpl for sure, assuming that accelaration is linear. I although have really longed for a sixth gear in the Himmy. Would have been a gamechanger.

I am considering switching to Motul 5100. Please tell us your short term observations about the same.

[NTab]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

I agree with NTab. The mileage prior to the first service was absolute trash. I and confident that maintaining 60-80 kmph comstantly in the 5th Gear would give 40+ kmpl for sure, assuming that accelaration is linear. I although have really longed for a sixth gear in the Himmy. Would have been a gamechanger.

I am considering switching to Motul 5100. Please tell us your short term observations about the same.

It’s difficult to pen down my observations regarding Motul5100. I haven’t used LiquidGun post 2k kms, which was technically just the break in period. The bike was itself settling down, and I am sure it will settle down more till 5k kms. However my simple observation is that the bike has reduced vibes and runs more smooth.

I will be going for a long trip (~2500 kms) in December (NERM-2022). Will share a detailed response post that trip.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Gear Update!

Hey Guys, on the occasion of my Birthday, I decided to finally go out and get a new set of Riding Gloves and a Riding Jacket that will suit the spirit of the Himmy.

P.S I know there is a separate thread for Riding Gear but I felt that this post should be in continuation of this thread as it reflects not only the motorcycle experience but the journey altogether. However, if the Moderators feel that it should be moved to a different thread, I'd request you to do so.


Old Gear (Of Sorts)

I used to wear a thick fleece lined winter jacket from Forclaz, Decathlon and a Pair of Royal Enfield Urban Hustler Gloves as my primary gear both in the City and on short rides.




However, although the gloves were relatively inexpensive (Around 1200Rs), they started tearing at the seams and used to get absolutely soaked in Bangalore's Rains. The Jacket which worked well in the cold, was mildly waterproof but offered next to no protection. Hence the mission to get gear that one can wear all year round.

New Gear

For the gloves, after scouring the Internet for Affordable Waterproof options, I finally landed on the Viaterra Tundra V2, an absolutely bang for the buck option.



At the expense of sounding like a salesperson, it has Sas-Tech CE Level 2 soft Armour at the knuckles, Superfabric and Silicone at the Palms and 3M Thinsulate Lining inside for warmth. The fingers are pre-curved and there are accordion stretch panels on the fingers for increased flexibility. The Entire glove is also fully waterproof and is touchscreen compatible. A fitting glove for Bangalore's ever changing weather conditions. I bought the glove at Let's Gear Up in HSR Layout. There were no promotional offers and it cost me Rs 3999.

For the Jacket, my goal was to find an All Season, Go Anywhere Jacket what was relatively affordable. I found that RE has some excellent jacket options and finalised on the Royal Enfield Explorer V3. I headed over to the Royal Enfield Showroom at Kudlu Gate to check it out.



The Front has strategically placed Mesh Sections and the rest is water resistant to light showers



The Back has reflective RE Branding and accordion stretch panels on the back, shoulders and armpits



The Jacket comes with an integrated, removable thermal liner



The Jacket also comes with a Rain Liner that is stored neatly within a compartment in the back of the Jacket.

In addition, the Jacket has CE Level 2 Knox Armour on the Shoulders and the Elbows and an EVA Foam Protector on the Back. RE had a promotional Offer going on where I got 10% off on the jacket bringing the cost to Rs 8050 and they gave me an RE MLG Branded duffel bag free.



Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase and can't wait to get on with the next ride xD

Until Next time, Cheers!

[NTab]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

The Jacket also comes with a Rain Liner that is stored neatly within a compartment in the back of the Jacket.

Congrats on your purchase.
A suggestion based on personal experience though. If that rain liner is meant to be wear inside the jacket, ditch it and buy one that is wearable over your riding jacket. It’s much more purposeful and efficient. Viaterra and Rynox both makes great rain jackets(I suggest Viaterra though).

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by NTab

Congrats on your purchase.
A suggestion based on personal experience though. If that rain liner is meant to be wear inside the jacket, ditch it and buy one that is wearable over your riding jacket. It’s much more purposeful and efficient. Viaterra and Rynox both makes great rain jackets(I suggest Viaterra though).

Thank you! The rain liner is to be worn outside. This was precisely the reason I didn't choose the Windfarer Jakcet because the rain and thermal liner were integrated and to be worn inside.

[100Kmphormore]

Agree with Ntab that the Himalayan can indeed, cruise at 100 kmph. Had forgotten the feeling as have been riding a lot on State Highways. Did a IPC breakfast ride through Hoskote - Budigere - Bagalur - Devanahalli yesterday and on the way back home on the airport highway tried some spirited riding, albeit carefully. it clocks around 4600 - 5000 rpm in 5th gear at 100 - 110 kmph and cruises comfortably, above that the engine gives signs - maga nange inna kelsa kodbeda . The reason i havent tried 100 kmph cruising except once on an empty Coimbatore - Krishnagiri stretch is the brakes. They do their job but its not confident enough. 80 - 90 kmph is controllable in case you have to slow down quickly.

Good job on the riding gear ***! Belated Birthday wishes to you. I had a thick Decathlon jacket and the Rambler V2 gloves and woodland boots, which got replaced the minute i got Ghata (my Himalayan) home. Rynox Urban X jacket (the Air series does not offer chest protection, this does), got it for 6750. Storm series and RE jackets were prohibitively expensive at the time. Viaterra Holeshot half gauntlet gloves and recently, Raida Discover full length boots. The Tundra gloves are basically for winter riding i believe.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by 100Kmphormore

.

Good job on the riding gear ***! Belated Birthday wishes to you. The Tundra gloves are basically for winter riding i believe.

Thank you! Your gear seems absolutely great too. True, the Tundra is primarily a winter glove, but I wore it today and I found that its a little thicker than I'm used to but I am getting used to it. It was fairly hot today and I didn't feel too much of discomfort per se. Considering Bangalore's ever fluctuating weather, I'd rather have completely waterproof gloves all the time whilst sacrificing a little breathability.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Update: New Accessory

My friends surprised me today by gifting me a new handlebar from Art of Motorcycles. I wanted to make this upgrade for a while and I am finally happy to have it.




At AOM, checking whether it was comfortable

The Handlebar feels very sturdy and is much higher and wider than the stock unit. It is much more comfortable to ride with and has a lot more room to mount any additional accesories such as aux light switches and so on.





While riding back, I did notice that the vibrations below 60kmph were slightly more pronounced, but after 80, I felt no vibrations at all, which was the opposite with the old bar.

Overall, very happy with the bar, looking forward to munching more miles with it. Cheers!

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Adding to the destinations explored, I crossed of Savanadurga today!

This had been on my go to list for quite a while now and just like how everyone's Goa Trips keep getting postponed indefinitely, the same had been happening to my Savanadurga Trip for some reason or the other.

A total of five of us were travelling on three bikes (two of my friends with their brothers) and as both their places was on the way, I met up with them over there.



I left from my place at Electronic City, BLR @ 4:45 AM. Met uo with Friend 1 and his Brother at 5:00 AM @ BTM and we then proceeded to meet Friend 2 and his Brother at 5:30AM @Rajarajeshwari Nagar.


Quick Picture of the Bikes before departing at 6:00AM. From the Left, Friend 2's Ronin, My Himmy and Friend 1's Yamaha FZS v.3

The main route was via Mysore Road and cruising was effortless. I wanted to extract a good mileage out of the Himmy so I restricted to cruising between 60-80kmph. We had a light breakfast at Bidadi at a local Thatte Idli shop and headed on our way. Once we went off Mysore Road onto the Machhanabele-Savanadurga Road, it was absolutely beautiful


These were Beautiful Curvy Roads engulfed in the morning mist and sunlight and was honestly a delight to ride through.



Uno Sunbathing


Saw the Arkavathi River on the way to the foothills


We reached Savanadurga at 7:00 am and parked our bikes near a Temple. A local eatery owner told us how we could go about our Trek and offered to keep our Riding Gear in his place till we came back. Though we were apprehensive, we left out Helmets with him and took the rest of the luggage along with us.



The Entrance to the Monolith was overshadowed by Trees and in just about a 100 metres, we saw the Rock that we had to climb. We made a mistake assuming that we could finish the enitre trek in an hour. It is ridiculously steep and very dangerous if not careful. It took us 2 Hours to reach the Summit and another 2 Hours to come back down, and this is despite all of us being young people with a good fitness record.


The view from the Peak was absolutely Breathtaking and worth the climb


There is also a small Temple on the Peak


Trying to live upto my Jacket's Name, the Explorer


The Viaterra Oxus Tank Bag was a lifesaver to carry essential goods upto the peak like water and a medical Kit, without too much of a hassle.

On the Route Back, Google Maps took us vis a completely different Route and we ended up at a bridge which had completely collapsed and was totally unusable. The traffic, mostly two-wheelers were diverted across a mud route and a small water crossing.


Got to go through a small trail road and did some beginner level off roading


We ended up at a diverted stream from the Arkavathi River which had only shin deep water, but was almost entirely full of silt which made it a nightmare to cross. But we had no choice, and we powered thorugh. Unfortunately we couldn't get any pictures or videos while crossing because we were too worried about water going into our exhausts. I deviated a little too much to the right and ended up getting my rear wheel stuck in the Silt. We managed to pull the bike out and she was fine xD


A Celebratory Picture after a succesful-ish Water Crossing


Around 15Kms of winding roads later, we rejoined NH275 (Mysore Road) and made our way back home. I made sure to cruise mostly between 60-80kmph, which ended up being almost exclusively 80kmoh which I think is a good cruising speed for the Himmy if you are into that relaxed touring style, and ended up getting a mileage of 40.74kmpl!


Calculated on Fuelio via the Tank to Tank Method.

I am absolutely delighted about the result and loved the Himmy for its impressive capabilities both on and off the roads. This was a genuinely fun trip and I would recommend it to all. Ride Safe and Have Fun, Cheers!

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Update: Side Stand Extender and Read Brake Fluid Reservoir Guard

Hello All!, Quick update on the additions to the bike. I wanted to purchase a side stand extender and a rear brake fluid reservoir guard for a while. Viaterra makes an amazing extender but it is pricey. Wanted to make sure I gave other options a shot before I dropped money on the viaterra. So, I found an extender by a company called Ultraway for 330Rs. Considering it was very cheap, figured I might as well give it a go. I bought the reservoir guard from them too!



A Picture of the products



The Side stand extender is pretty average. I will give it the benefit that it is cheap but still not very good. It does the job for sure, but the disadvantages are as follows:

1. The fitment is not exact. The cutouts for the plates are slightly off and that leaves a little bit of a gap between plates
2. It takes a while to install because the screwing mechanism isn't great
3. The allen key head is at the bottom, meaning over time, it will get worn out. Plus this means that the stand slips on surfaces such as tiles.
4. Two parts of the extender touch the spring of the main stand. I managed to bend one part out of the way with a plier, however another edge will touch. The only way to avoid this is to deploy the side stand first and then the main stand. Although it just touches it and wont cause damage, it sure is annoying.

I will be replacing it with a viaterra extender later on, but for now, I'll leave it on.



The rear brake fluid reservoir on the himalayan is quite exposed IMO. Although under normal circumstances, it is unlikely that it will get damaged, I don't want to take that chance.



This guard is of good quality, and serves the purpose. Was fairly straightforward to install and you'll only need a 4mm Allen key. Was pretty cheap again a 350Rs. I'll leave the link below in case anyone wishes to purchase it.

https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B09LRVY1SN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have ordered the Viaterra Headlight Guard as well and will update as and when it arrives. Thanks!

[NTab]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

Update: Side Stand Extender and Read Brake Fluid Reservoir Guard


4. Two parts of the extender touch the spring of the main stand. I managed to bend one part out of the way with a plier, however another edge will touch. The only way to avoid this is to deploy the side stand first and then the main stand. Although it just touches it and wont cause damage, it sure is annoying.

I will be replacing it with a viaterra extender later on, but for now, I'll leave it on.
.
.

I have ordered the Viaterra Headlight Guard as well and will update as and when it arrives. Thanks!

The Viaterra side stand shoe also touches the spring, albeit a little while engaging double stand. It used to erk me for the first few days, not anymore.

Also, many people don’t know that Viaterra provides 10% discount if you write review for the product you purchased on their website. They will confirm with the bill though that whether you have actually purchased it or not. But this is applicable only if you purchase from their website.

[TheHelix0202]

Sorry if I missed it, but where'd you get the tank grips from? They look grand.

[NTab]

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

Sorry if I missed it, but where'd you get the tank grips from? They look grand.

He got it from Raw and Rugged Leather. I also bought one(didn’t install though), and it’s of good quality. Costed me around ~₹900.