[Sarvodaya]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

However, as happy as I was at the moment, little did I know that today was the day that majority of the RE Owners dread, and I had to live through it.

Attachment 2402895

That's Right, a mere 5 mins after taking the picture of the 5k kms mark, a loose screw on the road, decided to throw me under the bus.

Attachment 2402900
This little thing, is all that is required, to bring the mighty Himalayan to its knees, or well, rims.

This was the reason I avoided the Himalayan. Lucky for you the puncture happened in morning. For me I had Suzuki GS 150. In the middle of night at about 2.00 AM, front wheel punctured and had no option leaving the bike. Marathon pushed the bike for about 7 kms and reached home. Next day when checked, mechanic found a very small screw and pushing the bike damaged the tube. Rs.500 damage to the wallet.

I wonder why RE cannot offer tubeless spoke alloys as an option atleast

[boniver]

Originally Posted by Sarvodaya

Next day when checked, mechanic found a very small screw and pushing the bike damaged the tube. Rs.500 damage to the wallet.

I've always only owned bikes with spoke wheels, and I always count the cost of a puncture as Rs. 500 anyway, because I just cant fathom pushing a bike for any distance. A couple of months back, my RX100 had a puncture in the front in the middle of the night. I sat on the rear seat, and rode back home with the front wheel a little higher up in the air (but not enough to call it a wheelie). Dangerous, but still, if the bike is running I prefer riding it because nowadays puncture guys don't want to patch tubes, they just say it cant be done and you have to replace it. Might as well save your breath and damage the tube yourself.

[tarmacnaut]

Originally Posted by Sarvodaya

I wonder why RE cannot offer tubeless spoke alloys as an option atleast

They could have easily launched alloys with the scram 411, which was supposed to be a road biased version, but they did not.

RE is a company which prioritises 'looks' over anything else, they're simply scared to touch the 'offroadness' added to the looks by the spoke wheels despite the fact that these bikes are way too heavy for any serious off roading.

The other part is their trust on Indian herd mentality, which at the moment, will celebrate anything from RE, even a lazy attempt like the "Scram". All you need is good color options and flamboyant marketing with dirt flying in slow motion.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by Sarvodaya

Lucky for you the puncture happened in morning. Pushing the bike damaged the tube. Rs.500 damage to the wallet.

Oh man, that sucks. I shouldn't have pushed the bike and it would have been a lot lighter on my wallet.

Originally Posted by boniver

Puncture guys don't want to patch tubes, they just say it cant be done and you have to replace it.

I don't understand these puncture repair guys. I'm pretty sure that some of them deliberately spread out some loose nails/screws to garner new customers. Some people are absolute imbeciles. For them it may be a profit of 200-300rs, but for us there are chances of the rims getting damaged, spokes getting bent, wheel going out of alignment etc etc.

Originally Posted by tarmacnaut

They could have easily launched alloys with the scram 411, which was supposed to be a road biased version, but they did not

Completely agree, the scram should have come with tubeless spoked/alloy options. However it wouldn't have been as useful for himalayan owners as the scram has a 19" front end, so only the rear wheel would have been swappable. I hope they fix this with the Himalayan 450.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Continuing Update: Luggage Straps

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

AKRO doesn't sell an individual strap without the extender, so I ordered a similar strap from the Wroom Website. Link below. They are the same length and are only 299 rs per strap, meaning you can buy 2 for 600 (Free shipping too). I'd recommend you get these traps from them. These straps are called CAM Straps and are extremely durable and easy to use.

Recieved the Wroom Straps today (Free shipping and 3 day delivery from Mumbai? Wow) I ordered the 5 ft version and here is a size comparo between (From the top) The Wroom Strap, The Akro Strap and The Rynox Gripper.



The Wroom Strap is significantly longer, but the acko with the included extender is even longer (Not really necessary for motorcycle use).




The Quality of the strap and buckle is pretty good. The Buckle on the Akro is slightly better, but it's not that far off the buckle on the Wroom. Again at the price (299 for the Wroom and 500 for the Akro) the wroom takes the lead again IMO.

Will mount some luggage onto the bike later on and update this thread. The only advantage The Wroom Straps have a claimed 500kg Break Strength and the Akro has a claimed 350 kg break strength. The only advantage I see that ROK Straps have over these is their elasticity, meaning you don't have to tuck in the excess strap. But for the price, these are extremely VFM options and do just as good a job.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Update: Ride to BR Hills and Mysore

Hey All, I decided to go on a ride the prev sunday (15th) on a round trip from BLR - BR Hills - Mysore - BLR.



The total route shown was around 430 kms but in reality was exactly 470kms, owing to a few diversions.

I left my place at 5:30 am, entered NICE Road at 6 a.m. Was a pretty cold morning, I also read a news report that it was the coldest day in BLR since 2019! dropping mercury levels to around 12.5 degrees celsius, which was more like 6-8 degrees with wind chill when cruising at 100kmph. This meant that I was freezing despite the thermal liner and the winter gloves. But hey, it still was fun


Quick picture on the Mysore Expressway


Sunrise at Channapatna


After I crossed Mandya, it was so cold, like ridiculously cold, that condensation was forming inside my helmet on the visor Visibility was extremely low and I had to slow down to around 40kmph and turn the hazards on.



At the entrance of BRT Tiger Reserve

The roads were wonderful and an absolute blast to ride on. Amazing twistys through the forest, with a wonderful view.


I stopped for breakfast at Hotel Mayura Biligiri, B.R Hills.


If someone could remove that splendor from the background I'd really appreciate it . Would make a great DP


Uno in all his beauty

After breakfast, I headed on to Mysore. Visited Mysore Palace first.






I've been to the palace before, but figured I'd go anyway xD Was ridiculously crowded, but atleast I got some good photos out of it. Decided to visit St Joseph's/Philomena's Cathedral Next.




Went on for lunch to Shetty's Coastal garden at Hunsur. We normally charge the car at the MG Showroom there when passing by so I had been to this restaurant before. Left for BLR after that.


Stopped for a small break after 100kms

I really should get an air seat or something because my butt went numb

Overall journey including breaks took just under 13 Hours, I reached home at 7:15pm. Out of this my total riding time was 10 hours. Had great fun, and it definitely helped me better my skills as a rider by taking on different types of roads. Got pretty crappy FE (31kmpl) as I was constantly gunning it between 100kmph-120kmph on the expressway. But yeah all things considered, it was pretty good and the Himmy took it well. I am however facing the infamous stalling issue right now and I'll take it to the SVC to get it checked out soon. I've heard that RE has issued some sort of protocol to SVCs to fix this. Hope y'all enjoyed the post!

Cheers

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

Will mount some luggage onto the bike later on and update this thread.

This is what the it looks like mounting a duffel bag. I've been using this setup regularly for 3-4 days now and have had no issues.

[Dosanova]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

Overall journey including breaks took just under 13 Hours, I reached home at 7:15pm. Out of this my total riding time was 10 hours. Had great fun, and it definitely helped me better my skills as a rider by taking on different types of roads. Got pretty crappy FE (31kmpl) as I was constantly gunning it between 100kmph-120kmph on the expressway. But yeah all things considered, it was pretty good and the Himmy took it well. I am however facing the infamous stalling issue right now and I'll take it to the SVC to get it checked out soon. I've heard that RE has issued some sort of protocol to SVCs to fix this. Hope y'all enjoyed the post!

That's a solid trip and the best use of the bike! Could you please elaborate more on the stalling issue? are you getting random loss of power while accelerating in 5th gear?

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by Dosanova

That's a solid trip and the best use of the bike! Could you please elaborate more on the stalling issue? are you getting random loss of power while accelerating in 5th gear?

Thanks! The Himmy is a tourer and I intend to live upto it's purpose. With regard to the stalling issue, I don't face it in the 5th gear etc. My issue occurs when I'm decelerating and downshifting (I rev match as well), either in the 3rd or second gear when I pull in the clutch towards the lower RPMs, the engine cuts out. This also happened once in the 4th gear when I pulled in the clutch. The RPM needle dips below 1000 and cuts out.

Here's a video link of the problem that I'm facing. This other guy on youtube was facing the same issue too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KagKrrzCW7I

You'll find it at 1:28. If any of the other members could advise on the same, that'd be great too.

[100Kmphormore]

Fresh from a 3 day trip to Adiyogi + Valparai, 1029 km - that’s one of the major updates I have, apart from some rides with my dad and friends to Melukote, Malavalli and Shivanasamudra. Valparai is a stunning place especially the morning views among those tea plantation Vistas and not to forget scenic places like the Sholayar Dam, nallamudi viewpoint etc. It is not as metropolitan as Ooty and a calm sleepy hillstation. It can get hot during the day but nights are a chiller. Roadworks are going on, but not too much of a hassle. Odo is now at 12130, it’s clocking the atleast 2000 km per month goal that I have set for myself this year, last year was atleast a 1000 km a month. Have planned a weekend Kolli hills ride but am uncertain if the Himalayan will do well there.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Update: New Mirrors, 12V Socket and Medical ID

Got two absolutely essential accesories for the bike over this week. The first being the Mirrors. The stock ones look great, but are crap when it comes to riding at speeds above 80kmph as they vibrate and distort the image, plus due to the round shape, visibility is pretty limited. After scouring the web, decided to pick up a couple of Bajaj Avenger Mirrors from Amazon. They were pretty cheap at 550rs a Pair and have similar if not slightly better build quality as compared to the stock mirrors. Took me about 5 mins to install them myself.


Much wider Field of View





In my opinion they don't really ruin the aesthetic of the bike while offering excellent functionality. They vibrate slightly over speeds of 100kmph, but its not nearly as bad as the stock ones.

The other important upgrade for me was an addition of some sort of a mobile charging solution. My friend (who owns a gt650) and I have been on the hunt for a reliable, well built 12V socket for a while now. We specifically wanted the 12V because we could use the module for both charging as well as running out tyre inflators. Hence, based on Bhpian Ntab's earlier suggestion, and loads of reviews and videos later, we decided on the Clifftop 12v Socket. Purchased it at Bikenbiker.



We headed over to Motospark near Bannerghatta Road to get it installed. They wired it up to the ignition as opposed to directly to the battery so that no one can steal power when the bike is turned off.


Charging Module


Excess wire neatly tucked and zip tied

Tried charging and running the tyre inflator and it works perfectly fine. The charger is also waterproof, for that added peace of mind. It cost 2100rs for the module with the wiring and 250rs for installation.

I also picked up this Tagzee Medical ID from 100kmph.com which I though was pretty useful in the unfortunate event that an accident takes place. You can scan the code and get the rider's emergency contacts and medical details.

It comes in a pack of two, one of which is slightly smaller than the other. I will be putting one on the bike as well. Definitely would recommend that everyone have some sort of tag such as this. I also have another blood group sticker as well, on my helmet.

That's all for today folks, Cheers!

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Update: City Storage Solution

One of the major downsides (probably the only one ) of shifting from a scooter to a motorcycle is the complete lack of storage whatsoever. From Day 1 I was on the lookout for some sort of storage solution to store things like the papers for the bike (I do have them on Digilocker, but wanted a physical set Just in case), or for those occasional grocery store runs or small errands wherein I either carry a backpack or play the balancing game with an object on the fuel tank.

Of course the most obvious choice would be a top box, but a good one is pretty expensive and will set me back atleast 6-7k. Plus, I don't need that level of storage for the aforementioned purpose (But I will consider getting one later on when I do have the opportunity to go on full fledged tours).

I came across the Viaterra (Not a paid promotion, I just genuinely like their products) Seaty V2, a pretty innovative integrated storage solution that attaches via straps to the reat split seat of the bike. When compressed, it acts as a padded cushion for the pillion. When expanded however, it boasts a substantial 12L storage capacity, easily enough for most short errands. It neatly outlines the seat of the Himmy too!


Fully compressed


Fully Expanded. It has little cords to help tighten it if you're not using full capacity


Has a little mesh flap for smaller items


Good Quality Lining Inside

However, the seaty is not waterproof but from what I've been told by Ajinkya from Viaterra, can take the occasional splash, but is not advisable as the fabric may tend to catch fungus if constantly exposed to moisture. However, for the rest of the year, it will do just fine. Overall a 9/10 product and would wholeheartedly recommend.

Cheers!

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Update: Viaterra Side Stand Extender

The weight of the Himalayan oftentimes causes the side stand to sink into soft surfaces such as mud, sand , grass etc and can be quite unnerving. I was on the lookout for a side stand extender for quite a while, and the people following the thread might remember that I did try out a cheap one from Amazon only to be left utterley disappointed. If figured that if I have to get one, it'll be the extender from viaterra (Again, not sponsored, although I wish I was xD).

I guess the planets were aligned just right because TBHPs Resident Santa Claus (Atleast for me ) BHpian shyamg28 was kind enough to pass on a Viaterra Side Stand Extender that he had procured earlier, but wasn't using. Many thanks Shyam

I kid you not, I don't think any other company has put this much thought into a Side Stand Extender. Just watch this video and you'll understand what I'm talking about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyMKDTAqZws

The Stand is made of Milled Stainless Steel and oozes quality when you hold it.




Offers a substantially larger footprint for much better weight distribution


Was a piece of cake to install, especially compared to that cheap crap that I bought and returned earlier.

The unit also comes with Loctite thread locker and spring washer to prevent the screws from coming loose due to vibrations.

As always, I'm absolutely amazed by Viaterra's attention to detail and quality. Would 10/10 recommend.


Quite a looker eh? xD

Cheers!

[KPR]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

However, the seaty is not waterproof but from what I've been told by Ajinkya from Viaterra, can take the occasional splash, but is not advisable as the fabric may tend to catch fungus if constantly exposed to moisture. However, for the rest of the year, it will do just fine. Overall a 9/10 product and would wholeheartedly recommend.

Cheers!

I have been using this seaty since last 5 years in my TB500 and it is going very strong. I had recently put it in my other bike CT125X as well. BTW why not install seaty in the rear rack ? Just for reference, https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post5501746 (The Saddle & Tail Bag Review Thread)

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by KPR

I have been using this seaty since last 5 years in my TB500 and it is going very strong. I had recently put it in my other bike CT125X as well. BTW why not install seaty in the rear rack ? Just for reference, https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post5501746 (The Saddle & Tail Bag Review Thread)

That's great to hear! The reasons because of which I don't wish to mount the bag as shown, are as follows:

1. I use the rear rack every other day to strap my Gym bag to, so this would be in obstruction of the same

2. I want to keep the lines fairly clean, and the seaty IMO, somewhat blends in with the seat as opposed to the rack

3. The stock seat is pretty soft, so this acts like an additional layer of padding when not in use, so the pillion will be able to sit for a longer duration