[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

Pro Tips : You might want to consider covering this with a heat-reflective material or a lighter-coloured cloth if you intend to drive in hotter areas since the black colour is known to absorb the most heat. Also, the end of the pipe that is supposed to be put in our mouth gets contaminated really fast. So make sure to clean it with some toothpaste whenever you brush your teeth.

Wish you happy and safe rides ahead

Will keep in Mind! Thank you

Originally Posted by aviator1101

Congrats on your prized possession, a little late albeit.

What are the options of tubeless spoked wheels for the Himalayan? or any Indian ADV for that matter, say the Xpulse. Something akin to what we have in the Suzuki V Storm or the high end BMW GS series.

Thank you! I absolutely agree with you. I desperately want to get some tubeless spoked wheels. The only two options I've seen are the rims from Excel and the other from Dismotech with the former being very expensive and the latter (company) being poorly rated. So I'm not sure yet.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

Update: GPS Mount and Saddle Stays


Cons:

1. Not a perfect fit. I'm not sure if this is an issue with the product or the Himalayan (Lost trust in RE's consistency after the viaterra headlight guard incident, also ennumerated upon on this thread for your reading pleasure). The mounting was not secure enough until I used some M Seal and got the job done.

2. I don't think the product is powder coated; same issue with the rear rack plate. However, credit where its due, there are hardly any scratches on the plate despite regular usage, so maybe this isn't really an issue.

Update: Replacement GPS Mount

Hey Folks! After using the previous "jugaadified" GPS Mount for around 3000kms, I got fed up with the irritating noises it made because it touched the windshield, and also looking at the M Seal just left me irritated every time. Hence I decided to replace the same with a proper GPS Mount this time that'll solve all my woes. Picked up this Solid GPS Mount from Altitude Moto:



Link: https://motodrift.co.in/product/hima...altitude-moto/

Although it is more expensive than the Milachin, the Quality is honestly not even comparable. As this is a one-piece Mount, it feels much more solid and stable and came with all the required washers and screws. It doesn't foul with the windshield or the Lever Guards as well.




Knerled Rod to Prevent Mount Slippage






I did test it out at varied speeds up to 100kmph, and it had minimal vibrations. Overall a solid upgrade for me. Cheers!

[100Kmphormore]

Nice updates ***, though would suggest a normal RAM mount or Portronics type simple phone holder, but very rugged and a Rs.50 rain cover for the phone. Has always worked for me over 16000 km. These Zana or any other attachments are an anathema in my riding circle and many complain of the mount loosening over a period of time or vibrations in the windshield or blocking the view ahead and a general feeling of uncertainty due to both.

Coming to Ghata, nothing much to report. She crossed the 16000 km mark a couple of weeks ago . Due to upcoming plans and financial constraints have not been on a proper tour since last 5 months (a couple of weekenders to Agumbe and Mantralaya and some short 100 km round trip breakfast rides). In 3 months she has run only some 1000 km in the city. So much for my resolution to tour more but life happens :(.
I had ranted earlier about my experience with RE service, and upto now their repairs have held on.

One thing I have observed is the bike leans a lot on the side stand and me being on the heavier side am scared of the bike falling when I try to get on by mounting the pegs like others. A necessity when I have the Element tailbag on the rear seat and in riding pants, all sort of gymnastics wont help. Does the Viaterra side stand extender help for situations like these?

Covered around 2200 km on the rear tubeless-tube TVS Eurogrip Pancer PolyX 120/80 setup, and has been a great experience, except for a 10% increase in bumpiness due to the 80 profile instead of the 90 earlier. Wet grip/off-roading is extremely poor. Highways/trails/dry grip is excellent though, it won’t be sufficient for core off-road though. Punctures haven’t occurred even inspite of some very rough terrain off-road.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Update: Tyre Pressure Monitoring System

Hey All, received a TPMS for the Himmy today, which I'd ordered from Amazon a couple of days ago (Link Below).

https://www.amazon.in/Motorcycle-Mon...ustomerReviews

Of course, there is no absolute necessity for a TPMS, but I do find it mighty convenient after getting used to it on our car; it is pretty helpful in identifying minor air leaks, pressure loss, and it also serves as a reminder to top up the air in the tyres.

This particular product offers the following features as per the description:

1. Real-time Monitoring Pressure (Updates every 7 Seconds)
2. Pressure Testing Range: 0~51 Psi (0~3.5 Bar )
3. One can Set High and Low-Pressure Alarm Values for Tires
4. Seven Alarm Modes (error Range ±2psi)
5. IP67 Waterproof





The Package comes with, 1 Monitor, One Handlebar Clamp, Two "Anti Theft" Nuts with a wrench, Two External Sensors and One USB Charger, plus some paperwork




In terms of Accuracy, the front sensor is 2PSI lower than the value indicated by my Tyre Inflator, and the Rear Sensor is 1PSI lower, which is within the advertised error range, so I'm fine with it. The temperature is at par with the ambient temp reading on my phone for this area. The unit can also be changed to BAR if you so prefer.

The Seven Alarms as advertised, are for:
1. Low Pressure
2. Air Leakage
3. High Pressure
4. High Temperature
5. Low Power of Monitor
6. Low Power of Reciever
7. Loss of Signal

I haven't personally heard any of these alarms yet.



The Battery in the receivers is supposed to last approximately 1-2 years, and the replacement is fairly straightforward, as per the manual. Looks like it uses some type of button cell; not sure which one yet, as I didn't open it up. I did try removing the receiver without the included wrench and couldn't, albeit without any tools. With a plier or something of the sort, it may be possible to remove it, but very difficult due to the thin nature of the nut. My only worry is the monitor itself. There isn't any screen protector provided with the same, and It can easily be unscrewed. But then again, it is pointless without the receivers as they are linked and is not standalone. Then again, there is always that thought at the back of my head.

If you have any solutions for the same, I'd love to hear them. I will update this thread on any other developments with the same. Cheers!

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Trip to Halebidu

Hey Folks! Went on a ride to Halebidu and Manjarabad (Sakleshpura) this weekend. The riding group consisted of two of my friends on their Continentals and, of course, my Himmy



We began our journey at around 6:00 a.m., with our first stop being at Kichhana Halli Mane at Kunigal, one of my go-to breakfast places on this route. The Masala Dosa and Pineapple Dosa are my absolute favourites there.



We continued and took a short break about an hour later at Channarayapatna, my friend with a DSLR, took a few nice candid pictures XD



Our Next stop was directly at Halebidu when on the way, we stopped at this lovely stretch of road near the Adugur Lake to click some pictures of the bikes






I got a couple of flyby shots as well on the Himmy as well as the Conti. Absolutely love the British Racing Green Colour <3




After about an Hour of taking turns and clicking pictures, we resumed our Journey and reached Halebidu. The Hoysaleswara temple, also referred to simply as the Halebidu temple, is a 12th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple, along with the nearby Jain Basadi complex and the Kedareshwara temple, as well as the Kesava temple in Belur, have been proposed to be listed under UNESCO World Heritage Sites. I must say, the temple is extremely beautiful, with hundreds of sculptures and carvings. I'll let the pictures do the talking XD








After this, found a quaint restaurant just about one kilometre from the temple, called 'Itihakala' which served traditional vegetarian food. Whilst the food is very simple, it was very tasty and reasonably priced. The premises were clean too, with a nice overall atmosphere.



Post Lunch, we headed to the Manjarabad Fort, about an Hour and a half away. The fort is Star Shaped and was built in 1792 by Tipu Sultan. The fort was fairly crowded too, and there is a short but moderately steep climb to get to the fort itself. Lugging our gear and baggage up was a task



Didn't take too many pictures though. We left Manjarabad at around 5pm, and rode continuously till Channarayapatna where we took a short break, and witnessed the beautiful evening sky.



Our next stop was at Kunigal Directly, however, we saw hints of rain a little later and decided to stop and wear our rain gear. Glad we did because it eventually started pouring, and we had to drop our cruising speeds from 100kmph to about 75-80kmph. We had our dinner at Empire Kunigal and continued to BLR. We entered BLR at around 10:15 pm.

In total, we covered 533 Kms and had around 14 Hours of Saddle Time. The average Fuel Efficiency was 32Kmpl. In this regard, here are a few updates on a few of the accessories I posted about on this thread earlier:

1. Ride on Air Cushion Sear
Absolute game-changer in terms of comfort. It has enabled me to ride for longer durations without the associated pain. Of course, it doesn't completely alleviate the pain, but delays i.

2. Skyshop TPMS
Amazing Battery Life, It's been a week, and I had it on for the entire duration of my riding time, and it still had one bar left. There is a +- 1 to 2 PSI difference between its readings and my Tyre Inflator. The temp sensors are spot on though, and the readings are updated every 3 Seconds too. I

3. Olive Planet Hydration Pack
Easily an investment I am absolutely thrilled with. Its compact, has ample additional storage, and I hardly felt the weight on my back. Helped me stay hydrated throughout. Could use it with the Helmet and balaclava on as well, but only while stopped of course, for safety reasons.

Overall, was a fun ride, had a great time. Cheers!

[windiesel]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

Update: Rynox Nomad Saddle Bags

Mind you, the bags in the picture are empty, and with luggage I'm sure it'll sag. Hence the Zana Exhaust Shields are extremely useful here as it'll keep the in place.
Cheers!

Hi, I was wondering if these Nomad saddlebags will be compatible with Triumph Speed 400 which has an even more acutely up-swept silencer, I guess.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by windiesel

Hi, I was wondering if these Nomad saddlebags will be compatible with Triumph Speed 400 which has an even more acutely up-swept silencer, I guess.

I think it should be compatible. However, I would strongly recommend using it only with saddle stays, else it will sway.

[Shobhitsaxena]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

Update: Tyre Pressure Monitoring System

Hey All, received a TPMS for the Himmy today, which I'd ordered from Amazon a couple of days ago (Link Below).

https://www.amazon.in/Motorcycle-Mon...ustomerReviews

Of course, there is no absolute necessity for a TPMS, but I do find it mighty convenient after getting

Yours is turning out to be a fully loaded Himalayan! Congratulations on yet another addition and I read all your reviews eagerly.

One question, when you say "there is no absolute necessity", is it due to the tube setup or any other reason. Wondering if this will help in anyway in the puncture situation (or at least subdue the puncture anxiety!).

[pcpranav]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

....
Picked up this Solid GPS Mount from Altitude Moto:

I have put the same brand mount on my Himalayan, I named my bike as Bagheera.

The funny story goes like : I saw that mount in one of videos, contacted that Insta guy and placed order. Two days later directly the owner of Altitude Moto Mr.Akil calls me to verify my shipping address, and finds that my house is just 3-4 KM away from his workshop. I then went directly to his workshop and got the mount installed by him.
I personally feel the center rod is quite small, we can only place one mounting device. It would have been better to have a longer rod to accommodate two mounts, say one mobile, and another TPMS or camera.
He also makes other parts for a lot of bikes, along with custom fabrications & restoration works.

After few days I also purchased & installed the aux light clamps (fitted on top of side frame near headlight).

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

....

Hey All, received a TPMS for the Himmy today, which I'd ordered from Amazon a couple of days ago
....

I did try removing the receiver without the included wrench and couldn't, albeit without any tools. With a plier or something of the sort, it may be possible to remove it, but very difficult due to the thin nature of the nut. My only worry is the monitor itself. There isn't any screen protector provided with the same, and It can easily be unscrewed.

In my previous bike I did have similar TPMS, quite useful. I didnt install the anti-theft nuts on tyre sensors and directly put the sensor caps on the tyre valve - that is to avoid carrying any wrench each time to fill air, saves time.

For the protection of console's screen, you can visit any local store making number plates / stickers and ask for a small piece of PPF to apply on the screen.

For my Bagheera (Himalayan), I do plan to have a TPMS, but not on priority. I would opt for the solar charger model, to avoid hassle of frequent USB charging task.

regards,

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by Shobhitsaxena

Yours is turning out to be a fully loaded Himalayan! Congratulations on yet another addition and I read all your reviews eagerly.

One question, when you say "there is no absolute necessity", is it due to the tube setup or any other reason. Wondering if this will help in anyway in the puncture situation (or at least subdue the puncture anxiety!).

Haha, Thank You! Fully Loaded is the way this bike should be used IMO
Yes, I feel it isn't an absolute necessity because of the tube setup, wherein if there is a puncture, it happens so fast that you would in all probability realize it yourself. But it still helps for peace of mind, knowing that if there is a small air leak, or issue with the stem, puncture without me knowing, I would be able to detect it early. An of course, I'll know when exactly to Top Up my Air as well.

Originally Posted by pcpranav

I have put the same brand mount on my Himalayan, I named my bike as Bagheera.

For the protection of console's screen, you can visit any local store making number plates / stickers and ask for a small piece of PPF to apply on the screen.

For my Bagheera (Himalayan), I do plan to have a TPMS, but not on priority. I would opt for the solar charger model, to avoid hassle of frequent USB charging task.

Quite a story there! Yes I should visit a shop nearby and put some protective film on the same. On the battery life however, its been excellent, it lasted the entirety of the riding time of my Kolli Hills trip and the week of commuting before that and still had one bar left when I put it to charge. That is about 30 hours of total use, where 14-15 of those hours were continuous. I haven't charged it since that trip and it still has full charge.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Riding Gear Update: Boots, Pants and a Base Layer

Picked up Riding Boots, Pants and a Base Layer today! I wanted to keep the budget below 25k. Onward to the Selection Process!


Boots Selection Process

Shortlist

1. Raida Explorer - Rs 7450
2. Axor Kaza - Rs - 10700
3. Tarmac Adventure Pro Rs - 14000
4. Ryo Conquer - Rs 15000

I understand the importance of a good Motorcycle Boot and knew that floppy boots wouldn't quite cut it in terms of protection. My use case is mainly touring; however, I plan to also do some amount of trail riding as well; hence I wanted to make sure that I get something substantial. I can't afford something like the Falcos and the TCXs yet, hence the aforementioned shortlist.

The Raida Explorers seem like a great entry-level touring-only boot, but It is not at all suited for trail riding and can buckle under hard impact from branches and rocks, which is why I crossed it out. Plus, there's no black option, just grey and brown

The Axor Kaza seems promising on paper, but there's no store here, AFAIK, that stocks them, and I wasn't about to drop 11k on a boot without checking it out in person. In addition, there weren't very many reviews that I could find on the internet. Hence, crossed this one out as well.

Both the Tarmac Adventure Pro and the Ryo Conquer were available at Orion Motors Bangalore and there was only a 1000Rs Price Difference between them. For some reason, my regular shoe size didn't translate to these boots. I normally wear a size 10 shoe i.e a 44 or 45. However, my feet barely fit in both of these boots, and I needed a 46. The store had only one size 46 Tarmac in their warehouse (Apr 2023 Import) and, unfortunately, no RYOs in my size. Hence, I decided to opt for the Tarmac. In terms of fit and finish, however, the Tarmac and Ryo were really similar. The major difference was in terms of Certification (Ryo is CE 2222 IPS IPA Certified, whereas the Tarmac is CE 2122 IPS IPA Certified up to EN 13634:2017 Standards)

The 2122 is with regard to:
(a) Height of the upper
(b) Impact abrasion
(c) Impact cut
(d) Transverse rigidity



You can read more about that here:
https://demonerosso.dainese.com/how-...and-boots-work


I absolutely love the looks


The Buckles are Metal, and the adjustment strip is Rubber and Plastic



The rear has branding on it and a Reflector


The Boots say they are waterproof but also mention that they're waterproof only for light rains


The toe also has a gear lever protector so I Don't have to be worried about smudges and scuffs

The Boots are pretty stiff right now, and the store owner suggested that I walk a little bit in them every day to break them in. Any tips from the members here in this regard would be highly appreciated.

Pants Selection Process

Shortlist

1. Solace Coolpro V3T - Rs 9500
2. Viaterra Spencer - Rs 8500
3. Rynox Stealth Evo - Rs 8950

Viaterra is one of my favourite brands in the Indian Motorcycle Gear and Accessories industry, and the Spencer is an amazing offering. However, it is a largely mesh-oriented pant, and only the Impact Zones are covered in 1000D Cordura. Further, I want the products that I buy to be complete, meaning that I must be able to wear them in any weather. A rain liner, of course, isn't a big deal because I already have rain pants, but I didn't want to spend extra on a thermal liner. Hence, skipped on the Viaterra this time

The Rynox Stealth Pro is probably one of the most commonly bought riding pants in the country. These pants came with a thermal liner as well, but where it lacked was in the waterproof pocket department and the lack of specification on what Dernier Cordura was used. The website merely stated that it had Reinforced Cordura. Further, the armour used was Knox Microlock armour, which isn't as pliable as the Sas Tech Viscoflex Armour that is present on the other two contenders. Hence, skipped on Rynox as well this time.

The Solace Coolpro v3T is a new offering from Solace, an upgrade over the Coolpro v3.0. The difference being the inclusion of a tailbone armour. I checked out the pants at GearnRide HSR Layout, Bengaluru. The Solace has many features that stood out to me:

1. A full 700D Polydura Construction with 1000D Cordura at the Knees
2. Level 2 Sas tech Viscoflex Armours on the Knees (Adjustable for height) and Hip + Sas Tech Viscoflex Tailbone Armour
3. Two Waterproof Pockets and Two Cargo Style Pockets with Water Resistant Lining for Larger items like wallets
4. Thermal Liner and Rain Pants included
5. Large Mesh Panels instead of Vents
6. Stretch Panels on the Knees, Crotch Area and Rear Thigh
7. Rubber Lining on the Crotch Area to prevent slippage
8. Double & Safety stitching done throughout


This seemed like an extremely VFM Product, and I decided to purchase this.


Lots of 3M Reflectives as well on the Pants




Thermal Liner on the Left, Rain Liner on the Right


A comparison chart I made

I also picked up a Raida Base Layer for added comfort.

Overall, the costing came to just under 26k for all three. Super happy with the purchase. I'll update the thread with long term reviews of the gear once I've racked up some miles with them. Cheers!

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Riding Gear Update: Ventilated Gloves

As I had blabbered about somewhere on this thread earlier, I had picked up the Viaterra Tundra a little over a year ago and was using it for my daily commute and for touring as well. I'll drop an update about the gloves on the Riding Gear Thread separately. When I visited @shyamg28 sometime in April, the man was shocked seeing me use Winter/Non-Breathable WP Gloves every day in Bangalore, irrespective of the weather To be honest, I had completely forgotten what ventilation while riding in the palm area felt like at that point and had grown completely accustomed to riding with the Tundra. He gave me a pair of basic ventilated gloves (Royal Enfield Strident) until I could pick up a proper pair of ventilated gloves. I wore them on the ride back to my place from his, which was some 30km away, and my god, it was bliss in comparison.




I used them whenever it wasn't cold or rainy outside for the past few months, but they were starting to show signs of wear and tear. Plus, they weren't protective enough for even my daily commute (I commute on Hosur Road from E City at around 7:30 a.m., where there isn't too much traffic), where I do hit 80kmph regularly. Hence I decided to pick up a pair of full gauntlet riding gloves that I can use both in the City and on the Highway.

Protection was of top priority. A good pair of full gauntlet gloves can easily run into thousands. I wasn't looking to spend more than Rs 7000 at the moment and wanted to get the best I could at the price. To do this, I first read up about the CE Rating system, links to which I'll leave below.

https://www.ridervalley.com/en/ce-st...rcycle-gloves/
https://www.ingearmoto.com/blogs/gea...ingearmoto-com

In addition to this, the gloves being full-gauntlet was also a must for me just for the added wrist protection.

The Initial Contenders Were:
1. Rynox Storm Evo 3 (Seemed Like Great Value, shortlisted)
2. Viaterra Grid (Tried and Tested Product, shortlisted)
3. Scala Trekker (Saw a post by a Bhpian, whilst intriguing, the lack of CE certification made me disregard the same)
4. Solace Furious V2 (An underrated player in the market with some great products, shortlisted)
5. Shield Viper X (No CE Certification, Okayish for the price. Disregarded)
6. Rynox Storm Evo 2 (Older Version of the Evo 3, whilst cheaper, lacked a lot of features, hence disregarded)
7. Korda Track (No CE Certification, Not too much information. Disregarded)


Onward to the Comparo

To keep this brief, I made a small table that enumerates on the pointers that I think are fairly essential while choosing the glove.



On the Spec Sheet, the Grid Pulls lighyears ahead of the competition, and the 10% discount that Viaterra provides to repeat customers sweetened the deal. I picked them up for Rs 5399 all-inclusive. The small things that Viaterra do, like dropping you an email after you've placed the order to confirm your palm measurements and providing a lifetime repair service, make them stand out IMO.





Negatives

Whilst my experience with the gloves is mostly positive, there are two negative ones that stood out to me, especially in comparison with the Storm Evo 3. The latter is simply much, much more comfortable to wear in terms of the padding on the interior of the glove. I think Viaterra should up their game in this department.

Secondly, the gloves are stitched in such a way that it is a little too precise with the finger measurements of an ideal hand. Everyone's hands will have variations, I discovered on trying this glove that there are a few Millimetres of difference between my left and right palm in terms of both length and width, apparent at the area where the fingers join the palm. Because of this, the gloves felt weird the first few times I used them, but now seem better. I'll keep the forum updated on this front. The storm evo 3 in comparison had a just little excess leather on the joint areas making it a comfortable fit right from the get-go.

Overall though the exemplary protection at the price point bolstered my decision and I'm a happy rider. Cheers!

[shyamg28]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

Overall though the exemplary protection at the price point bolstered my decision and I'm a happy rider. Cheers!

Awesome! Now can I have my gloves back please :P Just kidding.

On the precise fitment part, I think that will change once it properly breaks in. And these gloves certainly require breaking in for sure.
On the comfort part, fully agree. It is a compromise compared to some other full gauntlet gloves. But amazing pair of gloves. I've had the "privilege" of real-world testing them and they came out aces!

Safe riding!

[Otto]

Viaterra products somehow are below par, which for most part equates to theor economical costs.
Their warranties however are a different thing altogether.

While Rynox is mostly a no questions asked return policy,

Viaterra comes off as rude and arrogant when it comes to handling claims.
They have unreasonably selfish demands which I have a big problem with especially if you're trying to make a name in the circuit.
Their "By riders, for riders" motto is bunk.
They show deplorable spirit when it comes to taking feedback.
They don't seem to want to improve.

Their products I found to be just about OK. Not the best, definitely not world standard. You're just barely getting VFM.


That being said, I sincerely hope you have a better experience with them, no matter what product you use.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by Otto

Their products I found to be just about OK. Not the best, definitely not world standard. You're just barely getting VFM. That being said, I sincerely hope you have a better experience with them, no matter what product you use.

I would respectfully disagree, my post highlighted a couple of flaws IMO yes, but they still are well ahead of Rynox in terms of the safety they offer. I've also always had a good Customer Service Experience with them too. However, it seems like you have had some past experience with them that has left a sour taste? Please do share your experiences here as it'll be beneficial for everyone to know