Nov 27, 2016 12:05 PM
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My 7th motorcycle in 12 years.
I had been waiting for an affordable adventure motorcycle since I laid my eyes on the Triumph Tiger.
So on 15th of Nov 2016 I had my own Himalayan. And the what better way to test the motorcycle than a ride to the Rider Mania at Goa.
So off we went, me, my wife, all loaded with saddle bags and a tank bag.
590 kms one way to Vagator Hill top.
The route was Mumbai - Lonavla - Pune - Satara - Karad - Nipani - turn left towards Amoboli Ghats - Sawanthwadi - Banda - Morjim where we booked the guest house. The return trip was the same .
The first thing that hits you - this is the most UN-Royal Enfield motorcycle. I should know, I have the 500 AVL and had a 350 UCE Thunderbird.
Pros - Very little vibrations till 6000 Rpm. Then the Royal Enfieldness creeps in.
Brilliant Handling - I even scrapped the side stand and main stand at slow speed.fully loaded! The Amboli Ghat section was pure joy.i never had so much fun in the twists and turns.again fully loaded with saddle bags, a tank bag and my wife! I have a CBR 250R and the Himalayan was even more fun.
Suspension and Ride Quality - I had set the rear suspension to a setting of 3 and the ride was almost plush. However when I rode solo on an uneven highway, the ride was bouncy as speeds of 80kms per hour. I have ridden on broken surfaces and the Himalayan begins to feel just right at home.
Seats are the best RE has ever designed. But to even better it, I used the Ride on Air seat attachment. For those who prefer to reduce micro vibrations -please check out the Ride on Air. Yes it does raise the height of your seating position but the comfort is worth it.
Mileage - The penultimate question of all Indians - since it was even before the first service, I was getting around 20 kms per liter. I am guessing 30 kms per liter is achievable. Thankfully the Himalayan is carburetored. My fuel gauge was a little cranky. At one point after filling up to tank full still showed low fuel.
There is also a low fuel reading indicator that pops up on the Digital Instrument cluster.
Sound - The reason why we all love or hate the RE. In this case once again the Himalayan is not quite RE. The sound is a deep bass growl when accelerating and an occasional whip when decelerating. My wife loved it and said that it was the right kind of loudness and gracefulness.
So do not go for the open silencer.just let it be in stock. Your pillion will thank you for it.
Looks - Its big and looks like a heavy duty mining tool. If you are looking for Katina Kaif, this ain't it.
But do not let that intimidate you. For those who feel the Himalayan is, well, truly Himalayan and need a climber's skill to just get on the seat.my Honda Unicorn has a seat height of 790 mm. The Himalayan is 800 mm. It is just tall. And that wind screen just adds to the height.
Riding position and Pillion comfort - Very very good. Both me and my wife had no aches and pains. We did a 22 hour ride once on the 350 Thunderbird. I sold off the Thunderbird soon after.
Clutch - Mine was firm but not hard. Again UN Royal Enfieldish.
Brakes - The front was pretty spot on and the feedback is good. Not in the CBR league but the rear brake is like a mystery. I locked the rear twice when I thought I was just engaging the brake gently. Very little to no feel. Might as well be made of old 500/1000 rs notes!
Cons - First that wind shield - the wind buffeting above 60 km per hour is like being inside a tornado. And it looks like it will break off anytime. Needs to be more areodynamic.
Gears - The only reminder that this is a RE after all. But still better than my 500 AVL and 350 T Bird. Get this right and RE sales will bump up another 20%.
Not Tubeless tyres - I believe Adventure class motorcycles MUST have tubeless tyres. In case of a puncture a tubeless is so much easy to fix by yourself.
Reflection - The lights of the instrument cluster is reflecting on to the wind shield. Can be irritating for some. I just ignored it. Also the sun light can bounce right into your eyes for the Front brake lever.
Tank bag - Use only a small tank bag as the handle bars can foul up with the bag. I was using a Cramster Tank bag and it was a pain.
Excessive engine heat - Can be very tough in the city and in the summer.
Mirrors - I would say the OME mirrors are dangerous as you really cannot get to see the width of the road behind you. even after angling them, I was more worried. I saw a few riders who changed their mirrors to the Bajaj Avenger OMEs. I had an Avenger and I am not too sure if those mirrors are meant for an Adventure Tourer. In other words, they might not take the extra off road on road vibrations. But I am changing the mirrors.
Not exactly a con here but you cannot trundle around in the 5th gear. In fact you can only engage the 5th past 60 kms per hour. Again UN Royal Enfieldish.
So my verdict - If you are looking for an affordable Adv tourer - this is it. Especially with a pillion and luggage. Plus the spares and service is very accessible and RE now has the On road Support where you call a toll free number and they reach you to help, be it a puncture or you simply ran out of fuel.
Yes there is the BMW 310 GS and KTM 390 Adv(not sure though) but I have a 250R and I can tell you - spares are expensive and not always readily available. That too when I personally know the Honda dealer.
Ensure you are always in riding gear.
We use Cramster Jackets, Rynox gloves, Rynoc Stacker saddle bags which are smaller than the Cramster Stallion but do not come near the up swept silencer. We also use Cramster spine protectors which also help support your back for long rides. Trust me - they are a huge help. As mentioned we also used a Cramter tank bag which is not advisable for the Himalayan due to the handle bar position. Helmets are HJC and Studds.
If you are looking for style and to impress those who do not really care about you, go buy a bloody car.
