Nov 27, 2017 11:58 AM
4668 Views
(Updated Feb 13, 2024 03:37 PM)
Here is my personal experience of using RE Himalayan for last 6 years.
I use the vehicle in and around Pune city.
Positives … as I experienced so far -
• Sturdy and attractive build quality. Visually appealing.
• Powerful headlight and horn
• Disc break on both wheels
• Good speedometer dial, equipped with trip meters, temperature, mileage, engine rpm, low fuel indicator etc.
• Upright riding position. Comfortable seats.
• Comfortable for pillion rider with sufficient space
• Oil change frequency of 10, 000 kms
• Space to load saddle bags. We can easily load the sack on fuel tank as well.
• 2 year warranty period
Concerns / problems / issues I experienced so far ->
• This bike is heavy-weight and tall. A person driving it has to be physically strong.
• Clutch movement is very hard. Advisable to keep a spare clutch cable.
• Brake pad wear is fast compared to other bikes. Maybe because of high torque.
• Gear shift is to be operated by toe. Gear shift is hard. Hence my recommendation is to use Industrial safety shoes while driving this bike. I experienced knee pain because of continuous hard shifting of gears
• Finding neutral gear position is difficult and first gear has to be used very often because the gear ratio doesn’t allow to pull the weight properly
• On speedometer dial, there is a digital compass to show the direction in remote places. But the funny thing is, it malfunctions at any moment and shows absurd directions… hence relying on this compass can put the rider in trouble.
• Oil seepage from gear box joints. The seepage is continuous and entire gear box looks oily.
• Chain lube / chain cleaner is required to be applied every 3-4 days, without which there is a sluggish rotation of rear wheel.
• A substandard and cheap quality metal mesh called Saree Guard is fitted there which breaks apart within six months
• While inflating the tyre, it is difficult to put air pipe on rear wheel, because of spokes
• No tubeless tyres. Removal of rear wheel is not easy. Shaft nut size is odd which requires a spanner provided in the tool kit.
• Engine stalls at any speed when clutch is operated in cold start condition. Engine warm up is required.
• While moving on wet / dirty / muddy roads, the rider has to be mentally prepared to get dirty, because both the wheels splash the water and dirt on the rider itself. .especially front wheel.
• I experienced problems like breakage of Rear plastic bumper, falling of reflector, breakage of leg guard, loosening of horn wires etc., just through normal vibrations from road.
• Spare parts are not easily available in open market. RE authorized service centers charge any amount as per their wish
• Ignition cum handlebar lock mechanism is a dangerous piece. The wires coming out of this switch keep on touching the handlebar while turning. After few years the wires develop loose or broken contacts resulting in stalling of engine and switching off the instrument panel. This is a safety issue and requires attention from the manufacturer.
• Magneto coil / pickup coil failure is another problem. The magneto coil can fail at any moment without any warning sign. It stops charging the battery and button start doesn’t work. During last 6 years, I experienced this failure 3 times.
• Sticky movement of handlebar. This is not a good experience especially driving in ghat sections. The problem is due to sticky dust seal on handlebar. The seal has to be replaced frequently.
• Poor quality handlebar. Once my bike fell down while taking it out from center stand, and the handlebar bent.! I had to replace it.
• Vehicle becomes highly unstable during urgent breaking. Hence its dangerous to drive this bike in high speed.
• Mileage is around 22-25 kmpl… a money drainer.
In a nutshell, this bike is a nasty white elephant having too much unreliable performance. I avoid taking it on long rides and in remote areas.
RE dealers continue to say that all problems will be resolved in'latest' models…. Don’t know when the real defect free model will be out ….
