Royal Enfield Himalayan - Review From The Western Ghats!

[Parichit-moto-legion]

Hidden in the backyard of Pune is a mesh of twisted, tangled off-road tracks,
"The Western Ghats", they provide a perfect place to rumble for enthusiast who are miles away from the Himalayas.

DISTANCE COVERED- 140 KMS
TRACK DETAILS:

* ROCKS
* RED SOIL
* WATER LOGGED PATCHES.
* MULTIPLE HAIR PINSI have been riding my old CI Enfield on these tracks for a long time now, but the HIMALAYAN is a joy to have in these conditions.

The suspension is superb, although I did get irritated while coming back and every muscle ached to see tarmac.

I did an uphill climb on the Himalayan and it kept pushing itself higher and higher without breaking a sweat at around 3,000 rpm on second gear.
But once I stopped to look around it took some muscle power to get the bike moving. (P.S: I weigh 104 kgs)

If you slowed down a bit on 3rd gear, you have to shift down to get extra torque to launch the bike which gets tough if the road is a creamy red gravy of mud.
Maybe I should shed some weight, maybe I should improve my skills.

Although the entire patch was full of stones of all shapes and sizes certain patches were just unbearable and I remember the old Bullet would rattle all my bones,
but the HIMALAYAN bounced like a basketball in the hands of Jordan ( P.S. I ain't Jordan) ... it maintained its orientation and I could hear the air pumping in and out of the shocks.

Yes the beauty of the motorcycle is it stays on its track, the rear wheel drifts but the front is so light and stable.

I am sure if anyone has ridden an old bike or even the new UCE on such tracks you would have had

* Indicators hanging
* Mudguards rattling
* Battery cover trying to depart from your bike
* Horn sounds like an old radio. But this baby was painted red and 15 mins was all it took to clean it

To conclude, I would like to say the HIMALAYAN is a great start.
I AM SURE INDIAN MARKET WILL FLOOD WITH SUCH TOYS ....

MY CAMERA IS NOT THAT GREAT... maybe next time I will get better pictures

[NikilSJ]

Parichit-moto-legion that track looks pretty hardcore. First of all, congratulations on your latest ride. Can't imagine how much your bones would have rattled in the older Bullet But yes, the Himalayan has got a well sorted suspension and can take bad roads with ease. How is the ground clearance like though? And does your bike come with a centre stand? Royal Enfield had announced that they would remove the centre stand for the Indian bikes as they kept scrapping large speedbreakers apparently. Looking forward to seeing more pictures from your future rides.

[Parichit-moto-legion]

Ground clearance is awesome... I used to fear while passing through deep ruts on the older bike and felt the same on this one initially, but soon the Himalayan restored my confidence... I had no problems with the stand..... imagine bouncing off speed breakers on N.D.A. Road, Pune.... I haven't seen speed breakers bigger than those.....

[Praveen]

Congratulations Parichit-moto-legion on your new ride! Nice post! Do you have any plans of adding panniers/ crash guards, etc.? Yes, the Himalayan has plenty of low -end torque. However, how was the clutch feel? I felt it to be a bit crude when compared to my Thunderbird. What about neutral? I found the neutral to be really hard to slot in. One of my veteran rider friends also had the same experience. Let us know how your bike is.

[NikilSJ]

Parichit-moto-legion hahaha. I can imagine flying off speedbreakers on a Himalayan. Would be one hell of a sight. In his review, Praveen had mentioned that downshifts were a bit hard. Have you been facing the same problem with yours as well? I think it was a problem with the initial few batches but if you have been facing the same problem, then it could be a serious issue. Also, like any RE, finding neutral is also way too hard don't you think?

[Parichit-moto-legion]

NikilSJ ohh yes the gears are tough.. but i guess they will improve as the bike matures..... Praveen yes i will add crash guards.. not too sure about panniers would prefer soft luggage with a mount...... i had no problems with clutch.... yes it is tough to find neutral....

[Praveen]

Parichit-moto-legion Yeah, adding crash guards ensures you don't need to worry about tipping the bike. How many kilometers have you done so far? I heard the gearbox smoothens out after the first service. By the way, did you get a printed manual for your bike? What are the recommended tyre pressures? There were no markings on the bike which I got and I just ended up filling 25 psi at the front and 35 psi at the rear.

[Parichit-moto-legion]

Praveen first service is due.. will be done in couple of days... i have a manual but haven't checked it will go through it....

[Praveen]

Parichit-moto-legion I see... Let us know how the bike is, after the first service.

[Parichit-moto-legion]

Guys the problem for tough gearbox is here atleast it worked for me... Just place a washer with the bolt that fixes gear lever... The washer must be small enough to fit first half of the length of the bolt. It helps.

[Praveen]

Parichit-moto-legion Oh, I see! That's great. Was it just a movement restriction in your case? A picture will help understand better, I guess. Thanks for the update!

[Karnavati_Bikes]

For all Indian bikers, Adventure means riding through the Himalayas. This includes riding around the majestic peaks through the valleys while admiring the landscape en route. But only a few are able to ride this dream. So to satisfy envy of such bikers, the Royal Enfield earlier this year launched a Himalayan which they call as an all-terrain, all-weather bike. But Royal Enfield wants us to see Himalayan not just as adventure tourer, but your all day commuting companion as well. The bike sports all new 411cc long stroke air-cooled engine which is paired with a single cylinder. The body is mounted on split-cradle frame, with a rather sleek looking 15 litre fuel tank and a low upright seating position. It has part retro part adventure look. And all of the 182 kg of this machine with around 24 horsepower ready for all-roads or no-roads. It is tough and it is well-balanced. For Royal Enfield lovers, it has the feel of an RE and most importantly the sound of one, even if it’s a new sound.