Royal Enfield Himalayanists

Anyway, someone please tell me the Himalayan is a terrible bike and a terrible idea!

One went past me the other day and it certainly looked very nice. What was Noraly’s conclusion, looks like she had a couple of them. Power to weight would be my concern, 24bhp is going to struggle pulling a rider and luggage around I would have thought. I’d certainly book a test ride before anything else.

24bhp is going to struggle pulling a rider and luggage around I would have thought

Yeah, I suppose you have to add context to that. Lower power for little lanes, green lanes, singletrack roads etc might not feel so weedy. It's the motorway to get to that from middle England which I guess might suck a little. 😊

I like bimbling though. Not bothered about barreling along at 80-90.
I used to have a Z900 and at the same time, a Vespa PK50, and the vespa was ridiculously slow in comparison, but I actually really enjoyed riding it.

Bloke down the road from me has one painted military style. Says it is the slowest and most fun bike he's had. I see him going round twos up, so it's not completely feeble.

Big itchy boots fan. They look great and perfect for overlanding. Low tech too, so easier to get repaired in out of the way places or DIY. One up, mainly on dirt tracks pootling slowly, I think it would be great.

Have a look at a YouTuber called Wiltshire man who has (or had) a Himalayan and does a lot of UK touring on it - NC500 etc.

Personally I wouldn't have one as a main bike, as I do mainly road miles in UK with the very occasional dirt track foray. My Tiger 900GT is perfect for that and for European 2 up tours (off to northern Spain with Mrs Bloke in a few weeks). I think the Himalayan would be a bit underpowered to do that comfortably.

For your use case it might be great, as above get a test ride!

I considered one, but decided that it's just a bit too weedy, whilst not being particularly light. I ended up going for a NC750X.
If I was wanting to do as you describe, I'd be following the Itchyboots lead and getting a CRF300. That seems like a better choice by every metric.

My BiL had a Royal Enfield.
He rode it less than 10 times and sold it.
He described it as hugely underwhelming and was left wondering why he bought it.

Yeah, the CR-F300L is a better choice. Much more capable & refined everywhere than the Himalayan.
I had an RE500 in India many moons ago. It made sense there, not so much here.

Yeah, the CR-F300L is a better choice. Much more capable & refined

I like fatbikes and rigid steel bikes so refined isn't always at the top of my list 😂

I think Harold might have other ideas?
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Didn't Itchy Boots swap to Honda's after having to leave her Himalayan somewhere due to the pandemic?

Peru I think? That was her second Himalayan before switching to Hondas.

People who own Himalayans (including Norally) are keen to pronounce it 'Him-arl-ee-an' not 'Him-a-lay-an'.

The former being how Indians and Nepalese say it apparently. The rest of us have been saying it wrong forever!

Oooh a major birthday motorbike purchase. Nice.

The Himalayan oozes character and looks the business. But 24hp, that’s not far off what I had on my Kawasaki ar125 once I’d deresticteed it back in 1988 (after passing my test). No way would I even consider that now, unless you are moving to deepest darkest Peru and never going near tarmac ever again. If you are, then a cub 90 is probably a better bet.

I’ve had quite a few Hondas and they have all been absolutely brilliant and faultless. So CRF300 rally all day long. Years ago I had the 750 Africa twin and then the yam tenere 750, both of which I absolutely loved, but I think the CRF300 looks much better than either of those, that’s a great looking bike. Nothing like the Himalayan though.

If you are after the classic look rally adventure bike, scratch that itch for a year as nothing else will do, then buy the Honda.

https://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/range/adventure/crf300-rally/overview.html

Edit: just saw you’re riding a suzi GSX, they are bombproof and really lovely motors, used to commute into central London on a gsxf, which IIRC was using a detuned gsxr motor - really nice.

I think Harold might have other ideas

😂

Me too!

just saw you’re riding a suzi GSX, they are bombproof and really lovely motors, used to commute into central London on a gsxf,

I had that before actually. A 1982 gsx400f 👌

Guy at work has one, swapped from a bonneville, seems to like it. IMHO if you want a RE a Honda isn’t going to scratch that itch being somewhat more refined etc, so get the Himalaya then! (TBF I do ride some fairly less common bikes 2 Honda cubs, a 883 sportster and a bantam so a little biased).

Review here:

https://www.adventurebikerider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=51937&start=10

A mate was a test rider for RE. Wasn’t impressed! Underpowered & crap quality apparently 🤷‍♂️.

I live right next to a Royal Enfield dealer and the bikes look great in the flesh so I've spent lots of time considering them. I prefer the Scram to the Himalayan I think.

If you can get to Manhattan Motorcycles in Sheffield they've got a fleet of demo bikes available at short notice.

I'd much prefer the CRF 300 Really though.

I’ve not got one, but I have a meteor with a similar engine and build quality as me anything.

There’s a new one on the way though allegedly 40hp and water cooling.

Saw some up close at a show last summer.
I thought they looked dull,agricultural and roughly finished.
As if some sixth formers had had a go at a design project, and ran out of time.
😉🤣🙃

Saw some up close at a show last summer.
I thought they looked dull,agricultural and roughly finished.

I think that's what I like about them. 😊
Really not a fan of virtually any modern bikes I can think of.

Not keen on that Honda 300 mentioned above, though I'm sure it's a fantastic riding bike.

Most modern bikes look like they're all designed in some Cad program with angled bits everywhere looking like transformer wasps, everything fitting together like Tetris and no gaps.

I love the look of that Himalayan up there.
It looks like a motorcycle.
Very utilitarian and pared back.
No rider modes or any of that carp (though it does have ABS I believe).
Just an engine, a seat and 2 wheels.
👌

People do customs too

I think ABS is a legal requirement in UK and Europe now.  I bet the Indian market REs don't have it. Hell, they probably have drum brakes and pop out flag indicators!

I get what you mean about an honest, pared back, functional motorcycle though. One that can be fixed by a  village blacksmith in Tibet or the Mekong delta!

That custom up there is exactly the sort of nonsense I've been into over the past few decades.
Great as long as you never see rain, want to carry anything or need some of the basic functions of a bike.
I've had a big naked retro, raucous supermoto, quirky little sports bike, ancient classics , a lovely rumbly Ducati. They all looked and sounded great, but did hundreds rather than thousands of miles a year, simply because they were all honestly a bit shite and not much fun to ride.
Now, I have a boring commuter bike and it's by far the most fun bike I've had, paradoxically. My riding confidence has markedly improved since getting it, and I'd happily jump on and ride hundreds of miles safe in the knowledge I'll be comfy, sipping fuel and extremely unlikely to break down.
Having my bits and bobs easily at hand in the frunk is an added bonus which I'd now hate to give up.

People complaining about the finish and build quality on a Royal Enfield need to be fair and compare them to similarly priced bikes. The Chinese stuff from the likes of Mutt isn't in the same league really. I really wanted a Mutt until a few mates bought them and I realised that they're the motorcycle equivalent of a Halfords BSO.

There's nothing else this good in the price range with similar running costs. Double your money and it's easy to scoff at the underpowered Indian.

I know the CRF300 isn't really comparable to a retro, throwback bike but it would be much more suitable for the kind of riding I'd like to do. That's what's stopped me from popping around the corner and buying a Meteor or a Scram.

What I really, really want is a Ducati Desert Sled but the cost of entry is a bit high for a first bike. I'll probably start smaller.

Id sooner a CRF300, the crf250l has been around 10 years or so, so mechanics know how it works and honda parts easy to come by.
In thailand its been one of the few dual purpose machines that are legally available, so there must be lots of accessories to beef them up for the jungle.

id be looking for a kawasaki klx450, or suchlike, dont know if theyre available here or prices

Double your money and it’s easy to scoff at the underpowered Indian.

This - I was going to suggest a CCM as a friend has one and it's a beautiful bike but then I checked the prices and it's over double a RE.

There's a really good Himalayan and Scram Facebook group.
I like that it's the sort of characterful bike that has meets and stuff 😊

id be looking for a kawasaki klx450, or suchlike, dont know if theyre available here or prices

Don't think you can get them in the UK. None for sale and no UK reviews available.

@kayak23 have you considered a triumph scrambler ? Loads of custom options, IIRC you can get a model with spoked wheels, character classic looking naked bike

@kayak23 have you considered a triumph scrambler ?

Kind of, but discount any of them on price.
I'm generally pretty skint and the thing I liked about the Himalayan was its relatively low price.

It seems crazy that you can get a brand new Himalayan for less than I bought an eeb for. I'm looking at used bikes, not brand new.

I also think those types of bikes are probably maybe less capable off road. More a street bike with chunky tyres.
They're maybe more of a look, thing (although I know they do get ridden off road)

Ah yes, price 5k new, lots less second hand and plenty hardly used to choose from.

Even brand new the Himalayan is good value compared to an eMtb, esp the top spec ones like the Spesh s-works models, crazy. How did that happen?

@kayak23 have you considered a triumph scrambler ? Loads of custom options, IIRC you can get a model with spoked wheels, character classic looking naked bike

you mean like mine. 😉

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Love it 👍

It's lovely that Triumph Scrambler, but to be fair, if I put a high exhaust and chunky tyres on my GSX it wouldn't be that far off.

It's still a pretty chunky and low-slung bike with fairly short travel.
Nice, but a different kettle.

Whatever bike I get would have a rack like this ideally...

Going to test ride one today so we'll see if it puts me off it.

I know it'll be slow, but whether that'll matter much to me is yet to be seen. 😊

There was talk of it having the 650 engine which might be worth waiting for?

If I was wanting to do as you describe, I’d be following the Itchyboots lead and getting a CRF300. That seems like a better choice by every metric.

They're basically the same power, just the RE does it at half the RPM, which is no bad thing. The Himalayan is carrying an extra 50kg though.

Objectively neither looks like a good bike. Just that the Himalayan set's it's expectation lower (it's a utilitarian bike for riding on unsealed roads), whereas the CRF is playing dressup as an enduro/rally bike, even compared to a WR250R the Yamaha has 20kg less weight and 50% more power (and that's not comparing it against real CRF/WRF's).

There was talk of it having the 650 engine which might be worth waiting for?

Been rumored for a while. I'm not sure it'll happen, the 650 would be a big, wide, easily damaged, engine to try and engineer into a frame. And still only makes ~43Hp. There's a 450cc/40Hp single in the works though which could make it a better long legged adventure bike with enough grunt for the hills.

I think CTXP on the Revzilla YouTube channel did a comparison/evaluation of the Himalaya last year, taking it up/over/through some decent terrain. I _think_ they said it was ok, but a bit underpowered for the weight, but don't quote me on that.

Edit: found it

My only issue with the Royal Enfields is when you need to try and overtake anything. The meteor has 20bhp Vs 24 for the Himalayan and for general riding it’s enough, I’d say it’s as quick as my Kuga up to 70mph.

But if someone is doing 50 in a 60 and you’re running late, you need a bit old gap in the oncoming traffic to get past.

Other than that it’s very good, even on the motorway it’ll happily sit at 70ish for hours.

Well, I won't lie, that was proper good fun!

Went off for a razz around some Derbyshire lanes for an hour or so.
It had an aftermarket pipe on that sounded amazing.

It honestly didn't feel slow. It felt plenty for singletrack lanes and I even managed to blast down some rough gravel farm tracks and get properly lost down tiny lanes with grass in the middle.
Man, I loved it! 😊

I think I might have to get one.

I rode my 750 to the dealership to get a direct comparison and,... there isn't really a comparison. Apples and oranges.

But the Enfield just put a massive grin on my face. The low down grunt is fantastic for just getting yourself going enough and I found it a really pleasing, non-aggressive power.

Granted, on a motorway and overtaking it'll not be the best, but for what it's meant for I reckon it's rad.

The demo bike I tried had 1k on the clock and they said they'd take 4k for it.
Still a bit much for me. I think I'm looking around the 3k mark.

The front brake was pretty rubbish but I really gelled with everything else.

My GSX felt blummin weird when I got back on it to go home!

sounds like a deal is on the cards. 😉

Where about are you? Wigan motorcycles are advertising brand new ones for £4295. Not sure what difference an aftermarket pipe would make either, all of the singles sound pretty decent stock to me (but I do have beef with aftermarket exhausts in general) so I wouldn’t want to pay more. Depends on whether not having to follow the running in schedule is worth more than having a brand new bike. It might be, because of how slow the bikes are the recommended speeds are tedious.

New bike day!  😊

Got a really good deal on this Euro 5 2022 bike from down south and went to get it yesterday.

The orange hand guards are going but otherwise it's got most of what I'd like, such as pannier racks.

I need to swap the seat for the original too as the bloke I bought it off was fairly tall and I'm more economically proportioned, and it has a taller padded seat.

I can touch the ground fine but not flat footed, and I'd like it as low as it can be for riding off road.

It's slow compared to my GSX, but of course it is. Good fun on the little unclassified road I popped down last night before an epic and unexpected storm stopped play.

More exploring to come! 😊

Well done for following through kayak 😉
After my comment about it being dull and agricultural,I went away with my son ( he has just passed his test)last weekend and it turns out that him and his mates had taken some Himalayans out for a test ride.He was raving about it,so what do I know 😆 🤣 😂
Have lots of fun,but seriously think about getting rid of the tank bars.....they are an abomination 😆 🤣

New bike day is always a good day! Enjoy!

Never come in the Chat forum, then I find this 🤯 🤣

I’m having an existential cycling crisis so just bought a 2022 Pine Green Himmy 😎

So glad to hear what you’ve said about it @kayak23

I’ve bought a set of panniers, a top box, hand guards and some TKC80’s for it too and it still came in cheaper than a new Scram OTR with panniers if…..

…you take into account that you have to take it almost straight back for its £260, 300 mile service that they wouldn’t discount.

This was on 2850 miles so I made them bung in the 3000 mile service to make sure I don’t have to do anything else this year.

Looking forward to hearing how you get on with it.

And yes- I’d love a 2x2 cycles rack for it 🤩

After my comment about it being dull and agricultural,I went away with my son ( he has just passed his test)last weekend and it turns out that him and his mates had taken some Himalayans out for a test ride.He was raving about it,so what do I know 😆 🤣 😂
Have lots of fun,but seriously think about getting rid of the tank bars…..they are an abomination

There's nothing dull about it in the right context. I'm sure 5 hours on a motorway might get a bit dull but on the lanes and unclassified roads it's a hoot and makes total sense.

I went down a local to me 'green lane' on it last night. It was hilarious chugging away in 1st, letting the idle drive you and really difficult in heavily 4x4 rutted muddy troughs. Great fun.

Sounds like your son gets it. 😊

The tank bars are fairly essential, providing crash protection off road, and also luggage options on tour. I actually love them and their quirkiness. It's got character this bike and all that stuff adds to it.

This was on 2850 miles so I made them bung in the 3000 mile service to make sure I don’t have to do anything else this year.

Looking forward to hearing how you get on with it.

Mines not even done 2k miles yet! I need to get it moving! 😊

🤣👍🏻 Won’t take long. I’m just waiting for them to get the service done on mine and bring it over. Hopefully this week 🤞🏻

That looks fun. I was about to go shopping for a Scram or Himalayan as there's a good selection available in Sheffield at the minute. I was arranging my finances when we were burgled last week.

Now I need to spend all my money on a garage door and it's dampened my appetite for having anything nice.

Maybe next year.

Strewth @Sharkattack sorry to hear that 😔