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Has a look that reminds me of a TT500 from BITD.
Made me think more like watching a BITD hacked BSA B40 at a local scramble. 🙃
At least they got it up in the air.
It will do fine* at Weston, it won't have to leave the ground 😉 🤣
*if the salty sand doesn't kill it.
Made me think more like watching a BITD hacked BSA B40 at a local scramble...
When I lived out west in Oz I had a BSA Victor 440 for bush bashing and then also acquired an ex military B40. That quickly became my preferred bike for bush bashing, I loved its ability to tractor through rough slow going, and it also handled better at low speeds IMO.
(That's not criticism of the Victor, it was designed for much speedier exploits)
The Himalayan seems built to the same ethos and I suspect RE had intentions of marketting it to the military as a simple reliable tool easily fixed in the field.
BTW I'm now proud possessor of a shiny new Scram. As a rabid singlespeeder I always said when I got old and frail that I'd get a bike with gears and suspension, and my missus bought it for my 80th birthday.
It's scary running it in. Cars seemed pissed off at a motorbike doing only 40mph and pass a lot closer than when I'm on a bicycle doing 10mph. Can't wait to give it its head.
Nice. I like a Scram. Basically a Himalayan with a more road going lean.
I expect you got it new for a fairly good deal as they are heavily discounted these days.
Pics?
Had my first puncture after 35k miles of riding with inner tubes at the weekend. Had the tools, but no patches... Doh! 😒
Fortunately the rear tyre went flat right outside a bikers cafe, and I was rescued by a chap riding a rather snazzy Superdream Recumbent:
I was rescued by a chap riding a rather snazzy Superdream Recumbent
That is some bit of kit,like something out of Tron 👍
Looks like a Quasar with the roof missing! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasar_(motorcycle)
It's actually a 'Coda' it seems.
https://www.bikeweb.com/node/3903.html
At the risk of straying even further off-topic, it reminds me of the pedal/electric Electrom currently available in Canada. 🙂
Gloucestershire
I gave my Himalayan Scram to my wife when she passed her bike test and i,m really missing it! It was so good at just pottering down the local gravel filled and poorly surfaced back lanes that i'm seriously considering getting another one. I didn't really do "off road" (I know they are legally roads!) riding and so the Scram version was better suited to my needs ( they handle much better, with the smaller front wheel. I have ridden a normal Himalayan and so have something to compare it to.)
Scram now run in. Just waiting for a reasonably dry day to take it for its first service 50 miles away. I'm not confident on the weatherproofing of my riding gear, it's probably older than many here. 🙂
Although it's supposedly a road bike, I have every intention of getting offroad. The reason I went for the Scram rather than the Himalayan is the 19" front wheel, in the expectation that the braking distances will be shorter than with a skinny 21".
There are several modifications lined up for after the service. Suspension, ride height, bars, centre stand, levers to mention a few.
I'll put up some pics once I get it properly dirty. 🙂
Bit wet out in Shropshire this weekend.
Saw some bad flooding. Really feel for those affected. 😔
Insurance write off Himalayans up for auction at ... could be a bargin for someone happy to do a little spannering over winter:
https://www.copart.co.uk/lot/89621375
https://www.copart.co.uk/lot/91152275
Staffordshire t'other weekend. The little back roads were lethal with black ice. The Byways by comparison were lovely and grippy.
Having a few issues with the mighty Himalayan unfortunately. Broken down a few times. Failed to start a few times (as is currently) and generally unreliable running.
Starting with the triangle of internal combustion engines, I have compression, I have fuel but the spark is the questionable bit.
Grounding the plug to the engine and turning it over I sometimes get a great spark, sometimes a weak one, often no spark.
I've got a new plug on there, new ignition coil including ht lead and plug cap. Battery is 13.-something at rest so seems good.
I've taken apart every electrical connector I can get to and cleaned and WD40'd it. I've swapped relays around to test them, checked all fuses etc.
Anyone got any pointers about what to try next?
This has been going on since the photos I posted above and I'm getting really frustrated with it now 😐
Corrosion on any earthing points?
Damp ECU?
Having a few issues with the mighty Himalayan unfortunately. Broken down a few times. Failed to start a few times (as is currently) and generally unreliable running.
Starting with the triangle of internal combustion engines, I have compression, I have fuel but the spark is the questionable bit.
Grounding the plug to the engine and turning it over I sometimes get a great spark, sometimes a weak one, often no spark.
I've got a new plug on there, new ignition coil including ht lead and plug cap. Battery is 13.-something at rest so seems good.
I've taken apart every electrical connector I can get to and cleaned and WD40'd it. I've swapped relays around to test them, checked all fuses etc.
Anyone got any pointers about what to try next?
This has been going on since the photos I posted above and I'm getting really frustrated with it now 😐
Have a check of the reg/rec too
Having a few issues with the mighty Himalayan unfortunately....
This has been going on since the photos I posted above and I'm getting really frustrated with it now 😐
Haven't had the problem, but if there's good compression, a good spark and fuel delivery is ok, then it sounds like a dodgy, ie intermittent, earth or an unreliable switch.
If it was my bike I'd remove the sidestand cutout. I've seen that be the mysterious cause on many different makes of bike.
Another more unusual one that had me foxed for ages was a battery earth cable. It was fatigued internally to the point of separation, but this was hidden by the insulation so it appeared ok, and was no problem with the bike static. However on rough stretches it felt like fuel starvation.
I've had to replace my reg/rec on my BS4 at 25k. Some people have managed to burn out coils on the stator too.
If it needs one buy direct from India from ebay, a lot cheaper than Hitchcocks and take about a week to get here.
Haven't had the problem, but if there's good compression, a good spark and fuel delivery is ok, then it sounds like a dodgy, ie intermittent, earth or an unreliable switch.
It's the spark that is unreliable. Grounding the plug to the engine and turning over, sometimes the spark is strong and blue, sometimes weak, often no spark at all.
It's so frustrating as I keep getting all these false hopes with it. Before I broke down the other day, I'd been riding the bike to work every day for a week or so (since the time before it broke down and I thought I'd fixed it)
I've taken apart most connections I can get to, cleaned and WD40'd them. I've fitted a new coil, new iridium plug, new ht lead and cap.
I've tested the new coil which checks out, tested the stator (only with the bike off), the battery is in good health.
I'm getting fuel pressure, removed the injector and cleaned that, adjusted valve clearances.
Yeah, don't know. I'm running out of things to check. I thought the reg/rec was more to do with the charging side of things? The battery health is good. I'll check it as best I can though.
Unfortunately I just wonder whether the moisture has gotten in somewhere and is causing the issue. The bike lives outside under cover and gets ridden off road a lot. It's basically wet 24/7 for the winter months so it's not ideal.
I suppose that a bike like this, things like weather sealing in the electrics may be an area where they save money in manufacture.
I just wish I had a garage where I could do things at leisure. Everything is a stolen hour or two trying to shelter under the back of my van in the street in the dark evenings, between it pissing down forever. 😐
I'll test the reg/rec next and have a general go through all the connectors again with the contact cleaner I picked up.
Not loving it right now😐
It's the spark that is unreliable. Grounding the plug to the engine and turning over, sometimes the spark is strong and blue, sometimes weak, often no spark at all...
That strongly suggests sidestand cutout switch to me. It's in a perfect position to suffer corrosion etc. Try bypassing or eliminating it.
Have you tested the relays?
The kill switch can get full of crap too, worth taking apart for a clean.
Have any of you Himalayanists been on one of the Trailquest training events and can advise if any good for an aging biker with limited off-road experience?
Have you tested the relays?
The kill switch can get full of crap too, worth taking apart for a clean.
Yeah I've swapped the relays around. There are five on this bike. Also cleaned out the switchgear.
Very difficult to diagnose what with it running beautifully..... until it doesn't.
I've pretty much gone through every single electrical connector I can. Checked for contact and cleaned with contact cleaner.
Tested relays, Coil, stator, reg,/rec, battery.
Yeah. I had thought I had sorted it the other week. Perfect for 2 hours up to the Peak District, then an hour into the ride it left me stranded until I flattened the battery trying to start it then got the AA out.
He connected a booster to the battery, started it, and it was absolutely fine then all the way home.
It's not a battery issue though. It tests fine along with the charging voltage. The battery going flat is just a result of multiple failed starts as I try to diagnose it.
Does it cut out whilst you're moving or just when you park up?
One thing I noticed on mine when I was working on it this weekend was that if the bike was on the sidestand and switched on but not running, if i turned the bars from side to side I could hear one of the relays clicking. I was convinced I had a dodgy wire or connection until I picked it up off the sidestand and it stopped doing it. It looks like the sidestand bracket has probably been bent a bit and depending on the lean angle and weight on the stand it affects how it affects the switch. If it only cuts out when on the sidestand try starting it with the sidestand up.
I've actually taken the side stand switch out of the equation when I've had a no start, but it made no difference sadly.
The side stand switch actually prevents the starter motor from turning/working when you try to start it in gear.
The times that I've had issues starting, the starter motor works and turns the engine over just fine, so I don't think it could be that anyway.
It's more like I just get a weak spark.
Incidentally, changed the plug, coil, ht leads, plug cap. Still had a no start.
Mystery innit 😂
If it was me I'd throw a new battery at it just to be sure. If yours is the original they aren't great quality and don't usually last 3 years especially if they've had a hard life with lots of starts and running accessories.
Other than that you are into checking all of the wires in the loom for chafing and breakages, main one to check would be to the ignition coil, maybe bypass the loom and feed directly from the battery with a fly lead to check that one. As yours has been in the water a few times you could have water damage to the ECU but other than swapping in a known good one I wouldn't know how to check that.
I bought one of these which will start a 2.0 diesel engine: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F1SZT1SC?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title when I was having issues with my old car in cold weather. It goes with me in the car all the time now but when I was having issues with a parasitic drain on the Himmy (neutral switch coupled with a tired battery) I carried it my pannier until I sorted the problem with a new lithium battery and a Hitchcocks lead.
It's a pretty new lithium battery. Seems to be working fine.
I have a booster pack I'm carrying now too so that's good.
I've checked over everything I can get to with the loom but that's a good idea to bypass. Not that sure how to do that but I'm sure I can't figure it out if I start getting the issue again. Maybe it's something I can fabricate and carry with me in case it happens again.
I know you said you cleaned it, but have you tried short circuiting or unplugging the kill switch, (depends on how it works, either making or breaking the circuit, the wiring diagram should help) as stopping the bike from starting is pretty much the reason for it's existence!
Yes but the kill switch, kills the bike. You get nothing. You don't get starter motor.
When the bike has not started, it still turns over perfectly normally and strong. It just doesn't fire into life.
When you hit a kill switch, it (as far as any bike I've ever owned) means that you get nothing. No fuel pump priming, no starter motor.
I'm getting fuel pump, I'm getting turnover, just not firing up.
The side stand switch essentially acts just like the kill switch.
You cannot press the start button and turn the engine over. You get nothing.
I've not got nothing. This suggests to me at least, that the issue isn't with the kill switch or the sidestand switch however, I've cleaned the former and disconnected the latter and still had a no start.
Runs beautifully just now though. 🤷
It's biding its time until I'm a good few hours from home, and it's raining...
Ah, OK. I thought some worked more like a car immobiliser and would crank but not fire.
Very frustrating, I hope you find the issue soon.
If next time it happens but when you use the booster it fires up then I'd be sending the battery back.
Other than that it's time to look for wiring damage I think.
Not relevant to your problem, by the sound of it, but I noticed on a recent ride that mine will cut out on the key; With the key inserted with the key ring hole nearer to me, it will turn past the ignition-on position and cut out. With the hole nearer the windscreen, it reaches a stop and will turn no further as you would expect.
Bagged a few lanes yesterday, properly dry out there after the wind early in the week and then 3 sunny days.
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