Pretty good ride today with Grims Himalayan group around Gloucestershire.
Wetter than the pocket of an otter but the gravel kept the mud manageable.

I dropped my bike showing off manoeuvring in difficult terrain and snapped my gear lever.
Luckily someone was carrying a spare, else I’d have had to ride home in 1st!

Some Himalayans and some not Himalayans. (One was a Voge)

Toddington steam railway

Stanway – Riding up one of my favourite mtb descents in the Cotswolds.

The Slaughters

I’ve been in hibernation for the last few weeks during constant torrential rain, topped off with a family bout of norovirus. I’m in ruins.

But…time to fit new toys. I plan to make a bracket for this USB charger which attaches it to the plate behind the clocks but for now, I have an accessory bar and a clamp so I’m using it until I get it wired up and working properly.

This is what the space behind the headlight looks like. To be honest, I was hoping to see a big obvious red wire which I could splice into but it’s a rainbow of multicoloured delights.

This is the feed for the Tripper. I might splice into this. Or, I might remove the tank and go further back for something more substantial. It looks like that’s what they’ve done previously with the heated grips.

Any tips appreciated before I start cutting and burn my bike down.

I might (might) have a rare free weekend coming up and there’s a few dry days in the forecast. Not sure what to head for but hopefully I can remember how to ride a bike.

Even if they’ve addressed the flaws with the original- it’s no longer got the classic British bike look 😞

Did it ever look like a Classic British bike?

If you stripped off all the crash bars and screen, it kinda looks like an off-road bike from an alternate timeline where monoshocks developed sometime around early 80’s square tank triumphs, but nothing else, and you have to use the monoshock as an excuse to make the subframe/seat that ugly.

I’d still quite like one, but it’s been strung up like a Pinata and beaten with all the ugly sticks.

Any tips appreciated before I start cutting and burn my bike down.

Not a tip, but an option perhaps.
I wired my usb port into the side light inside the headlight.

Dead easy. It’s a switched wire so only on with the ignition and any splicing you do is nicely weatherproofed inside the headlight shell.
👍

I like that idea, I’ll have a look.

I finished installing my accessory socket over the weekend. I’ve simply connected it straight to the battery (via a fuse) and run the wire along the top of the frame under the tank. That means it’s permanently live, of course, but I like having a socket I can connect a charger to without removing the seat.

👆 Has the outlet got an inline switch?
I guess you just need to keep an eye out for if the battery is affected.

Got my bike with me this morning for repairs after snapping my gear lever at the weekend.

The trouble is, is that I don’t use my welder enough so I think I hadn’t got it set up well, hence the breaking at the weld.

It’s just a ‘cigarette lighter’ style socket, so nothing to provide a drain unless it shorts out. I had the same set up on my old F650 (in that case plugged into the factory-fitted Hella socket down the side of the bike) with no problems. I use a separate USB adapter when charging. Although I’ve yet to check if that connects reliably with in-use vibration, and I may need to change the mounting angle of the socket if that’s a problem.

Great ride over and around the Malverns today.
It is so beautiful round there. Went down so many tiny little roads that I would never in a million years have found myself were it not for the bike.
Some really good lanes there too with some great climbs on the edge of grip and a few fords, one of which that I’ve done before I declined today as it had a serious flow on it today.
Great day out 😊

Awesome mate 🤩 That looks brilliant.

I’m finding it hard to get motivated to get out on mine in these conditions I must admit.
My Tractor, Land Rover, Buggy and I are constantly wet and muddy at work- so the thought of getting another machine muddy on my day off isn’t mega appealing 🤣

I did start it today and let it warm up. It started on the button which I was most impressed with!

My Tractor, Land Rover, Buggy and I are constantly wet and muddy at work- so the thought of getting another machine muddy on my day off isn’t mega appealing 🤣

I know what you mean. Everything I do seems to involve getting covered in mud at this time of year.
Must get back in the boat! 😂

In an effort to provide some variation to the riding position on longer journeys, I’ve added engine bars and ‘highway pegs’:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eQnPA2VFLwqaJKTX7YWAhkElhQrQhfoK/view?usp=drive_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eV7IN9onvRaMgZGjosO8d4_kEmNekb4o/view?usp=drive_link

Not test-ridden yet, though. Something for the weekend.

Another addition: Upthread I asked if anybody had tried the Rhinowalk pannier base. No one had, so I’ve done the decent thing and tested it for you, you lucky things!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ic7x0p3K5pc_oC7uL06Zy89f7QEfAII6/view?usp=drivesdk

I’d say that fits pretty well. Just need to add bags now.

Cracking ride yesterday joining Grims Himalayan Facebook group for day one of their annual Christmas ride.

They are riding from Rhyl to Chepstow over two days following the rough route of Offas Dyke path.

I just joined them for day one, from Rhyl to Knucklas/Knighton as I needed to get home for Sunday.

A bit of a convoluted faff to do it.
I stuck my bike in my van and drove up to Knucklas Friday evening taking about 2.5 hours. I left the van there, and then rode the bike about 1.5 hours in the pitch black on twisty wet roads with a horrible visor that wouldn’t stop being misty or greasy or open to clear. Sketchy.
I stayed in a little pub hotel near Llangollen, trudging in with mucky bike gear and Motocross boots. I was too late for dinner and so had a few biscuits from the tea tray in the room 😂
Woke at 5.45am to leave for Rhyl. Too early for breakfast.
Pitch black again and despite cleaning my visor and rubbing in a drop of liquid soap, it was still horrendous. Mostly had to ride the 1.2 hours there with it ajar. Must get a pinlock insert to try 🤔

The sun coming up in Rhyl was beautiful and it gave the tacky amusement arcades of the sea front a certain romance.

Rhyl

Absolutely great ride with some really mixed trails and whoever ordered that weather in is getting a pint bought.

The route

I feel, mighty Rhyl.

Ten bikes starting. All Himalayans apart from one Voge and a CRF250 but I made sure to be unfriendly to them. 😉

1st of one or two gates.

The riding group are a full-English type of group. Not something I’m used to doing on mtb rides I’ve got to say 😂 We stopped at the Ponderosa cafe on Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen.
This lane is right behind it dropping down the valley. Somewhere in the distance in the photo is a Himalayan.

This trail would have to do until we got a better Offa.

The right line was deep. Turns out the left was waay deeper.

Very nearly made it but got stuck near the end. Feet slightly damp.

The sheep were seemingly oblivious to the watery action unfolding beneath them.

Picking up after a rut-induced off.
The rider had been really ill last week and was still recovering but didn’t want to miss it. He had a bit of a coughing fit riding along in a rut, lost his line and down.
Just shows what a fine line it is riding ruts on heavy motorcycles.

Proud to say I was the first and only person to get up this section.
It was quite a steep track and had been absolutely ruined by 4x4s.
If you got into one of the side ruts it was game over.
I managed to sneak onto the central section and just so gently chug my way up, feet down, weight on the rear, trying to find grip until I reached this ditch at the top, lost grip, bike slid out and I dropped it.

After taking a photo, the first thing you must always do, I tried to lift it. This was the first time I’ve had that I couldn’t lift my bike. The position it was in the ditch, and the ground dropping away behind the bike meant I just couldn’t get any meaningful force under it.
Luckily there was about 9 people to help if needed😂 Only one was needed in the end.

The track got even worse above. Really deep cross-ditches and massive muddy ruts.

The decision was made to turn tail. There was no way we were getting all ten bikes up there.

I wasn’t too overjoyed about having to ride the bike down the main climb rut again. I find downhills much more sketchy on a motorcycle due to the immense weight and shit brakes. But as it was, I just really took it chill and was fine.

After this it was more of the same.
The little tarmac lanes we were going down were nearly worse than the actual off road parts.
Thin ribbons of tarmac each side where cars had been, but each side, mud, mossy green and ditch verges.
One guy actually lost it on one of the road sections. I think he just crept over the edge with his front wheel into the verge. Probably doing 30-40mph.
I didn’t see it happen but I was first round the corner in the aftermath.
Luckily he was ok but his foot was trapped under the bike.

Great day out. Might go and give the bike its overdue 6k mile service today, after a jetwash!

Excellent write up & photo’s! @kayak23

Hopefully I’ll be able to add to this thread soon (got my Himalayan in September but ended up in plaster a couple of days after getting it, wouldn’t mind but it wasn’t even bike related FFS)

Hopefully I’ll be able to add to this thread soon (got my Himalayan in September but ended up in plaster a couple of days after getting it, wouldn’t mind but it wasn’t even bike related FFS)

Oh no! That really sucks.
Yes, please share your rides here. Look forward to seeing it, and get well soon! 😊👍

Well done kayak, you’re getting good at those ditches 😉 😜
Glad nobody drowned in that crossing,it looked blinkin deep.

Went out for a razz this afternoon to bag a few more entries to Grims photo challenge (Facebook group)

It’s a nice way of putting a route together that you might not normally do.

This one isn’t in the photo challenge but I was passing.
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shottery, Warwickshire

A bit of indicator love needed after crashing my bike inside my van!

*Make sure it’s tied down well folks. No, one strap won’t be enough, even though it is only up the road! 😬🙄

One of the rear indicators was already taped together, and now this little incident cost me a front, so I decided to replace them all round with something a bit more discrete.

I found these crazy tiny ones called Oxford Atom. Little Led things that come with separate resistors (which you’ll usually need if switching from regular bulbs to leds)

They really are significantly smaller than the OEM indicators.
Oxford Atom indicators

I had to make up some blanking plates out of aluminium to fit them because the original ones use a two-hole fitting and these fit with a single bolt.

Fitted them front and rear and although tiny, was pretty happy with their brightness.
It was a bit of a pain having the additional resistors and trying to hide them when wiring in. Kind of negates the benefits of a smaller unit, but there you go.

Original on left, Oxford Atom on right of picture.

Fitted them and went for a ride with the bro in law around some Cotswolds lanes. He was on his new to him KTM 1090, which he did really well on considering how slippery it was.

Anyway, with him following me, he said that a couple of times it had been really difficult to spot me indicating for turns and he had needed to brake pretty rapidly.
Looking at my tiny rear indicators, they had a few mud splatters which being so tiny, had pretty much covered the lenses.
Not good.

So, I managed to find some slightly larger ones on Amazon and to be honest I wish I’d seen these in the first place.
Only £13 and they are made from aluminium, have bendy stalks and also, they have inbuilt resistors! Great 👍

Amazon indicators

They’re still nice and small at 70mm long but that extra lens area will really help them be seen between regular wipes I think.

Evermotor indicator and an Oxford Atom below.

Indicators look good. I’m glad you tested the Oxford Atoms as they were on my shopping list. I’ll probably try something a little bigger now.

I have the urge to ride again which has been missing for a while. I just received a parking permit for the work carpark so the occasional commute will make it easier to get out for a spin afterwards.

Went for a razz last weekend to bag a few more photos for the photo challenge (Grims Himalayan group, Facebook)

I’ve only got one left now which is a winter festival, which I think I’ve failed on as they tend to be before Christmas.

Popped to a premier League wendyball club the ‘scenic’ way to Wolverhampton.
Birmingham was nearer but someone else in the group had got Aston Villa so I thought I’d go the extra mile.

Quite liked this statue 😂

Then down the way to snap a photo outside a County Cricket Ground. Again, the Himalayan owner who lives near me had already got Warwickshire, so I went for Worcestershire.
The ground (in Worcester) is right next to the river Severn and alarmingly but not unexpectedly was under several feet of water.
Terrible all this flooding 😔

Indicators look good. I’m glad you tested the Oxford Atoms as they were on my shopping list. I’ll probably try something a little bigger now.

They’re really nice and neat. I think if you have the numberplate in the original position on the Himalayan and that extra little bit of fender it comes with that I removed, you’ll be absolutely fine.

It’s only because I’m a little more towards the fashion over function end of the scale 😬 that I cut my fender down and fitted a smaller plate that I get much more splatter at the back than originally. Plus I do ride a lot of hideously muddy lanes.

You’ll be fine if on the stock setup I think.
However, those Amazon ones are really brilliant for the money. Aluminium and with bendy stalks and the best thing is the built in resistors.
Absolute bargain.

I’ll be keeping the Atoms on the front.

Great solo ride on the TET today from Royal Wootton Bassett to Duntisbourne Leer.
Duntisbourne Leer was the point on the Tet where me and @crosshair of this parish started from last year so it seemed like a good point to stop.

All pretty chilled except one hideous rock step with loads of soft mud beneath it near Bisley.
Got the Himalayan pretty stuck for a bit. Turns out it’s pretty hard to pull a 200kg motorcycle out of deep mud on your own!
Got there in the end and at least it kept me warm. 😊

Near Wootton Bassett

Go as far off road as you like. You still get stuck behind a caravan…

Sapperton

Can’t park there mate.
Stranded Freelander
Sapperton

Stuck fast and standing up alone.
Hard to capture in a photo but this was about a foot high angled step with deep mud beneath it. Tried again and again to get up, got stuck and had to deadlift the 200kg out of the mud then manhandle it up the step finally!

Well, it’s been a while, but I’m home alone and I woke up early and headed straight out.

Not ‘straight’ out as the battery was flat and it needed 30 minutes on the charger.

Bloody hell it was cold! Really intensely, piercingly cold. It just really highlighted my lack of suitable riding clothes. I need a longer, more substantial coat and some proper trousers. Maybe some handguards to keep the wind off my pinkies.

It’s nice having my phone mounted in front of my face so I don’t have to pull over every time I get lost. I’ve got a Garmin now as well so I’m planning to download some GPX’s when I figure it out and look for some interesting trails.

I was feeling brave this morning and I ventured away from the tarmac for the first time. Just a little nibble though. Went up and down some quite chunky steps and slithered around in some mud. I’ll head for some more challenging stuff when I’m more prepared.

I need to go clothes shopping.

To Hellidon in a handcart.

Keep up the good work folks, I like to read and see pics, may even get full licence one day:)

It’s finally happened. My Mrs, who is completely supportive of everything I do, (even though I can’t decide what I want to do and jump from thing to thing constantly) has asked my if I’d consider selling the Himalayan.

It’s because one of her work colleagues Dad has just had a serious collision. He was doing 50/60 on a dual carriageway and a woman in a Range Rover pulled out on him. Now he’s in an induced coma with multiple broken bones unable to breath on his own. Obviously my Mrs is at work with his daughter who is an absolute mess.

I’m not going to sell it immediately but I can’t say I haven’t considered it. From where I live in Sheffield it’s almost impossible to get to the fun stuff without being terrified by someone in a car or van and I’ve had a few genuine near misses just because everyone races around like a dickhead. I feel like if I ever get splatted by a gigantic SUV it’ll be less than 5 minutes from home.

Anyway, I was planning to post up some photos this weekend but it’s currently sleeting with snow in the forecast so maybe not.

In May I’m starting a new job where it’ll be really easy to ride and park right outside. Then afterwards I’ll be a 20 minute ride from Ladybower area. So I’ll try that a few times before I make any long term decisions.

Nice out

Warwickshire Alps

Closed roads and no roads.

Ironbridge.

Built in 2008 by Robert Downey Junior for the movie of the same name.

Rad day out in Shropshire yesterday with the Himalayanists.

Boston.
Waiting for a tea party.

Walking back to the bike after taking a photo, I noticed the rear tyre was flat 😭

Tried a can of emergency tyre sealant but it just started spurting out of a gash in the tyre

No alternative but to whip the wheel out and try to mend the tube which I managed to do after a fair bit of hassle.

Quick blast through Skegvegas. Hell on earth 😂

Heading up the coast to Humberston to meet the other half at a Fitties beach chalet.
Saltfleet

Fitties beach

3 hour ride home from Lincolnshire yesterday avoiding motorways, but too nice today not to get out again.

Belas Knap nr Cheltenham

I noticed the other day that my rear carrier, replete with top-box, seems to sag towards the rear… :-/ I can’t see any sign of cracking or paint damage that would suggest it’s been overloaded but I can’t help being paranoid. It might have been slightly misaligned from new, but there are a few horror stories out there…

Does anybody have any experience of the various stronger racks that are available? Hitchcocks have a very nice looking one (https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/38756?cont_page=Royal-Enfield-Himalayan-Accessories&year=2020&facet=Frames%20and%20Racks), but it’s eye-wateringly expensive. But so is losing your full top box on the M4, of course… OTOH, if a cheap(er) alternative direct from India (eg https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196222153608) will do the job then I’m happy to save a bit of money.

Any thoughts?

ETA: The ZANA branded ones look quite nice, but don’t seem to be available in the UK and the manufacturer’s website is a real dog’s-breakfast – which disinclines me from ordering there! https://www.zanamotorcycles.com/sc/royal-enfield-himalayan-2016-2020-accessories

Not got much experience sorry.
That Hitchcocks one only takes 10kg still so not too much. I think my standard one takes 7kg.

I’ve heard talk about them before on the owners club groups. It might be worth asking on the Himalayan and Scram owners club UK group on Facebook if you can.
I believe that some people have braced the original rack up which you might be able to achieve with bolt on stuff or possibly by getting extra braces welded on.
Ask on the group is best.

Great ride to Shropshire last weekend. Did a few green lanes, some more fun than others.
Clee Hill was cool.

Machu Pichu, Shropshire style.

I’m doing another photo challenge thing on the owners group. It’s a good focus for a ride that links up a few of the categories.

This time, it’s getting photos of your bike with pubs, relating to each category.

A bit of a blast around the Cotswolds bagged me a few.

For this one, ‘Body Part’, the Stump is my half little finger that fell off in a motorcycle accident in my twenties.

The odd cheeky (very) green lane on my way.
Coln Rogers

Welshpool/Powys ride.
Just shy of 100 miles.
Absolutely beautiful area.
Countless places I would not have seen if not for the Himalayan.