Royal Enfield Himalayanists

No one fitted a bicycle rack to one yet?

I reckon I could just bolt my roof rack one to a pannier lid and stick a bike on there wheels-on. I was measuring it up earlier 🤣
Not sure I’m brave enough to bolt directly to the new lids though. Might have to fix a 4×2 to the luggage mounts and then attach to that- at least for the prototype 🤣

I’m fairly sure that would be “peak gravel” turning up to Dirty Reiver on that rig 😎 🤣

Just went out for a 45 mile blast. It seems ridiculously indulgent burning petrol just for fun 🤣 Was a mix of everything from gravel to towns to A roads and the bike was fun everywhere. Never fast but just a likeable little scamp.

It feels quite big on the road which is nice but then feels tiny off road. Standing helps but sitting down on it feels mildly inappropriate.

My other option at this money was a 20,000 mile, 13 year old Tenere and it felt tonight like I’d made the right choice.

I’m fairly sure that would be “peak gravel” turning up to Dirty Reiver on that rig

Cant remember the guy’s name now but he used to put a MTB on the back of a Ducati to various events around the Lakes years ago…worked on a Uni project with his brother…….

Legend 😎 🤣

My other option at this money was a 20,000 mile, 13 year old Tenere and it felt tonight like I’d made the right choice.

I think you have made the correct choice. There was a review on MCN yesterday and that post bike guy down in Devon (forget his name) is a big fan. I want one now 🤣🤔

I’ve popped up to North Wales on mine via the Wirral to see fam.

Absolutely mint to be honest. Cruised up the motorway nice and chilled at 65, so hot.

Currently set up at a little campsite somewhere between Rhyll and Prestatyn, unfortunately next to a big group of teenagers, but meh.

I really loved the process of loading up the bike and feeling like an adventure was happening. Handles perfectly too all loaded up.
Good to try things out so I can streamline next time.
I used my paddleboard bag as it’s basically a massive drybag.

that post bike guy down in Devon (forget his name) is a big fan.

Nathan…Millward? maybe.

Love a motorbike camping trip!

Love a motorbike camping trip!

I never really did it on my history of road bikes as I always felt like when I got to the place, I’d want my mountainbike or kayak or something, to get away from people and explore. Otherwise you’re just on the road all the time.

With this bike though, I can look up some nice little off road sections on the TRF map and get away from traffic and shred the Gnar a bit too.
Perfect.

Wow that’s an awesome trip mate! Well done 👍🏻

I get that, and I do like a remote wild camp high in the hills or in a forestry block after some hill bashing on foot or some mtb bike packing. Usually using ultra lightweight kit. Motorbike camping is different though, more chilled, less arduous which is sometimes a nice alternative. The kit needn’t be so lightweight, I can take a chair, a few beers and maybe a nice steak to cook instead of freeze dried camping meals and properly chill after riding some great roads (or green lanes if that’s your thing). I like riding and I like camping, combining the two, what’s not to like? Enjoy your camp, looks a nice spot 👍

Nathan…Millward? maybe.

Yep, that’s the guy 👍

Your trip looks like great fun – enjoy 👍🙂

Not a motorcyclist, so I know nothing of handling technicalities, but looking at the photo above on the filling station forecourt, that front tyre looks a little anaemic, would a slightly chunkier tyre help steering stability at all? I see lots of so-called scrambler-style bikes, there’s one a page or two back, but having big fat tyres front and rear looks a bit wrong, just a bit too much rotating weight, so something in between? My brother has been a biker since he was old enough to legally own one, and despite a near fatal accident, he still rides, but while I’ve never been inclined to buy one, I look at bikes like Africa Twins (a friend has one, in full yellow trim), Tenére, and particularly the little Honda 650 Dominator, (which I’ve had a hankering for ever since they came out), and there’s that feeling that kayak23’s succumbed to!

Slight problem earlier. The bolts worked loose on the new top box and only luck meant I spotted it before it fell off on Salisbury Plain.
Luckily Tidworth garage wasn’t far away so I stocked up on bungees and fuel. First 150 miles came out at 85mpg 🤣

My mum lives the other side of the Plain so I’ve ducked in for toasties, cake and a cuppa and raided the Halfords tool kit 🤣

Heading Cheddar way in a bit to do a bit more. This bike is ace 🤩

I had a peak through the window at Manhattan’s this morning. Only 1 Himalayan in sight and no Scrams. The new Hunter 350 looks really nice but I’ve got the call of the wild and I like getting dirty.

TMF on YouTube just did a review of the Hunter.  Looks like a great bike for sunny cafe runs and country lane fun at sensible speeds.  Superb value too like all RE.

I may have gotten carried away today 🤣 Ended up doing a 290 mile loop.

Keeping it Rhyl

Beaumaris selector!

Trearddur Bay, Anglesey

Bit more space tonight after last night next to a load of yoot.
Nature hike tent doing it’s thing.

I’m absolutely loving the bike. I swear it sounds like a lawnmower 😂🤣
Not missing going 90mph, it really does go plenty quick enough, and it’s certainly drawing a few admiring glances and comments. Everyone has heard of a Royal Enfield.
The only issue I have is numb bum and dead throttle hand, but a bit of a stand up seems to sort that for a bit . I was having issues initially with the tripper crashing after a few miles and losing navigation. Cleared data, reinstalled, restarted phone etc and so far ok I hope.

Used to come here to Trearddur Bay every year as a kid. One year, I ran outside through the patio doors of the house, except they weren’t open at the time 😳 Good memory though, except the stitches.

Got a long ride home tomorrow and am a bit concerned about reports of thunder storms across Wales and England. Balls.

Some big adventure bike riders waved to me from across the North Wales Expressway. Cracked me up for some reason. Hashtag adventure! 😊

Awesome 👏🏻 looks the business with all the camping gear 😎

I beeped and waved at a black one with front black rucksacks in the Forest of Dean but otherwise saw more Triumphs of various sorts than anything else today.

Jealous. I’d love to be out doing this on days when I can’t be bothered to pedal. Which these days is any day ending with a Y.

On a positive note, we’re getting a cash settlement from the home insurance for our garage door. No idea how much yet but at least the Himalayan fund will stay mostly in tact.

Once the castle is secure, I’ll be bike hunting. And buying a tiny tent.

I’m so pleased with the ammo pouches. I had my Caberg flip-front helmet on today so was able to put a cycling water bottle (and later a bottle of Fanta and a bag of Haribo 🤣) in the left hand one and drink it when conditions allowed.

The right hand one had a power bank and an iPhone cable to charge my phone.

The only annoying thing I found with the Tripper was that I sometimes had to switch off the ignition to be able to re-pair when I hadn’t used it for a bit.

I really love the instruction symbols, you feel like you’re following a Dakar road book 🤣🤣🤣

That’ll be just what the doctor ordered @Sharkattack 👌🏻

I don’t think you’ll regret it.

I can only think the people disapppinted with their bikes (given the insane number on Autotrader!)missed the bit where it says it’s a 400cc bike 🤣

Loving the stories about the Enfields. I’ve got a few weeks off work shortly so will be out exploring on my MT-07 but there’s something more appealing about doing it on an Enfield 🙂

On the numb-bum @kayak23 I wore a pair of padded Lycra cycling shorts underneath today. With a bit of standing here and there- it worked really well 😀

Sounds good.
It seems to be mainly under my thighs, where the seat edges meet the frame tubes.
I had a taller padded seat that came with the bike and it was comfy, but I swapped it for the original seat for a lower standover offroad, and frankly it looks better.

I can only think the people disapppinted with their bikes (given the insane number on Autotrader!)missed the bit where it says it’s a 400cc bike 🤣

Thanks for pointing that out, I never check Autotrader for bikes I always forget about it. You’re right there’s loads of them on there!

This is my closest cheap one and it looks decent Link

Some kind of aftermarket seat and dodgy chilli stickers. It’s only half an hour away. I’d go see it if I was ready to do a buy.

Lots of other options on there though.

Clipped together the vids I took yesterday 🤣 🎥

Looks like a good day out.

That bike I linked to earlier is already gone. It was a 2021 Himalayan in red and black for 3k. It looked really underpriced compared to everything else so I imagine someone swooped in and grabbed a bargain.

Also… Have you seen the very cheap 2 man tents and sleeping mats available in Decathlon? I like the idea of building a very reasonably priced overnight kit to get started with.

No but I love Decathlon nearly as much as I love Wilko’s 🤩 🤣

No one fitted a bicycle rack to one yet?

there’s a video on the tube with some guys carrying surf boards on them. Pretty cool road trip

I have a lot of love for my old jap enduro bikes but I do like the look of the himalayan. Although the front mudguard is a bit odd – high or low please, not both!

Great little video by the way! But please please please wear some gloves.

Yeah I do usually but was too far away from home by the time I realised I’d forgotten them. Nearly put it as the video intro 🤣

Just got back from Anglesey.
7.5 hours on the bike today, taking the very scenic route past Snowdon, down through Bala, taking in a cheeky little unclassified road high up above, before heading through Much Wenlock, Bridgnorth and Kidderminster, back to Warwick.

Lots of stopping along the way but my god, my bum is hurting bad 😂

South Stack, Anglesey.
Just a bit special

Trearddur Bay

Llanberis

Pen Y Pas-ish

Unclassified road high above Bala lake

Llangynog
(Was sad to see Revolution Bikepark with loads of its trees gone, on the way past.

Bit of cheeky rut practice.

Bridgnorth

The bike went fantastic, all except for the navigation/tripper which periodically just decided to stop telling me where to go and revert to a clock.
People on the Himalayan group are saying that this can happen if your phone loses signal momentarily.
Bit rubbish 😐

Superb, looks ace!

What capacity is the fuel tank and what range?

Not sure, bit it seems to fill up under £20.
It’s meant to be around 80mpg I think

Amazing pics 🤩 Looks like another awesome day 🏍️

⛽️ I worked mine out at 85mpg yesterday so around 300 usable miles!! (I think the tank is technically 4 gallons.)

Had fun this evening riding around the garden 🤣

Lots of slow speed standing drills. It was amazing when I got back on for a second go how much better I instantly felt. Was leaning the bike underneath me for tighter turns by the end.

It’d have felt stupid doing that on, say, my 1150gs I used to have but it felt totally natural on this.

Never did quite manage to turn the ABS off 🤷🏻‍♂️ Need to watch some vids about how to do it.

Found a bit of 4×2 to experiment with but need to change some nuts and bolts around on my old roof rack mount before I attempt bolting it to it as a prototype bike carrier rig.

Looks massive compared to the front-wheel off jobs but it’s totally sturdy!
“Peak gravel” may have been reached 🤣

Ah cool- figured out the ABS thing now. Ignition on, five seconds on the button and then release and the light flashes.

Adjusted the gear shift lever so I can get my old MX boots (bought off eBay years ago and only worn them once) underneath. It’s probably a little high for sitting down on the road but there’s not really a compromise position.
If I don’t like it I’ll switch it back.

I also adjusted and lubed the chain but after washing the chain clean, the engine mgmt light came on. It was definitely just water as it went off again a few minutes later.

Did another hour in the garden. Was able to do tick over laps standing up and did a load of dab practice too where I pick a spot and just basically put a foot down from standing then carry on riding. That seemed like useful muscle memory to have.

Might head through the New Forest at the weekend. Thinking of heading down the Test Valley, through the centre of the forest, along the coast to Bournemouth and then take the sandbanks ferry over to Studland, Swanage etc.
Then I could stop for a coffee and plan the next leg from there 😀
I’ll be too busy from the following weekend to be out all day so I’d like to make the most of it.

May have a go at plotting it on the Tripper app but not sure how many waypoints you can have 🧐
Pity it doesn’t take GPX’s although I could just Garmin one I suppose.

New tyre day 🎉

Fairly straightforward to fit.

Also decided to ditch the lower mudguard. I think it looks better 🤔

Will keep an eye on the stones and make sure I’m not suddenly risking a hole in the engine but otherwise I think that’s the way forward.

It’s not a million miles away from the old Tenere 660 now 🤣

Anybody see the Royal Enfield Super Meteor on the Motorbike show on the tele??  Quite a nice looking sled 🙂

New tyre day 🎉

What tyres did you get?

Looks massive compared to the front-wheel off jobs but it’s totally sturdy!

Looks great, but where were you thinking of sitting? 😂
Lying on your belly on the tank?

Bike looks cool without lower mudguard. I wonder how much crap it keeps off the engine in the wet though? 🤔