Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Hi all,

noob biker here. I got the 2018 Himalayan BS4-FI model last month and it is my first bike ever. I had never even driven a bike before taking a test ride of the Himalayan :P

I have a couple of questions and was hoping someone could help me with that.

1. My bike has been stalling on 1st gear (usually a couple of minutes after a cold start, but sometimes in slow traffic as well). I told the RE mechanic about this during the first service and he said that he adjusted the clutch play and that the issue should be fixed. But the issue is still there (though the frequency has gone down a bit).

I suspect that it could be an idle RPM issue. My bike idles at around 1100 RPM. Is that a good value for the Himalayan? The mechanic insisted that the RPM was fine. This issue is really frustrating, but I am not sure if it's the bike's fault or maybe it's just a noob error on my part. Any ideas what's going on?

2. I couldn't find the idle screw on the BS4 model (the service manual I got was for the BS3 model, which mentions the idle screw). Is that not necessary for FI models or is there some other reason?

3. There doesn't seem to a be a fuel tap on the BS4 model either, so I guess there's no way to switch into reserve mode (though the console does have a low fuel indicator).

While we are at it, here are my observations about the bike:

Pros
------

* Good pickup.
* Low vibrations, even over 80 km/h, at least till 100 km/h.
* Decent power for general commute, will have to see how it performs when I start loading it up for touring.
* Excellent suspension.
* Very good riding position and a comfortable seat.

Cons
-------

* Hard clutch. I asked the service centre guys to replace it with the Thunderbird 350 clutch wire (as I had seen recommended on this thread), but they insisted that the Himalayan clutch wire is more durable, so I stuck with it.
* Hard shifting, especially downshifting from 2nd to 1st gear.
* It does tend to heat up a bit in heavy traffic (I have seen the temperature indicator go up to 49 C).
* Low fuel economy. I am getting around 20 KM/L in city traffic (mostly 2nd or 3rd gear), even after the first service.

All things said and done, I like the bike a lot.

PS: This is a really fantastic community and this thread in particular helped me a lot while deciding to go for the Himalayan.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

1. It is due to the pressure inside fuel tank, as I heard from a YouTube video. Please search on YouTube for same issue. I will post a link once I find it again.
here you go: https://youtu.be/VsTUSwl1T8o

2. FI model will not have any idle rpm screw. You are looking for a carburettor on FI bike.
3. No fuel tap required for FI models. Depend on your fuel indicator to know fuel level.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new acquisition. The stalling you face is mainly related to the clutch free play adjustment. Since this is your first motorcycle, it's good to work upon your clutch skills, slowly and steadily. The idle RPM on your motorcycle is the correct RPM and once heated, the RPM goes +- 100 RPM. And fuel injected motorcycles don't have idle screw that are adjustable like the carburetted version, and yes also they are sans the fuel petcock. Fuel injected bikes run on pressurized system and feed fuel to the engine via a fuel injector and they don't have petcock to let you know main and reserve. Always keep a tab on your fuel gauge to know when to refuel. FI bikes will run till the tank is dry, and when they do, you have to fill in fuel, there's no reserve.

Repeatedly running the bike low on fuel and drying up the tank will reduce the life of the fuel pump as the pump itself needs fuel to stay cool and not suck in air.

Invest in a proper set of gears, helmet, gloves and a jacket. Take it easy till you feel confident with the bike's ability and always use both the brakes for effective stopping. Keep riding the motorcycle and you'll get used to it.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Thanks for the replies, Aneesh and VJ.

Aneesh, I don't think it's the same issue that you have mentioned, since the videos don't mention the Himalayan. Also, in my case it happens irrespective of whether the tank is full or not. I feel it's a mix of me not controlling the clutch properly and perhaps the clutch needs further adjustment. In my defence, I have enough experience driving geared scooters (and cars), so I have ample experience with controlling clutches. But I guess, each machine behaves in a different way.

Thanks for the explanation about the FI engine, VJ. That really clears things up.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Anyone here have tried luck in remapping the REH ECU? Please share your experiences.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan



Finally Him home. 😃
Smooth ride home. The showroom spare stock doesnt have the heel protector for GT, which we can also use. So ordered one and will get by next week. I dont think headlight is that bad, though I have a philips extreme vision plus with me ready. Noticed nothing uncommon.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Hello my fella bikers,

This is DK again with some more reviews on the REH BS4. Now my bike has crossed 3k km ( ironically a lot of city driving) and there has been no notable issues. There has been a common comment stating that

1) The brakes are woody - Well yeah at the beginning but once you cross 1.5k km I felt the brakes had the necessary bite. 100 to 20 was pretty good .

2) I had a hard clutch issue but once I loosened it a bit there was no issues

3) Gear issues 1-N and 2-1-N. Well unfortunately it still is there but it's not like too worrying an issue and as you ride you will get to know how to play around it

4) The bike was able to touch 120km/h comfortably but after which we were able to hear the strain

5) Using nitrogen can give some additional feel good factor

6) City travel -26 km/Lt , highway -30km/LT

7) compass might suddenly start blinking with words CA and HO which is basically asking you to calibrate. No matter how many times you turn it on and off it won't work. Take the bike around in circles 4 times or move your bike in all directions to fix it.

On a whole this is a fantastic bike and RE has fixed .

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

can you pls let me know what's an heel protector? and what's the benefit from adding it to REH??

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

That is a cover for the master cylinder. We can use it on Himalayan too.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

It's the Rear brake cylinder gaurd.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

And quite an essential piece of protection. Surprising why RE still hasn’t added this to the Himalayan yet.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

after covering 200 kms in 3 days:

-Ves:

- Clutch is getting harder and harder.
- Gear shifting is a miss/catch. False neutrals are no-brainer for me.
- Weighs too much for me. To take a reverse bypulling, one must have some power. (I am so lean that you will confuse my hands to handlebars)
- Heats like an oven in traffic. Should wear good boots. Not much felt after 40 kmph.
-
+Ves:

+ Headlight is good! Don't understand why people are complaining about it. Its very much illuminating.
+ Ride after 70 kmph, is like floating. Loved the silence and lesser vibration compared to other REs.
+ Need to fit the crash guard afte registration to get a perfect look.

So far, so good. Love the looks from admirers as I pass on

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Here’s some good info to keep in mind if you ever find the clutch slipping.

You’ll have to figure out what he’s saying though. And they say we Indians have an accent [emoji849]

I figured it’s worth the share:



Hope the new batches have got that washer he mentions added on.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Himalayan indeed a great bike, but they are taking alot to time rectify the issues and release an updated model. Hopefully RE will release an updated model post the 650 series.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Hi,

I'm planning to switch over to Himalayan after a recent offer from my uncle. I have a gixxer 155. My uncle's Himalayan was recalled twice for electric coil change and also BS3 to BS4 switch over - that's what the showroom guys said to my uncle and they did not disclose anything more. They just told him they changed three parts in the engine unit to make it a BS4. I don't know if they're bullshitting on him. I had ridden the bike before it became a 'BS4' and now also after. I could see a significant change in the refinement and gear shifts - the exhaust sound has also changed to a softer and a continuous tune!

Also my uncle who previously got an average fuel economy of 32kmpl can now get an average of 43 kmpl riding between 50 - 80 kmph, with a daily run of 48 km. I was shocked because my gixxer gives 44 kmpl riding in that speed :P I also found a change in the pick up and it has improved a lot. The only niggle in the bike is with the key slot which was tampered in a parking lot. It is loose and sometimes the bike switches off when going on rough patches. It is something that my uncle intends to resolve in the next service.

I would like to take the bike but before that, from owners, I would like to know whether its suitable for city riding in Chennai or not and especially during summer. The bike indeed gets hot and I experienced it when I didn't wear boots. My uncle asked me for a three month trial run and then make a decision but is it worth trying? He also said in the 17000 km that it has run, the rear tyre was punctured twice. If Im upgrading the tyres, are there any tubeless option?

My daily usage will be within the city and not more than 25 km. Mostly solo riding and with a pillion for cafes and restaurants occasionally.

I love the riding posture and the size of the bike. I'm 6 ft and I can stretch finally, whereas I feel cramped on my gixxer in comparison. The riding comfort was also better, both as a rider and a pillion. My uncle has loosened the rear suspension by one level and it is so comfy.

Clutch is also a bit heavy and is there anything that can be done to make it light?

Please help me and I would love to own a RE.

Thanks,

Sri.