Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Some fresh rumour again

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Hi, I just bought the Himalayan on 1st Jan 2019 after doing lots of research. The bikes under my consideration were 1. Dominar 400, 2. Himalayan, 3. Interceptor. Obviously, I was going to spend my "Hard Earned" & wanted a clear winner this time as last year when I bought Gixxer SF it was always in my mind that I could go for NS200 or maybe Apache 200. I managed to take all these 3 Motorcycles for a long test ride (50-70 kms) I first took the Interceptor & I was amazed by its refinement & performance. So far, the Best RE Product. The bike is capable of doing High Speed (130-140) cruising all day long & can smoke any other motorcycle that we see on Highways in terms of acceleration or top speed. However, I came to feel the lack of Adventure Tourer Stance & Practicality. Moreover, I wanted a motorcycle ASAP & waiting period for Interceptor in my city is 4 Months. Next Day I took Himalayan for a spin. Coming from a 150-160 CC segment, the power delivery & torque output felt at par. In the second gear, as soon as I opened the throttle, I was at 80 km/h in no time. This was not expected from Himalayan. I spent more time on it & Himalayan started to grow on me. Did a fair bit of off-roading & it was a piece of cake for it. I was comfortably doing 120-125 km/h on the Highways & Himalayan still a lot of breath left for quick overtakes & felt like I'm utilizing just the 70-75% power of it. I quickly decided a winner for me because this was what I needed. During long rides, the cruising speed I require is 110 km/h & that's what is safe for Indian roads. I came back to the dealership & booked the Himalayan. Next day, I still had a doubt in my mind that shall I go for the Dominar as it's Rs.20+ thousand cheaper, comes with 5-year warranty, 5-free services, 5 years 0-dept insurance (Free of cost). I went to the Bajaj dealership & asked for a Long Test Ride. Fortunately, they were able to provide me with a long test ride that too without a pillion. As I started my ride, the Dominar wanted me to just rev it up & do quick acceleration. The bike is quite rev-happy & can do wonders in terms of acceleration & top speed. But wait, is that the same feeling that I got on the Interceptor? Is this what I needed? I took the same route for Dominar that I took for the Himalayan. I felt it had lack of comfort on broken patches & off-road. However, it's a superb Handler on the road. The speeds I was doing on the Highway was 120-130 it was quite comfortable. So, the question came, what did I exactly need? Does Himalayan justify the premium of 20K extra over Dominar? So my answer is "Yes it does". The build quality, that feels to last longer, after-sale support of Royal Enfield compared to Bajaj, extra-features like the gear shift indicator, ambient temperature display, compass, tall windshield & the biggest one the ride comfort. The Himalayan is a true adventure-tourer that I really wanted. It is an SUV on 2-wheels. In terms of performance, Adventure Tourers are not meant for Quick Acceleration, revving the engine till deadline. How many times do you do a drag race? I came back from my Test ride & was confident about my decision. The BS4 Himalayan is quite reliable, I came to know about that from sources & now I believe it is. I also read this comparison blog in which Himalayan is compared to Versys 300 & BMW G310GS. You know what? Himalayan is a winner there as well. You can read it Here: https://www.autocarindia.com/bike-co...parison-411004

Pick Himalayan & you wont regret.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

I’ll second you on that statement. For now, there’s so many reasons why this little adventure tourer can give you the best of experiences.

And constant product improvements from are helping the latest batches to be fairly niggle free - it’s only the SVCs that we may find ruining the show. But then, a lot of good brands suffer at the hands of unprofessional service personnel.

The REH will demand the owners be ready for some DIY but it’s worth it.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Had booked it when it was first launched 3 yrs ago. Withdrew from it just before delivery as the issues had just started popping up and then I had to reallocate the funds to buy a home. The ergonomics it offers for 6 footers is offered by none other afaik. No doubts on that. Wife liked pillion the best too. Only the longetivity and durability are the points in mind. Though re has worked on them. But putting 2.4l of your own dough is never a small decision. Appreciate your response though.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Don't worry, Viper, you will get used to it. Eventually, one has to but you'll definitely love that thing.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

That’s not very convincing, VJ [emoji3] I thought most issues have now been resolved on the REH.

Royal Enfield Himalayan

From what I gather, RE has definitely sorted out the very serious issues which had plagued the earlier batches in the BS3 version. I doubt if there’s ever going to be a niggle free RE, but they’ve managed to improve their present batches of the Himalayan commendably so much so that today most forums don’t find irate owners lamenting about negative experiences.

Yes, it’s a tough call whether to own one still & I suppose most of us present owners were right there at that point just like you.

My BS4 has had a T-Stem bearing replacement (a few hours in the SVC) & a valve guide replacement (scheduled under warranty) since I bought it in April 2018 & run 13,000km of inter-state runs and lots of mucking about in hill roads on it till date.

Barring these two moments of feeling bummed out, would I trade off the bike for another? Well, I wouldn’t mind the ABS version of the REH now but other than that - no thanks. It has, in fact, made me learn a thing or two the various riding styles too.

Personally I might add that there are two reasons for not considering another brand in this segment:

1. The brands that do have Adv models on offer (or are going to launch) might be (comparatively) expensive to own & maintain.

2. More importantly, there’s a undeniable risk that one can be victim of advanced mechanics & electronics stuck somewhere in some rural location someday (or some night) - with no DIY solution/simple tech support possible (think old Bullet or Pulsar mechanics at the least).

If you’re considering serious touring and the freedom of mild-off-roading thrown in, then the trade-off (between minor niggles & the package with it’s cost of ownership & design simplicity) is a good one.

But at the end of the day, do note that it really is a personal decision that one must take.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Very well summarized, Sir! In my case, it’s no more a mind vs heart thing. Both of them are definitely set on the REH. I’m just waiting until 2019 manufactured bikes come out so I can get the latest and greatest version! [emoji14]

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Words to live by for any Himalayan owner ever!!

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Same here waiting for my 2019 manufacture himalayan sleet which is expected by jan end,booked on dec 19

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

If yours is an Fi one then you can look for the Powertronic Piggyback or Hexx ECM. Both of these will make it more stress free at higher speeds among other stuff. [emoji4]

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Quick question for Himalayan BS4 owners, what Fuel Efficiency are you getting from your REH on city and highway?

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Hi Friends,
Thanks for everyone and their posts and replies in this thread about ReHim. I have decided to buy ReH a year back and constantly checking owners reviews
It due to it's initial issues. I thought I had wait enough when the ABS version launched and booked a Sleet ABS version last week and will get the bike during next week. I'm just curious to know that is there any changes in 2019 ABS versions?

Thanks,
Senthil
Chennai

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

No changes in the 2019 bikes.

Re: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Anyway, ABS is a joke on this bike . You must first learn how to brake , would not change you in a racer .
Useful on a sports' one like the 1000 gsxr i had , really ; without at the time .
A 3 mode style is a hit when it rains