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Himalayan - first 500 miles....

Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2019 12:42 pm
by Andy C
Still not run in yet - I’ll be working it gradually up to full revs / power in the next 500 miles. Just wanted to set out some early impressions of the bike.

I have heard a lot of criticism about engine noise, particularly tappets, now I am either hard of hearing or it is very quiet, all I can hear it a very light “tika / taca” which is no big deal.

On the comfort front I have heard a few complaints, I have found that the more I ride it, the better it seems to “fit” me, no issues with comfort at all. If I switch from the Himalayan to my Bullet, the Bullet feels very cramped.

Brakes - again I have no issues, seem to be perfectly adequate for the bike, again I have seen bad press about the brakes.

Handling is very good, I find that I can crank it over on roundabouts and it feels very re assuring.

Not impressed with the rev counter - it really needs to be the same size as the speedo I find it quite difficult to see exactly what the revs are sometimes. The “windshield” was ditched after about 50 miles - it literally gave me a headache from the wind buffeting, might well check out one of our hosts screens.

As I said at the start I still need to treat it fairly gently and work up to max revs / power etc in the next 500 miles, and it has certainly loosened up a fair bit since I first had it.

Not revving any harder than 4500 RPM so far and I find that in that rev range the engine is so unbelievably smooth, I like how it gives the occasional cheeky “pop” from the exhaust - usually on the overrun / changing gear.

Aside from the few grumbles I have I really have no big issues with this bike, and I am looking forward to getting it fully run in.

Let the good times roll - sorry that was a Kawasaki slogan :mrgreen:

Re: Himalayan - first 500 miles....

Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2019 4:02 pm
by Himalayan 19
Hi.
Seams good.
I have order one, gone pick it up in beginning of September.
And drive 650 km home.
I wonder if a can keep 60km/h.
What speed have you run max in beginning.

Re: Himalayan - first 500 miles....

Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2019 5:08 pm
by windmill john
I managed to scrape together £4000! Amazing!

Anyway, I would have liked a new bike and the Himalayan was at that price.

So, I had a decent test ride. This included not just riding but stopping, trying main stand, fiddling as I do all my own maintenance and generally an in depth test.

I didn’t buy it purely as the power wasn’t enough for me. Yes, yes, I’ve just got a 350 4 speed bullet.... don’t start!

Anyway, my reason for posting is because I was very interested in the bike except power. I’ve always had this view that a bike I buy must do 80, 2 up with luggage; used to do a number of European trips.

I think the bike is brilliant and now I wish I’d ignored top end.

Re riding home many miles on a new bike, important to vary your revs, don’t thrash it, stick to revs they suggest, but just vary it. 60kph, ie 40 mph won’t be an issue, just vary it.

Re: Himalayan - first 500 miles....

Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2019 8:42 pm
by Andy C
Himalayan 19 wrote:
Fri Aug 23, 2019 4:02 pm
Hi.
Seams good.
I have order one, gone pick it up in beginning of September.
And drive 650 km home.
I wonder if a can keep 60km/h.
What speed have you run max in beginning.
As windmill John says - dont thrash it and vary the revs - also dont let the engine labour - keep it spinning.

When I picked the bike up I asked the dealer about running in and he said the same, when I asked about top speed during running iin he said that anything up to 50MPH / 80Km/h is OK and that is what he tells all his Himalayan buyers, and he has not yet anyone report any engine problems as a result.

In my experirnce the engine felt quite tight for the first 200 miles or so and I kept max revs to just under 4000 / under 50MPH, after the initial 200 miles or so the engine definately felt much looser / more willing to spin up.

Now that I have 500 miles up and first service out of the way I have started going to 4500 RPM and using the torque a bit more, for the next 500 miles I plan to gradually build to using full performance.

If I were doing your 650Km / 400 miles on a new bike I would definately take it steady, stick to no more that 50, resist the temptation to use revs, but above all else dont labour the engine - plenty of gearchanges and vary the revs.

Think I would also break the journey up into say 75 mile / 120 Km max sections just to give the engine a rest as well as heat cycle it a bit.

Just a few thoughts, having the patience to run it in carefully will pay dividends in the longer term.

Just my opinion on the subject.

Re: Himalayan - first 500 miles....

Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 8:52 am
by Wheaters
I'd agree with the above but one can be too careful. Not giving the engine enough throttle early on can result in the piston rings not bedding in to the cylinder and forming a a layer of "glaze". This will result in excessive oil consumption, probably for the life of the engine.

A good example we saw of this was with a used BMW 6 cylinder 2.3, bought by my son as his first "grown up" car.
It'd had one owner from new, a retired doctor.
Main dealer service history, never missed an oil change, etc etc.
It was in immaculate condition and should have been the perfect car.

Damned thing burned almost as much oil as it did petrol!

Re: Himalayan - first 500 miles....

Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 10:38 am
by Chris H.
[img]C:\Users\Chris\Documents\RE_Pictures\Himalayan.jpg[/img]
I had a test drive on the Himalayan last Tuesday it was fantastic off-road and riding over our potholes and speed bumps but I realised that it did not have the acceleration or top-end speed I would have liked, the performance was much less than my Classic 500 and CGT 535. I mentioned this to the dealer who said that RE is bringing out a 500cc version for 2021! So I have decided to wait until then.

Re: Himalayan - first 500 miles....

Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2019 9:00 am
by RocketRR
I think it's the best all round bike I have ever owned. Added the touring seats bought extremely cheaply from India and the Hitchcocks taller screen. Comfort perfect for me.
I the changed silencer, removed air injection, upgraded air filter and it now picks up so much better for what I use it for.
Noraly managed to go around the world on one so I think it will manage the UK ok for me. Lovely bike pleasant ride and basic smiles per mile.

Re: Himalayan - first 500 miles....

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 3:59 pm
by Duke of Wybourne.
My bike is running just fine. I do find the motor mechanically noisy, but I accept that's the way it is. I noticed a change in the exhaust note and free running between 700/800 mi!es. The ride, comfort and position are perfect for me. I hope to do a bit of Island hopping through the Outer Hebrides before the weather turns, and the bike will just be perfect for that. As mentioned by others, the suspension soaked up spine jarring pot holes with ease.
RocketRR wrote:. Added the touring seats bought extremely cheaply from India
What are your seats like, do they look as if they'll stand a few years of hard use ? There is a local guy to me who is very good and makes a good job with gel inserts, but they come at a cost.

Re: Himalayan - first 500 miles....

Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2019 5:10 pm
by Andy C
RocketRR wrote:
Sun Aug 25, 2019 9:00 am
I think it's the best all round bike I have ever owned. Added the touring seats bought extremely cheaply from India and the Hitchcocks taller screen. Comfort perfect for me.
I the changed silencer, removed air injection, upgraded air filter and it now picks up so much better for what I use it for.
Noraly managed to go around the world on one so I think it will manage the UK ok for me. Lovely bike pleasant ride and basic smiles per mile.
Just fitted the air delete kit to mine - makes quite a difference, feels more lively low down.

I also have the less restrictive silencer on mine - it has been there from new.

600 miles up now...

Re: Himalayan - first 500 miles....

Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2019 12:23 pm
by Duke of Wybourne.
I did over 400 miles on mine on a day run. One stop for fuel and coffee around half way. Mostly riding on A/B and unclassified roads. No real signs of fatigue (me)either. You do notice the lack of "grunt" climbing steep hills, but the bike is so stress free and easy to ride. The first part of the journey was into a strong headwind and torrential rain, which other than increasing the fuel consumption, wasn't a problem.