2016 royal Enfield Himalayan First Ride Impression by BikeReviewsadaa

Royal Enfield Himalayan: BUILT FOR NO ROADS

It takes a certain amount of courage to break convention. So, what does a company over 100 years old do when it realizes that it has an opportunity to give the world something completely new and yet unattempted ? Adventure bikes have to be big, heavy and have a massive ground clearance with the provision to pack days of luggage. And that's what Royal Enfield has demonstrated with its all-new motorcycle.

                                                
Why Himalayan?

Royal Enfields are still the choice in India when it comes to touring. The 'Bullets' did a great job, but with other motorcycles having advanced technology making their way into the Indian market, the Bullets suddenly saw a hindrance. Also, many who own Royal Enfields, always want to visit the Mecca of the motorcycling world, the Himalayas. The Bullets suffer up in the mountains, mainly due to lack of ground clearance and their weight, to overcome these problems Royal Enfield
 built, go anywhere Motorcycle for Indian Market. The perfect Adventure touring for which suits to anywhere like Himalayas, Off Road, Western Ghats and Off course High ways.

  Look:

                                                    

We must make you aware that the Royal Enfield Himalayan is not designed to win any beauty pageant, but to make you sure that you have bought this motorcycle for a purpose – a fact which it successfully manages to instill in your mind the moment you see it. The bare bones philosophy which Royal Enfield has adopted for this motorcycle goes well for the Himalayan.

The Royal Enfield Himalayan features a traditional adventure motorcycle design. It has an upright, relaxed riding posture, with long travel suspension. The Tank is well sculpted to accommodate the rider's legs. One good look and you will immediately understand the purpose of the Himalayan, which is to be ridden off-road and feel comfortable on and off the road.

Instrument Console:

                                                      

The instrument console of the Himalayan is easily the most comprehensive among all the Royal Enfield motorcycles put together, with the complete panel having analog dials for speedometer, tachometer and fuel gauge, with the unit of speedometer encasing an LCD screen for digital readouts of odometer, trip meters, gear indicator, clock and engine temperature. The console also consists of a digital compass besides the fuel gauge, something which is missing in all the motorcycles at or around its price point.

Engine:

The Enfield Himalayan is powered by a LS400 oil-cooled, 4-stroke single-cylinder engine. The engine produces 24bhp, which is adequate power, taking into consideration that Enfields produce a good amount of torque. The Himalayan produces good low-end torque, which is what off roaders and tourers need.
The engine is very different in feel as compared to the rest of the engines of Royal Enfield, something which you can feel the moment you push the self-starter button. The engine has a different snarl, unlike the ‘dug dug’ exhaust note the Royal Enfields are reminiscent of. Mated to a five speed transmission, the engine is tuned for a strong low end torque, which Royal Enfield says that it will be more than sufficient always to clear obstacles while riding at lower revs.

Ride and Handling:

Enfield have always been good handling motorcycles, if one gets the hang of it since they have a great Centre of gravity. The Himalayan may not handle like the good-old Standard 350, since the motorcycle is high. But that is what happens when you design a motorcycle to be ridden off-road. You do lose a bit of that foot peg scraping cornering ability, but one can't expect everything in a motorcycle.
The 21-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear wheel are basically spoke wheels here, which are quite more beneficiary while tackling rough sections of tarmac. The overall ride setup is stiff for the city riding, but once you hit the off-road terrains, the Himalayan comes in an altogether different element, and surprises you with its generous abilities.

Brakes and Suspension:

The Himalayan is equipped with 300mm front disc brake and a 240mm rear disc brake, which sadly, don’t get ABS.

The suspension setup includes 41mm telescopic front forks and a linked hydraulic monoshock, with much longer suspension travels of 200mm and 180mm.

What you will like:

•      Long Telescopic Suspension
•      Higher ground clearance – 180m which is a very good feature when you are             riding on water streams, off road and rocky terrain.
•     17 inch rear tyre & 21 inch front tyre with Ceat grip XL dual sports, give better       traction with highways & gravel roads
•     Seating position and Handle bars are perfectly made for Long rides
•     New digital meter with Fuel indicator, Compass, Trip Meters,Clock and                   Temperature display
•      Long service Intervals (For about 10000km)

What you won't:

•     A bigger fuel tank would have helped for Touring purpose
•     A little low of power
•     Adjustable seats would have added advantageFuel injection system would have     helped

 Verdict:

                                                     

So, is the Royal Enfield Himalayan worth it? Well, the motorcycle does not have
the thump as the old ones, looks nothing like the old ones, has an oil service interval of 10,000km, spark plug change interval at every 25,000km, and is light. Having ridden extensively in the Himalayas on every Enfield that is sold in India, I would say Royal Enfield Himalayan is the right machine for adventure now.

Technical Specifications:

                                                     

Article written and edited by  : Vinay ck

Source                                    :  Google.com, royalenfield.com

Image Credits                        :  Google image search, royalenfield.com,

                                                   technwheelz.com, overdrive.in

Contact                                   : 8892440115, 9731743423
E-mail                                     : vinayck.vinay@gmail.com

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