Biker's Lounge

[VCheng]

I wish I could do that. I live on the other half of the country. The Tail would have tested me to my limits on my '98 Buell S1.

Buells are cool, and you have a bonanza of awesome riding roads out West. I plan on heading out that way some day.

I ride a 2015 R1. And a 2012 GS1200R.

Great choices.

 

[adil_minhas]

Great choices.

Not my choices per se. Hand me downs from a friend in Australia. Imported them in.

 

[gambit]

Buells are cool,...

What would be great is if Victory have its own versions of the '98 Buells. Victory is what Hardly Movingson should have evolved into.

 

[VCheng]

What would be great is if Victory have its own versions of the '98 Buells. Victory is what Hardly Movingson should have evolved into.

Victory bikes are awesome. The problem with HDs not moving is more with the riders than the bikes themselves. A buddy of mine rides an HD and he can keep up with most sportsbikes.in the twisties, grinding pegs and sparks flying. Pity he hit a deer last month that totaled it and broke his ankle.

 

[adil_minhas]

Victory bikes are awesome. The problem with HDs not moving is more with the riders than the bikes themselves. A buddy of mine rides an HD and he can keep up with most sportsbikes.in the twisties, grinding pegs and sparks flying. Pity he hit a deer last month that totaled it and broke his ankle.

We have the same problem with Hardly Ableson riders here. And you should see the aunties in shorts sitting behind .....

 

[VCheng]

We have the same problem with Hardly Ableson riders here. And you should see the aunties in shorts sitting behind .....

Just like it is the photographer and not the camera, it is the rider and not the bike that makes the ride.

 

[adil_minhas]

Just like it is the photographer and not the camera, it is the rider and not the bike that makes the ride.

But what about the thunder thighs out back? Its not a pretty sight seeing Delhi aunties in hot pants.

 

[adil_minhas]

Did it come syed?

 

[VCheng]

View attachment 321528
Did it come syed?

Yes, I can see the photograph.

 

[adil_minhas]

Yes, I can see the photograph.

That's me, and my bikes. The R1 is my favorite and which gets taken out more often, though the GS is what I use on tour. I find her a bit heavy and bulky for India.

 

[gambit]

Victory bikes are awesome. The problem with HDs not moving is more with the riders than the bikes themselves. A buddy of mine rides an HD and he can keep up with most sportsbikes.in the twisties, grinding pegs and sparks flying. Pity he hit a deer last month that totaled it and broke his ankle.

I takes me a few minutes longer to go home at night than going to work in the day -- deers. I have hit deers in my Jp Grand Cherokee but never on my S1.

Right now, am debating on a Vic or a Sportster. The only thing that discouraged me from getting a Vic is the dealership network. Other than engine and trans, I can handle everything else on a bike, especially electrical, but mucking inside the engine and trans, I would leave to and pay for a professional. Right now, the HD dealership network is better in terms of coverage than each of its competitors. If I get a cruiser, I would turn my S1 into a track bike. A Sportster would be great because my S1 is essentially a Sportster in a sportsbike frame. Am cheap, so just like my S1 that I bought used, I would probably buy my cruiser used.

 

[VCheng]

That's me, and my bikes. The R1 is my favorite and which gets taken out more often, though the GS is what I use on tour. I find her a bit heavy and bulky for India.

Good bikes indeed.

I takes me a few minutes longer to go home at night than going to work in the day -- deers. I have hit deers in my Jp Grand Cherokee but never on my S1.

Right now, am debating on a Vic or a Sportster. The only thing that discouraged me from getting a Vic is the dealership network. Other than engine and trans, I can handle everything else on a bike, especially electrical, but mucking inside the engine and trans, I would leave to and pay for a professional. Right now, the HD dealership network is better in terms of coverage than each of its competitors. If I get a cruiser, I would turn my S1 into a track bike. A Sportster would be great because my S1 is essentially a Sportster in a sportsbike frame. Am cheap, so just like my S1 that I bought used, I would probably buy my cruiser used.

You cannot go wrong with either, but the Sportster is an iconic bike for sure.

 

[VCheng]

http://www.cycleworld.com/royal-enf...ke-motorcycle-review-first-impression#page-11



REVIEWS
Royal Enfield Himalayan - FIRST IMPRESSION REVIEW


One small bike for adventures, one giant leap for Royal Enfield

By Joseph Gustafson July 28, 2016

Two Gents Digital

Is the Royal Enfield Himalayan the perfect bike for ADV intenders?

Ewan McGregor ruined adventure motorcycles. His production the “Long Way Round,” is the “Eat, Pray, Love” for motorcycles, a perfect first-world-problem piece that shows the only way to experience borderless wanderlust is through hugely expansive and expensive endeavours through third-world countries. Fun? Yes. Achievable? Not for many.

Since that production, adventure bikes have exploded in both popularity and features, while people in cubicles the world over have fantasised about dropping it all, buying a GS, and heading into parts unknown. And adventure bikes have evolved to fit these increasing demands. Once simply armored-up road bikes, they now come saddled with the latest in riding tech, and horsepower numbers that would shame sportbikes of 15 years ago.


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Two Gents Digital

Perfect for gravel antics.

The results are thrones of technological superiority, but are still simply too tall, too fast, and too expensive for the beginner rider. On the other side of the ADV equation is the dirt-focused dual-sport that isn’t comfortable on the street or over long distances.

Where are the bikes that are perfect for once-a-week adventures, not once-in-a-lifetime ones? A new option emerges, and it hails from an unexpected player.


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Two Gents Digital

A friendlier approach to ADV design.

Royal Enfield had been building variations of essentially the same motorcycle up until the unit-construction engine (UCE) was put into production in 2010. The Redditch Company partnered with Madras Motor to form Enfield India in 1955 to build Royal Enfield Bullets under license. It then was acquired by the Eicher Group in 1990, and currently churns out the Bullet, Continental GT, and four versions of the Classic.

But lately, it has been busy. In 2013, Royal Enfield moved into a new factory in Chennai, with new tooling and manufacturing processes, then hired former Cagiva/Ducatidesigner Pierre Terblanche in 2014 to head the design team. It then acquired Harris Performance Products in 2015. Royal Enfield is pivoting from its usual routine to achieve a lofty goal: become the leading middleweight motorcycle company in the world, and bring fun and accessibility back to motorcycles.

The Royal Enfield Himalayan is the first product of these restructuring efforts, and was built with one goal in mind: expand Royal Enfield’s reach, and conquer the Himalayan mountain range—regardless of your skill level. This goal is reiterated graphically, everywhere—the word Himalayan is slathered all over the bike, even embedded in the graphics.


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Two Gents Digital

Milwaukee. It's basically the Himalayas right?

We are not in the Himalayas, however, but in Milwaukee, WI, where Royal Enfield NA has set up shop and where it has brought in two examples of the Himalayan for market testing.

The Himalayan has a rugged presence that resides somewhere between fully bagged ADV and bare-bones dual-sport. Like many of Terblanche’s designs, it is pretty and pretty awkward, but not homely. Its stance implies its dirt focus, but it has a softer execution and lacks expansive plastics and aggressive angles. Its design speaks with friendly enthusiasm, not with murderous intent to dominate all obstacles that lay in its path.

Ruggedness and simplicity are apparent: pieces are designed into the overall appearance, not bolted on. Instead of an array of fairings, ducts, panels, and pieces to cover the complicated mess that sits beneath a modern ADV bike’s shell, the Himalayan’s guts are laid bare for the world to see, and accessible without taking the whole thing apart.


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Two Gents Digital

Improved build quality is the result of millions in investment from Royal Enfield.

The build quality is significantly improved over Enfields of yore; a benefit of being both a clean-sheet design, and the heir to millions of dollars of production investment. Plastics are sturdy, wires hidden away and tucked, emission equipment is not tacked on, and everything is class standard for fit and finish.


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Two Gents Digital

Adventure Ready?

Throwing a leg over the saddle shows how different this bike is than the rest of the ADV class regulars. With a seat height of 31 in., it's far more accessible than entry-level dual-sports; although, it will be a bit more cramped for taller riders, but this one aspect points at the purpose of this machine.

The objective is “accessible fun.” This theme kept coming up when talking with Rod Cope, Royal Enfield NA’s president, and is the strategy driving the brand forward. Royal Enfield aims to build bikes with real-world usability in mind, not spec-sheet dominance.

So, what are those specifications? The Himalayan has an all-new, air-cooled, carbureted 410cc single-cylinder UCE engine, an all-new frame, and shares no parts with Royal Enfields that have come before it. It produces a claimed 24.5 hp at 6,500 rpm and 23 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 4,500 rpm (most of it readily available before that). Power is sent through a five-speed transmission.


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Two Gents Digital

All new 410 LE motor is Royal Enfield's first clean-sheet design, in forever.

These are conventional numbers that wouldn’t have been out of place more than 20 years ago, but it all works well in practice. The new 410 LE motor is willing to rev, and is smooth in its delivery. Running amok in gravel lots, it flatters your riding even though it doesn’t send adrenaline surging. It’s average in the nicest use of the word, in that it doesn’t make a fuss of being throttled, and doesn’t vibrate you to numbness. Everything is easy to use, with a light easy-to-control clutch and a transmission with smooth shift throws.

On the highway, you can cruise at 75 mph comfortably and without bothersome vibrations, although the windscreen does buffet a bit.

The suspension and braking systems don’t write any new headlines for being amazing. The fork is a 41mm unit up front while a monoshock with adjustable preload resides in the rear. The front wheel is a 21-in.-diameter unit with a 17-incher out back. The components were chosen with a 50/50 on-road/off-road usage in mind. The suspension has 8.6 in. of travel front and rear before earth meets metal.


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Two Gents Digital

30 in. seat height makes adventuring approachable.

The brake system consists of a twin-piston floating caliper biting a 300mm disc up front, and a single piston floating caliper/240mm disc in the rear. The front setup doesn’t offer much initial bite, and feel from the rear is “wooden,” but stopping power remains adequate. The tires are CEAT, which is apparently a tire brand. That’s all there is to say about them, since if the bike does in fact get imported into the U.S. we are told that a more recognizable brand will be sourced for our market.

Other than the middling componentry, the bike is dripping with content. It has two racks up front that double as tank guards, a rear luggage rack, one near the swingarm, and a small bash plate. There are no engine guards, though, and as it sits it would need a dose of armor for heavy ADV use as some parts, like the oil cooler, are left exposed.


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//Image removed to stay below the imposed limit of 8//


Two Gents Digital

No big-name components, but it doesn't detract from the riding experience.

On the road, the lack of spec-sheet flash doesn’t matter. Its puppy-dog nature makes potholes and asphalt cracks nary a problem, and that new single just pops and gurgles along the way. At 410 lbs. it’s not light, but most of that weight is carried low in the frame, so maneuverability and gravel antics are fun and confidence inspiring.

It is a scrambler in the truest sense of the word; meant to be simple, and bring adventure into the in-between times, not just the extreme once-a-year extravaganzas. It’s perfect for dipping your toe into the off-road world: hopping into a gravel lot over here, a fire road there, and maybe some light dedicated off-roading on the weekends.


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Two Gents Digital

Adventure where you can find it. In this case, a public beach.

Royal Enfield’s job was to create an entry-level ADV platform, and it succeeded. Not with tech, but with an emphasis placed on usability and accessibility, from its seat height to its power delivery, to its price tag.

And speaking of price, Royal Enfield is mum on when and if this bike is coming to America. If it is, they estimate it will be somewhere in the realm of $4,000 to $5,000, which is a whole lot of motorcycle when you consider its commuter and ADV capabilities. Its biggest competitors will be used KLR’s and WR’s at that price, but the Himalayan is far easier to sit on and more comfortable to ride. It’s more mini-GS than dual-sport.


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Two Gents Digital

More touring friendly than other bikes in its class.

The Himalayan is extremely well equipped for beginning ADV riders, and 99-percent of the rides they will do, but as the success of “Long Way Round” shows, fantasy, not always reality, sells bikes. Royal Enfield is listening intently to feedback on if they should bring this bike stateside, and have upgrades in mind to make that happen (namely adding EFI).

My verdict? The Himalayan’s ruggedness and simplicity are exactly the cure for the exceedingly complex ADV bikes of today, and a strong step forward to broaden Royal Enfield’s reach. It may not light the fire of experienced ADV riders, or come equipped with all the necessary armor for hardcore ADV usage, but it's not supposed to be a hardcore bike. It’s supposed to be fun and accessible to early overlanders, and it nails that goal perfectly.

 

[adil_minhas]

@Syed.Ali.Haider

It has no power. Mara hua engine.

And when I read "mini GS" I realize that Indian money has flowed into American hands.

 

[VCheng]

@Syed.Ali.Haider

It has no power. Mara hua engine.

And when I read "mini GS" I realize that Indian money has flowed into American hands.

Who needs power? This bike has isshtyle in spades!