[mc35803]

I had a 2015 C5 that I foolishly sold last year (I had 4 bikes at the time and needed room).   There is a very well respected Japanese franchise dealer an hour away from me that has been in business 40 years now.  They became a RE dealer last year (and bought my bike to have a used one on the floor).   They now have three Himalayans in stock and between them and the C5 I am thinking of taking the plunge again.   I used to read posts here a lot about cracked frames and wonder if the 2017 & 2018 bikes have better welds now than three earlier bikes.  I never had an issue with the frame but wonder if I would be foolish to not get the Himalayan.   I love the styling of the C5 and most of my riding would be on country roads with an occasional ride on US forest service roads.  If guys with newer C5s were buying today, which bike would you go for?

[AmBraCol]

They are very different bikes in their style.  Personally, I don't care for the Himalayan.  It's a good enough bike, but it just doesn't "feel right" to me.  Of the two, I'd opt for the C5.  My personal bike's a Rumbler (same bike as the Indian Thunderbird) which is the same basic engine as the C5.  My understanding is that the newer C5's are coming with the Rumbler type disk brake which means they've got a better swingarm system as well as the better braking capabilities.  OK, now that I've typed that out, methinks that's the European version, not the US version.  At least the US website still shows the rear drum brake.  But even so, for style of riding and everything, of the two bikes you mention it's the C5 hands down.

[wildbill]

i think given the choice i'd go for the 018 C5 -just like mine the Himalayan is alright but I've looked at 2 of them over the past year and they have their problems.
if you really wanted to go off road plus do the sealed as well i'd go Kawasaki versys x300 which when I had mine I thought it was a very good bike - but lacks the C5's character! plus I doubt if it would ever break or let you down either.
the rear disc C5 is pretty good and with ABS I think perfect. no need to worry about that rear drum brake or the possibility of a lock up either.
here's a video on me running my 018 C5 and if you want to skip the start - hard braking comes in at the 17 minute mark

https://youtu.be/4kHELG7C5gA

[mc35803]

Thanks guys.  I am leaning more towards getting another C5.   Nothing out there beats it for styling in a somewhat  modern bike.  I have looked at the Kawasaki 300 and while it gets rave reviews it seems too refined.  I am old enough at 58 that the C5's relaxed speeds suits my riding preferences more and more these days. 

[Richard230]

Motorcycle Consumer News just published a full instrumented test of the Himalayan and they didn't like it very much.  I'll post a summary of their comments and performance measurements later today in the Himalayan sub-forum.

[mc35803]

I could be wrong but it seems a lot of the testers are 20 something's that want the bike to be other than what it intended to be, a modest budget friendly bike for what I would call light off road use vs rugged single track or rock crawling.   But then, the naysayers often dismiss the C5 and it's low top end speed.   I have other bikes that go faster but I can't say the smiles per mile increase with top end speed for me.

[bonkers]

My local dealer had 2 Himalayans in stock and a stealth black C5. Sat on the Hima but didn't like it at all!. We don't have any roads over here the Himalayan is made for and in the rest off Europe you also have to search for them so took the C5. Did some real off road riding with a Bullet  a few years ago in the  Himalayan mountains so was already convinced this was the type off bike I would buy. Sold my BMW R80G/S and my NineT too. Didn't regret it at all , so I would take the C5 if I were you. It will take you anywhere and it looks so cool.

[AmBraCol]

I could be wrong but it seems a lot of the testers are 20 something's that want the bike to be other than what it intended to be, a modest budget friendly bike for what I would call light off road use vs rugged single track or rock crawling.   But then, the naysayers often dismiss the C5 and it's low top end speed.   I have other bikes that go faster but I can't say the smiles per mile increase with top end speed for me.

That's the problem with the bike magazines.  They're either geared towards Harley and Harley wannabe cruisers or go fast crotch rockets.  Royal Enfield isn't really either, not even the Thunderbird/Rumbler series.  Yeah, they're "dated". So what? They are still an enjoyable bike to ride for those not geared towards following the crowd.

[Richard230]

I could be wrong but it seems a lot of the testers are 20 something's that want the bike to be other than what it intended to be, a modest budget friendly bike for what I would call light off road use vs rugged single track or rock crawling.   But then, the naysayers often dismiss the C5 and it's low top end speed.   I have other bikes that go faster but I can't say the smiles per mile increase with top end speed for me.

The MCN editor and testing staff all look to be in there 50's and 60's.

[Arizoni]

When Royal Enfield first offered the Himalayan in India, several of them showed signs of poor welding.  One, so much so that the steering head almost ripped off (although no one seems to know how badly that motorcycle was treated before it failed).
These were carb only motorcycles and not exported.

RE stopped selling the Himalayan shortly after that and for a time, none were offered for sale.

Although I have no way of knowing, I think RE did a major correction to their welding processes and redesigned some areas to incorporate the fuel injection now offered on their export models.

The one I looked at a few weeks ago had welds that looked "hell for stout" everywhere I looked.
I wouldn't be concerned with poor welds on the new Himalayans.

[Richard230]

According to the Motorcycle Consumer News article, the Himalayan frames are welded by robots and they agree that the frame seems strong and the welds are well done, if not all that pretty.

[mc35803]

Thanks all.  The weld issues and cracked frames I had read about were on the C5s not the Himalayan.  I suspect they have gotten better/stronger as well.

[Richard230]

Here is a repeat from my recent post in the Himalayan sub-forum that C5, and really any Bullet owners, might find interesting:

I recalled that MCN performed a complete test of the RE Bullet Classic C5 in their April 2010 issue. I thought it might be interesting to include a summary of the results of that test in this thread. 

The C5 made 19.86 hp at 4,250 rpm and 26.61 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. Maximum rpm on the dyno was 5,250. Measured top speed was 79.7 mph and it covered the 1/4 mile in 17.36 seconds at 71.38 mph. 0-60 took 11.41 seconds.  Stopping from 60 mph took 135.86 feet. The speedometer was just as inaccurate as the Himalayan's, reading 65 mph when the actual speed was 59.6 mph. The wet weight of the bike was measured as 418.5 pounds. The front forks were made by Paoli of India and had 5.1 inches of travel. Rear shocks had 3.2 inches of travel, no manufacturer was specified. Average gas mileage is listed as being 57.7 miles per gallon.

They liked the C5's good handling and authentic British styling, comfortable riding position and hassle-free reliability  . They didn't like it's lack of power, too much vibration, steering headshake at freeway speeds and that it is a "cult classic and not for everyone".  The 2010 C5 received a value of 4 dots out of five.

[Bert Remington]

Two years ago Autoweek (I'm a subscriber) had a gentle review of the C5 (http://autoweek.com/article/motorcycles/ride-review-royal-enfield-classic-500).

[Morgan65]

I had a 2015 C5 that I foolishly sold last year (I had 4 bikes at the time and needed room).   There is a very well respected Japanese franchise dealer an hour away from me that has been in business 40 years now.  They became a RE dealer last year (and bought my bike to have a used one on the floor).   They now have three Himalayans in stock and between them and the C5 I am thinking of taking the plunge again.   I used to read posts here a lot about cracked frames and wonder if the 2017 & 2018 bikes have better welds now than three earlier bikes.  I never had an issue with the frame but wonder if I would be foolish to not get the Himalayan.   I love the styling of the C5 and most of my riding would be on country roads with an occasional ride on US forest service roads.  If guys with newer C5s were buying today, which bike would you go for?

The Himalayan is my number three RE in my stable and by far the best of the three bikes, besides being the most versatile.