[hardus77]

Hello everyone,

I have searched for months... Himalayan has got all over me... The looks and the feel of it. But after digging up a bit I found that RE bikes require some expensive maintenance and are not that reliable in terms of engineering.  https://9apps.ooo So I started considering other options in my price range ( Himalayan costs around 1.75 L and that's the highest I can go) There is Thunderbird X ( but honestly they don't look better than the original one) , Dominar 400, KTM Duke, UM , Apache etc. I am thoroughly confused at this moment... So why not ask those who are more experienced than me in this community. What do you think ? https://solitaire.onl/
 
Thank you! https://bluestacks.vip/

[heloego]

"But after digging up a bit I found that RE bikes require some expensive maintenance and are not that reliable in terms of engineering."That really depends on the bike itself, regardless of brand or model and whether you can and will do the maintenance yourself.
RE quality has very much improved over the years (I have a 2012 C5 and other than minimal maintenance (and a couple screw-ups by me  ) it's been very good to me.While the Himi is not my kinda ride, the Itchy Boots videos give a very good account of the bike considering what she's been putting it through.I don't recall ever hearing of a new model anything that didn't have teething problems from the start, but RE has really stepped up to the plate and improved the engineering and QA that was once not a Hallmark of the brand.Don't give up on the RE brand, and DO NOT rely on the folks who don't own an RE. You CAN rely on the info from this forum.

[Bilgemaster]

The Himalayan is a dual-use on-road or off-road "adventure tourer", rather different than the other bikes you mention, which should best be kept on paved roadways. If you ever plan on touring where roads can be rough or non-existent, like up to Leh Ledakh, which I understand is a popular adventure touring destination over there, then you would probably be much happier on a Himalayan. But then, it sounds like you already really like the Himi, and it'll also just get you to work in high style too.

[suitcasejefferson]

I own a 2013 B5 Bullet 500 which is unreliable and requires a lot of maintenance. But the Himalayan is supposed to be a LOT better, and I have seen enough YouTube videos to convince me that it is.

However, just how much of a beginner are you? Have you ever ridden a motorcycle at all? If not I would not buy a bike yet. Take the MSF beginner rider course (they provide the bikes) and see what it's like for you. If you pass the course in most states you get your license without any further tests. If you are big enough to easily get on and off a Himalayan, and flat foot it at stops, then it should be fine as a first bike. If you are on the smaller side, do yourself a favor, buy a cheap used Honda Rebel 250, ride the wheels off that thing until you've got everything down solid, built up your confidence, and believe you are ready for something a little bigger, then sell the Rebel for about what you paid for it and buy something bigger.

[Bilgemaster]

"SuitcaseJefferson" offers some sound advice. One's very first bike should ideally be a reliable old "beater" well under 500cc, bought from a friend you trust who's moving up to something bigger and better. That said, a nice new Himi wouldn't be a bad choice either, if you can easily swing the cost. It seems pretty rugged for those inevitable drops while learning. As the famous "Itchy Boots" advised in her own 10,000 km YouTube review of the breed, you might do well to spend a few Rupees to get those sturdy panniers. They'll do more than just carry your lunch tiffin. They'll work like an extra pair of crash bars for light drops and make it much easier to get the bike up again.

[Morgan65]

I think the Himmy would make a great first bike. My son just got his motorcycle license and I said the same to him.

Hello everyone,

I have searched for months... Himalayan has got all over me... The looks and the feel of it. But after digging up a bit I found that RE bikes require some expensive maintenance and are not that reliable in terms of engineering.  https://9apps.ooo So I started considering other options in my price range ( Himalayan costs around 1.75 L and that's the highest I can go) There is Thunderbird X ( but honestly they don't look better than the original one) , Dominar 400, KTM Duke, UM , Apache etc. I am thoroughly confused at this moment... So why not ask those who are more experienced than me in this community. What do you think ? https://solitaire.onl/
 
Thank you! https://bluestacks.vip/

[Bilgemaster]

Well, seeing as that was Hardus77's one and only post, and it's now riddled with goofy spammy links, I now wonder about the sincerity of his desires.

[GlennF]

Well, seeing as that was Hardus77's one and only post, and it's now riddled with goofy spammy links, I now wonder about the sincerity of his desires.

Given that he quoted the price in Lakh he is almost certainly from India. He has probably wandered off to a local forum.

Interestingly 1.7 Lakh Rupee would be about $US2500 so clearly the Himalayan is much cheaper on its home turf

[mike_bike_kite]

Interestingly 1.7 Lakh Rupee would be about $US2500 so clearly the Himalayan is much cheaper on its home turf

I believe the bikes are a different spec in India though, I think they have a carb and don't get ABS. The Indian market for bikes, compared with the US, is very price dependent and these changes keep the price down.

It's odd though how India has a special word for 100,000 (Lakh) while nearly all other countries just work in multiples of 1000. Do any other countries have special words for odd units? (I suppose hundred, cent and dozen all count)

[tooseevee]

I believe the bikes are a different spec in India though, I think they have a carb and don't get ABS.

         The Himalayans in India have carburetors?

          Is that true?

         

[mattsz]

         The Himalayans in India have carburetors?

          Is that true?

Hmm... the spec sheet from RE's India website indicates EFI, and ABS.

The USA spec sheet mentions ABS, but the photo appears to be a bike without it.  EFI isn't mentioned, but I think it goes without saying.  The photos of the bikes on each spec sheet seem to clearly show different intake equipment.

India spec sheet:

https://www.royalenfield.com/content/dam/re-platform-images/home/motorcycles/specifications/spec-pdfs/new-himalayan.pdf

USA spec sheet:

https://www.royalenfield.com/content/dam/re-platform-images/home/motorcycles/rena/Spec-banner/secp-pdf/usa/Himalayan-Specifications.pdf

Anyway, didn't Noralee mention her Indian bike's EFI and ABS in her review video?

[tooseevee]

Hmm... the spec sheet from RE's India website indicates EFI, and ABS.

Anyway, didn't Noralee mention her Indian bike's EFI and ABS in her review video?

          Yes. That's partly why I asked the question. Her bike is EFI and she picked it up in India (although she could not register it in her name and had to have bullet-proof documentation with her that she had legal authority to be riding it all over the world).

          Someone made a comment on her Youtube about her carburetor being easy to adjust and I answered him that the bike did not HAVE a carburetor.

           I thank my lucky stars all the time that I got one of the last carburetor AVLs.

            (Gotta go see if Episode 101 is there).

[9fingers]

Noralee's bike has a Powertronic system added so therefore she has an EFI system. They claim a 5HP increase in mode two, but I read a bit somewhere else about a mode 3 that can get unlocked, sort of an "animal" mode.
9fingers

[mike_bike_kite]

         The Himalayans in India have carburetors?

          Is that true?

Sorry, missed your question.
The original BS3 version in India had carbs. The model changed to EFi in 2017. I think the current Australian Himalayan still has carbs. It really depends on what the local emission laws are.

[Bilgemaster]

Personally, like Tooseevee, I'd prefer a carb. Gravity always works. I haven't yet heard of any complaints concerning the Himi regarding issues pertaining to it's later model's various EFI gimcracks, but if I can't fix it with a gas station air hose, I guess I'm just not interested. It seems like every other complaint in these Forums pertaining to UCEs pertains to some hiccup in their EFI fuel systems.

Then again, our gal Noralee seems to be getting those kilometers under her belt with no EFI electro-gremlins besieging Basanti. Besides which, when she says "kilometers," I get a warm and tender feeling all over. So there's that.