[AzCal Retred]

That mist & low-angle sun looks plenty cold - you're a tough nut.

[him a layin]

looks plenty cold - you're a tough nut.

some kind of nut, that's for sure. we get a completely different weather pattern here in NC. snow in the forecast for friday then supposed to warm up after new years.

[him a layin]

highs in the mid 60s this week, went down by the river again, then cruised the back roads. need some wind-blocking pants, jacket is fine. been shopping online, what is this obsession with everything black? i want neon: orange, yellow, green...
and when i'm doing the limit on the 2-lane double solid back roads, they floor it and roar past. surprise!

[him a layin]

just ordered a pair of neon yellow rain pants from TSC: https://www.tractorsupply.com/.../glowear-unisex-hi-vis... yes, i could have got them cheaper, and no they're not armored MC gear, but they'll allow me to keep riding in the chilly until i get the real thing, at which point these will be used for cold weather bicycling. be loud, be proud!

i looked at some rubbery ones, and ripstop/pvc too, and decided to spring for the pricier (2X) breathable instead, on the theory that i'd get more utility out of them. some of the cheaper models look like they would disintegrate at 60mph.

[wachuko]

I would think that the obvious things to change to make it lighter are:

1. Exhaust
2. Tubeless conversion
3. Battery with Lithium-Ion (LiFePO4) unit...
4. If comfortable doing so, delete Evap
5. If comfortable doing so, Air Injection Delete Kit

Then you have small stuff that can be remove (or replace with lighter parts):

1. If you are riding solo, remove the passenger pegs
2. Remove the front peak... seems to be there only for looks...
3. Replace all bolts with titanium equivalents...
4. Replace all lights with lighter LED  equivalents


What else?  Beside loosing a few pounds myself?

[him a layin]

my guess is that little things like the bolts are trivial, maybe a couple of ounces altogether. i'm looking at the scram as an example for the best return.

[wachuko]

my guess is that little things like the bolts are trivial, maybe a couple of ounces altogether. i'm looking at the scram as an example for the best return.

Ohh... missed that... I thought you were looking to staying with the Himalayan and making it lighter while still using it for its intended purpose (off roading with gear).

I plan to get one next year... so at least it served as an exercise on some of the changes that I will make to mine 

And I agree, replacing the bolts with titanium equivalent... not cost effective for the weight it would save... and least not in my book.

[him a layin]

Ohh... missed that... I thought you were looking to staying with the Himalayan

no, you had it right. i'm staying with the himalayan. and in keeping with the himalayan's main theme, i'm insufferably cheap, so if i can simply take something off the bike, that's a free weight loss.

[AzCal Retred]

" I'm insufferably cheap, so if i can simply take something off the bike, that's a free weight loss. "

Well spoken. Tires are about the best mods you can make that have a noticeable effect on performance & you'll eventually need them anyway. If you are just occasionally cowtrailing, pretty much anything will work. You can do a lot with different weight fork oils & spring preload to suit yourself. The Himi at 440 pounds & about 25 HP is a bit portly but a good dual purpose mount with easy maintenance and stabile handling within its envelope. The KTM 390 adventure is 90 pounds lighter, 15 HP more powerful, +2" higher every time you swing a leg over and another $2500 more. The upcoming 450 Himalayan should be similar to the 390 KTM in performance and likely about the same money.

It would take a LOT of time & money to whittle the 411 Himi down by 90 pounds and add another 15 HP, probably way more than $2500 in time & parts. That center stand is worth its weight in gold for ease of maintenance & trailside repairs. Way better to just spend the money up front if you really feel the need for more ungawa. What I've seen is that the rider is normally at least 80% of the trail equation. Learning to actually use what you have seems to have been forgotten in the race to sell "faster" equipment. I can testify that buying a pricier, faster machine doesn't make you a better rider, it just guarantees you'll eventually hit the ground at a higher speed...

https://www.webbikeworld.com/2022-ktm-390-adventure/
https://www.webbikeworld.com/2022-royal-enfield-himalayan/

[him a layin]

sure, the himalayan could be lighter and have more power, but it is good enough for the kind of riding i do now. and the price point can't be beat for a new bike. i also looked at the bmw310, ktm390, and klr650 and chose the himmy i'll lightly mod it to make it mine. eventually i may swap it for something else, but for now it will do just fine.

[him a layin]

got my rain pants from TSC today. you can't see me!

[him a layin]

it's a lovely day for a ride in the country. expecting rain off and on for the rest of the week. strike while the iron is hot, seize the day!
went out past the edge of town, looked at some pastures, then browsed the baptist cemetery on the way back, graves from 1900 and thereabouts.

[AzCal Retred]

Looks like you had a nice toot! Is that windscreen keeping some cool air off of your chest?

[him a layin]

yes. i was skeptical at first, but it works very well. i open the visor on my helmet a half-inch or so to keep the air fresh and condensation under control. i still don't have actual MC boots or pants, but what i have is adequate for now. one of the few mods i did to my H1 long ago was a windscreen about this size. it's been over 35 years since  i rode regularly, so it's still sort of new to me, but i'm getting the hang of it and looking forward to riding more when the weather warms. the back end seems looser-connected to the road than i remember, maybe the stock tire?

[AzCal Retred]

Tire compounds and air pressure are some real voodoo. For summer riding almost anything works. IF I was riding any on cold & wet or frosty tarmac I'd spring for real rubber by a real manufacturer with actual cold/wet/icy road experience like Dunlop, Michelin, Metzeler, Avon or maybe Bridgestone. My dirt-years criteria was that if I fell off less, the tires were likely better that what I had on before. At our age I can't in good conscience recommend that Darwinian approach. Lots of fast riders here have valid opinions on what contemporary rubber works well in adverse conditions, but not me. Myself I use Duro because it wears well and is cheap, but I'm not out there in the cold & wet either. Duro for "casual summer use" is OK, but for anything else you probably want the real deal.