Royal Enfield has lent us for a week the most adventurous motorcycle they have, the Himalayan. At first glance you can see a big bike, but fair. With my height of 1.70 meters, I arrive with the tip of both feet on the floor, but with a little practice, one can master the bike with one foot to the brake and the other to the floor.
The vibrations of this model have been improved considerably, since the engine has been designed specifically for the Himalayan. This was solved with the balancing shaft located in front of the crankshaft and driven by a single gear.
Taking into account the philosophy of the brand (enjoy the ride), let’s see what this bike is capable of. You can find the technical sheet in this link.
We test the bike with the heavy traffic of the city. We know that mobility in the city of Bogotá is a bit complicated, considering that we move behind the car, as the law says.
But in these conditions the Himalayan has behaved to the height. Its weight is very manageable and well distributed. The driving position is really comfortable, since the delayed handlebar falls naturally to draw a relaxed position; height has not been a problem, taking into account the above mentioned. The temperature of the engine feels a little between the legs, but nothing that can not be supported.
The gearbox has no problem, very smooth and precise. I have never had problems looking for the neutral or making the change up and down. I must also say that the relationship of the changes is very well selected.
The brakes I have to say that the rear works very well, but the front should be applied with a little more force. I usually use a finger to brake, but on this bike I had to use both fingers. At this point it can be said that it is a problem, but later we will see that it is not.
Its consumption has been very satisfactory, taking into account that it is a 411 cc engine. I was able to have an average of 90 km / gal, driving the motorcycle between 2,000 and 5,000 revolutions (between 2,000 and 3,500 rpm in heavy traffic). This gives me a city autonomy of around 360 km.
The Himalayan behaves very well on the road. Thanks to the driving position (I recommend sitting as close as possible to the gas tank to balance the weight), it feels very comfortable. You can drive at a cruising speed of 110 km / h (in the few places you can) without feeling vibrations and you still have more speed to overtake other vehicles.
Despite having a dual-purpose tires, the Pirelli MT60, responds very well in the corners, can put the bike to the limit. We have done a tire pressure test and we came to the conclusion that 27 psi forward and 34 back is the ideal for this bike.
Its suspension responds without problems and feels very smooth with the unevenness of the road. Really a very pleasant trip.
Its two-position display feels great in the highest position on the road.
Its consumption has reached 114 km/gal, giving us an autonomy of approximately 450 km per full tank.
Now, we enter the Himalayan terrain. Although we continue with the original configuration of the tires, I was surprised by the way this motorcycle moves.
Entering the field, I stand on the footrest and have fun on the ground. Your suspension works exceptionally. His brakes, despite having ABS, and what we discussed earlier about the front brake, has not given me any shock or surprise, it is very well balanced and I have not needed to disconnect it by means of fuses.
I have reached speeds of 80 km / h, driving on foot all the time and I feel like the bike moves smoothly between my legs. It really is a motorcycle full of surprises.
The configuration of the engine, having the maximum torque at low rpm, helps to overcome everything that faces us the way.
This is really a motorcycle that really works for a long adventure around the world, regardless of the terrain.
The tires have also surprised me as they cling to the ground, skidding every now and then for fun.
The 411 engine is very smooth to carry and no vibrations are found in normal use. It does not feel particularly powerful or powerful, but it is very easy to carry, whether on the road or in the city.
In uncovered or off-road it behaves very well. The front tire 90/90 – 21 and 220 mm free height makes it easy to maneuver, giving me confidence to go a little faster and even hit a few small jumps when the ground left me. Really very funny.
It really surprised me how Pirelli works on this bike. Despite being double purpose, on the ground they feel very precise and good grip. On the asphalt do not feel vibrations or noises and have given me very good dry grip and a lot of confidence in the wet.
The board has seemed very complete… even compass has. There are times when the compass lost its north, but this is solved by making a pair of eights with the bike and it was fixed.
I really think that this can be a motorbike to buy it as a first motorcycle, as long as you measure a little more than 1.75 meters in height. Since it will give you more confidence if you arrive with both feet on the floor.
I consider that the main thing is the lateral leg. At the time of parking the bike and put the side leg, if you’re not careful, it is possible that you drop the bike on the side opposite the leg. Since when you get off, the rear suspension is compressed, making the bike very straight (taking into account that the floor is completely level); When you get on the bike, especially in people of my height and little experienced, if you take the momentum to get on, it is possible that you drop the bike to the other side. If the floor has a slope you have to be more careful.
The sensor cable of the front ABS feels that it is very exposed, especially if it is done a lot off-road, since a stone can hit the cable and goodbye front ABS. I think the arrangement is not complicated, just organize the cable between the fork and the disc, keeping in mind that it will not rub against the disc, and holy remedy.
