The Himalayan is a bike that draws a lot of internet argument.

They have a very loyal and argumentative fan base. But from my experience, most of these flag bearers generally haven't owned many bikes for comparison or don't use it as anything but a weekend toy . Although there are obvious exceptions to this.

Their best argument was "Itchy boots uses one". But that's a sore point now as she's ditched it for Hondas after gaining more bike experience.

I can say that I have about ten good friends or close acquaintances that own or have owned one. I have also had a few on my bench for work, prep and maintenance.

It's worth noting that 90% of those people have sold them after the novelty has worn off or they have self destructed trying to use them as proper adv bikes.

Personally, I think they're an absolute pointless machine other than a cheap novelty to supplement a proper adv bike. Considering what else is out there. They are incredibly heavy, very underpowered, have terrible suspension, awful braking and have pretty poor reliability.


On paper, I can see their appeal. THEY'RE CHEAP. £4000 for a new bike !! WOW !! And they have a low seat. They look like an ADV bike. They're relatively simple too.

However, I don't know anyone with a Himmy who hasn't had electrical problems, oil leaks and other frustrating issues. Although if your a capable mechanic, most issues seem simple to fix. Although one of my friends Himmy jammed up it's gearbox after 25,000 miles and another has had constant head-gasket leaks.


But THINK !! You have £4000 to spend on an adventure bike.

Have you seen what you can buy from used Japanese/European pedigree stock for £4000. Bikes that will last FOREVER, are high spec, well designed and professionally built. With great after sales support and dedicated parts suppliers.

I could list fifty bikes that are better than the Himmy for the same money even with them being five, ten, twenty or even thirty years old.

I'm like a broken record on this forum:

NEW does not mean RELIABLE. CHEAP and NEW means quality is seriously compromised.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

To Svliker.

Do you need any further information on the Himalayan or is what has been posed sufficient for you?

I have ridden a BS4 UK model in excess of 28,000 miles all over Europe from Spain to Turkey. If you want my twopence worth let me know

Let's start with 5.

As someone who is in the market for a small, beginner friendly, all arounder in the small ADV or dual sport class, for extended trips among other things, I am fairly drawn to the RE Himalayan, it seems like a good compromise between a lot of things, I would be interested to hear some alternative options at a similar price point.

If this is not the proper place to discuss this, shoot me a PM.

Thats easy. I could pick five from each manufacturer

In no order of preference. And I'll stick to fuel injected bikes that can be bought for less than a new Himalayan. Otherwise the list will be 50 deep

1)Yamaha XT660 series (Although the 660R is closest to Himmy height) -
2)Honda CB500X
3) Honda Transalp 700
4) Suzuki V-strom 650
5)Kawasaki Versys 650
6)BMW F650 single (GS, Dakar, Sertao) or F650/800 parallel twin GS.

If you don't mind an older bike (which I believe are still far more dependable than a new RE) you could look at the:

XT600, DR650, XR650L, DRZ400S, Africa Twin 750, Transalp 600/650 etc.

I know I could get on my 25 year old Africa Twin and circumnavigate the world twice without it giving me trouble. There would be a mountain of dead RE's for the same trip.

Obviously, the problem with old bikes is that you don't know their history. So you need to buy smart. So if you're not overly confident of sniffing out a lemon, you should stick to something ten years old or less from the top list.

I would love to do a side to side Comparison with an XT660R and a Himalayan. They are similar in so many ways.

Comparing a Yamaha to a RE is like comparing a Rolex to a plastic watch out of a Christmas cracker.

Look at this on ebay. It's like new bike.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/194498810...AAAOSw92xhxUmd

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

You might have noticed that since @markharf's initial intervention on this thread a further dozen posts have disappeared. I removed these as they were attacking other members (or responding to the attacks) and added nothing of value to the thread.

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

I am posting a public apology. To all Himalayan owners that I have offended and upset on this thread by suggesting anything in the contrary that their bike isn't perfection on two wheels.

This apology is a result of a private message I received telling my that my post has been "Edited".

So..I have deleted my last post on this thread as it had been cut and edited by a Moderator. Sorry, I mean censored.

Because I compared a motorcycle to a cheap watch. Which apparently is now offensive.

It was deemed derogatory. As it might upset any said owners of said bike.

Perhaps members of this forum should think twice about the posts they now read. As they could likely changed or censored to fit the narrative of the moderator. RE owner ?

How can a forum be objective if opinions of bikes/equipment are changed and deleted by moderators.

I think I'll suspend myself from this forum for 30 days. Save the moderator the hassle.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

The Post Touring Ted refers to was edited in error, sorry, now restored. We don't edit posts without detailed explanation why, and much discussion.

"Censorship" is not our bag, keeping it all clean and enjoyable, and not allowing personal attacks is a tricky / slippery slope we try to negotiate with great care, but there will always be differences of opinion as to where the edge is.

In this case I (and other mods) didn't particularly like his comparison of RE and watches and Yamahas, but it was ok by me as it was his OPINION - and that's ok - perhaps offensive to RE, but I think not to RE owners. Or am I wrong?

NOTE: If anyone edits a post, there will be an "Edited" note below the post, and by whom, with an explanation of the edit.

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

£70 for a water pump kit (Many never leak and those that continue to leak are bodged by hamfisted mechanics) and £70 for a reg/rect (which don't go wrong once re-positioned). Then you're good for another 50,000 miles.

In my experience with RE, they're an old bike at 20,000 miles. With most parts failing and needing replacement in months rather than years. Assuming they ever leave the garage.

Age is irrelevant. Correct engineering, quality of components and skill of assembly is far more important than manufacture date.

It's not just with RE. It's the same with all budget bikes. This is why I get asked to change "factory fitted" wheel bearings on Hondas after 15 years and get asked to change entire motors on Chinese/Indian bikes after 12 months.

You're not daft. You know that too. But you're absolutely right. You can buy a lemon which has been messed with by a previous owner. So as always, due diligence is required.

Very kind of you to say so. And I absolutely agree. Polite debate and mixed opinion is the real value in a forum.

Cheers.

Moderation is thankless and difficult task. I know as I mod/admin many FB groups. So I realise that probably prematurely spat my dummy. And yes, I realise that I do post rashly and often passionately. It's just my way !!

I didn't appreciate my post being changed. I'm happy for my posts to be deleted if they don't fit the rules of the forum, but to be edited without permission is another story.

Anyway. I've had my warm milk and been burped. So all is well in the world again.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Hello


To be fair, the RE is available NEW, most of the bike in your list are not available as NEW bikes (for example in the european market), and if they are, only for asking prices beyond any reasonble value of what you actually get in form of the bike (in the market of my country and some of my neighbours).


sushi

__________________
My RTW:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrXt660ztenere

I've owned three of the bikes on Ted's list

The Rotax Aprillia/BMW's have specific weaknesses in the water pump and charging systems. If you can find a low mileage one and have the skill to get into the mechanical stuff you can probably make a decent bike. By the time you've done you will have spent Himalayan money and still have an old bike. Get one that's been cooked by a previous owner and bodged back together and there can be a world of pain.

V-Strom's are top heavy and lardy as a Glaswegian take away. Despite the capacity I'd put these in competition with 800GS's etc. for road only trips and people built like prop forwards.

The CB500X is a bit of a lump. In its standard form it was not capable of doing UK green lanes except the driest and most road like. Fix it with shocks and a lot of Rally Raid stuff and you've spent a lot. You can't get over basic service problems like the spark plugs being near the sump with the rest of the bike piled on top.The slippy clutch and ABS without an off-road mode were very poor on steep gravel.

I've had a short ride on a Himalayan and wish I'd bought it instead of the CB500X. Performance was fine, no previous owner bodges, seems simple to live with. I've had Bullets which maybe conditions you for what is normal. I wouldn't rate my knowledge of these as a serious opinion though, 30 minutes round Wakefield is rough and uncivilised but not in a good way.

There are no right or wrong answers. If I was going to India I'd get the RE. For the UK, if I lived near any of the last bits of legal unpaved road I'd go with a CRF250. As I don't I'll stick with the V7 for now.

Andy

Well I've owned none of the bikes on Ted's list and the nearest I've got to a Himalayan is someone camping next to me with one. So I'm not in a position to make any substantive comment on the advantages or otherwise of a secondhand Japanese bike vs a new R.E. I suspect however that, given his background, Ted is, and as such his opinion is worth listening to.

Whether you agree with what he says is up to you and there's always room for a different opinion, but his post was - in my opinion - well argued and polite. Even the simile at the end was - also in my opinion, and given what he'd already said - appropriate and amusing. So I'm not quite sure why it was marked up as "2/10, see me" in the red ink of moderation. If there had been some direct ad hominem style attack or he'd used offensive language or anything like that, then yes, the post would have been inappropriate but I don't think his watch comparison fell into those categories.

I can understand why he's taken umbrage. It takes a substantial amount of time to write a post like that and why would you bother if it's going to be struck out via some kind of hair trigger moderation process. If someone doesn't agree with what he's written then arguing back publicly with equal passion and knowledge is the way to go so we can all benefit from the interchange. Getting rid of his post - even part of it - benefits nobody.