As Chris and Threewheelbonnie have suggested, I would be cautious... the R model frame does have the welded boss on the front for the headlight/fairing support - which apparently is in the same location as it is on the X frame unless some welding has been done - but I cannot understand why anyone who'd had a front-end crash on an R would replace all the bodywork with X bodywork - faring, headlight, tank, seat, side panels, seat side panels, X forks (and presumably a wheel too if the original crash was severe enough to bend the forks) - to me that doesn't make financial sense at all, unless you have a very cheap (ie. stolen) X to take all the necessary parts from.

To me this stinks of some kind of ringer (not least as the V5 is going to say it's a CBR500R still) even though it is being sold by a dealer... I would certainly inspect it, and get the history on it, and run a check on the VIN too.

If that is too much bother, do what Threewheelbonnie suggests and buy the legit one for £400 more - 30,000 miles is nothing for these bikes - and you might well be able to offer a lower price on the 2013 bike too?

I'd be cautious with that R-to-X bike... that is not to say the conversion hasn't been done well, but you need to know why...

Jenny x

ps. who's to say that dash on the R-to-X bike conversion isn't the X dash (note that X dashes glow orange, R dashes are white) - and that the bike/engine has done more miles than 10,000 anyway, and just had the dash replaced with a lower mileage one as part of the rebuild? - is there any dealer/service history with this bike?

That's out of the window then lol

Yes, like I say, it could be a perfectly legitimate Cat N rebuild - but with any bike like that you need to know the genuine history of the donor bike, plus where the replacement parts came from.

In their defence* you'd have to have a lot of front as a dealer to rebuild a bike using stolen parts and advertise it so openly, so I'm not suggesting that is actually the case here - just you need to be sure that the donor is a genuine 10,000 mile bike (the engine does look clean admittedly) - and that ultimately as you've said, being located so far away from where you live makes a drop in and chat about it before any kind of commitment a bit unrealistic...

I would keep looking - and also consider joining the CB500X (dot com) forum, as there are regularly bikes for sale there, and you're much more likely to find a genuine and enthusiastic owner selling a genuine bike with full history etc.

Jenny x

*edit. having looked at that listing in more detail again, I would be prepared to give them [the dealer] the benefit of the doubt - it appears they specialise in insurance rebuilds, and that the dash panel with the ignition on does appear clear/white (rather than orange backlight) which would imply it is the original speedo from the R donor bike... Still, I do wonder where they got all those X body panels from, and how it could have been an economic repair compared to just a fairing and headlight for an R? I appreciate the X model is arguably the most desirable of the three 2013-on CB500 bikes, but it does seem to be a lot of work for a very modest selling price.

I have binned it.
I like this one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233598711646
Bin the plastic panniers!!!!
What are they worth???

Or this https://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-...nt=app_android

The NC is a bargain. The result of simply being a workhorse rather than weekend adrenaline toy. Come join us at nc700.co.uk for lots of info.

The plastic boxes are honestly worthless. While Honda did a great job making parts common across two bikes and a maxi scooter, boxes that fit everything are weird shaped and not good value. I'd ask the dealer to keep them and knock a bit off (bet he won't, he knows everyone wants GIVI/soft combo's). Failing that either just use them or you might get enough cash to fill the tank a couple of times.

Andy

Very low mileage on that NC750X - 3139 miles for a 4 year old bike. I wonder what the service history is like.

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You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.

Skeleton and a biscuit tin I've never heard that before. Thanks Ted you've just made me laugh out loud!!!

Hi Ted

What sort of Enfield was it that they were working on? When I went for a test ride on one of the "new" models - the Interceptor 650 - it was really smooth and was pretty well silent valve wise (well compared to my old airhead BMW most things are quiet, but I have developed an ear for valve noises). When I have seen the Himalayan running out and about they have been pretty quiet too, not just demonstrators either.

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You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.

These won't have been new ones. But not the early frame snappers.

I don't think they've had valve problems per se. They just need adjustment a lot. And head gaskets have been known to leak.

I've had very little to do with them mechanically wise. I've ridden a few and could not understand why anyone would fall in love with one. It feels like something out of the 80's.

These bikes cost under £2000 BRAND new in India. You just can not make anything of quality for that price.

They are firmly in the category of "Cheap Asian shit" in my book.

That doesn't mean you can't buy one and ride it around the world. Many people do just that with even worse bikes.

Just manage your expectations.

With no disrespect to their owners, many people who rant and rave about them do so with very little experience or no other bikes to compare it against.

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

"Have very little experience or no other bikes to compare them to",

Who weeded on your fire Ted?.

Are you saying Himalayan owners are thick?

Price and geography have nothing to do with anything is this globalised world. Triumphs are made in Thailand from Chinese parts. BMW engines are made in China from Chinese parts, or Germany from Chinese parts using Polish and Rumanian labour. No one casts anything in mass numbers outside China or India and even forgings will use metal from these places unless its way above automotive spec.

They all charge more in Europe because if they went with £2000 they'd have lower margins and lower sales because of the crazy assumption anything they sell for less must have cost them less.

On this logic, are Honda parts that sell for less in the USA lower quality?


I'm no Enfield fan, my 500 EFI was too similar to by Iron barrel 5 speed, but I think you have to look at product not brands. One day the Chinese will make a decent bike. This is where brands might be useful, they won't call it an AJS or Norton.

Andy

I have done a testride on a Himalayan and liked it very much. The test I have seen from a Dutch bike magazine was very possitive ( https://www.motor.nl/motortests/moto...yan-2018-test/ in Dutch but you have google) and I have seen reports of people riding from India to the Netherlands with almost no problems at all. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6sPF1PYPW8)


So I do not think you can compare the Royal Enfield Himalayan with the old Bullet. It is a completely new bike.

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Jan Krijtenburg

My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a Harley-Davidson FXD Dyna Super Glide

My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl

Valve clearance check (and adjustment every 5000 kms) on the Himalayan versus every 24 000 kms on the 500X - so indeed a lot more hassle with the valves on the Himalayan compared to the Honda. Basically 5 times as often.
From my understanding the Honda has shims but the Himalayan has screw adjustment of the valves which makes it easier to check and adjust the tappets on the Himalayan (maybe Ted can elaborate on this...?) - but still a lot more work and hassle with the Himalayan.

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

The Himalayan is tank off, screw out a cover then feeler gauges, spanner and screwdriver. Call it an hour the first time 30 minutes after that. My 1973 Honda has a very similar system.

The CB500 has the tray with the coils in the way after the tank is off and the head cover has to come off after that. Took me three hours. I was OK, nothing to adjust, but if you did have one out you need to remove, measure (add a micrometer to your tool kit?) and order a shim. The removal has the easy if scary looking Honda system of pulling the follower shaft. The shims are a standard size, so a workshop will have a set to exchange, at home you'd be waiting for the Postie. I would not want to do this in the car park of the Holiday Inn Express in Marakech, but then again I'd be pushed to do 16000 miles and not pass a Honda dealer or my own workshop.

It's the shaft versus chain argument all over again, do you want to do a simple job often or a big one less often.

Andy

I have just got back from a test ride on the Himalayan and have mixed feelings about it. What I wanted it for was to do a commute of 50 miles each way of which 35 are on dual carriageway. So the test ride was to see what it was like on a dual carriageway - the answer, for me, was it wasn’t the right bike as it was too vibey and slightly out of breath at 60mph+ so instead of spending an hour on the bike on a big road getting more disappointed I went onto side roads and country lanes. At that point the bike made really good sense - the power (yes, I know it only has 25hp) comes in nicely and it feels nice a light on the move (bear in mind I have a BMW R80) - it takes to twisty routes well.

So it isn’t the bike that I hoped it would be but I can see myself getting the 650 Interceptor for the ride to work.

I would think about the Himalayan for a long trip when I would be going on unmade roads for a significant proportion of the trip but it would mean that I would be close to excluded from larger roads due tot he mature of the bike. And that might be no bad thing - going slower is what I am doing anyway, I don’t really want to sit on autobahns munching miles - I am not in a race. I would have to look at the ergonomics of the bike as well as I found the position slightly cramped until I stood up at which point it felt much better and more in control - for a road exclusive rider that was a surprise for me.

__________________
You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.