I just returned from a trip to Tenerife where I rented this motorcycle and took it around the thousands of curves around this island. You’re pretty critical with that motorcycle! It’s a 450 for 6000€. For that price and engine size you get a pretty decent motorcycle. Everything negative you mention is absolutely manageable. What did you expect?!?
I think the worn out front tire gave the one I rode the heaviest handling of anything I’ve ridden. I did say later in the video that I grew pretty fond of the bike, and I agree with you, it is absolutely an incredible amount of motorcycle for the price.
@@AdventurePiggy thanks for clarification! By the way, mine had the stock Chinese tires and they did a good job. But it was warm and dry outside, don’t know how they perform on wet or cold streets.
Great review! This sums up pretty much everything that I feel about the the bike i purchased. I don’t regret it at all. The smiles per dollar are all worth it.
Great review! I test rode several bikes in this light ADV segment. In the end I picked the Himalayan 450. Why? You summed it up on your day 3 comments, I want to enjoy the riding and the surroundings. I want to be able to explore and have a bike that can handle whatever road I end up on. And to do it in comfort and style!
Really superb video I’d been trying to find something that covered a lot of the points you did in this video especially about vibes at revs for normal riding speed everyone always missed that thanks for sharing!
I’m happy to be helpful. I noticed the vibrations more in the first couple days on the bike having just come off a T7 and husqvarna 401. It’s not as bad as the 3rd gen KLR that I test rode last summer if that helps at all. The vibrations are in a fairly small rpm range, it just happens to be right at 6th gear and 60mph
@ thanks that’s really helpful info had a t7 myself in the past an a 411, kinda thinking about a 2nd nx500 got one for my dad recently or the new 450gs when it comes out will be interesting. I’ve had a few bikes where they’ve had really obvious vibrations right where it’s at your cruising speed can be a bit of a pain especially with our speed limits in the uk.
Haha, been hunting for reviews of the new RE, love that I found yours being done in my home country, recognise some of the roads you where on in the northwest, particularly baelach na bá pass coming up from Applecross. Hope you enjoyed it. I love your synopsis that it's a 7/8ths KLR, we only briefly got the KLR here. Been toying between one of these and a KTM 390 adv.
I had such a good time riding around the west coast! Bealach na Bà is pretty special, although quite cold that day. If you can, try to get a ride on both. I think the standing position is a bit better on the Himi, and the KTM has more of an aggressive character. Best of luck on the bike hunt!
Nice review, good to see you are not praising the bike into heaven like everyone else but instead tell your own experience. I am getting a himi as a vacation bike for some gravel/sand roads.
It’s a great bike, especially for its price, but it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. I do think the handling on the one I rented was badly affected by the worn out front tire. Enjoy the himi, it seems like it will serve your purpose well. Happy travels, Simon
Front break is too soft & rear is too sharp... Duhhhh that's what an offroader suppose to do... 😑😪 the last thing u want is to lock ur front& slide after every 2 mins😐
But it’s a travel bike that is going to spend lots of time on the road. Even with an off road bike, I’d like the rear to have some more feel before locking up.
I liked your honest review. i feel if you expect more from the himmi you will be disppointed. it what it is for that price. Im pretty happy about the himmy. Will book it sooon.
Dude although i dont like how you were so critical on this bike,i love how you review and i like how you reacted so peacefully to all those dissatisfied comments.i just became a subscriber and put more travel journeys.i just saw how you are under 1k and wanted to help.😊
I really appreciate that :) After seeing all the excitement and hype around this bike, maybe I built it up too much in my mind. I didn't mean to be hyper critical about it and I certainly don't think it's a bad bike. Perhaps I should have led with the positive aspects of the bike. That's a good lesson for me going forward. Motorbikes are supposed to be fun and there's no point to get grumpy about comments 🙃 Welcome to the channel!
In my personal experience with A LOT of RE bikes, I think I'm in a pretty decent position to claim that RE still haven't fixed their reliability issues. Very recently I went on a short road trip (~300 miles) with my friends with rental REs. One of them was a brand new bike that had just been through the first service. Literally every single one of them had some kind of technical issue.
Finally an honest review! I’m looking for a smaller, lighter bike, I’m 75 and have been on a 1200GS for the last 14 years. The 400-500cc bikes are appealing.
I’m glad it was helpful. It’s a good little bike, especially at that price point. Reviews will only go so far. If you get a chance it’s worth trying it out. It’s definitely capable of doing nearly everything, you just need to see if it gels with you personally.
Appreciate the honest review. Did a test drive and also found it quite buzzy at mid RPM’s. Really wanted to buy one, but kind came to the same conclusion as you. By the way, my Adventure Piggy sticker is still proudly displayed on my bike.
Nice to hear from you! It’s difficult going to a single from a smooth twin. After a few days on it, I didn’t notice the vibrations nearly as much, so it is one of those things where a short test ride doesn’t always paint the whole picture.
Tried in the Australian Outback and in the Great Himalayan range itself and it is far better than this review itself. Viewers should take a ride themselves before coming to a conclusion.
I appreciate the balanced review. I have one on order with my dealer. I think older riders like me will find this to be a popular bike because it is smaller and lighter. I rode a 1200 GS for 8 years and then downsized to a Honda 300 Rally which I found to be too small. Hoping the Himi 450 will be just right.
Congratulations on the new bike coming soon! It’s a good little travel bike that has very good low speed manners. Much easier to do full lock turns than on my Tenere 700. I’m pretty certain that the worn front tire was responsible for the heavy handling. Happy riding!
I thought that was a pretty good review and I enjoyed it really very much. You spoke of many things that I realised when I test rode exactly the same version three days ago… I actually enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t trying to pull me along to go faster… leaving it to be my choice…. I thought it was brilliant over rough holed roads, economic long range it’s a pretty good all-rounder for a lazy style of riding… Incomplete contrast I also took out the Royal Enfield shotgun and that was beautiful but as you can imagine, didn’t like the bumps quite as much because you’d feel them in the body, but it did hold the road perfectly lumpy or not… but as I say, a different animal…. The Himalayan would definitely be my choice for Scotland and North Wales and the like….. thanks for your great review. Thought it was brilliant and look forward to others in the future.
I appreciate the kind words. Speaking to others, it seems that the worn front tire may have tainted my view on the bike’s handling. The suspension is remarkable for the money or not. It is smoother over sharp edges than the stock tenere 700 suspension setup and I didn’t bottom it out either.
The ceat brand tyre is absolutely brilliant and confidence inspiring wet or dry and in my view the bike has light pin sharp handling. The rear brake is pleasantly strong. The front brake is decent enough perhaps a tad spongey. Wind protection is average on the motorway and the side stand is too short. It's an endearing fun and comfortable bike and mine enjoys revving to 8k revs on the back roads which is great fun. It's a quite torquey engine. The dash interface is poor and it's a faff connecting to a phone, possibly the worst feature but it looks pretty. slight peg vibrations on the motorway but not too intrusive. The mirrors are also on the cheap side as alluded to.
Huh, maybe mine was just completely worn out. Do the forks stick out of the top of the triple clamps on yours? The handling was definitely very sluggish on the one I rode. When I rode the Svartpilen when I got home I was applying way to much pressure to the bars and it felt squirrelly for the first mile or so until I adjusted to it again.
@@AdventurePiggy not sure on that without checking, I wouldn't say anything looks odd about the fork alignment and would say they are level with the top yoke. Sluggish handling doesn't sounds right, the light precise handling is one of its best features, something sounds amiss there.
Thanks for calling out the front brakes being soft. On this bike, I’ve had to re-learn using the rear brakes being soft with the front to get it to a stop. Better pads and DOT 5.1 fluid should help. the side stand is a real after thought when you need to park on any slope. The tires though are a really good for what CEAT used to offer. The shocks are what makes this bike stand out on paved or unpaved roads. Emission norms have hamstrung the motor’s low end torque and you do have to rev it up to keep it moving.
I didn’t realize that it already had a 320mm front rotor. It didn’t look that big on the bike. Pads will definitely help the front brake feel. Dot 5.1 probably won’t make a difference unless you are riding it on track and seeing brake fade. It just had a higher boiling point. I agree, the suspension is a stand-out feature for this bike.
I think it’s a great bike for its place in the market. It just depends on what you are used to. Coming from the t7 and Svartpilen, it felt a bit buzzy and heavy handling.
Sadly, I have not. There was a demo ride a couple hours away from me this weekend but I was a bit under the weather. It seems like a super fun bike though. Maybe I’ll have to try to find one to rent. Demos typically don’t give the whole picture.
I am considering this as a late in life beginner ADV bike. I want to do touring and ride some fire service roads. I am not into speed but I want enough power to pass 18 wheelers when that comes up. My only alternative would be a Tenere or African Twin. BTW, I'm 6'3 with 34 inseam.
I think it’s a great bike to learn on. It is pretty easy to ride and is not intimidating. It also has a lot of capability so you will be able to grow into it as well. Of course if you really want to focus on harder dirt riding, a focused dirt bike will bring improvements faster, but for gravel roads and fire roads, this is a good place to start.
It felt too top heavy for me at 177cm (5'10) , I struggled to lift it up from the side stand up.. And the ride by wire, I'm too old school for that. I love the old 411. It'v very simple, agricultural, low revs high torque power.. Short first few gears too.. And 800mm seat high. If you never rode the Bullet/classic 500 .. Strongly recommending to try it. The joy of old school bike.
The side stand is a little bit too short for the bike for sure. I always tried to park with the side stand slightly uphill 😂 Thanks for your insight on the 411 and bullet models. I’ll have to give them a try if I get a chance.
Too much old school the RE 350. Risking life sorts. Being in India I've never bothered with RE Bikes. Never been the brand to go to, new Bikes are better after 100yrs of feeding sub par machines.
I need to test ride this one and the CF Moto. I’ve tried both at the dealership, and the CF felt lighter and easier to flat-foot, but I need to test them before making my decision.
I have a 1000 miles on my own bike that I purchased. The vibration is mostly in the handle bars and some in the foot pegs through the rev range of 4750-5600. Accelerating at speeds of 55-65 mph in 5th or 6th you notice the vibration the most. Replacing the stock grips and putting grip buddies makes the vibs a none factor. I don’t notice vibrations in the stock seat at all.
Honestly after the first couple days I didn’t notice it much anymore. It was just buzzier than the KTM 390 single. And it smooths out above 6k too. I noticed it in the handlebars.
@@markjacobs3956 I know its a single but still Honda have created a benchmark with even their single cylinder motorcycles on how vibrations can be minimized. RE is getting there!
At the risk of stating the obvious, I suspect reviewer's (or anyone's really) opinions of any bike are strongly dependent on the motorcycle(s) with which they are more generally familiar. So, it's hard to know if something is a real concern or just different from what they're used to. There's no real way to place their opinions in this context so we have to assume they're familiar with "all bikes" and know how "all bikes are supposed to perform" and "does this particular bike do it right?". Royal Enfield reviews do sometimes seem colored by the expectation that they should meet an apparent baseline set by more established brands from, say, Japan. However, Royal Enfield really offers its own unique riding experience. Consider this extreme example: if you're frequently switching between a liter bike and a Royal Enfield thumper then, yeah, you're probably going to think the thumper is awful. However, if you only own that little thumper then you've probably long-since adapted to it, love it, and happily ride it according to the experience it provides. That doesn't mean that weak brakes are acceptable, but you also shouldn't expect a single-cylinder adventure bike to have the same braking performance of an extremely powerful sport bike (again, extreme example), or BMW GS for that matter. And just because it doesn't, this doesn't mean its brakes are therefore "bad". Anyone moving from one of Royal Enfield's 350 CC bikes will be very pleasantly surprised by the many improvements of the 450 Sherpa engine. But don't expect it to ride like a Honda NX500, or a BMW or KTM anything. Anyway, if you've made it this far then thank you. 😂 I thought this review provided a great perspective and appreciate that it was based on an engine that had quite a handful of miles on it. A brand new engine is going to be very different from one with thousands of miles on it. Cheers!
Thanks for your input. I definitely noticed that the more time I spent on the bike, the less I noticed the engine vibrations. I'll have to find a way to go ride some of Enfield's air cooled bikes to better appreciate the updates to the Himalayan. I'm glad I got to ride the bike for 10 days to get a good sense for it. Quick demo rides really only highlight the differences to the last bike you rode, and maybe don't give a true sense of the character of the machine. At 8,000 miles that engine is broken in, certainly, but I wouldn't expect performance to have declined in that time, especially when they have a 3 year unlimited mile warranty. All in all, you get quite a lot of capability for the price.
@@AdventurePiggy Sure thing, I enjoyed the review. I've got a Classic 350 with just under 8k miles and the engine has gotten better and better over time. It really hums along nicely. It definitely takes some time and miles for them to open up. Side note: I think I need to get myself to Scotland for some Biker BnB action! :D
Yes! Do go ride Scotland! And don’t just ride the NC500. It has lots of traffic (comparatively). Go find all the little dead end roads and out of the way places. And the ferries to the nearby islands are only about 10 pounds so no reason not to go island hopping :). I’d like to get out to the Outer Hebrides next.
Good opinions. I myself come from a GSXR 750. I want to go more exploring, something that doesn't break the bank and doesn't urge me to speed all the time. 40HP is more than enough to do the job. Yes it has some faults but every bike has faults. There is an engineer that helped design the himi that also helped design the T7 and he made shure that if you fall on the exhaust that the bike is not a total loss like the T7, it also has the same design to push the front into the ground just like the T7. I think the himi can beat any adv bike for a better price. Plus you can take it by the scruff of its neck without losing your license. Either way good video. I think the front tyre robbed you a bit of a better expirience
Yeah, I’d love to try it again with a front tire I’ve actually heard of before. I’d be curious to play with how far the forks stick out of the triple tree. And I agree, this bike would be great for exploring forest roads. It’s funny I keep hearing about bending the exhaust bracket totaling the T7, but it seems crazy to not just bend/weld it back into place. That’s what I would do.
@@AdventurePiggy its because the exhaust hardpoint is an actual part of the frame. Law and insurance make it that the frame is done for even tough it is just bend a bit. On the himi it is a subframe, so if it bends you can swap that out and its not a total loss
I'm pretty sure I'm one of the ones interested in this bike. I've been riding street for a year now and have 17k miles. I became interested in touring bikes to travel on and down the rabbit hole I went. I don't want to, and can't afford to spend $20k on a bike to travel. I was looking at some around the $10k range but to be honest - I don't need the HP of most of those and you either get too off-road or too on-road and not enough of a mix. I can see myself picking up something like this and going on a BDR and not absolutely breaking my bank account. Then after a year or 2 of BDR and such I can decide on moving up or whatever. Either way, my hang up on the smaller bikes is that I require comfortable highway capability. It seems this might just be good enough on the highway. Either way, I''m riding 120miles north of my house tomorrow to test ride one. If it goes well I think I'll be putting some money down on a tubeless one for when they hit the market.
It had no trouble going 75-80. If you do more highway, you may want a bigger windscreen. If you’re coming from a multi-cylinder bike, it will feel a bit buzzy. After a few days of riding I didn’t notice it as much. Good luck and have fun on the test ride! These are pretty remarkable bikes for the money.
Great review thanks! Still waiting for something a bit lighter and maybe a bit more powerful than this to come out. Im dreaming of a single cylinder Tenere 500. I do love my T7, but i do a lot of offroad (often alone) and would prefer something a little more lightweight. The himmy sounds like a great bike for a slow pace explorer or new motorcyclist.
If you are willing to do the maintenance the KTM 690/ husky 701 seems like a great option for more off road focus. The people I know who have them rave about them. I saw some with the rally fairing at the pine barrens 300 last year and was pretty envious.
@@AdventurePiggy I had a friend that had one and the engine grenaded on him lol. Not interested in KTM or the like myself. I'd go back to a dr650 before a 690.
@@AdventurePiggy yea. I've come to the conclusion that for an offroad oriented adv or dual sport it needs to be single cylinder but would be nice to have at minimum 350cc. 300 is just not quite enough IMO. Had a klx300 and it was fun but just lacked the fizz as James may would say. Like I say a single tenere 500 would be the ticket. The kove450 is damned close.
Seems like you wrote and read from a very critical script of the 450. The point of having a lightweight ADV is so you can ride it a lot more easily than the heavy weight and overpriced ADV status symbols. After all - this 40 hp ADV can manage to do everything the bigger cc bikes can - may be a bit slower and less powerful - but how fast do you need to go on the trails? And in many countries the speed limits are often a lot lower …some in the 50-60 mph range and while you can go faster ….most 3rd world countries roads are pitted with unexpected pot holes or some even have unmarked speed bumps ( ridiculous I know ) Take note ….there are many used big ADV bikes being offered used for a big loss to those buyers ….why? Because it turns out that they found out they don’t need that much power and the weight of them is too much to handle in the real world of riding off-road. They end up realizing their trophy bike is not practical for all but the most experienced of off road riders. Hence the current rush to lighter weight smaller cc engines. There is a balance between wanting Weight to add stability and yet needing / wanting less weight to be nimbler on the trails. I have been riding many different motorcycles for over 50 years, and in my opinion this Royal ENFIELD Himalayan 450 will be a benchmarked bike well sought after for years to come. I know an epic bike when I ride one, and there are not many that make it into that club.
I appreciate you taking the time to comment. The Himalayan will absolutely go anywhere the bigger bikes can. I was trying to make the video mirror my experience with the bike, but perhaps I should have gone with the positives first. When I first picked it up, the steering was really heavy (probably due to the worn front tire) and it was a bit buzzy when I first got on the highway. As I rode more and got used to it I quite enjoyed it. It's maybe not for me and I don't think I'd buy one at the moment, but that's what is so great about having all of these options. It's possible to find something that suits you. Happy riding! -Simon
@@AdventurePiggy appreciate your response. Some things you said did not make sense to me - about being underpowered because to get a much more powerful bike you need a bigger engine which requires a heavier frame and engine - which means a lot more weight. And more weight in adventure riding requires that you be a very experienced rider - because you are going fall or drop your bike - and lifting a heavy bike is not as easy as it once e was being older. So I compromise power for less weight. Still can do it all with less - just like CT90 adventures proved on his epic trips. you are correct - there is a bike for everyone. No one bike is going to be perfect - as i grow older - my tastes and riding style has had to change. For traveling in South America - this will be the ( near ) perfect motorcycle for me.
Thanks for the info about the clock. I just looked up the owners manual and you can set the clock manually, but there are 27 pages explaining how to operate the dash… I agree on the windshield. It’s a nice turbulence generator.
So you own a T7 and compare it to a bike that costs half as much, has half the power, and half the cylinders... and hate it. Interesting. Go to Fuzzy Bikers channel to get a real review. 10,000 miles in one month. He rode with me in Colorado a few weeks ago on a good section of the BDR after riding it 800 miles on the interstate to get here... and back.
I didn’t hate the bike, as I rode it more I enjoyed it more. I think it’s a great bike for its price and would be a great first bike or first adventure type bike.
This is my last one. I've owned them all and can afford any of them. Just because it's inexpensive doesn't mean It can't hurt you or do anything the others can. When you professional reviewers demean riders by calling a bike a beginners bike, you assume people who buy this have never ridden. 45 years of riding, over 50 bikes, and over half a million miles... beginners bike? I guess call me and the rest who buy one beginners. Bring your T7 out to Colorado and see if you and it can keep up with this beginner 😅
My intention was not to demean this segment of motorcycles. I guess I’m guilty of using beginner bike to describe it as so many do. I love riding small inexpensive bikes. I bought a Husky 401 Svartpilen last fall and I really enjoy it. I didn’t assume that only beginners would buy it. I meant that it would be a great introduction to either leaving the pavement or to motorcycles in general. That’s the great thing about motorbikes. They come in so many flavors to suit many different riding styles and opinions. I’d love to come out to Colorado and go riding :) I was just trying to convey how I felt while riding the bike. And I definitely would love to experience it off road. I’m no professional reviewer either, just a big fan of motorbikes :)
What was the mileage when you received the bike? If you're on/in a rental and you don't "drove it like you stole it", you ain't right😂. I don't know, sloppy 100th's from enthusiastic reviewers might be like goin in when she's 90 over bore if you get my drift. Js
Haha, that was not my intent. Perhaps the comparison to the T7 isn’t fair, but it’s the bike I have the most recent miles on. I did come around to the Himalayan after a few days of riding though, I just wouldn’t replace any of my current bikes at the moment.
I absolutely love mine and wouldn't swap it for anything. I stopped watching your video 1 minute in because your voice and negativity. Nothing you said about the bike rang true to me?
I’m happy you found a bike that suits you! If you stuck around a little bit longer, you would have seen that I grew to like the bike. Talking to others, it looks like the worn front tire was affecting the handling of the one I rented.
It's an ADV bike. You may want to use it for its purpose and then provide a review. Riding it only on road and comparing it to perhaps a road bike... then???
Lots of adv bikes never leave the pavement and most of the other reviews were heavily off road focused. I’d have loved to ride it on some off-road tracks but that just wasn’t possible.
No offroading!!!..it's an adventure bike right?? So what was the point? You reviewed it as a road bike...not really its Forte. 5 years ago the Himalayan was ground breaking at its price point.. today its a bit stale and it's flaws are more evident. Just kinda meh.....if not for its relatively low price, no one would be interested today.
I wish there had been dirt tracks to ride in Scotland! It does make a pretty good bumpy back roads touring bike though, and I think many may use it for this.
The clock sets itself when connected to the phone and the mirroring of Google maps is excellent so make an effort. Mismatched tyres?? Not a great idea. Agree about the windshield I'll be getting a taller one. There are definitely better bikes out there, but at that price point? I'm glad that you slowed down a bit and enjoyed Scotland, not every motorcycle trip needs to be turned into a competition. I'm 65 and been riding since 16, I love my Himalayan and it does everything that I need it to. Good review, thank you 😊
To review the bike better, I should have put the effort in with the pairing, however, after I hit rain on the trip I left my phone in my pocket and navigated by road signs. It was a really nice way to travel around the west coast. There are few enough roads and everything is well signed. You're right, it's a great bike for the money and will do pretty much anything you ask of it! Happy riding!
Bro I subbed because this is the style of reviewing I want. Good job and thanks for the great information!
I’m glad you enjoyed the video and appreciate the sub. Welcome!
I just returned from a trip to Tenerife where I rented this motorcycle and took it around the thousands of curves around this island.
You’re pretty critical with that motorcycle!
It’s a 450 for 6000€. For that price and engine size you get a pretty decent motorcycle.
Everything negative you mention is absolutely manageable. What did you expect?!?
I think the worn out front tire gave the one I rode the heaviest handling of anything I’ve ridden. I did say later in the video that I grew pretty fond of the bike, and I agree with you, it is absolutely an incredible amount of motorcycle for the price.
@@AdventurePiggy thanks for clarification! By the way, mine had the stock Chinese tires and they did a good job. But it was warm and dry outside, don’t know how they perform on wet or cold streets.
Great review! This sums up pretty much everything that I feel about the the bike i purchased. I don’t regret it at all. The smiles per dollar are all worth it.
Thanks! I’m glad you are enjoying it. It’s a great bike for the money and will take you anywhere you want.
Now this is the kind of reviewer I need!
Happy to help 👍
Thank you for excellent review! You gave me the exact information I needed.
I'm happy to help :)
it´s a useful review, thanks. keep on making this kind of videos!
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it
Nice review ADV Piggie - and nice video. It is nice to have the comparison to the T7 and KLR. (This is coming from Rick of the PB500).
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was great hanging out and riding with you at the PB 500!
Great review! I test rode several bikes in this light ADV segment. In the end I picked the Himalayan 450. Why? You summed it up on your day 3 comments, I want to enjoy the riding and the surroundings. I want to be able to explore and have a bike that can handle whatever road I end up on. And to do it in comfort and style!
Congratulations on your new ride!
Really superb video I’d been trying to find something that covered a lot of the points you did in this video especially about vibes at revs for normal riding speed everyone always missed that thanks for sharing!
I’m happy to be helpful. I noticed the vibrations more in the first couple days on the bike having just come off a T7 and husqvarna 401. It’s not as bad as the 3rd gen KLR that I test rode last summer if that helps at all. The vibrations are in a fairly small rpm range, it just happens to be right at 6th gear and 60mph
@ thanks that’s really helpful info had a t7 myself in the past an a 411, kinda thinking about a 2nd nx500 got one for my dad recently or the new 450gs when it comes out will be interesting. I’ve had a few bikes where they’ve had really obvious vibrations right where it’s at your cruising speed can be a bit of a pain especially with our speed limits in the uk.
Yeah the 450 adv category is really taking shape with the new offerings coming from bmw, KTM, Aprilia and Kawasaki.
Good review. I test rode one a wile back, it was one of the easiest & fun bikes to ride i have ever ridden.
Haha, been hunting for reviews of the new RE, love that I found yours being done in my home country, recognise some of the roads you where on in the northwest, particularly baelach na bá pass coming up from Applecross. Hope you enjoyed it.
I love your synopsis that it's a 7/8ths KLR, we only briefly got the KLR here. Been toying between one of these and a KTM 390 adv.
I had such a good time riding around the west coast! Bealach na Bà is pretty special, although quite cold that day. If you can, try to get a ride on both. I think the standing position is a bit better on the Himi, and the KTM has more of an aggressive character. Best of luck on the bike hunt!
Nice vídeo, clear voice
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it
Nice review, good to see you are not praising the bike into heaven like everyone else but instead tell your own experience. I am getting a himi as a vacation bike for some gravel/sand roads.
It’s a great bike, especially for its price, but it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. I do think the handling on the one I rented was badly affected by the worn out front tire. Enjoy the himi, it seems like it will serve your purpose well.
Happy travels,
Simon
Front break is too soft & rear is too sharp... Duhhhh that's what an offroader suppose to do... 😑😪 the last thing u want is to lock ur front& slide after every 2 mins😐
But it’s a travel bike that is going to spend lots of time on the road. Even with an off road bike, I’d like the rear to have some more feel before locking up.
@@AdventurePiggydude check those brakes.
Nothing wrong with the brakes fella. Spot on.
I liked your honest review. i feel if you expect more from the himmi you will be disppointed. it what it is for that price. Im pretty happy about the himmy. Will book it sooon.
Dude although i dont like how you were so critical on this bike,i love how you review and i like how you reacted so peacefully to all those dissatisfied comments.i just became a subscriber and put more travel journeys.i just saw how you are under 1k and wanted to help.😊
I really appreciate that :) After seeing all the excitement and hype around this bike, maybe I built it up too much in my mind. I didn't mean to be hyper critical about it and I certainly don't think it's a bad bike. Perhaps I should have led with the positive aspects of the bike. That's a good lesson for me going forward. Motorbikes are supposed to be fun and there's no point to get grumpy about comments 🙃 Welcome to the channel!
Cool! Bumped into you at Sconsor. Happy travels!
It was nice meeting you there. Raasay was such a cool place to explore :)
Loved the straightforward no filler review! Could you make one for the Triumph Scrambler 400x
I'm glad you liked it! I'd love to ride the Scrambler 400x and I'll try to get my hands on one if I can.
In my personal experience with A LOT of RE bikes, I think I'm in a pretty decent position to claim that RE still haven't fixed their reliability issues. Very recently I went on a short road trip (~300 miles) with my friends with rental REs. One of them was a brand new bike that had just been through the first service. Literally every single one of them had some kind of technical issue.
Good balanced review mate.
Finally an honest review! I’m looking for a smaller, lighter bike, I’m 75 and have been on a 1200GS for the last 14 years. The 400-500cc bikes are appealing.
I’m glad it was helpful. It’s a good little bike, especially at that price point. Reviews will only go so far. If you get a chance it’s worth trying it out. It’s definitely capable of doing nearly everything, you just need to see if it gels with you personally.
Appreciate the honest review. Did a test drive and also found it quite buzzy at mid RPM’s. Really wanted to buy one, but kind came to the same conclusion as you. By the way, my Adventure Piggy sticker is still proudly displayed on my bike.
Nice to hear from you! It’s difficult going to a single from a smooth twin. After a few days on it, I didn’t notice the vibrations nearly as much, so it is one of those things where a short test ride doesn’t always paint the whole picture.
Tried in the Australian Outback and in the Great Himalayan range itself and it is far better than this review itself. Viewers should take a ride themselves before coming to a conclusion.
I appreciate the balanced review. I have one on order with my dealer. I think older riders like me will find this to be a popular bike because it is smaller and lighter. I rode a 1200 GS for 8 years and then downsized to a Honda 300 Rally which I found to be too small. Hoping the Himi 450 will be just right.
Congratulations on the new bike coming soon! It’s a good little travel bike that has very good low speed manners. Much easier to do full lock turns than on my Tenere 700. I’m pretty certain that the worn front tire was responsible for the heavy handling. Happy riding!
Very honest and concise appraisal.
Thank you.
I think I'll stick with my 411 for now.
P.s. ..I was still there 😄👍
Nice video! Do you think it would have a more nimble feel with a slightly wider handlbar? It seems like there isnt a lot of width between the grips.
I talked to some owners and I think the front tire was completely shagged. I’m sure it would be better with fresh rubber.
I thought that was a pretty good review and I enjoyed it really very much. You spoke of many things that I realised when I test rode exactly the same version three days ago… I actually enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t trying to pull me along to go faster… leaving it to be my choice…. I thought it was brilliant over rough holed roads, economic long range it’s a pretty good all-rounder for a lazy style of riding…
Incomplete contrast I also took out the Royal Enfield shotgun and that was beautiful but as you can imagine, didn’t like the bumps quite as much because you’d feel them in the body, but it did hold the road perfectly lumpy or not… but as I say, a different animal…. The Himalayan would definitely be my choice for Scotland and North Wales and the like….. thanks for your great review. Thought it was brilliant and look forward to others in the future.
I appreciate the kind words. Speaking to others, it seems that the worn front tire may have tainted my view on the bike’s handling. The suspension is remarkable for the money or not. It is smoother over sharp edges than the stock tenere 700 suspension setup and I didn’t bottom it out either.
The ceat brand tyre is absolutely brilliant and confidence inspiring wet or dry and in my view the bike has light pin sharp handling. The rear brake is pleasantly strong. The front brake is decent enough perhaps a tad spongey. Wind protection is average on the motorway and the side stand is too short. It's an endearing fun and comfortable bike and mine enjoys revving to 8k revs on the back roads which is great fun. It's a quite torquey engine. The dash interface is poor and it's a faff connecting to a phone, possibly the worst feature but it looks pretty. slight peg vibrations on the motorway but not too intrusive. The mirrors are also on the cheap side as alluded to.
Huh, maybe mine was just completely worn out. Do the forks stick out of the top of the triple clamps on yours? The handling was definitely very sluggish on the one I rode. When I rode the Svartpilen when I got home I was applying way to much pressure to the bars and it felt squirrelly for the first mile or so until I adjusted to it again.
@@AdventurePiggy not sure on that without checking, I wouldn't say anything looks odd about the fork alignment and would say they are level with the top yoke. Sluggish handling doesn't sounds right, the light precise handling is one of its best features, something sounds amiss there.
Sounds like the tire was completely worn out then. That’s too bad.
Thanks for calling out the front brakes being soft. On this bike, I’ve had to re-learn using the rear brakes being soft with the front to get it to a stop. Better pads and DOT 5.1 fluid should help. the side stand is a real after thought when you need to park on any slope. The tires though are a really good for what CEAT used to offer. The shocks are what makes this bike stand out on paved or unpaved roads. Emission norms have hamstrung the motor’s low end torque and you do have to rev it up to keep it moving.
I didn’t realize that it already had a 320mm front rotor. It didn’t look that big on the bike. Pads will definitely help the front brake feel. Dot 5.1 probably won’t make a difference unless you are riding it on track and seeing brake fade. It just had a higher boiling point. I agree, the suspension is a stand-out feature for this bike.
Interesting review. Most are very positive, which leads to the conclusion;
Ride it yourself to find out!
I think it’s a great bike for its place in the market. It just depends on what you are used to. Coming from the t7 and Svartpilen, it felt a bit buzzy and heavy handling.
@@AdventurePiggy thx for replying, yeah I guess it’s a matter of perspective!
Have you ridden the CF 450MT?
Sadly, I have not. There was a demo ride a couple hours away from me this weekend but I was a bit under the weather. It seems like a super fun bike though. Maybe I’ll have to try to find one to rent. Demos typically don’t give the whole picture.
I am considering this as a late in life beginner ADV bike. I want to do touring and ride some fire service roads. I am not into speed but I want enough power to pass 18 wheelers when that comes up. My only alternative would be a Tenere or African Twin. BTW, I'm 6'3 with 34 inseam.
I think it’s a great bike to learn on. It is pretty easy to ride and is not intimidating. It also has a lot of capability so you will be able to grow into it as well. Of course if you really want to focus on harder dirt riding, a focused dirt bike will bring improvements faster, but for gravel roads and fire roads, this is a good place to start.
It felt too top heavy for me at 177cm (5'10) , I struggled to lift it up from the side stand up.. And the ride by wire, I'm too old school for that. I love the old 411. It'v very simple, agricultural, low revs high torque power.. Short first few gears too.. And 800mm seat high. If you never rode the Bullet/classic 500 .. Strongly recommending to try it. The joy of old school bike.
The side stand is a little bit too short for the bike for sure. I always tried to park with the side stand slightly uphill 😂 Thanks for your insight on the 411 and bullet models. I’ll have to give them a try if I get a chance.
Too much old school the RE 350. Risking life sorts.
Being in India I've never bothered with RE Bikes.
Never been the brand to go to, new Bikes are better after 100yrs of feeding sub par machines.
I need to test ride this one and the CF Moto. I’ve tried both at the dealership, and the CF felt lighter and easier to flat-foot, but I need to test them before making my decision.
I want to find a way to get a nice, long test ride on the CF moto. It looks like an interesting option.
Great review! Are the vibrations too bothersome on handlebars or the seat throughout the ride?
I have a 1000 miles on my own bike that I purchased. The vibration is mostly in the handle bars and some in the foot pegs through the rev range of 4750-5600. Accelerating at speeds of 55-65 mph in 5th or 6th you notice the vibration the most. Replacing the stock grips and putting grip buddies makes the vibs a none factor. I don’t notice vibrations in the stock seat at all.
It's a single.
Honestly after the first couple days I didn’t notice it much anymore. It was just buzzier than the KTM 390 single. And it smooths out above 6k too. I noticed it in the handlebars.
@@markjacobs3956 I know its a single but still Honda have created a benchmark with even their single cylinder motorcycles on how vibrations can be minimized. RE is getting there!
@@MrCotto01 Thanks for the advice. I will definitely install the grip buddies if I get this bike!
It’s not about the destination it’s about the journey
now tubeless spoke wheels available
It’s pretty cool that they offer this.
At the risk of stating the obvious, I suspect reviewer's (or anyone's really) opinions of any bike are strongly dependent on the motorcycle(s) with which they are more generally familiar. So, it's hard to know if something is a real concern or just different from what they're used to. There's no real way to place their opinions in this context so we have to assume they're familiar with "all bikes" and know how "all bikes are supposed to perform" and "does this particular bike do it right?". Royal Enfield reviews do sometimes seem colored by the expectation that they should meet an apparent baseline set by more established brands from, say, Japan. However, Royal Enfield really offers its own unique riding experience. Consider this extreme example: if you're frequently switching between a liter bike and a Royal Enfield thumper then, yeah, you're probably going to think the thumper is awful. However, if you only own that little thumper then you've probably long-since adapted to it, love it, and happily ride it according to the experience it provides. That doesn't mean that weak brakes are acceptable, but you also shouldn't expect a single-cylinder adventure bike to have the same braking performance of an extremely powerful sport bike (again, extreme example), or BMW GS for that matter. And just because it doesn't, this doesn't mean its brakes are therefore "bad". Anyone moving from one of Royal Enfield's 350 CC bikes will be very pleasantly surprised by the many improvements of the 450 Sherpa engine. But don't expect it to ride like a Honda NX500, or a BMW or KTM anything.
Anyway, if you've made it this far then thank you. 😂 I thought this review provided a great perspective and appreciate that it was based on an engine that had quite a handful of miles on it. A brand new engine is going to be very different from one with thousands of miles on it. Cheers!
Thanks for your input. I definitely noticed that the more time I spent on the bike, the less I noticed the engine vibrations. I'll have to find a way to go ride some of Enfield's air cooled bikes to better appreciate the updates to the Himalayan. I'm glad I got to ride the bike for 10 days to get a good sense for it. Quick demo rides really only highlight the differences to the last bike you rode, and maybe don't give a true sense of the character of the machine. At 8,000 miles that engine is broken in, certainly, but I wouldn't expect performance to have declined in that time, especially when they have a 3 year unlimited mile warranty. All in all, you get quite a lot of capability for the price.
@@AdventurePiggy Sure thing, I enjoyed the review. I've got a Classic 350 with just under 8k miles and the engine has gotten better and better over time. It really hums along nicely. It definitely takes some time and miles for them to open up. Side note: I think I need to get myself to Scotland for some Biker BnB action! :D
Yes! Do go ride Scotland! And don’t just ride the NC500. It has lots of traffic (comparatively). Go find all the little dead end roads and out of the way places. And the ferries to the nearby islands are only about 10 pounds so no reason not to go island hopping :). I’d like to get out to the Outer Hebrides next.
i hope you do a comparaison to cfmoto 450
Me too! I’m trying to figure out how to get my hands on one for a real test ride.
Good opinions. I myself come from a GSXR 750. I want to go more exploring, something that doesn't break the bank and doesn't urge me to speed all the time. 40HP is more than enough to do the job. Yes it has some faults but every bike has faults. There is an engineer that helped design the himi that also helped design the T7 and he made shure that if you fall on the exhaust that the bike is not a total loss like the T7, it also has the same design to push the front into the ground just like the T7. I think the himi can beat any adv bike for a better price. Plus you can take it by the scruff of its neck without losing your license. Either way good video. I think the front tyre robbed you a bit of a better expirience
Yeah, I’d love to try it again with a front tire I’ve actually heard of before. I’d be curious to play with how far the forks stick out of the triple tree. And I agree, this bike would be great for exploring forest roads. It’s funny I keep hearing about bending the exhaust bracket totaling the T7, but it seems crazy to not just bend/weld it back into place. That’s what I would do.
@@AdventurePiggy its because the exhaust hardpoint is an actual part of the frame. Law and insurance make it that the frame is done for even tough it is just bend a bit. On the himi it is a subframe, so if it bends you can swap that out and its not a total loss
I'm pretty sure I'm one of the ones interested in this bike. I've been riding street for a year now and have 17k miles. I became interested in touring bikes to travel on and down the rabbit hole I went. I don't want to, and can't afford to spend $20k on a bike to travel. I was looking at some around the $10k range but to be honest - I don't need the HP of most of those and you either get too off-road or too on-road and not enough of a mix. I can see myself picking up something like this and going on a BDR and not absolutely breaking my bank account. Then after a year or 2 of BDR and such I can decide on moving up or whatever. Either way, my hang up on the smaller bikes is that I require comfortable highway capability. It seems this might just be good enough on the highway. Either way, I''m riding 120miles north of my house tomorrow to test ride one. If it goes well I think I'll be putting some money down on a tubeless one for when they hit the market.
It had no trouble going 75-80. If you do more highway, you may want a bigger windscreen. If you’re coming from a multi-cylinder bike, it will feel a bit buzzy. After a few days of riding I didn’t notice it as much. Good luck and have fun on the test ride! These are pretty remarkable bikes for the money.
Great review thanks! Still waiting for something a bit lighter and maybe a bit more powerful than this to come out. Im dreaming of a single cylinder Tenere 500. I do love my T7, but i do a lot of offroad (often alone) and would prefer something a little more lightweight. The himmy sounds like a great bike for a slow pace explorer or new motorcyclist.
If you are willing to do the maintenance the KTM 690/ husky 701 seems like a great option for more off road focus. The people I know who have them rave about them. I saw some with the rally fairing at the pine barrens 300 last year and was pretty envious.
@@AdventurePiggy I had a friend that had one and the engine grenaded on him lol. Not interested in KTM or the like myself. I'd go back to a dr650 before a 690.
We are always searching for that unicorn 🦄 aren’t we? 😂. The cf moto 450 looks pretty interesting. Similar weight though.
@@AdventurePiggy yea. I've come to the conclusion that for an offroad oriented adv or dual sport it needs to be single cylinder but would be nice to have at minimum 350cc. 300 is just not quite enough IMO. Had a klx300 and it was fun but just lacked the fizz as James may would say. Like I say a single tenere 500 would be the ticket. The kove450 is damned close.
The upcoming KLE looks interesting...
Seems like you wrote and read from a very critical script of the 450. The point of having a lightweight ADV is so you can ride it a lot more easily than the heavy weight and overpriced ADV status symbols. After all - this 40 hp ADV can manage to do everything the bigger cc bikes can - may be a bit slower and less powerful
- but how fast do you need to go on the trails? And in many countries the speed limits are often a lot lower …some in the 50-60 mph range and while you can go faster ….most 3rd world countries roads are pitted with unexpected pot holes or some even have unmarked speed bumps ( ridiculous I know )
Take note ….there are many used big ADV bikes being offered used for a big loss to those buyers ….why? Because it turns out that they found out they don’t need that much power and the weight of them is too much to handle in the real world of riding off-road. They end up realizing their trophy bike is not practical for all but the most experienced of off road riders. Hence the current rush to lighter weight smaller cc engines. There is a balance between wanting Weight to add stability and yet needing / wanting less weight to be nimbler on the trails.
I have been riding many different motorcycles for over 50 years, and in my opinion this Royal
ENFIELD Himalayan 450 will be a benchmarked bike well sought after for years to come. I know an epic bike when I ride one, and there are not many that make it into that club.
I appreciate you taking the time to comment. The Himalayan will absolutely go anywhere the bigger bikes can. I was trying to make the video mirror my experience with the bike, but perhaps I should have gone with the positives first. When I first picked it up, the steering was really heavy (probably due to the worn front tire) and it was a bit buzzy when I first got on the highway. As I rode more and got used to it I quite enjoyed it. It's maybe not for me and I don't think I'd buy one at the moment, but that's what is so great about having all of these options. It's possible to find something that suits you.
Happy riding!
-Simon
@@AdventurePiggy appreciate your response. Some things you said did not make sense to me - about being underpowered because to get a much more powerful bike you need a bigger engine which requires a heavier frame and engine - which means a lot more weight. And more weight in adventure riding requires that you be a very experienced rider - because you are going fall or drop your bike - and lifting a heavy bike is not as easy as it once e was being older. So I compromise power for less weight. Still can do it all with less - just like CT90 adventures proved on his epic trips.
you are correct - there is a bike for everyone. No one bike is going to be perfect - as i grow older - my tastes and riding style has had to change. For traveling in South America - this will be the ( near ) perfect motorcycle for me.
When you connect your phone it syncs the time. Himalayans dont have a windshield they have a stir stick...
Thanks for the info about the clock. I just looked up the owners manual and you can set the clock manually, but there are 27 pages explaining how to operate the dash… I agree on the windshield. It’s a nice turbulence generator.
So you own a T7 and compare it to a bike that costs half as much, has half the power, and half the cylinders... and hate it. Interesting.
Go to Fuzzy Bikers channel to get a real review. 10,000 miles in one month. He rode with me in Colorado a few weeks ago on a good section of the BDR after riding it 800 miles on the interstate to get here... and back.
I didn’t hate the bike, as I rode it more I enjoyed it more. I think it’s a great bike for its price and would be a great first bike or first adventure type bike.
This is my last one. I've owned them all and can afford any of them. Just because it's inexpensive doesn't mean It can't hurt you or do anything the others can. When you professional reviewers demean riders by calling a bike a beginners bike, you assume people who buy this have never ridden. 45 years of riding, over 50 bikes, and over half a million miles... beginners bike? I guess call me and the rest who buy one beginners. Bring your T7 out to Colorado and see if you and it can keep up with this beginner 😅
My intention was not to demean this segment of motorcycles. I guess I’m guilty of using beginner bike to describe it as so many do. I love riding small inexpensive bikes. I bought a Husky 401 Svartpilen last fall and I really enjoy it. I didn’t assume that only beginners would buy it. I meant that it would be a great introduction to either leaving the pavement or to motorcycles in general. That’s the great thing about motorbikes. They come in so many flavors to suit many different riding styles and opinions. I’d love to come out to Colorado and go riding :) I was just trying to convey how I felt while riding the bike. And I definitely would love to experience it off road. I’m no professional reviewer either, just a big fan of motorbikes :)
Have the new Himalayan have ridden 1,500 miles and really enjoy it on road or off road, this review should be taken with a grain of salt. SJ
Yes, i should take anybodies opinion online with a grain of salt. @stephenjacques554
What was the mileage when you received the bike? If you're on/in a rental and you don't "drove it like you stole it", you ain't right😂. I don't know, sloppy 100th's from enthusiastic reviewers might be like goin in when she's 90 over bore if you get my drift. Js
The bike had 6600 miles when I picked it up
Well, he just poured a bucket of cold water on a bunch of potential owners hopes and dreams….😂
Haha, that was not my intent. Perhaps the comparison to the T7 isn’t fair, but it’s the bike I have the most recent miles on. I did come around to the Himalayan after a few days of riding though, I just wouldn’t replace any of my current bikes at the moment.
I absolutely love mine and wouldn't swap it for anything. I stopped watching your video 1 minute in because your voice and negativity. Nothing you said about the bike rang true to me?
I’m happy you found a bike that suits you! If you stuck around a little bit longer, you would have seen that I grew to like the bike. Talking to others, it looks like the worn front tire was affecting the handling of the one I rented.
@@AdventurePiggy All good buddy. It's good you gave the himmy a go
It's an ADV bike. You may want to use it for its purpose and then provide a review. Riding it only on road and comparing it to perhaps a road bike... then???
Lots of adv bikes never leave the pavement and most of the other reviews were heavily off road focused. I’d have loved to ride it on some off-road tracks but that just wasn’t possible.
Went all the way to Scotland to ride an RE Bike of all...???
The things people do.
No offroading!!!..it's an adventure bike right?? So what was the point? You reviewed it as a road bike...not really its Forte. 5 years ago the Himalayan was ground breaking at its price point.. today its a bit stale and it's flaws are more evident. Just kinda meh.....if not for its relatively low price, no one would be interested today.
I wish there had been dirt tracks to ride in Scotland! It does make a pretty good bumpy back roads touring bike though, and I think many may use it for this.
Sounds as though you took the wrong bike out mate
Once I got used to it, it was fine for wandering around Scotland. I'd rent one again, but I'm not tempted to buy one.
Looks like you got a badly abused rental bike.
I think the front tire was completely worn out, otherwise the bike was pretty well looked after.
So even though I own both of them, I can't compare them. Mkay...
The clock sets itself when connected to the phone and the mirroring of Google maps is excellent so make an effort. Mismatched tyres?? Not a great idea. Agree about the windshield I'll be getting a taller one. There are definitely better bikes out there, but at that price point? I'm glad that you slowed down a bit and enjoyed Scotland, not every motorcycle trip needs to be turned into a competition. I'm 65 and been riding since 16, I love my Himalayan and it does everything that I need it to. Good review, thank you 😊
To review the bike better, I should have put the effort in with the pairing, however, after I hit rain on the trip I left my phone in my pocket and navigated by road signs. It was a really nice way to travel around the west coast. There are few enough roads and everything is well signed. You're right, it's a great bike for the money and will do pretty much anything you ask of it! Happy riding!
Perhaps as you weren't relying on the phone that helped with the trip being more memorable and engaging