LONG-TERM Ownership Review of my BS4 Royal Enfield Himalayan
One Year and 15000 km done. My motorcycle’s chassis frame is still intact, and I am still running the stock cone set bearing. I mention these on purpose as they are the most common complaints, people rant about the Himalayan. You take care of your motorcycle; it will take care of you.
I have used my Himalayan extensively on both highways and off-road trails. At no point did I feel that the motorcycle was not equipped to handle what I was throwing at it. While it does not have a ‘jump on the word go’ kind of acceleration, it does have enough low-end torque to crawl up steep inclines, deep slush, or rocky off-road trails. You can easily sit on it constantly at triple-digit speeds all day long when you are touring highways. And mind you, this can be done with an ample amount of luggage too. The engine does not feel stressed either.
Satisfied, is the word I would use to describe my one year of ownership. The motorcycle has done what it claims. Built for all roads, built for no roads. Initially, I did feel that it is a little under powered. I was moving from a twin-cylinder Benelli to this one. It was obvious. Then, this motorcycle grows on to you. It starts surprising you when you take it on off-road terrain. It feels at home there. The RPMs would read low, still, the motorcycle would chug along. That is when you realize how low the torque starts kicking in.
What about highway touring, you might ask? The Himalayan does well here too. The suspension is super comfy, and you would hardly brake for any bump or pothole on the road. Just stand and send it. But this is also one reason for minor discomfort. On highways, when you are doing triple-digit speed and you are taking a curve, the front suspension feels like a Pogo stick. Mind you, it holds good, though it can scare you a tad bit. I have kind of got used to it now. Though I hear that using a heavier grade fork oil solves this issue. I am yet to try that. I must mention that I am still on my stock suspension setup, as it came out of the dealership. There has been no oil seal leakages or suspension failures.
The stock seats are not comfortable. If you spend over an hour riding, the thighs and bums start hurting. Thankfully, RE has a solution as a touring accessory. The RE Touring seats, you can buy the rider and pillion seats separately. I got the rider seat only and it is fabulous. It looks the same, except for a RE logo embossed on it. You will notice the difference when you sit on it. Its firm and provides very good support to your thighs and buttocks. I have done nonstop runs from Chennai to Bangalore without any trouble.
That would talk about fuel efficiency too. I get a range of around 300 – 350 km on a full tank. The worst I have got to date is around 22 kmpl and the best was around 37 kmpl. I need not say that they were Bangalore traffic and highway runs, respectively. This might be a good time to mention that I could cruise at around 120 kmph effortlessly on the highways.
Maintenance wise, I have only done the routine service as recommended by RE as mentioned in their user manual. Except once when my clutch cable broke. I could have avoided getting stuck as the gear shift was showing signs and had I checked, I would have found the cable about to give away. As luck would have it, there was a local mechanic nearby who fixed it and I was on my way in a jiffy. It was not a genuine RE spare, hence I got it replaced in the next service visit. I have also changed both my brake pads and throttle cable once at the 10,000 km service as I was about to leave for a long road trip. On that note, I did not need to pay for the brake pads or the cables as I had taken the Premium Ride Sure package which includes replacement of all cables and brake pads for four years. The package also includes an Extended Warranty (2 years: 3rd + 4th), Roadside Assistance (3 Years: 2nd + 3rd + 4th). I paid an additional 6400 INR at the time of purchase for this.
Here is the break-up of Service & Cost till now (I will keep on adding as I service the motorcycle in the future):
- 1st Service (Free) – 1021.00 INR
- Kilometers Done – 485km
- General Service
- Engine Oil Change – Liquid Gun 15W50 1.8L
- 2nd Service (Free) – 443.00 INR
- Kilometers Done – 4828km
- General Service
- Engine Oil Top Up – Liquid Gun 15W50 0.2L
- 3rd Service (Free) – 1310.00 INR
- Kilometers Done – 8723km
- General Service
- Engine Oil Change – Liquid Gun 15W50 1.8L
- Brake Pads Replaced
- 4th Service (Free) – 1676.00 INR
- Kilometers Done – 15017km
- General Service
- Engine Oil Change – Liquid Gun 15W50 1.8L
- Wheel Alignment
- 5th Service (Paid) – 3580.00 INR
- Kilometers Done – 19500km
- General Service
- Engine Oil Change – Liquid Gun 15W50 1.8L
- Brake Fluid Change
- Fork Oil Change
- Throttle Grip
- Brake Pads Replaced
- 6th Service (Paid) – 1719.00 INR
- Kilometers Done – 25733km
- General Service
- Engine Oil Change – Liquid Gun 15W50 1.8L
- Oil Filter Change
- Chain Lube
- 7th Service (Paid) – 3929.00 INR
- Kilometers Done – 25733km
- General Service
- Engine Oil Change – Liquid Gun 15W50 1.8L
- Oil Filter Change
- Inner Race Drag Link & Inner Race Drop Link
- Bulb
- Speed Sensor Cable
- 8th Service (Paid) – 4983.00 INR – Updated on Nov 24th 2021
- Kilometers Done – 33696km
- General Service
- Engine Oil Change – Liquid Gun 15W50 1.8L
- Oil Filter Change
- Disc Plate Rear
Total: ₹18,660.00 | By Day: ₹19.802 | By KM: ₹0.555
Cost of Ownership – 2 Years 8 Months | 35000 kms
Some of you had asked about the mods I have done for the Himalayan. Things I had done to customize it as per my usage and need. I will share the details of the same on the blog soon.
I’m taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s
MY FRiend Alexa
LEAVE THE ROAD 
Love how you addressed the popular concerns right at the start 👌 The suspension and ability to chug away irrespective of the terrain are a delight. To more adventures on the trails and beyond 👍
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Ha ha… I thought I’ll set the speculations aside. 😂
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🤣 glad you did
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Very well articulated! Gives a very well rounded view of the motorcycle. Wish you many many happy miles ahead!
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Thanks Parimal. Cheers
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Excellent review, highlighting all the main concerns anyone looking to buy the bike would want covered. Wish you many more miles of happy rides!
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That my main, is a sexy beast on roads!
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Fantastic review. Wish you many more rides with the same bike. Quite a detailed one
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Enjoyed reading this. Very helpful to all those looking to buy the bike.
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Wow! That’s some powerful bike! Very precise and informative review of the vehicle. Wishing you many more happy miles!
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Love reading long term reviews… it gives a great picture of what to expect and what to look out for. also, gorgeous pictures!
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Long drive on a motor bike is so refreshing and your tips for maintenance of bike are good.
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Once upon a time I was passionate about biking. All the best.
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Frankly I don’t get the tech parts, loved the pictures and your love for your machine
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I have always wondered how people travel so far on bikes. 3 hours on a bike and my legs hurt like hell and I feel like they’ve become brackets!
The touring seats seem to be comfortable. Yet I wonder, wouldn’t it still hurt because of the position your legs are in for that long?
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It’s a matter of getting used to it. And of course getting the right things to make it comfortable. I have been riding since 1999, so it’s more of a habit now. If I don’t ride regularly, it doesn’t feel normal. 😁
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This blog post is coming straight from a passionate traveler. Loved how minutely you have addressed everything including technicalities & the way you feel when one rides the bike.
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A nice detailed and informative review of Royal Enfield Himalayan. When it was launched there were a couple of issues but I believe they have rectified it. Thanks for sharing this.
#MyFriendAlexa #Jokerophilia
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Well penned thoughts, you write with your heart. I would love to ride an Enfield and do the things you did.
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Thanks for the review.. This is surely a great bike. I want to go biking to leh.. That’s my dream hopely will come true soon.
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Men and their machines! I liked how you’ve addressed every detail about the Himalayan, and 15000kms in a year is good! I can’t ride but boy, riding one of these is a dream I secretly cherish. To many more travel stories and adventures!
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That’s a wonderful review, in fact I remember we had been planning to look at reviews for a few bikes suitable for road trips even on treacherous terrains.
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Very well written and explained. This looks like a great travel companion for a long trip to go to
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That’s a great review, I love long bike rides and RE is always the fav. Haven’t been on Himalayan and its good to read your readings and associations with the machine here.
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Your write up shows your passion for adventure and riding. Well penned doen
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Thank You
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Bike lovers and adventure lovers must check this awesome blog. RE is indeed very good choice for Himalayan roads
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This is such a complete review of what to expect from thr bike over the years!
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Wonderful post!! I am going to share this post with my hubby, m sure he will enjoy reading it more.
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I am absolutely fascinated with bikes, and dream of owning my own bike someday 🙂 until then, reading accounts of others is fun! I look forward to reading about the customizations you have done – did you change the sound of your engine too the way the youngsters do! lol!
i liked the photos you included in this post.
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