The Royal Enfield Himalayan ,great value.

[frenchy3]

I loved my Harley Davidson MT350 and should never have sold it. It had looks only a mother could love(just like the Himalayan) It was overweight and underpowered(see previous comment) The Himalayan is actually heavier than the MT350 and even though it has 60cc more capacity it certainly has no more power as even the MT had a four valve head! The MT350 was a donkey that would just pull up any gradient without a hint of stalling or spinning the wheel at an inopportune moment. The seat was low and comfortable,fuel range was good and the bike was very reliable . There was nothing on the bike that was over complicated and most parts were easy to get to and work on for servicing. I find the Himalayan the nearest bike to my MT350 that currently exists. Of course they could do with being 20 kg lighter and have another 5 bhp but this has not been an issue for me. If you buy a Himalayan and really can,t live with it the resale value is good at the moment and there tends to be people waiting for secondhand bikes.

[adventure steele]

Thanks everyone narrowed it right down now to two bikes the cb500x or Himalayan.

[Kiwiscoot]

Mine has done 23000kms issue free.
The lower steering head bearing is vulnerable to water ingress, especially during washing or riding in heavy rain. A black aerosol paint can top makes for an excellent protector.

bearing protector.jpg (43.1 KiB) Viewed 3512 times

Just cut it to size, loosen 4 mudguard bolts slip one end under and tighten bolts again. The curve of the plastic top fits the steering stop perfectly. Cheap and easy insurance for longer steering head bearing life.
Here is your standard spray can top.

top.jpg (11.11 KiB) Viewed 3512 times

Now cut it in half and then cut radially from the centre out, like this.

halftop.jpg (20.76 KiB) Viewed 3512 times

Loosen the 4 bolts that hold the top mudguard about 10mm/0.5'. Now you mount your "very professional rain shield" upside down. Slip those triangular "fingers" you cut between the guard and the bottom of the T-stem while flattening the curve of the cap. It slips in easily and sits there naturally. Tighten those four bolts and your done. Looks pretty OEM when done and I always seem to end up with more black caps than spray cans. One less now and put to good use.

[frenchy3]

Great idea. You can also use what is called a Nilos seal below the bottom taper roller bearing which does a better job of sealing than the original washer. I took mine apart and drilled the headstock of the frame tapped it M6 and put in a grease nipple so i could fill the void with good quality marine waterproof grease. The Indians didn,t seem to like greasing either the suspension or swinging arm bearings either. I don,t think this is a problem just with Royal Enfield though as nearly every bike i have bought in the last 20 years is the same.

[Kiwiscoot]

Great idea. You can also use what is called a Nilos seal below the bottom taper roller bearing which does a better job of sealing than the original washer. I took mine apart and drilled the headstock of the frame tapped it M6 and put in a grease nipple so i could fill the void with good quality marine waterproof grease. The Indians didn,t seem to like greasing either the suspension or swinging arm bearings either. I don,t think this is a problem just with Royal Enfield though as nearly every bike i have bought in the last 20 years is the same.

Great idea about the grease nipple. I thought about it when I checked and greased the bearings but was to much in a hurry to go riding again.

First time I ever heard of a Nilos seal, tell me more please. Did you put a Nilos seal in? Is it part of a SKF bearing? Do you have a part number for it? I will file it away for future reference.
My bearings are still good and I moved them from the factory dead ahead position to spread the wear.

[frenchy3]

Great idea. You can also use what is called a Nilos seal below the bottom taper roller bearing which does a better job of sealing than the original washer. I took mine apart and drilled the headstock of the frame tapped it M6 and put in a grease nipple so i could fill the void with good quality marine waterproof grease. The Indians didn,t seem to like greasing either the suspension or swinging arm bearings either. I don,t think this is a problem just with Royal Enfield though as nearly every bike i have bought in the last 20 years is the same.

Great idea about the grease nipple. I thought about it when I checked and greased the bearings but was to much in a hurry to go riding again.

First time I ever heard of a Nilos seal, tell me more please. Did you put a Nilos seal in? Is it part of a SKF bearing? Do you have a part number for it? I will file it away for future reference.
My bearings are still good and I moved them from the factory dead ahead position to spread the wear.

A Nilos seal is just a decent quality labyrinth seal that keeps the water out of the bottom bearing. It does not come with the replacement bearing but it will extend the life as the washer Royal Enfield put in is not really up to the job. https://www.wychbearings.co.uk/30205av- ... VJzV8mnmDI I haven,t had to replace my bearings yet as i got to them in time,cleaned out the factory grease,put in decent quality grease,fitted the grease nipple and pumped the steering head full until it started to ooze out of the top seal and adjusted them properly as the factory tends to overtighten them when assembling. They need to be adjusted up and tightened to seat the bearings properly then back off very slightly so there is no play but a tiny bit of drag on the bars which is sufficient for bearing preload.

[Kiwiscoot]

Thanks for the info. I will file it away

[blue bus]

does anybody on here know if they will be bringing a 650 model out some post on the net said it was coming out last year 2020

[Tonibe63]

Lots of internet rumour but I don't know of anything in the pipeline regarding a 650 Himalayan.

[Womble]

Thought I'd resurrect this thread... mostly as I've just bought a Himalayan, Euro 4 old stock model new. I've not bought a new bike before, so very exciting I'm taking the bike in for it's 300 mile service tomorrow, looking forward to doing more than 40mph!

Anyway, here's a photo, just like every other black Himalayan...