Adventure Bike Rider Forum

Yeah I hear you on the performance. It does need more top end zip, but then out riding and trail riding with another lad on one the other day it felt perfectly perky, and I think we both concluded do we really need more power from it? Not really. Context is everything. Equally, I know from 'racing' one on the roads towards Haggs Bank, the performance on the road is nigh on identical to a CRF250L. Maybe you expected it to be quicker than that and unfortunately it's not. Comparisons with the older 650s are obviously relevant, and I was interested in comparing it to KLR and Tenere myself. Agreed, it was nice to have that extra power on the road, but the way those bikes sit and feel in terms of weight is vastly different, and as I mentioned on a video the other day, the Himalayan - I felt - was far crisper and more exploitable, and manageable on the trails than either of those bikes, though ultimately lacks ground clearance and travel. I guess it comes back to weight and size. Maybe you're simply too big for the Himalayan and it was never going to work. Saying it's a bike for old people confuses me a bit as I'm not that old and I have genuinely enjoyed riding it and found it a genuinely 'exciting' mix of on road and off road ability, plus luggage carrying capacity and long distance comfort straight out of the crate. It probably serves as a good reminder that the measurements of what makes a good bike are different for everyone, and why you have to go out and ride them for yourself, rather than reading mags or watching YouTube! Bikes aside, hope you're on the mend and have plenty of riding ahead!

nathanm wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2019 11:26 pm .......I was over at the development centre the other day and I have a fair idea as to what's coming next. It may or may not suit you down to the ground. I'm thinking it might, but it's a good way off yet.

Anynews/rumours of an "Adventurised" 650 ?

fatowl wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:01 am

nathanm wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2019 11:26 pm .......I was over at the development centre the other day and I have a fair idea as to what's coming next. It may or may not suit you down to the ground. I'm thinking it might, but it's a good way off yet.

Anynews/rumours of an "Adventurised" 650 ?

Unfortunately I'm not at liberty to say, but needless to say they've got some good guys working on what could be a fantastic step forward.

nathanm wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:37 am

fatowl wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:01 am

nathanm wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2019 11:26 pm .......I was over at the development centre the other day and I have a fair idea as to what's coming next. It may or may not suit you down to the ground. I'm thinking it might, but it's a good way off yet.

Anynews/rumours of an "Adventurised" 650 ?

Unfortunately I'm not at liberty to say, but needless to say they've got some good guys working on what could be a fantastic step forward.

Pity, as I'm thinking of a CB500X, but a RE 650 Adv would be worth waiting for.

I'm getting confused here. Surely, by putting the Interceptor engine in a Himalayan, you'd be making a bigger, heavier more complex twin-cylinder motorcycle which is moving away from the ethos of what the Himalayan was all about: a simple, relatively light, low-powered single that'll go anywhere.

No wonder the motorcycle manufacturers can't decide what an adventure bike is when everyone wants everything from a 250 single to a 1500cc multi. They give us what we shout for with the CCM GP450 and the Himalayan but we want it bigger and faster and lighter and...

It's like everything else in life though, people have their own opinions.
To be honest the RE Himalayan does sound like it could do with an exra 10hp, from what I have read.
I have no chance of test riding one. Let's face for 98% of users most time is spent on the road. However there are
2 bikes than come to mind that have the power, lightweight, offroadability, etc that seems wanted, yet they are
also not that popular, is my impression. ( orange and white/ blue)
So what the ultimate bike is depends very much on the mindset of the user.

My opinion of the Himalayan, it's looks don't really do anything for me, and having had a Transalp, I promised
myself my next bike would either have more power, or less weight, or both. (320kgs with me and a full tank of fuel)

OB1 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2019 12:59 pm I'm getting confused here. Surely, by putting the Interceptor engine in a Himalayan, you'd be making a bigger, heavier more complex twin-cylinder motorcycle which is moving away from the ethos of what the Himalayan was all about: a simple, relatively light, low-powered single that'll go anywhere.

No wonder the motorcycle manufacturers can't decide what an adventure bike is when everyone wants everything from a 250 single to a 1500cc multi. They give us what we shout for with the CCM GP450 and the Himalayan but we want it bigger and faster and lighter and...

Yeah it's hard to please the punters, that's for sure. And I agree about the 650 twin engine, I think it'd be the wrong direction for the Himalayan.

fatowl wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2019 12:47 pm

nathanm wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:37 am

fatowl wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:01 am

nathanm wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2019 11:26 pm .......I was over at the development centre the other day and I have a fair idea as to what's coming next. It may or may not suit you down to the ground. I'm thinking it might, but it's a good way off yet.

Anynews/rumours of an "Adventurised" 650 ?

Unfortunately I'm not at liberty to say, but needless to say they've got some good guys working on what could be a fantastic step forward.

Pity, as I'm thinking of a CB500X, but a RE 650 Adv would be worth waiting for.

I think whatever comes next it's going to be a while coming. Certainly not this year. Maybe not even next. Who knows.

One of the things that I have noticed since joining the "adventure" fraternity is that those who shout for this, that or the other format rarely buy the product once a company actually builds their dream bike. They'll always find an excuse as to why it isn't what they asked for.

In my search for an overland travel bike during the last year, I've ridden and sat on all sorts of bikes and, for many months, the Enfield was the bike for me: I was convinced that I would be buying one. However, even without a test ride, I ended up making the more practical (?) choice of the CRF250 Rally. It could be the wrong choice. We'll have to see.

nathanm wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2019 1:45 pm

fatowl wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2019 12:47 pm

nathanm wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:37 am

fatowl wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:01 am

nathanm wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2019 11:26 pm .......I was over at the development centre the other day and I have a fair idea as to what's coming next. It may or may not suit you down to the ground. I'm thinking it might, but it's a good way off yet.

Anynews/rumours of an "Adventurised" 650 ?

Unfortunately I'm not at liberty to say, but needless to say they've got some good guys working on what could be a fantastic step forward.

Pity, as I'm thinking of a CB500X, but a RE 650 Adv would be worth waiting for.

I think whatever comes next it's going to be a while coming. Certainly not this year. Maybe not even next. Who knows.

Thanks.

Just to explain, I don't want and off road bike, I want an Adventure style bike. I like the looks, and as I'm getting older, and stiff joints, I want a physically larger bike. Not heavier, just room to stretch out a bit. I don't want RE to put the 650 motor into the Himalayan chassis, rather into it's own. I wouldn't expect it to have lots of off-road ability.