We are a stones throw from Gatwick.....not wishing g to advertise obviously :innocent: Click and collect at the mo .....:helpsmilie:

The chinese has copied the Himalayan. (Wonder if Royal Enfield takes this as a compliment or an insult...?)

https://www.zigwheels.com/news-featu...q2iYfWMQ-lEft0

Definate compliment IMHO but a bit of a PITA for them highlighting missing features. Good for buyers though.

Personally my building interest in Chinese bikes has been squashed by things like Fortnine's build cleanliness test, the fact every 3 year old bike I see is a mess, their endless ducking and diving with brand names and the political stuff that convinces me I might be buying from a less than ethical source*.

*I know my Honda includes Chinese content and that this is unavoidable, but I hope the established companies act in a better way, if only so they don't get caught.

Andy

Remember BMW, sporting a solid (and popular) Rotax engine in their 800cc bikes. Now they changed to 850cc engines produced in Loncin, China.



Funny enough they still call themselves "BMW" which means "Bavarian Motor Works" ?c?

The Rotax engine was assembled in Austria or wherever but the castings will have been a Turkish or Chinese supplier.

The Loncin factory will have some oversight by BMW employees but use the same group of suppliers for castings, chips etc.

The Han-Wei factory will have entirely Chinese oversight and the same suppliers.

A Chinese casting supplier will work to entirely different standards to a European one which has works councils or a US one where employees can simply quit.

There is thus a scale from plants in Germany to work camps in North Korea.

BMW don't want to be the target of poor publicity so will typically drive some of the European standards down their supply chain. I work for a large automotive company and be under no illusions the Indians and Chinese don't get 6 weeks paid holiday, paternity days and beer on the canteen table at Oktoberfest, but they'll tell you the European corporations treat them better than the worst of the local companies.

If any of these companies set up a forge in Munich however they would go bust trying to meet emissions and safety standards. The world draws a line at how much it is prepared to pay for these niceties but we can choose to avoid the worst of them.

Andy

I hold this guy's opinions in high regard as most of what he has to convey resonates with the type of rider that I am. I can 5herefore highly recommend this review of the Himalayan https://youtu.be/qcJ3TZhnbTQ

That bike he rode there was the very first carburated edition of the Himalayan, the BS3 model only sold in India and never exported out of India. And it sure had its problems that later mostly have been ironed out. And since a foreigner cannot even buy and register a bike in India - it will be impossible to buy this edition of the Hima for any other than Indian citizens and thus also its meaningless to post a review of a bike edition than cannot be purchased for all of us except indians.

We can watch Itchy Boots two first series and get a realistic and decent impression of the Himalayan. We can also watch an american rider who owns a ton of Harley Davidsons but still loves his Himalayan with its imperfections: https://youtu.be/bsu8OrvejaY

Another american that has bought a Himalayan: https://youtu.be/XM3DmaIz0fU

And a guy living in Alaska who have bought and made a very thorough review of the Hima: https://youtu.be/awf9q0E-j0M

I do get that, but much of this second part of this two wider review (first being on quality) is still relevant. In particular the ergonomics. I know some of this is being picky.

Royal Enfield Himalayan
 

Time will tell.

I am convinced that this excellent bike will be very common.
It is ecellent for what it is built for.
And gives very good value for the money.


https://photos.app.goo.gl/U9KAzH2MfLM58TBG9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dp3pyWXi2pMSM4Rn9

Let us be fair and look at the model history and the market where RE is coming from. Compare this with the critic from the guy of your link. He is right in many things from a western view of modern bikes but he still forgets for whom the hima was built for.

It´s a bike with a very low price and brings a simple, reliable technic with it. Parts, Service and fuel costs are also cheap. Exactly what the indian market wants and for what is was contructed and designed for.

Look at Noraly from Itchey Boots and her trip. She used the 2019 indian model and got it changed later by Endfield Netherland into a european model because she had no chance to register and use it legal in the EU. She put her luggage in the paniniers, mounted a gps/mobile and off she the went. If I remember correctly the paid not more than 2500€.

Keep that in mind and than think of Ted Simon`s 500 cc Triumph Tiger, Sam Manicom`s BMW or of Gareth Jones who took 1951 Harley Panhead with no rear suspension trough Afrika. And think about ergonomics, technic and the price of a Hima as an adv bike.

I rode the hima from a friend last year for 6 weeks when he was suffering from C19. Riding this bike remembered me spontaneous to my 1303 VW from 1972 which I still keep as a summer vehicle. Solid Technic, still cheap in parts and equipped with brakes that force you to drive in an anticipatory way because otherwise you will bump into every car with ABS.

The hima isn`t up to date in a lot of things from a western view but it is honest bike. You get what you pay for and by the cheap price you must accept some quality issues which belong to the characteristic of a foreign market. The design isn`t modern but not ugly and for sure it´s ergonomics are not proportioned for a hard dirt road ride but it works funktional erverywhere in the world. If you want up to date quality, modern design/technic and well fitting ergonomics you need to spent much more to get it as a new bike.

By a new or used hima, equip it with bags or paniers and update the seat, install a fuel filter and a fuel pump protection, convert the front to led, cut of the stupid switch for the stand and if you need buy a 20L tank for form india to get a range of 700km. Costs peanuts compared to other bikes and you don`t need much more to start your trip.

Especially the point about how cheap and economical the Hima is compared to other models is worth noticing.

As our other member Ashford mentiones in the thread «Honda XRE or Royal Enfield Himalayan for riding south America» - The Himalayan is 20 % cheaper than the XRE300 in Colombia. That really illustrates the point, that a 411 cc bike with much more standard equipement produced in India is cheaper than a 300 cc bike produced in south America - in south America.