This channel is all about off-pavement moto adventures. My first motorcycle was a KLR 650 that was affectionately named the Adventure Piggy. It was a bit clumsy and heavy, but it was eager to go where I wanted. The KLR had enough at 87,000 miles and suffered from a cracked head. It has been replaced with a Yamaha Tenere 700, which does everything the KLR did, but better. Well except fuel range...
Great video and having a T700 myself and riding solo on similar dirt roads in NE I totally get the caution. Cant be too careful! I appreciated the toughest rocky hill section you encountered as did something similar this summer and tipped over on the way down. In that case I had help but would have been way more challenging solo.
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.
you did both my bicycle loops, at the 9:28 mark those dirt mounds to block the dykes are not legal they were done by random people (I assume the marina store as they have a backhoe sitting in the plot) its mapped, mark and legal to get to the new dirt roads you found going around. ridding bicycles and motorcycles in south NJ its pretty common to dig Pitts, run wire and create road blocks on public property, assume its people trying to stop illegal dirt bikes but they cant and just ruin shit for the legal ones.
I used to know a guy who was riding since he was like 6 or 7 years old... He was able to change a flat on a tube tire in like 8 minutes and even faster if he was in his garage where he could lift the bike properly. Meanwhile there's me, who needs like half an hour or more to change a tube!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 :)
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.
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.
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.
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!
I have the 1987 model, AX1. Bought it around 2005. It was second hand, imported from Japan in 1997 and rotting since then in the dealers garage. To this day i am still baffled how this bike has not crumbled apart after almost 40 years, with daily commuting use since 05. I think these bikes are what gave Honda its name and legacy as a quality manufacturer
@@AdventurePiggy the odometer is stuck at 27k km for as long as i have the bike. At some point i did buy that replacement part on the front wheel (no idea how its called in english) but it got chewed after 250km (it is a plastic ring, extremely prone to failure). This and the CDI thing are the only problems i've ever had
I have the Ax-1 got her in 1987 im currently looking for a new engine to replace so i think im going to get the nx250 engine for her hope there isnt a noticeable difference in quality power and longevity between the engines
@AdventurePiggy Yep 100% Few things they could do mainly better sorted suspension on the standard bike it would make it hard to go past if you were in the market
Lovely video - The towns and routes you took are just fabulous. Trying to create a route map based on your video. But if you have all the points you visited and are able to share a route map, that would be super helpful. Thank you.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Keep in mind the uninteresting parts didn’t make the video :). Here is a link to the route. You can download a gpx from there or use Rever is you have it. go.rever.co/6JiZ40mNMMb
One of em up for sale for asking price of €1950, seems like a need little bike. Milleage ia amazing which would be nice for my commuter/mess around offroad bike, sadly I kinda have to get rid of my old commuter first sadly it has things that need to be done 🥲 hopefully something like this will be for sale when I can buy it.
It seems that they are a bit more plentiful outside the US since they sold them for much longer, so hopefully it isn’t hard to find one when you are ready. They are fun little bikes.
cool vid. There are so many hidden places to ride in SJ. I've been riding here over 50 years and I still keep finding new places. Sandwashes are everywhere. Lots of Deep sand riding. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dJZc1VgmVEQ.html
3M 5200. Thats all you need. No tape just the 5200 applied properly. Tubless. To hell with tubes and tire levers. Stick a plug in it. Pump it up and go.
It’s a Garmin Montana 600 and it’s been good for 6+ years, but it the satellite signal is getting intermittent now so I need to figure out its replacement.
I live in Millville and ride my Rally and Monkey everywhere in between Millville and Cape May. Far South Jersey's a little different from the image most people have of NJ. It's got a little of everything and simutaneously nothing. There's this god awful song that my grandpa used to listen to that went something like, "I'm a little bit country, he's a little bit rock and roll.." Horrible song but perfect description.
