I would wager ah bet, that if you would put the elotromagnets "higher" say on the lower frosted part of the wind screen, (epoxy them on the outside)the traffic lights would have no issues seeing them with A direct , , uninterrupted line of sight.... ?
Hey guys, just watched your videos as I just picked up a 2022 model. Where some of the best places to pick up some accessories here in the states? Does it cost a lot more to ship from Handcocks? Thanks so much for the great videos!
Hey guys, just watched your videos as I just picked up a 2022 model. Where some of the best places to pick up some accessories here in the states? Does it cost a lot more to ship from Handcocks? Thanks so much for the great videos!
Congratulations on your purchase and have fun with it. The REH is a great bike. It is as easy to order from Hitchcock's as it is to order anything else on-line. It may take a week or so to get to the US from the UK, but it all works. We got some stuff from SRC Moto in the US as well. If you expand the description part of our Part 1 video, all the places we sourced from are listed there. Good luck!
@@Cydro12 I have 2023 himalayan 411 in india. Yours might be a slightly different version without the stock usb port.. Check carefully on the bottom bracket of the left mirror under the handlebar on the far side from the driver. I couldn;t find it for the first six months - was panning to install one. If you look up stock usb charger himalayan 411 you will find some references to this. I hope you have one and you find it - it makes life a little easier!
@@michaelanderson5560 checked once more, sadly nothing there, still feel like I’m looking over it hehe. I’ll have to get an aftermarket one myself. Thanks for the explanation
I really enjoyed your video. It’s very encouraging and informative. I’ve not been able to buy a Himalayan yet, but I’ve been researching them and your video is full of useful tips and I intend to put most of the same things on mine. I’m looking forward to owning my own bike and doing some long distance touring. I know I’ll be coming back to this video for tips! Thanks very much for putting this great video together for us. I’m watching this from East Anglia, UK.
I think crash bars are essential. I have them on my Himalayan. Initially I didn't want hard panniers, because they are a problem for serious off road, but because I do a lot of traveling on my bike. I decided to add the aluminum panniers. I have no regrets. I have not changed my handlebars but I did add the handlebar risers. I like them so well, I keep them on even though it makes it impossible to use my Givi tank bag.
Only just found your vid again so I am very sorry for not replying earlier. We chatted about trips and I said I was doing the North Coast 500 ( a trip around the North Coast of Scotland) and I said that I would let you know how my wife and I got on. It was certainly an adventure !!!. Rained all the first day and intermittently for most of the other days. The wind was bad on a couple of days and I was down to third to keep being able to cut through the gusts. But when the sun shone and the wind dropped it was magical. Finally the back brake seized on 3 times. The bike ran great apart from the brake issue BUT the high revs meant that she burnt some oil - something that needed keeping an eye on towards the end of the trip. With just a bit of added cushioning it was very comfortable. The run up and back on the Motorway felt like I was revving it too hard. We are off around Europe this summer for 3 weeks and I am considering fitting a TEC Cam so that it will pull the 16 tooth sprocket and drop the revs by 500.
Riding 2-up for an extended stretch at motorway speeds seems like it would be taxing the Himalayan quite a bit. But it sounds like you had a great trip. I'm curious to know if the TEC Cam delivers on the advertised added 'oomph' allowing a larger front sprocket. There was a recall here in North America for the replacement of the brake calipers - I suspect to address the seizing you referred to. We had it done but experienced no issues before-hand. Hopefully that recall is the same in the UK and you can take advantage of it. Good luck with the mods, and safe travels!
@@b13hamilton27 Hello again. the rear seized at the master cylinder, known fault. It wasn't allowing brake fluid to flow back after the brake was applied. Everything gets hot and that = stuck. The word on our forums is that the TEC cam allows the use of the 16 tooth sprocket, which means a drop in revs by 500.
Well everything changes. we planned to take the Himmy from England to France - Belgium - Luxemburg - Germany - Poland - Slovakia - Austria - Czech Republic - Germany - France - England. But looking around we found a 5 day WW2 experience package that covered Aushwitz and Krakow which is the furthest part of the planned journey. Booking this for earlier in the year means that we have the same amount of time to do less miles. This means no need for motorways so no need for the cam etc etc etc. Funny how life steps in and sorts itself. I will let you know how this one works out - I recon its still about 3 - 4 thousand miles and 20 days. Keep smiling - it makes your boss think that you already have a scape goat lined up. Stu and Deb Lloyd😀
Great collection of mods with short but valuable descriptions. Looks like a fair amount of editing to put the video together. Thanks for the effort and happy trails.
We got ours on eBay, so I can’t be sure if they are all the same. But anyway, the ones we got had larger pivot holes than on the bike so we had to put in some bushings, which was a bit of a pain. I have heard from others who got similar pegs and the pivot holes were the correct diameter. If you can specify 8mm holes they should work without any modifications. Good luck.
I genuinely like how you guys did these video together, I just listen to most videos and the change in voices kept me from zoning out lol. My dad and I both have Himalayan’s, awesome to see this machine bringing fathers & sons together. ❤
thanks for the videos. The iridium spark plug is basically a fit and forget item. They should do 100,000 miles - lets wait and see who gets to test that one out first. You haven't done the relays yet - after reading the forums that's the first thing I did. How is the chain and sprockets holding up. Always interesting to see if OEM is better or worse that aftermarket. Well that's enough from me. Keep it rubber side down. The Foggster UK
When you get to 100K miles on yours let's compare notes and see if either of us still have an engine capable of holding a spark plug! I actually bought some relays to replace the OEM ones, and since we have never had an issue, I just left them kicking around to have as spares, figuring we'd throw them into a tool bag in case we needed to swap them out on the road. They have since gotten buried on the workbench and I have forgotten about them. We may re-visit the relays, ...or continue taking our chances. The aftermarket chain is still working fine. We lube it up with a few drops of gear oil frequently and it hasn't stretched at all. Cheers, and thanks for the comments.
@@b13hamilton27 I will let you know how we get on after out trip to Scotland in Aug. I reckon we will do about 2000 miles in a week. Keep riding. The Foggster UK
IIRC, we spent approximately $2,000 - $2,500US on the mods identified in this video. For those who have noticed, we did a follow-up, Part 2 video with a few more mods, which totaled another $1,000 US. The Part 2 video included significant weight-savings with a new muffler and aluminum wheels - both of which might be considered extravagant upgrades. However, the totality of all the mods really changes how the bike performs.
Some nice modifications. I don't like handguards. I put them on one bike decades ago, they were constantly in the way, so I removed them, and never tried them again. I do carry an extra brake and clutch lever, but if the brake lever takes a hard hit, it is likely to break the master cylinder. At least that won't strand you, you still have a rear brake. I also won't use a lithium battery. They have a tendency to catch on fire, and could burn your house down if the bike is in your garage or carport. I use an SLA or AGM (both are lead acid batteries) and keep them connected to a battery tender. I carry a small jump start pack with me. Heated grips did not work for me. I use heated gloves. They use so much current that I had to install a cutoff switch for the headlight in order to use them. The heated grips are out in the cold wind, which carries away a lot of the heat, and what's left has to make it through insulated gloves. The gloves have heating elements inside, close to your hands, and the outside prevents the wind from blowing away most of the heat. I sometimes use a Garmin Zumo GPS. My 1990s style flip phone stays in a bag, turned off. I have some MOSKO luggage. Good stuff. I would never use an LED headlight on the street. They are too bright and will blind oncoming drivers. Unsafe and just not very nice. Kind of like shing a laser in someone's face. As someone who worked for a city streets department for over 30 years, I can tell you that those things that are supposed to trigger traffic lights DO NOT WORK. There is a grid just under the asphalt near the intersection, and a certain percent of it has to be covered with metal to work. Like a car or truck. There is nothing you can do to make a motorcycle trip those. Fortunately most cities have gone to a sensor up on the arm where the traffic light is mounted, and most of those can detect a motorcycle.
Regarding the magnets for getting stoplights to change, you would most likely be better off attachingthe magnets to an aluminum or plastic part than you would be attaching them to steel. Here's why. "Most" modern automatic traffic lights detect vehicles waiting for a light change via loops of wire slightly below the road surface (there are some even newer ones that use infrared light and sensors that will probably screw motorcyclists at least as much as the ones you can fool with magnets have, but I dot want o drift too far off topic)You can usually see where the loops are located because there will be a loop of sealant (usually black like tar) over the top of the sensor loop. A measured bit of electricity is run through the loop to make a magnetic field. When a car rolls through this field the car's steel and iron change the inductance of the loop.The inductance change tells the light a car is waiting and the light changes. But bikes dont have nearly as much ferrous metal so often lights are jnot sensitive enough to detect bikes , especially small ones without much steel. But you can also change the inductance of the sensor by running a magnetic field through the sensors field. And neodemium magnets can have very robust fields which can do really good things for making lights change for motorcycles. I have run one that was part of a computeron my SV650 for 20 years now and its worked great on most ights. I have it hung vertically on a piece of 1/8 X 1 inch aluminum that is bolted to my front fork to hang about 3 inches off the ground. The reason aluminum or pastic is better is because when a magnet is stuck to steel it makes the magnetic field around it much smaller and weaker. The lines of flux tendto auger into the steel instead of blossoming out from north to south poles of the magnet . . You can use this effect o focus the attraction of a magnet into a very small powerful pull close to the magnet, like most knife holer bars seen in kitchens do. But traffic lights dont care how much weight a magnet can lift, they care about the field around the magnet, and sticking it to steel uses up much of that field. So give the magnets another chance armed with this and they wont disappoint you next time.
You know... I was wondering about that. Our aftermarket skid plate is steel, so we just stuck the magnets on. I'm not sure there is a non-ferrous attachment point that makes sense for us, but I suppose the best approach would be to tape the magnets in place, see if they work, and then glue them permanently once satisfied with the results. We went the easy route with our steel skid plate, so we will have to re-think this one. We won't be changing the title of our video, however. That mod is still only a 1/3 success! Thanks for your thoughtful comment.
delkevic.com/mufflers-slip-on/royal-enfield/2021-models/himalayan/ There are several different versions to choose from in the link above. Glad you enjoyed the video and hope this helps.
I HAVE THE SAME 21 HIMMY- YOU SPEAK OF WEIGHT- DITCH THAT 30 POUND STONE EXHAUST AND REPLACE IT WITH A SLIP ON SILENCER/EXHAUST SYSTEM- I PUT ON A KEMIMOTO SILENCER FOR $38 FROM AMAZON- USED EXHAUST TAPE TO FIT/FORM IT TO ACCEPT THE STOCK EXHAUST PIPE. NOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE A MOTORCYCLE AND IS LIGHTER!! ALSO, IF YOU DO PUT ENGINE GUARDS ON MAKE SURE THEY ARE THE TYPE THAT DO NOT HINDER THE CHANGING OF THE OIL FILTER GASKET. I COULD NOT REMOVE ONE BOLT ON THE OIL CAP, BUT DID REMOVE THE OLD FILTER WITH A NEW ONE DURING MY 300 MILE BREAK-IN. SO, I COULD NOT REMOVE THE GASKET, BUT SINCE IT WAS NOT TOO OLD I WILL REMOVE THE ENGINE GUARD THE NEXT TIME I DO AN OIL CHANGE. WILL SWITCH TO THE LITHIUM ION BATTERY- NOW, SINCE I DO NOT HAVE A GARAGE IT HAS TWO TARPS COVERING IT AND I ATTACHED A SMALL SOLAR PANEL TO KEEP IT CHARGED. THANKS FOR THE INFO....EAGLE-SAN IN CO.
Check out our most recent video, which is an update on the 33 1/3 Mods. We dropped a TON of weight by replacing the muffler and changing the steel rims to aluminum. All the other things we have done are great, but the aluminum rims and combined weight savings from that and other mods has totally transformed the bike.
@@b13hamilton27 I understand cutting a lot of weight would improve handling off road and help with mileage but would it affect how the bike handles at high speeds on the highway? More likely to get pushed around by the wind from semi trailers and the like?
@@sampelletier5083 The bike is infinitely better after we shed the weight we could as described in the videos. We have not noticed any issues at speed on the highway at all. However, the REH is not a highway tourer anyway. We only go on interstate-like roads for short stints. The bike is perfectly in its element on B roads, gravel, and backcountry roads, which is where it does best.
👍Love the Teamwork. Your Himalayan is one of a kind. In Vegas there's few branches, but we have drop offs in the desert terrain that will keep you on the footpegs. Stay Safe!
Thanks for posting latest mods... I watched your 33mods post and loved it some great ideas and food for thought... I will be collecting my new Himalayan next week and am really looking forward to it. Gave you a subscription today and look forward to future content. Greetings from an Irishman living in Latvia 👍
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08N16972K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Here is the link to the reservoir and bracket we got on Amazon in the US. You could easily make a bracket if you wanted. We needed a new reservoir because try as I might, I could not find a replacement cap and rubber diaphragm to replace the one that fell off. Hope this helps.
Do you still have the bike how do you like it??. For taller riders the Tall Seat Concepts” seat looks great- more of a bench style . Love the father son combo!! Share the love
Thank you for a great video and great mods! Very interesting insights, rationals, and conclusions. Also, fantastic to see a father and son not only enjoying a sport together, but gaining and sharing valuable experience and learning as well. I am adding this to my Himy folder. I am still on the fence regarding this bike mostly due to the all-too-familiar weight and power complaints. As an older rider, the weight is the more concerning of the two. I am very intrigued by the bikes RE has been releasing recently and by the new Himalayans in development. Thank you again for a truly great build and video on a truly great bike!
Michael - thanks for the comments. It was a fun project, and the REH is a great platform. The power and weight issues are something to consider however, and there are other, more souped-up and refined bikes you can buy off the shelf. But the REH still brings a smile to our faces when riding it, so we remain happy , and have never had any issues with it. We have done a few more mods since the video was published and have just not gotten around to making another video. (Sam is at college now). However, we swapped out the exhaust canister and laced aluminum rims to the hubs last summer. There is no financial rationale for doing so, but we saved 10kg (22 lbs) of weight overall, and you can really feel the difference. See 'On Two Wheels Ben' for a video on aluminum wheels on an REH. Everything Ben says about the upgrade is accurate, and he is pretty stoked about the associated improvements in handling. The bike is slightly more peppy off the line with less wheel inertia to overcome, and it is noticeably more nimble when cornering, both on road and off, with the lower weight. It remains north of 400 lbs to pick up if you fall over though, so you still have to give a good grunt to get it upright again. Good luck with your research and decision-making.
@@b13hamilton27 Another great tip regarding the rims! 22 pounds is a major weight savings! It does seem to be a great bike in so many ways including being a platform for so many mods! You and Sam have obviously outdone most in terms of modifications made and have created an exceptional bike! It's such an affordable bike to begin with anyway! There are several pine green '22s in my area that are marked down 1,000 at this point. I test drove one this summer and enjoyed it stock, but the mods you've made to yours make it truly exceptional and versatile. I'm sure it's a joy to ride. May I ask, what is your area of expertise? You seem to be quite capable mechanically and with the electrical components. Fashioning the 45mm extension for your handguards and machining a solution for the foot peg upgrades suggests some machining knowledge as well. Regardless, the most appealing thing about this build, and there are many, at least 33 1/3, is the wonderful and productive relationship you have built with your son. The value of the time and effort you have successfully invested in that certainly cannot be questioned by anyone! Well done in all regards, and best wishes to Sam in college!
Hmmmmm... Area of expertise? I do not have any formal engineering or trades training, but I have always been interested in and capable of solving mechanical and electrical problems. I am naturally curious about a lot of things and enjoy doing work myself rather than relying on someone else to do it. I have learned much through trial and error, and I have never had any fear of ground-up projects, or modifying a design concept I think I can improve upon. Most of human knowledge is out there somewhere in a book or on the internet, so getting ideas or acquiring know-how is doable with a bit of research. If you don't like the pine green color you can repaint the tank for way less than $1,000!
Flat out best video on upgrades!! Your $12,000 adventure ride rocks. It was fun following along. Regarding the orig handlebars were there little notches that the switches had to attach to? This would keep them from moving. Thanks mate
Allan: Thanks for the comments. You are very generous, and I'm glad you liked what we did. And BTW, it didn't add up to $12K - but nor was there a lot of rational financial decision-making involved. We did a lot of things simply because we could, and as a learning project. But, on to your question... There is at least one hole that needs to be drilled on each side of the handlebars IIRC, which mates with a pin and serves to hold the control switches in place. It is worthwhile to spend a bit of time ensuring you get the holes in the right location, as I'm not sure RE necessarily has them positioned perfectly. So, if you change grips for example, you may want the controls inboard by a few mm to accommodate. Also, if you change the orientation of the (new) bars to be better positioned ergonomically, or to avoid hitting the windscreen, you may wish to rotate the controls to suit, by changing where the hole is. Hope that helps. Cheers.
Really good to see and hear your reasoning for the mods to your Himmy and the father/son bond. My lad thinks I’m an old fart until he makes an almighty balls up and then it”Daaad is there any chance……….🫣
Haha. It's still going strong, and we love it so it's not for sale. We have done a few more follow-on mods which may warrant an update to the video though. Still no joy with the magnets, but we try to avoid roads with traffic lights anyway!
Very well explained and thought out. No booster plug? I guess you haven’t had a problem with stalling or lean running. I added a Givi universal mount for my Givi Monolock top box. I switch the Givi top box between the Himalayan and my 2009 Bonneville. Adding a top box would be my first modification on any new bike. Ride safe.
Thanks for the comments. We have not had any problems whatsoever with the engine, so no booster plug or any other changes in that regard. We did change to an iridium spark plug, but that's it.
Would be willing to explain how you made the UHMW mount for the usb? From what I can tell, you slipped the bars into the grooves you cut, then used a washer and a screw on two sides to hold it in place. How long are the screws? Did you tap the UHMW for the screws? Glue in some threads? Loctite? Or am I missing a step? Also, do you remember where you bought the plastic? (I ask because it's brilliant.)
Thom, you have a keen eye, and you seem to have the idea figured out. We built the UHMW holder for the volt meter/USB power output pretty much as you described. The UHMW was sourced on eBay for a suitably sized block of the color we wanted. I sketched out the design on cardboard, making the mount as small as I could, whilst leaving enough material for it to be structurally sound. The edges are rounded to allow for all the wires and cables to continue to route freely. While it was still square (except for the upper left hand corner) I cut grooves on the 2 outside vertical sides to match the wire frame of the cable cage. These were cut with a small router and the appropriate bits. The center hole was drilled to match the USB outlet (sourced on Amazon). And yes, the whole thing is held in place with M5 screws and washers. The UHMW is drilled and tapped for the longest screws that were practical, given the rounded inside corner and center hole (which is not really centered, BTW). I forget exactly, but I think the screws were around 20 or 25mm long. IMO, you don't need LocTite. I doubt LocTite would stick to the UHMW and the screws have stayed in place just fine without it. Once the holder is held in place with the wire frame and the screws, it is plenty strong and not going anywhere. You obviously don't want to over-tighten the screws... When you turn the handlebars, it *just* has enough clearance at the bottom where the wires connect to miss the bottom of the instrument cluster. If you decide to make one, go for it, and good luck. Cheers.
@@b13hamilton27 another question. I just got the atz-7 and I’ve installed it. Im getting ready to wire up the relay and fuse box. Where did you place the fuse box exactly? I currently have it crammed in behind the battery on the back side of the bike (so the battery is closer to the front of the bike and the fuse box closer to the back of the bike). It’s sort of wedged in there to help hold the battery in place. But I imagine it’s going to be hard to keep it in that spot once it’s all wired up.
@@tmstark Thom - Yes, our fuse box is installed in the battery compartment, along with the ATZ-7 battery, just as you describe. It's a snug fit, but it works - even with some thin foam strips on the battery to keep it from vibrating. We made some slight modifications to the fuse box cover in order to route the wires in/out of the box as a bundle as opposed to separately. (Think contained loom vs. spider web...). I can't take a look at the bike right now (I'm at work) to jog my memory and provide a better description, but can do over the weekend if you need more info. We found a home for the relay in a gap inboard of the battery box. Hope that makes sense.
Firstly I was 100% satisfied with my 2013 CBR500R, well maybe 95% as it revved high on the highway too what my previous bike was. Say 90% as the chain was cheap and I had too have it replaces and the rear cog, Make that 85% as it was a steel frame and heavy. The Kawasaki had an aluminum frame and much lighter. But a fantastic commuter bike and sad too let it go but now I want an adventuring bike.
The guy doing this video (which has great information) certainly has a sense of humor. Using 33 1/3 in the title, referring to the last modification that barely worked (therefore it only received 1/3 of a point) is pretty clever. I watched the video again today and swear I saw Leslie Nielsen riding the Royal Enfield at 18:00 min. Fabulous.🙂
Outstanding vidio, great audio, concise delivery and really inspired mods. I rank this production up there with fort nine and yammie noob and the big rock moto guy i hope you'll take this as the huge complement it is meant to be. i plan to get a Himalayan and i will be duplicating your mods to the letter
Thank you for your kind comments. We are amateur video-makers, so it is rewarding to know we struck a chord and got our message out. As for the mods themselves, we put a lot of thought into them and we are still happy with every one. The bike continues to run great and it is a lot of fun to ride. Enjoy your project!!!
We used an Antigravity ATZ-7 model. It is quite a bit smaller and lighter. It left room for our fuse box in the battery compartment. So far, it has worked flawlessly. For a couple of months over the winter, the bike was not used and the battery went 'dead'. We pressed the re-start feature and the bike fired right up. It seems to work as advertised.
Hi there. We got ours from Hitchcock's Motorcycles. They are based in England. We are in the US. I assume they ship anywhere, so with the magic of the Internet I'm sure you could order on-line from them. Good luck, and I hope it works out.