I did a similar top-speed YT video about 2 years or so back. On a flat calm day with Alloy panniers fitted. I hit the rev limited at 85 mph one way and 83mph the other way. Confirmed by GPS. At that speed, the back end wobbled a bit but was not dangerous. I put that down to the panniers. I agree 65/70 mph is not staining the engine and will happily sit at that all day. My Himmie is a 2019 FI model. I've traveled down to western France and back fully loaded without any problem. Strange how extra weight does not seem to hurt the performance or the MPG. These bikes take a long time to fully run-in, (about 3.500 miles). Thanks for the video and to prove to some that the bike is not slow. Many myths are started from people that do not own a Himalayan and those that just like for some unknown reason like to put the bike down.
I agree, this bike runs great at 65 MPH. 66-70 MPH is where the bike is OK, but there's little left in the engine so if you need to speed up to avoid idiots from pulling into you from the other lane, you can do it, but it's not ideal. As you mention, once you get above 75 there is a bit of wobble. I haven't determined if that's due to the RE metal panniers I have on it (they do mention not to ride above 70 with them on), or something else, but regardless 75 is not a speed that I would run the bike at for any sustained length of time anyhow. You can tell you're straining the engine. I have the 2021 version for the record.
Is the bike comfortable at 70mph for long periods on motorways and would a cam plus a slight gear up make it much better, bearing in mind the effect on first gear? It's sometimes necessary to use motorways to get to the area you want to be in a reasonable time, a trip to Ireland involves a 400 mile ride to get there for me.
Can truly say had a crf250l that would beat it hands down, but the Himalayan is better for distance with extra fuel, comfort, more tie downs, heavier so it felt more sturdy all in all do like it, but on steep long grade roadways it is slow
@@waynebrissette9459 I have 2019 B4 and tops out 85 mph, fully loaded including RE panniers. Straight as an arrow, completely stable. I would suggest tyre pressures and condition of tyres have an influence that could cause a slight wobble.
i was searching for himalayan speed and max. torque@rpm analysis.. finally found the best video and best channel.. Thanks for making videos with clear explanation.
I recently did a tour of Tasmania with my with as pillion and loaded with both our luggage, surprisingly my himmie comfortably sat on 110kph when required on the freeeway. Generally the bike didn't feel a lot different to when riding solo. Such an awesome machine!
Personal numbers on my 2022 Himalayan: 75mph @5,500rpm. Tops out at 88mph but that's really ringing it out. So 75 cruising and 80 to pass, all day. 6,000 miles so far. RE panniers and givi top box fully loaded too. Upgrades: Tec Bike performance camshaft, Hitchcock straight pipe. Powerage exhaust (no DB killer), Fuelx Lite, 16 tooth front sprocket, DNA air filter kit.
Another well filmed and interesting vlog, thank you . I topped mine out at 83 on the sat nav on a slight downhill in the Cairngorms fully loaded on my return from my LEJOG run. Great bikes
I think the genius of the Himmy is that it absolutely gives you everything thing you need, but doesn’t muck around with the stuff you won’t. 65 is all the speed required for touring, more than that becomes unsafe and unfunny especially on piss poor road surfaces for hours at a time, so RE built a bike that can precisely do that And do it on any surface you can stand it on, day in day out, but no more so there is no waste. I have a Classic 500 which I love, but I do think the Himmy is one of the most genius motorcycles ever designed.
Looking at the KLR and V-Strom also. You just about got me convinced the Himalayan is the way to go. Enjoying your info. Tks for taking the time . Was first introduced to the Himalayan watching the Itchy Boots posts. She has since moved on.
Thanks William aye you gotta go with whatever is best for you mate. Aye her channel is brilliant eh. She did slot of miles on the Himmi. Shame she didn't get the bike to Alaska due to lockdown. Who knows what she would have been riding now or where she would be 👍
Himalayan is not made to go high speed unlike other adv bikes but it was made to conquer the high peaks of Himalayas where air is thinner at 18000ft where speed is not important but the torque is. All the Himalayan passes can be easily covered in Himalayan considering they are the highest motorable passes in the world. There was a expedition to mount everest base camp.
I know. As I say at the end of the video speed is not what the bike is all about. Have a look at this video I made a few days ago about the Himalayan. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RPThV7Tmg0k.html
Just a little thing about intended vehicle cruising speeds: Most speedometers have their scale and and orientation set such that the needle will be dead vertical at the vehicle's designed cruising speed. This does lead to vehicles with speedos that max out in the triple digits that will never SEE those speeds unless you drop them out of a plane ^.^
Weight doesnt effect the top speed, drag of the panniers may have some noticable effect, i like the himalyan and the 411 scram, i think when touring or spending a long time in the saddle 60-70 mph is ample or fatigue sets in
Ive rode my himalayan with passenger topbox. Painiers.. Camping gear for 2... From the Midlands to the lake district... M5 /M6.... 70mph 5.5 revs all the way no problem
you deserve a shot of tequila for your contribution to the REH video for speaking the UNIVERSAL language, take care colleague, greetings from Michoacán México, salud
Fully laden 60-70 mph absolutely fine. Pretty impressive. P.s Depends if you go on full on camping or not maybe and your weight.(some tents etc weigh quite a bit more than others etc) If there's 650 next year or so great but wouldnt stop me from getting one as is. Isnt 60 mph probably a more economical speed? Thats your next thing to test please! (I love this kind of thing because if I ever do say a trip abroad etc its nice to be able to plan ahead a wee bit)
Firstly good on you for 7500 MI in Scotland that saying something. Your test run matches my experience on my 2020 Himalayan so there's one more data point. I don't know if I have the exact same way you do but probably close.
A well thought out and filmed video. Well done! Your appeal at the end for common sense will most likely fall upon many deaf ears. Too bad as you are absolutely correct. Stay safe.
Thanks just about to buy a Himmy and that's motivated me. Happy to cruise at 65 all day, I'm just coming up on 70 so that'll suit me fine, staying off motorways is my plan. Can I ask you the model of Givi bags you have there the bike I'm buying is almost totally standard. Cheers
Thanks for another very interesting video. It was particularly impressive that the bike's performance appeared not be affected by tge extra weight and drag. I'm wondering if the performance would be similarly unaffected (or only marginally) riding with a pillion - combined weight with riding gear about 21 stone? Any views/experience would be greatly appreciated.
Iv never ride with a pillion but I don't see it being an issue. Have a look at some of the RU-vid guys over in India. Im sure youight find some pillion rides on that. Check ol man ronin channel he does 2 up with his wife in some videos 👍
I think this is the bike I need. I want to do bike camping and the fastest I need to go is 60mph for extended runs of 100-140 miles at a time. I’m only about 175lbs and my gear is 20lbs tops if I am bringing in food and water.
Good video, thanks. The point with any bike is - does it do what I want it to? Arguments over the actual top speed of the Himalayan are almost irrelevant. I knew (with a little research and a bit of common sense) before I bought mine that it would 'probably' do 70-75mph on a motorway OK but wouldn't be particularly comfortable at that speed for long periods. Being my first bike, that suits me fine - I'm not going to be a speed freak, nor do I need to cover hundreds of miles in a day. However, I wanted to travel to Northern France easily and cheaply (from Southern England), taking a bit of luggage, so a 125 wouldn't cut it and a whopping great Triumph or BMW would have intimidated me. The Himalayan was my perfect compromise - for me! Others may want more speed, less luggage and so on - horses for courses. If people want to believe that the Himalayan tops out at 65mph - let them!
Agree with you! If I could add to your point; Does it do what I want it to? And I will add Does it do what it is designed for & what it's manufacturer claims? Yes it does that & that very beautifully. Those who want to ride above 70-80Mph on regular basis can look somewhere else (good luck maintaining that speed without being caught by a Cop or a Speed Gun Trap). It's an honest bike with a character & does its job which it's designed for marketed for.
You can go up 1 tooth on th front sprocket. I wonder what difference that makes if you do a lot of motorway. And how it affects lower speeds. But yes a great all round bike. Looking forward to buying one soon.
I don't think I will have a huge effect lower down. Maybe slightly in offroad conditions. Iv looked at different sprocket set ups but just kinda decided to take the bike for what it is 👍
I have used a RE for 5 decades and have used just about every bike they currently manufacture. These are heavy, low revving bikes with poor performance figures. The Himalayan is not designed for highway riding; at speeds over 90 kmph the Himalayan feels unsafe, the brakes lack bite, especially the front brake and fuel consumption increases significantly. The bike is revving at well over 4000 rpm at speeds over 80kmph which is extremely high for this modest speed. The suspension is very basic but works well off-road though I believe an upgrade is on the cards (primarily due to the threat from Honda who wants a piece of the rapidly growing adventure segment). A common lament is that RE needs to bump up the power on the Himalayan to at least 35 bhp to make it a genuine touring/adventure bike.
Yes as I say at the end of the video the Himalayan is not about speed. Still a great all rounder. Maybe someday RE will up the power. Thanks for watching 👍
Mine happily sits at 65 and I get well over 200 miles on a tank and it will happily sit at 70 ,but I'm not sure if its the northerner in me but it drops to only 175 mile to tank this keeps me down to 65 lol ,mind you at 50 the reserve doesn't come on till 200 and the most I've got is 275 miles and still about a litre in the tank .This is with the more open air filter on to
I have a 2021 Himalayan, the North American version, I concur with all that you’ve said; however, I’d like to add that the bike seems that it is not really straining at 100-120 kmph but it is a little concerning to see the rev counter so close to redline. I have done 500 km days at these speeds without a problem, though this really doesn’t mean much. I suspect that any damage or wear would only be available after considerable mileage. I intend to continue to ride my bike as I believe it was intended.
Definitely agree with everything you say Gerald. Personally I'm like driving miss daisy most of the time. I enjoy looking around to much to be red lining the bike everywhere lol 👍
@@gcprost : I have a bigger ADV bike too and I find myself gravitating towards this one more often than not... and just for the reason you mentioned. It's just so fun to look around and enjoy life and what the world has to offer.
This sounds perfect for me. I don't drive fast these days and as a novice motorcycle rider I think this bike would be perfect for me. I could load it up with camping gear and head off up to the Lakes or Yorkshire Dales and enjoy a bit of green laning along the way. I own a Honda Grom at the moment and I really don't like even going on some A roads let alone motorways. What's the MPG like on the Himalayan?
It's a great bike if you need a real do anything workhorse for camping etc. Aye Im the same I don't like taking smaller bikes on main roads.. Cars end up tailgating and passing you in daft places. You should expect more than 70mpg close to 80 on the Himalayan but less if you are loaded up with panniers etc. Anyhoo thanks for watching 👍
Good honest review thanks , i'll be getting one next year hopefully and intend to do leisurely road only touring fitted out with most the goodies for parts of the UK with plenty of stops. Any thoughts from anyone on having road pattern tyres instead of the allrounders fitted as standard ??? i've seen just one so far fitted with road tyres but couldn't tell the manufacture.
Thanks mate really appreciate your feedback. I run mitas e07 on the bike so I'm probably not the guy to ask lol. Hopefully someone else can help out. I'm putting out a q+a vid on Saturday afternoon. I will put this question out to people see what comes back 👍
I’m going to ride mine around the Mediterranean coast in Spain France and Italy this summer. I’ve got a bigger faster bike but I’d want to watch the world go by while I’m riding. 8 week trip can’t wait…
I was really hoping that RE would up the displacement to their 650. Its not that it will only go 80. As a rider if your traveling at 70, and some one swerves into you or doesn't see you. You need that HP, You need to be able to get up to 110mph RIGHT NOW. To save your own life.
ive had mine just under 90 clock say coming fro the rest and be thankful; its so smooth and thats it fully loaded i cant fault the bike wait the tyres are shite rear tyre can deflate way to fast .so they will be changed to metzler tourance 2
The Himalayan is not made for motorways. It was designed and built fo very rough roads or no roads at all, It has plenty of torque which you need in very rough stuff, It's a basic, simple design, no hitech electronics, any decent mechanic in the back of beyond can work on it, You need to keep an eye on the steering head bearings, the OEM Indian manufactured ones are not the best! Carry a spare clutch assembly if you are going into Asia, and spare oil filters, For navigation a Garmin with Open Street Maps (OSM) is better than google maps Everyone uses Maps,me on their phone I wonder what sort of range a 650cc engine would have in that setup with a total fuel capacity of 21 litres and how much torque would there bem From my experience of offroad riding many years ago, torque was more important than out and out power.
You are right Keith it's much happier on back roads and off roads as am I. I don't think the current Enfield 650 would sit happily in the Himi. It's too bulky and tbh I'm not sure it could be properly tuned for off road. I think thats probably why enfield hasn't done it yet. I think the 411 is a brilliant little engine.
@@WeeJaunt sure, but even if you changed it, the wide torque band does not affect low end performance. This motorcycle was designed for India, where cows occupy one lane of their 2-lane highways.
Hello mate its still got a bit of pick up between 60-70. Not enough to tear your arms off. its not a fast bike. How many mods etc added to the bike will have an effect. I use the bike on the highway fairly often just cruising around 60-65. I do pass trucks etc drifting past rather than leaving them in my dust.
@@LCARSADV the bike is a good all rounder and I like the simplicity of maintenance. That said the crf is faster lol. Good luck with whatever you choose and thanks for watching mate 👍
Hi Tom sorry I missed this message. I'm trying to think of the longest day I'm not 100% sure. But one example might be Argyle Scotland to Kendal in the English lakes and back on the same day Iv just done a quick check it's 253 miles each way so that's at least a 500 mile day on tarmac combination of A-B roads and Motorway. I find it fine mate as long as you are not expecting to break speed records.. take the odd break here and there 👍 Iv just got the standard seat I stand on the pegs occasionally if I need to stretch.
@@WeeJaunt Thank you for your reply. 500 in a day is good going, especially on an Himalayan. The most I've ever done is 250, but that was on a Honda Deauville, like an armchair. If Covid allows, and I can get reasonable health insurance, being 74 years old, hope to go to Portugal in May. Thinking of ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. Not looking forward to driving through England. The alternative is Amsterdam or Zeebrugge. What do you think? Itchy Boots n RU-vid, drove some distance. Go well Tom
@@tomellis4750 both options are sound Tom if it were me I'd do Newcastle - Amsterdam as its a shorter hop from Scotland and some nice rides through Netherlands Belgium France. Depends on your location and time I guess. Covid rules in the Netherlands are quite strict mind you so maybe check the situation closer to the time? Sounds like a nice trip right enough.
I find it surprisingly smooth at speed for a single cylinder. It's certainly the smoothest enfield engine to date although I haven't ridden the meteor yet. At 75mph it's going to get uncomfortable after a while though especially in the hands and forearms 👍
Sir one thing I noticed is your bike temp. I bought my new Himalayan bs6 2months back and it gets real hot real fast. I mean just riding for about 2 hours on highway my bike temp. Reaches to 100'F and in city it goes upto 114'F. So what can be the issue?? I have rode only 1000km so far and got 2 services done
Wow that's very hot! Iv never really seen the bike go over 75F - 80 ish at a push. The weather here is Scotland is not so warm right enough but even so that seems excessive. Have you checked oil level. Air filter for blockages? Or is there an issue with the temp sensor or where its placed? Did the service center say its normal?
Now that I think about it check the clutch free play!! If the clutch cable is too tight the clutch will be permanently engaged ever so slightly. If it is then it will be overheating the engine. When I say overheating I mean by alot! It happened to me at about 2000 miles. You can adjust the clutch cable it's very simple there are two bolts near the the engine about an inch away from where the clutch cable goes into the engine housing. Loosen them and move the cable until you have a bit more free play in the clutch to see if that helps. The engaged clutch plates heat the oil excessively and can cause problems. If its not that then I'm not sure sorry. Good luck 👍
@@WeeJaunt thanks a lot sir, we check that and see if it improves...also service centre said that it can happen during the day but if it again gets that much hot then they will review the bike again..once I get the time to go to a service center I will get it checked.
the extra petrol cans are completely unnecessary when riding in Europe. in fact, they are completely unnecessary pretty much everywhere in the world unless you're trying to ride across the gobi desert or something.
Thanks for the input. I made a video on that very subject. the thumbnail reads "Install Jerry Cans Why why why?" ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kl0K-Gmcfak.html I agree completely with your statement. The bike will be riding out east beyond Europe in the near future through the Stans.. Russsia towards Magadan. Of course there is the slight issue of finding a petrol station open anywhere in the Scottish Highlands on a Sunday 👍 thanks for watching
I have a video about it. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-TZjD9NAXvz4.html The top box is a peli style case called max 430. There are links in the description of the video 👍
It's an OK bike for the UK/ Europe but don't cut it in the U.S., You would get run over here with cars and trucks moving at 80-85 mph!. Royal Enfield Himi's need at least the 650cc engine here!.
Its not so much the top speed but the time to get there - and the time it takes to take over a truck that does 110 on a highway. Suicidal. I never got my unmodified 411cc over 125 kmph under any circumstance even without luggage and gear. There may be a big spread in engine output. RE is not a precision manufacturer like Honda.
I completely agree Samvado. The Himi is not about speed. If that's what you are after but something else eh? Thanks for watching mate I really appreciate it 👍