RE Himalayan trail ride UK

[@mattwilliams9758]

2 years of ownership and the Himalayan still surprises me. Found a new Lane, 10 mins from home, starts paved, goes to clay then washed out down to rock & aggregate. Steep continuous climb requiring far more off road talent than I have, and yet on standard tires the little donkey copes. Not the highest build quality but the original idea of this bike is sound. What a machine!

[@markdearlove8634]

That was a fun half hour watching that. Thanks. The Himalayan never fails to impress. And the money you save you can spend on actually riding somewhere.

[@leslieaustin151]

That’s an answer to the nay-sayers of the Himalayan. Impressive riding Nathan. Nice to see that route again. Thanks. Les

[@ron091]

Great video! Love your analysis and trail riding skills. My Himalayan will never get a workout like that as I can't do it physically any longer....but I love it!

[@StreakyP]

The main thing to look at is who designed it and why... The Indians have designed this as reliable family transport, easy maintenance & for use on poor roads..... when was the last time you saw sari guards as standard extras in the KTM catalog? this is primarily designed "just to work"..... your description Donkey was so apt (and what makes it so valuable)

[@phenomemental]

Greatest himalayan trail video yet, inspiring. Cheers, going to watch your others.

[@hartley383]

Great stuff Nathan, really enjoyed that. Completely agree with your assessment on the Himalayan it has by far exceeded my expectations. Strapped my tent and all my gear on it, had a lovely road ride from the east midlands to Sweetlamb, spent a fantastic weekend riding every sort of surface and trail you could think of. Come sunday, loaded my kit back up and rode home again. Superb. You could spend more ticking the options list on many bikes that what a Himlayan costs to buy outright and i genuinely dont think i could have possibly enjoyed riding any bike as much as i have the little Royal Enfield this year.

[@Hodmeister]

Really enjoying this series and seriously beginning to think about getting myself a Himalayan, cheers for the vid Nathan :-)

[@leginyela]

Great ride great bike. More fun per pound than many other bikes.

[@Mr2OOM]

I'm enjoying these vids, it's a shame the guys who went up when you were trying to get up that hill on the KTM weren't there when you did it on the Himalayan ...

[@jamesgalliers7233]

Looking forward to a meet up and blast once we are bug free Nathan. Good cheeky climb that . Hang on to her boyo !

[@daveweston5003]

I returned to two wheels 18 months ago on a Herald 250 after a 24 year hiatus. I bought a Himi a couple of months ago cos i want to do stuff like this. Maybe a bit easier to start like. So far just commuting through Charnwood hills which is magic.

[@adaptableadventurerider]

Thanks for sharing Nathan superb to watch, been going a bit stir crazy up here, finally was able to get out on the bonnie the other day which has been brilliant, couldn't get out on the 650ss which I was gutted about -4 an had my intermediate oil in so modern bike it was. Still got a huge soft spot for the himmy an its probably my next adv bike, dads fell in love with my t100 bonnie after me pushing him to have a go on it haha couldn't get him off it lol!

[@peter7624]

Great advice Nathan. Think I'll have to get myself a Himalayan..

[@atthesummitMTBskills]

That felt like I was on that trail ride with you. Great video.

[@andrewlindley837]

Brilliant all round was that film. You need to send that the RE GB and 'do a deal'. Remarkable for a 200kg machine.

[@nathanthepostman]

Thanks Andrew. A bit of help from a manufacturer wouldn't go amiss but it's nice to have some impartiality as well!

[@jerzywoking1699]

Totally agree Nathan. Often those that are sponsored can't always be totally honest, as they, quite rightly, don't want to upset the sponsor. When you test and review something that you've paid for with your own money, you are going to be more critical as well as being as appreciative of it's good points.

[@Cowley46]

That was impressive and very enjoyable to watch but I just need to go and have a lie down for a few minutes.

[@MarkOneMoto]

I was knackered just watching that lad ha ha...you make a great case for the Himalayan, a lot of bike for the money...its just the reliability that worries me. I know some people have gone around the world and had barely any issues, but you still hear talk of the headstock bearings and throttle position sensor etc failing. Hopefully they'll continue to iron out any gremlins each year. Great ride Nathan, enjoyed watching, atb mate, Mark

[@nathanthepostman]

Yeah it's a shame they haven't nailed the few issues it's had and from what I gather things have been improved with the bearings and what not. I take solace in the fact that none of the issues are trip ending. They're fixable, and I'm more than willing to tolerate them as still none of the other bikes make as good a case as the Himalayan as the consummate all rounder. But yeah, fix the problems and it'd remove all doubt.

[@chrisc9376]

Changed my headstocks bearings within a hour and put plenty of grease on them, as they don't seem to use it in India.

[@Cowley46]

@@chrisc9376 Yeah if I bought another Himalayan I would immediatley regrease the head bearings and lube the throttle and clutch cables....then you're good to go.

[@mattwagg1626]

Love the enthusiasm 👍

[@ThrillaPark]

Cool vid and riding. FYI the audio is coming thru the left side only.

[@josemiguelcorreazapata1961]

FELIZ NAVIDAD DESDE COLOMBIA

[@mattwilliams9758]

Wrestling a docile buffalo - 😂 - nice vid as ever Mr M. I’ve got the what3words app for solo rides - worth a look. You’re right about the Himalayan, there’s just something unique about it. Mine is out of warranty now, so the niggles you mention - some of which I’ve had on mine - are playing on my mind. Your review of the Fantic Rally have me mulling that, but does it have the same character? Not sure. Could I bare to sell it? Also not sure. I’d want her to go to a good home, and any replacement is going to be judged against the all round ability of the Himmi. Anyway, ride safe.

[@josemiguelcorreazapata1961]

MUY MUY BUEN VIDEO.......POR FAVOR OTRO VIDEO

[@FPerini]

Hi Nathan, Great video as usual. I’m wondering what your thoughts are on the present price of the Himalayan that has jumped up from the four grand you’re talking about to between 4.7 to 4.8K brand new. In light of the recent price increases and considering the KTM at this point is only 700 quid dearer (and brilliant finance deal till the end of Dec) I would be interested to know your thoughts... I’m worried the KTM for me would be a bit too stiff as I’ve got arthritis and need a supple kind of bike... Appreciate your input. Cheers, Fabio

[@nathanthepostman]

Hey Fabio. Good question. With regards Himalayan prices it's still £4200 as far as I'm aware. There is the adventure kit which comes with panniers, crash bars and handguards which you might have seen. That's £4800 or thereabouts. But with the Himalayan there's a tonne of good second hand options so you could pick a low miler up for £3200. If you're after supple then I would go for the Himalayan over the KTM. But it's one of those where you'll only know by riding the two and seeing which suits you best. Let us know how you get on

[@FPerini]

@@nathanthepostman thanks Nathan, appreciate the quick turnaround! You’re absolutely right 4.8 is the adventure kit one, having looked at the list price now it seems like it’s gone up 200 quid to 4.4 I I’ve tested the Himalayan twice already at Haywards in Cambridge. I got on well with it and my son loves it. I’m a little apprehensive about the maintenance costs as the dealer keeps saying is very cheap to maintain but, you know, I’d like to see a transparent written quote of how much it will cost me for 18,000 miles. The only manufacturer who does that is Honda: CRF250L or Rally 375 quid for 3 years servicing! That’s bloody good! In fact I was thinking about getting the Honda but at the moment they’re in between models and you can’t get them at all... what would they be like in terms of suppleness? Haven’t had a chance to test ride them: I’m 5’10 with a 29inch inseam so I’m a little concerned with the Honda height... Keep up the great job you do. Cheers, Fa

[@nathanthepostman]

@@FPerini without trying to be a salesman the best thing you could do if you're looking at a CRF as well is come down and ride all 3 bikes at my place, that's if you're anywhere close to North Devon. It's impossible to tell you what will suit you best without trying them.

[@FPerini]

@@nathanthepostman that would be really nice, I wished I was nearer. I live in Addlestone, Surrey. Thing is I’ve been biking for 40 years but haven’t been on dirt for the last 35! And it might well be that my physical disability might not allow me or severely restrict what I can do off road which means the bike should truly be good at both just in case... I’m sure I could do easy terrains but I’m not sure I’ll have the strength to do what you do! Appreciate you taking the time to reply. All the very best

[@nathanthepostman]

@@FPerini Apart from the optional short trail the days when I take people out on the four bikes are all on road. I find that's where the majority spend their time. But see if the dealers nearer to you have demo bikes although by the sounds of it Honda is out of stock with the CRF

[@BMRTV]

4:27 The new version does apparently. button middle of dash if I recall.

[@nathanthepostman]

Yeah I gather the BS6 model in India has switchable ABS on the rear but we don't get it here sadly.

[@timwinemiller3734]

Hi, I was wondering your apinion between the himmi and the Benelli 502x.

[@nathanthepostman]

Good question. I like the Benelli. It's a good bike. I certainly wouldn't want to take one up these lanes though and so I'd see it very much as a road bike whereas the Himalayan is more of an all-road bike. So if you're not going off road then the Benelli. But if you're wanting to ride trails then the Himalayan.

[@danagerds]

love it!

[@KestrelYI]

Excellent review!

[@michaelhayward7572]

People are completely missing the point wanting a 650 Interceptor motor in a Himalayan. Edit, Superb vid.

[@jerzywoking1699]

Totally agree. Often with power, less is more. Great all rounder.

[@raywite6665]

Like my old C15.

[@mikek2218]

I really like my himmy as well, but the most annoying thing is a parasitic battery drain that I just can't track down. If I leave it off a tender for more than 5 days, the battery will die. And the bike is all stock... no accessories. Other than that, it is a perfect bike for me and the riding I do in my Alaskan home.

[@nathanthepostman]

Yes it is odd. This is the third Himalayan I've owned and this one seems to drain the battery pretty quick as well, and this doesn't have anything plugged into it. Strange

[@jerzywoking1699]

Mine did that. When it finally died I put a Yuasa battery on and it doesnt seem to drain. If it does, it's not draining flat within 14 days (the longest I've left it without starting).

[@mikek2218]

@@jerzywoking1699 I've put in three different batteries... it's not the battery. It's the bike in my case.

[@jerzywoking1699]

@@mikek2218 Sorry to read that. Seems I was lucky. I know Justin of Kharmakazi Moto checked his Himalayan out for parasitic drain but couldn't find one. I have a sat nav power cable and a usb port wired directly to the battery rather than being switched, but doesn't seem to drain all the power, not within 14 days at least..

[@mikek2218]

@@jerzywoking1699 Yeah, it's baffling to me. I talked to Justin and he didn't have any suggestions either. Seems like some Himmys have this issue and I just got unlucky. Come spring, I'll probably tear into it some more to figure out what's happening. For now, I've just been disconnecting the negative battery lead if I know it'll sit for more than a couple days.

[@jamescunninghamniven]

what biking is about, as opposed to posing around with fancy schmancy hi tech toys

[@WestSussexBiker]

Never seen handle raisers fitted that way around

[@nathanthepostman]

At the end of the video I explain why they're mounted like that.

[@WestSussexBiker]

@@nathanthepostman Just rewatched. i didn't see hear that first time.

[@paulbrook2459]

Brilliant 👍

[@progste]

Nice video, too bad for the quality, I think you should be able to find something better than the trial version of powerdirector. Just looking around now I've seen a couple like Shotcut and DaVinci Resolve. You could also eliminate the left channel audio and just use the left side as mono since it seems the right channel has just noise.

[@nathanthepostman]

Thanks for the feedback progate. I'll take that onboard

[@jamesdspaderf2883]

Nathan luvssszzz that Himalayan - if she was a woman, who would she be?

[@nathanthepostman]

Ha. Pamela Anderson. Big bouncy fun.

[@BMRTV]

2:51 C is better visibility

[@sootycakes]

Itchy boots takes the. Himalayan were Bmw riders fear to ride

[@nathanthepostman]

Yeah she's been a great ambassador for the bike alright. Great trip. I think there's probably a fair amount of BMWs been around the world before though.

[@essveekay]

Nathan, How would you rate against the Fantic Caballero Rally? I keep coming back to that or the CRF. Worried the Himalayan is too heavy still.

[@nathanthepostman]

Good question that Gemma, certainly regarding the Fantic. I would say that bike is more comparable to the KTM 390 Adventure. Similar power and weight and the Fantic is certainly a lot of fun. £2000 more than the KTM though and I'm not sure I'd want to go a long way on it. Those side panels are a bit wide as well. But it does look pretty and is fun to ride. If you're buying a bike to ride trails and you're worried about the weight I'd probably go for the CRF over the Himalayan. But if it's occassional trails and a lot of road then I'd go Himalayan.