Royal Enfield Himalayan (2018-on) Review

Very comfortable. Have not taken a pillion. Did not feel the need for a break. Fine on motorways and a/b roads and country tracks. Easily cruise at 60 to 70 mph.

Power delivery is really good. 50 mph in fifth gear it flies. On par with My Interceptor 650 mid range. I have not gone above 80 mph. Nothing to dislike. The Sherpa water cooled engine is excellent

No corrosion. Never broken down or part failure. Quality paintwork. Any frame welds are neat. Attention to detail like brand names on grips and foot rest rubbers. Body work fits together fine, no gaps. Switch gear is neat and precise, no loose buttons etc. LED lights all round. Gear change is slick, neutrol is easy to find. There is a slight gap on the lever from 5th to 6th gear. Need to be precise with that. It is not a false neutrol!

Servicing depending where you go. First service at My chosen dealer was about £150. Running costs are good. At least 70mpg (according to the bikes display)

The big round clock is very informative. Four riding modes. Colour sat nave using Google maps, RE app is excellent. I have fitted heated grips and spot lights ( for extra safety from car drivers who are not looking) Plenty of choice on the internet. Mirrors are fine and do not blur at any speed. Some people say it leans too far on the side stand. I find it ok, as the lean angle helps when getting on and off as the bike is fairly tall. I find the standard tyres are good as an all rounder. Probably would need something different for serious off road use.

decent performers stops well

very nice unit i like the tall 6th gear for roadwork 70mph is unstressed more zapp than you may think when its wound on in the low geras ..no complaints

to early to say but 2k miles and alls held up well so far

simple to maintain very frugal good tank range

suspension and engine match well good all round egg hard to knock for the money

comfortable ride for up to four hours then you need a short break

just keeps going no problem

some times losses battery power when standing in garage needs to be kept on charge all the time

garages are getting to expensive

side stand to high had to shorten it by 10mm

Handles well for a 21inch front wheel. Suspension is fine. The brakes are effective. The seat is comfortable. The riding position is comfortable.

The engine is 411cc of low powered single, overhead cam, design. It performs as you would expect. If you think it's underpowered or slow, I don't know why you would buy it....it is as described.

Mine has been reliable so far. The build quality is fine. The welding reminds me of 1970's jap bike frame welds...and they are valued classics now.

80 mpg is easy. Parts aren't extravagant.

Mine came with givi rack and engine bars, it has the gauges I want, and the tyres are as good as any road biased adventure tyres I have ridden.

I have a delicate bum, and most bikes pain me. The Himalayan's stock seat is good for about an hour. I bought the adventure seat, hoping it would be softer, but I can't tell any difference. What has helped a lot is a gel pad and a sheepskin. It's now the comfiest bike I've ever ridden and regularly ride 3-4 hours without a break. Aside from the seat, the bike's suspension is a joy, even though I'm over 100kg. Steering and handling is great, helped by the large front wheel.

Everyone wants to know - is 24.5hp enough? Definitely yes - it's ideal for lanes, laning, B and A roads, but if you're in a hurry you are going to want another bike. The engine is an old fashioned, slow and steady thumper, and the noise above about 3.5k is something many new riders get concerned about. (Hint, earplugs for motorways!) As the engine runs in and loosens up, it improves a lot.Gearbox is goodish. There's a surprise neutral between 4th and 5th that's caught me out a few times when I've been lazy changing up. The ratios are ideal for dirt roads and lanes, but really don't work well at motorway speeds, giving 5200 rpm at 60mph (redline at 6k). I've thought of the ratios as "The perfect gear ratios for a six speed bike - shame it's only got five"However, the 16t front sprocket changes the whole balance to faster roads, and drops that 5200 down to around 4600. It will run me along quite happily at 65-70 all day. So if you want a motorway bike, look elsewhere. I prefer not riding all day on those roads though, and this encourages you to seek more entertaining routes.

I've found the finish in the 2023 to be equal to that of BMW and Honda. A surprising claim to some, but that's my experience. RE have worked hard to improve their western appeal and having everything screwed together properly is a big part of that. Materials are well chosen and durable. My only issue in the first 3000 miles is that one of the rubber bungs fell out of the chassis tubes. Not had to return to the dealer once. (I service it myself)

Main dealer quoted £165 for the first service, which I think is a good price. But part of the ownership experience for me is servicing and knowing my own bike, so I did it myself. It's certainly an easy bike to work on, and the service is about as simple as any bike could be. Oil filter kit is about £7 on ebay, plus the oil and a new plug. I took a couple of hours, but I was certainly taking my time. Valve adjustment is a little fiddly, but very easily done once you get into it.

Nice to have a centre stand as standard. Aside from that there's not a lot of stock equipment. Even the "sari guards" are removed from Western bikes.But accessories are cheap and plentiful. I've fitted heated grips, pannier frames (with some Army surplus kit bags), a 16t front sprocket, gps bar and external thermometer (the inbuilt one over-reads a lot)

Ride quality is excellent, brakes are competent but the front does feel wooden even though it gets the job done. If you pull hard enough on the lever it stops. Eventually.

Plenty of low down torque. On the back lanes suitable locomotion can be obtained even when keeping the rpm below 3,000. The gearbox is fantastic, one of the best I have used. Even from new, clutchless upshifts have been 100% positive, never missed a shift or found a false neutral yet.

Part of the charm is that one doesn't get the clinical finish that we're all used to with Japanese and European machines. But that doesn't mean it is cheaply built, far from it. It's just more basic but that is part of it's appeal.

Easy to self-service. Dealer charged me £125 for the first service. Interestingly the owners handbook states 4500 mile service intervals but the dealer says 3,000. I smell a rat.....

Instrumentation is basic but has everything needed. The force needed to zero the trip meter is massive - even a body builder will wince at the effort required. They seem to have buried the contactor somewhere in the headstock judging by the amount of energy needed to push the little button hard enough to zero it.

Ride is great for a mini Adventure bike with a 21 front wheel but as the torque is low and so is speed you can throw it about, standard Ceat tyres are amazing but wear like a candle dragged up a wall.

Peach

Owned from 350 miles, now has 3500 and no issues

If you cover 3000 miles a year and do a valve check plus oil and filter Valve check from a RE dealer £70 Oil and filter yourself £30 Oil and filter should be 6000 but I do it with valve checks

All you need but.... Compass works when it wants and Ambient Temp is a joke but can be moved to work reasonably well.

The engine is very smooth, and its best road speed is about 50 mph. The brakes are fine. The bike is excellent on rough ground - confidence inspiring. It is fairly heavy but carries the weight down low, so is not too hard to pick up.

I had an aftermarket cam shaft fitted which makes the engine noticeably peppier. The bike could still do with more power for motorways but it is not designed for that environment. The power delivery is very smooth and there is lots of torque at low revs -- perfect on rough ground.

I had to get the head bearings replaced after a few thousand miles and the rear brake master cylinder failed not long after, but I've had no further problems since (now approaching 16,000 miles). The bike has a very solid feel to it. Some of the welding on the bike is a bit rough, but that at least shows the human touch! The paintwork was a bit thin and seemingly no primer had been used, but I've since had the bike resprayed as I didn't like the matt black original colour.

I get the bike serviced at a local independent garage (Pendle Motorcycles), and am happy with the cost. Services would be cheaper still if valve checks were not required so often, but as the valves have not needed adjusting for a long time I will have them checked every 6,000 rather than the recommended 3,000 miles from now on. Fuel economy is excellent -- I average about 80mpg, with the best being 94mpg on a long journey. Tyres last a long time too.

The bike is very basic, which is fine -- less to break down. There are lots of places to attach luggage, although panniers are a great addition.

I've never found the front brakes to be unsafe, like some accuse them to be, but I ride sensibly and obey the law; so I wouldn't have a problem with them.

After 10,000 the engine seemed to finally be well run in. It has a lovely pull to it and the power curve is very broad for its size.

Brakes would have corroded but the DVSA recall sorts this out for free in any case. The new callipers are corrosion free so far.

I do all my own servicing. Parts easy to get online and cheap enough too. Lots of videos online to watch other people work on their REH if you are not a mechanic.

It has the basics, what else do you really need. Most of you won't do more than 3000 mile a year on it anyway.

A very capable and fun all rounder. All day comfortable. A stronger front brake would be welcomed ..

A little more Oooomph would be a great addition.

No issues so far.

As I bought used , (with 500 miles and first service done,) I have not yet had the need of a service.

Its simplicity is part of its charm. I have the hand guards and a Givi rack adapter fitted.

Long distance is very relaxed and traveling on mainly minor A/B roads is particularly suited to the Himalayan. The seat isn’t the most comfortable over long periods but easily solved with re-padding.

Not purchased as a sports bike so low performance is acceptable. The torque of the engine is its best feature.

Build quality is acceptable for the price paid. 7500 miles in 11 months and experienced only one issue, fault with the ignition switch which was very easily solved because of simple construction.

MPG is a big plus with this bike, low performance equals big MPG, I regularly see 80+ MPG The Himalayan isn’t heavy on tyres either with a standard rear tyre giving 6000 miles and the front still good at 7500.

The Himalayan will easily accept many types of luggage use. I personally fitted the RE hard luggage and additional Kriega bags. Spend what you can afford.

Average, you need to use both brakes.

Has so much character. Does the job.

Will deterate if not protected.

Basic, which is probably a good thing.

Great ride quality, handles everything our awful roads can throw at it. too heavy and underpowered for serious off road work.Brakes awful, front does very little on OE pads, rear caliper literally rots ovenight, awful anodised pistons and pins turn to dust. Pointless ABS.Comfortable seat, good ergonomics.

Best part of the bike, relaxed and beautifully torquey, no real power as such, but will pull from tickover to the redline. Mechanically noisy, get an aftermarket exhaust for that lovely thumper sound and to drown out the clattering valvetrain.

Shocking build quality, calipers rot before your eyes, gear indicator stopped working, paint flaking off hubs, fasteners turn furry, rear suspension totally devoid of grease from the factory, rear wheel spindle seized in place requiring BFO hammer to remove, clocks mist up internally. Rear rack starting to rust. Bike started messing about and engine light came on, diagnosed as fuel injector problem, charged nearly £130 for repair as bike was ONE DAY out of warranty. Came back from dealers with the rear caliper seized up, supposedly there's a recall but the dealer wouldn't engage.

Brilliant on fuel, expensive on parts, needs frequent maintanence just to stay reliable. Easy 75-80mpg.

Speedo and small tacho, inaccurate external temp guage, 2 trip meters, fuel gauge is good, compass is useless and gimmicky. Gear indicator stopped working. Great centre stand. Knock off Suzuki switchgear. Pirelli MT60 tyres are brilliant.

Breaks are substantial for what they are enough stopping power. Bike handles fantastically in the bends and this bike laps up back roads.

Engine has plenty of low down pulling power a perfect attribute for lugging weight all day. Virtually vibration free, lacks 6th gear for cruising.

Build quality let’s it down in places, but over all a great quality machine for the sub £5k price tag. Like anything if you look after it, it will last. Things to note of build quality: •Engine finish goes grey after a few months, easily rectified by a good engine degreaser and a maintenance spray to bring back shine. • tank scratches easily, again be handy with the polish

Cheap to service and easy to work on.

Instrument cluster very basic, Rev Counter, Speedo, fuel gage, compass. Clocks mist up in winter

Uk Designed Harris performance frame, handles well both on and off road. Brakes are adequate for the 24bhp engine

Plenty of thump thump tourqe, propels to a 65mph cruising speed, with a 70mph achievable on motorways. The bike is happier on the back roads. Off road the Himalayan shines

Build Quality is good for a £4000 machine, not quite Japanese quality but for the price tag you can’t really complain!

Servicing every 3000 miles for valves and 6000 for oil change. Prices vary from dealer to dealer.

It’s a 4K bike It has a Speedo to tell you the speed A fuel gage to tell you the fuel level A tachometer to tell you engine revs And Columbus’ Indian voyage compass At the price point it’s basic but does its job

Suspension both compliant and soaks up everything. Off-road couldn't be more stable. The brakes are perfect for keeping control (doesn't grab) and the engine torque has perfect haul for low speeds. On-road, happily hits legal speed limits and can hold it all day long. Not sure about earlier models but brakes on E5 are fine. At 6'1" the seating position initially feels a little tight but in reality can ride all day long. And the pegs are perfectly positioned for standing up off-road.

Without messing around with ECU, air filters, exhaust, etc. and even with twin cats the power is good enough for real-world, and the torque surprisingly strong. Pretty sure it could have been a 500 with another 5 gee-gee's without adding too much to the weight but, again, out here in the real world it wouldn't change much. Other than a bit more flexibility for overtaking.

Build quality and finish as good as my other bike at £17k. At this price I'd give it a six! It's quite new so can't comment on corrosion but given everything is powder coated I'd be surprised if the British weather is going to bother it too much.

Seriously, fully loaded with aluminium boxes, engine guard and handguards for £5,300.00!? And the fuel economy is insane.

Has everything needed. Was expecting some pretty mediocre clocks and switchgear but they're as high quality as any other quality manufacturer. Combined with the standard Tripper sat nav, nothing else required. Equipment levels off-the-scale for the price-point.

Great ride quality. Brakes are average but easily good enough for the bike’s power

Smooth and reliable. It’s not the most powerful but if speed and power are what you’re after then you’re missing the point!

Great build quality

Great value… this is a real bike that’s great for back roads and country lanes, as well as the odd green lane. We tour two up with full hard luggage and it copes admirably. Great looking too. And all for less than £5k new… what’s not to like!

Equipment is fine. The electronic compass is a bit pointless.

I've added ceramic pads Made for much smoother braking

300 mile interval is ok for sunday riders Im clocking up 10k a year Its cost me 1800 over the 2 year warranty period Honda 6to8k miles interval??

Anakee wilds great Centre stand as standard Compass rubbish Tubeless rear wheel needed

Suspension is brilliant , not even considering low cost it rides very well. Breakes are ok but a little soft in feel which is good off road but needs getting used to on road. No issue with there power though

Very good for its job. It manages fast roads , just but more at home at lower revs pulling. And it's good there. Smooth with not much vibration , youd struggle to know it was a single. Happy to rev and be thrashed when on fast roads and uses very little fuel 100mpg easy on slower roads and 75 on motorways

Build quality isnt great, but its £4k and when you consider that it's amazing value for money. The issues are well known and easily fixed at home. Reliability has been faultless but thanks to plenty of maintenance. Think old British bike abs youll be about right

DIY serviced from new door approx £50 a time. Which is 3k miles. Could get expensive if using dealers and doing alot of miles but easy to do at home with very basic tools

There isnt any, but that's the point. Basic and just works.

Great ride very comfortable and the breaks work well for the seed of the bike, also has switchable abs on rear wheel for off roading

411cc thumper, a little ruff around the edges but built like a tank, you can maintain it yourself but you won’t win any races, unless you’re off road where it shines

Excellent for the price

Could not be cheaper

Switchable abs and sat navigation come as standard, tank guards and rear rack there hundreds of cheap extras available too

You really need to haul on the breaks to reduce speed quickly on road. Ideal off road.

Willing motor for what it is. Will be underpowered for anyone in a hurry.

No issues at all. Survived many drops and even a solid rear end collision from an Emirati woman in a large 4x4, with her head in a phone.

Cheap servicing in the UAE. No idea for UK.

Dials worked as needed and look good too.

Ride is superb, brakes need new pads & a firm pull, but at these speeds they are fine.

Smooth, sounds cool & plenty of traction. It's a two wheeled Landrover, don't expect it to excel on the M5, it excels on the rough & gets you there no matter what.

Solid, simple & robust.

Simple & even I can service it myself.

Panniers, gear indicator, rev counter, screen, engine guards, luggage rack etc - come on, no other bike has all this!

As I said above

Cheaper than my speedtriple lol

The bike is very comfortable to ride in my experience on all road surfaces. Perfect for bimbling and exploring back lanes, forest roads and anything outdoors with great fuel economy. The front brake is not particularly sharp on the road at speed, but is about right when riding on loose surfaces as its not keen enough to lock up in the mud. The back brake is very strong and easily activates ABS when on the loose surface. The ABS deactivates off road, should the rear wheel spin when the front wheel is stationary. The suspension soaks up pot holes and rough terrain well giving a plush ride. The seat is quite low for tall riders and after a couple of hours I find I need a break. A taller seat makes a big improvement on and off road for taller riders.

Given the Himalayan is biased to low speed off-road adventures, the 411 gives excellent smooth delivery with enough torque to overcome obstacles such as rutted lanes, rocky trails and steep climbs. The delivery is not intimidating when travelling down tricky roads and weaving around and over obstacles. Its fast enough to travel at 60mph all day long but its not really at home on dual carriageways. The engine runs out of steam over 4500rpm, so a little more top end acceleration would be welcomed for the likes of overtaking and travelling on Motorways to get to a destination. The engine is a simple design, very easy to maintain, oil cooled, with one spark plug and adjustable tappets via tappet covers. The 411 grows on you and like I have said before, they run better with age.

These bikes are hand built and it shows, judging by the quality of the weld finishes. That gives a certain quirkiness to the bike and uniqueness. The build quality varies between other Himalayans. The headstock bearings are a known issue for lacking grease and water ingress. Most owners upon receiving their Himalayans, re-grease the Headstock and rear suspension bearings, with a quality marine grade grease which keeps the water out and the corrosion at bay. The throttle and clutch cables can be short lived and these need regular checking for fraying, as part of the service intervals. The engine servicing is quite short, every 3000 miles for oil and valve clearances, although owners report that the valves don't need adjustment every 3000 miles. The service is relatively straightforward and easily within the scope of a home mechanic. I use my bike plentiful off road and the paint job is holding up well, other than stone chips which is to be expected in such conditions. The overall quality seems to vary from bike to bike. With the bike being relatively simple to work on, most problems are easily overcome. Some owner complain of stalling when cold or upon starting. I have not had such problems thankfully.

The Himalayans service is quite straightforward, these being the valve clearances and oil and filters every 3000 miles and a general torque check of the fixings which takes around 2 hours labour. Given the simplicity of the Himalayan they are relatively cheap to maintain and very straightforward to work on.

The Himalayan is pretty much ready to go out of the box as it is. For taller riders, I would recommend bar risers and wider handle bars such as Renthal Enduros. For off roading in mind, handguards are a must as are heated grips for all year round riding. Tyre wise, I find a Continental TKC80 on the front and a Heindau K60 Scout on the rear works well in the UK winter, on and off road conditions especially in the mud. I would also recommend GIVI engine bars as they give good protection and fit nice on the bike without being too obstructive. I've dropped my Himalayan a few times when being off road and the Givi crash bars have worked well, with no damage inflicted. The standard Himalayan pannier rack is a good investment for adding soft luggage or the Panniers. The instrument panel works well and is all you really need. I would recommend a quality chain and sprocket upgrade as the stock chain and sprockets seem to wear quickly, requiring regularly adjustment. If you are a taller rider and plan to ride on rough terrrain, a 40mm jackup kit is available and worth considering. The Himalayan is made of steel and built like a gun. In my opinion is could be the only bike you need.

Great off road, not so good on duel carriageways

Very economical, you hardly ever need to refuel

Easy to load luggage onto for camping trips

Frame designed by Harris and is very good, ride quality is acceptable being as this is designed to go off road too. Brakes are a bit wooden but improve when run in, still need a good squeeze on the lever.

Excellent value, cheap servicing only fly in the ointment is every 3000 miles

Underpowered and feels a bit strangled, there are decat pipes and louder end cans available and very reasonably priced also a booster plug which helps with the initial pick up so should feel more responsive.

Stable even over broken surfaces. Brakes are ok, reasonably progressive, have not needed any greater braking power so far.

Plenty of torque allows smooth progress. Engine is mechanically noisy with a variety of different sound effects

Mechanically not bad, some of the finishing could be improved, better attention to detail needed. Not really impressed with wiring harness routing and finish. Brake routing poor as it goes under the tank, designed to rub

Excellent enjoyment cost ratio. Servicing intervals too small.

OEM tyres are good (pirelli). Easy bike to ride, with comfort and good handling for what it is. Have the RE panniers which look good but are a bit cheaply built in some areas and have a design flaw with the restraining cable.

Easy to ride brakes dont work and seize regular

A strange rattle on part throttle sound like its going to expode

Constant faults service every 3000 mils

Engine is fine, I only have 1.5 miles at 70mph the rest is 50-20mph. Don't agree with the "to slow for Morden traffic" try riding in London pointless having a 150+ mph bike. Brakes get better as they bed in. Abs is fine. Suspensions good bit hard, but I am 105kg so for a basic set up it's fine. Seats good for my hour and fifteen commute.

I got this to commute into London from Sussex. I have only ridden in the winter and she has been great so far.

Cheap as chips so far, 3000 in and see to use less fuel every week.

Good but I put a terminogi (or however it's spelt) on sounds great, goes a bit better too. Has not made any difference to the mpg.

Comments regarding slotting in the twin 650 lump totally miss the point and purpose of this bike

Decent standard tyres for general use ,but plenty of options out there if you want to be more adventurous

Riding the bike is a pleasure on fast A & B roads. Up to the 60mph limit it loves going through the bends, holding a line with ease but on the motorway its limitations are reached. 70mph + and the engine is getting close to its practical limit but it will do it. Just doesn't like it. Then again the back roads & lanes are its natural habitat. In town & commuting is a breeze & the high riding position really comes in useful. The riding position is just right. At 5' 8" I can get my toes down OK. The seat is firm & by using a sheepskin cover I can last about 2 hours before numbum sets in. The brakes are good without being spectacular. Only had the ABS intervene on gravel but feels OK. I don't go off road (intentionally) so I can't comment.

Just love it. Only 400cc but so sweet running & economical. About 70 mpg. Whats not to like. Vibs are there but only just & I quite like to feel its alive & not grey & clinical. Much less viby than the other singles I've owned. Its eager to go & smooth with it. The clutch is light & precise.

No corrosion or problems with the paint. Nothings fallen off. Bikes never missed a beat in 3000 miles.

Cheap to bye. Average service costs but had to wait for the engine to fully cool down before servicing so the valves can be checked, makes for a long day at the dealers. Just sips the go juice.

As standard the instruments are good BUT I doubt the accuracy of the compass (or relevance). The trip is sometimes impossible to change no matter how hard I try & then just alters by its self. The small screen is perfect, no wind on my head. The full & side stand as standard work well.

I really enjoyed the character of the single cylinder, reminded me of my Suzuki GN400.

Excellent value for money all things considered.

Would be nice to disable ABS for off-roading.

Front brake could be better

Not enough speed for UK roads

Approx 80mpg. Great bike in all honestly amazing value for money but really needs 650 from Interceptor to be a serous contender in UK

Great ride quality the pretty much non-adjustable suspension is more than capable. Brakes could do with an extra bit of bite but do the job.

Does the job well plenty of torque for less than 25bhp I can't think of a better engine. Currently averaging 75mpg.

Bike reliability is fantastic. However, the pannier rails have been rusting after nine months, and quite badly. The quality of these genuine accessories is worrying and not to the same standard as the bike. The clocks started misting up early on and this has got progressively worse. The dealer has told me Royal Enfield have advised they are only water resistant. The dealer will pull them apart and seal with silicone sealant, sounds like a bodge and sand and repaint the rails. I'm hitting a brick wall with Royal Enfield who just send generic emails telling me they will contact me within seven days but don't! It seems little niggles that they are unwilling to resolve have knocked my confidence in the brand.

Short service intervals but countered by low servicing costs. Once out of warranty I will be doing most of this myself thus reducing the costs.

I bought the bike for its simplicity and ease of modification. I didn't want any electronic gizmos so it's perfect.

This really is a "Go Anywhere, Do Anything" bike, The Icy, mountainous regions of the Himalayas, the muddy tracks of Assam, the Floods of Kerala, the madness of Mumbai city traffic the dry dusty regions of Gujarat. In "Normal" riding conditions you will be looking for a fuel stop before you need to look for a rest stop. As for braking systems .. They are perfectly adequate for the performance. Fully laden 80 kilo's plus 40 kilo's (fuel/water/food/clothing) in some of the craziest situations imaginable they were always adequate to the task.

Performance bike it's not. For the "less demanding" rider it will do anything you ask of it. For the "Great Expectations" rider, wait for the 650 cc release or spend 300% more and by a Tiger !!!

The bike I rode was virtually "Bullet proof" As previously stated this is a "no frills machine" but that is obviously reflected in the price. True the bike would benefit from a couple of minor upgrades (Decent LED headlight, USB charging outlet) but these are simple "add on's"

As I only rode the bike for two months in India it would be unrealistic for me to quote figures, however I can safely say that the recommended servicing schedules are very conservative. 25,000 + km in two months of very hard riding across every extreme terrain in India with average 6,000 km services and the bike was still running as good as the day I collected it .

My model didn't include ABS but it's got to be a safety benefit. The bike would benefit from a couple of minor upgrades (Decent LED headlight, USB charging outlet, Heated grips) but these are simple "add on's" As for tyres, I rode on the standard Indian issue but given power outputs I would suggest and "Dual purpose mid range block pattern" tyre will be perfect.

For a budget bike the ride quality is exceptional. Supple on the choppy surfaces of Britain, but still controlled enough to have some fun in the corners. It also makes a brilliant job of being good on the road as well as off-road and it's only the limited ground clearance that hampers it off-road. It also carries its weight well and is really easy to ride off-road for first time riders.

A bit more power at the top end wouldn't go amiss but I wouldn't swap that for the really usable torque in the mid-range. It'll cruise at about 70mph, and hit about 84mph flat out.

In 16000 miles I've had dry head bearings that have needed re-greasing. Otherwise I've had no problems and have been really impressed with how the bike has stood up to heavy usage, especially as I've been doing a lot of trail riding on mine. There are a few niggles, but nothing that's going to ruin a trip and parts and servicing are affordable.

Cheap to buy, cheap to service and easy to work on yourself. Fuel economy is good, especially away from the motorway.

I think it's great that as standard it comes with centre stand, rear rack, front rack and a decent sized tank. Other than the £500 panniers and some £32 hand guards I've not had to spend any more money to make it a usable travel bike.

The lever does NOT come back to the bars. A hard stop needs a hard squeeze - but that means you are in control, very reassuring on cold, damp roads. Handling and roadholding are top drawer, but the original tyres wore too quickly.

No problems at all.

3000 mile service intervals are a mild annoyance, but at about £80 a time servicing is still cheap compared with most bikes. I can't understand how the MCN tester gets 50mpg - mine averages 75 over 5000 miles and I don't bimble about.

25 bhp is enough for road riding. It will easily reach national speed limits and maintain those speeds all day long. Low revving torquey single makes it relaxing. If you want to ride stupidly fast it's not the bike for you. On the other hand you won't scare yourself or lose your licence.

Great ride quality the bike really pulls well and will top 80mph but prefers to go at 60 to 65mph. After all the speed limit is 70 and I'm looking to keep my licence. The bike feels better being used at these speeds and doesn't make me want to ride like a lunatic so again a bonus. Still makes me smile the bike needs you to select the right gear and anticipate everything on the road to get the speed and gear right. For returning to biking this is great with no gizmos and aids I'm not becoming a lazy rider.

Runs as sweet as a nut and is simple. I think this is a niche market no large manufacturers are nailing some of us still want a simple, reliable bike. I've had mine since March and have used it in all weather. Responsive torqey engine that sounds great pulls fantastically and does the job well.

No issues at the moment other than a vibration issue which was down to the tank and rectified by the dealer ASAP. As mentioned the service intervals are 3000 miles. Once out of warranty I'll be doing these myself and the valves will only need checking every 6k miles according to those who have owned the bike for some time and done the miles.

Only let down by the daft 3k service intervals, manufacturer states valve checks every 3k and oil and filter every 6k, this should be the other way round. My dealer does a full service each 3k for £130. Once out of warranty I'll be doing most of this myself as the bike is easy to work on.

For me this bike is perfect no electronic aids or nonsense as it's really not needed. My only planned mods are a gel seat. The standard one is not bad but for weekend jaunts an improved seat will help. I also will put in heated grips, handlebar guards and a PowerPoint these would be great if factory fitted but for £4k I'm happy to get these added. Clocks are functional and do the job well I think digital clocks would look odd on this bike. The compass is pointless and unreliable.