Took a 117km test ride again-the bike is a handful on the gravel-that front wheel simply does'nt give any feedback of the limits of adhesion-and when that front end starts to push wide and plough,the only way to control is steering into the slide and chopping the throttle and you better not put a leg down at more than 10-15kmph for the fear of hurting yourself-had a few very scary moments on a long gravelly road-and was not really riding fast-the high weight and the resulting momentum sure is an enemy when you are pushing it in the loose rough stuff-kind of negates the semi dirtbike intentions.
Once back on the tarmac was again impressed by the bikes ride quality and engine character between 3000-4500rpm corresponding to speeds of 60-90kmph-on the national highway had a long high speed dice with a very aggressively ridden C350 for 30 odd kms and the Himalayan beat the C350 without breaking a sweat-hit 120kmph and the bike started struggling and vibrating at this speed-especially through the footpegs.The speedo screen causes helmet buffeting at speeds over 70kmph for my 5'10"-so either a taller or shorter screen is in order for my requirements.
The test ride bike is a mere 2100kms old but had some steering issues-the handle was kind of hard in places during its rotation and this was causing imprecise steering inputs-could not steer it with pin point accuracy and this could also be one of the reasons for the lack of front end feel in the dirt where smooth and deliberate steering inputs are worth their weight in gold.But one thing is certain,with that big 21" front wheel,more than usual steering muscle will be required to counter its high gyroscopic effect at more than moderate speeds-whether on dirt or highway,this is'nt going to be a proper corner carver and a flick chick,though it safely sticks to the intended line of travel while taking a turn even at more than sane speeds.
The tyres could definetly use more traction-they chirp easily while braking hard from speed on tarmac and more rear brake feel would be welcome,especially in the dirt where it aids rear wheel steering,skidding the bike with control to be able to turn faster.
And the bike sure is a heavy drinker
The third test ride has also STILL not totally convinced me to hand over moolah to RE
-let's see how things move forward with the Bajaj400 launching on 16Nov.
But why do i feel that the Himalayan it will be
