Common Sense (less)
Since buying the 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan a few weeks ago it has been sitting in the garage. Cold temperatures, snow , slush, salt, and grit have made it a terrible time to ride. I’ve been visiting the motorcycle in the garage, admiring it, acting like a kid at Christmas who got a new bicycle but can’t ride because of snow.
So despite my better judgment and some patches of snow, I went for a short ride around the neighborhood. Just a few miles. After just a mile or so I knew I would be washing off the salt when I got home.
Still, I was dying to ride.
The tires on the Himalayan look nice and aggressive. But are they good for snow?
Just a Very Short Ride
It was cold and there was enough salty stuff around that my ride was limited. But man what fun. I should have put on all the gear. I should have plugged in the electric gloves. I should have stayed at home. Instead I expanded my ride from “around the block” to a bit further out.
I can tell already that I’m going to enjoy riding the Royal Enfield Himalayan.
Obsessing Over a New Motorcycle
The bike has been in the garage. It’s torture. And I can only distract myself for so long. And then suddenly I’m out when I shouldn’t be. Or I should be riding the Vespa. Which I did a couple days later.
But you know how it is when you get a new toy. You want to play with it.
Paying the Piper
I returned home after only 6 miles of riding and there was salt all over the motorcycle. The hose was buried in the front yard under ice and snow. So I had to wash off the salt with buckets of hot water and elbow grease. It’s strange since I almost never wash the Vespa. It’s beaten and battered and I’m not concerned about it anymore. With the Himalayan, it’s like a newborn baby.
But it was worth the effort.
A Real First Ride
A few days later the temperature had risen to 40F and it was time to take my 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan out for a longer ride. I thought the roads would be dry but turns out there was plenty of salty, grimy brine to muck up the motorcycle.
But it was really worth it to begin to explore this new machine. After 50 miles I’m convinced I’ve made the right decision to buy this motorcycle.
1st Ride on the Himalayan Video
I made a short video of my thoughts about the motorcycle as I rode through the mountains and valleys I call home.
I’ve not found a voice yet for making videos but I’m having fun trying to find it. If you like the direction I’m going with both the Vespa and the Royal Enfield Himalayan click through to YouTube and like the video and subscribe.
I’ve looked into my crystal ball. I see many more miles ahead!
anticipation [anˌtisəˈpāSH(ə)n] n.: the action of anticipating something; expectation or prediction.
OR
Anticipation, anticipation
Is making me wait
Is keeping me waitin’. – Carly Simon
Anyhow, I absolutely, positively grok your situation here. As I await getting hold of my new ride, a little under two weeks from now, I’ve gotten a wee bit antsy, a bit mopey, a tad melancholy (especially the last few days…50, 60 degrees? Cruel and unusual punishment without a bike). Grunge on the Enfield? Just give it a wash while singing “A Little Bit of Soap.” And keep riding.
Modern life and its attendant expectations have thinned my ability to be patient. Gone are the days when four-week delivery was the norm and waiting was something relished. Now it’s downright annoying!
I hope you get your hands on your new Vespa on a day when the sun is shining and the temperature is about 50F!
Until that happens, for you, and for me, I think we would both find solace in listening to Carly Simon for a half hour or so…
The first positive thing from the Royal Enfield is that it’s put enthusiasm back into your writing and you are producing more product which makes us all, you’re reading public, extremely thankful.
Ride on!
I’m definitely more enthusiastic about the Himalayan than I was with the BMW. Perhaps because I can envision a lot of rides on the Himalayan that I would never attempt on the Vespa. With the BMW K75, I could do all the rides it would do.
And the winter doldrums have seemed to stimulate my creative spirit. Not sure where it will lead but I’ll share waypoints on the journey.
A little note here. When I wash a bike I use a rag with soap first and a wet rag to wipe it down. Why? My 1979 Kawasaki was my use all the time bike for several years. The first thing that was wasted from rain was the front wheel bearings. Riding in rain washed off the grease from the semi sealed bearings and they burn up. The second thing that occurred from rain was the steering head bearings suddenly tightening up from its grease being washed away. There were several other things that gave out from precipitation so when I see people blasting their bikes with water it makes me grimace. Being an ADV the Himalayan might be immune but that’s my two cents on the topic.
Thanks for the heads up on washing away grease. I’ll see what I can find out in regard to the Himalayan. I’m hoping the motorcycle is as easy and trouble-free as the K75 and Vespa have been. Time will tell.
Your not having any fun at all are you? 👍
I wake up thinking about the motorcycle. I think I need to see a therapist.
Are there not a couple in the garage waiting for your next session?
There are, but they may be enabling me rather than forcing a hard look in the mirror.
Enable away I’d say 👍
I say it feels good to feel enabled. Kim suggested I make more videos. I can only assume that means she understands that means more riding right?
Thanks Steve, I did enjoy the video! However, it does create some lust 😉for roads, for what now seems like too long ago enjoyed…. Thanks for the ride!
The roads are definitely calling. It’s been so long since I had a leisurely ride in the mountains. I’ll be sure to share when I manage a ride.
Congrats on a successful first ride on the Himalayan! I usually wash off these magnesium chloride off my motorcycles with a spray bottle full of warm water, works just fine. A friend of mine reports having bought his own Himalayan, this must be the hot bike of the season or something!
Thanks Dom. It was only a 50-mile ride so I mainly feel teased. I hope to go on a longer ride this week and one that won’t require a spray bottle of warm water.
To look at YouTube the Himalayan certainly seems popular, but I haven’t seen one yet in the wild!
‘Seems all the RE imaginings are well thought-out and sought-after. The writer Peter Egan (“Leanings” 1,2 &3 and his essays on our two-wheeled addiction) has given them his approval in one of his essays; after buying a Black 650 Continental; His friends commenting he may be more comfortable on the Interceptor; ” I have a Himalayan as my “all day bike” that I can be satisfied with for years. The lure of the Continental evolved from his Norton addiction ( that was stymied after a health scare in kicking the Norton to life after a restoration ) He also expresses his love for the Beemer Gs but I believe the shear weight has given him pause in the ensuing years as it has for a lot of our contemporaries. The Himi seems perfect for a lot of us.
Thanks again for what you offer,
Tee
Peter Egan wrote a lovely essay-love story about the Himalayan. It seemed so natural from him. And it seemed so unlikely as well. I’ve only put a little over a hundred miles on mine so far but already I can tell it’s different than anything else I’ve ridden. It’s underpowered for sure compared to almost any other motorcycle I’ve ridden. And its engine “chugs” as you pour on the throttle. The entire experience riding it is underwhelming. But also incredibly seductive. I’m loving it so far.
I think you’re right that vehicle weight and ensuing years have caused many of us to reassess our beliefs. Having been a long time scooter rider all those pesky, masculine ideas of riding were dispensed with long ago. And all razzing about riding a scooter from real motorcycle riders were silenced as I rode my trusty Vespa through the dead of winter in whatever conditions Mother Nature delivered. Besides, I drive a minivan and Honda Fit. A scooter was a logical choice!
It’s a beauty! The green looks great against the white snowy landscape 🙂
Thanks Dieter. When it gets warmer I’ll spend a little more time making pictures of the motorcycle that aren’t rushed!
Thanks Steve! I enjoyed the ride! Because of the video that you posted I think that I will break out my bike the next warm up that we have! I too am from PA (near Perryopolis) and its snowy here as well.
I can’t wait for things to get a little warmer. I’ll probably take the Vespa out tomorrow even though the temperature will be in the 20s. It’s well equipped for cold weather and my stir-craziness has reached a level that I just need to go. You’re in a nice area, just a short jaunt into the Laurel Highlands and points south and east. Or into the mountains of West Virginia!
Glad I could help provide some stimulus for riding!
Hi Steve, I’m really looking forward to seeing your rides on the Himalayan, a great choice. I’ve been debating getting one since they came out and think it would also be perfect for me. I find them a really purposeful and handsome looking bike and in the colour you chose, think it will make the perfect subject for photos out in the woods as they are made for each other.
Right, I think it’s finally time to book that test ride! Good luck on your journeys
So far I find myself enjoying the Himalayan more each time I ride it. In part because it’s fun, and in part, because I’m aware of all the roads and paths that are open to me now with a motorcycle that I can comfortably ride off-road or on dirt and gravel.
When you test ride one, be ready to be underwhelmed by the throttle. It is not a motorcycle that will wow you with neck-snapping response. It really is slow and boring in that regard. But for someone like me who was never interested in high performance and speed, it doesn’t matter at all.
Have fun and let me know if you get one!