A Peaceful, Easy Feeling
My 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan never startles, surprises, or scares me. It’s so easy to ride and the feeling I get moving down the road is almost as if the machine has me in a relaxed, safe embrace. Granted those feelings are in my head and I fully realize the risk involved in riding this or any other motorcycle. But there is something special about riding a motorcycle the gets me from point A to point B without inviting me to taste its power or speed. In the end we both are content to wander along seemingly without a care in the world.
Ever the Explorer
A few things to keep in mind. First, the weather here in summer can suddenly change. On this ride I went from sunny and dry to a warm rain with little notice. And for part of the ride the rain seemed to race ahead of me leaving only wet roads as evidence.
Little matter though when the temperature is in the 80s. The Himalayan and I just continued to explore with no destination in mind. Only the situation of having a few hours to ride. Somewhere. Anywhere.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan is perfect for that sort of exploration.
Keep It Simple
I’m attracted to simple machines and devices. That usually suggests something older, vintage. But in the case of this motorcycle it’s about as simple as a rider can expect today. Electronic fuel injection. ABS. A the Tripper. But otherwise a mechanically and electrically simple machine. I read a lot about people immediately changing things to get more power, different gearing, better air intake, louder exhaust, and on and on.
I tend to use things as they come out of the box in terms of mechanics. I always assume I’ll never find myself performing beyond a motorcycle or scooter’s capabilities. And if I do, well then, I’ll dial things back.
It was a fine summer day and I stopped a few times just to look at the clouds for some reason that I’ve now forgotten. The only difference between now and when I looked at clouds as a kid is I didn’t lay down on the ground to do it.
The Long and Winding Road
Winding roads are the rule in this part of Pennsylvania. Nothing like the straight road grids of the midwest. Around here it’s like a meandering roller coaster albeit without the loops and breathtaking drops. But as a place to ride, it’s quite satisfying.
The Himalayan is content to paddle along on backroads all day and even the occasional dash on an Interstate highway if necessary. I work hard to not make it necessary. Those four lane highways are often a bore.
The Road Less Traveled
I’m forever looking for shortcuts, alternative routes, or just am curious about what’s down that road. The Royal Enfield Himalayan is a good choice for that sort of riding mentality. It is happen to go just about anywhere. It may not be fast or get me there in record time. But I’ll get there.
Where Should I Ride?
While I wasn’t sure where I would go when I pulled out of the driveway I knew I had a lot of options. And limited time. So I point the motorcycle toward a forest and go. I avoid towns and cities as much as possible. Sparse traffic and quiet are my goals.
Central Pennsylvania has both of those in abundance. For now.
Stopping at New Places
I’ve never been to the Long Lane Farm Stand. Strange since its been around for a year and only five or six miles from my house. But this time the promise of ice cream on a hot day forced the Royal Enfield Himalayan off the road and into the parking lot. I was pleasantly surprised at the scope of foods, baked goods, fruit, vegetables, and dairy products on hand.
If I had the side cases mounted I would have spent a lot more money.
It was a fine last stop on a pleasant afternoon ride.
Riding Alone
This video opened the door for me to question the wisdom of riding a motorcycle alone, especially in places with little to no traffic and no cell coverage. At age 69 I have to wonder about it. And I can’t forget I already suffered a first heart attack.
I love riding alone so I haven’t made plans to stop. But I have begun to consider the addition of a Garmin InReach Mini 2 GPS communicator to my kit. That way I have the chance to call for help if needed.
Anyway, there’s always something to think about when riding a motorcyle!
Thank you for the ride, yes it is always such a delight to just amble along on quiet country roads admiring the sense of oneness with machine andnature.
Ambling along on my motorcycle reminds me of the Sunday drives my parents took me on back in the early 1960s. Perhaps in a small way I’m reliving my youth when I ride. And I agree that there is a tremendous sense of oneness with the world while riding on the backroads.
For myself, I favor the basic SPOT communicator, very inexpensive and you pay the monthly fee only when you activate it. You can address the SOS or the “broken down” message to family, friend or whomever you want. You cannot text or speak on it. SPOT does offer a unit that does.
I had a Delorme In Reach (non Garmin) and it failed completely on a day Lynne and I were far back-country in Colorado in the Jeep. No more In Reach for me.
I’ve looked at the SPOT and some personal locator beacons. Lots thoughts and ideas available online. I do need to be able to text more than the basic “broken down” message. So I’ll have to look at the more expensive SPOT or GARMIN devices.
Itchy Boots carries the Garmin InReach Mini 2 with her along with a sat phone. She moved away from Garmin for her navigation tablet though to a device manufactured in the Czech Republic. I can’t remember the name.
All I do know now is I should have something and the cost isn’t a concern. I just need to make a decision.
Yesterday I did a large group ride on the 250 Nighthawk, an even simpler machine. Two cylinders, one cam and a single carburetor feeding the two cylinders. As I said to it when I parked it in the garage after the ride, “If I ever find out you can run the Interstates at 65 to 70 without blowing up the Kawasaki is a goner.” There is nothing like a solid, dependable, no-frills motorcycle. It even has drum brakes front and rear.
The 250 Nighthawk is a tried and true machine. I’ve ridden one a few times but never on the Interstate highway. As I’d been looking at adding a cruiser to my fleet I was on the fence about the Interstate capabilities. One of the reasons I like the Himalayan is it’s no frills construction. Time will tell if it’s solid and dependable. So far though it is.
Someday I’m gonna haul my Trailer Rider out there and have a race with you to see who can ride the slowest! :-0
I think I’ve suggested this before, but IMO the Garmin inReach is probably too expensive and a bit of overkill. An iPhone 14 will send out an SOS over the satellite network if it detects a crash, even if you’re incapable of doing so. A Zolio or Motorola Defy may be a cheaper option that works as well.
I need more functionality than the iPhone would provide. Or at least I want that functionality — mainly the ability to text specific information. I’m not so worried about crashes as I am about medical stuff.
I went through two Spot devices. The last one failed in the middle of a long trip only a month after purchasing the year of service. I called and no refunds. I’ll never get another one again…
I’ve heard the same about the InReach devices. I guess it’s a crap shoot. Nothing perfect. Just expenses.
I grew up on motorcycles and i haven’t had one for 2 years which is the longest most miserable time in my life. Without that outlet i am not myself completely and all i hear from my mom and my wife is a bunch ofmalarkey about how it’s too dangerous to ride around here.i have no intentions if running it during rush hour not on the interstate or in the city. Taking that relaxing fun from me is not cool and I’m going to get one if i gotta get a divorce over it. You are right by the way.
Hopefully you’ll be able to find some common ground somewhere before arriving at divorce. While I understand that feeling for me what’s important is I have some agency in my life to be able to make decisions. Deciding to take the risk related to riding had to include some serious soul searching in regard to consideration of my wife’s concerns and to make sure I was not just being a selfish asshole.
Making sure she would be adequately provided for should something happen to me was important. Life insurance, no debt, and a host of other operational concerns dealt with in a mature manner was just the start. And demonstrating that I was willing and able to manage life on the road was important as well. It required some patience on my part and some faith on the part of my wife. I hope you’ll find the right path to return to riding.
I bought the exact bike in April of 23 as of today Dec 26 I have ridden 13k trouble free miles. I’ve ridden since the mid seventies, owned a plethora of bikes could have bought any number of machines but settled for the little bike that could. My two other machines sat idle all season. Perhaps it was the allure of everything you need and nothing that you don’t or as I age I desire to slow the pace and amble along on the back roads with no particular destination. What I have found is time is irrelevant when I throw a leg over the Himi and I am lost in space. Peace
It is really hard to describe the allure of the Himalayan. You do a good job in the comment. On paper the Himi comes up short in practically any conventionally thought of value. But when you ride it there is something so engaging to me that it is likely my favorite as well. Perhaps even eclipsing my Vespa GTS. I rotate through my four machines to keep them all exercised, especially in the winter, and while I enjoy all of them the Himalayan always makes me smile.
Thanks for sharing your experience. And sorry for the month long delay in responding.