Himalayan luggage

[mark-forrest]

The grey blocks are the prototype mounts but are easier to see than the black final versions.

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[jojitsu]

Very tidy!

 

[Wapping]

The excellent BMW soft tail bag, fits on the rear top box plate a treat.

 

[Wapping]

The standard Royal Enfield Himalayan Spam tin panniers are OK, as a knock-off copy of the BMW panniers. If any of the securing nuts inside the panniers become overly tight, you’ll need a 16mm spanner (not included in the toolkit) to loosen them. I bought a cheap spanner on eBay, which is good enough for the job.

Note: The bike has a number of Allen bolts, including some on the pannier rails. For some bizarre reason, Royal Enfield decided not to include Allen keys in the toolkit. The sizes are: 4, 5 and 6. I think that covers them all.

 

[Orinoco]

The standard Royal Enfield Himalayan Spam tin panniers are OK, as a knock-off copy of the BMW panniers. If any of the securing nuts inside the panniers become overly tight, you’ll need a 16mm spanner (not included in the toolkit) to loosen them. I bought a cheap spanner on eBay, which is good enough for the job.

Note: The bike has a number of Allen bolts, including some on the pannier rails. For some bizarre reason, Royal Enfield decided not to include Allen keys in the toolkit. The sizes are: 4, 5 and 6. I think that covers them all.

Securing nuts inside the panniers? Sounds as though RE may have changed the attachment mechanism, on mine each panniers has two large knurled nuts which can be tightened/untightened by hand, no spanner needed

 

[Wapping]

Mine are identical.

Two of the black nuts had somehow become very tight, which surprised me. That brought about the hunt for a 16mm spanner. It might well have been just a one off thing, but for a couple of quid, I’ll lob the spanner into one of the panniers, which will of course stop it from ever happening again. Of more real use no doubt will be the Allen keys.

 

[UturnTony]

Speaking of panniers, Allen keys and the like reminds me. I advise removing the front mounting bolts and, if not already done so, greasing them.
i didn't, and now, they are seized solid and when i have a need to will need to apply some thought as to the best way to remove them

 

[The Other PaulG]

. For some bizarre reason, Royal Enfield decided not to include Allen keys in the toolkit. The sizes are: 4, 5 and 6. I think that covers them all.

The best way to achieve that might be a cheap but good quality bicycle multitool like this.

 

[ymfb]

The best way to achieve that might be a cheap but good quality bicycle multitool like this.

Park tools are rarely cheap, but it’s definitely the right idea.

 

[ymfb]

When I replaced the rear rack with the Ventura mount I found some of the cap head screws and receiving threads needed attention with a tap, i always grease fixings before refitting.

 

[Wapping]

Fortunately I have spare 4,5 and 6 Allen keys knocking about.

Thanks for the tip about the bolts, I’ll get that sorted out. I assume the two different metals cause corrosion? The alloy wheels on my XR3i used to corrode onto their hubs, requiring a bashing from hell to free them off.

 

[Wapping]

I can see what you mean about the Himalayan luggage rack bolts.

I took each of them out, several being already very tight but I think this was down to nothing more than the Indian factory’s very rough idea of tolerances. Taking one of the bolts out resulted in a metallic ‘ping’ as the rest of the frame obviously sprang back and shifted. All of the bolts (a curious mixture of sizes) have all now been given a modest slap of copper grease, which hopefully will hold some corrosion at bay.

The other good news is that my old small Touratech tank bag does, with a bit of artistic modification, fit. I have lost count how many bikes it has now been on.

 

[Mr Derek]

Why would you buy a cheap bike then spend a small fortune on expensive luggage?

I had customers, a married couple, who had Himalayans, who spent half the value of their bikes on riding kit. A Rukka Kinglsey suit for him (£2,500) and a Ladies Nivala suit for her (£2,250). They don't do a ladies Kingsley. She also bought an Arai RX7 at about £800 and various other bits and pieces. Total spend well north of £5k. It made them happy. That's why they did it. You get just as wet at 50mph as you do at 100. Some folk like to ride slowly, but with good kit.

 

[ymfb]

Why would you buy a cheap bike then spend a small fortune on expensive luggage?

I bought second hand, previously expensive luggage for mine.

 

[Wapping]

The excellent BMW soft tail bag, fits on the rear top box plate a treat.

For what it’s worth, the large version of the same bag, also fits.

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

The soft panniers that came with my 500 were actually 100% waterproof when I used them in a proper downpour and I can use a 20/30 or 40l waterproof bag to compliment them taking me up to a point where I could go camping with a small tent for a week quite easily.

I removed the pillion pad and purchased a rack that replaces it so the weight is well forward and less likely to stress any mounting bolts but if I was going away on holiday with it loaded I’d replace them with high tensile bolts sourced from a reputable supplier rather than Amazon or eBay.

 

[FERRET]

Slightly off topic as nothing to do with luggage, but! Took a himilayan out for a test ride yesterday, 21 plate demonstrated, with 4000 miles, my only criticism really was the front brake was not very effective, is this normal to these bikes and if so is there a way of improving it? Thanks in advance.

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

Slightly off topic as nothing to do with luggage, but! Took a himilayan out for a test ride yesterday, 21 plate demonstrated, with 4000 miles, my only criticism really was the front brake was not very effective, is this normal to these bikes and if so is there a way of improving it? Thanks in advance.

Are you actually being fair or are you comparing it against something with the need for better brakes because of the power and weight?

The front brake on my 500 was shite though it bedded in over the first 500-1000 miles but more importantly I got used to it and it’s only if I ride it back to back with my other 500cc single that I realise it’s still somewhat lacking.

 

[Wapping]

Slightly off topic as nothing to do with luggage……

True that. Though I might change the word ‘slightly’ to ‘completely’.

Carry on……

 

[UturnTony]

Slightly off topic as nothing to do with luggage, but! Took a himilayan out for a test ride yesterday, 21 plate demonstrated, with 4000 miles, my only criticism really was the front brake was not very effective, is this normal to these bikes and if so is there a way of improving it? Thanks in advance.

There are actual "Himalayan" threads hereabouts where various Himalayan related topics have been explored including brakes and, in particular, the front brake.

Anyway, in answer to your question, the fitting of EBC sintered pads improves the front brake, in my case at least, quite remarkably going from poor at best to almost, on tarmac, causing the ABS to wake up.