NewEnglandHimalayan
Well travelled
- Location
- New England
Well, I just got done doing the first service on my Himmy. I contacted RENA about this since the closest dealership to me is over 100 miles away and they indicated that it was ok as long as I kept track of the parts used. All were RE original parts so I am ok.
It all went well, it was simple for the most part. Despite my best efforts, I could not avoid getting oil on the exhaust pipe, I hate that. It is now clean and thankfully I got it all off
Cleaning the chain was a breeze using one of those three sided brushes and the spray it comes with. There was no gunk under the output shaft cover. No adjustment was necessary this time. Just in case, don't even think of running the bike in gear to try and save time when cleaning the chain, that is a bad idea that may cost you some digits. I do it manually, thankfully, the Himalayan has that handy center stand.
The spark plug was in excellent condition and all joints, swingarm, head and links appeared well lubricated.
The most challenging part was the valve adjustment. I tried to use the Motion Pro valve adjustment tool but it didn't quite fit fit when I tried to do the intake side. The tool's "walls" are too thick and the tool hits the valve cover before it can engage the 10mm locking nut. I tried using a set of pliers like I have seen so many others do but could never get the clearance set right that way. Plus my OCD did not allow me to feel right about it Note that I could not get the smallest of the gages in when I tried to check the clearances of either valve indicating that they were either set up wrong from the factory or just tightened up during the 300mile rides. Anyways, I took the Motion Pro tool to work and had our machinist shave a good amount of material off with the lathe. Back home, I tried the tool and it now fit like a glove. Now the valves adjusted at 0.09mm for the intake and somewhere between .23 and .25mm on the exhaust. I closed it all up while double checking my torques, got some fuel and went for a ride.
I could not believe how different the bike felt on my first ride since the service. It may be just me but it is hard to describe how different it felt. The bike now feels with a much smoother acceleration and I kid you not, a bit more punch and eager to go. It is also not as loud as I remember it was before (mechanical noises). The bike also seems to idle more smoothly now. It is a very different experience now with this bike. We will see how it behaves while riding in the high summer temps.
Overall this is an easy job. Very few tools are needed. The bike is so simple that there is no cumbersome parts or tricks to pull to get this done. I did order a RE valve adjustment tool but it is coming from India so, who knows when it will arrive. That is one of the things I would recommend anyone that intends to do this on his or her own. I am also saving some $$ to get one of those Harbor Freight motorcycle tables, kneeling and crouching for this made me feel extra old LOL.
It all went well, it was simple for the most part. Despite my best efforts, I could not avoid getting oil on the exhaust pipe, I hate that. It is now clean and thankfully I got it all off
Cleaning the chain was a breeze using one of those three sided brushes and the spray it comes with. There was no gunk under the output shaft cover. No adjustment was necessary this time. Just in case, don't even think of running the bike in gear to try and save time when cleaning the chain, that is a bad idea that may cost you some digits. I do it manually, thankfully, the Himalayan has that handy center stand.
The spark plug was in excellent condition and all joints, swingarm, head and links appeared well lubricated.
The most challenging part was the valve adjustment. I tried to use the Motion Pro valve adjustment tool but it didn't quite fit fit when I tried to do the intake side. The tool's "walls" are too thick and the tool hits the valve cover before it can engage the 10mm locking nut. I tried using a set of pliers like I have seen so many others do but could never get the clearance set right that way. Plus my OCD did not allow me to feel right about it Note that I could not get the smallest of the gages in when I tried to check the clearances of either valve indicating that they were either set up wrong from the factory or just tightened up during the 300mile rides. Anyways, I took the Motion Pro tool to work and had our machinist shave a good amount of material off with the lathe. Back home, I tried the tool and it now fit like a glove. Now the valves adjusted at 0.09mm for the intake and somewhere between .23 and .25mm on the exhaust. I closed it all up while double checking my torques, got some fuel and went for a ride.
I could not believe how different the bike felt on my first ride since the service. It may be just me but it is hard to describe how different it felt. The bike now feels with a much smoother acceleration and I kid you not, a bit more punch and eager to go. It is also not as loud as I remember it was before (mechanical noises). The bike also seems to idle more smoothly now. It is a very different experience now with this bike. We will see how it behaves while riding in the high summer temps.
Overall this is an easy job. Very few tools are needed. The bike is so simple that there is no cumbersome parts or tricks to pull to get this done. I did order a RE valve adjustment tool but it is coming from India so, who knows when it will arrive. That is one of the things I would recommend anyone that intends to do this on his or her own. I am also saving some $$ to get one of those Harbor Freight motorcycle tables, kneeling and crouching for this made me feel extra old LOL.