Himalayan Issues
Only my exhaust is left to change, rest every part (main parts) have been replaced till now. Listing down eight issues that I have faced (yet) on my Royal Enfield till now. All the issues that are listed here occurred during the 2 years of warranty period.
In the first year itself, the heart of the motorcycle, the engine had an issue, where the tappet sound started to become louder and louder as the days passed. Upon consulting with the service center at Edapally (Kochi), they assured me that the tappet would be changed under warranty. This indeed started with a bang for me. I asked them if they could explain to me why a less than one year old motorcycle already has an engine problem and why does this tappet sound happen in general , they were unable to answer my queries.
Second, was the fuel tank pressure problem - every time I opened the fuel cap, it would just shoot upwards with a lot of force. This was addressed as an issue with the drain pipe being clogged from inside.
Third, the cone-set problem, and this confused me the most out of all the problems I had on my bike. The handle was a little harder to turn than usual and it was slowly building up. I kept checking the front tyre pressure initially, but the issue still persisted. Eventually I gave up and checked the different forums in the internet and that's where I got to know that this was an issue with the cone-set. My motorcycle was in Kerala for about five months and had seen a lot of rains, I suppose that this must’ve been the reason. I brought it to the CVS Service Center, Hebbal (Bangalore) and they were quick to identify this issue. I've been told by the service center people that they have been told by Royal Enfield that for every time a motorcycle comes for servicing, they are supposed to grease the stem to avoid cone-set problems.
Fourth, the front brake was not working as there was no brake fluid in the brake reservoir. Mind you, all this is happening in the first year of ownership. These issue cannot be deliberately or manually done to a motorcycle. When I reached out to the CVS SC, I saw the service manager and 3-4 mechanics immediately working on it. I was really surprised by this kind of attitude, I mean, this did kind of made me feel good and confident about their service. I sat in the waiting area, looking at my motorcycle through the glass window. I was observing them and understood that they were not able to figure it out. Out of concern (my motherly instincts kicking in), I stepped out of the waiting area and started walking towards my motorcycle. All of them were working and trying to figure out from the front part, I took a look at it from a distance and saw fluid dripping near the center stand. I quickly started inspecting it and found that there was a leakage from the ABS module. Immediately I informed them and they all sprang into action. I got the motorcycle after 2 days as they had to wait for the spare ABS module to arrive. My motorcycle’s ABS module was rusted and damaged, so the fluid was not able to travel till the brake.
Fifth, the front ABS sensor was damaged (broken) apparently. I have absolutely no clue as to how that could’ve been damaged as this part snuggles on the front wheel’s axle (between the right fork and the rim). The guys at CVS SC told me that there is a possibility that this was hit by a small stone. Now, I want to take your attention back to the tag line of this motorcycle - "Made for all roads, made for no roads". This motorcycle was made for off-roading as well, how can a tiny stone knock out such a secured sensor? This is one of the most important sensors of a motorcycle, yet is so fragile. Sadly this was not covered under warranty as it was termed as an “external damage”.
Sixth, the instrument cluster’s fogging issue. You basically notice these tiny droplets inside the digital display (left side) of the instrument cluster. This is something that you can live with (realized that later), but I was worried if that would cause a short circuit. Again, CVS SC to the rescue, the floor manager immediately acknowledged it and asked me to send the video of my motorcycle’s chassis number and engine number with the instrument cluster’s issue in one video. This again took 3 days in total as they had to forward the video to the regional office and once they get the approvals. the work starts. I thank god that this was again covered under warranty as the cost of an instrument cluster is as much as a bypass surgery (if you are unlucky both can happen at the same time). After riding for a month, I saw the issue again and checked the forum online. Most of them spoke about how they have shown a blind eye towards it and this is something that I should learn to live with. All the Kilometers (or miles) that you had clocked by then, you have to start from zero again if you get it replaced.
Seventh, the rear suspension was damaged. This was observed by a friend of mine who standing near his Himalayan and asked me why mine looks shorter when it’s standing on the side-stand. We both started inspecting and reached to the conclusion that the rear suspension was damaged as while it is pressed down, it wasn’t coming up to the original position. I wasn’t sure if the issue was with the hydraulics or the coil, anyway I took it to CVS SC and the floor manager acknowledged the issue and replaced it with a new one. This again was covered under warranty (praise the lord!) and I could take it home after almost a week.
Lastly (hopefully), the battery was dead just a week short of the warranty actually lapsing. While starting the motorcycle, it was working just fine, but after riding it for say a Kilometer or so, I would not be able to start again. I got stranded the first time, somehow I took help and brought it to service center. They kept it for a day, checked and told me that the battery was just fine. Now, the issue is, the battery provided by Royal Enfield is from AMARON. They have to remove the battery from the motorcycle and send it to the dealer, which again takes 2-3 days in total. There were two instances after they told me that the battery is “fine” that the motorcycle stopped (or didn’t start) afterwards. I got frustrated and sent a long email to Royal Enfield, tagging everyone I could find related to the company and demanding a new battery. The next day I get a call from the manager of the service center and was told that the company had agreed to replace the battery with a new one as a “goodwill gesture”. What is that supposed to mean? I paid for everything (the motorcycle) and that includes the battery as well, Amaron is not doing me a favour by replacing a dead battery on my motorcycle which is very well under warranty. The best part was when the manager told me that I won’t get warranty for the new battery according to the company policy as my old warranty was getting over in 3 days and so will the new battery’s!
The thing that I observed with my motorcycle is that, you it to the service center with one issue and by the time you reach home there is already a new issue. You do your part of taking care of your motorcycle and that should be your top priority. You give respect to the motorcycle, it's going to respect you back. There are some things that are not in your hands, for issues like that you have the service centers, but things that you can do, do it sincerely.