They call it Chennai now...
The place, where a legend lives... something that started life over 100 years ago in the UK, at the start of motorization...and mobility of the masses.
They still make it pretty much the same way it was done 70 years ago...and to me Chennai, India will remain Madras to the day I'll pop the clogs...screw the new-agers.
A spur-of-the-moment thing, a Saturday morning that somehow was free of shopping, weekly chores and the usual running-around.
"I REALLY wanna have a look at that little Himalayan400, where the hell can I find one?"
A quick ring-around found a few on the floor at the Royal Enfield Australian HQ in Richmond, Melbourne.
Which is also a pretty recent addition to the slowly growing number of dedicated Royal Enfield-only stores around the globe.
And lemme tellsya....if there's a SINGLE drop of old-school-motorcycling blood in your veins, you will NOT get out of this joint for lunch. In fact, they'll have to drag you away by your hair, or ears... or something.
It's simply the most "comfortable" bike-shop I've been to over the last 30 years. It's simply.....SIMPLE, spacious, classic, enough oil+rubber smell to make you walk around and around ...and around again. No pressure, no bulldust, no shitty Espressos from the Yuppie- counter.
This is clean, airy, no frills, no push, high-competence... and genuine old-school motorcycle grunt to the bone marrow.
If your bike-life easily mixes black fingernails, filthy bandaids on bloodblisters and thumping Singles with superbly crafted and finished Blackwood counters and coffee-tables, leather-covered RE helmets and canvas/ leather riding gloves.... get your arse across to:
MID LIFE CYCLES
28 Cremorne St
Cremorne/ Richmond VIC 3121
PH: 03 9421 3765
While bike-compliant in Madras...
it's not quite ATGATT around Melbourne.....and who cares, really?
The Himalayan turns out quite an "adult" bike in size and dimensions, despite the 400cc single.
In short...it's COMFORTABLE with a capital-C. EVERYTHING bloody fits and falls to hand.
Standard kit are:
Braided brake lines both ends
Alu-Bashplate (absolutely sufficient to jack the bike up for servicing...or beach the donk on a log/ rock at 40kmh due to being a cradle frame with full tubes underneath the engine)
Centre-stand
30 second access to battery and air-filter
low-placed oil-drain plugs for fast oil changes, oil-screen filter removable within 20 secs/ 2 bolts
ALL bolts on the bike are metric hex heads...no crappy Phillips and stupid Torx etc
Factory rear rack
Factory rear pannier frames mounting lugs
Common + cheap H4 headlight globe
Very comprehensive instrumentation incl. fuelgauge, clock, twin trip meters etc etc
21/17 wire wheels on BEEFY 3mm stainless steel spokes
S/S exhaust (header +separate can)
removable rubber footpeg inserts on cleated steel pegs....brake + gear levers are flat steel (easy to fix with basic tools in case of damage).
Factory mounting points + lugs for various types of crashbars
Top racks at front designed to carry fuel+water containers
OEM-Tyres are Indian CEAT (Pirelli made in India)
Seat removal with ignition key, no tools needed... allows access to tools/battery and air-filter from top.
The list never stops the longer one looks...
In short...what the little Himalayan might lack in "sophistication-hooray" and hi-tech flim flam is made up for 3 times over in practical and service features by its engineering-fathers ....and would drive the Husky TR-design-monkeys to suicide within 10 minutes of looking at it
It's just....BRILLIANT!
No hi-tech, no FI, no HP, no grunt/kick/giga-Brembos and 2 dozen riding modes....but all + everything needed to function as a good+honest ADV-bike is there.....OEM+stock!! No extra $$ for basic "bling" needed...it's already there!
All in a $7k ride-away package.
That also keeps both feet on the ground due to the low seat-height +shape.
Can't wait to ride this little sucker!!
More pics coming...
The place, where a legend lives... something that started life over 100 years ago in the UK, at the start of motorization...and mobility of the masses.
They still make it pretty much the same way it was done 70 years ago...and to me Chennai, India will remain Madras to the day I'll pop the clogs...screw the new-agers.
A spur-of-the-moment thing, a Saturday morning that somehow was free of shopping, weekly chores and the usual running-around.
"I REALLY wanna have a look at that little Himalayan400, where the hell can I find one?"
A quick ring-around found a few on the floor at the Royal Enfield Australian HQ in Richmond, Melbourne.
Which is also a pretty recent addition to the slowly growing number of dedicated Royal Enfield-only stores around the globe.
And lemme tellsya....if there's a SINGLE drop of old-school-motorcycling blood in your veins, you will NOT get out of this joint for lunch. In fact, they'll have to drag you away by your hair, or ears... or something.
It's simply the most "comfortable" bike-shop I've been to over the last 30 years. It's simply.....SIMPLE, spacious, classic, enough oil+rubber smell to make you walk around and around ...and around again. No pressure, no bulldust, no shitty Espressos from the Yuppie- counter.
This is clean, airy, no frills, no push, high-competence... and genuine old-school motorcycle grunt to the bone marrow.
If your bike-life easily mixes black fingernails, filthy bandaids on bloodblisters and thumping Singles with superbly crafted and finished Blackwood counters and coffee-tables, leather-covered RE helmets and canvas/ leather riding gloves.... get your arse across to:
MID LIFE CYCLES
28 Cremorne St
Cremorne/ Richmond VIC 3121
PH: 03 9421 3765
While bike-compliant in Madras...
it's not quite ATGATT around Melbourne.....and who cares, really?
The Himalayan turns out quite an "adult" bike in size and dimensions, despite the 400cc single.
In short...it's COMFORTABLE with a capital-C. EVERYTHING bloody fits and falls to hand.
Standard kit are:
Braided brake lines both ends
Alu-Bashplate (absolutely sufficient to jack the bike up for servicing...or beach the donk on a log/ rock at 40kmh due to being a cradle frame with full tubes underneath the engine)
Centre-stand
30 second access to battery and air-filter
low-placed oil-drain plugs for fast oil changes, oil-screen filter removable within 20 secs/ 2 bolts
ALL bolts on the bike are metric hex heads...no crappy Phillips and stupid Torx etc
Factory rear rack
Factory rear pannier frames mounting lugs
Common + cheap H4 headlight globe
Very comprehensive instrumentation incl. fuelgauge, clock, twin trip meters etc etc
21/17 wire wheels on BEEFY 3mm stainless steel spokes
S/S exhaust (header +separate can)
removable rubber footpeg inserts on cleated steel pegs....brake + gear levers are flat steel (easy to fix with basic tools in case of damage).
Factory mounting points + lugs for various types of crashbars
Top racks at front designed to carry fuel+water containers
OEM-Tyres are Indian CEAT (Pirelli made in India)
Seat removal with ignition key, no tools needed... allows access to tools/battery and air-filter from top.
The list never stops the longer one looks...
In short...what the little Himalayan might lack in "sophistication-hooray" and hi-tech flim flam is made up for 3 times over in practical and service features by its engineering-fathers ....and would drive the Husky TR-design-monkeys to suicide within 10 minutes of looking at it
It's just....BRILLIANT!
No hi-tech, no FI, no HP, no grunt/kick/giga-Brembos and 2 dozen riding modes....but all + everything needed to function as a good+honest ADV-bike is there.....OEM+stock!! No extra $$ for basic "bling" needed...it's already there!
All in a $7k ride-away package.
That also keeps both feet on the ground due to the low seat-height +shape.
Can't wait to ride this little sucker!!
More pics coming...