Our long-term Himalayan has been faithfully doing whatever has been asked of it, from long journeys along the coastline, to setting lap times on a dirt track. While it has taken everything in its stride, a bunch of new bikes to ride of late has meant it has also spent quite a while remaining parked, especially through the monsoon — in an open parking spot! Sigh!
This excessive exposure to moisture has rendered the joystick inoperable. The riding mode button went the same way but somehow revived itself on its own, a few days later. A generous spray-over of WD-40 works as a temporary fix although with somewhat erratic results. The same remedy also worked for the stiffened-up clutch cable (long live WD-40!). That’s a clear indication of why it’s important to ride your bikes regularly, maintain them and – in my case – find some sort of shelter for them, especially in the monsoon.
While shelter remains evasive, I have begun a routine involving firing up the Himalayan every day The mono-pod is a true survivor and setting off to explore nearby locations I haven’t explored yet. The reward, typically, is a captivating sunrise followed by coffee. Not that riding the Himalayan around wasn’t enough of a reward already!
