u/thebaconbaba

Upgraded my tyres with the tubeless conversion to the Ceat CrossRad. Upsized to F: 110 80 r19 , R: 150 70 r17

Immediate improvement: wet grip is immensely better. Bike feels more planted on the wet pune roads. Braking feels more confident. Turning and leaning on wet corners with way more grip.

Tyres make such a difference!

Pair cost 17000/-. Purchased from Grip n Gear, Pune - Pratik : +91 82373 95678

Other options considered (based on availability): Apollo Trampler XR, Eurogrip Explo-R plus and Metzeller Tourance. Apollo and Eurogrip are in a similar range (12-15k), Metz are 35k+.

Tubeless conversion done!

Work done at desmo.one, Pune. Cost 8k.

Looks super clean, Initial tests show no leaks at the spokes, edges or valve.

Installed Ceat CrossRad tyres. F: 110 80 19 , R: 150 70 17. These are essentially the H450 tyres, but manufactured by Ceat in a different size and rebranded. I loved the H450 tyres, so assuming these should also be good. Will report in after a few rides.

Run in ride to Tamhini ghats, Pune, with a fellow Bear 249 and a Himalayan 450. Super fun short 150kms ride, great handling on smooth twisties, excellent braking and that butter smooth 650cc p-twin!

The Goosefit handlebar risers I installed definitely improve the posture and comfort.

Installed my dirtsack frogman cs framebags from my H450 onto the oem saddlestays. Fits well, with good clearance from the exhaust. Those will become a permanent fixture on the Bear.

Ultra stiff suspension- YSS incoming.

The tyres are iffy at best. Got some chicken strips, but a tyre upgrade is lined up with the tubeless conversion.

Installed the Goosefit handlebar risers. I had these lying around from my interceptor, and these are a direct fit on the bear (22mm). Makes the posture more comfortable. Still not “adv” upright, but definitely a lot more comfortable. Adds about 2” of rise and brings the handlebar forward.
No modifications to the stock cables needed. Just the accelerator cables need to be rerouted from the front of the suspension.

Also installed the Viaterra side stand shoe. I found the bear leaning a bit too much on the stock side stand. Adding this adds about an inch of height, males the bear stand a bit more upright while parking.

More to come.

I’m in love.

I’m in love.

Got a deal for my 2025 Himalayan 450 today - ₹3.25L fully loaded. Bike has ~13k kms and comes with pretty much everything on it: cruise control, CarPlay, aux lights, touring setup, top box, tubeless spokes, etc.

Honestly feels like a fair deal for both sides. The H450 has been fantastic - bought it specifically for long-distance touring and Ladakh, and it absolutely delivered. But my riding style is shifting more towards shorter 300-400 km weekend rides now.

Strongly considering moving to a Bear 650 next. Looking for:
More refinement
Better sound/character
Upright ergonomics
Still comfortable enough for longer rides

Anyone here moved from a Himalayan 450 to a Bear 650? Regrets? Worth the switch? Curious to hear long-term ownership thoughts.

P.S. I’ve also been waiting for the Himalayan 750, but realistically that’s probably a late 2026 / early 2027 bike in terms of actual availability, and I generally avoid first-batch RE motorcycles. So if that bike turns out to be good, it’ll probably be my next long-term machine sometime around 2028