One of the criticisms of the Himalayan is the lack of power and top speed. The 411cc engine delivers 24.5 horsepower (18.02KW) at 6,500 rpm, which is somewhat meagre by adventure bike standards. To boost performance, Race Dynamics, an Indian company developed the ‘plug and play’ PowerTronic kit which remaps the ECU controlling both fuel & ignition to deliver optimal performance & throttle response throughout the rev range.
On the web site (see link below) they claim the process of installation takes around 40 minutes, which may be true if you are a professional installer and have done it a dozen times before. However …as I am neither a professional installer, nor had I any experience fitting such a equipment, my install took considerably longer.
If you are contemplating doing this on your own I expect you need to carve out half a day during which time you will spend an hour or so looking helplessly at bits and pieces of motorcycle, about 40 minutes figuring out own to remove the gas tank (although I will share the tips to expedite the process here) and a few hours wrestling with connectors, routing cables and praying you didn’t mess anything up.
The PowerTronic people have done a great job with the product. The harness looks great, is well made and the component parts look fit for purpose, while the packaging looks like Apple had a hand in its design. The instructions are hosted online and a quick QR code scan takes you to the document.
I found the instructions easy to follow however I want to share a few tips with you.
First when you remove the gas tank, be sure to remove the plug from the fuel pump (right side) at the same time you remove the fuel pipe. This plug is tucked up behind the fuel filter. It’s best accessed by laying on your back and looking directly up. Other than that the fuel gauge connector is accessed from the left side and the vacuum hoses slide off easily.
Another tip, there is a separate lead which has fittings at both ends. It was not immediately obvious what this was for. It is the oxygen sensor override and it is independent of the rest of the harness.
When routing the harness, try and tuck it on the underside of the existing wiring running along the frame. If you put it to the side, it will hinder the replacement to of the tank.
Make sure you leave enough length in the harness in the under seat area so you can comfortable locate the orange “brain” of the package. I initially didn’t and had to go back and cut cable ties to free up some more slack so i could comfortably maneuver the box to fit.
The fuel injection connector is a bitch to get at – you have to peel back the rubber cover to expose the connector, same goes for the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)
I added the accessory map switch which gives you the option to toggle between Map 1 (pretty much stock) and Map 2, the enhanced map. I am glad I did. It says in the instructions you may have to recalibrate the TPS. I didn’t pay too much attention to that bit until I test rode the bike. In Map 2, as I rolled off the throttle when coming to a traffic light the engine would cut out. When I toggled back to Map 1, the problem was solved.
In order to reset the TPS you need to download a program and follow the steps you will find online (see link below) You then connect a PC based laptop (not Mac) to the PowerTronic unit with the provided cable and go through the steps of recalibrating the TPS, which is pretty simple but a pain in the ass.
As for the result of all this effort and expense? Yes the bike feels more responsive, it seems to get up and go quicker, rev faster and hard. I haven’t had the chance to really wind out out, but I have to say the results are noticeable.
Would I recommend you upgrade your Himalayan? Yes for the money it is worth it. However before you do, get a good nights sleep, block out half a day and while you are at it, you may want to consider adding an accessory power harness to your bike (USB / Socket) which is much easier to do with the tank off an allows you to run the wiring discretely and securely along the frame.
https://powertronicecu.com/product/powertronic-royal-enfield-himalayan-2017-2019/