Big Bear Build (Himalayan Shock Upgrade)

[RYL]

Wanted to share a build we have been working on.

First stage was completed just in time for a tour of the South West of Western Australia.
The Himalayan 21" front end swap offered great performance on the road sections but really came into its own off road.

The main reason for the swap was to increase the suspension travel.

Was not the easiest of swaps with 4 brand new bikes being pulled apart to varying degrees before the final combo was sorted.

Spec:

• 2025 Bear 650​
• Himalayan fork swap + 21" front wheel​
• Himalayan ABS unit​
• Heidenau K60 tyres​
• Interceptor Sunset Strip tank swap​
• Chopped tail/tidy​
• Mini LED indicators​
• Headlight Grill​
• DNA Filter Kit​

A custom spec set of YSS rear shocks just arrived as has an exhaust upgrade, bash guard and extended side stand. Keen to get them fitted for the next stage.

 

[2LZ]

Very nice!

 

[Javito1968]

Interesting.
Does the whole thing weigh more or less than before?

 

[Rab]

What have you done with the other 3 bikes you cannibalized?!

 

[Dool2]

So there is a strange looking Himalayan 450 with short forks and a 19inch front wheel and an Interceptor with a Bear tank

 

[Rab]

Yes... Mutant Enfields on the loose... a Bearalayan, and even perhaps a Himaceptor!

 

[Dool2]

The Himalayan was Scramed improved the side stand issue.

 

[petespace1]

Any geometry issues?
Sitting down to standing on pegs transition seems like a long way up…
Having said that, experimenting / mods
-always good fun.

 

[RYL]

Yes... Mutant Enfields on the loose... a Bearalayan, and even perhaps a Himaceptor!

What have you done with the other 3 bikes you cannibalized?!

So there is a strange looking Himalayan 450 with short forks and a 19inch front wheel and an Interceptor with a Bear tank

Sorry for the slow reply. Yes, we edend up with a "Lowmalayan" and an Interceptor with a Bear tank.

Both sold very quickly, the Lowmalayan to a shorter chap who loves it and the Bear tanked INT650 was snapped up by a new rider

Handling is fantastic on the Big Bear and we are looking forward to trying it with the taller rear YSS shocks. Unfortunately the adjustable side stand we ordered is still too short for the taller setup

 

[RYL]

Any geometry issues?
Sitting down to standing on pegs transition seems like a long way up…
Having said that, experimenting / mods
-always good fun.

The owner is quite tall and had no dramas with the transition off road

 

[RYL]

Interesting.
Does the whole thing weigh more or less than before?

Should be about the same. The 21" front wheel would be pretty much the same as the wider 19" I would have thought. Certainly not enough to notice or worry about

 

[Origineelreclamebord]

I’d love to see RE adopt your mods and make the Big Bear an official model Of course with due credit to its creator - what a cool build!

The ‘Growling Interceptor?’ and Lowmalayan also look cool by the way, both (also) as if they could have rolled out of showroom like that.

Did you have to do any custom fabrication or mods around the headstock and triple clamps to swap the forks?

 

[Vulcan]

I take it that the abs control was swapped to get the speedo to work without throwing up any codes?

 

[Alan F.]

Probably not. My Interceptor'so ABS is happy with the 21" wheel I laced up. No further changes.

Keep wheel circumference or rotations per mile under 10% and it should work fine.

 

[RYL]

I take it that the abs control was swapped to get the speedo to work without throwing up any codes?

Yes, we had to swap the ABS units between the two bikes as it was throwing ABS errors. We have done 411 Himalayan (21") front end swaps on to normal Interceptors in the past without issue so not sure if something changed for the Bear's/452 Himalayn ABS units

 

[Captain Jack]

very cool, so how do the front ends marry up.
do you use the bear or Himmy yokes, or do you need to press in/out the steering stems.
Have both and a 650 with the Himmy front end is best of both in my dreams

 

[RYL]

Slide forks in to stock Bear Clamps and away you go! Do loose the steering lock and the key becomes a bit harder to reach depending on bar setup

 

[21Pedro]

how did you feel about offroading on a bear with 21 inch wheel? is it a lot better?

 

[RYL]

Having double the original travel really soaked up the bigger bumps. The standard Bear that was on the ride couldn't handle some of the sections and certainly not at the same pace