It’s been around 3000 kms since I installed the TEC camshaft for the RE Himalayan 411. Is it any good? Is there any performance improvement? And is it worth the price?
My Himalayan has covered 45k kms. I made few performance upgrades like the air filter, exhaust and fuel X at 30k km. Soon after the 40k km service, I was tempted to install more upgrades persuaded by other YouTubers. Since I had a little extra cash to spare, I ordered the TEC camshaft for Himalayan 411.
TEC is a UK based company and they make performance parts for the Himalayan. They only deliver to limited number of countries. UAE was one among them so I ordered it to a friend of mine in UAE and he brought it to me when he came home for the holidays. It cost me around 18k INR for the cam, it’s delivery and customs charges. Usually it costs more than that but I ordered during the black Friday sale so I got a good deal.
The team at TopGear Thumpers, a RE service centre in Bangalore installed the cam in my bike. Since it didn’t come with any instruction manual, I reached out to them via email and they promptly replied the valve settings and a video on the installation. Post the installation, there was a running in period of 300 and 100 miles after which you needed to change the engine oil and filter before using the cam to its full potential.
Now after thoroughly testing it for more than 3000kms, I have found one advantage, one disadvantage with the cam shaft.
Pros of TEC camshaft for Himalayan 411
The Himalayan used to feel a bit chocked, vibey and quickly running out of power at around 100-110 kmph. It’s comfortable at 100 or you needed to push past 120 to feel a bit relaxed.
This feel of being chocked up is completely gone with the TEC cam. Now the bike accelerates uniformly from 80 – 120 kph easily without any hesitation in between. This is the one and only advantage I felt with the TEC cam. Bike breathes more easy and stays calmer throughout the top end.
Cons of TEC camshaft for Himalayan 411
The only one downside to the TEC for Himalayan 411 Cam is the engine noise. It gives out a clicky tappety noise that makes the engine run a bit louder. It’s annoying at first but you’ll quickly get used to it.
I haven’t noticed any changes in the mileage. It has remained the same for me both in city commute and highway touring.
Performance of TEC camshaft
TEC says that you’ll get an additional 1 bhp increase in power and 1 Nm increase in torque in the stock configuration and upto 5 bhp and 4 Nm of power and torque increase if you have an aftermarket air filter and exhaust. So on paper, my Himalayan should make 30 bhp and 37 Nm of torque with my setup.
But I honestly don’t any feel in increase in power or torque. The top speed is the same and acceleration also is the same. It’s just that the bike feels a lot less stressed at higher RPMs which makes cruising at 120 kmph on my Himalayan a breeze.
Is the TEC camshaft for Himalayan 411 a value for money product?
In my opinion, I don’t think it’s a value for money product as it doesn’t offer a great performance boost for 18k INR. Especially with the stock setup I don’t think it’ll provide any noticeable improvement in performance.
So do I regret buying this? No. The TEC camshaft works better with an aftermarket air filter and exhaust and I happened to have those already in place and my primary use case for my Himalayan is touring. So anything that allows me to cruise on the highway at 120 kph for 10-12 hours makes my life a bit easier on the road and hence I don’t regret getting the TEC cam shaft.
Should you get the TEC Cam?
If you already have a aftermarket free flow air filter and a free flow exhaust installed and preferably with the FuelX also, and if your main purpose of use is long distance highway touring at high speeds, then definitely get the TEC camshaft. For any other setup and use case scenario, I don’t think its a good value for money proposition.
I’d love to know your thoughts and feedback on the TEC camshaft in the comments below. If you have any doubts, feel free to reach out on my socials.
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