I upgraded my Himalayan 411’s suspension to performance suspension from YSS. And here’s how it performed over 5000kms.
The Himalayan 411 is undoubtedly one of the best motorcycles in it’s class for off road riding. However the suspension seemed to be the weakest link when it comes to pushing the bike to its limits off road. It’s mainly because the OEM suspension is designed to keep comfort and the needs of the general population in mind. For the enthusiast it can be a little too soft.
As I was getting more and more into off road riding, it made sense for me to invest in a good aftermarket suspension and hence I went for the best one available for the Himalayan 411.
Features of YSS Suspension for the Himalayan 411
The YSS performance upgrade comes a whole kit for the Himalayan 411. It has a preload and rebound adjustable shock at the rear and preload adjustable linear springs at the front.
The preload adjustability at the rear is not by clicks like the stock but by a screw mechanism. This allows fine tuning and adjusting the preload. You can adjust the rebound in 10 different settings from soft to hard by a click mechanism. The rear suspension also allows height adjustability by 2 stops to increase the seat height if needed.
The front suspension has a linear spring instead of the progressive one like the stock. It has a PD valve which controls the oil flow rate. It comes with preload adjusters. YSS recommends the use of 20W grade oil and I went with the 20W oil from Liqui Moly.
Pros of YSS Suspension for the Himalayan 411
1. Traction
I always thought that comfort is the sole function of suspension. But then I came across few videos from experts which said that a suspension has 2 functions. Comfort and traction in equal proportions. I never understood it until I got the YSS suspension. Once the sag is adjusted to your weight, the traction it provides is insane!
It completely transformed my Himalayan 411 on the dirt. The speed and force at which the suspension compresses when the wheel runs over a undulation gives comfort. And the speed and force at which it rebounds and comes in contact with the ground gives the bike traction to maintain momentum.
The stock did an excellent job at compression. But whenever we tried to pick up the pace on off road, we used to feel that the suspension is compressed and we felt the lack of feedback from the terrain. This made you feel less and less in control when you are going fast over dirt. And eventually you are forced to slow down and keep a pace which is suitable for the suspension to rebound and give enough feedback to be in control.
This is where the YSS suspension shines like a star! The compression and rebound is so much in sync that it gives constant traction, feedback as well as comfort over a wide range of speed. This allows you to pick up momentum on the trails and go amazingly fast over off road terrain.
You’ll notice that the wheels are always in contact to the terrain and this gives it traction. Also the feedback of the terrain from this gives you a sense of control and confidence in handling the bike and keeping up the momentum. You’ll get the confidence and freedom to push it harder and faster over off road terrain. It’s a night and day difference between the stock and YSS in off road terrain.
2. Feedback and control
As a result of improvement in the traction that the YSS provides, the whole bike feels as one unit. With the stock the front and back used to feel in distinct ways over bad roads or off road. The YSS, if dialed in right, feels exactly the same in front and back. When you run over and undulation, you’ll notice the similarity in how the front and back behaves.
In higher speeds the time between the reaction of the front and rear suspension becomes very minimal. As in the front and rear crosses the particular undulation in a fraction of a second. In the stock setting as the front and rear behaves in distinct ways, it used to throw off the balance and traction to a point where you’d have to slow down to regain control.
The YSS setup makes the bike behave like a single unit. So when you hit an undulation at high speeds, you’ll feel almost as if you hit it just once as the rear and front doesn’t behave in 2 separate ways. This keeps the balance and traction in check and gives enormous feedback for you to push the bike to its limits off road.
3. No bounce
The YSS suspension is amazingly comfortable yet steady like a rock! It’s almost too good to be true on how it behaves. At high speeds on the highways or when you take small jumps on the stock suspension, it bounces a couple of times before it settles. You’ll have to slow down and not increase the momentum till if finishes bouncing and settles because you won’t get a sense of control until the suspension settles.
The YSS on the other hand just makes one bounce and it’s back to normal!. It’s that instant. You go over a small elevation at high speed on the highway or on the off road, it elevates and lands and that’s it! No bounce, no wavy feeling, nothing. It’s highly stable and doesn’t require you to slow down to regain control.
All these pros gives a great confidence to pick up speed and skill up going off road. It helps to enjoy the bad terrains the way it is to be enjoyed on a 411. It truly unlocks the potential of the Himalayan 411.
Cons of the YSS suspension for Himalayan 411
1. Firm/Stiff
The YSS is firmer than the stock suspension. At crawling speeds on broken tarmac or off road, the suspension can feel stiff and jittery. This is where stock suspension shines. It is comfortable at these speeds but try to pick up the pace and stock gives up.
But pick up the pace on the YSS, it becomes a flying carpet. So YSS requires a minimum pace for it to perform its best.
2. Rear Adjustability
The linkage system on the Himalayan 411 makes it difficult to adjust the preload and rebound on the suspension. Adjusting the preload can be done to some extent with the lever provided with the suspension but rebound can be done only if you expose the top section of the suspension. So you’ll have to take it to the mechanic every time to adjust the rebound till you get a favorite setting.
Cost of YSS Suspension for Himalayan 411
The front fork kit costs 23k INR and rear suspension costs 33k INR. With installation charges and fork oil it comes close to 59k INR.
Value for money?
Absolutely yes. After the Aluminium rims on the Himalayan 411, I think the YSS suspension is the most value for money modification for the Himalayan 411. It makes the 411 seem to be on steroids when taken off road. The difference in handling and confidence compared to the stock is night and day.
Who is it for?
The YSS suspension isn’t for everybody. If you use your Himalayan primarily for city commute and short highway tours once in a while, then the stock suspension is good enough. It performs great for such use.
But if you’re planning to go more off road, to trails, to dirt tracks and broken roads, then YSS is the right suspension. If you’re looking to up skill yourself to becoming a better dirt rider and you do long stretches of highways at high speeds then you’d come to a point where you’ll feel the stock suspension is slowing you down. That’s when you know you’re ready to experience YSS’s magic.
YSS vs Zedling Suspension for Himalayan 411
I sold my Himalayan 411 before upgrading to the new KTM 390 Adventure S. I sold the YSS unit separately to a friend of mine before selling the bike and I had his Zedling unit exchanged and sold the bike with it. So I got to ride with the Zedling for more than a 1000 kms before selling the bike. It wouldn’t be fair to give a separate review on the Zedling with just a 1000kms experience on it so I’ll include it here.
I got to ride the Zedling on dirt track as well as in city commute. It behaves very similarly to the stock suspension. I would say it’s a mild upgrade to the stock and doesn’t even come close to how the YSS feels and behaves. Many of you would want to upgrade to Zedling as they are much cheaper than the YSS but in my opinion, upgrade to YSS or stick to the stock. To make the stock feel better, adjust the sag on the rear and go with a heavier grade oil on the front.
So all in all YSS Suspension, is a bang for your buck upgrade for your Himalayan 411.
