Royal Enfield Himalayan Road Test Review

Royal Enfield did not just envision an adventure touring motorcycle but has poured its heart and soul into this bike. They began building this bike from the ground up and ended up with a brand new engine. They call it the LS-410. This new engine has a fuel capacity of 411 cubic centimetres and is powered by a single cylinder with an overhead cam. The engine is also air cooled and has been designed to deliver high torque and usable power at lower RPMs. It produces 24.5bhp at 6500rpm and 32Nm of peak torque from 4000-4500rpm. The motor, however, feels unlike any previous Enfield motorcycles. The technology and refinement which has gone into this bike is quite evident from the way it behaves. While most Enfield lovers adore the bike for its thump, this new motor is more about performance and agility, the bike feels nimble and eager to accelerate. What the rider gets is a smooth ride even on higher gears at lower speeds making it surprisingly easy to traverse the varied terrain of the Himalayas. The fuel delivery system currently on the bike is a carburetted one while a fuel injected system could have enhanced performance further.

The LS-410 engine has been designed using some of the most modern technology and materials available which cater to increased efficiency and low maintenance costs. The Himalayan is capable of going 10,000kms without an oil change. The bike also comes with a counter balance which minimises engine vibrations making this a very welcomed change from the previous Enfield engines which have dominated the market so far. 

Royal Enfield tested and designed the Himalayan over a span of two years. They finally chose to build it on a rugged half-duplex split cradle frame. The Himalayan also features a mono shock rear suspension with linkage which allows for a longer suspension travel delivering a smoother ride performance irrespective of the terrain. The suspension set up on the bike is on the stiffer side but is perfect for off road conditions. The front telescopic fork suspension is capable of 200mm of travel while the rear monoshock can handle 180mm of travel which is more than adequate to take on the roughest of terrain in the mountains. The Himalayan’s 220mm ground clearance also ensures it gobbles up hurdles be it the Rocky River beds of the Himalayas or potholes in the urban jungles.  

Royal Enfield has brought in a whole new level of engineering standard with this bike. The fit and finish, the build quality and ergonomics all seem to have been thoroughly thought out. Touring utility has also inherently been built into the Himalayan. The bike features a 15 litre fuel tank which returns a range of almost 450kms. The bike also gets luggage mounting points for hard panniers, soft luggage and jerry cans. A simple instrument cluster keeps track of speed, direction, ambient temperature, travel time, service intervals and multiple trip distances as well.

The ride and handling of the Himalayan is one which can take you by surprise. While most Enfield riders will not associate their bikes with the word agile, the Himalayan has defined it. Leaning at corners or making tight u-turns on narrow dirt roads seems like a breeze. The bike comes with 90/90 R21 front and 120/90 R17 rear dual purpose tyres which grip road very well and are decent on other surfaces as well. The overall design of the front section of the bike aims to reduce weight and the company has even factored in a new light weight hub in a bid to make this bike as nimble as possible. Rider comfort has also been factored in with the bike providing an ergonomical sync between the foot pegs, the handlebar and seat height. So riders get an upright seating posture and don’t tire easily. The seat height has been set at 800mm with a lower mass balance to ensure your feet are planted to the ground giving you complete control of the bike. We covered almost 200kms in the Himalayas and found the bike to be one of the most comfortable adventure touring motorcycles currently on offer in the country.

The braking set up on the bike is progressive and is facilitated by a 300mm disc in the front and a 240mm disc in the rear. The front disc has been borrowed from another Enfield motorcycle but has been fine tuned for the Himalayan. We felt the brakes were well suited for off road conditions but while on tarmac having the option of an ABS would be very welcomed. The Himalayan is being offered in two colour schemes – Granite and Snow. Royal Enfield has also introduced meticulously designed, purpose built protective riding gear that caters to the long range tourer travelling to unpredictable places, terrains and climates. We found the gear immensely useful as it protected us from the elements during our road tests. The gear kept us safe from snow, hail, rain and sub zero temperatures as well. The admirable capability of the Himalayan combined with the protection offered from the riding gear enabled us to explore the wild untamed mountains. For me the bike marks a new age of engineering for Royal Enfield and has definitely set the standard for off-road capability in its class.  It has set itself a new benchmark, a Himalayan benchmark!