Top 5 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Royal Enfield Himalayan

You will have to keep this in mind before writing a cheque for India’s first indigenously developed ADV bike

In a world with hundreds of different types of motorcycles, very few stand out as being genuinely original. That is motorcycles that defy comparison and rather define themselves. The Royal Enfield Himalayan has been in the market for a while now and it really set a benchmark back when it was launched, which is only slightly being challenged right now. 

However, like every other product, the Himalayan has its share of pros and cons. Hence, we list the top five points that you must know about the Royal Enfield Himalayan, before finalising it as your next purchase.

1) Here to satisfy long-distance riders

Marketed as a back-to-basics adventure bike, there’s a bit more to the Himalayan than that. It’s in fact a very versatile bike. It’s powered by a 411cc, two-valve air-cooled motor that makes 24PS and 32Nm which is smooth and refined at most points. It starts getting a little vibey as you cross the 7500 RPM mark, however the motor cruises beautifully at 80kmph. The motor packs enough torque to surge up to 120kmph if you keep it pinned, but anything above that is a struggle. This is a perfect package for riders transitioning to bigger bikes, but might not be enough for seasoned riders.

Royal Enfield engineers have also tuned the suspension to work really well at lower speeds and the ride feels well balanced. It’s soft, which takes the edge off the inevitable hits on rugged roads, and provides the rider immense feedback when the going gets tough. Considering the roads we have, the Himalayan is perfectly suited in terms of comfort.

2) It is a heavyweight

The Himalayan was always a heavy motorcycle. It now tips the scales at a whopping 199 kg. And this weight does not include any of the touring accessories like panniers, top rack and crash guards that one would inevitably install. While the soft suspension tune does help the bike settle over rough terrain for improved traction, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea to handle a heavy motorcycle in slushy/extreme off-road situations.

3) Doesn’t pack enough braking power

Well, Newton’s second law of motion dictates that force equals mass into acceleration. So you can imagine that given the Himalyan’s heavy mass and decent acceleration, it’s going to need a lot of braking force to bring it to a quick halt. Unfortunately this is one area where the Himalayan really struggles. 

Since its inception, the brake feel was always spongy to say the least, and while the folks at RE have made some improvements to the overall braking package throughout the years, the brakes are still not as effective or sharp as we would have liked.

4) Made like a gun?

It was perhaps boardroom pressure or public anticipation that led Royal Enfield to rush the Himalayan and launch it perhaps a little sooner (in early 2016) than it should have been. The result was a troubled birth, plagued with quality control issues that almost irreparably dented the bike’s reputation. 

Credit where it’s due, RE has slowly and steadily chipped away at the bike’s shortcomings, ensuring proper quality levels while also modernising it with features like the Tripper Bluetooth navigation pod. While it looks like it has been slapped on as an afterthought, it’s no deal breaker. The windshield was also redesigned, which is now more effective, and it also gets comfier seats. So while the bike has improved significantly, there are still some rough edges, like how the windshield gives a massive parallax distortion.

5) The Himalayan 450 is just around the corner

It’s no secret that Royal Enfield has many cookies baking in their oven, one of which is the new Himalayan 450. This bike has already been spotted on test numerous times, thus also providing loads of interesting details. You can check out the latest spy shots here.

The Himalayan is currently priced at Rs 2,14,519 (ex-showroom Chennai), which already makes it an expensive proposition. Hence, considering that a newer version of the bike is lurking around the corner, would you still want to write the cheque for the current-gen Himalayan? We’ll leave that for you to decide.