While we did only about 350kms, I still managed to connect with it, as only one can with a Royal Enfield and its “character”. And this bike does have it!
BHPian shyamg28 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
First ride impressions of the all-new Himalayan (450)
Context
Some context about me (so you can decide how much salt you want to take with this “review” of sorts) –
I’ve been riding exactly ever since I turned 18. I turned 34 recently.
Motorcycles owned so far, in order –
- 2nd hand Bajaj Discover DTSi 125, ridden for 30k kms.
- Bajaj Pulsar AS 200 (the pseudo ADV), ridden for 40k kms.
- Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 BSIV non-ABS, ridden for 50k kms.
- Suzuki V Strom 650 XT, ridden for 30k kms.
Barring the Discover, all of the above motorcycles have included riding with a pillion for a majority (say 60:40) of the kilometers covered. I have never attended a riding school (yet). I’m an average Joe who lucked out by marrying the right woman, got a wonderful opportunity to test ride the all-new Himalayan! Let’s get to it shall we?
When you park it, would you turn around to take another peak?
YES! A big Yes!
I have heard that it looks like a bigger XPulse, a smaller V Strom 650 and possibly a Tiger 400 and what not…but it has its own unique look, carrying on the rugged, fluidic, classical design of sorts that the erstwhile Himalayan had.
The tank design, only when seen from cross-section view or when seated on the bike, looks unique and dare i say it, even bulky, unlike the narrow one on the 411. The seats are certainly longer, especially the rear one (more on that later). The bike has a large motorcycle feel to it for sure, if that was a concerning point.
The Heart
The biggest change! The engine is lighter by >10kgs vs the older Himalayan. Lean. And a bold step towards the right direction one would think. There are many videos out there of how it behaves at 100kph (6k rpm), 150kph (8k and above). Heck, there’s even a chap out there who’s started the engine on 6th gear and got going. It’s good!
Is there a buzz? Yes, at about 4-5k rpm, a band at which you will find yourself quite often when riding through mountain twisties. But is the buzz a buzz kill? No. It’s not that high frequency a vibration for you to have a tingling/numbing sense after long hours. Besides, on highways, you will find yourself at 6k rpm or above more often, which I believe would be a smooth sweet spot.
We did about 280kms on tarmac and 70kms off road. What I can say for damn sure is that this first-time-by-RE Ride-by-wire throttle is forgiving. It’s got a very light pull eveidently. One thing you will notice is that the initial pull results in a slight lag, almost as though the signal took a few extra milliseconds to go through. But it doesn’t have a kick like a KTM. It’s non-intimidating for sure.
That said, we rode in Manali and went up all the way to about 10000ft. We possibly only had 28-30bhp to use. And even with this, it had plenty of grunt to give you a kick. Since the weather was cold (think it went down to 1/2 C), I never felt any engine heating. That doesn’t mean that the radiator fan didn’t kick in. It did, very rarely.
My recommendation would be to test ride this at sea level, which was something many moto journalists were asking for.
There are 2 (or 4) riding modes depending on how you look at it –
- Performance + rear ABS ON.
- Performance + rear ABS OFF.
- ECO + rear ABS ON.
- ECO + rear ABS OFF.
I did not try the ECO mode at all. Ben, the engine lead, mentioned that the ECO mode essentially cuts throttle response in the first 4 gears, allowing for the 5th and 6th to give you max output for a powerful top end. Sensible no?
Does it remain in the same mode if you cut the engine? YES!
The Slip & Assist clutch is a boon. The clutch lever pull is light, not extremely light as certain other motorcycles. What’s missing is adjustability of the levers. My short stubby fingers found it very slightly difficult to pull in the clutch. The brake lever, that was fine. What I did like was that there is now easy adjustability next to the clutch level allowing you to adjust free play at both ends – at the clutch lever and down near the engine.
The very first time I slotted it into first, I didn’t feel like I had slotted it at all. The gear level is light as hell. A proper hot weather test would help determine this further for sure. But changing gears is a near no-nonsense affair. They seem to have taken feedback quite nicely too – for instance, the lever is now longer and more away from the footpeg, allowing for easy movement for someone with MX or ADV boots. There is also going to be an adjustable, foldable gear shift lever accessory.
The all new twin-spar chassis comes with a bolt-on subframe. This, I’m given to understand is primarily good from two perspectives. One, in the event of a crash, you only need to replace the parts that are broken so this helps make it modular. Two, it’s removable if you were to customize and make the bike lighter for a single rider. The other thing to note, is that they have used Hex bolts on all major joints, such as the chassis joints, and allen bolts on others. The idea is that Hex nuts allow for greater amount of torque, therefore stronger.
If you were to ask me how did it feel – I’m sorry, I’m not skilled enough to be able to perceive the difference yet, and therefore cannot answer this technically. In lay persons terms, the bike did not feel 196kgs at all. It felt extremely nimble, bent into corners nicely, better than the 411 might I add. The increased wheelbase, does not make itself obvious at all, and you do not feel it when going fast on tarmac.
It’s interesting to know that the chassis was designed and ready by 2017 (or was it 2019, I will check this bit). So there was an exact Himalayan 411 replica with an updated chassis back then itself. At which point, the design team got the go-ahead to well…design the look of the motorcycle.
Up and down and round and round
The best part about this motorcycle – the new suspension setup!
The Showa separate function upside down forks in the front and the Showa monoshock at the rear are truly a game changer. I’m coming at this more from a perspective of someone that’s run quite a bit on the 411.
Quoting Bosky from Big Bear Customs – “It’s a KTM when riding fast, and an adv suspension, when riding slow”! He summed it up brilliantly (go watch his video by the way).
It’s truly magical. No wallowing when you’re pushing it. And the rear doesn’t throw you off if an unsuspecting hump comes in the way. And when you’re on tricky rough road or off roading sections, it just gives you so much confidence to go left right and center without having to clench!
Wooden or progressive?
Thankfully, not wooden anymore! I’m talking about the brakes of course.
It’s progressive. You can clearly feel a biting point and pull further (just using two fingers as opposed to the Hulk’s 4 fingers), it will stop.
The rear is still tightly wound. It will respond with a tap.
Being able to turn off the ABS in both ride modes is a good thing too. You’ll want that on occasion.
For instance, I did not turn off the rear ABS when we started the off roading section on Day1 of the ride. There was a moment I needed to stop immediately and the ABS kicked in hard. What I noticed for sure was that the ABS pulses are very distinct and each pulse is probably separated by too long a gap. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing though. I’d have preferred it to have a much faster pulsating response.
Quirks & other features
- Integrated turn signals – First time from an Indian manufacturer I believe. Few reasons as I understand – neat clean look. Reduced wiring allowing for a longer rear seat and greater motion between the rear tyre and rear seat.
- Parking lights – if you turn on the parking lights when the motorcycle is on, and then switch off the motorcycle, the parking lights remain ON, unless explicitly turned off.
- The footpegs are rubber mounted.
- The Tripper Dash is connected to via the RE mobile app. The quirky bit is that the phone needs to be in soft locked mode and not hard locked.
- Wind buffeting – for my height of 5.10, there is no buffeting. That said, there’s certainly more wind than I’d like or I’m used to. I would love to test the 90mm taller accessory visor.
- The side stand – this one is a solid solid moulded side stand and almost makes the bike sleep haha! The 411 side stand made the motorcycle stand tall, which was scary. The one on the 450 makes it a little difficult to take it off the side stand, because the bike leans more.
- Center stand – as easy as the 411 or any other bike. Comes standard.
- 44% more power on the 418W alternator than the ex.
- The acute angle on the rear monoshock is reduced to allow lower seat height and increased ground clearance of 230mm. Due to this, the air box has been shifted to right above the fuel tank. One neat party trick – that sound of the air intake when you whack open the throttle. It’s right near you and very clearly audible now.
- Accessories package is impressive, includes luggage, solid metal bash plate, metal backed hand guards, metal grill and host of other things.
- The headlight turns on only with ignition. Good stuff.
Would I buy this?
My wife and I are getting asked this quite frequently, given that we have a V Strom and a Himalayan 411 with us.
First off, let’s be clear – this is a Himalayan in the sense of the brand name. But it’s not an upgraded version of it’s elder sibling. It’s a different, new bike.
Also, on paper, it doesn’t make sense to compare this single 450 with the V-twin 650.
But what’s our purpose as of today – 2-up riding, touring the country, possibly the world. For that, we need comfort on the saddle, good seats, luggage options, great suspension, an engine that can sit at cruising speeds all day long and possibly some electronic aids too. I personally, need to have a connect with the machine, something I have very truly and deeply with my Himalayan and Wee. It must excite me in some way or another.
This all-new Himalayan seems willing to do all of the above. The engine is possibly at least capable of 60-70% of what a V Strom can do. Some of the electronic aids can be added later. Of course, a true test ride out on an open highway is pending. The pillion seat is now wider and longer. The rider’s seat is longer and wider too. The cushion seems right to begin with, instead of the ultra soft seat on the 411.
That said, we did manage to do about 100kms of 2-up riding. The early impressions were that the suspension has it nailed! My wife, self-annointed Pillian Pro, has gotten used to a top box as a backrest and excellent ergos on the V Strom. It will take us a while to truly evaluate, or compare them both in similar scenarios and conditions. But she was able to give an initial thumbs up for sure.
I would love to do a proper test ride when it is available to determine further. And I recommend you do the same
Character and Conclusion
While we did only about 350kms, I still managed to connect with it, as only one can with a Royal Enfield and its “character”. And this bike does have it!
While the company has re-invented itself in many ways and done many wonderful things in the Indian market over the past few years, the charm of a Royal Enfield motorcycle, is still very much a core DNA trait. That, they’ve got right.
I’ve come out more or less convinced that this motorcycle is a unicorn that tourers and enthusiasts, have long awaited from RE.Cheers!
Keyword: Test rode the 2023 RE Himalayan 450: A BS-4 Himalayan owner's opinion