Royal Enfield Himalayan

Royal Enfield Himalayan

It is really difficult to give an unbiased review of something that you are already in love with. But we will still try our best!

Before its launch, we got a chance to test the Royal Enfield #HIMALAYAN on the terrain it’s built for. Yes, in the mightyHimalayas!Nothing could define the word “perfect” better. Though we’ve been following this motorcycle since its early stage of development, we always had a feeling that this is something India needs the most. Our city roads being no less challenging at best!

Looking at the development phase and the progress of a motorcycle has always been an engaging process….The industrial designs, the prototype, the mule bike, the clay model… all the way till the final finished product.

Our journey ….

Landed at Chandigarh airport on 11th March 11:30am with few other journalists.A warm welcome by Royal Enfield team followed by cab allotment. It’s a 4 hour journey from the airport to Shimla. We headed towards our destination with two pitstops in between –the first being, the Hotel Timber Trail for a coffee, and then Modern Dhaba in the mountains for some absolutely outstanding mutton curry and tandoor roti.At around 4:30 we reached The Wildflower Hall Hotel, Shimla.  An absolutely lovely and tranquil 5star property owned by the OberoiGroup.We were welcomed by the Rain Gods with a slight shower, as well as the Royal Enfield team at the hotel!

We were briefed about our ride route and given the key to the Himalayas in the evening. We say this because next morning when we got on the bike, it did feel like climbing the Himalayas!The Royal Enfield #HIMALAYAN is one hell of a tall motorcycle. What an awesome adrenaline rush…. when we knew that we couldn’t let the throttle fall any less, even if it meant a fall for us! We started our ride with overcast skies. In just 15minutes, we felt right at home on the bike. More than sitting, we were standing and riding the bike, making it more nimble and manoeuvrable. The seats are extremely comfortable for the rider and pillion,both. The riding posture is erect and snug, givingall the confidence that you need on that bike.

Riding through the mythical mountain roads poses a challenge to any rider.As it was actually slush, gravel, black ice and rocky path that we were throttling ahead on. But even then, it was an extremely comfortable ride, as the RE Himalayan had blended itself so well into the inhospitable terrain.The Royal Enfield #HIMALAYAN is truly at home in the Himalayas and takes on the mountains like a boss. After a few hours of riding through the so-called roads and water crossings, we finally found some broken tarmac which could actually be called a road. But before we could be really happy about it, the Rain Gods again decided to make us all wet, followed by snowfall, soon after! The temperatures plummeted down to 0°C, making riding even more difficult. We called for a chai breakto warm our frozen insides, after which we headed back to the hotel. Our return route was a completely new terrain, with most patches being broken tarmac and some were covered with black ice. The suspension and brakes of the motorcycle were put fully to test. After few hours of riding through almost sub-zero temperatures, rain and hailstorms, we managed to reach back toour hotel. What cut through the difficulties that we faced on the ride, like wet boots, freezingweather, wet gloves, frozen fingers, breathlessness… was thisamazing bike’s superlative performance!We were confident that this beast would take us back to our destination…and it did! Kudos to the Royal Enfield #HIMALAYAN!!

About the bike :

Engine

The LS410 (long stroke 411cc) is an extremely responsive and perky power plant. A single cylinder, oil-cooled motor churns out a good 24.5 BHP @ 6500 RPM, and a good 32NM torque in the band of 4000 to 4500 RPM. This also has a good amount of low end torque which comes in handy while you are enjoying the off-road terrain.Coupled with the 5 speed gearbox which has the output well distributed throughout, making the engine work effortlessly in allconditions.Adding to that is the overhead cams, and a counter balancer making it very smooth and stable during the ride.The fuel intake is through a carburettorwhich is paired with throttle position sensor, making it a definite plus point.

Chassis and suspension

This motorcycle is something Royal Enfield has made completely out of scratch.They have come up with a new design of the chassis which they call “half-duplex split frame”which looks good, feels solid, and is stronger than ever.The suspensions are probably the best part of this motorcycle after the wheels. The front are the telescopic 41mm forks with a massive 200mm of travel and the rear is the monoshock with linkage again with a huge 180mm travel. These massive suspensions help the motorcycle to take on anything that comes in its way with utmost ease almost all the time.

Dimensions

A very smartly designed motorcycle, this has a wheelbase of 1465mm, which is not too long making it very nimble and quick even at higher speeds.A Godzilla-sized ground clearance of 220mm which makes it easy to climb anything without you worrying about cracking the rump.Seat height of just 800mm on a 220mm of ground clearance make the rider feel at home almost instantly.The seats are not too soft nor are too rigid, not too wide and are just about perfect for any kind of rider, making it probably the most comfortable Royal Enfield ever.Having a beautifully crafted body that is made most out of metal for its solid feel.It has a kerb weight of 182kgs, but surprisingly once you swing your leg on the bike you barely feel any of the 182kgs.A thing that adds up to the weight is a good size 15 ltr of fuel tank which will give you around 400 to 450 kms without thinking of refuelling.

Brakes and tyres

Front tyre is a 90/90 21″ semi off-roader,  that 21″ huge wheel is definitely a plus, because of its ease at taking the rough terrain and making it look like a cakewalk.
Rear is no less, which is a 120/90 17” semi off-roader. With that size it makes good use of all the torque available helping in a good push without getting stuck.

Practically nothing can stop it, but if you have to, then you have a 300mm disc with dual piston floating calliper in the front. And a 240mm disc, single piston floating calliper in the rear to help you bring the beast to rest.

Instruments cluster

Analog speedometer, tachometer and the fuel gauge, coupled with digital compass and a digital information display that shows the odometer, trip meter, distance to empty and a clock. With a funky back light which makes it look smart.

Pros

Engine with a good size low end torque
Rigid chassis frame
Massive suspensions
Good ground clearance
Low seat height
Provision for hard and soft luggage
Provision for extra fuel jerry cans
Grippy tyres
A massive bash plate

Cons

Engine feels short of almost 10 to 15 bhp, a plus would have done better. The punch is lost after 2nd gear. Carburettor can be replaced with an EFI giving it a better performance. Fuel tank could be a bit larger than 15 ltrs. Front and rear brakes are not synchronized, the rear is super quick, locking the wheel almost every time. And the front feels very lazy making it unstable at braking.

FAQs

1. Kitnadetihai?
   A. Approximately 25 to 28kmpl
2. Performance in city? Tarmac?
   A. You will notice the engine heating a bit more than any of your other Royal Enfields but definitely not as hot as the KTMs.Apart from that, it’s easy at riding in the city traffic andnimble enough to manoeuver effortlessly. Potholes are no problem for it. The tyres are designed for both off-road as well as on roads, so it behaves well on the streets as well.
3. What’s the top speed?
   A. 140 kmph is what we saw on the speedo, but it still had some life left after that.
4. Engine braking?
   A. Very poor, after 2nd gear almost nil.
5. Pillion comfort?
   A. Good seats, big enough to fit in.So yes, comfortable.
6. Rider comfort?
   A. Good seats, erect posture, raised handle bar, legs not too cramped, so overall a comfortable ride as far as the design is concerned. The engine heating could be a little distracting for a few.
7. Kitne main aatihai?
   A. 155,545/- Ex showroom, 178,872/- Mumbai on road.