I spent the final two weeks in a really unusual world using a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. This can be a new motorbike to the U.S. however definitely not a brand new firm. Royal Enfield is legitimately the oldest repeatedly run motorbike maker on this planet. The British firm began in 1901 and hasn’t missed a 12 months of manufacturing since then. A manufacturing facility was opened in India in 1955, and now that’s the place all of the fashions are made. They served the home market effectively, however for years Enfield has been considered solely as a retro model within the west. With the Himalayan 450, that may change. This can be a trendy motorbike designed within the U.Okay. to serve the journey market. The actual attraction is the value. The bottom mannequin sells for $5799; mainly half the value of a KTM dual-sport.
To be truthful, the Himalayan wasn’t developed from racing inventory like KTM, Husky and Honda dual-sport bikes. It was conceived from the beginning as an journey bike. It comes normal with a rear baggage rack, crash-bars, 4.5 gallons of gas capability and a frame-mount windscreen. All that stuff ups the burden to over 400 kilos.
As I discussed, I rode the bike for a great two weeks in a unique world–I used to be actually within the Himalayan mountains. I couldn’t attend the U.S. press launch of the bike in Park Metropolis, Utah final month and the individuals at Royal Enfield then requested if I want to attend one of many firm’s journey excursions. It was known as the Moto Himalaya Mustang trip, which began in Kathmandu, Nepal and trekked to the traditional kingdom of Mustang, proper on the border of Nepal, Tibet and China. I stated sure. I’m not loopy.
For now, I’ll save the tales of that trip for later and concentrate on the bike. To be trustworthy, I wasn’t anticipating a lot. The Himalayan 411 that got here earlier than this mannequin was mainly a throwback to a different time. It was low cost, air-cooled transportation however had little else going for it. The 450 has nothing in frequent with that bike. It has what they name the Sherpa motor, which is a DOHC six-speed with fuel-injection. It’s somewhat cumbersome in comparison with a premium-level 450, however in any other case is completely trendy. It’s mated to a metal body and Showa suspension. The brakes are Bybre, which is owned by Brembo. It has antilock brakes which have 4 user-defined modes. There’s a handlebar change that means that you can choose the quantity of intervention at start-up.
By way of outright efficiency, the Sherpa motor is true in keeping with some other EPA-approved 450 within the U.S. It maybe doesn’t have the low-end snap of a Honda CRF450RL, however is in any other case proper within the hunt. Its fuel-injection system is downright superb. Our trip went as little as 2600 ft and as excessive as 15,500 ft above sea degree. It stored going and going. At these excessive altitudes, you lose energy, however the bike all the time ran clear, was straightforward to start out and by no means stalled or misbehaved in any manner. As soon as we obtained down somewhat decrease, we discovered it could crack 160 kph within the dust. No less than, that’s what the digital multi operate instrument up entrance stated. That interprets to over 100 mph.
The suspension is one other large win. It’s tender, however then it ought to be tender. After spending hours, days and weeks within the saddle it seems that the Himalayan is an excellent snug bike. I particularly appreciated the truth that you possibly can elevate the seat peak. The bike’s weight is, in fact, its largest downside. There’s no getting round the truth that it’s heavy. Consider a Kawasaki KLR650 and also you get the concept. The Royal Enfield motor has extra peak energy than the Kawasaki, however much less torque.
The large query that anybody has with bikes that aren’t manufactured in Europe or Japan revolves round reliability. Usually, we will’t say a lot about that. {A magazine} press bike not often will get very a lot time. On this case, the Moto Himalaya Mustang trip had a pattern of 17 Royal Enfield 450s, all ridden day after day. There have been no mechanical points. The bikes have been crashed, definitely, besides, there was by no means something extra severe than a bent lever or two.
I’ll have extra on the Himalayan within the December challenge of Dust Bike. And keep tuned for a report on the trip itself. Man, do I’ve tales to inform!
See you subsequent week!
