Royal Enfield Scram 411: First Ride Review

Why to buy it? 

Versatility, city comfort, ability to go off-road, lots of cool colours

Why to avoid it?

Misses out on switchable ABS and navigation system

The Royal Enfield Himalayan was the first adventure motorcycle that a lot of Indians could find it affordable. It helped a lot of riders explore the country with ease and was pocket friendly too. But over the years, Royal Enfield realized there’s a market for a motorcycle that can be positioned as an urban adventure motorcycle-a bike that is meant to be extremely friendly in city on every day basis and also help people with their travel bug on weekend and thus the Scram 411 was a born. This scrambler is obviously based on the Himalayan but gets certain traits that makes it more accessible and affordable. And luckily, we had a place to test the Scram on the highways, off-road and also could go jumping. 

Let’s start this section by saying the Royal Enfield Scram 411 is possibly one of the coolest looking motorcycles sold in India. And we say this because the kind of colour options the brand has chosen for this bike. They are bright. They are youthful and they are too cool. In fact, these paint schemes have made the bike look so more aspirational than its adventure tourer cousin. 

Royal Enfield Scram 411

• 411 cc
• 24.3 bhp
• 185 kg
;

Avg. Ex-showroom price

₹ 2,03,259

The Scram is based in the Himalayan so majority of the design lines are from the ADV. But there are some changes that makes the Scram look apart. Firstly, that 21-inch wheel has given way to a 19-inch one. The Scram doesn’t get the windscreen, nor does it get the metal frame that joins the fuel tank and headlamp unit. The headlamp unit is positioned a bit lower to give it a more urban look. There’s a small panel sitting close to the fuel tank with Royal Enfield branding. The seat is a single-piece and has nice texture on it. The grab rail on the Scram is smaller and aesthetically better looking. 

Before we take the Scram 411 for a ride, I just wanted to talk about the overall ergonomics first because I really find the sitting as well stand up triangle of the Himalayan extremely comfortable. But for the Scram, there have been some changes to make it more urban friendly. Firstly, the overall seat height has gone down by 5mm, thanks to the 19-inch front wheel. So it is much easier to get on the bike. There’s a change in seating triangle as well because the handlebar is almost 60mm lower and also 20mm closer. This has been done to aid city riding experience, which it does. It’s easy to hold the handlebar. The arms are positioned nicely and parallel to the ground. However, this change in handlebar position has made stand-up riding little uncomfortable, especially for taller riders. You have to bend a little more and this could result in quicker fatigue off-road. 

The Scram 411 is equipped with an analogue speedometer that as a decent looking background. This unit is from the Meteor but the outer ring colour has been changed from silver to black. There’s a small LCD display unit that shows the various ride information. You should know that none of the Scram variants gets tripper navigation as standard. The one you see here is an optional accessory and can be fitted at the time of delivery or during any service. 

Rest of the cycle parts like the suspension, brakes, tyres and bulb lights have been borrowed from the Himalayan. What RE hasn’t borrowed is the switchable ABS system. The Scram 411 gets dual-channel ABS, but the rider don’t have the option to switch the ABS at the rear to have some slide fun. Also, the bike doesn’t get USB charging option, which is sad because this motorcycle is being positioned as an everyday bike. There’s no center stand on this Royal Enfield which btw weighed around 1.4kgs. In fact, the Scram 411 is almost 6.5kgs lighter than the Himalayan. 

The Scram 411 gets the same motor from the Himalayan. So the performance numbers are similar. The character, the sound, the refinement – all makes you feel that you are indeed riding a Himalayan. The strong low-end and mid-range, crisp throttle response, the ability to shift gears at low-speed – all makes the Scram 411 one lovely motorcycle to ride. But there are a few things that makes the Scram 411 a much better bike to ride in the city. The 19-inch wheel at the front wheel meant that it is super easy to move the bike around. Be it while overtaking vehicles or going little fast on the corners. 

There’s certain nimbleness that makes the Scram 411 a joy to ride in and around the city. And then with the loss of 5kgs, this Royal Enfield feels slightly better to go off the start. It is not too peppy, but it somehow gives that experience. On the highway, we felt that the Scram 411 was purposely not allowed to go above a certain speed. In fact, it felt a bit dull at the top. Also, the lack of windscreen doesn’t bother you in the city, but as you take the highway tarmac where the average speed is always much higher, the buffeting does play a spoilsport. 

Now coming to the more exciting part – off-road. The Scram 411 has Himalayan DNA. So it is bound to work in dirt as well and it did. The bike is easy to rid off-road. It doesn’t feel out of place with that 19-inch front wheel. In fact, the Scram can do everything that the Himalayan does. It can jump. And it can do this all day. It can go over some stones. The bike can keep the rider involving all the time. The only displeasure for some tall guy like me is the lowered handlebar. And yes, the lack of switchable ABS is such a bummer. 

Now, should you buy the new Scram 411? Well, here’s the thing. The Himalayan is a great motorcycle to have. It churns out good city experiences and on the highway, it just gets better. The Scram 411 can do everything the Himalayan does, and in fact, in some cases it does it better. The city riding for example, the lighter kerb weight and smaller front wheel results in a pleasing riding experience. Plus, the lowered seat height and revised seating triangle is bound to make a long saddles hours in the city quite contented. And in case, you are one of the adventure types, there’s always an option to take the bike off-road as it got the right tyres, right ground clearance, right intent and most importantly – it got the right name. 

In short, you get a motorcycle that is cheaper than the Himalayan but can do everything that the Himalayan does. Plus, with some really cool paint schemes, you are bound to turn lot of heads. So, we think the Scram 411 is perfect for someone who wants a motorcycle to be used every day and also take it out on weekend adventures and while doing so, don’t get too intimated like a lot of us do when we look at the body proportions of the Himalayan. 

Photography by Kapil Angane