After breaking the news about the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 long back, we finally rode it a few days ago. And it only made sense to ride the bike in the Himalayas since that is where it takes inspiration for its character. And here is how it went.
The Himalayan 450 has struck the right chord on the design front. It looks purposeful, rugged and embodies the older model’s character with loads of updates. So, you get a new LED headlight, a freshly designed fuel tank, and a new seat as well. Elements like the front beak, the windscreen and the tall ADV stance evoke the Himalayan 450’s off-road demeanour.
One of the highlights here has to be its new engine. Royal Enfield calls it the Sherpa 450 and it is a single-cylinder liquid-cooled 452cc motor. The output figures are 40bhp at 8,000rpm and 40Nm at 5,500rpm. This is the most modern engine from Royal Enfield.
Now, during the time we rode it, the altitude was higher than normal, so the engine was functioning at a notably lower output. Of the two ride modes – Eco and Performance, we found ourselves riding the Himalayan in the latter mode to make the most of its capacity.
Until 2,500rpm the bike seemed to be a tad lazy. Post that, the Himalayan feels spritely as you gun for higher speeds and approach the triple digits. Even at around 120kmph, the Himalayan feels very intuitive and natural. The vibrations are quite low and the comfort level is decent.
The new Himalayan is not just likeable to ride on the road, but also off-road, as one would expect. Its 21-inch front and 17-inch rear spoke wheels make it convenient for the bike to climb over rocks and even mildly large boulders.
Royal Enfield has also equipped the bike with quite some features as well. Along with LED illumination, it also gets smartphone connectivity with screen mirroring for Google Maps. This makes navigation quite easy and the feature handy.
If you want to read our detailed report, here is the first ride review of the Himalayan 450.
