The Himalayan is no ordinary motorcycle. In a world where adventure bikes are constantly getting bigger, faster and more expensive, the humble Royal Enfield is heading in the opposite direction. It offers modest performance, accessibility and affordable pricing – and it’s selling like hot cakes.
The popularity of the small-capacity adventure genre has not gone unnoticed by the Himalayan’s competitors, and there are plenty of options to choose from in the category. The BMW G 310 GS, and the 390 Adventure from KTM are just a couple of examples of the big boys joining the fun. And just recently, Triumph unveiled its Scrambler 400 X and Street 400. The marketplace is getting busy.
But regardless of what the competitors are doing, the Himalayan does pretty much its own thing, and has a charm all of its own. To a large degree it can do this because of the massive home market that Royal Enfield has in India, but also because the bike has a strong and loyal following around the world.
So, why is the Himalayan so loved by so many? It’s a bike that doesn’t compete with the spec sheet (it can’t compete with the power/weight ratio, and it’s out-teched by most of the class). Instead, it captures your heart with its low-tech simplicity, easy and approachable nature, rugged looks, and a character that’s difficult not to love.
Over the past few years I have ridden hundreds, if not thousands, of miles on the Himalayan, and I have enjoyed the great majority of them. Not every single one, but I bet my love/hate average is a fair bit closer to the love end of the spectrum on the Himalayan than most other bikes. So, when I had a chance to take the Himi round the Bridgestone Adventure Trail at the ABR festival, I jumped at the chance.
Riding impressions
Adventure riding can mean many different things, but in my mind it’s very much like what the ABR trail offers: some easy fields, gravel roads, slightly more technical sections trough woods and mud, but nothing too arduous. And this is exactly where the Himalayan excels too.
With its small size, low seat, and overall simplicity, the Himalayan is an ideal bike for easy trails. Ok, the 24bhp power figure is pretty low for an engine this size, but there’s a healthy 32Nm of torque, and this is another reason why the Himalayan is so good on the trails: it’s not intimidating in the slightest, and it never feels like it’s going to run away from you, but the torque is always enough to pull you along in low revs.
Suspension adopts the same relaxed attitude as the power delivery. There’s a good amount of travel (200mm front, 180 rear), and the bike makes even bigger bumps feel nice and smooth. The action from the suspension is a bit wallowy, but with steady speeds on trails that aren’t too demanding, it’s just what you need.
With the 21” front wheel, the Himalayan stays steady on the trails whether you like to ride with your bum on the seat or standing on the pegs. The seat is very comfortable, and although on this ride, I barely touched it, I have spent long days on the bike in the past, and always felt comfortable in the seat. If you like to stand on the pegs, you will notice that the bike is fairly wide in the middle. It’s not a problem, and you soon get used to it, but the feeling is very different than from a lighter trail bike. Sit or stand, the riding position is comfortable, and you feel in control of the bike.
The Himalayan that I rode at the ABR festival was on semi-knobbly tyres that worked well on the dry sections, but offered little grip in the muddy bits. Tyre choice, of course, is a very personal thing, and depends on your hunger for dirt, but if you want more grip in the mud, you need to get some more enduro-style rubber.
Another reason why I enjoyed riding this bike on the trails was the simplicity of its design. There are no bells, and whistles. Switches and dash are simple and easy to get your head around when all you want to concentrate on is not hitting that tree in front of you. The dash is a combination of analogue and LCD, and it’s all easy to read.
Conclusion
This time, my ride on the Himalayan only lasted about an hour, and when I had to return the bike, I could have quite happily gone for another couple of laps of the trail. The Himalayan is not the best trail bike by a long shot, but it’s definitely one of the most characterful. With a £5k price tag, this is a bike that you dare to use as it has been designed to use, rather than worry about dropping it and instantly knocking off a couple grand from the value. It’s a bike that I would love to have in my garage for the odd day out on the trails, but also as the everyday run-around. In fact, excuse me while I check what’s on offer at eBay…
Royal Enfield Himalayan specification
Price: £5049
Engine: 411cc, air-cooled single, SOHC
Power: 24bhp @ 6500rpm
Torque: 32Nm @4250rpm
Transmission: 5-speed, chain final drive
Suspension: Front: 41mm fork, 200 mm travel. Rear: Progressive central spring strut 5-way adjustable, 180mm travel.
Brakes: Front: 2-piston floating calliper, 300mm disc. Rear: 1-piston floating calliper, 240mm disc.
Weight: 199kg wet
Seat height: 800mm
Ground clearance: 220mm
Warranty: 3 years
Contact: www.royalenfield.com/uk/en/home/
