[Sam9293]

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

The Chennai cyclone seems to have delayed the trucks with bikes it seems.

Which showroom did you visit that had. TR bike? Calling hasn't helped - either calls aren't getting picked up or bikes are not available for TR. Maybe I will visit the showroom you went to tomorrow.

Go to Dhone Royal Enfield, Market Yard, Pune. I went there once again and had a 20 minute test ride today. They have Kaza brown as TR bike and Handle Black on display.

[aviator1101]

Originally Posted by keroo1099

For RE, the attention to detail is impressive except for one single weld.

Now we are getting under the skin of the bike...

BTW, is that the resonator unit? From the colour, seems so.

[heinrici]

Took a test ride today at kings royal riders baner road. They have two test bikes kaza brown and kamet white. Many reviewer comments are spot on.
Lag in engine spool up on throttle application ? Yes was able to detect this immediately. It's as if the first 5mm of wrist input is discarded by the ride by wire sensor. Seems to be the design or default calibration. Definitely weird but not a deal breaker. Was able to get used to it in few minutes. The showroom guy said it's like that on purpose because riders in our country apply the throttle very jerkily. I think he was bluffing.

Anyway, I managed to stall the bike in 1st gear wasn't expecting the torque to be so low below 2000 rpm. Again, this isn't a deal breaker as one quickly gets used to keeping it above 2000 rpm. The pull after 2500rpm is very good. Was able to ride in 3rd gear at 25 kmph and it picked up reasonably ok from there, could feel slight engine knock at that point but it was momentarily.

The tank seems huge at first viewing like a 800c + adventure bike but one will get used to it.

Weight is definitely present one can feel it when getting the bike vertical from side stand - hopefully one will get used to this too. Will have to plan where to park, check the incline and so on.

Was able to take a 10 min test ride and the best thing is that way this tackles the broken roads, potholes metro work and all that. It's just super. Not difficult to ride in traffic at all. The 825 mm seat helps I guess, I didn't feel intimidated at all.
Taking u turns was also at par no issue there.

Overall seems a very very comfortable bike especially on our kind of roads.

Don't remember the vibrations at all if they were - they have to be present all reviewers say so. I was so enjoying the suspension. Vibration is definitely not a deal breaker because I don't remember it.

[Hammer & Anvil]

Gone is the old 411 and in with the new 452.



It has been some time since we gave an update of my riding activities on this forum and here we are again with what is possibly the first 452 north of Bangalore (20) and TN (1?).

In preparation of the arrival of this bike we sold the 411 in early 2023 and it had done about 23,000 in 4 years. Fortunately it never had any of the niggles that plagued many of my friends from blown rectifiers, and broken chassis' and over greased fuses. None of that.

The RE experience was further enhanced with the two 650 Interceptors that I had which put on a collective 55,000 km before both were sold again in late 2022 and one in 2023. #DesaisonGQ is the tag for the epic ride on those bikes.

The 452 bike was revealed to the media about 2 months ago, and I did do some followup with the vloggers and a few RE employees on the aesthetics and the performance envelope of the bike. From various discussions, it started to look like a midway fit between the 411 (absolute trash power), and the 650 (absolutey the worst ride for a pillion) and it was a long wait for the 24th Nov public unveil at Rider Mania (Oops! MotoVerse 2023) in Goa.

Here is a brief report on how the bike rides, without the slightest taint of free holidays in Manali or signatures on NDAs or the possibility of being excluded from future RE factory invites.

It was a little amazing to watch atleast 5 riders in the batches prior to mine, wheel spin and crash in the gravel of the parking lot. It was even more puzzzling to hear dozens of riders complain of bent handlebars, even before the ride started. So when my number came, I was sure that there couldn’t be so many bad riders at MotoVerse - and I thought to myself, you better be prepared for anything and everything.

First time, rolling out of the paddock, was gentle more throttle + easy clutch, like you would do on the older carburettor 350, unsure of where the stall point was.

Once you got rolling past the 50-75m gravel onto the tarmac, the bike was already up 2500 rpm and you were comfortable and ready to roll and find out what it was about, when the speed breaker outside Anjuna Police station, had everyone approach in 2nd and stall, and more stalls. Coming up last in the line of my group, I realised this was the 'low rpm + low speed Stall Cocktail.' I just had the sheer luck of being prepared to dunk it into first as we went over the breaker and then easy throttle to get past this hurdle.

The wiser of the few riders then got on this 'fault/shortcoming' really quick and then the short ride over the back roads and the gravel patches, bumps and everything was just a super ride.

The reason to dwell on this 'lo-lo' issue is that when fellow Team BHP riders take a wonderful bike out to test, they are fully aware of this issue and go prepared for the same and are able to absolutely crank it and enjoy the bike and not come back and crib about this issue if one may call it.

So the next morning, we managed to lay our hands on a bike and wing it through to Mapusa and then the Mapusa bypass towards Mopa Airport, and here is the review of long distance part of the ride:

1. Brilliant Chassis
2. Absolutely brillliant suspension
3. Wide handle bars, and super stance
4. 805, 825, 830, 845 mm seat heights, means they have covered many many people who were 6' (in India and overseas) and this is a fantastic plus for widening their target audience.
5. 17L fuel tank x 30kmpl/, would give you a 400+ range to refuel
6. Top speed I managed was about 130, with many journos and vloggers affirming 155-159 as the top speed
7. I felt that the 110-120 speed bracket was good, my bike did not have the windshield, so I was unable to sustaning anything more than my helmet would allow comfortably - 120, was my happy speed. 100-110 I think was the golden zone.

Why should one look at this bike?



It will eat miles, and you will reach your destination an hour earlier at the end of a 700km day. This makes it easier to have a slightly higher average speed on highways, which means your stops can be more leisurely and if you have no hurry to reach the end of days ride, then you can have easy breaks. This means this is a bike, which a pillion, (the Mrs, in my case) a happy camper.

The instant recall of the PLUS POINTS: Power to overtake the odd sugarcane cart, the Volvos, and the suspension making it a breeze to ride. Any one who had ridden a 21" wheel will relish the safety on the edges of concrete, poor tar patchwork and there is just so much mental ease.

My present steed the VStrom 650 feels the pressure of a younger sibling in the garage, and probably in the coming 3 months, I will decide on what role both would play.

The 452 is not a replacement for the 411. It is a brand new machine and its simply amazing to ride. I just would want readers to go out and test ride it and see if their daily commute kind of traffic is what they can handle. If you can handle this in traffic, don’t even waste your time on the open road! Just buy the bike.

ARAI is sitting on tubeless rims. So no comments on that.

Matt, Glossy and Metallic paint schemes are the main reason for the price difference.

About those waiting for the 'v2.0' can also wait a little longer for the Xpulse 250 which will be participating in most bike rallies this year in India.

If there is one thing that puzzles me, if RE has Dakar aspirations then why this 452, 2cc over the Dakar cut off?

We will be back in a few months with an update on the first few thousand KM.

[adrena]

Machine certainly looks amazing. I can't believe I'm saying that about an RE. It's been years (decades) since I gave up the Fury and this is one I'm looking forward to riding. I'll make sure I come ask you for a ride soon.

[shyamg28]

Originally Posted by Hammer & Anvil

My present steed the VStrom 650 feels the pressure of a younger sibling in the garage, and probably in the moning 3 months, I will decide on what role both would play.

Congratulations!

Eager to hear more on this comparison and your "definition" of what each bike means/stands for, for you.
Maybe I've had similar thoughts as you and would love to compare notes. Cheers!

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by Hammer & Anvil

I just had the sheer luck of being prepared to dunk it into first as we went over the breaker and then easy throttle to get past this hurdle.

Exactly! Always wonder why, oh why do people want to get across speed breakers and the like in second gear. Just slot it into first and problem solved. Similarly this issue of being dead below 2000/2500 rpms, why can’t you just modulate the throttle to be above that? In the real world it’s impractical and said just because most people want to say something.

Congratulations and all the best with your ownership. Please update your experience as you ride along.

Cheers

[Nilesh5417]

Did a decent 25min TR in traffic and open stretches. Rode it like i would for first 20 and checked low end etc on purpose in last 5. Most of the comments are already out there so will keep it short:

1. Lag - perceptible but insignificant. Shouldn't have been there so it's unexpected but not unsafe or irritating to take away anything from the bike. I noticed it's not present when you change gears and accelerate. It's present when you are trying to catch on speed in a gear e.g. from 20kmph in 2nd or 40kmph in 4th onwards without dropping a gear. I hope others can check this out as well share what they think.

2. Vibrations - didn't notice. Revs till 5.5k easy - couldn't hold speeds for too long in traffic but seriously smooth engine. If not more, as good as Triumph.

3. Free revving - the engine is a delight. It's free revving and you don't feel it's under any strain if you are in a hurry. Didn't expect this from an RE.

4. No issues in traffic - I could do 10kmph in 1st, 20 in 2nd and 40 in 4th. As long as you keep the bike rolling, it will catch on speed and pretty fast. I did not feel any heat - so didn't bother about checking the fan.

5. Clutch - I would have liked it to be lighter. It feels heavy when everything esp when else is so spot on.

6. Gearshifts - is this really an RE? Slots neatly without effort and you can actually find the neutral! Hurrah!

7. Everything else - suspension and seats = sofa, screen absolutely crisp even in bright sunlight, feels heavy when you want to move it e.g. say backwards in a parking but no, foot pegs don't foul with my legs (5'10). You won't feel the weight once you move even on tight u turns.

Getting back home on my monster was a really different experience. The RE was forgiving and mighty relaxed, the Ducati felt tight and in extreme urgency. Had to take it easy for the first few hundred meters.

Going to go ahead and get myself one.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by heinrici

Took a test ride today at kings royal riders baner road. They have two test bikes kaza brown and kamet white. Many reviewer comments are spot on..............
Lag in engine spool up on throttle application?... it's like that on purpose because riders in our country apply the throttle very jerkily. I think he was bluffing............. Anyway, I managed to stall the bike in 1st gear wasn't expecting the torque

To delineate it a little crisper. The lag that most feel on RBW bikes, (this lag is present on almost every RBW here in India just to juxtapose, RR310, ADV390, Himalayan). Now why is it so?
Your showroom guy wasn't bluffing, the poor chap didn't exactly know why it was set that way. The old cable bikes were simple, had crisper and direct feel to the throttle and they had something called "CABLE FREEPLAY". Now, this freeplay is precisely designed to keep an amount of slack on the throttle tube before actually the engine gets going. Why? Primarily and importantly to avoid braking and throttling at the same time, which is dangerous. Secondly to negate any rider induced mistakes such as finicky throttle inputs which causes stall or worse land him straight into someone's rear. Ouch! So, the lag that you observe in today's RBW system is simply an electronic freeplay, which post a certain degree actually operates the throttle.

Hope it helps!

Cheers!
VJ

[tech_rider]

Went to Chennai Tambaram Legend Motors, no test drive available yet. I am proud owner of 2011 Honda Dazzler and sitting on Himalayan 450 (display piece, Handle Black) made me feel like a huge bike. I'm 5'11" and seating position felt right for me, feets were landing fine on floor.

No estimated waiting period known to showroom people. Test ride tentatively start from next week. Show room executive said introductory price applicable only for deliveries on or before dec 31. I see one post on this thread showing email from RE contradicting it. Will confirm with RE support email again. After test ride, I am planning go for booking before Dec 31 if introductory prices are valid for deliveries in 2024.


For information of Chennai folks listing price split ups below (ex showroom, road tax, insurance, on road price)

Kaza Brown - 268999, 33255, 20831, 323085
Slate Bros - 274000, 33855, 20878, 328733
Kamet White - 279000, 34455, 20925, 334380
Hanle Black - 284000, 35055, 20972, 340027

Registration charges extra. 1000₹ for nearest RTO including number plates.

Optional Extended warranty upto 5years or 50k kms and RSA - 7199₹ irrespective of model.

[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

Did a decent 25min TR in traffic and open stretches. Rode it like i would for first 20 and checked low end etc on purpose in last 5. Most of the comments are already out there so will keep it short:

1. Lag -

2. Vibrations -

3. Free revving engine -

4. No issues in traffic -

5. Clutch -

6. Gearshifts -

7. Everything else -

Going to go ahead and get myself one.

8. Brakes - the front discs had a really sharp bite, the rear not so much. In fact rear is a little weaker than I would like. But both together seemed to work well. Tried this 4-5 times and the bike can take care of most emergency braking situations.

[vishal.jayakuma]

After breaking my head for over a year, trying to make the right choice of motorcycle, I have finally booked the new Himalayan in Hanle Black. The SA told me that it will be delivered by the last week of February, but still promises to deliver well before that.

In the booking sheet that I was supposed to sign, it showed "Price applicable at the time of invoice". I refused to sign and told them to check with RE Official about the "Price applicable at time of booking" because otherwise this current introductory price won't stand. He told me to check with him tomorrow, after he finishes confirming it.

Apart from that, it was a good experience to share this moment with my parents, and all of this without a test ride of the bike itself. It should be coming up this Wednesday at the RE company outlet in Besant Nagar.

The bike itself sits quite well for my riding stance and style. The footpegs do foul with my ankles, but I'm choosing to accept that as my learning curve for an ADV motorcycle. It feels very well built and ready to take on anything that the average Indian would see on a day-to-day basis, and more if they dare to venture beyond! As you can see in the photos, my mom is happy with it too.





There's a lot to learn and grow, with this bike. I can't wait to travel and see new places! Thank you all for your feedback about the bike, technical expertise and sage advice. All of it influenced my final decision.

[Ridesbysky]

This Sunday morning, I went to buy Scrambler 400x(booked earlier), ended up taking test ride of and booked Himalayan 450.

I went to One Triumph in Gurugram today to finally give complete amount to buy Scrambler 400x but on the way close to the showroom I saw someone with the new Himalayan 450 overtook my autorickshaw. As I reached my destination and came out of rickshaw, I saw the new Himalayan parked outside the Royal enfield showroom just next to the Triumph showroom.

I didn't give a second thought and went inside RE showroom and enquired whether the test ride is available. To my luck, I could take it without waiting as there were fewer people in the showroom at that time. The executive there took my details, did required formalities and handed me over the keys to the Kaza brown Himalayan parked outside.


I am 5’10” and was curious how my legs would come on to the ground sitting on its tall seat. I put the key in and took it off the tilted side stand without any efforts. I was comfortably flat footing(almost). I also took a pillion along with me on this test ride. The showroom didn't send a wingman to accompany me and didn't ask me to return the bike in any specified time.

The first thing I noticed sitting on the bike was the bulky fuel tank. It gives a big bike feel. The road in front of Manzil Motors RE is filled with potholes. But Himalayan thanks to its good suspension took them like a hot knife in butter. It immediately felt better than the Scrambler 400x as I had taken the test ride for that starting from the same road.

Coming on to the main road, I merged with the city traffic. There I felt that unlike scrambler you have to keep a check on the gear as the engine was knocking a bit picking up from slower speeds at second gear. The clutch is very light hence I didn't feel any pain engaging the clutch time and again.

Overall I took the ride of around 20 mins in the city only and I was amazed with the feel of riding this motorcycle. I returned to the showroom and enquired on its delivery estimates. I was more leaned towards Kaza Brown as comparing it side by side in the showroom with the Hanley black parked in display, I personally didn't like the idea of paying 20k more just for the colour. Plus the Kaza brown variant gave a good big feel when compared with Hanley Black may be due to more white appearance.

RE executive told me that they would give the delivery in around 60 days or earlier if I book the Kaza brown. It would be 90 days for Hanley black as there are more bookings for it(30-40). However in the end he said there is no confirmation but he can try for earlier delivery as there are only 5-10 bookings for Kaza brown toll now.

On the price front he was not sure whether the introductory price would stand for bookings made till December end or deliveries made till December end.

At the end I happily booked the Kaza brown and went to the next showroom (the Triumph) to cancel the booking who were least bothered and were kind of happy to cancel the booking without even asking the reason to cancel or trying to retain a made booking. I am not trying to put Himalayan over any bike as even the Scrambler 400x and Himalayan serve different purposes but as an average Indian having limited budget to buy one bike to do it all, I went for the Himalayan.

[tech_rider]

For the introductory price confusion, I sent an email to royal Enfield yesterday asking for clarification and I got reply with same wordings that was already posted in this thread. I replied to that with specific question like, if I book on Dec 31 and takes delivery on March, whether i would be getting introductory price or not. Also I shared details about the showroom which denied this offer for deliveries after dec 31.

Soon after, I got a call from showroom sales team apologizing about miscommunication and they informed that they also got confirmation from RE very recently that booking made till dec 31 will have price protection. But in order to get offer, they said that, I would have to make payment as soon as bike is allotted and I cannot postpone the purchase.

Hope this will erase any confusion around introductory price for people here.

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by Linea

I've done a small analysis of Royal Enfield's tentative delivery dates through the official website.

Thanks for sharing this. This is very helpful.

Does this waiting period apply for pre-booked bikes? Shows 117 days according to your excel sheet but hoping to get the bike home sooner. I doubt it will happen anytime this month though.

I had pre-booed Hanle Black but the wheels looked very tacky for me. Was torn betweeen the Poppy Slate Blue and Kaza Brown. Wanted to see the blue in flesh but was not available anywhere. Did not want to delay any further so went and changed the color choice to Kaza Brown. No change in waiting queue as the booking number remains the same. Dealer confirmed this as well.

Originally Posted by tech_rider

Soon after, I got a call from showroom sales team apologizing about miscommunication and they informed that they also got confirmation from RE very recently that booking made till dec 31 will have price protection. But in order to get offer, they said that, I would have to make payment as soon as bike is allotted and I cannot postpone the purchase.

Hope this will erase any confusion around introductory price for people here.

This helps. Thanks for sharing. I reckon the price will increase by 20k thereabouts in Bangalore specifically, as I heard that the road tax is set to increase in Jan 2024.