[ram1kv]

Excellent review and superlative photos @CrAzY dRiVeR, @KarthikK and team!


The opening shot (below) with the profile of the bike merging in to the mountain ridge with heavenly light, out of this world!




Detailed and insightful as always from Team BHP! From what you have said, if customer expectations are realistic about vibes, weight and engine heat, this bike is an excellent product and very VFM. Yet to take a test ride, waiting for an opportunity to do a city highway mix for at least 60 mins before making up my mind. KTM Adv X and Triumph 400X already tried, but it will be a travesty to make up my mind without trying out this gorgeous beast. Really proud of RE to have come out with a World Beater!

Waiting eagerly for your ownership post about your Hanley Black, @Sebring.

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

Can the following be removed to reduce weight?
- Metal structure around the tank
- Main Stand
- Luggage rack at the back
- Saree Guard

Anything else which can be removed easily without affecting the city usage of the bike?

I was wondering the same since it launched, particularly the frame around the tank. Here is an interesting video where some has reduced 10+ kg by taking various bits and bobs off. Drastic in certain sense but he keeps repeating that it is for trail use only.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSU9MZFrXpM

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by Shur'tugal

I have what might be a stupid question.
Why do you strongly recommend taking the maximum possible warranty offered?

Yes, please avail the extended warranty package for 5 years. The cost is reasonable and will offer you peace of mind. I paid INR 7199/- for the Extended Warranty + Road Side Assistance (RSA) package for 5 years which is a very good deal.

RSA terms and conditions state that they will send you a technician or support from an RE service center that is within 100 kms of your location. This covers vehicle breakdowns such as no fuel, punctures, etc.

More details here - https://www.royalenfield.com/in/en/s...de-assistance/

From the above link:

Support is provided if the motorcycle is immobilised or not safe to ride further due to technical issues, flat tyre, battery drain, fuel shortage, loss of key, or accident

Towing is limited to 100 km without any cost to the customer, beyond which the customer has to bear the additional cost

Originally Posted by Shur'tugal

Also, how would you rate the rideability in the city, vs the much lighter KTM 390 ADV?

I've ridden in the city and it is definitely rideable. I cannot compare it to the KTM 390 ADV as I did not ride this for more than half a km.

[PatienceWins]

Thanks Crazy Driver and Karthik for the great comprehensive review. Great to see the ADV market heating up with a great offering from RE.

The main shortcoming of the previous generation Himalayan is lack of top end power which has been taken care by this new version.

The review brings clarity to some of the shortcomings raised by other reviewers regarding low bottom end power, vibration/ buziness.

I am 6'2" tall and the observations from Karthik regarding ergonomics and comparison to old Himalayan is very helpful. I have used old Himalayan in Himalayas and North East and liked the ergonomics while standing. With knees, I could easily control the vehicle in sharp ghat turns. Seems that is something I will miss in the new Himalayan. Maybe handlebar raisers will help to some extend.

[BulZire]

Excellent Review Crazy Driver and Karthikk !!. Thanks for Sharing
I was riding a CI standard followed by CI Electra for a long time and gave few years break for biking. Once I made up my mind last year to resume biking, My Interest was only towards RE bikes, may be due to a soulful connect I had with RE from the beginning. I did test ride Interceptor and H411 extensively and finally made up my mind to buy Interceptor to enjoy the twin. But then the news of new Himalayan popped up, waited for it, loved it and bought a H450 in Hanle black now .

My signature below was updated in 2010 , Feeling very happy to continue that legacy with one more RE now

[VijayAnand1]

Apolgies for side-tracking the thread.

Meanwhile, KTM is on perforce. Personally love the sleek and tall-tower design. This will have more takers for this unique Dakar-ish look. Personally loving the fasica, the rotor design and the protection cover for the fork sliders. Get the livery right and this shall once again be a cash-cow for KTM. Should be interesting how this would lock horns with the 450. Seems like each manufacturer knows where the other's gonna dabble into, super-heating the segment to a whole new level. Simply spectacular. What's TVS's response going to be? Would be interesting.



Thanks: PD

Cheers!
VJ

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Review

Originally Posted by KarthikK

I had the opportunity to do an extended test ride of the all-new Himalayan on a longish highway ride + some mild offroad trails thrown in.

Brilliant review guys.

Loved the detailed yet crisp write-up and the smashing pics. Both of you are so tall and it makes the bike look so "regular" and not like an ADV at all

I also feel the quality of cables (rubber housing) should have been better. Throttle cable rubber housing for example feels so thin that I fear it may shred prematurely.

I am curious to see how different the touring seat (adventure seat as it is listed on the accessories page) is from the OEM seat. Is it softer/firmer, different in materials used in construction, size, etc. is what I am wondering.

I heard a lot more accessories will be available this month, maybe towards Jan end.

[t3rm1n80r]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

It is more in line with twin-cylinder competition like the Honda CB500X:

Thanks for the much awaited review.
How is the ride quality, comfort and handling in comparison to the CB500X? Would it be worth spending a few Ls extra for the CB500X over the Himalayan if comfort and mile-munchability is top priority?

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

I am curious to see how different the touring seat (adventure seat as it is listed on the accessories page) is from the OEM seat. Is it softer/firmer, different in materials used in construction, size, etc. is what I am wondering.

If my understanding is right, it is a mix of soft and firm padding. The RE service center even has a cutout to explain this (see the box in the image below - the layers and explanation is marked as well), but unfortunately I don't have a better picture of it now.

Originally Posted by t3rm1n80r

Thanks for the much awaited review.
How is the ride quality, comfort and handling in comparison to the CB500X? Would it be worth spending a few Ls extra for the CB500X over the Himalayan if comfort and mile-munchability is top priority?

KarthikK would be the better person to answer this question. But I have also done quite some riding on the 500X as well since two of my friends have it, so giving my take:

CB500X is the superior bike, no doubt! It has much better refinement, better rideability, and slightly better performance and ofcourse reliability. Himalayan has its positives too - it has better offroad ability, better suspension balance (500X is a bit too soft on the highways IMHO), does similar speeds and I find it more fun than the Honda.

That said - my personal answer is just a simple no! A lakh or max a half more would have made sense, but the current potential price differential is too much IMHO. When the 500X was sold with massive discounts, it was still a 7L bike in Bangalore which is 2x the price of the base Himalayan now. And it's not a one time thing either - something like tyres will cost 3x more for the 500X than the RE. Going that route - I would look at used Versys 650s instead of the 500X.

Guess we would start getting these comparisons from media outlets when the Himalayan starts hitting markets abroad.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by t3rm1n80r

Thanks for the much awaited review.
How is the ride quality, comfort and handling in comparison to the CB500X? Would it be worth spending a few Ls extra for the CB500X over the Himalayan if comfort and mile-munchability is top priority?

At the outset I wouldn’t compare these two due to the vast price difference they operate at, but here goes:
The CB500X has a slightly softer setup on the rear than the new Himalayan. Low and moderate speeds (say <70-80kmph) ride comfort over bad roads - Cb500X is more plush and cushioned than the Himalayan.
High speed composure - Himalayan has a slightly stiffer setup so doesn’t feel as bouncy over undulations at higher speed, scores over the 500x here.
Handling - the Himalayan has a stiffer setup on the rear but has a 21” front wheel, while the 500x has a softer rear but a better (for roads) 19” setup for the front so it evens out in my opinion. No clear winner here.

Would it be worth spending the extra lacs on the 500X?
My answer - it is very subjective to what you as a buyer feel your priority is. The 500X costs twice as much for similar kind of powertrain, so from a pure economical and value proposition angle, the Himalayan is more bang for the buck. The new one especially offers a similar level of performance for half the price.

However, the 500X is a time-tested and proven product with stellar CKD build quality, Honda’s Japanese reliability, twin cylinder refinement, fantastic ergonomics aided by a 5 year warranty support from Honda and no-nonsense service. The engine on the 500x is a gem and the mechanicals and ergonomics are mostly well sorted with nothing to complain about on any aspect.

On the flip side of being a ckd product, as CrAzY_dRiVeR pointed out, spares and tyres (500x uses bigger tyre sizes) costs will be more like a 7L Adv, not a 3L Adv. At any point if the focus is on max bang for the buck and ownership costs, Himalayan being a locally made product with RE’s vast service network will always win the battle.

I moved from the old Himalayan 411 camp to the CB500X camp 2 years ago and couldn’t be happier with my decision. Whatever I did with the old Himalayan I am able to enjoy better with the 500X today, with the additional refinement and peace of mind of a bulletproof Jap. But will those aspects be worth putting 3 lacs more? It was a yes for me. Would I have bought it even with the new Himalayan in the picture? It’s a yes again from me, just my preference after being spoilt by the refined twin and sorted ergonomics on the 500X now over 16,000km of usage . But one disagreement with CrAzY_dRiVeR on - Would I look at a used Versys just because I can get one with the same 7L of money? No. It’s a lot more top-heavy and the heft feels like a proper big bike which commands a lot more careful handling at low speeds and offroad than these two (H452 or 500x) - May not be everyone’s piece of cake if you intend to tread offroad patches often, maybe a used Vstrom 650 might make things more interesting in that budget. Multiple and extensive test rides of all your options are the key to eventually deciding what you want to prioritise putting your money on at the end of the day.

All in all - A very subjective tradeoff dilemma that buyers have to solve for themselves . All I can say about the H452 is that in this price segment, it really is a superb proposition. Do however also check out the KTM Adv 390 too! That’s another comparo that prospects should be very interested in.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

I am curious to see how different the touring seat (adventure seat as it is listed on the accessories page) is from the OEM seat. Is it softer/firmer, different in materials used in construction, size, etc. is what I am wondering.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

The RE service center even has a cutout to explain this (see the box in the image below - the layers and explanation is marked as well)

Isn't this the Interceptor's touring seat ? I think RE showrooms have a common accessories display irrespective of motorcycle since the display also contains leg-guards for the Bullet ?
Going by this logic and having ridden an Interceptor long enough with stock and touring seats I can say that the touring seats are firmer(I am assuming different/denser foam), better cushioning and since they have greater volume of foam, hence they're heavier and larger than stock. Also since they don't sag that much the saddle height increases slightly as a side-effect.

The Himalayan's stock seat isn't as soft as Interceptor's to begin with but I am expecting similar nature of the Himalayan's adventure seat too as the RE website claims "long term comfort" as its objective.
On a side note I found the stock seat's surface to be extremely grippy. A friend joked that your jeans are going to come off but you won't slip an inch
Here's a related video but in Hindi :
Credits to Providers:

YouTube : Sunny has Plans

[tech_rider]

I came across this new device/feature called Royal Enfield Wingman. In my understanding this is some kind of OBD device like seen in cars which allows you to track realtime location, get various alerts on mobile etc. as per FAQ it costs around 6k with 5 years plan activated. After which customer will have to pay for yearly service.

As per website this is available only for super meteor 650. When I enquired dealer, I was told that this is not available for Himayalan450. Not sure why this is restricted only for SM650. I feel this is good feature that could have offered for every new bikes, at least as an optional accessory.



https://www.royalenfield.com/in/en/r...field-wingman/

[MagicalWizard]

Originally Posted by MagicalWizard

It is showing me some update but not sure, as royal enfield customer care told me last week of January as tentative delivery date while dealer told me he cannot see or have any tentative delivery date.

In the ‘Track Your Order’ update of the RE app, the tentative dates provided by the app change frequently—daily for me. In my case it shifted from 12th Jan to 15th Jan, better confirm with dealer or RE customer care, attaching below Screenshots of different tentative dates which changed everyday.
Not sure if it is only with me or if anyone else is facing the issue.
Booking date: 7th Nov
Color: Kamet White
City: Nagpur, MH

[Shur'tugal]

On the RE App, under my profile the Himalayan shows as booked - but I don't get this screen with tracking details. Does it take a few days to update?

Also, booked the Himalayan!! Super excited.

[rishi.roger]

Originally Posted by MagicalWizard

In the ‘Track Your Order’ update of the RE app, the tentative dates provided by the app change frequently—daily for me. In my case it shifted from 12th Jan to 15th Jan, better confirm with dealer or RE customer care, attaching below Screenshots of different tentative dates which changed everyday.
Not sure if it is only with me or if anyone else is facing the issue.
Booking date: 7th Nov
Color: Kamet White
City: Nagpur, MH

Need to understand the logic behind the tracking. It went on from step 2 to step 3 in my case within 2 days and the date changed from 6th Feb 2023 to 13th Jan 2023 stating that Your motorcycle is Arriving shortly.
I am assuming that when it moves to 2. it means the motorcycle has been dispatched from the plant.
When it gets to stage 2, it means it has reached the state.
Perhaps the last one is when it makes it to the Dealership and waiting for Payment and PDI formalities.
There maybe delays due to transportation issues lately. I spoke to my dealership and they said they don't have a clue about deliveries but the customer care indicated that it's likely within next 2 weeks. I checked some other posts from pasts as well and honestly it feels very un-predictable.
Some even reported that they were able to live track as well.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Royal Enfield has literally pulled out all the stops to ensure the Himalayan is a truly contemporary rival in the international A2 scene.

I am glad that they did. I can confirm the popularity of the Himalayan in one A2 market that is New Zealand. I've seen more of this model than any other from Royal Enfield. The lack of power or the lazy engine has not stopped people from buying one. As a motorcycle package, its a steal. It also works very well for rural and not very fast New Zealand roads. There are a lot of them.

On longevity of Royal Enfield engines, I have no doubt the new engine will be as good as any of the new engine series they've produced. They've not had a single misstep post the first UCE block that was released in collaboration with Harris Engineering (Now owned by Eicher). These were engines released to the export market first, before we got our hands on them (If I remember right). Every new engine from Royal Enfield has been solid from that point on. The Interceptor/GT 650 blocks was a revelation of what they could engineer and produce, they aced it with the J Series and now the Sherpa. What is equally interesting is that they are producing engines keeping versatility in mind. Change the tune, the gear ratios and you have a totally different feel depending on the model.

This new Himalayan should fly off shelves in almost every International market. They addressed the biggest gripe of the original and that being power. Pair that with the lowest price to its competitors and you have a winner.

Thanks for the excellent review.