Royal Enfield has created a special bike and this time around it comes with a
top-heavy body, wire-spoked wheels and the performance to tear up gravel
and tarmac alike
We know Royal Enfield very well, or so we thought. Because, when the
premium bike manufacturer unveiled the second-generation Himalayan at a
popular international two-wheeler expo, it stunned people. Then the
first look videos came out and multiple articles were written about it.
So, while people were still debating about the new Himalayan’s looks on
online forums, we headed to Vagator, Goa to take part in the Motoverse
(formerly Rider Mania) and during our five-day stay there, the steed at our
disposal was a Kamet White Himalayan. So, what did we learn riding the
adventure motorcycle over five days and hundreds of kilometres? Read on to
find out.
Polarising looks
The Himalayan has proper ADV styling Provided by Indulgexpress
We were not floored by the new Himalayan when the first set of official images
was released online. Sure, it looked modern and purposeful, but there was
nothing out of the ordinary. In person though, the motorcycle makes you fall in
love with it. The simple design ensures there is nothing on the bike that is not
needed. The headlamp is circular, the beak pronounced, handlebar wide,
seating stepped, and the wheels are wire-spoked.
But the two highlights of the design, for us at least, were the bulbous fuel tank
and the clean tail, with the BMW-inspired stop lights. Also, do not be fooled by
the way the exhaust canister looks in the pictures, for in person it is rather tiny
and the actual exhaust is right under. It is impressive then that Royal Enfield
has ensured that the bike comes with 230 mm of road clearance.
The dashboard
The digital dashboard comes with two themes Well, the digital instrumentation of the motorcycle is rather nice to look at and is very simple to use. One can leave it to the bike to decide when to change the theme of the readout (the display changes between light and dark themes depending on the availability of one Mr Sun) or select a theme manually.
Between the buttons on the right- and left-hand side of the handlebar and the
toggle situated next to the horn, selecting menus and settings is quite easy.
The navigation through the Royal Enfield app though made us swear a couple
of times. It needs some tweaking in our opinion. Also, the placement of the
pass button is not ideal, in our opinion.
Hop, jump and skid
There are two height settings for the seat that can be changed manually within seconds
All these shortcomings do not matter when one settles on the motorcycle
when on a ride. The roads around Vagator are not a great bunch. But that did
not matter on the Himalayan. Road cracks, crests, dips and nasty potholes did
not impose a problem even at speed and surprisingly, the motorcycle eggs
you to go fast… really fast.
That is thanks to the 452cc, 4-valve, liquid-cooled motor and 6-speed gearbox
combination. With 40 PS and 40 Nm on tap, pushing the 196 kg motorcycle to
serious speeds is not an issue. What’s more, Royal Enfield has got the
gearbox right this time and with the slip and assist clutch, shifting through the
ratios is a breeze.
But it is not the powertrain that shines whenever the bike is ridden. Rather it is
the twin spar tubular frame and the suspension (USD and mono-shock) with
200 mm travel on each end that makes the ride special and indeed it is a
special feeling riding the motorcycle, whether one decides to pootle around or
ride like a maniac. For, unlike a traditional Royal Enfield, this motorcycle wants
to be thrashed and one does end up thrashing it. However, the able
suspension and chassis ensure that the rider and the pillion passenger are not
beaten after a day of hard riding.
Taking turns
The all-new Himalayan will also be available with BMW-style tubeless spoked
That 21-inch front rim and the top-heavy body structure of the new Himalayan
should not instill confidence while taking a corner and yet one is confident that
the bike will stop, turn and go no matter the speed. Yes, it does not turn like a
naked bike created to tame city roads, but the front end does not feel as if it
will washout every time one shows the bike a corner. What's more, the
adventure tourer nature of the motorcycle also demands that it be ridden in a
certain way. Funnily enough, that way of riding also makes one's mind calm.
Also read: Aprilia rides in the new RS 457 at IBW 2023
Verdict
After spending merely an hour on the machine, one understands that it will go
where the rider wants it to go and it will be a companion, rather than a
transporter. That, we think, is what makes the second-generation Himalayan a
great bike. Yes, it does not have the smoothest engine and the material quality
is a bit questionable in places. But it will take its owner where he/she wants to
go and it will do so by returning around 30 km/l despite reaching the
destination rather quickly. Royal Enfield claims the new Himalayan is 'Built for
all roads. Built for no roads'. Damn right, it is!
Priced between INR 2.69 lakh and INR 2.84 lakh (ex-showroom Chennai,
introductory)
