Bike Files: Royal Enfield Himalayan

Designed for the rough and tumble of Indian roads, the Himalayan is a popular choice in Europe too…

Himalayan? Isn’t that something to do with a mountain?

It’s named after the famous mountain range in India and Royal Enfield proudly proclaim it’s a motorbike designed to take on those toughest of conditions. They’ve tried to develop a little mountain goat, and we think they might have succeeded.

But aren’t Royal Enfield an old Brit bike brand?

Royal Enfield was founded in the proud West Midlands town of Redditch way back in 1901, making it one of the oldest motorcycle brands on sale today. That original company went out of business in 1971, but by that time Royal Enfield was already very popular in India, where the famous Bullet model had been built under licence since 1955.

Royal Enfield of India was huge in its homeland but only really started to make strides internationally in 2014, when it set up a UK based technology centre and invested heavily in the R&D facility, as well as new production facilities, dealer network and, well, the lot.

Today’s Enfields are developed in the UK and India, have classic British design and are assembled in India. So the British style runs through them, even if they are very much an Indian company these days.

So what’s the history of the Royal Enfield Himalayan?

The Himalayan was part of Enfield’s rapid range expansion. It arrived in 2016 and was styled by a team led by former Ducati design chief Pierre Terblanche. It is Royal Enfield’s first adventure bike and proved an immediate hit around the world with riders looking for a simple and inexpensive bike that’s tough and easy to maintain.

With just 24bhp, the old fashioned 411cc engine was a touch (to say the least) underpowered but that wasn’t the point. It was a bike designed to take on rough roads and tough environments, and to be easily fixable when things do go wrong. To that end, it was a brilliant machine.

A new model, with Enfield’s watercooled 452cc ‘Sherpa’ engine, arrived in 2024. Now with 40bhp, it’s far more capable on the open roads. It also has some more modern tech, like simple rider modes, a TFT dashboard and switchable ABS. It’s still basic though, but that will add to, rather than detract from, the appeal.

How basic is the Royal Enfield Himalayan?

The Showa suspension is decent, but there’s no adjustment to the forks and only preload adjustment at the rear. Likewise the rider modes won’t make too big a difference to the riding experience. Technically there are four modes, but basically it’s two throttle maps with the option to switch off the ABS on each. Eco mode is a bit softer than Performance mode but, in reality, it’s all much of a muchness.

The engine remains basic, even though it is more modern, as is the chassis. It’s a mountain goat rather than a show pony, and that’s why they are so well loved.

How does this new one go?

The numbers are modest but there’s still enough performance for the open road. The heavy weight and large, 21”, front wheel mean that it’s not the most agile motorcycle on open roads, but it is stable and reassuring to ride. The Himalayan was developed in the UK by a British development team, so it’s not as if it’s been exclusively designed to take on rough unpaved Indian roads.

Nothing’s really standout, but nothing’s terrible either. The CEAT tyres aren’t the best, but are ok. Brakes are adequate, suspension… well you get the idea. Around town it might feel a bit tall and heavy for less experienced riders, but the saddle is pretty narrow and in truth its more manageable than it looks.

Off road, it’s got a lot going for it. As a ‘round-the-world adventurer it has a lot of merit. The big wheels and tall-ish suspension mean it can tackle rough terrain, while the utilitarian nature, lowish cost and rugged design means you’ll be less worried about dropping a Himalayan than you would a fully loaded BMW GS.

And what’s the appeal of the Royal Enfield Himalayan?

It’s that little mountain goat Royal Enfield set out to build. The company’s tagline is ‘Built for all roads. Built for no roads’ and it’s a genuine claim. It’s also a lot of bike for the money and, actually, many of us aren’t that bothered about having all the latest bells and whistles. Royal Enfield are building some darned good motorbikes these days, they’re well made, well priced and have gained a reputation for having a good dealer network. There’s a lot to like!

What other budget adventure bikes are out there?

There aren’t many, if indeed any, direct rivals to the Himmy.

Other A2 adventure bikes include BMW’s G 310 GS, KTM’s 390 Adventure and Honda’s NX500, but all are more road focussed and run a 19” front wheel (compared to 21” on the Enfield). Fantic’s Caballero 500, especially in Explorer trim, is another interesting model. It’s more retro and off-road focussed, but also more expensive and arguably less practical.

If we were to choose one bike to rival the Himalayan, we’d probably choose Honda’s CRF300L, a road-legal enduro bike which is lighter and well worth considering for go-anywhere adventure riding.

Isn’t the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 a bit tall for average riders?

As we mentioned earlier, it is quite tall and heavy but most average riders should be ok. As always, it makes sense to throw a leg over (and ideally snag a demo ride) before buying. It’s worth noting that the seat has two height settings, 825mm and 845mm.

I like the idea of a Royal Enfield but not an adventure bike. Do they do anything else?

They sure do! Royal Enfield has extended its range massively in recent years. As well as the 450 single, there’s a bunch of other engines from 350cc to 650cc, in single cylinder and parallel twin configurations.

There is everything from cruisers to roadsters for most engine capacities, with the single cylinder Bullet and 650cc Interceptor particularly traditional designs which hark back to the classic Brit bike days – although like all modern Royal Enfields they are well engineered using today’s technology and manufacturing techniques.