Image gallery: Royal Enfield Himalayan road test review
The Royal's LS410 is an all-new 411cc single cylinder engine. It is carburetted, makes 24.5PS/32Nm and works with a new 5-speed gearbox
The rear of the Royal Enfield Himalayan has hardly any bodywork. This simplicity of design is actually refreshing even if it isn't pretty or beautiful
The 19-inch front wheel of the Royal Enfield Himalayan with the chunky treaded tyre gives the motorcycle a rugged-looking stance. Fortunately, that's how the motorcycle feels as well
Note the little hole above the second screw on the Royal Enfield Himalayan's screen. It suggests that the screen can be repositioned in a more vertical orientation. We didn't try it but a more tilted back position would actually have been more useful for hot summer rides
India's only genuine off-roader? Surprisingly, yes. The Royal Enfield Himalayan's 19-inch front wheel and superb chassis offer enough feedback, great friendliness and startling ability once the tarmac ends. You won't need to go to Ladakh to enjoy this motorcycle
The Royal Enfield Himalayan reimagines the adventure tourer turning the genre back to basics. It does work well for the motorcycle. There's an economy of design that's very appealing in its functional simplicity
The Royal Enfield Himalayan ergonomics are set up for an easy upright position. The handlebar is a bit taller than needed but that makes standing up and riding very easy
The Royal Enfield Himalayan does look like its large and tall but you'd be surprised at how wieldy the package feels once you're in the saddle
The front 'subframe' is mounted on a bar below the front of the tank. It serves the same purpose as a half fairing in terms of taking the load of the headlight, screen and instruments off the handlebar. It makes the steering effort low and offers a unique place to mount accessories or luggage. Clever! The welds on this 'subframe' are super ugly though and can stand a thorough cleanup
Is the Royal Enfield Himalayan a motocrosser? No. But it's off-road capability is genuine. A stronger, more responsive engine would have really made it something special. It's a terrifically easy to ride the motorcycle though and that's wonderful for new riders
The balance of the Royal Enfield Himalayan is very good and it makes riding it up on the pegs on tight trails slowly very easy. Here Shumi approaches a four foot section of a trail with a rock on one side and a four foot drop on the the other
The simple design does have a down side. The Royal Enfield Himalayan looks a lot more impressive in the flesh than in the pics. Note standard bash plate
The Royal Enfield Himalayan uses a dished rider's seat to keep the saddle height at 800mm - getting feet down is easy for most people
Royal Enfield Himalayan doesn't come with a load rating for the rack at the rear but with bungee points built in, it is a useful addition to the motorcycle
Yup the Royal Enfield Himalayan can jump. It's hard to bottom it out and it shrugs off the punishment without bother. Impressive!
The Royal Enfield Himalayan corners well. It's predictable and natural but not overtly quick to turn. The big issue is that you cannot really feel the contact patches and the Ceat Gripp XL tyres are far better off-road than on tarmac. Cornering fast requires steady inputs and a little faith
It's a genuine tourer in every way. At 30kmpl overall the range is 450km and the saddle is comfy for hours too. Wish the screen was less tall or adjustable. It's great in cold weather but it hinders the view in difficult conditions and stops airflow on hot days
The front 300mm disc on the Royal Enfield Himalayan doesn't lack for force. But the bite has been dialled way, way back, probably to allow control and useability off-road. It needs some getting used to. On the other hand, people upgrading to the Himalayan from a drum brake will only notice the increased brake force and find the experience comfortable
The center stand of the Royal Enfield Himalayan makes contact with the chain. Even worse it's really, really hard to use
The Royal Enfield Himalayan design believes in stating the obvious. Thankfully this tendency is restricted to the fuel filler cap's key cover
We are not fans of the heavily marked speedo. The similarly packed digital readout, though, you do get used to. The temperature readout can be a bit optimistic - it most certainly was not 49 degree Celsius during our test. Compass is pointless in today's use cycle
Simple switches of the Royal Enfield Himalayan work well
We found the crisp, clicky feel of the Royal Enfield Himalayan turn indicator switch oddly pleasing
The screen looks good on the Royal Enfield Himalayan but it's utility isn't fully convincing. In hot weather it keeps fresh air off the rider's chest - not good. In technical sections or bad weather, it also obscured crucial parts of the surface ahead
That's the wee oil cooler on the Royal Enfield Himalayan. We would recommend finding a cover to protect it from stones. This is true for all forward facing radiators
The Royal Enfield Himalayan gets two mudguards. The upper beak and the mudguard. During development it became clear that both were needed - the upper keeps splash back off the rider and the lower keeps the engine bay clean
Rubber covered foot pegs essential on the Royal Enfield Himalayan - vibration starts post 5,500rpm in earnest. But we like the removable design - serrated pegs should be great off-road and in slippery conditions
We love the simplicity of the Royal Enfield Himalayan brake lever
The Royal Enfield Himalayan pillion saddle is more spacious than it looks. A slightly lower peg position will make pillions even more comfortable
Straightforward, clean details like the Royal Enfield Himalayan tail lamp and rectangular indicators work well with the simplicity of the overall design
Love the simple side panel on the Royal Enfield Himalayan! The surface proved a lot gripper than the tank when one stands up on the pegs and rides
See the holes on the silver-grey panel just before the white tailpiece starts? One of the holes neatly hides the key slot to release the pillion pad. Lovely. Unfortunately, also notice the unsightly metal piece just ahead of the same piece on the frame tube. Ugly!
The upswept Royal Enfield Himalayan exhaust allows greater fording depth. Sounds better when someone passes you on a Himalayan than when you're riding though
Also read:
Image gallery: 2016 Royal Enfield Himalayan first ride review
Spied: Royal Enfield Himalayan on the assembly line
Royal Enfield Himalayan gets ready for debut
Royal Enfield Himalayan to be showcased in India on February 2, 2016
Royal Enfield Himalayan unveiled
Image gallery: Royal Enfield Himalayan
Videos: 2016 Royal Enfield Himalayan