I wasn’t anticipating loads from the launch of the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450.
The trip was occurring proper down the road from my home and I do know many of the trails fairly nicely. They’re fireplace roads that I’ve seen Harleys and Camrys driving down. Nothing massive, nothing technical, nothing that the dainty Himalayan would wrestle to make it up. And whereas its identify implies a sure technical off-road prowess, it is a $6,000 motorbike.
I had the sense that it’d possible be much less succesful than a Honda CRF300L Rally.
However the important thing phrase in that sentence above concerning the trails was “most,” because the Royal Enfield of us scouted a route I would by no means been on. And aligning much more with this motorbike’s namesake mountain vary, the mountains close to me had acquired each ounce of the rain we most desperately wanted in June and July throughout a single week in August.
The week earlier than the trip.
Although the heavens parted, the precipitation they’d introduced remained, and it had carved foot-deep ruts, left two-foot-deep mud puddles that had been the complete width of the path, scattered rocks and boulders, unearthed roots, and crammed water crossing after water crossing with deep, darkish water. The rain had additionally compacted parts of the paths the place you could possibly run flat, bouncing off the Himalayan’s rev limiter, daring you to upshift, and sending you off crests pinned in fourth.
By the top of the day, mud stained my tooth from grinning as I splashed by way of every successive puddle, my hair felt like a horse’s coarse mane, I would G-d out the bike on one event, despatched it up rutted it hill climbs, sliced by way of Utah’s lovely ribbony tarmac, and possibly broke my tibia (TBD).
This $6,000 motorbike. This seemingly no matter machine I used to be prepared to write down off. This little child journey motorbike. Effectively, it has no enterprise being pretty much as good as it’s, and if you happen to purchase another journey bike within the subsequent few months, you are an fool.
Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield
Once more, once I had considered what this trip would entail as I left my home within the morning, I figured we might take it straightforward, run some fireplace roads, do some tarmac stuff, and it might be a nice, albeit quiet, trip by way of my mountains. One thing akin to its predecessor and certain extra intently resembling Husqvarna’s 401s. Advantageous, however not an journey I would keep in mind in my twilight years.
We had the introduction to the motorbike, I used to be informed of the brand new engine, the improved torque and horsepower, how Royal Enfield engineered the body and suspension, it is 8-inches of journey, and the 4 completely different modes (Efficiency, Efficiency minus ABS, Eco, and Eco minus ABS). I used to be additionally launched to the Himalayan’s TFT screencasting, its fundamental interface, and the engineer’s underscoring that it could possibly be mounted with a hammer if want be.
Foreshadowing.
And whereas I listened and watched the presentation, although they’d taken it to the Himalayas and supposedly examined it, I’ve ridden a variety of the mainstays of the journey motorbike lineup in recent times, and all of these seemingly have higher specs. “It is a scrambler for people that wish to cosplay as adventurers,” I whispered to myself as I appeared over the bike within the convention room.
Boy was I fucking improper.
After a brief freeway romp, we headed off-road and onto a semi-slick fireplace highway in a slot canyon that had simply been graded. The filth, Utah’s famously nice substrate, was slick and I had rapid considerations as I had no traction management, nor correctly knobby tires. All we had had been the CEAT dual-sports. But, whereas the Himalayan moved round each time I hit these preliminary greasy spots, it felt controllable. It moved with my inputs as a substitute of in opposition to.
Greater than that, it felt as if it was goading me additional. As if it was telling me, “Hey, bucko, give up being a wimp. Let’s have some enjoyable.” So I obliged.
We picked up velocity steadily at first, however the additional we obtained, the sooner our caravan of bikes went, because the Himalayan nearly grew to become an extension of my legs and arms. Just a few miles in, we hit our first water crossing, a 30-foot-wide river that was two ft deep at its lowest level, and with semi-quick working water. I plowed by way of with out concern. Two extra crossings occurred shortly after the primary, considered one of which’s far financial institution had grow to be immensely slick after repeated Himalayan crossings and featured a big gap proper within the path of journey. Even with the dual-sport CEATs, I pirouetted round with out concern.
After which the speeds obtained actual.
As we moved out of the canyon, we discovered ourselves on hard-packed trails that had been pretty straight. Feeling increasingly assured with the Himalayan’s capabilities, we began pushing. What is the previous saying, “Sooner and sooner till the joys of velocity overcomes the concern of dying”? That is what raced by way of my mind as I clicked the Royal Enfield into third, dashing throughout the path.
Crests littered the trail forward and the eight inches of journey surprisingly soaked each single bounce up. It obtained to the purpose the place I used to be actively looking for jumps and hops simply to ship the Himalayan flying as soon as once more. However in my pleasure, I didn’t see a very giant crest forward—as did everybody else—and at a velocity I am not allowed to debate in well mannered firm, in addition to needing to attend out the statute of limitations, I despatched it. Myself, in addition to my cohorts, slammed into the filth, G-outing the bike, which hopped up upon rebound, letting me do a small wheelie out.
Expletives had been shouted.
After which the terrain modified as soon as once more. As we made our manner up into the upper parts of the mountains, the cover grew thicker, shade fell onto the path, and the climbs grew steeper. As such, the torrential rain that Utah acquired per week earlier hadn’t dried out. Huge, deeply rutted mud puddles made the trail ahead seem like the Moon’s floor. Simply crammed with cold-ass water. And that nice, silty strata that surrounds the puddles turns to ice each time water will get onto it. The pucker issue was actual.
Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield
But, for a protracted whereas, everybody made it by way of with out concern. Even on these compromised dual-sport tires, the little Himalayan was simply shredding. Each time we stopped to catch our breaths, our cadre of riders could not cease laughing and smiling, all of us uttering some model of, “How the hell is that this motorbike going by way of all this?!” We had been working by way of spots the place correct filth bikes had been having hassle. The place Mavericks and RZRs had been having points and getting caught.
And whereas a couple of of us wanted some pushes by way of a few of the mud, the Himayalans simply stored going just like the Energizer bunny.
Everybody fell, although. The mud was past slick. I would be stunned if even a set of full-on knobby tires would’ve helped. However as I watched everybody round me drop their bikes, decide them again up, and keep on, I had managed to maintain my steed upright even by way of the worst of it. I congratulated myself quite a few instances.
However I jinxed it.
One of many highlights of the Royal Enfield presentation was that the Himalayan is designed from high to backside to be easy. Easy to make use of, easy to take care of, and easy to repair. The thought is that it could possibly be mounted by the aspect of the highway someplace within the Himalayas with a hammer and never a lot else. I wasn’t planning on testing that facet, however the situations had different ideas.
As I obtained to a very giant, well-shaded, deep mud puddle that folk had already blasted by way of, I hesitated for a fraction of a second, then despatched it. And whereas I obtained out nice, I gave it a bit an excessive amount of throttle upon exit, the rear wheel slipped out sending the bike right into a slow-speed tank slapper, and I went down. It did not really feel like a tough hit because it was occurring—thanks, adrenaline—however the bike had come down on my left leg exhausting.
As soon as I extracted myself, I limped up and obtained the bike upright to examine the harm. I would bent the shifter, curving it nearly in on itself, and had tweaked the bars exhausting to the left. But, with the assistance of one other rider, we obtained the bars again to heart, and with a stick I discovered on the aspect of the path, I bent the shifter again to the place it was imagined to be. And although it was caked in mud, and had simply been practically broke, it labored nice.
My leg was OK for the remainder of our journey, although as I write this, I’ve it elevated with ice and have made an appointment for X-rays trigger it might be damaged. And sure, I had a full off-road boot on.
Our remaining stint was on pavement by way of the willowy tarmac that surrounds the Unita Mountains. These roads are closed throughout winter, so that they by no means see a plow, they’re by no means salted, and there aren’t any actual fault traces to trigger upheaval. As such, they’re excellent. They make Los Angeles’ well-known roads seem like cut price basement trash—I can say that having lived in LA for a decade. And it was right here that the Himalayan carried out its remaining revelation.
Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield
Someway, utilizing some historical black magic, or simply some actually well-thought engineering, Royal Enfield gave this motorbike some critical road-going chops. It is mild and nimble. It hugs corners and allows you to get your knee down. And whereas it would not have a variety of energy or torque, what it has is put down low sufficient so that you’re by no means bogging down or revving the piss out of it simply to make it up a hill.
As soon as once more, I discovered myself pushing the motorbike sooner and sooner (throughout the velocity restrict, in fact) and laughing to myself how this cheap little motorbike was simply blowing previous all my preconceived notions. I used to be actually blown away, as had been my counterparts using with me.
I really feel like I have to reiterate this again and again, however the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 has a beginning worth of $5,799—this features a 3-year, unlimited-mile guarantee, too. That is lower than half of a Honda Transalp, a Yamaha Tenere, Suzuki’s V-Strom, and thrice lower than BMW, Ducati or KTM’s choices. And yeah, I am placing the Himalayan 450 with these bikes as having ridden most of them, I can say hand on coronary heart, it will sustain with them. Hell, it’d even beat them in some respects. It completely does in worth.
Critically, if you happen to purchase a brand new journey motorbike that is not a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 within the yr of our darkish lord 2024, you are a moron. It could simply nicely be excellent. At the least, that is how I really feel after flogging the ever-living hell out of it and never discovering a single flaw.
God, I need one.
