Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 - Kamet White

Nyoma, Ladakh. 4180m above sea level. Go there, grab a cup of chai from one of the cafes and watch the traffic passing. That should tell you all you need to know about the Royal Enfield Himalayan. A motorcycle born in the mountains, in less than a decade since its inception, that is synonymous with exploring this legendary region. The new Himalayan is an extension of that - it is shaped and built by the Himalayas, taking everything that was great about the original and adding more capability when the terrain demands it. Everything you need, and nothing you don’t; that was the overriding brief to the team. So, there are no features included that do not have a purpose. The new Himalayan is about simplicity, efficiency, just like the original.

Just like the original, the all-new Himalayan is not about dominating the landscape and smashing through the terrain with aggressive tyres and a glut of horsepower. It is built to harness the power of the Himalayas and state of flow; to explore, be in harmony with the landscape and enjoy it while being capable of getting to the most remote areas. The new effortlessly adapts to the terrain, to the rider, and to the elements.

Capable but not intimidating; is the ethos of the Himalayan. From the improvements to power, performance, and handling, the all-new Himalayan is an easy, forgiving motorcycle to ride. Superb balance at low speed, combined with the new light-action clutch and smooth throttle response from the ride-by-wire system, makes easy work of tight trails and tight traffic alike. The adjustable rider seat lets you tune the fit of the motorcycle, and the clear, easy-to-use Tripper Dash gives you all the information you need when you're riding.

On a twisty mountain road, the new chassis offers improved cornering performance to match the extra power of the engine. Offroad, the extra ground clearance, improved suspension travel, and widespread torque from the engine make every trail easier. The new, more powerful Sherpa 450 motor gives useful improvement to highway riding as well as maintaining better performance at high altitude. The new motorcycle has more ground clearance to avoid getting beached off-road and a clear, simple navigation system to remove the need for a separate GPS unit on the handlebars.

The new Himalayan has more power and torque, giving excellent low-rpm performance while staying true to the Royal Enfield character. With a maximum power of 40.02 PS at 8000 rpm and a maximum torque of 40 Nm at 5500 rpm, the new 452cc Sherpa engine makes 90% of its torque from 3,000 rpm upwards, providing a tractable power delivery without needing to be revved to the moon to go anywhere. This characteristic is most helpful when climbing slippery slopes, allowing the Himalayan to find traction where others will spin. The performance, combined with the torque delivery, also allows comfortable two-up riding along with luggage.

The new engine features a semi-dry sump design to maximize ground clearance and allow compact packaging. As Royal Enfield’s first liquid-cooled engine, it uses an integrated water pump and twin-pass radiator setup for optimum cooling, crucial when riding technical terrain at high altitude, something this motorcycle is fully intended for. A new six-speed gearbox means greater flexibility of ratios and better highway cruising. This drives through a new, cable-actuated slip-and-assist clutch, giving a lighter clutch action and longer clutch life.

The new Himalayan has higher ground clearance and long-travel suspension, which let you tackle more technical terrain without catching the chassis on the floor. An all-new steel twin-spar frame has been designed to give these benefits in an off-road situation, without making the Himalayan too tall or intimidating. The new frame is stiffer and stronger, improving cornering performance and stability. The chassis includes a new Showa, cartridge-type inverted fork, designed to work across a wide range of conditions from smooth roads to rocky riverbeds.

Quality suspension is not just about performance; a well-controlled fork makes it easier on the rider when tackling loose, unpredictable terrain, letting them concentrate on where they want to go, rather than reacting to every bump. The Himalayan retains the proven 21” front/17” rear wheel combination, with newly developed aluminium alloy rims and bespoke tyres for superior grip, confidence-inspiring handling, and stability in both on and off-road conditions. Additionally, the wider 140/80 rear tyre offers better traction and more confidence on tarmac or off-road conditions.

With the new chassis and compact engine came the opportunity to improve rider ergonomics, particularly when riding in a standing position. The new motorcycle is narrower between the legs, allowing better control standing up and making it easier to get feet firmly on the floor when sitting. The rear section of the new 17-litre fuel tank has been slimmed down to give a more comfortable knee recess when riding. The split-type rider and pillion seat allow the rider seat to be adjusted up by 20mm. In addition to the standard seat, there is a low seat available as an option.

Between the standard and the optional low seat, the rider gets a wider range between 805mm, all the way to 845mm seat height. This, combined with the narrower frame and tank, equates to better ground access. Both the rider and the pillion seats, as well as the seating triangle, have been designed to offer maximum comfort for long hours on the saddle, on or off the road.

Taking from the brief of ‘everything you need, and nothing you don’t’, the technology that made the cut on the new Himalayan is all there for one purpose - to improve the experience for the rider. First and most prominent is the new Tripper Dash. The classic round shape has a number of innovative features for the rider, with options to switch from a traditional analogue style to a digital layout.

The new Tripper Dash offers the world’s first full map navigation on a round display built with Google Maps engine, with audio guidance in more than 130 languages. The joystick controller on the left-hand switch allows you to control the cluster as well as music, calls, and messages as part of the mobile connectivity. Riders can choose between Performance and Eco ride modes, altering the throttle response through the new ride-by-wire setup. Rear ABS can be disabled for a more engaging off-road ride experience.