BMW F 450 GS vs Royal Enfield Himalayan 450: Detailed Comparison

BMW Motorrad recently launched the F 450 GS in India, and on reading the title, your first thought might’ve been that the BMW F 450 GS and the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 aren’t direct rivals, given their big price gap. And you’re right. This story isn’t a direct comparison between rivals. Instead, it’ll help you answer a very practical question: given how versatile and enjoyable the Himalayan 450 is, do you even need to splurge extra money for the F 450 GS, given that the Himalayan 450 is plenty capable, be it commuting, touring or off-roading? 

Price & Variants

• BMW bikes have historically always carried a premium, and so does the F 450 GS. And when compared to a smaller bike, the F 450 GS sounds even more expensive. The differences in the base variants are almost Rs 1.65 lakh. That much money will take care of fuel expenses for at least 3-4 years if not more, on the Himalayan 450. 

• The Royal Enfield bike wins this round by quite a margin. The Royal Enfield bike is priced very well and even the premium that the more expensive paint jobs demand are quite nominal amounts.

• Of the 6 colourways on offer, we think Hanle Black really stands out. The golden shades on the tank and even on the rims look very attractive, while the overall black shade keeps it subtle and doesn’t let the gold look too flashy. 

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Dimensions & Design 

• One thing that stands out on the Himalayan’s brochure is the 196kg kerb weight. It is a heavy bike, and there’s no denying it. Yes, you will get used to its weight while commuting, but when you head off-roading, you will feel the extra kilos. And that means even though the Himalayan has a bigger front wheel, more suspension travel and ground clearance, it’ll be the harder bike to ride in tricky off-road conditions. 

• While the BMW F 450 GS doesn’t have very impressive off-road specs, it’s still plenty capable and the low weight means it’ll also be easier to ride off the road. So while the Himalayan 450 might be more capable, the F 450 GS might be easier to ride off road. 

• In terms of design, the BMW F 450 GS does feel like a baby GS. The headlight, sharp edges and curves and the overall design, it feels like a smaller version of the BMW R 1300 GS. 

• The Himalayan 450, meanwhile, looks simple and like an authentic adventure bike with the big beak, 21-inch front wheel, massive ground clearance and an overall tall boy look. It’s simple and old-school but we quite like the way it looks. And its size also gives it great road presence. 

Features & Safety

• The F 450 GS is a BMW bike, it has to be loaded with features, of course. The bike has pretty much everything you can think of at this point. Its party trick is the Easy Ride Clutch system, through which you can ride the bike without having to engage the clutch, essentially like a 450cc scooter. 

• That can be an encouraging feature for beginners when riding off-road, given that they do not have to bother thinking about the clutch or stalling the bike. 

• Royal Enfield, meanwhile, has kept things simple with the Himalayan 450. The circular TFT is easy to read and has just enough features to still make it feel like a modern-day adventure bike. 

• But then, apart from switchable ABS and a slipper clutch, the bike doesn’t really have anything else to boast of. 

• What we would’ve liked to see on this Royal Enfield adventure bike is a basic traction control system. It’s a powerful bike, and given our unpredictable roads, traction control is always a nice thing to have on a big bike. 

Engines

• Both bikes’ power and torque figures are in a similar ballpark, and that could confuse prospective buyers. But the number of cylinders is where the difference is. 

• The BMW, being a twin, could very well make things more effortless than the Himalayan 450’s single-cylinder engine. 

• The Himalayan 450 is an extremely competent tourer, but we know it’s not the smoothest of engines at triple-digit cruising speeds. In fact, annoyingly so, it vibrates in the exact sweet spot where the engine feels happiest to cruise. 

• The F 450 GS could solve that by being a bit smoother at cruising speeds. 

BikeDekho Says 

To answer the original question that we posed in the intro, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 truly is a capable bike. It can commute well, is an excellent tourer and is very capable off the road as well. Yes, there’s its weight, but you will get used to it in the city, over a period of time. And when you combine that with its much lower price tag and much lower running costs, that means most people will lean towards the Himalayan 450 for obvious reasons. 

So who should stretch to the BMW F 450 GS? For starters, those who want something that feels like an extremely premium product. Be it the GS’s finish levels or even the BMW badge, the F 450 GS carries an aura that few possess in this segment. It also truly feels like a mini GS in a lot of ways, and if you’re a fan of the bigger GS bikes, this one will feel special as well. 

Rivals

Want something more modern, fancy-looking and tech-loaded? Get the F 450 GS. Want something that has bulletproof reliability, old school and easygoing? Get the NX500. 

The RTX 300 is a big, premium-looking ADV which is tech-loaded and is a great tourer. Those on a budget will prefer the RTX 300.

For a lot less money, the 390 Adventure is still an extremely good tourer, commuter and an even better off-roader. So unless you really want the BMW badge, you can get the KTM instead.

The TRK 502 neither has the versatility nor the premium appeal of the F 450 GS, making the Beamer the better choice of the two

The Versys-X 300 hasn’t been updated in ages and it feels quite dated now. So for most people, the F 450 GS will make for a better buy.