Yezdi Adventure vs Royal Enfield Himalayan Road Test Review: Photo Comparison

Let's find out whether or not it makes sense to save a few thousand rupees and get the Yezdi ADV over the Royal Enfield Himalayan 

Yezdi Motorcycles have recently made a strong comeback in the Indian market and its product portfolio also includes an ADV. So let's find out how the newly arrived motorcycle fares against its primary rival the Royal Enfield Himalayan. 

Starting with the design, while both the bikes look pretty identical, there are a few differences. The Yezdi Adventure gets all-LED lights, while the Royal Enfield Himalayan uses a halogen bulb for its headlight and turn indicators. The knuckle guards are offered as a standard fitment with the Yezdi Adventure, while you'll have to get it installed additionally on the Himalayan. 

The equipment that is identical on both bikes include a windscreen up front, a split-type step-up seat, an underbelly pan, an upswept exhaust, and a tail rack. 

Talking about the features, the Yezdi Adventure gets USB type-A and type-C ports that could have been better placed. The ADV also gets a tilt-adjustable Bluetooth-enabled LCD instrument cluster with turn-by-turn navigation that can only be paired by a single contact number. The space utilisation on the Yezdi's dash also could have been improved. The Royal Enfield Himalayan, on the other hand, only comes equipped with a semi-digital console that displays a compass, gear-position, odometer reading, and other basic information. The Himalayan's cluster also gets a turn-by-turn navigation (tripper navigation) system as standard. 

Powering the Yezdi Adventure is a 334cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that makes 30.2PS and 29.9Nm. The Himalayan draws power from a 411cc single-cylinder air-oil-cooled motor that churns out 24.3PS and 32Nm. Considering the lesser weight (11kg lighter), one extra gear, modernised engine and the 5.9PS more that the Yezdi puts out, it was bound to perform better in 0-100kmph acceleration test when compared to the Enfield. In fact, the Yezdi is quicker than the Himalayan by over a second in 0-100kmph dash, and its extra gear ratio makes it feel livelier in lower gears too, making it slightly more efficient in the city than the Himalayan.

The Yezdi's motor comes paired with a six-speed gearbox while the Himalayan uses a five-speed unit. The difference here is the tall yet tractable gearing that the Himalayan gets, which, coupled with the torquey nature of the motor, prevents stalling of the bike when the rider isn't in the right gear. However, this isn't the case with the Yezdi, as the rider needs to give more throttle inputs in order to get going. The Himalayan’s tall gearing also helps in achieving better efficiency. 

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In terms of the NVH, the Yezdi could have been better as the bike sounds a little harsh when you rev it hard and fast, and the vibrations can also be felt on the seat, pegs and more distinctly, on the fuel tank. 

Talking about the ergonomics, while the Himalayan is easy and accessible, the Yezdi, on the other hand, gets higher set foot pegs, making it a hassle for shorter riders to get their foot on the ground in the least amount of time.

The rides of both the bikes are taken care of by a telescopic fork up front and a monoshock at the rear. However, the Yezdi doesn't feel that comfortable to ride since there’s this continuous vertical movement the rider experiences even on smooth roads. The rear monoshock’s chattery nature tends to throw the rider off the seat on sharp bumps. The Enfield, on the other hand, absorbs everything in its stride, thanks to its supple and pliant suspension tune. 

The braking hardware is also identical on both bikes as they use disc brakes at both ends that are further assisted by dual-channel ABS. In our test, we learnt that this setup works pretty well for the Yezdi, as the rider doesn't need to put in extra effort to bring the bike to a standstill. Also, the lever progression, brake bite, and ABS calibration have been carried out well on the Yezdi. The braking performance of Himalayan, on the other hand, has disappointed us and needs to be improved. 

Both ADVs roll on a 21-/17-inch spoke wheel setup with an identical front tyre profile. However, the wider 130-section rear tyre on Yezdi offers more confidence and balance to the rider while initiating sharper turns. 

Talking about the price, the Yezdi starts at Rs 2,09,900 (Slick Silver) and goes up to Rs 2,18,900 (Ranger Camo) (ex-showroom Delhi). The price of the Himalayan, on the other hand, starts at Rs 2,14,887 (Mirage Silver and Gravel Grey) and goes up to Rs 2,22,526 (Pine Green and Granite Black) (ex-showroom Delhi). As you can notice, both the bikes are priced pretty close to each other and both have their pros and cons. The Yezdi needs to be more polished, while the Enfield, though feels dated, gets the basics of touring and off-roading right. It seems to be a better allrounder for the time being, as it might receive a significant update, but that shall take some time.