Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

In 2016, Royal Enfield decided to offer all of its ‘Ladakh Paglu’ customers the option of an affordable and relatively powerful adventure motorcycle – the Himalayan 411. And while it won hearts and got a cult following, the quality issues in the engine, build quality, heavy weight and the lack of performance always made the purist look away. But Royal Enfield wasn't done. In its new era – they were ready to put aside all doubts, and this time around, win over even the more hardcore purists with the Himalayan 450. The all-new motorcycle was the stuff of dreams for most Indian bikers looking for an adventure tourer. A new more powerful engine, more capable chassis, modern features and a suspension that could compete with the international rivals.

I have ridden the Himalayan 411 a lot and more importantly, in the great Himalayas as well. Is the new Himalayan 450 a significantly better motorcycle then the 411? And should it now be the default choice for everyone looking for their first big adventure tourer? I was keen to find out in the week I spent with it in the city, on the highway and even on the trails.

It's a big boy! The Himalayan 450 is easily the biggest motorcycle being made in India. It's tall, wide and long – and easily looks intimidating on the road and even in the parking lot. Atop the motorcycle, all other bikes look like commuters and even cars start to appear smaller and lower. The large fuel tank and tall headlamp showcase muscle and power whereas the tank guards make it look rugged and ready for adventure. Furthermore, the beak-like front fender, tall windscreen and knuckle guards ensures an ADV stance. 

The steel twin-spar chassis tubes and suspension with 200mm travel suggest robustness and travel readiness from every angle. Its most apt rival in the Indian market is the KTM 390 Adventure and in terms of looks, the Himalayan looks more dominant and imposing whereas the KTM looks more sporty and action ready. 

It's modern too – with the circular LED headlamp and DRL being enough realtor for it to be a Royal Enfield. However, this headlamp is not at all good. At night and especially in foggy and rainy weather, the illumination is disappointing and you will have to invest in a set of fog lamps or a headlamp upgrade if you are serious about touring. These can easily set you back about Rs 30,000 - Rs 50,000. The taillamps on the other hand look fantastic. They are embedded into the indicators making the tail look much cleaner and the bike look properly modern. 

This time around – even the quality is excellent. The welds are clean and the wiring is well routed. The panels sit well and everything feels solid. Even the paint is excellent and has stood the test of time and adventure. The only real issue is the new HSRP number plate bracket. The rivets are bound to get loose and then it starts to rattle and make an irritating sound. 

Colours

The Himalayan 450 colour options are very sober and subtle. They include 6 shades – Slate Himalayan Salt, Slate Poppy Blue, Kaza Brown, Hanle Black, Kamet White, and Mana Black. Out of these, my pick is the Hanle Black, as the golden trim on the black paint stands out and even the golden rims are an excellent touch. It makes the bike stand out without making it feel loud or tacky. Royal Enfield launched the Himalayan 450 Mana Black Edition at Motoverse 2025, which comes with a bunch of offroad-focused accessories like full-length knuckle guards, a sleeker number plate holder, and a raised single-piece seat.

Wheels

The Himalayan comes with an orthodox 21-inch (90/90) front and 17-inch (140/80) radial rear spoked wheel setup. This is a classic ADV setup and offers great stability regardless of the terrain. These come wrapped in CEAT Gripp tyres which offer good confidence on tarmac and loose surfaces alike. Standard – the Himalayan comes with tube tyres. However, buyers can pay Rs 11,000 more while purchasing the motorcycle to get the tubeless spoke wheels which I highly recommend. Because If you leave the upgrade for later – it will be a serious cost. Initially launched at Rs 12,424 as an accessory upgrade for existing Himalayan owners, the tubeless spokes now cost Rs 40,645! And I am not even going into listing out the merits of tubeless spoke wheels while touring.

Build Quality

This is one of the areas where the new Himalayan has taken a major leap forward from the older Himalayan. Be it the welds, solidity of the panels and guards, the finish of the paint and the feel of the motorcycle in general - it feels like it is built to last.

Safety Features

Hilamayan comes with a well kitted out electronics package which will be very useful to the rider while touring or on trails. There is Dual-channel ABS with the ability to switch off the rear ABS for better control off the road. Then comes two riding modes – Eco and Performance. You have the ability to switch off the rear ABS in both modes. Furthermore, it gets ride-by-wire throttle for a more linear and smoother power delivery. The only thing missing here is Traction Control, something that really comes handy loose gravel but doesn't feel like a miss on tarmac.

Convenience Features

Once again, the Himalayan feels loaded. The Circular TFT screen looks and feels premium. It is not a circular holder with a square display but the entire interface has been designed to flow in this circular display. It comes with smartphone connectivity for calls and SMS alerts. More importantly though, it gets Google Maps navigation mirrored from the smartphone which is a massive convenience. Navigating the menus is also easy via the joystick. But while wearing gloves, the feel of the joystick is not enough and it should have been more tactile. The USB type-C port helps keep the phone juiced up as well. 

In terms of convenience features, I feel the only miss is the Cruise Control. It can be really helpful while touring and on a mid-capacity adventure tourer – it is a must have. 

Storage & Practicality

Royal Enfield has a massive catalogue of optional panniers and luggage systems like tank bags and tail bags which integrate seamlessly with the bike’s frame. And if you are willing to look into the aftermarket, you will even get jerrycans for fuel, larger panniers and a lot more. These easily mount on the available multiple mounting points and make the motorcycle highly practical for long-distance touring.

There is no hiding it, the Himalayan is a tall motorcycle. The seat height is set at 825mm and for taller riders, they can easily raise it 845mm with the lever in the seat mounts. Excellent solution. This means the bike is easily adaptable for someone who is 5' 7" to someone who is over 6’ tall. And if you are shorter than that, Royal Enfield is even offering you an accessory low seat which starts at 805mm and can be raised to 825mm. Thai ensures anyone over 5’ 5” will be able to ride the bike confidently. 

The seat of the Himalayan is also relatively wide. This makes reaching the ground with both feet firmly planted a task that only tall people can achieve. However, if you are confident with operating the motorcycle on your toes or on one foot on the ground, it won't feel difficult to operate. However, this is definitely not a beginner friendly setup. The challenge is not only to get the feet down – but also to manage its weight. With a 196Kg kerb weight, this is a heavy motorcycle. Moving it around in the parking lot will take effort and if there is an incline involved, this will get drastically more difficult. Even putting it up on the main stand takes muscle. It feels very top heavy. 

Get over these two obstacles and the Himalayan 450 starts to shine. The seat is very comfortable and the riding posture is comfortable. The footpegs are mid-set and the handlebar is wide which lets you have a very commanding stance on the motorcycle. This upright stance keeps you comfortable and fatigue free even after long hours on the motorcycle. 

Pillion Comfort

The pillion seat is also as good as the front seat. It is wide, very well padded and long which means even the pillion has some space to move and stretch. The footpegs are not too high and the legs follow a natural sitting posture. Even the grab rails are large and easy to hold. Overall, this seat will turn even the non-bike touring pillions want to give it a shot. 

The all-new Himalayan uses an all-new engine as well. Named the “Sherpa”, this 452cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine is a leap forward from the 411. This one makes 40PS at 8,000rpm and 40Nm at 5,500rpm. And apart from the power and torque, this one is also a lot more refined and rev happy when compared to the older one. Though, not as sporty as the KTMs. It comes with a 6-speed gearbox, again a huge improvement over the old 5-speed but you don't get a quickshifter. The NVH and vibrations are also a lot more controlled now – though I still won't call this engine refined.

City Performance

This is a tall single-cylinder engine and hence a very torquey one. Getting off the line is simple – just start leaving the clutch and the pull from the engine is strong. Add throttle and the Himalayan accelerated with a sense of purpose. It does not feel lethargic or slow and the engine is happy to rev. This makes overtakes simple and you won't struggle to pass even the faster traffic in the city. What you will have to get used to is downshifting. This is not the most tractable of engines and at lower RPMs, it does struggle a bit. This means a quick downshift and bringing the bike in the power band makes the overtake more effortless. While you don't need to downshift – I would suggest you get used to this as it makes the bike feel more alive. There is also no real heating issue here.

The Eco mode is more than enough for the city and ensures that the throttle response remains smooth. Even when you open the throttle suddenly - the power is not overwhelming and feels controlled. The performance mode makes the throttle response more aggressive. The bike starts to feel more sporty and the power comes in quicker with a sense of urgency. This was my default mode while riding the motorcycle but mileage conscious riders can remain in Eco without any complaints. 

Highway Performance

This motorcycle was built for the highways. The upright riding stance, tall seat height, and the long wheelbase all give it excellent highway manners. You can get into a cruise easily and do about 120kmph without much effort. However, beyond 120kmph is where this engine starts to feel strained. Overtakes will make the bike buzz and it will start to feel outside its comfort zone. However, things do not get very uncomfortable and if you are going to settle back into a cruise, the ride will remain manageable. The Himalayan is a fantastic motorcycle for easy and laid back touring where you can soak up the views while the motorcycle stays in its comfort zone. 

Gearbox

While there is no quickshifter, the shift action is crisp and positive. Pair that with a light clutch feel and you don't even miss the quickshifter anymore. Seasoned riders will anyway start to make clutch-less shifts as soon as they get familiar with the motorcycle. 

Mileage

Fuel efficiency didn't disappoint during testing - around 28kmpl in the city and 31.8kmpl on the highway. Supported by a 17-litre tank, the overall tank range becomes well over 500km.

Underpinnings

This new Himalayan borrows nothing from the older one. The twin-spar frame is new and so is the suspension setup. 

Brakes

The Himalayan uses a 320mm ventilated disc at the front with double piston calipers and a 270mm ventilated disc with a single-piston caliper at the back. The front brake feels strong and progressive to use. THey stop the bike confidently and the feel from the lever is also good. The ABS intervention is also late so you can control the brakes to a large extent. The rear brake however feels a bit vague. The rear lever lacks feel and is best used with the front and not independently. 

City Handling

It's a heavy bike and the only way to hide this is to keep riding. Hence, as long as you are riding, it feels stable and easy to maneuver. Passing traffic feels easy and the bike feels sure-footed while leaning to cut through cars and other traffic. It is not quick or effortless, but feels confident. However, in stop-and-go traffic if you try to change directions too much, it will tire you out. Even taking slow u-turns will take a conscious effort.

Highway Handling

This is where the long wheelbase and the weight come together to give the motorcycle excellent stability. When cruising at 100kmph, the bike feels rock-solid. Ruts and creases on the road don't shake the bike and you can happily and comfortably sit through all the bad patches. The bike doesn't feel too sharp while changing directions and the handling remains neutral and predictable.

Cornering

I was surprised. A top heavy, large and long motorcycle is not supposed to be so much fun on winding and twisting roads. The Himalayan 450 inspires confidence to lean and open the throttle in corners. The stability helps you tilt the bike confidently and enjoy the corners. Be a bit more enthusiastic and it will happily start to scrape the pegs as a reminder that you are on an ADV.

Ride Quality

Let me put it this way. The ride comfort of the Himalayan 450 is like a magic carpet. No other motorcycle, not even twice its price range, can match this level of stability and comfort. The Showa 43mm USD fork (200mm travel) and monoshock (200mm travel) soak up bumps like you are gliding over them. And it's not just about how it absorbs impact, and also about how the bike settles down after it has absorbed it. It soaks up all the harshness and quickly becomes stable again. Be it on broken city roads, on trails or touring on highways – the Himalayan 450 is the most comfortable motorcycle you can buy at this price point.

The Himalayan 450 is not just a new generation of the 411, but a massive leap forward. Its strengths are its touring ability, the effortless power delivery of the engine, its solid build quality and unmatched comfort. This makes the Himalayan 450 an excellent motorcycle for someone who is looking for a tourer, especially with comfort and effortlessness as the priority. And for prices ranging from Rs 3,05,736 to Rs 3,37,036 (ex-showroom) - this is a lot of motorcycleSpeaking of touring, the Royal Enfield Moroccan Odessey has been announced (of course, for the Himalayan 450), and it spans over 12 days covering almost 2,000km.  

However, if you are upgrading from a sporty motorcycle, you would miss the outright punch and performance in the Himalayan 450. And if you are a new rider, the tall stance and the almost 200kg weight will also intimidate you. This is when you would have to look at the KTM Adventure family or the XPulse 210 which are easier to live with on an everyday basis and get more tech – though with slightly compromised touring abilities.

KTM 390 Adventure

The KTM is a lighter, sharper, more performance-oriented motorcycle. It also packs more electronics like traction control, quickshifter, cornering ABS, and cruise control. While the KTM is easier to live with on a daily basis, it is not as comfortable and well built as the Himalayan 450.