Royal Enfield Himalayan Trial

Menus

• Single cylinder, 411 cc, 24.5 hp at 6,500 rpm, 32 Nm at 4,000 rpm, 185 kilos, from € 4,495
• A small, economical and versatile single-cylinder trail runner for a peaceful way to ride…
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• Engine and transmission
• In the city
• On motorways and main roads
• On departmental
• Off-road
• Part-cycle
• Brakes
• Comfort and duo
• Consumption & autonomy
• Conclusion

Single cylinder, 411 cc, 24.5 hp at 6,500 rpm, 32 Nm at 4,000 rpm, 185 kilos, from € 4,495

A small, economical and versatile single-cylinder trail runner for a peaceful way to ride…

And to think that we almost didn’t have it! Intended for the Indian market, where it first played the shooting stars, having experienced a flamboyant launch followed by a great disappointment, due to inadequate quality control and fanciful subcontractors, the Royal Enfield 410 Himalayan then corrected the shooting then pointed his nose in Europe. As in poker: just to see, since there was then no question of marketing it with us, which would have been impossible anyway, because with its carburetor and its conventional braking, it would not have passed Euro standards. 4.

The Royal Enfield Himalayan

Whether at EICMA in Milan in 2016 and then at the NEC show in Birmimgham, the Himalayan made a strong impression. So much so that the European distributors made this speech at the Indian headquarters: "Hey guys, there is a way to make some cash! ". The English distributor alone had indeed registered 300 pre-orders and were counting on 600 motorcycles in a full year. You hear them slip, the pounds sterling ?

Making cash is cool. But bringing happiness to people by contributing to their mobility is even better. It’s more noble. Suddenly, in Chennai (India), things got tough at Royal Enfield HQ: we looked at how to adapt the machine to make it pass these damn Euro 4 standards while offering it at an acceptable price. And this is where the Himalayan also makes a strong impression: with its launch price set at € 4.495, the 410 Himalayan competes with 125 scooters while offering something quite different: it is a simple and friendly motorbike, capable of taking you to work or to the end of the world, provided you know how to take the time to live, however, due to relatively limited performance.

Admittedly, the price will climb to € 4,795 from April 2018, once the launch period has passed. The brand’s importer, DIP, also offers a version equipped with two aluminum side cases, version sold for € 4,995 until the end of March 2018, then € 300 more after.

Discovery

Of course, we already knew her a little, having seen her in pictures everywhere. But in truth, the Royal Enfield Himalayan is reminiscent of the Yamaha XT 500 and not only in spirit. Here is indeed a simple machine, technologically basic, of reasonable dimensions, easy to access, economical to run and maintain and versatile with that.

Trial of the Royal Enfield Himalayan

And well equipped, in addition: engine guard, center stand, luggage rack with tie-down hooks, small windshield, supports integrated around the tank to secure soft luggage, additional jerrycans in case of long journeys or a wore your mother-in-law, depending on the mood of the day. At that price, it’s not bad at all, right? Finally, all it lacks is hand guards, available as an option, as well as, possibly, warnings..

The Himalayan marks a return to its roots, far from these manga-designed trails endowed with sometimes futile technological attributes.

In this sense, it remains in the DNA of the brand: classic motorcycles, already timeless. However, having only the choice between black or white is a fair bit; they couldn’t put us a pretty red and an adventure khaki, in the paint booth ?

The Royal Enfield Himalayan is available in white, or black

In the saddle

For a trail, the saddle height is very reasonable: 800 mm, a minimum value that it shares with another mini-trail, the Suzuki 250 V-Strom. We are far from what other competitors offer, such as the Honda CRF 250 Rally (895 mm!) Or the Kawasaki Versys-X 300 (815 mm).

The saddle of the Royal Enfield Himalayan

In fact, this reasonable height combined with a rather narrow fuel tank despite its capacity of 15 liters and a neutral and natural driving position make this machine a queen of ease of access. And this despite a heavy weight of 185 kilos (just like the Suzuki V-Strom, again): it becomes almost theoretical, because the center of gravity being very low, the machine is quickly forgotten; except, possibly, if you have to maneuver it on a staircase.

The driving position is quite natural

Complete the basic 500 Bullet counter! The Himalayan presents a new very complete dashboard, with a large meter on the left and, in the digital window, the time, the outside temperature, the gear indicator engaged, two trips and two average speed indicators (on would have possibly preferred information on average consumption or remaining autonomy). That’s not all: there is also an indication on the need for the service and on the fact that the side stand is unfolded (there is also a safety if we pass the first one). On the right, a small tachometer, a fuel gauge and, oh curiosity, a compass !

Counter of the Royal Enfield Himalayan

Simple, the commodos are to Japanese standards, the screen is not adjustable and there are no engine maps or 8-level traction control. If simple, the Royal Enfield 410 Himalayan is far from a stripped-down motorcycle..

Royal Enfield Himalayan Lighthouse

Engine and transmission

Royal Enfield feared for a moment that the single cylinder 500 might not pass Euro 4 standards: in the end it did not, although the Bullet 500 Euro 4 lost some driving character in the operation..

In fact, a new engine was designed during the development of the Himalayan. Called LS 410, this block does not break with the brand’s DNA. It is therefore an air-cooled 4-stroke single-cylinder (with an oil cooler on its left side), equipped with two valves and an injection. As in the case of the Bullet, the LS 410 is a "long race": its dimensions are indeed 78 x 86 mm. It is attached to a 5-speed gearbox.

Engine of the Royal Enfield Himalayan

Its specific values ​​are modest: 24.5 hp at 6,500 rpm and 32 Nm at 4,000 rpm. At equivalent displacement, a single cylinder Mash 400 Adventure does a little better: 29 hp & 31 Nm.

Despite its long-stroke architecture, this engine does not work in the same way as the Bullet 500: we do not feel this “gromono-style” piston stroke at low revs, it is less full at mid-revs. On the other hand, it is extremely flexible all the way down, takes more speed (almost 1500 rev / min more), vibrates little in the turns, does not growl when you accelerate frankly (unlike a Mash 400 Adventure whose mechanical approval is really dated) and has a little mono sound that is quite nice although unobtrusive. In short, unlike the Bullet, a larger rev range is used here. The 5-speed gearbox did not pose any problems during this test.

Muffler of the Royal Enfield Himalayan

In the city

Rather low in the saddle, thin at the tank, not too wide at the handlebars, it starts off pretty well for the city. And it continues too, with this engine quite discreet from a sound point of view and above all, very flexible: it starts again at 30 km / h in third on a trickle of gas, it cruises on the boulevards at 50 km / h in fourth at 3000 rpm and without any hiccups, no jolts. We must therefore praise the great flexibility of this single-cylinder, as well as the excellent precision of the injection and the smoothness of the response to the throttle..

The Royal Enfield Himalayan in town

We continue in happiness with a good turning radius and well-damped suspensions, which have the double merit of not swinging the racket on the cobblestones, nor of diving too much under braking. Finally, the clutch and brakes are distinguished by their smoothness and good dosage. But good !

On motorways and main roads

Want some good news? You can resell your Coyote subscription, because on the highway, the Royal Enfield Himalayan is unlikely to be flashed. The driver’s peace of mind gains what the recovery of public finances loses. Suddenly, this machine is full of virtues: to the point that Emmanuel Barbe posted a poster above his bed (and he dreams of it even at night, sometimes so loudly that the sheets remember it) while, beware, here’s a scoop, Chantal Perrichon has just bought two goldfish and called them Lima and Hayan (the old woman being a bit cinoque, she got it wrong in the spelling!).

The Royal Enfield Himalayan in a straight line

We guessed it: with 24.5 horsepower, the Royal Enfield 410 Himalayan is not the queen of teleportation (for that, I suggest you go on the test that was published just before on Le Repaire: that of the Ducati Panigale V4 S, so we will cover a large gap in motorcycle production). His little mono does what he can, he can’t invent an extension that his connecting rod can’t. Basically, at 100 km / h on the clock, we are at 5000 rpm. And at 6,500 rpm, on the edge of the red zone, we are exactly 130 km / h. Knowing that, unlike a Bullet, the LS 410 obviously does not move at "high" revs, it is likely that for the health of the mechanics, we will stick to a small 100/110 cruising..

At this speed, everything is fine. The small bubble deflects the air around the shoulders, but not over the top of the helmet. The saddle remains soft. The suspensions work well. All good !

On departmental

As, unless you are perfectly stupid, we understand that with 24.5 horsepower, you will have to take the time to live with this bike and suddenly, the secondary network is fully imposed. And here is that this machine is revealed again: it is easy, it does not make its weight, it relearns to make us roll up, to rediscover the road and the pleasure from another angle than that of the performance..

Turning the Royal Enfield Himalayan

In other words, we are well on the handlebars of this Himalayan. We remember the joys that our elders must have felt on the handlebars of their 500 XT, a legendary machine if there is one and an icon of motorcycling freedom and we say to ourselves that we should not be far from that on the handlebars of the ‘Himalayan. With the rigor of behavior in addition. Because on inexpensive machines, one cannot hope to find good suspensions, and these work well, in line with the spirit and vocation of the motorcycle. Another good point: a precise chassis, good steering feeling, Pirelli MT60 tires which grip very well. Weak points? We find the limits of ground clearance on attack and braking…. well we talk about it in the braking section.

Off-road

Obviously, we are not going to have endurance claims with this machine, but as part of a fairly soft all-road practice, or even strolls abroad on fairly rolling tracks, such as they are. found in the Bardenas desert or in Morocco, (not to mention the Himalayas!), the Royal Enfield Himalayan is doing quite well. Quite simply because the ergonomics have been well thought out, with an upright riding position that does not break the back or the wrists too much, which is often the case on trails that do not have a true TT vocation. There, it’s okay. The thinness of the tank allows the machine to be held between its knees and as we have already stressed on several occasions, the suspensions, if they do not have the incredible softness and travel of the Honda CRF 250, nevertheless work in a way consistent, without unwanted snowshoeing, as we have tried both on the rolling track and in scree. Note that the ground clearance of 220 mm ends up showing its limits, with a center stand that quickly hits obstacles. Finally, Pirelli MT60 tires will do the job well in the dry ….

The Royal Enfield Himalayan off-road

Part-cycle

As part of its grand strategy of expansion, Royal Enfield acquired in 2015 the Harris company, well known to racing fans for its ability to master the art of the frame. In fact, the Himalayan’s chassis was designed in Britain; as a reminder, Harris had also designed the frame of the Continental GT 535.

The design is classic: a simple steel cradle which doubles in its lower part, a conventional fork (diameter 41 mm, travel 200 mm), a very classic square section swing arm swiveling thanks to a mono-shock absorber with 180 mm travel . Obviously, no piloted suspensions !

The Royal Enfield Himalayan on the way

During the very first turns of the wheel on the handlebars of this Himalayan, we do not find the lightness of the front end of the small trails with 21-inch wheels (very classically 90/90 pavement). However, it is not cumbersome and it does not lock either, the machine remains neutral; a little later, it is enough to realize that this feeling has a beneficial side: the great precision of the direction, the rigidity of the front axle, the stability in turn.

Brakes

Signed Bybre at the rear (the low cost brand of Brembo) and without logo at the front, braking is entrusted to two discs (300 mm at the front, 2 pistons and 240 mm at the rear, a piston) , under the control of a Bosch ABS control unit. Considering the weight and performance, we can say that the braking does the job: at no time during this test did it cause any problems. Safety and slowdown ability are very decent.

Front brake of the Royal Enfield Himalayan

But doing the job doesn’t mean doing it brilliantly. The central ABS is very sensitive at the rear and the feeling from the front is nothing short of flamboyant. We have a fairly hard lever here, but the initial bite does not translate into disproportionate power. But again: we’re talking about a 24.5 horsepower motorcycle ….

Comfort and duo

In general, the press trials border on a poor lonesome cowboy experience. So it is with the life of the journalist test. But once is not customary, we nabbed a Geraldine. Blonde, the girl.

The Royal Enfield Himalayan in duo

She was there, on the side of the road, dreaming of an elsewhere that would make her leave her Parisian gray to bring her to Katmandu, where she dreamed of community life, of breeding long-haired goats, of love and soothing plants. Our paths were made to meet.

Stroke of luck: the Royal Enfield Himalayan allows you to visit the end of the world, for two. The space dedicated to the passenger is relatively generous, the saddle is not too firm, the grab handles are well sized. Even with a not-too-well-bred passenger, then we notice that the 32Nm is nothing too much and that here, the Bullet 500 is superior to it with its 41Nm obtained lower. But again, Himalayan is also a philosophy and a way of life. If you really want to, she will take you in a duo on the highest passes in the world, without flinching.

Consumption & autonomy

In normal use, the Himalayan seems to consume around 4 L / 100. It’s a bit longer than the 500 Bullet, but it’s true that with this LS 410 engine, you take more turns and you have to whip it a little more to move forward. The 15-liter tank thus guarantees more than 350 kilometers of autonomy. Not bad at all for such a compact machine.

Royal Enfield Himalayan tank

Conclusion

The Royal Enfield Himalayan is an ode to adventure, but also to simplicity and de-growth. To refer to the 500 XT is not just a figure of style, fashion or false nostalgia, such a modern flaw. If, at the time, with 32 horses, the guys dreamed of Tajikistan or Dakar, what is it that prevents us from experiencing the same trips with 24.5 horses but greater ease of use and, in the end? , similar performance.

The Himalayan thus makes it possible to reconnect with the simple and essential values ​​of motorcycles. Now is this a real Royal Enfield? Difficult question, since we only have the 500 monos to judge. In any case, in the absence of a truly transcendent driving force, it displays values ​​which seem to us to be in line with those conveyed by the Indian brand: real versatility, beautiful technical simplicity combined with attractive versatility, high costs. ‘reduced use, an absence of pretension which leads the machine, in the end, to deliver more than it promises (the time is rather in the opposite tendency).

The Himalayan is your everyday friend who will take you to the end of the world, if you really want to. All this for the price of a 125: a motorcycle to discover, absolutely !

The Royal Enfield Himalayan on road

Strong points

• Ease of use
• Flexible and voluntary single cylinder
• Very nice price
• Look: the head of the job !
• Full equipment
• Sobriety
• A2 license
• Correct comfort
• Historic brand !

Weak points

• Sensitive abs
• Braking without grace
• Ground clearance (attack and TT)
• Limited performance in absolute terms (but in real life, who cares a little)

The Royal Enfield Himalayan technical sheet

Test conditions

• Itinerary: a good hundred kilometers in a half-day test on the small roads of the Var, with a few off-road sections
• Motorcycle mileage: 300 km
• Problem encountered: the compass has lost its north (as long as it is not the pilot!). And the temperature indicator is fanciful: no, it was not 24 ° C at the end of January !

The competition: BMW G310 GS, Honda CRF 250 Rallye, Kawasaki Versys-X 300, Mash 400 Adventure, Suzuki V-Strom 250

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