First Ride: 2018 Royal Enfield Himalayan Review

by Michael Satterfield

For two weeks I used the Royal Enfield Himalayan as my only form of transportation as I traveled across Texas, through 102 degree summer days and torrential rainstorms that came on in an instant, the Himalayan and I would face it all and I had a blast doing it.

I picked up the bike in Dallas from the Royal Enfield Southwest distribution center, the team was excited to talk about the bike and gave me a quick walk around and some pointers before I strapped my bags on and started the 2-hour ride down to my sister's house, just south of Waco.

Adjusting mirrors and getting acquainted with the bike on the way towards the interstate, the bike felt really good, all the levers and pedals felt solid, the switches felt good, and the instrument cluster was easy to read. Jumping on the interstate 35W headed south, I quickly discovered the Achilles' heel of the Himalayan - power. The 411cc single produces 24.5 bhp and 23.6 lb-ft of torque, which is more than enough to ride along at 65-mph, but on Texas Interstates where many of the speed limits are 80-mph, it can be a little disconcerting. The bike will do 80-mph, but that is pushing deep into the red line with no luggage on flat ground, add a passenger, gear, or a big hill, and you are going to find it hard keep pace with fast-moving traffic.

I had to keep reminding myself that while the Himalayan looks like a big bad dual-sport that it is just a 411cc single and that it has an MSRP of only $4,499. When you look at the competition the Himalayan is just a few hundred dollars more than the much smaller Yamaha TW200 which is only packing 198cc and it is around half the price of a Suzuki V-Strom 650. Looking at the Himalayan through those filters really gives you a better view of how much content you get for under $5,000 with this bike.

After a few days of tooling around Waco and the adjacent areas, I took the bike down to College Station about an hour and a half away via the back roads. The Himalayan is really built for this kind of riding, 55-60 mph along winding country roads, with the occasional dirt road thrown in for good measure. Shifting through the gears the bike is responsive and easy to handle even on loose surfaces. The twin piston 300mm front and single piston 240mm rear brakes provide more than enough stopping power and are on par with what is offered by most 650cc dual-sport bikes on the market.

Continuing their partnership with Pirelli the Himalayan comes equipped with the MT 60 Enduro tires. The MT 60 provides excellent performance both on and off-road and is honestly a much better tire than I would have expected on a bike at this price point. The Pirelli tires also don't have the noise issue that many dual-purpose tires have at higher speeds on the tarmac.

The instrument cluster is also another highlight of this bike, featuring a speedometer, tachometer, trip meter, fuel gauge, info center, and a compass. The fuel gauge is by far one of my favorite features on the Himalayan since I had an idea of what my range was I could better plan my rides and stops. My cross-country motorcycle trip was on a bike with just a speedometer and odometer, so I know that having more information is a good thing. The compass also did come in handy when I was out on some small back roads and trails, I knew the general direction I needed to go, so keeping on course was easy and didn't require me stopping to check the map all the time, I just kept heading south and eventually got a crossroads with a sign pointing me towards the town I was looking for.

My only minor complaint is that the bike has a laughably small luggage rack for what is being sold as an adventure bike. I understand that the rack looks great and fits the bike well stylistically, but the function of the rear rack left a lot to be desired. You can purchase the factory designed aluminum panniers to add a substantial amount of storage to the bike, but they will set you back another $1,000.

Overall after 1,000 miles and 14 days on the Himalayan I have to say it is a good bike, if you need a motorcycle that can do almost everything the Royal Enfield is a steal, if you are planning to do a lot of transcontinental high speed runs, you will need to buy something with more power. For weekend adventures, around town, backroads, and the occasional freeway run, the Royal Enfield Himalayan offers a lot of bang for your buck and I wouldn't mind having one in my garage.

For more or to find a dealer near you visit the official Royal Enfield website HERE.

Check out the official specifications and my video review below:

2018 Royal Enfield Official Specs:

Engine/Gearbox

Type

Single Cylinder, 4-stroke, Air cooled, SOHC, Fuel Injection

Displacement

411cc

Bore x Stroke

78 mm x 86 mm

Compression Ratio

9.5:1

Maximum Power

24.5 bhp @ 6500 rpm

Maximum Torque

32 Nm @ 4250 rpm

Ignition system

Digital electronic ignition

Clutch

Wet, multi-plate

Gearbox

5 Speed Constant Mesh

Lubrication

Wet sump

Engine Oil

Semi-Synthetic 15W 50 API, SL Grade & Above JASO MA 2

Fuel supply

Electronic fuel injection

Air Cleaner

Paper Element

Engine start

Electric

Suspension:

Type

Half-duplex split cradle frame

Front suspension

Telescopic, 41 mm forks, 200 mm travel

Rear suspension

Monoshock with linkage, 180 mm wheel travel

Dimensions/Weight:

Wheelbase

1465 mm

Ground clearance

220 mm

Length

2190 mm

Width

840 mm

Height

1360 mm (Fly Screen Top)

Seat height

800 mm

Kerb weight

191 kg

Fuel capacity

15+/- 0.5 lts

Brakes/Tires:

Front tire

90/90 - 21"

Rear tire

120/90 - 17"

Front brakes

300 mm disc, 2-piston floating caliper

Rear brakes

240 mm disc,single-piston floating caliper

Electrical:

Electrical System

12 volt - DC

Battery

12 volt, 8 AH MF

Headlamp

12V H4 60 / 55 W

Tail lamp

LED

Turn Signal Lamp

12V, 10W X 4nos