Wait For Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 LC Or Buy KTM’s 390 Adventure?

We all know that the first-generation Royal Enfield Himalayan had its fair share of quality and refinement issues. Thankfully, they were fixed with subsequent model year updates and it only got better from there. 

The company swung into action and delivered some mind-boggling, high-quality products like the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650. The jump from its age-old UCE to the all-new J-platform for more mainstream bikes garnered a huge amount of praise as well. And there’s more in the pipeline. 

We already know the new 650s are coming along, but what everyone’s really excited about is the upcoming Himalayan 450 LC. The bike’s been built from scratch from the looks of it and there’s a lot to like. It could be the perfect midsized ADV for the Indian market. So, if you’re looking to buy your first mid-capacity ADV, then is it worth waiting for the Himalayan 450 LC, or just go for the KTM 390 Adventure?

The KTM 390 Adventure currently retails at Rs 3,37,043 (ex-showroom Delhi), and our hunch says the Himalayan 450 may undercut the Austrian bike by around Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000, making it the more affordable alternative. If Royal Enfield manages to price the bike well and extract similar or better power figures, it’ll work wonders for the brand. 

Its power figure should match that of the 390 Adventure. But if you take Enfield’s engine characteristics into account, it should make substantially more torque than the KTM, say around 37Nm, that too lower down in the rev range. Again, these are pure speculations. 

On the flip side, the new Himalayan may weigh a lot more than its Austrian rival. So, we’ll have to see how the two perform on paper. Expect the new Himalayan to be more easy-going in terms of power delivery. The 390 will continue being the more frantic choice. 

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Where the Himalayan 450 may come into its own is in the hardware department. Unlike the 390 ADV which is essentially a soft-roader with some off-road capabilities, the Himalayan seems more committed to taking you off the beaten path. We aren’t saying it’s a hardcore off-roader, but it has the equipment to tackle some treacherous terrain. 

For starters, the bike features a 21/17-inch wire-spoked wheel setup. A larger 21-inch front wheel helps the bike roll over bumps with more ease. Secondly, spoked wheels are more flexible and durable than single-piece cast wheels. They won't bend or crack under pressure while off-roading, which makes them the preferred choice across off-road bikes, enduros, dirt bikes, scramblers and ADVs. 

Then there’s the ground clearance, which seems to be a tad more than the 390 Adventure – again, good for off-road. If its fuel tank design is anything to go by, it may hold more fuel compared to the 390 too. Add a much larger windscreen, thick seats and a rugged design to the equation and you have a bike that may be better suited to take on the roads of Leh…hopefully. 

The 390, on the other hand, will have the upper hand in terms of braking and safety equipment. Features such as traction control, multiple riding modes, cornering ABS, ride-by-wire throttle and a full-colour TFT display may help it claw its way back into the fight. Let’s not forget refinement and build quality which may also work in KTM's favour. 

All said and done, we think the Himalayan 450 should be the better-equipped bike if you're looking for a proper adventure tourer, and may be worth the wait till its launch in 2023.