Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 vs Triumph Scrambler 400 X vs KTM 390 Adventure Spoke Wheels vs BMW G 310 GS: Specifications Compared

The 300-500cc ADV segment is an amazing one. These bikes have enough power to handle touring duties while not being overly difficult to ride when pottering around the city. And most importantly, them being ADVs means they have no issues taking on our broken roads. 

And this very segment has seen two new entrants in the past couple of months: the all-new Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and the Triumph Scrambler 400 X. Yes, you might say that the Scrambler 400 X isn’t exactly an ADV, but its core principles are the same: enough space to load luggage and handle highway duties, while having decent off-road capabilities.

And now that we’ve introduced two of the heavyweights, it’s time to talk about the other two. From team KTM is the fast and sporty KTM 390 Adventure Spoke Wheels, while representing team BMW is the capable but pricey BMW G 310 GS. Let’s see how that goes: 

Engine

While the 390 Adventure SW makes the most power in this batch, its engine is a rather revvy one, so it’ll require an experienced hand to get the most out of it at slower speeds. The Himalayan 450, on the other hand, makes a solid 40Nm at just 5500rpm (lowest in the batch), meaning it has oodles of torque from the word go. Getting out of sticky off-road situations, hence, is quite a lot easier on the Himalayan. That said, both engines are more than capable of maintaining high cruising speeds all day long.

Triumph has made some changes in the Scrambler 400 X (as compared to the Speed 400) and that has resulted in the Scrambler feeling like the better highway bike. It can hold 100kmph all day long and it’s only when you start hustling it above the 110kmph mark that you start feeling the vibes creep in. As for the baby GS, it can do 100kmph all day long too, but anything above that and the bike gets irritatingly vibey. All in all, you wouldn’t go wrong with the Himalayan 450, KTM 390 Adventure or the Scrambler 400 X. But in this company, we can’t help but find the G 310 GS a tad underpowered and buzzy.

Underpinnings

The 390 Adventure’s fully adjustable suspension is a testament to the sheer wonders adjusting your suspension can do. Adjust it according to your weight and the once stiff ride quality makes way for an extremely plush ride. And the new spoke wheels make going off-road even better given that spoke wheels have more flex and can be repaired more easily than alloys. The one major downside, though, are the tubed tyres, meaning puncture repairs will always be a pain. That will be something you will have to deal with on the Himalayan 450 too… at least till the spoke wheels with tubeless tyres arrive in India. 

As for the Scrambler 400 X and the G 310 GS, they both have plush ride qualities as well, so in terms of pure comfort, you wouldn’t really go wrong with any of them. 

Dimensions

With its massive ground clearance, 21-inch front wheel and loads of suspension travel, the Himalayan 450 makes a mockery of the other three when it comes to off-road capabilities. It really can swallow anything and everything you throw at it and it’s hands down the winner in the group when it comes to getting down and dirty. 

The Scrambler 400 X, meanwhile, is easy-going and has a fair bit of off-road capabilities too. The ergonomics are nice and the engine has good bottom-end grunt, meaning this scrambler can take on trails rather well. Only when you really start pushing it does the 150mm suspension travel feel inadequate. 

As for the 390 Adventure SW, the spoke wheels surely help its off-road cred. But again, the engine is where it loses ground. It’s a rather rev-happy one so you will have to work it out, especially to get out of tricky, slow-speed off-road situations. 

The G 310 GS will handle minor trails and rough roads well, but the alloy wheels and fat on/off-road tyres aren’t suited for tricky trails, so do watch out for that.

Features

Well well, who would’ve thought a Royal Enfield bike would actually be among the most feature-packed of the lot! Its TFT dash scores high on readability and is very uncomplicated. The 390 Adventure also has a TFT, but it is a rather busy one, and you will need time to get used to it. And sadly, it misses out on turn-by-turn navigation, something that is very useful for such tourers. 

While the Scrambler 400 X’ semi-digital console looks nice and old-school, we wish it had a digital speedometer and analogue tachometer instead, as that makes reading it just so much better. And as for the G 310 GS’ monochrome LCD console, it just looks rather dated in today’s day and age.

Price And Verdict

(all prices ex-showroom Delhi)

Royal Enfield and Triumph have both priced their bikes fantastically, scoring high on the value for money quotient. If your riding is mainly confined to the city, the Scrambler 400 X, with its narrower proportions, lower weight, and better flickability, would make for a better bike. But if you intend to religiously go mile-munching – coupled with some off-roading every now and then – the more versatile Himalayan 450 might be better for you. 

As for the 390 Adventure, its Rs 3.61 lakh price is quite steep and you do realise that you’re paying the extra money for the adjustable suspension. If you lean towards the sporty and fast side of things, wanting to munch miles at a good pace and have some cornering fun while enjoying the practical benefits of an ADV, the 390 Adventure makes sense for you. As for the G 310 GS, you can’t help but feel that its Rs 3.30 lakh price tag is unnecessarily expensive, especially given that the other three bikes are all a lot more versatile than the GS. So it’s safe to say that you can eliminate it from your consideration altogether.