Touring On The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450: 5 Things I Learnt

We at ZigWheels rode down to India Bike Week 2024 from Pune and I was astride the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. As someone who wasn’t really a big fan of the adventure/tourer genre, the experience was quite interesting. I got to experience the Himalayan the way it was meant to be experienced. Out on the open highways and the ghats. Here are 5 things I learnt about the bike after this ride: 

The Sherpa Doesn’t Disappoint

One of the first things that I learnt after riding the Himalayan was, how fast and powerful the engine is. As someone who is coming from a 155cc Yamaha MT-15, the upgrade in terms of power and performance was clear from the get go. 

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is powered by a 452cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine which outputs 40PS and 40Nm. When it comes to real world performance, the bike feels relaxed when cruising at highway speeds. It also has enough torque at the higher revs to also make quick overtakes.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed by the performance. I can honestly say, it made the trip all the more enjoyable. Earlier, I wasn’t a big fan of the Himalayan as I only got to ride it in the city. The Sherpa engine tends to heat up quite a bit when riding in slow traffic, and this was a bit annoying. But only after taking it out onto the highway did I really understand what the engine was truly capable of.

It’s Like Sitting On A Couch

Riding the Himalayan 450 for hours at a stretch was quite easy for me given how comfortable the bike was. The upright riding posture and overall relaxed ergonomics really made the day-long trip a relaxed experience.

The seat manages to strike a fine balance between being hard and slightly cushioned. Usually with softer seats, short rides in the city are easy. But once you get out onto the highway and start riding for hours, you will experience some discomfort as your butt starts to sink into the foam. On the Himalayan’s seat I didn’t have to worry about this issue throughout the entire ride.

Indian Roads Are No Obstacle

One of the things that we have to accept is how diverse Indian roads can be. One minute you might be riding on well-paved tarmac and on the other you might be riding like you’re on an Enduro race. 

The long travel suspension did a really good job at soaking all bumps and potholes on the way. During the ride, most of my colleagues were having a tough time dealing with the bad patches of the road. But on the Himalayan, I didn’t have any trouble. The ride quality was consistent and the trip was quite enjoyable overall.

Handles Like A Dream

Riding through the twists and turns of Anuskura Ghat was definitely the main highlight of this trip. Now, usually people who ride an ADV aren’t able to take full advantage of what the twisties have to offer. But this was not the case with me. 

The Himalayan just blew me away with its amazing handling, the bike just tips effortlessly into corners. This was what I found the most surprising. Sure, I knew the bike would be fast and comfortable but I never imagined it could be so agile.

Before the trip I didn’t expect the Himalayan to be like this. As a shorter guy (5’7), my experience with the Himalayan in the city was not the best. I had a hard time managing the bike’s weight and moving it around in general. So the agile handling and such ease of riding just came as a pleasant surprise.

It Won’t Destroy Your Pocket

Before the trip down to Goa, I had reset my trip meters after filling a full tank of fuel. The bike has a capacity of 15-litres and after a trip of 402km, the bike only used up 13.37 litres. 

This translates into a not so bad mileage of 30.06kmpl after some spirited riding. Overall, with a full tank of 15-litres the Himalayan could offer a range of 451km. Which is quite good for an ADV in the 400-500cc segment. 

Verdict

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 was not a bike I thought I would enjoy this much. As someone who has always been more of a naked streetfighter enthusiast, this experience on the Himalayan was an eye opening one.

But if you ask me what is the most important lesson I learnt from this experience. Then it is that the bike is not always the limiting factor when it comes to having fun. As long as you know what you’re doing, you will be able to extract maximum performance out of any machine.