LAUNCH TEST – 2024 ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 450 - JUST BIKES

LAUNCH TEST – 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

Words: Phil Suriano

Photos: Courtesy of Urban Moto Imports

When on press launches for new adventure bikes, it’s rare the launch will be held in the sort of territory and terrain you’ll ultimately ride the bike in, should you choose to purchase it. As such, I was rapt that the Australian launch for the new Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 was held in the Victorian High Country – a section of Australia I’m very familiar with and have ridden many times. The location wasn’t the only thing I enjoyed on this launch…

LAUNCH TEST – 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

Having already been exposed to the new Himalayan 450 at EICMA last year, I knew what I’d see when Urban Moto Imports invited myself and a bunch of other motorcycling journos and brand ambassadors to the new model’s Australian launch. I’d only seen the bike though, not ridden it, so the 3-day launch ride into and around the High Country would be an ideal introduction.

New. Really!

‘New’ is a word that gets bandied about too loosely these days, but in the case of the Himalayan 450, it is appropriate, as it’s a completely new motorcycle from the ground up.

Key changes over the old Himalayan 411 include an all-new, liquid-cooled engine, dubbed the ‘Sherpa 450,’ that’s increased in capacity to 452cc and features ride-by-wire throttle control. The gearbox is now a six-speed, the chassis is all new and more compact, there’s TFT instrumentation in place of analogue gauges, improved brakes and new suspension, too.

The Himalayan 450 is also bigger in virtually every area compared to its predecessor, from height to ground clearance, disc rotor size, fork diameter and more. Yet despite all this, it’s a full 4kg lighter than the model it replaces. That’s pretty remarkable, even more so when you know the Sherpa 450 on its own is a full 10kg lighter than the outgoing LS410 single.

Styling and features remain reminiscent of the original Himalayan, with everything well thought out. People expect adventure bikes to have a certain ‘look’, so the Himalayan 450 doesn't disappoint in that respect, appearing rugged and purposeful, while still offering some room for style on things like the sidecovers, decals and colours. Of the latter, there are four options for Australia – Kaza Brown, Slate Salt, Slate Poppy Blue and Hanle Back. I spent most of my time at the Australian launch on the latter that comes standard with anodised gold rims.

Overall, the extra ground clearance, shortie silencer and spoked wheels, along with specially designed Himalayan fork protectors, provide the look and feel you want on an adventure bike.

Head, tail and indicator lights are all LED, which I believe is a first for Royal Enfield. The rear indicators are too big for my taste (more on that later), but the wheels look excellent and clearly add to the style. Tyres for the launch bikes were all CEAT ‘Gripp Rad Steel’, which are standard fitment and provide a surprising amount of grip on the road, but reach their limit in serious off-road terrain.

The other notable change on the new Himalayan over the old is the adoption of TFT instrumentation. This takes the form of a 4.0-inch circular screen, which along with the usual bike information, provides phone connectivity, music control and navigation via the Tripper app-based system, which is fitted as standard.

The single gauge for everything – with adjustment via a joystick-type control on the switchgear – is certainly an improvement aesthetically and practically over the old instrumentation, which was a bit of a dog’s breakfast.

Bullish on Buller

For the Himalayan 450’s Australian launch, the team from Urban Moto Imports (Royal Enfield’s Australian distributors) presented us with terrain in the Victorian High Country to test the limits of not only the bike but also ourselves. Our test ride included a visit to the famous Craigs Hut and Mount Buller.

For those familiar with the High Country, there are plenty of gnarly tracks that can test any machine. Add water, some severe inclines and declines, a few rocks and plenty of dirt roads and you have the makings of a seriously challenging ride.

We actually rode out to the High Country from Urban Moto’s Melbourne headquarters, which gave us ample time (3+ hours) to experience the on-road performance of the Himalayan 450 before we hit the loose stuff. The whole aim of the multi-day ride was to experience the terrain and riding conditions you’d typically encounter should you use this mid-size adventure bike in the way it's intended. As such, the launch included urban, highway, country roads, gravel roads, river crossings, fire trails, 4x4 tracks, single tracks and in some instances, no tracks at all.

Nice and Narrow

Straddling the Himalayan 450 for the first time, I immediately noticed how narrow the bike is through the front of the seating area, meaning it’s easier to plant your feet. There are two seat height options, both of which offer 20mm of adjustment - the standard 825mm seat adjusts up to 845mm, with the 805mm low seat adjustable up to 825mm. Adjustment is easy and can be done in a matter of seconds. Seat comfort was immediately noticeable, with sufficient width towards the rear providing support where you need it.

Like the seating, handlebar position is comfortable; all part of an ergonomics package in line with the previous Himalayan, ie. upright and ensuring maximum rider control. For me, it was pleasing to note that Royal Enfield have maintained the riding position of the previous model.

Switchgear is still easily accessible, despite the addition of things like rider modes (Performance and Eco), switchable ABS and screen display controls. The TFT screen was clear and legible, offering essential information at a glance, with the option of an ‘analogue-look’ for the display, too. I like seeing a large number for what speed I am travelling, so the fact the new Himalayan offered that was a plus. The much larger screen makes its use for navigation far more practical than the previous Tripper system, too, but it should be noted that this still requires pairing with your smartphone and is not a standalone unit.

Tech like this puts the new Himalayan way ahead of the old version. Could they have done more? Of course, but you need to remember that this is an adventure bike priced under $10,000. More tech means higher prices and also goes against Royal Enfield’s ethos of ‘Pure Motorcycling,’ so don’t expect to see stuff like traction control, wheelie control and lean-sensitive ABS on a Himalayan anytime soon.

That being said, this bike has everything you need to get out and experience what our great country has to offer – both on the road and beyond.

Start and Go

With senior Royal Enfield personnel from India and the UK joining us, including Chief of Design, Mark Wells, we set off from Melbourne for Mount Buller. On start-up, the Himalayan 450 sprang to life with a characteristic thump, and engaging first gear was smooth, without any jerkiness. Clutch action was light and forgiving, making it easy to operate for riders of all skill levels – especially important for a LAMS motorcycle.

Gear shifts were crisp and precise, with a well-defined feel that eliminated any guesswork about gear positioning. Having that sixth gear was a boon on the highway sections of the launch, making 100km/h speeds a cinch, in turn making the ride much more relaxing.

Once underway, the additional power from the new, liquid-cooled single was noticeable – 29.4kW vs 18.2kW will do that! – with throttle response more than ample to outpace traffic from the lights. The increased torque – 40Nm vs 32Nm - came into its own around town, but was more appreciated on rugged High Country trails where we were often slowed to a crawl.

With the previous Himalayan, there was a real need to stay on the accelerator while climbing, but this new engine is like the single found in Suzuki’s DR-Z400. It’s very forgiving and just chugs up an incline, even if you’re not in the optimal gear. Of the transmission, ratios at the low end were well spaced to assist with ascending and descending.

While not many riders will need it, the airbox has been repositioned higher up, so you’re less likely to drown the new Himalayan when crossing deeper sections of water.

Flickable – and Stoppable

In terms of handling, the new Himalayan is a significant improvement on the previous model. I put a lot of that down to the reduced weight and new suspension, including the Showa USD fork. Travel has increased to 200mm front and rear, so there’s far less of the bottoming out that blighted the previous model.

As a commuter, the Himalayan 450 is still an easy, forgiving bike to ride, with excellent balance at low speed, a light clutch action and smooth throttle response. But get it off-road and that reduced weight becomes even more of a positive factor, allowing you to really throw the bike around when negotiating rough terrain.

Tipping into corners, at either high or low speeds, the Himalayan was very responsive, holding a nice line. On exit, power could be applied quickly without the bike getting squirrelly.

The tyres were part of this improved handling on road, and while it’s harder to define where the off-road improvements come from, I’ll put it down to the reduced weight. The wheel combination is still a 21-inch front and 17-inch rear, but there’s now a 140/80 section rear tyre, so maybe that was a factor. With some of the off-road tracks we found ourselves on, that 21-inch front allowed us to roll over obstacles easily and was fine for twisty road sections, too.

Like most of the other cycle parts, brakes on the Himalayan 450 are a big step up from the previous model. Front and rear discs are larger, with ByBre calipers and switchable ABS as standard. It must be noted that ABS can’t be completely disengaged, though, which I’m sure some adventure riders will moan about.

To explain, with the ABS “off,” it is completely disengaged from the rear for tail-out slides, but intervention on the front wheel is reduced not removed. Additionally, the two riding modes – Performance and Eco - have ABS on and off subsets. These rider modes can be changed on the fly, but changing ABS function directly requires the bike to be stationary.

A Great 3 Days – and a Great Ride

From the experience we had over three days in the Victorian High Country, including some extreme and very challenging terrain, I came away impressed with the Himalayan 450.

In an effort to show how sturdy the new adventure bike is, Urban Moto Imports really put us to the test, with nearly every rider on the launch experiencing an off or getting caught short on a deceptive incline. We all got a few scrapes and bruises on the extremely difficult tracks and our bikes got bashed about, too, but none failed on us, which I was impressed with.

On the launch, the factory CEATs proved to be ideal for the road, but were challenged off-road and we ended up dropping tyre pressures down to 22psi for some sections. So, if your riding will take in a lot more dirt than tarmac, then a set of suitable adventure tyres is recommended.

The Himalayan isn’t just a bike for the most extreme terrain, though. It can provide a rider with the roadster they need for urban commuting and the capable adventure bike they want for the weekend – it can easily switch from the urban sprawl to open bush without any problem.

Excellent Improvement

In summing up, I’d say that Royal Enfield listened to the market when they developed the Himalayan 450. In terms of performance, handling, torque and suspension, improvements over the old model are broad, which I had heard about, but I wasn’t expecting it to be that much of an improvement. The other journalists with me were just as impressed.

My only gripe was the rear indicators. Even before the ride, I thought they’d be the first thing to break off in a fall. Sure enough, when I had an off, the rear indicator hit the ground and popped off, but much to my surprise it popped back into place like nothing had happened. Thank goodness for flexible mounts! That being said, I still would change them.

What is also great about Royal Enfield is the fact they encourage customisation. There’s a bunch of factory accessories available for the Himalayan 450, from a taller screen (very handy for highway use), to sumpguards, handguards, auxiliary lights, multiple luggage options and cosmetic parts.

As the rollout of the Himalayan 450 began in March, it should be in your nearest Royal Enfield dealership by now, with the accessories range in-store, too.

I’m loathe to use the word ‘excellent’ for any bike, as different people react differently to a motorcycle’s features and performance, but in my opinion, the Himalayan 450 is an excellent entry-level adventure bike.