One of the Best Affordable Adventure Motorcycles Just Got Even Better
Roughly 14 months ago, I was sitting in a very different spot: rather than a New York City apartment, I was straddling the saddle of a scrappy Royal Enfield Himalayan Scram 411, throttling breathlessly through the Himalayas in Northern India, and nothing could slow me down.
Royal Enfield’s first liquid-cooled option, the Sherpa is a 452cc single cylinder that makes almost 40 horsepower at 8,000 rpm. Based on my experience, I would say it’s much better suited for ascending the high Himalayas — and generally tearing up the trails wherever you choose to ride.
Well, except for the bike itself. In general, it punches well above its weight (and price), but as we summited mountain passes at or near 18,000 feet, that 411cc engine struggled mightily, seemingly feeling the altitude even more than our unadjusted lungs were.
Which is why the latest news out of Royal Enfield is pretty exciting. Just launched in the USA, the all-new Himalayan 450 features a significantly bigger, more powerful engine, which promises higher speeds, easier climbs and more breathless thrills — at a starting price point well below $6,000. Here’s everything you need to know.
Royal Enfield Himalayan 450
Powering up
One factor that enables Royal Enfield to keep costs down is the brand’s tendency to make the most of every engine it develops. In other words, they have no compunction about placing a potent new power plant into a range of models.
Toward that end, the new Sherpa 450 is present in both RE’s new urban bike (the Guerrilla 450, stay tuned for a review) and this new Himalayan. Which, as long as they continue to keep the bikes this affordable, I have no qualms with. That’s especially true for the Himalayan, which this particular engine is clearly designed to support (hence the name).
Source: www.gearpatrol.com
