2023 Royal Enfield Himalayan review: The only companion you need

We know Royal Enfield very well, or so we thought. Because, when the premium bike manufacturer unveiled the second-generation Himalayan at a popular international two-wheeler expo, it stunned people, period. Then the first look videos came out and multiple articles were written about it. You know the drill.

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So, while people were still debating about the new Himalayan's looks on online forums, we headed to Vagator, Goa to take part in the Motoverse (formerly Rider Mania) and during our five-day stay there, the steed at our disposal was a Kamet White Himalayan. So, what did we learn riding the adventure motorcycle over five days and hundreds of kilometres? Read on to find out.

Polarising looks

We were not floored by the new Himalayan when the first set of official images was released online. Sure, it looked modern and purposeful, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. In person though, the motorcycle makes you fall in love with it. The simple design ensures there's nothing on the bike that is not needed. The headlamp is circular, the beak pronounced, handlebar wide, seating stepped, and the wheels are wire-spoked. 

But the two highlights of the design, for us at least, were the bulbous fuel tank and the clean tail, with the BMW-inspired stop lights. Also, do not be fooled by the way the exhaust canister looks in the pictures, for in person it is rather tiny and the actual exhaust is right under. It is impressive then that Royal Enfield has ensured that the bike comes with 230 mm of road clearance.

The dash

Well, the digital instrumentation of the motorcycle is rather nice to look at and is very simple to use. One can leave it to the bike to decide when to change the theme of the readout (the display changes between light and dark themes depending on the availability of one Mr Sun) or select a theme manually.

Between the buttons on the right- and left-hand side of the handlebar and the toggle situated next to the horn, selecting menus and settings is quite easy. The navigation through the Royal Enfield app though made us swear a couple of times. It needs some tweaking in our opinion. Also, the placement of the pass button is not ideal, in our opinion.

Hop, jump and skid

All these shortcomings do not matter when one settles on the motorcycle when on a ride. The roads around Vagator are not a great bunch. But that did not matter on the Himalayan. Road cracks, crests, dips and nasty potholes did not impose a problem even at speed and surprisingly, the motorcycle eggs you to go fast... really fast.

That is thanks to the 452cc, 4-valve, liquid-cooled motor and 6-speed gearbox combination. With 40 PS and 40 Nm on tap, pushing the 196 kg motorcycle to serious speeds is not an issue. What's more, Royal Enfield has got the gearbox right this time and with the slip and assist clutch, shifting through the ratios is a breeze.

But it is not the powertrain that shines whenever the bike is ridden. Rather it is the twin spar tubular frame and the suspension (USD and mono-shock) with 200 mm travel on each end that makes the ride special and indeed it is a special feeling riding the motorcycle, whether one decides to pootle around or ride like a maniac. For, unlike a traditional Royal Enfield, this motorcycle wants to be thrashed and one does end up thrashing it. However, the able suspension and chassis ensure that the rider and the pillion passenger are not beaten after a day of hard riding.

Taking turns

That 21-inch front rim and the top-heavy body structure of the new Himalayan should not instil confidence while taking a corner and yet one is confident that the bike will stop, turn and go no matter the speed. Yes, it does not turn like a naked bike created to tame city roads, but the front end does not feel as if it will washout every time one shows the bike a corner. What's more, the adventure tourer nature of the motorcycle also demands that it be ridden in a certain way. Funnily enough, that way of riding also makes one's mind calm.

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Verdict

After spending merely an hour on the machine, one understands that it will go where the rider wants it to go and it will be a companion, rather than a transporter. That, we think, is what makes the second-generation Himalayan a great bike. Yes, it does not have the smoothest engine and the material quality is a bit questionable in places. But it will take its owner where he/she wants to go and it will do so by returning around 30 km/l despite reaching the destination rather quickly. Royal Enfield claims the new Himalayan is 'Built for all roads. Built for no roads'. Damn right, it is!

Priced between INR 2.69 lakh and INR 2.84 lakh (ex-showroom Chennai, introductory)