Motorcycle specifications Royal-Enfield410 Himalayan 2018 The road to India

Royal-Enfield can embark on the dusty dreams of adventure. The journey beyond the wheels, makeshift pebbles, paths without signs or borders, or simply daily exercise on the streets of New Dehli - a whole program that the Indian brand will embellish with its own sauce. For those who want to go there or thereabouts, this is a machine that has nothing in common with the Bullet, Classic or Continental GT. Its name is that of the most famous mountain range, located just beyond the horizon where the manufacturer is based. Himalayan. And how would you like to come across yaks, chortens and other bits of Tibet on a 400?!

That's where the difference between culture shock and lifestyle shock comes in. In the trail bike market, we fat, rich Europeans only see adventure in huge, fully-engineered machines that are heavy, overpowered and packed with electronics. With the Royal-Enfield 410 Himalayan, you're in the adventure business before you even get started. The bike is simple, ready for anything, offering the essentials. It looks more like a Japanese trail-utility than a mountain bike. Could it be that we've finally found the mountain lion of motorcycles?
The chassis is very simple, consisting of a classic tubular steel cradle frame, to which a 41 mm fork with 200 mm travel, a 180 mm monoshock and 21" spoked wheels at the front and 17" at the rear, shod with mixed tires, have been added. Nothing exceptional yet... because that's what the Himalayan is all about. Ground clearance sets the tone: 220 mm. A reasonable value for a little cross-country riding, on a par with the R 1200 GS. Except that the little Indian will find it easier to get around the terrain, weighing in at a hefty 185 kilos. Half a kilo less is noticeable at the end of the day... and even before. With 15 liters of fuel in the tank, the adventuress will be able to ride for a long time. Its engine won't gobble up tons of fuel, but it won't be exuberant either.

No Superbike engines or neutron thrusters. On the Himalayan, technology is at the service of the tried and tested to withstand the trying. We're not going to climb the curves of the Portimao circuit; we're going to go everywhere without going too fast. The engine is a 411 cm3 single-cylinder. A basic, long-stroke design with ribs measuring 78 x 86 mm, the block is fed by fuel injection and breathes through 2 valves (1 ACT). Cooling via fins on the cylinder head, 5-speed gearbox, chain final drive, and modest performance. The engine produces 24.5 hp at 6500 rpm, and torque peaks at 3.4 mkg at 4000 rpm. Not enough to set lap times and keep the rider glued to the throttle, but that was never the goal. The aim is to ride without fuss, everywhere, all the time. And with such simple technology, you can fix almost anything in any remote village where there's a DIY enthusiast. Go and change a control chip when you're on the road every day between Kathmandu and Raxaul.....

The brakes don't swear, they're designed to do their job. A single 300 mm disc at the front with a 2-piston caliper, and a 240 mm disc at the rear. The equipment for everyday use is more evocative: metal engine cowling, fork protection gussets, small bubble, protective bars for the fuel tank, rudimentary but sturdy luggage rack, side and center stands, and a dashboard that's far more modern than you'd expect. It's all there: rev counter, fuel gauge and needle tachometer, digital window with outside temperature, trips, time, gear engaged and digital compass.

The 410 Himalayan has no intention of shaking up the adventurous segment. It doesn't have the same arguments as the dominant R 1200 GS or the surprising Multistrada 1200 Enduro. You could buy three Royal Enfields for the price of a Ducati. On the one hand, technological dominance, on the other, the charm of old-fashioned mechanics and the bucolic simplicity of function above all. Its primary market is Asia, but the Indian brand believes in other places. The Himalayan cracked its Euro4 homologation by removing the carburetor from the first version presented at EICMA, thus completing a range that is gaining in confidence.

For its launch, this trail is playing the price card: its introductory price is 4,495 euros until March 31, instead of 4,795 euros.
It will also be available in an Equipped version, with two aluminum side cases - also at a promotional price to start with. 4995 euros to start with, then 5295 euros.

M.B - Manufacturer's media