ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 1ST UK TEST
No-compromise Japanese and brand-new Indian prove authenticity really matters
OBSERVANT FOLK WILL notice this isn’t a CB500X. The twin might seem obvious for a test of affordable smallercapacity adventure bikes, and it’s a decent thing. But it’s also just a beaky CB500, and not the best Honda have to offer. Today’s big adventure bikes evolved from ’90s ‘giant trailies’ inspired by Dakar rally bikes. Hence including a CRF250 Rally: the most authentic small adventurer yet devised. At £5399 the Honda is the most expensive, yet the most basic. It hasn’t got an all-singing dash, power sockets, luggage or in-built compass. It’s not got unnecessary trimmings either. Instead it’s flab-free, perfectly formed to fulfil function. Rims, hubs, footpegs and suspension are classy. Engine and chassis finish is as you’d expect on a £12k bike. Check out the pillion peg recesses, toolbox in the left sidepanel, simple-yet-quality controls. It’s a beautiful thing. And it’s got a HRC sticker – worth £500 on its own. The Rally puts all this ahead of realtime mpg and light-up switches as it’s a proper go-anywhere tool, happy to bash down tracks or thread woodland. This means proper off-road wheel sizes, blocky tyres and a seat height to cause nose bleeds. Yet it’s still great on hard stuff. The 250cc single has the least torque and the same 24-odd horsepower as the soft Suzuki. It also weighs just 157kg wet, easily the lightest here (eight stone less than the Benelli), so out-guns the V-strom and clings to the more powerful Versys. Only on long climbs into wind does absent grunt get frustrating, thanks to long periods spent on the throttle stop. Knobbly rubber and the 21-inch front gyroscope mean endurostyle handling that needs acclimatization. The small front disc isn’t strong either. The soak-it-up suspension is superb, though. The CRF floats down my favourite single-track lanes with a superior ride to pretty much anything, never mind these rivals. With lots of travel and supple damping the set-up gives the finest ride quality here regardless of road, which goes a long way to make up for the range-reducing thin seat fitted for its off-road intentions. Dirt skill doesn’t have to mean discomfort, mind. You could go for Royal Enfield’s new Himalayan, which fuses a welcoming seat and ace ease-of-use with a gritty, rugged, mud-plugging character.
‘Despite its quality the Himalayan is cheapest’
Although available in India for a year or so, the Himalayan has only just arrived in the UK – this is the first test bike released. It’s nowt to do with the Bullet, instead using a new 411cc air-cooled single with five-speed ’box. At 24.5bhp it’s joint-least-powerful with the Honda and Suzuki, but it doesn’t matter as there’s more torque than everything except the larger Benelli. And it’s easier to get at – the Himalayan makes peak shove at 4250rpm where the Kawasaki’s needs 10,000rpm. The rev limiter is at a lazy 6500rpm. The manual choke doesn’t seem to do anything, and it’ll stall until warm. However, where the BMW, Honda and Kawasaki are buzzy and peaky, the Enfield is natural and long-legged. Wind the throttle at 2500rpm on the others and they make a teenager-like drone of disappointment but don’t gain speed. The Enfield does. There’s no need to drop down the clean-shifting ’box for 40mph limits and top-gear overtakes are smooth. It’s happiest at 60 to 65mph, where the Kwak and Beemer sit merrily at 70, but most of the time the RE feels nicer. Sounds like an XT500, too. The chassis was developed by Harris Performance (who Enfield own). It’s not the lightest, but low-speed balance is ace, there’s ample steering lock, and it feels ‘together’. The seat’s low, but the riding position is well-weighted and comfy for my gangly frame. Considering off-road wheel sizes (21-inch front) and ads that say it’s ‘built for no roads’, the suspension is road-bike firm. Which is good – damping and ride are better than the BMW. The dash is curious yet attractive. The air temp readout is 10˚C high, the trip under-counts by about 8% and the cool digital compass can lose its bearings, but the layout is easy to use and functions make sense. Fine switchgear too, and the screen streams water off my visor effectively at 65mph. Styling is… different. Some folk love the robust image, trad’ lines and pannier frame, though a few don’t get it (generally young folk with smartphones). There’s no arguing about the finish: glossy fork legs, fabricated rack, dash, controls, seat material, cable routes and wheel rims are among many nice details. The cast rear brake pedal highlights just how cheap the Kawasaki’s flimsy affair is. Yet despite this quality the Himalayan is cheapest. At £4199 it’s a grand or so less than the BMW and Kawasaki. That’s 20% less...