ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN
The Himalayan has a healthy and loyal following and it’s easy to see why. Difficult to compare to most other bikes on the market, its uniqueness gives it a real advantage and distinct appeal. Solidly built, its robust, utilitarian style is unlike any other, and gives the impression you could chuck it out of a plane, with the only thing likely to be damaged being the ground! Not dissimilar to an army vehicle, the ‘fit-for-desert-war’ look is emphasised by the colour scheme of our test bike, labelled by Royal Enfield’s catalogue as ‘Dune Brown’. Fitted with non-standard hard alloy panniers, the Himalayan’s industriallike appearance is accentuated all the more by these useful aftermarket carriers, as it is by the hewn-fromgranite look of the sizeable blackfinished, air-cooled engine.
After a few hours on the Enfield, I made a deliberate note to my voice recorder not to prioritise examining its dynamic properties. The Himalayan simply shouldn’t be assessed by its performance alone, quite simply because there’s much more to it than that. This is a lovely, endearing, character-laden machine that oozes personality and charm. It quickly seduces you into approval, just as it did with all of us. This is not a bike you rate only by its spec sheet.
Now I do appreciate not everyone will see it quite as positively, and if you have any need for speed, even of a moderate level, then this is not the bike for you. It’s probably the slowest of the quartet, but let me remind you again, that’s not the standard by how the Himalayan should be solely judged. The 411cc air-cooled, 2v motor is slow to rev and simply can’t be hurried. I’d say it gathers speed more than accelerates, but even so, it still has some engaging features. Fuelling is crisp and clean, and the forgiving single pulls well enough to negate the need for a busy gearchanging foot. It’s pretty smooth, very frugal, and makes a nice noise.
There’s absolutely no doubt it’s more at home on narrower, quieter sweeping backroads, like many of those on the Northumberland 250, that it is sitting on faster, straighter stuff. In fact, staying well away from lengthy stints along motorways is good advice I’d say.
I don’t like using them on any bike at the best of times, but on the Enfield route choice is a more important factor, and multi-lane highways simply don’t allow you to appreciate its virtues to their fullest.
Luckily, we used it in an area where you could love it more, and it fitted in perfectly with the Northumbrian routes and landscapes, often commanding more attention than any of the others whenever it was parked. On the move, it’s tempting to be critical of the performance of some of the Enfield’s key components, but as I had a quiet moan about the brakes and suspension not being as good as they could be, I was reminded of another significant factor necessary to put opinions into context, the Himalayan’s price of just £5049. On a ‘you pay for what you get’ basis, the slight inferiority of the suspension’s action, and wooden feel of the brakes really don’t deserve too much criticism. And to give that analysis further perspective, neither when I was riding it more keenly on the road, or when the others took it off-road, did it get into any major difficulties. I simply made allowances for the brakes and did my best to accept the ‘crashy’ feel of the suspension over rougher terrain. It’s not like they aren’t fit for purpose. In fact, Charlie looked right at home on the Enfield when we returned to one of the long-distance trial’s special tests to assess the bikes’ off-road abilities still further. The grunty engine and lower seat height no doubt playing a part in his comfort with the bike.
Whenever I was on the Himalayan, I couldn’t help but enjoy it. The wind protection from the screen is decent and helpful, as are the seat comfort and very relaxed riding position, in combination lending themselves well to giving the bike some more serious longer distance potential, albeit at a more sedate pace. Perhaps its overall easy-going nature is the Enfield’s secret to happy mile-eating. By very rarely taxing the mind, primarily because of its relaxed feel, and persuasive ability to make you ride more gently, journeys are generally notably less intense and stressful. I know whenever I got off it, I just felt like I’d been on it for a few minutes regardless of whether it’d actually been far longer than that. As mental energy savers go, the Himalayan scores very well. It’s just a lovely, very endearing motorcycle.