First Ride Review – 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

Mud dripped from my helmet as I tried to blink away the dirt in my eyes and power through the fourth or fifth mud pit in a mile. Not puddles, but full-on soak-your-ears and chew-on-dirt 4-foot deep pools. The first had rendered my goggles useless so subsequent hits went straight to my face. Utah mud is full of clay and feels like ice when you’re sliding over it, so straighten up, steady on the gas, feet on the pegs, and plow on through.

When Royal Enfield invited us out to Utah to test the all-new Himalayan 450, we were expecting the ride to match the CEAT tires—80/20 on-road to off-road—something mellow that gives you the accomplished feeling of having left the pavement, but without the major risks and challenges of extreme off-road riding. Press rides are typically designed to highlight a new bike’s strengths and conceal any weaknesses, unlike the absolute huck-fest, trial by fire we experienced in Utah. My gas cap was underwater more than a handful of times and the bike never stalled or skipped a beat.

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First Ride Review – 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan 450
Story by Morgan Gales
Photos by Royal Enfield

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The Little ADV That Could

The 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is a completely new bike compared to the previous Himalayan 411. The old machine was simple and, while heavy for only having 24 horsepower, surprisingly capable. We have seen the 411 cross the Sahara and finish a Hard Enduro competition—it was the bike that just somehow always could. Now the new bike enhances function in nearly every way, representing a balance of performance and price that is relatively unheard of. In testing, the 450 was comfortable in even the most extreme settings, on-road and off, and as we would learn through our time in Utah, it stays true to the Himalayan name and got us home with no fuss.

What’s New?

A new liquid-cooled engine puts out nearly twice the power of the old unit with a claimed 40 horsepower and 29.5 ft-lbs of torque. The rev limit has been raised from 6,500 rpm to 9,000 rpm so the increased power is now available through a much wider range as it climbs to its peak at 8,000 rpm. The new engine also reduces weight by roughly ten pounds. Paired with a new six-speed transmission, the 450 can cruise comfortably on the highway without buzzing your fillings out of your teeth and thanks to that high rev limiter, you can drop a gear for adequate passing power.

The new frame was designed to narrow in the middle and accommodate standing, letting the rider move around on the bike, while the new 4.5-gallon gas tank features cutouts that let riders grip it with their knees or thighs depending on positioning. The main section of the two-piece seat features two bars that allow 0.8 inches of height adjustability. It doesn’t sound like much, but it did make a significant difference for me as a taller rider to have the seat at its higher 33.3-inches.

Showa suspension is non-adjustable front and rear, with an inverted 43mm fork and linkage-style monoshock each providing 200mm of travel, but wasn’t calling for any adjustment on our test ride. I’ve come to see adjustable suspension like an expensive camera: an expert photographer can get the most out of the adjustability but an amateur has a lot more potential to screw it up. Anyone with a point-and-shoot can take a decent picture. This is point-and-shoot suspension.

The all-new Tripper Dash is full-color, bright, and easy to read. As RE’s Chief of Design Mark Wells said: “There’s nothing you don’t need to see.” Navigate the menus with your left-hand joystick. Switch between Performance or Eco Mode, each with or without ABS. Pair your phone and control your music with your phone locked in your pocket, but if you want to run Google Maps, you’ll have to leave your phone unlocked to keep it working, so if your phone accidentally locks in your pocket, you’ll need to unlock it to continue using navigation. Most importantly, you need a maximum of three taps of the “Mode,” button to get you into “Performance, No-ABS,” mode.

The Ride

After a short presentation on the bikes, we were led out to the front of the Utah mountain lodge to pick our bikes and set them up. I immediately adjusted the seat to its taller arrangement, which I confirmed at a later point was the correct move. Our ride leader was a local dirtbike tour guide, so he was an absolute ripper and knew the route like it was his way home from the bar.

The prior Himalayan model had a flat, classic line from the gas tank through the seat that was simple and classic. The new bike features more aggressive and utilitarian lines that fit better with modern ADV style.

I have said this about every single Royal Enfield I have reviewed: clear paint over a “Royal Enfield” sticker on the gas tank is underwhelming and feels cheap on an otherwise excellent motorcycle. And the color highlights included on certain models’ wheels are just vinyl stickers with no coating. Sure it adds style for photos from a distance, but it feels cheap and inauthentic in person.

We ripped out of the hotel parking lot and I was quick up to sixth gear, cruising along steadily at 75mph at 6,000 rpm without excessive vibration. This speed felt easy and comfortable and we continued meandering along the highway, curving through the hills and downshifting to pass semi-trucks until we reached our turn off of the highway.

On a sunny day at the end of a sunny week, these trails would have been easy. Hell—some of the more aggressive in the group may have even called them boring, but this was not a dry day and it had not been a dry week. Rain had turned the trails into a slurry of mud and clay with deep puddles often filling the entire road. The trail was eaten up by side-by-sides with deep tire tracks cutting through the flats and unseen ruts through the puddles. And here we were with 80/20 tires, two fenders on our front wheels, and fingers crossed.

Even on slate-ridden muddy turf with no traction control, the 450 gets power to the ground exceptionally well. Lug the engine and let it grip up and pull you out, or if you’re feeling nasty, rev it up and spin your way through. I do wish that first gear was a little longer or had slightly more overlap with second, as I often found myself either revving toward the limiter in first or lugging in second to maintain a 20-25mph speed offroad.

The “Oh Sh*t,” Factor

While riding fast off-road, you’re often surprised by a drop-off, some unseen puddles, or ruts. Being able to adjust in a fraction of a second and your bike’s ability to recover from hard hits are what keep you from crashing. At one point I was ripping along at the top of third gear over 50mph and I hit a 50-foot section full of deep mud and small puddles. I leaned back, held on the gas, and got a little crossed up but the bike straightened right out and I got through it. Moments later a dry section of trail disappeared beneath me, presenting a 3-foot drop followed by a nice little jump that had me airborne for about 15 feet. I just smiled like an idiot in my helmet, shocked at the ridiculous riding this bike can not only handle, but eat and come out completely unbothered.

The Warranty

It was around 2pm and both of my boots were filled with muddy water. Not wet—filled. I didn’t have a clean bit of cloth on me anymore so I had all but given up on my goggles, just squinting through the trails between dunks. Not surprisingly, I thought of crashing, the bike’s protection, and managing replacement parts.

The Himalayan 450 is equipped with a set of luggage racks around the gas tank that conveniently protect the tank, and proper crash bars are already available from the factory, but arguably the most impressive part about this bike’s $5,799 price tag is that comes with a three year unlimited warranty and roadside assistance. Unlimited? Yes, our conversation went like this:

“So if I fall over and bend my bars or punch a hole in the skid plate?”
“Covered.”
“And if I jump it being an idiot and bend my forks?”
“Covered and we’ll pick you up to fix it.”

And I can’t help but feel that if I owned this bike I would cost Royal Enfield money. But what this means on a larger scale is that Royal Enfield is actively encouraging exploration and real adventure! What more security could you ask for than that, should something go wrong, you’ve got roadside assistance and a warranty to get you back on the road. Medical insurance is on you.

We picked it up to about 65mph in fourth gear, ripping down a dusty road through a beautiful prairie, soaking up the sun. I pretended it would give my boots a chance to dry out. We eventually reached pavement and our phones started beeping as we got back into service range so we punched in maps and cranked throttles 27 miles back to the hotel.

Conclusion

I don’t know that there’s any way you can lose with this bike. It’s affordable, wildly capable, and backed by Royal Enfield should you get a little crossed up. Yes, riders with thicker wallets and more experience will be drawn to “the better,” or more expensive and powerful bikes, but any rider will be hard-pressed to find more fun per dollar than this here Himalayan. I’m excited to see where else Enfield utilizes this new 450cc platform, as I believe it marks a major jump for the manufacturer and a real turning point for the brand.

Ride it on the highway, ride it through 4-foot-deep puddles—the world’s your oyster and the only limit is your ambition. Personally, it’s been a long time since I’ve left a press launch considering buying the bike myself, but this one got me.

Check out the 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan 450!

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