I have been waiting for the opportunity to try the new 2024 Himalaya (450cc) for a long time – after all, I myself once had two whole previous generations Chimish. I liked the previous version so much that I sold it, only to buy it again a year later. The old Himalayan was inexpensive, simple, and surprisingly easy to drive off-road with its low seat and comfortable seating position. It had that quirky adventure moto look, a tired 411cc air-cooled engine with surprisingly little vibration for a single cylinder, absolutely no electronics and a lot of soul. Of course, its biggest drawback was precisely the engine, which could barely squeeze out 118 km/h (and that too only when driving down a hill), which accordingly made it completely unusable on any kind of normal European highways. Unless you were prepared to drive in the right lane behind traffic lights all day, of course. Everything else for the Himalayan was adequate for its class, genre and price.
So my hope is that with the new generation model of 2024, Royal Enfield will have finally made the Himalayan that it should have been from the very beginning. Have they succeeded? Yes and no.
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The first kittens
First of all, it would be important to mention that Royal Enfield has been exclusively producing air-cooled engines since its inception. The 450cc engine, named Sherpa and with twice the torque of the old 411, is the very first liquid-cooled engine in RE history. On the one hand, beautiful, on the other – there was some saying about the first kittens. Like Moto Guzzi, RE has never really had experience with this type of engine, and creating one is definitely a complicated process with many challenges. Be that as it may, such a motor now exists, and the first carrier of it is the new Himalayan. 2024 is the first year for this engine. I say this because I remember what the first year was like for the same old 411cc engine that was so plagued with problems that it didn’t make it to the US and European markets for almost 2 years.
The most important improvement is the suspension
The first very noticeable improvement to the new Himalayan is its suspension. If the old one was soft and spongy, the new one is significantly firmer and more resistant to sharp pits. And it’s kind of logical – the old Himalayan didn’t go so fast that it needed such a competent suspension. The new one, however, is more powerful, picks up pace much quicker, and requires damping that won’t compress as easily and bounce back as quickly. Showa forks feel very good on the forest trail – the motorcycle is stable, at the same time easy to move around, and not a single hard root or pothole will knock it out of a stable ride. Pits and bumps in the asphalt are also almost imperceptible. In any case, thank you very much, this was needed.
Get dressed
The motorcycle itself has become rounder in shape, a more decent ride. You could say – more modern. If before it felt like you were sitting inside a motorcycle like a high cruiser, then this time it feels more like you are sitting on a motorcycle, which is typical of more enduro motorcycles. The capacity of the beacon is only 2 liters more, but visually the beacon looks at least 2 times larger. The control buttons have been rethought and the Himalayas has got the obligatory digital screen shape, which also suits it. Maybe also because the screen is round and visually resembles the good old analog clock. Navigation (which I didn’t get to try for some stupid reason) and a couple of driving modes are also conveniently integrated. A little confusing that there is no cruise control. Hey, the mocha already has an electronic throttle and driving modes. The cruise block and pod together would probably have cost over ten extra dollars per bike. But no, there isn’t. I assume they are just saving the cruise control for an upgraded or better equipped model in the future.
The seat is a little higher this time, a little wider and… a little more uncomfortable, at least for me. Overall, the shape is very good for sitting for long periods of time, but due to the peculiarities of the frame, the seat leans forward a bit. It simply means that the bottom itself wants to slide towards the lighthouse, where the seat narrows. The result is that the pressure is not completely distributed in the right places on the bottom and discomfort occurs in the groin area. By the way, the 1200 and 1250 GS seats have this exact same problem, but it can be fixed at any seat maker by adding a bit of seat height right at the front, which also stops unnecessary forward sliding. The other solution is longer arms, which would allow you to simply sit more at the back of the chair, where it is widest.
The small, pleasant things
The gearbox, like the old version, is completely silent, subtle and imperceptible. If the old 411 gearbox used to surprise you with false neutrals or just accidentally “throw” you out of gear just like that, then nothing like that can be observed with the new one. There’s also modern LED lighting, a functional rear luggage rack (which other touring bikes have to buy separately), and front fenders that can conveniently double as luggage mounts, as RE have added special hooks and eyes to them just for that. A small but nice thing. Just like the practical mud guards – both the so-called rear wheel “hugger” and also a large enough front mud guard, which can be shortened to a more beautiful one by unscrewing 2 screws.
The windshield of the new Himalaya should be changed if you plan to drive it on the highway. The existing one looks like it’s pulled up more to shield the electronics and screen from branches or rocks than to shield the driver from the wind. It’s just low enough that the only benefit from it is massive turbulence at about chin height. But it’s not a big deal – long-distance travelers also often put larger windshields on their motorcycles. On the other hand, in warm weather in the forest, no glass is needed at all.
Valid and invalid capacity
But most importantly? The one thing that almost all owners of the old 411 Himalaya complained about was the engine and power. Those previous 25hp just weren’t enough for that kind of all-purpose use outside of a well-maintained forest road or gravel. Now there is 40hp and enough torque to make the bike feel significantly more dynamic and fully usable for all needs. But here’s the catch.
Hook
It is clear that no one expects a smooth engine operation from a single-cylinder engine, but in my opinion, the vibrations in the frame, which start already at 5000rpm (around 95 km/h), are too serious for a new engine. I even at one point began to think that the old air-cooled 411cc had noticeably less of it. The vibration in the stirrups was so great that a tingling sensation began to appear in the feet and they could not be held there for long. Through the seat a little less, but the hands were numb and numb after an hour. As if this is nothing new for enduro bikes (Husqvarna 701 and Honda CRF450 are generally brutal chainsaws with a seat that shakes non-stop), but the Himalayan is positioned as a touring tormentor. At first I thought maybe it was the lumpy Motoz Tractinator tires that were on the demo bike, but nope – the vibration is just as noticeable when idling. Then I started researching forums and reviews and sure enough – there are quite a lot of complaints about too crazy vibrations, but at the same time there are also experiences where nothing is mentioned about such. Maybe the liquid drive-in oil is to blame? The demo bike only had 36km on the odometer, so it hasn’t been driven in and hasn’t had the normal density oil put in it, which could increase vibration on a brand new engine. Anyway, the vibrations remained even higher up to 115 km/h and calmed down a bit above 120. But that didn’t give me peace either, because exactly 95-115 is the zone where this engine will live most often, at least in Latvia.
Anyway, the engine has enough torque now. It’s especially welcome in softer sand – the old 411 just didn’t have the guts to climb sandier hills or plow through soft sand ruts, unless you’re going crazy-eyed through them at high speed. Usable power is just what is needed in sudden sand conditions when the pace is light. The new Himalayan off-road is better than the previous one in every possible way. It not only has 20mm longer spring travel front and rear, but also has somehow kept the weight close to the original – 196 kg when ready to drive (compared to the old model’s 190 kg). Due to the bulkier seat, beacon and other things, the weight feels a bit higher now, so it’s not so easy to throw it around the moss like an old car.
The price is still friendly
The new Himalayan has also remained a bit more expensive than the previous one – 6000 EUR in standard equipment or 6500 EUR with spoked tubeless rims, which are always recommended, because who wants to carry a heavy camera and toolbox with them? A flat tubeless tire can be fixed in the middle of the woods in 5 minutes with a tool the size of a flashlight and a couple of cans of compressed air. Is 6000 an adequate price for the new Himalayan? I think yes. It’s still in a very affordable price segment and offers a lot of mocha with a lot of uses for the price. If you are looking for your first motorcycle for off-road experiments or adventures – the new Himalaya can do all that and more. For travel? Probably, but I would wait maybe 1 more year to give the manufacturer time to grind, polish and adjust the new motor a bit so that it is a bit quieter in the medium revs. All new motors and products are usually upgraded after the first year on the market. I have no doubt that the next little Himalayan update will fix all the little niggles.
Until then, I myself am still in the group that just hopes that Royal Enfield will finally make a touring enduro based on its 650cc twin engine at some point. The engine currently in their Interceptor, Super Meteor and Shotgun models was great when it came out. Also because it hardly vibrates. It’s also the reason why one still lives in my garage.
A good first motorcycle
By the way, the power, format and affordable price of the new Himalaya undoubtedly make it one of the right answers to the very first motorcycle question. It is versatile enough to serve many different purposes as long as its driver understands where and how he wants to drive. Even more so if you want to improve your motorcycling skills off the asphalt. It’s something we can highly recommend trying in the first couple of moto seasons. Why? Because it gives you the opportunity to understand and feel the moment when the motorcycle starts to lose or has lost traction with the surface. Like driving a car on a slippery surface, it simply gives you a better feel for its handling in different road conditions.
Many thanks to K-MOTO for providing the test model. All other Royal Enfield models are also available with them. If you are more interested in the cool Interceptor 650 or Super Meteor – we have reviews for both.
This year’s Himalaya is also one of the Latvian Motorcycle of the Year 2024 to the participants of the competition. Read more about the event and all the motorcycles registered for it at the end of May.
