Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 | 10,000 miles of epic on- & off-road adventures | MCN long-term test

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Are you a fan of the Himalayan 450?

[@sudhankannan2745]

❤❤ Re❤❤

[@shivaloptimus]

I own the 411 it’s a bit slow and rough around the edges, but I absolutely love it and for Indian road it’s fast enough. I commute on it, tour with it and do trails. Done 47000 kms in 5 years. I did test ride the 450 loved the suspension, it’s way better than what we are getting at this in India right now.

[@timskelton4344]

I’m a new rider of two weeks and test ride one yesterday. Loved the engine noise, position and overall vibe of the bike. Not at all intimidating but enough gas to get off the lights if required. Will be perfect as commuter and my first bike. Picking one up in Feb/March 25

[@GCTO239]

Clear yes

[@AdamBrowne-eg1eb]

Would be faster riding a cow.

[@Ripley6867]

I was mile munching on this 450 one cilinder on the autobahn and mountain passes to Italy. Took a bigger windscreen and it was a real steady balanced bike.

[@PureRythm]

It’s sold in Germany??

[@davidskogley3570]

Of course!

[@Michael_Shay]

I appreciate RE's styling being more retro, and I also appreciate how they're priced. They're by no means class leading, but the price point definitely makes it easier for new riders to get into the sport, which is good for everyone. As a 22 year old who pays his own way, this category of riding is pretty pricey. It's not the only reason but I suspect it's a big part of the reason why I'm usually the youngest person on local group rides by 25-30 years. Nothing wrong with that of course, but I just like seeing more riders my age participating in this category of bike. These bikes encourage you to get out and see the world, and my age is when we typically have the most time and the least amount of responsibilities to prevent us from doing so.

[@glideman]

As a review from such a young guy I think he’s every bit as good as the older reviewers. Great passion for biking and a credit to mcn 👍

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Thanks for the kind words

[@daveh1625]

I ordered this bike, tubeless Hanle Black november 2023 and took delivery aug this year, well worth the wait. Agree that it seems the wrong bike for your use but I have no regrets on my purchase. Sidestand lean apart it has exceded my expectations and this bike cost one third of my bmw R1200RS and so far, 800 miles, it has coped with Devon roads, 40mph dartmoor and now eqipped with pannier/saddlebag rails will be perfect next year for a few camping trips away .I could repeat any of my previous 4 trips,uk to Norway, arctic circle etc ( bmw's 2013 R1200R, 2015 RS and 2 on my current 2017 RS SE) on this Himalayan and enjoy it just as much. Not an off road rider and the other RE Guerrilla did not appeal to me. I like the look of this new model, a bit KLR, old school XT350/500 SP370 old bikes I did consider as a second bike but at this price it seemed a bargain for a new machine.

[@RetiredAdventureRider]

I also have a 2017 1200RS. I'm hoping to get the Black 450 that I ordered in July soon. I've taken my RS off the road for the winter (Canada's west coast), but I plan to ride the 450 year-round. I'm wondering if I will want to keep my RS or if the 450 will suit all my needs. I love riding the RS, but I can only ride one bike at a time, and the 450 will be better as a daily rider locally and for camping trips, so I'm not sure if the RS will have a function that's worth the expense.

[@daveh1625]

@@RetiredAdventureRider I think you have also chosen the best colour, just missing some John Player Special labels! My RS has just had the 18k service, free of charge new shaft drive and rear bevel drive unit, and new tyres so I think this is my 'keeper' after my last 'keeper' (R1200ST) had the brake pump failure and it was sold. The 450 is great for me across Devon lanes and dartmoor and from the reports, including 'fuzzy biker' with 18k miles in 12 weeks! It seems well up to any touring tasks. I have relatives who left Essex for Winnepeg 50 years ago but they do that 'go south for winter' to cope with your winters.

[@prakhargupta1405]

That's because it has 3.5 - 4 lit as a reserve , when your Gauge starts blinking that means you entered into reserve and from their you have 3 lit left to reach the petrol station. And when it reaches around 5 lit then a TripF Starts which mens you have around 150 km .

[@simonrichardson3167]

I enjoyed mine over the 1300 miles I owned alongside a GS. The MPG never went below 70mpg even riding it hard. A great bike with quality suspension you can really chuck it about on the road, it's a bit on the heavy side but OK, it does lean a lot on the side stand. Keep up the good work MCN.

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

yes

[@Qbasz007]

It's a low bike, and it weighs 196 kg with a center stand and crash bars from the factory. That's not too much. Yeah yeah i know i must be a shill, but i rode the Himi450 multiple times offroad and the weight wasn't an issue. For reference i owned: Vstrom650xt, Versys 650, DRZ400s, Ktm 790Adv R.

[@podunkman2709]

Weight is not the biggest problem. The engine is terribly weak. Enough for off-road but big pain on road.

[@manh9105]

@@podunkman2709 is it? I bet you have not ridden the bike

[@Futuremodi]

​@@podunkman2709maybe try the bike first.

[@percentbigfoot]

​@@podunkman2709unnecessary prejudice. Go out on one first.

[@joshdoddadbod]

How would you compare it to the dr650?

[@skotty1962]

I bought one. Love it. Agree with everything you said. Thanks for the tip on the TPS.

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Glad I could help

[@stuartkraven]

Joseph has grown so much in confidence since his debut with Neevsey and his ZXR400. Great review mate.

[@urbanstrencan]

Was really looking to get one, and now I see I should. Great video, Royal Enfield did a superb job with the Himalayan ❤

[@ShadowVonChadwick]

I didn't have any trouble averaging 33kpl- 94mpg (imperial) on a 2400k trip loaded with complete camping load out. What I did have to get used to was the screwy fuel gauge, thinking I was out of fuel when I still had 4L or almost a gallon left in the tank. I now know how to read the gauge. (big brother) Even my mum didn't nag that much. I will say I was taking it easy and enjoying the trip, few twisty's or long climbs, a tad bit of fire/logging road & a few Ks of nasty wet muddy unmaintained rd with many small tree branches to get over in the dark. Just fitting some decent 40/60 tyres now. I intend to do as much dirt road as I can while travelling. I went with MOTOZ RalZ 130/80-17 & front 90/90-21, but I know some have problems with sticky mud jamming in the guards. Might have to add a flap to the top of the rear guard and lift the front, as some have. But remember it's not an Enduro or a Dual Sport. Cheers from Downunder 👍

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Great point:) I often found i was only ablest to add 15L of fuel even when dash indicated 0 miles.

[@gordonblackley8863]

Brilliant review. Genuinely helped me, I was teetering on the edge of buying one, but reliability is everything when you’re in a remote off road location and haven’t seen anyone for hours. I have a T7 at the moment it’s a very simple and reliable machine, I had a niggling worry about the move to ride by wire, so with the issues you saw and the gearbox woes, whilst the Himalayan rides REALLY well, I will be sticking with my T7 till the “T4” appears. Genuine thanks for such an honest and genuine review.

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Glad you enjoyed the honesty

[@user-kricks]

I've been using this bike and had put on 5000 km on it and my point is for touring and decent off-roading its been a great bike for the price it offers. On the reliability part , i have not encountered anything that he is pointing out in this video. Im doing proper services on a regular interval of time and it is very reliable. It is a very good beginner bike i would say. Not perfect but valuable. And as you save some money by not buying expensive machines use that money in proper maintenance of this bike. It would be pretty reliable as you want to be...

[@petittrainguernsey3297]

What would be an ‘expert’ bike then? This bike does anything any other bike ever made does. Unless you are one of these people that more cc’s = experience.

[@thiruyalanj7310]

Hello brother I am planning to book this 450 this month so can you tell me on engine noise, vibration,chaiss and any other flaws

[@user-kricks]

@@thiruyalanj7310 I'll tell my experience so far with this bike. Pros. Good Suspension. Comfortable riding posture for long distance touring. Adequate power from the engine for crusing in highways. Good service experience with RE and you can DIY. Cons After 110kph engine is viby but bearable. Seat height and weight may not suitable for short riders. Some software glitch in the cluster. I don't see any problem with the chassis.Overall a good bike for that money. Do a test ride and decide it for yourself. Thats always a better approach to choose a bike.

[@user-kricks]

@@petittrainguernsey3297if you feel this bike as perfect bike that's your wish why are you expecting the same from me. There is nothing wrong with expecting more cc from a bike.

[@thiruyalanj7310]

@user-kricks thank you😃

[@JTX-mv5ln]

I'm 25 and I've just got my Honda Transalp up absolutely loving it Always love to do the odd green line

[@alexandermarcelino666]

This is the best and most realistic review I've found on KZbin. Great job! I'm waiting for Royal to make this model available in Brazil, so I can test-ride and maybe buy it.

[@MaStErZark117]

I also had issues with mine at just 2,000 km but not only did RE fixed it, they also handed me another unit while they were fixing mine. This is a new model so thinks can happen and they really handle them properly. Not only do i love my bike but also the brand. Their guarantee policy is amazing.

[@mwng5186]

ive had a few enfields in India from very old ones and my latest is a 2012 still in storage in India. Took one of these for a spin and was rather underwhelmed in reviews it sounded great but was really quite bland somehow.I think many will/have bought them from watching vids but I suspect there will be quite a lot of year old low mileage bikes available very soon.Go for a test ride before buying would be my recommendation. Great video lads.thanks

[@maybeerainmaybeesnow]

In my opinion, this is the best review of the 450 out there, reaffirming my subscription to MCN. : )

[@craigwall8703]

Very well done. Wish all reviews were as detailed and honest as this.

[@yahoodlums]

This a a proper review! Not the usual, just ridden the bike for 2 hours nonsense.

[@BassMunn]

I've read the written version of this report but watching the video has given so much more information. Really nice balanced review 👍

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Many thanks!

[@joeblow5037]

200 kilo's? (440 lbs) That's as much as my KLR-650 Nevertheless....this is a giant step up in refinement from the old one. I would have never looked at an 'old' Himilaya before, but if I was smaller, and in the market, I would consider this. (I'm six four 230) great video guys

[@TommyAngelo1337]

It makes as much power as your KLR does to be fair.

[@joeblow5037]

@@TommyAngelo1337 maybe, but I can short shift around on that 650cc torque...and it fits me better because its tall. Had it 6.5 years and nothing has broke (a 2018)

[@Wisteria-090]

@@joeblow5037 well you can probably drop some of the metal bits of the bike to get it under 190 kilos or 418lbs

[@Jason-hl8uj]

Useful video on this bike had an eye on it since its launch but waiting for some real world use reviews. Audio from the presenter in mcn jacket is ropey

[@scottyoung4583]

Right! Is he muttering into a mic with a sock on it so that this US listener has no idea what he is saying or perhaps he just wants to generate controversy and therefore engagement in the comments. Thanks for the video and for allowing me to opine.

[@panchochilli11]

Well done review. I enjoyed your takes on this bike even though it’s not one I’m particularly interested in.

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@shadowred1980]

Great review. Lessons learned that only come from miles in the seat \ standing up. :)

[@61greybeard]

Great video I really enjoyed Joseph’s review of the Himalaya and loved his enthusiasm for riding off road 👍👍

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Thanks! 👍 Off-road is a-lot of fun:)

[@mjordan812]

USA rider here. Primary bike is a Tiger Explorer 1200 - street and polite dirt roads only. I bought a Speed 400 earlier this year for a fun "afternoon ride" bike over local "B Road" equivalents - and while it is an absolutely lovely little bike, it does NOT like dirt roads. So I just bought a 450 Himalayan to add to the stable and will ride it home as soon as the snow has cleared. My riding will be mostly pavement with occasional unpaved roads. From what I have been able to gather the 450 will be right for the job. Oh yeah - and I'm 79 with stubby legs, so tall bikes are out. 😁

[@gadhaviaroopdan1518]

Love and namaste from India ❤️🇮🇳🙏🏻

[@cloud9847]

I'm juuuuust shy of 5'8" with a 31" inseam and about 150lbs without gear/luggage. I test road a 450 the other week and agree it's pretty awesome for it's size. Especially with low seat on low setting. All but the shortest will be able to have both feet down. It's not perfect but it's amazing for the money. I'm planning on picking up the tubeless version early 2025 Edit - if you look at the angle of the tank and front fender...it's the shape of the Himalayans/mountains.

[@mullins6429]

Hey guys, great review. I liked that conversational type of approach to your review. The only thing worrying me about potentially buying one of these is that issue of the low wide footpegs. Other than that I think RE has done a great job with it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts 👍🇦🇺

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Good point!

[@MrMickjbriggs]

Great video Gent's.

[@RobSoap-i7t]

Not a bad looking bike , a few people here putting negative comments , but for the money and the usage not bad at all 👍

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Agreed

[@raiman432]

if you want to race through the bush then this is not the bike, if you want to scream down the highway then this is not the bike. But if you want to go and see the country side where you are riding and enjoying the views for which I think this bike is perfect for then it's a bargain. All bikes are a compromise somewhere, you just have to be honest with yourself for what you are going to do with it. Like you said it will go anywhere either in reason. If you are rich then buy one of each.

[@RealHooksy]

I’ve got a 17” Motoz Tractionator GPS on my 650suzuki. A great tyre for all conditions. Dualventure on the front. Great combo

[@toddkurtz1468]

Interesting review but after watching many reviews on this bike, and I've personally never ridden one, I've come to the conclusion that this bike is a Jack of all trades but master of none. It's definitely not a dual sport but it's seems pretty capable. I own a crf300l, not the rally version and I was thinking about getting this bike but I'm not sure anymore. I could never do the kind of off road with the himilayan that I do with the Crf and I'm not sure how much better it is on the road. I've got aftermarket suspension, an ECU and an exhaust. Those extras cost me about 1200.00 but I can cruise all day at an indicated 75.

[@Rob-Wright]

Great review, very informative.

[@phillipcottingham1489]

Absolutely love mine, use it pottering about seeing the country side and doing some green lanes. I have found the weight has restricted me on some of the tougher green lanes but to be honest when you really have to focus to get up a hill its not that enjoyable. Ive done 4K on mine mostly off road and wouldn't swap for anything else.

[@MrVinnyh]

Going back to the very early 1980's I had a Suzuki TS100 which had all lights removed, great fun on the Dave Taylor, test/trailer track in Kent. Did I need find out my limits YES! did I need to about learn about addition YES, 30 years later I took a CCM 450 out and found far better than me along a green lane!!

[@debayangoswami2083]

My elder brother has got one of these, nice ride, totally different characteristics from the old Enfields, however the handle felt uncomfortable for some reason

[@alejandrobautista6817]

Excelente añadido lo de los subtitulos.. gracias :3

[@corychartier7961]

I had the same problem with throttle just once but it is part of why I think cable is better

[@chrisbfd]

I noticed several types of tires in the pictures. Would love to know more about tire choices

[@adamhixon]

I mean yeah, it weighs about as much as a t7 with significantly less motor. But it's also half the price. If Royal Enfield takes the weight complaints seriously, the obvious next step for them twould be up the motor size to a 700 and raise the price into the t7 bracket. A major part of the appeal of this bike is that it's cheap enough to thrash and break without too much worry. I want to worry more about breaking myself than worrying about breaking an expensive motorcycle.

[@adaptableadventurerider]

It’s an interesting one isn’t it Adam earlier in the year I bought a Low miles T7 for 7k an sold it after some green laning for £6,250 to a dealer for a nx500 which was £6,250 on a 4 n a bit year old T7 really good residuals I’ve owned a 411 in the past, I think the fuel economy on the T7 an the grunt off road with the torque of a twin n leave the crash bars off (panels were cheap) an it’s a winner was suprisingly manageable I really didn’t get on with the T7 on the road that’s a Personal thing though. Was an epic bike on the easy green lanes in the peaks.

[@Whatreally123]

I'm sure they can make the bike lighter using better materials but that'll raise the price. So its always a trade-off between price and better materials.

[@adamhixon]

@@Whatreally123 Or worse material. Had they used more cheap plastic bits rather than steel that would save a bit of weight. Careful what you ask for! I think this guy was reviewing it from a "money is no object" mindset. If that's your mindset then yeah, this prob isn't the bike for you. But those folks are prob not watching this review anyway.

[@diedfrombored5295]

They're going to release a Himalayan 650 in the near future probably this year, but T700s are extremely tall and top heavy for people who aren't over 6 ft tall.

[@Mionwang]

Thanks for mentioning the reliability issues. Most reviewers on KZbin just fail to mention these, expect yammie noob. I own an RE and I've had extensive experience with 5 different RE bikes. Every single one of them have jad fairly major issues. I really don't know how more people don't mention these issues.

[@MickH60]

They don't mention them because they haven't had them, the issues seem to be less common than you think, just because someone has a problem doesn't make it a problem on every bike, this is the SAME for every manufacturer, I've seen more problems with KTM's and BMW's, and they are expensive to buy and fix, the RE is cheap to repair. There's a really good review from an Aussie guy, 10,000 k's of absolute abuse and not one problem. There are quite a few longer term reviews of this bike , not from journalists but enthusiasts, riding 10's of thousands of miles and I haven't read about the issues you speak of at all, in fact, they rave about it's reliability....

[@podunkman2709]

People in most cases prize their decisions. That is why never trust "owner reviews" Basic of psychology.

[@Mionwang]

@@MickH60 i think it varies from country to country as the quality of the servicing will vary. But personally i don't think I'll be buying RE bikes as my personal experience has been absolutely terrible. Even in this video they mentioned that 2/2 bikes that they tested had the issue. It was only after the servicing which replaced an entire part that fixed it. I don't think in many countries the service techs will know to replace that particular part with perhaps a third party part? I dunno.

[@Futuremodi]

U owned 5 re bikes eventhough all of them had major issues? Umm

[@Mionwang]

@@Futuremodi my dude you need to improve your reading skills. Start with nursery rhymes.

[@stuartmottram9284]

If you're going to review a bike, stop trying to compare it to an MX bike. It was not designed to do that. It was designed to go everywhere within reason. You want to do deep ruts, get something taller. Criticism that it won't do what you like is not the problem of the bike. It speaks to the abilities of the rider. People were touring the world on bikes with less than 150mm clearance long before taller bikes were even thought of. I personally own a Honda VT750 and do dirt roads with some paddock bashing. Clearance is so little I bottom out on speed humps.

[@diedfrombored5295]

Bike World did several enduros on his Himalayan 450 but he swapped the 17" rear wheel for the 18" and added enduro tires, he also managed to beat all the KTM 690s in his division getting first place but decided since it was a nearly 700cc class he couldn't take credit for it given a lighter bike. Even still for this to beat out KTM 690s in Enduro is insane given they are straight up hardcore dirt bikes.

[@brucebrown6597]

I have a 1250GS and instead chose the KLX300. Lighter, reliable, better network and it gives me a bigger smile than the GS.

[@natural9743]

Love this bike

[@garysmith5432]

Great review

[@CyberGasty]

The most frequently used word in videos about motorcycles on KZbin: "EPIC".

[@youtuberAstar]

It is a BRILLIANT bike. Best bang for buck. Period. People mid thirties and over.... perfect all rounder. It is not a race bike

[@widephil]

Maybe you were unlucky with the TPS, because i haven't heard any issue with them on the forums... its a great bike for travel as you say

[@davea9946]

Maybe he kept fucking them up when dropping the bike

[@adkomst]

Interesting review with lots of info - so thanks. This is a really interesting bike. Pity the sound was so awful on the one mike.

[@BradP666]

I watched another review where the throttle position sensor went. Seems like it is a common issue

[@riazbasier4124]

Traded the ZX6R for the Himi 450 and yeah, its not on steroids but makes motorcycle riding great again "MMGA" 😉

[@daveh1625]

This bike does not have any clutchless gear shift assist, up or down the gearbox, so why not use the clutch? Could there be self-inflicted selector damage? Mine is still in the running in, second stage, up to 6000rpm to 1200 miles but I still have 95mpg showing trip 2 since zero miles and even reset trip 1after 500 miles the mpg is still above 93, although I am only using E95 shell superV or Esso super-unleaded. I would expect 80mpg touring mileage and this seems acheivable as my various R1200 bmw's over the last 20 years always exceded 55mpg and nearer 70mpg in Norway with their 80kph/50mph lower speed limits

[@markfenlon7049]

Hi Guys, as a 67 year young rider of a hefty XL1000 Varadero, time for me to consider a lighter do-it-all bike. I've ridden both the Him450 and CF Moto 450. Like both bikes, but feel the Him should be £500/€600 cheaper than the CF. Both bikes feel bit heavy for their power. Great if both brands launched 550-650CC versions, 60-65hp/PS,

[@jameshawkes2327]

I'm an owner and I've noticed the fuel gauge shows empty when it still has 5 litres in the tank. Just to prove the point when I left the ABR festival this year I filled up at Dover got on the ferry then rode from Dunkirk to Dusseldorf before I filling up again where I live which was a tad over 400km. The last 120km the fuel guage was showing I had 0 km to go. I don't hang about on the autobahn either,. So good range its just that the fuel gauge is far too conservative. Although I ride 75kg Trials bikes the weight doesn't bother me I'm also used to taking the big GS off Road. The only thing I was concerned about was travelling with a single cyclinder but that hasn't proved to be an issue and I quite like the punchy little engine that doesn't complain if you rev it out. For what it costs its a suprisingly cabable adventure bike with decent road manners.

[@ububox2087]

I've had the same issue with the fuel gauge, although I've noticed it in the fact that when it drops to empty and says I've got only a few kms left, I fill it up and the most I can put in the tank is 13 litres. I'm wondering if the sensor is in the wrong place. Other than that, awesome bike.

[@asifirfan]

Love from 🇮🇳

[@steveNCB7754]

Concerning the 'trash' build-up on the bike - no problems at the front? Watching a review from one of our US cousins ('Dork In The Road' I think), he was on one on a group ride and in wet clay, and that close-fitting lower front mudguard just jammed up all the time, requiring constant clear outs.

[@devonbikefilms]

“I do clutchless shifts”. There’s your problem right there. Abusing the box will damage it and the false neutrals is the indication you’ve damaged the box. Use the clutch, your bike will thank you.😜 good review though and pretty well balanced.

[@Theorangeman.]

Is it just not the same as having a quick shifter taking the load off the transmission

[@endianAphones]

I had the same Throttle Position Sensor issue with mine, happened 2 or 3 times a few months ago, it went away after a few restarts, and it never happened since. I think it happened when I accelerate too quickly, like when overtaking, but hasn't happened since.

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Very interesting thanks

[@nomoreblahblah]

Very interesting info

[@roybailey4529]

Great video and content as always lads! Quick question, in the slightly trickier / more technical off-road, how much of a gap is there in terms of manageability “for a lesser rider” between the Himay 452 and something like a CRF 300 Rall? Is it close, or is the Himay 452 night and day harder to handle? Let me explain a little more… I am of average skill off road, and I am looking for a new bike to do some longer distance adventure routes - like the ACT Portugal or the ACT Pyrenees. Obviously, lots of road (coming from UK) and mainly simpler off road, but as always (in a long trip) there will be challenging sections where I shall be remote and also solo. So whilst I “want” a bike that is decent on road, I actually “need” a bike I can manage on the worst of the off-road. I need to minimise the chances of being stranded in the middle of nowhere when solo. So, is the Himay 452 night and day more difficult to manage on more tech trails than something like a CRF 300 Rally? Or is there not that much in it (maybe 10%)? I like the idea of the better road manners of the Himay 452, but not if that comes with a significant hike in the risk of being struggling on the more tricky bits. Any insights really appreciated.

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Hi Roy, a very interesting question. Id recommend watching our group test where we compare the bikes in road and off-road - kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2OyfYB7epKofas But for me (Joseph) id say the Himmy is probably a better choice for the trip you are explaining. It's not "hard to handle" if you are riding within your limits and will be so much more pleasurable on the road. It's impossible to put a % on it as it is personal preference but id say the Himalayan is better suited to off-road than the CRF is on-road. cheers.

[@lloydallin4706]

Thanks for the review. Just wondering if you'd been normal joe Public would you have received the same service at the RE dealership and the fact they had the throttle sensors in stock tells me something.🤔

[@Rallistatos]

well i am really confused by Joseph's take on the Himalayan. Either its almost the opposite of what i thought so far from the bike (including a short test ride and previous ownership of 411) or after many many miles the bike reveals its true face. However i can almost tell that Michael Guy differentiates at some points his personal opinion about it. I tend to agree with him more...

[@selfmy60]

Bike looks epic

[@brucekendall52]

It might be wise to trade in your 690 at this moment in time?

[@danielmoyle8794]

Don’t no what you are talking about with fuel economy!! Averaged 3.2 litres per 100 over my use of the bike. It is incredible!! I’m not the only Himi user that quotes these figures

[@yapurdumit2100]

MotoZ Tractionator Adventure and Rallz come in 17" sizes with very good offroad capabilities

[@widephil]

I'd like to know how the handlebar is the TPS location. Isn't it on the throttle body ???? Are you sure it was TPS ?

[@ianbooth4255]

It is ride by wire so effectively the throttle is a TPS.

[@max.fleming1045]

I don't think the weight of this bike is actually the problem. For many years I've been riding a honda 650 transalp which is a wee bit heavier. I wanted a lighter more all-rounder so i took a test ride on the Himalayan 450. I was actually shocked to discover it felt nearly as heavy as my transalp and suffered exactly the same problem. It's very top heavy!. I instead bought a triumph scrambler 400x. Not as off road capable on paper maybe, but in practice it is lighter, better weight balance and just feels so much more sure footed under me that I'm sure I can go much further off road having way more fun than I ever could have on the Himalayan.

[@ianbooth4255]

Scrambler weighs 17kg less than the Himi but doesn't have a centre stand, rear rack or front crash bars. I would guess removing those items would bring the weights pretty much on par. The Himi also has a larger fuel tank so the wet weight includes an extra 4 litres of fuel.

[@advaittalekar7310]

People in India: wahnnnn! This bike needs Tc, also has no cruise control, needs cornering abs, not good on offroad, not good on highway....... Meanwhile everybody around the world: enjoying the bike on and offroad

[@sawdog007]

Honest review. In your own words not the bike for you and it showed in the video. You look like your skill and size would be better matched to a more capable bike like a KTM 890R or a T7.

[@0scartheCat]

throttle position sensor limp mode on 2 bikes is a deal breaker... I'm out, and I was about to pull the trigger.

[@florstone42]

I have never seen this problem in the Himalayan 450 groups I am part of with over 23,000 members. This must only concern early press units.

[@ADVRider62]

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 will be the go to bike for most overlanders for years to come for a good reason. It is a modern allrounder without all the fancy stuff that many do not want or need. Many self proclaimed experts want a unicorn and create a perception that unless you become an expert dirt bike rider and accomplished off-road rider you are a "lesser bike rider". This BS needs to be called out more often. Most of us do not do this so please do not pretend that this is the case. It is what it is, a great myth.

[@Forest_Rebel]

Have one as my first bike and its been great on and offroad. Done extensive green laning on it already. Yeah I wish it had more power and was lighter, especislly when you drop it on a trail, but its been completely fine. All the points raised except the limp mode, Ive experienced too. Like mud build up, bad mirrors, excessive fuel consumption, frequent stalling, forced neutrals etc. I'm also 6.4 ft, and while its a bit small for me (most bikes are), again its been ok for comfort, seated or stood. Will likely change to a lighter more powerful bike in a year or so though. Kive 800x rally maybe. As commented in the video, you feel the weight offroad.

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Couldn't agree more!

[@NooBiker]

It absolutely boggles my mind why, with ride by wire and the limited power of the bike, they gave it traction control instead of cruise control 🤯 Also, did you guys not have two good microphones? Only the one?😂

[@techexplained01]

Offroading is not about bikes it is all about tyres 😊😊

[@uneasyr1der]

Interesting about the fuel range. I have an older Meteor 350 which has a 4 gallon tank, but if the fuel get's near half a tank, it will suddenly dip to naught and the bingo fuel warning light will come on. So have to top off my tank often, though it never takes more than 2.5 gallons on the fill up. Which means there was actually 2 gallons still in there! Guess this is a common Royal Enfield issue, with how they build the fuel gauge floats in their tanks?

[@tony5oos]

That's just what I wanted to see excellent review, As the moaners think you need oxygen over 40mph

[@danielmoyle8794]

I’ve now had my Himi for 6 mths and have had no issue with reliability no with false neutrals. Clutchless migjt be the issue

[@johanneshll3845]

If you’ve visited any Royal Enfield service center in India, you’ve likely noticed a flood of Himalayan 450s lined up for repairs. The queues are extensive, reflecting the technical issues that plague many Royal Enfield bikes. Despite these challenges, the brand persists due to its monopoly in the segment. While the Himalayan 450 is undoubtedly impressive in terms of rideability, its reliability and service experience leave much to be desired at this stage. I would advise against buying the Himalayan 450 immediately. Instead, it might be wiser to wait a year or two until the initial issues are resolved and the model proves its reliability in later iterations.

[@johnnyjohnn281]

I decided the same thing. At the time of buying, I was torn between waiting for the 450 to be released versus buying a 411 Scram. Finally decided on the Scram, as the Himalayan 411 platform is older and more established, plus they’re easy to maintain myself. Not the fastest bike, but fast enough for my needs and I love it. 🙂

[@Futuremodi]

Lol... Those are waiting for the first service. Joe Ryan has taken on through the Himalayas and nothing happened to his bike.

[@davea9946]

How do you know they are there for repairs? Could be there for standard service.

[@johanneshll3845]

​@@davea9946 when you are the one travelling in an auto to a service center on regular intervals after spending so much money and speak to the fellow RE Himalayan owners u meet randomly at the waiting room you are rest assured ur not the only one.

[@Andy-x3i8y]

The sound man has left the chat

[@govindsmenon5442]

Where's those winding road?

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Quite a lot of twistys in this video but my favourite riding this year was the Pyrenees.

[@fiucik1]

Sportsbikes on A2 license? I don't know, innit kinda weird? I get that you can have a Harley restricted to A2, because the torque(which is massive) stays the same, but the hp is limited. But then again, I could never understand sportsbikes, much less A2 or 125ccs... And these complains about the weight? Seriously? I mean, it's not light, but it has factory centre stand and crash bars, so 196kg is not that bad, but then again, coming from A2 limited sportsbikes, yea, it probably feels like a behemoth...

[@HamRidez]

I actually think it looks really smart. The bark busters, crash protection and knobbly tyres make it look kind of mean. Its 100% better looking than its predecessor, which, in my opinion was fairly hideous and the headlight position was all wrong. The colour scheme is a direct rip off of the BMW scrambler anniversary but i loved it on that so i like it on this. At £6k this is an absolute bargain. Because of this price however, the quality of materials will be lower and therefore heavier which wasn't mentioned in the video. Would i buy one, probably no unless i wanted a cheap commuter i wasn't precious about. Based purely on horsepower, weight and size (a bit small for me). I've bought a 2024 KTM 1290SAS this year, and while incomparable in most ways, the Himi is still an adventure bike and lacks the fun factor the KTM has. The KTM puts a smile on your face which you've described as missing on the Himi. I get its not aimed at me, and aimed at A2 licence holders, and if i was an A2 licence holder then just maybe i'd go for one.

[@podunkman2709]

Looks like made with hammer.

[@kokoshibotsugikuni9555]

Very beautiful

[@graemetaylor629]

its not meant to be an outright off road bike so why judge it that way. still concerning over the fuel consumption and reliability though

[@joshdoddadbod]

I find myself confused with you complaining the bike stalls if you use the rear brake. You are pulling the clutch in when you brake are you not? It sounds like the issue you described was simply improper technique. Of course if you hit the brake when the bike is in gear it will stop the engine lol

[@kn58]

If it was a KTM with these issues, the whole conversation would have been totally different

[@adityan3208]

I mean it's literally just him who faced this particular issue. Also, KTM gave terrible responses when people complained. They it.

[@Trackandshield]

I think the issue with ktm was how they addressed it.

[@BachsRides]

The issue with KTM is that it's basically all of their bikes.

[@akashas9577]

U can't say that the styling is unique If u come to India xpulse has same design, which is the only proper offroader in Indian market

[@punxrancid124]

Wow Im early this time

[@ChrisParrett-qo4sx]

How can having to use the brakes properly be a criticism?… Just ’cos he's been using a sports bike is no excuse for not riding… and braking… in a correct manner, especially now all new bikes have ABS: a necessity because the higher CofG of modern bikes (particularly from Japan) makes weight transfer cause rear brakes to lock too easily. Using both brakes together has always been correct practice, but too many riders today rely on their front brake only, forgetting what they were taught as learners (I've been an instructor, so I'm aware of how braking is taught from CBT level onwards).

[@JamEWalsh]

06:11 You haven't "used too much rear brake" before? What the hell does that even mean? Is that a sport bike thing or what? Or are you taught not to use it in the UK or something? Very weird thing to just casually mention...

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Hi, Joseph here. What I mean is that when I ride my personal bike, a lightweight, low-powered ZXR400 sportbike, I can usually achieve the desired braking force using just the front brake, with only about 10% rear brake. In contrast, on this heavier ADV bike, I’m using a more balanced 50/50 split between front and rear, which has been an interesting difference for me.

[@ChrisParrett-qo4sx]

The high up CofG of sports bikes means weight transfer makes the rear too easy to lock up, so many riders stopped using it - A friend's bike shop sponsored an R6 based race bike. Its rider had a caliper from a Peugeot moped fitted to the rear, just to comply to the rules and for steadying the rear end by applying drag in the turns. Under heavy braking the rear wheel was so light it was clear of the ground. - Since ABS, there's no excuse, but former 'wisdom' takes a while to learn these things. As learners, riders are taught (or should be) to use both brakes correctly, but after leaving the 'cooking' 125cc bike behind, riders get into bad habits rather than honing their skills on the more advanced bikes they've bought.

[@JamEWalsh]

@@ChrisParrett-qo4sx Ahhh that makes more sense. I figured there must be a reason precisely because riders are taught to use both brakes. Thanks for the explanation!

[@davea9946]

@@motorcyclenewsdotcomoff topic but you mentioned the false neutrals between 4, 5 and 6. Were you preloading the shifter for these shifts?

[@frankpinion4937]

So you got 2,000 km out of the Annakee wild tyres-I got 20,500 km out of my CEAT OEM tyres on my Meteor 350. 2,000 km isn't even an oill change. So if you're paying upwards of 100-125 pounds for a tyre every 2,000 km then that get's a bit cost prohibitive & not only that the tyre isn't very suitable on road under all conditions & as such is less of a dual purpose tyre. It isn't an Enduro bike or a trail bike-it's too big & heavy so for most people adventure riding isn't going to be extreme & in most cases if you use a Metzler Tourance & drop the tyre pressures off road they should be adequate for most people. Sounds like you've used just about every tyre known to man-which is perfectly ok if you're not having to pay for them. I've used knobby tyres on road & they're completly useless. You get very little warning if they're about to let go so they don't give you much confidence & they're also noisy on road. I think as a 2nd bike with the new Triumph Scrambler 400X on the market I would opt for that well ahead of the CRF300 especially for adventure riding involving distance as the Honda is a short stroke revvy engine. He was obviously thrshing it like it was a sport's bike so really not the sort of rider for a test on an adventure bike as he had no experience of adventure bike's what so ever. So how can he be subjective. I got 400 km + out of my 411 Himalayan with a Delkevic muffler for fuel range. You can't have double the horse power & great economy as well with a small engine. You could on something like a Triumph Scrambler 900 or 1200X as they are low revving bikes. I don't think this particular test rider is the right demographic that would buy this bike so a complete waste of time as a review.

[@toddclarke2348]

I own the kemet white Himalayan 450. I have all the accessories including panniers. I absolutely love this bike and have had no issues whatsoever. I stopped watching the video once I started to hear the whining pom. If you can't handle such a bike why did you buy it? Makes me laugh how people are so negative. I definitely wouldn't want to hang out with such people. How annoying and draining. My experience thus far has been absolutely awesome with the Himalayan 450

[@corychartier7961]

Reise a indian manufacture also offers 8020

[@ogofog9120]

14 hrs blimey, fair play … but why would you. Done lots of touring round Europe, don’t get the daft long days, it’s a holiday! But each to their own

[@frankspeakmore7104]

I know what you mean, maybe in an emergency but not for touring. There is one KZbinr who has a GS (recently it was stolen) but all he does is motorway to and from a destinations.

[@wacksalad3110]

I would get shot of those tyres if you want good mpg.... imo

[@motorcyclenewsdotcom]

Good point

[@HarshChandel-ex7fs]

Most reliable 450 cc in the world