"Tankbag Is Coming":

"We observed the mistakes of the competition and corrected them in the Himalayan 450", says Antoine Borsik, Senior Design Engineer at ‪@royalenfield‬ , who sketched many concept renders of the bike.
In what is probably my favourite interview from this series, Mr Borsik takes us through who this bike is for, what he likes most about it to what Royal Enfield corrected in their bike looking at the competition's mistakes to breaking down the entire bike in concept phase.
Fun fact: Mr Borsik, a few years ago, was also involved in the development of the Yamaha Tenere.
You can check out his concept designs on his Instagram here: antoine_bor...
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:40 - Who is this bike for?
01:32 - Swiss knife
03:15 - The fine details
04:40 - Tenere comparison
06:00 - Fender bender
07:06 - Oversights in design
08:40 - Attention on quality
12:49 - New luggage - tankbag
13:57 - Breaking down design concepts
Let me know in the comments what you think about this video.
Cheers
#royalenfield #himalayan #himalayan450 #himalayan450rally

[@ladakhman]

Finally someone at RE design who could tell background story of design & thought process behind it all.

[@ashishwadekar6395]

Thanks @abhinavbhatt for connecting us with behind the scenes at ABR scene! It is always a happy experience to know about thought that was put in by designers & engineers at RE.

[@abhinavbhatt]

Thank you. The real story is always the people behind the machines.

[@PatchedBandit]

Excellent to see an interviewer not only throwing softball after softball like many bigger publications. Respect!

[@Doxam_daily]

Loved the way you kept asking the uncomfortable questions. And yes, he also answered it fairly honestly, mostly about the bike being an affordable one and we cannot expect everything to be perfect. Because, no motorcycle ever will be. But really appreciate your efforts in this interview. Most people would find asking such questions to a guy, in such an event and scenerio, quite socially difficult.

[@Anuragvisualss]

The questions you have asked are really great Abhinav 👍

[@tejasgangarde]

Damn... That sherpa is simply looking like actual sibling of T7 WR

[@force1delta]

What a great company to take such enormous steps in making a world class product in the extremely modest price point… hiring the right guys is the first step and Abhinav’s interview shows how capable they are ..fantastic ..I feel sad that I sold my 411 .. I think soon I will add one of these to my stable if possible..

[@anoopkulkarni9062]

Thanks Abhinav, it was pleasure to hear from designer of Himy450

[@Viruhemanth]

wonderful machine. Thanks to the Engineers for making this beauty..

[@hemangkumawat907]

Really nice quality content! Surprised it doesn't get more views. So many of people's doubts and understanding of Himalayan would change if they could have this information. Good stuff Abhinav

[@abhinavbhatt]

Thanks

[@TheLibr4rian]

Great video. Very informative! Thanks a lot!

[@pitsplaces]

Well now that's the true moto journalist review. Amazing video.

[@udaynm369]

Very informative and knowledge gaining video......tanks for sharing your overseas experiences with us.😊

[@Berlin2002-]

Always good content, 👍. Waiting to get my Himalayan hopefully at the end of the month. And yes I will drive it from the Netherlands to India and on 😊

[@Vikrum_]

The suspension I've ever experienced on two wheels, I hope RE keeps improving it

[@nicolojavier]

the old himalayan with the new engine looks amazing. I wish they went with that.

[@caldaemon]

Great video! Thank you!

[@sam1920]

any news on when the tubeless spoke rim will be available ??

[@adi45713]

Bro didn’t hesitate to ask the tough questions - welding, the side stand , & tubeless tyres … 3 kryptonites of Himalayan 450.

[@CarlosGeraldi]

Great bike! Just one thing was missed, suspensions adjusters! Springs preload and rebound damping at least!

[@attuneu]

Very interesting and enjoyable. I have the bike and am beginning to really like it.

[@timothybrockbank7474]

Looks an interesting bike will have to get to a dealers and take a look

[@pietervanderzee9998]

I have a 450. And 411 bs4. Both fantastic bikes

[@timlubbers2884]

Outstanding!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@darkknight3377]

Abhinav bro, pl find out when tubeless rims will be available for the 450 hm

[@krishnamahatre8605]

Another nice one, is the buzz getting lesser or disappearing the next lot of 452s ?

[@irondrifter4702]

The side stand is perfect.. Easley stand any mountain area with luggage..

[@brookegan2945]

Any chance you can install rackless saddlebags with out installing pannier racks.

[@critterIMHO]

I’m not big on riding off road, but I do like off pavement (dirt and gravel roads), so I’m really looking forward to the Guerrilla.

[@AbhroneelGhosh]

Quality content!

[@rawalsushant]

Abhinav any idea when they are planning the tubeless rims. There has been absolute radio silence from RE.

[@abhinavbhatt]

No timeline yet.

[@rawalsushant]

@@abhinavbhatt my apologies i saw the entire video and saw that part. But thanks anyways for the updates.

[@drpavan262]

I guess it’s a waste of time and emotional drain to expect RE to deliver tubeless spoke wheels😢

[@1234bhattacharjee]

@abhinavbhatt there is a continious sound of the fuel pump while riding is that normal in 450

[@airfoil]

Any word on engine clatter reduction?

[@ogasi1798]

i always said - old himmy look, new engine and suspension

[@kiranm25x]

Good job, they still need to address QC issues with Chassis break and Wiring issues catching fire.

[@mrtravelbuff]

Do share the himalayan 450 accessories

[@sandeshdharne157]

its always in the eyes😃

[@kmram]

@abhinav re Himalayan 450- I have a major issue with the front mudguard, in rains the mud splashes all over on the top of the mudguard and also on the fork covers and I can see it sprinkling in the front

[@abhinavbhatt]

You can extend the front fender. That might help.

[@Rahul-kp6wn]

How to extend front fever Abhi bro i need this is a must. Can you do a video ​@@abhinavbhatt

[@abhinavbhatt]

@@Rahul-kp6wn there is a bolt on piece at the bottom of the fender. Just get a spare and bolt it on the front too.

[@jimmydickson8854]

I like the bike it reliable good value and mullty purpose and it’s not covered in crap plastic which I hate and it’s not complicated a good rack to carry gear ,it suites me fine ,these sports bikes scare the shite out of me ,I haven’t got the talent for these that’s why I like the R / E 450 that’s all the talent iv got for bikes I’m an older rider not in a hurry these days ,that’s my honest opinion on the bike jimmy Australia

[@austin1489]

Is Himalayan 650 in the pipeline of RE ??

[@MrVinnyh]

The final question was the answer! Yes with my wife grand that!

[@harshitprasadbulletwa]

The angle of the headlights in this bike seems to be more aligned with the suspension, my himalayan does not look like that. It that a mod or just difference between the models?

[@abhinavbhatt]

This headlight sits lower due to no number plate at the front. Even my bike in India is like this.

[@harshitprasadbulletwa]

@@abhinavbhatt omg looks so much cooler this way, how do you dodge the legal requirements to do this in india?

[@abhinavbhatt]

@@harshitprasadbulletwa ride this way and pray for the best 🤣

[@harshitprasadbulletwa]

@@abhinavbhatt Haha 😂 will try doing this someday. Lets hope Gurgaon police is willing to let this slide

[@harshaswell]

Dajyu.. ❤❤

[@Amory98]

Would be get the RE Arrow exhaust in india for this?

[@abhinavbhatt]

Unlikely. It won't make sense anyway. Would cost at least 40-50k. Would you buy a slip on that's heavier than stock and not make that much more power for that money?

[@krishnadasop8043]

Rally suits well on 452

[@da_Silentman]

We may expect that tubeless rim next year😂😂😂.

[@ADHI222]

The tail section that we saw on the bike is it an accessories?

[@abhinavbhatt]

Yes. Yet to be launched.

[@ADHI222]

@@abhinavbhatt oh nice that's wonderful

[@slimturnpike]

weight?

[@alvishhussain8383]

What about the chasis break?

[@flyingkiwi215]

Aftermarket, incorrectly fitted engine guards causing it.

[@interstellargod6959]

Western people should watch this before coming negative about the bike

[@SAMUELBENZ1357PETRAZONE]

I can see the grenadiers in the background 😂😂😂

[@abhinavbhatt]

We were eyeing them for 4 days straight.

[@frankpinion4937]

So you wouldn't need guards to protects forks if it had normal way up forks with gator's on like the Himalayan-this way is a lot more effective. He made the bike too big-it's nearly as big as a Tenere 700, Aprilia tourag 660 which are in the middleweight class but they produce 80 hp where the Himalayan only produces 40 hp. The other thing which was a mistake is that the bike is too heavy. Just lifting it off the side stand is a big effort-you can feel the enormous weight for only a 450 single is ridiculous. The 450 MT from CF Moto with 450 cc twin engine feels a lot lighter than the Himalayan. So it's carried this same problem through to the all new 450 single from the old 411 cc single which weighed 200 kg wet on a weigh bridge with Delkevic muffler on. The air cleaner you have to remove the tank to change air filter which completly ridiculous as it's not only time consuming if doing yourself but very expensive if you get the dealer to do it. 450 MT you can do by lifting the seat, which is how it should be for an off road bike. It uses shims to adjust the valves so is no longer a simple bike to service, or cheap to service as all other Royal Enfield's. Should have had tubeless spoke rims & 18" rear wheel for better rolling ability at the rear to compete with 450 MT. I think for a blank canvas design it has many faults that should have being picked up on. Their seemed to be a lack of communican between the design team & mechanics/users/dealers. I've heard reviewers comment that they think it's around 20 kg too heavy. If you watch the review done by Itchy Boots through India on the pre production model she thought it was too heavy & couldn't understand why Royal Enfield had to make their bikes like tanks. The bar to compete with & improve on was a Suzuki DR650 SE. It's actually a lot heavier than a DR650. The bigger the tank the more fuel & the more weight.I think it looks un balanced with enormous tank & tiny little side covers. The only 1 that disguises the enormity of the tank & that is the black & gold which ifunnily enough is the most popular colour.

[@AJ_NtTWrstl]

when are the cross spoke wheels are coming?? did you had the chance to aks them and get an answer?? This is the only thing which is making me wait to buy this bike and no I don't want to go for jugaad "Tubeless conversion". and pushing 200kg motorcycle everytime you get puncture is out of the question as well.

[@flyingkiwi215]

Why would you push it? Just fix the puncture as it’s got a centre stand already fitted.

[@AJ_NtTWrstl]

@@flyingkiwi215 fix the tube puncture by myself? you are out of your mind.

[@robedmunds7163]

What a cool guy, nice that they consider people are spending all their savings on a bike and not everyone has unlimited cash.

[@abhinavbhatt]

I thought that was the quote of the interview. Very touching.

[@thefastelephant94]

When does the Rally Exhaust come out?

[@abhinavbhatt]

Arrow should start producing it soon but unlikely to make it to India. Wouldn't be under 50k.

[@alidohorizonte]

I just wanted one so bad but they're not being sold yet in my country. So I bought a 400x.

[@arohiaziz3097]

Sir, question him when will bigger Himalayan arrive?🙂

[@abhinavbhatt]

There's absolutely no point asking these questions. You just won't get an answer you'll like.

[@zakengalsulkar5778]

Question them why not give traction control, cruise control, adjustable levers, quickshifter as another variant for bit more money. People would happily pay little more for these features

[@abhinavbhatt]

Wait for other interviews. And I will never ask them why not give traction control. I will always commend them for not giving TC on a 40 bhp bike.

[@sounakroy9616]

As an old school rider, it always bothers me when I see one without kick starts. Maybe its my fault!..

[@winduncan9818]

For me it's tubeless tires or a hard pass. I love my VStrom 650 with it's tubeless tires for USA touring, I'm selling my CRF Rally in Thailand with it's tubed tires and thinking of replacing it with one of these.

[@zakengalsulkar5778]

Want to see foglights throw in dark

[@manueldiaspereira8347]

This bike is a stock one, apart from the seat?

[@abhinavbhatt]

It has the rally style accessories on. The rally mudguard, handguards etc.

[@manuelpereira1384]

@@abhinavbhatt First of all Thanks for your reply!😃 The back is diferent too, right? In your opinion, for some one that not ride for more than 20 years wich bike I should choose: A Royal Enfield Classic Reborn 350 a Himalayan 450 or a Guerrilla 450? A Scram 440 or 450 air cooled was what I wanted...😔

[@abhinavbhatt]

@@manuelpereira1384 if you wait for some time, a Scram 440 will eventually come.

[@manuelpereira1384]

@@abhinavbhatt Do you think so, in the very near future, like by the end of the year? With an air and oil cooled engine (440 or 450), like the old Scram?

[@abhinavbhatt]

@@manuelpereira1384 don't know when exactly, but a 440 cc bored out 411 Scram will definitely come.

[@augm3nt384]

It's been almost a year since the the Himalayan 450's launch, but nothing from RE about the tubeless rims, rally accessories and the seats. A seriously BIG blunder. Edit. It also looks like the rally exhaust won't be launched in India !

[@pcmishrikoti]

Why the chessis break hard question to be answered...

[@akhil2040]

So now I'm waiting for fog lights AND top bag.

[@aaronvarghese6955]

This or triumph scrambler 400x

[@ankn01]

Guys at this time moto cf 450 is winning and Himalayan is loosing. But it's a battle not a war.

[@delchanman]

bro is onto nothing 🗣

[@ankn01]

@@delchanman i am

[@marcotrujillo9574]

Two different markets. You want reliability buy RE. You want to travel long distances with any issues at all? Buy RE. You want a chinese Teneré looking bike, with a bunch of chinese electronics to go 100km trips and then go home? Buy CF 450mt.

[@ivoaferreira]

@@marcotrujillo9574 RE is not exactly known for reliability, on both only time will tell...I bought the himi but the CF is a better bike, better acessories (mirrors, windshield, handguards), no vibration, more horsepower, the himi is better looking but thats a question of taste

[@bikes.and.knives]

No clear answer about tubeless spokes again, no time frame. Disappointing.

[@Fractal379]

In fairness, that's not within his job remit.

[@bikes.and.knives]

@@Fractal379 that's corporate lingo. You're trying to build a motorcycle community, trying to engage with the riders, asking for feedback. This is not the way to go.

[@Fractal379]

@@bikes.and.knives I don't think someone in his role has all the answers, nor would I expect them to.

[@bikes.and.knives]

@@Fractal379 He should have said so then, that he can't answer that question instead of getting political. A whole lot of us only bought the Himalayan because we were told that the tubeless spokes were getting launched as early as in 3 months, and that was November 2023. After that, there has been a collective silence from the brand, collective amnesia. Nobody dares talks about it. They don't even reply to the queries on their Instagram page. I have asked numerous journalists about it, no answer yet. So, if RE, as a brand, doesn't even have a time frame for something that they promised us last year, they're doing a shit job, and not talking about it, or giving vague answers like in this video isn't helping their cause either. They'll launch more bikes, and the customer will remember this behaviour. Next time we'll take all their announcements with a fistful of salt.

[@delchanman]

​@@bikes.and.knivesdoesn't the top spec have the tubeless spokes right now? Some sources say they do i have no idea.

[@Oldman.Roaming]

Is it me or did this guy have trouble answering questions?

[@flyingkiwi215]

He’s only one person of the team. He’s not specialist on every part of the

[@Oldman.Roaming]

@@flyingkiwi215 gotcha

[@mercuryquiksilver2561]

That accent sounds french imo .

[@abhinavbhatt]

He is French.

[@marcotrujillo9574]

Yeah no sht, he's name is Antoine, champ. It's pretty clear.

[@steamerSama]

Desi reviewer and videsi Royal enfield designer. Who would have thought India needs to import engineers 🙄

[@akshanshkumar]

No matter how good one can call RE Himalayan, it will remain unreliable and shit product. There's an issue on my 450 which RE cannot fix and its been 3 months.

[@d3lchan]

you have a 411 right?

[@adityan3208]

What's the issue?

[@fueledbypassion5558]

The owners are actually enjoying the motorcycle and I am one of them 😉

[@d3lchan]

@@fueledbypassion5558 nah nah don't worry, he has a 411 and is putting down others to feel better about his situation lmao