2020
Stumbling through You Tube, I came across this Dutch girl riding from India to Europe. She was riding a small Adventure Bike called a RE Himalayan 411. It was quite an adventure and her mode of transport intrigued me. OK, she is an attractive 30-something-year-old blond, so along with the hundreds of thousands of followers, I was hooked on her travels. A few episodes in, I could see myself downsizing to a bike 50 kgs lighter than my Ducati Multistrada 1200S. Of cause I will always own a Ducati or two, but this smaller bike, at only $7,700 was irresistible.
2021
Purchasing my Black and Red REH 411 in April, I didn’t look back. Adding Barkbuster Storm Handguards, Oxford Heated Grips and some luggage capacity, it became my Go-To-Bike of choice. I didn’t stop riding my other bikes, but for commuting and then short trips away, we soon clocked up 30,000 kms together, without any trouble.
2023
OK, my 411 Himmy has a reputation for being under-powered. It would do 100 but there was no real power beyond that. It felt happier in the 80-90 range which is fine for back roads. Rumours of a bigger faster Himalayan caught my imagination. A 650-Twin version was mooted, however it would have been too heavy for my liking. Finally it was foreshadowed it would remain a Single. A completely redesigned bike with no two parts interchangeable between the new and the old models. I placed an order in Dec 2023 and waited …..
2024
April 24th I collected my 2nd Royal Enfield Himalayan.This bike, now a 450, was a totally upgraded version of the first Himmy. Let me tell you the major differences.
- 24 HP goes to 40 HP
- 32 Nm becomes 40 Nm
- 2 Valve head … 4 valve
- Air Cooled … Water Cooled
- 5 Speed Gearbox goes 6 Speed
- Full LED Lighting throughout
- Full Colour Dash with Google Maps Option
- Showa Upside-down Front Forks
- Bigger Brakes back & front
- Slipper Clutch
- Bigger (now) steel-belted Rear Tyre Bigger Tank (15L to 17L)
All of the above and the bike is 3 kgs lighter! Although at 196 kgs wet, its no lightweight. All this for $9,490 on the Road. I paid a premium of $500 to get the Black & Gold paint job with Gold Wheels.
Riding the New 450
Straight away you discover the power is there in spades. Well compared to the old model. The gears are so smooth to operate. Brakes have more bite. Its much improved in every way. The seat wasn’t the best for comfort after 30 minutes in the saddle. I did upgrade to the Touring Seat option for $200. Also upgraded the Screen for the Touring Version ($170), for an additional 10cms height. Suspension works better which is reflected in the handling. There is a lot to like about this 450. After travelling 1000 kms, the fuel economy is similar to the 411, around 3L/100kms. Frugal and handy in these times of rising fuel costs. Range would be around 450 kms, however will vary according to your riding style (speed). There will be Tubeless Rims available soon. Ideal for adding a 2nd set of wheels for full-on Adventure Rides using knobby tyres. If you want some negative feedback on the bike, I can only mention the blinker warning arrows in the dash, they could be brighter. Not much of a complaint really. Very happy with my purchase and can easily recommend the 450 to anyone who wants to do it all, on a lighter bike and have Fun!
