Wild Safaris In India
Wild and Exciting Safaris & Tours in India
Showing posts with label Royal Enfield. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Royal Enfield. Show all posts
It takes me about five seconds to proclaim the Himalayan the best Royal Enfield I've ever ridden, and it all comes down to one detail. The all-new LS410 engine has a balancing shaft in it. Not to sound glib, but it really is that simple. Where the Bullet, the Classic, and the Continental GT threaten to shake themselves to pieces at highway speeds, the Himalayan feels as tight, smooth and composed as … well, as a motorcycle made sometime after 1980. It only makes 24.5 horsepower—an amount so humble that the .5 seems significant—but with this bike you're free to hold full throttle right up to the 6,500 rpm redline in any gear without feeling like you're beating it up. It's a quantum leap forward.
But let's back up a little. The Himalayan is Royal Enfield's first adventure style bike, which is funny, because from what I understand, pretty much every ride in India is an adventure. That's why the other Enfields aren't built for freeway cruising, because 35 mph or so feels plenty fast in the homicidal traffic of Delhi—complete with its famous wandering cows, or the treacherous unsealed mountain roads, where every blind corner holds an untold number of buses, all passing each other at once
The Himalayan was one of designer Pierre Terblanche's contributions to Royal Enfield during his 20-month stint as head designer. If you follow motorcycle designers, Terblanche was the guy that replaced Massimo Tamburini at Ducati, and penned the 999 Superbike, the Hypermotard and the old, slabby Multistrada. Not the most glamorous CV, but then he did a pretty classy job on Enfield's Continental GT Café Racer.
There's nothing sexy about the looks of the Himalayan. It's all practicality—function over form—from the twin front mudguards, to the front racks (which double as crash bars), to the rear luggage rack, and a very utilitarian dash that mixes analogue and digital nicely. If it's got any sort of visual charm, maybe it's the sort of bike you could imagine Indiana Jones banging around on, whip and jacket flapping in the breeze, holding his hat on with one hand, a weathered, ancient map in his pocket. Something to be said for that, no? Bottom line: I feel like there's a non-zero chance that a Classic 500 or a Continental GT might look cool enough to convince somebody to have sex with you. But I can't imagine anybody getting a bonus chance to reproduce just because they rocked up on a Himalayan. The man who buys one of these? Himalayan nobody because of how cool his bike looks.
This is an entry-level soft-roader, and I think a lot of people will appreciate its approachable 31.5-inch seat height, which makes it one of the easiest ADV machines around to hop onto. The seat itself, though, is foofy and soft and not the bike's strong point. An hour into a freeway blast, my backside was really feeling the frame rails that run up the sides. For the first Enfield you might dare log some freeway miles on, you'd do well to look into something firmer from the aftermarket. I'd also pull the screen off. It doesn't seem to contribute much except for noisy helmet buffeting at freeway speed, and the bike simply doesn't go fast enough to make it much of an aerodynamic advantage. But that's me. I don't like screens at the best of times, and I accept that some people do, just like I accept that some people pay good money to get hit with paddles and told they're no good at things.
Otherwise, though, the Himalayan purrs along nicely in 5th gear, its 4-gallon tank delivering more than 300 kilometers (186 mi) of cruising range. It'll do 75 mph up a bit of a hill, and more than 80 mph down it, with the windsock that is me aboard. I have no doubt it'll hit 87 (where it'd redline with standard gearing) without needing to be dropped out of a cargo plane. At no time does it feel like you're abusing the motor, and the vibration is so well controlled that you can read license plates in both mirrors.
there's another surprise: this thing is a ton of fun to throw around. You can feel the gyroscopic resistance of the 21-inch front tire on turn-in, but if you're prepared to steer it firmly, it's a genuine hoot to carve lines with. It's often more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast one, and this is a great example—24.5 peak horsepower gives you no reason not to yank the throttle wide open the second the suspension settles in a corner. So you do, pegs skimming along the road and the suspension doing a pretty admirable job of keeping things under control. I'm surprised at the pace it holds, even if overtaking needs to be planned a week in advance. If anything, the brakes are the limiting factor here, a single disc front end requiring four finger braking if you're really steaming in. But I'm not complaining, I'm giggling like a schoolgirl. It's pure, simple motorcycling without electronic assistance or pretense, and it puts a big smile on my dial.
There's a small bash plate for engine protection, and the accessory/crash bars up front made me feel like I could tip it over and pick it up a few times without losing too much sleep. A couple of dents and paint chips would go nicely with the bike's rugged looks anyway. The engine doesn't have the same unstoppable, chugging torque as the old-school Enfield 500cc single in the Bullet, though. It prefers to be kept revving a bit. There's also nowhere near enough torque to wheelie this 421-pound bike without bouncing it off something. And these semi-off-road tires by Ceat—a company I've never heard of before—do impressive work on the road but get gunked up with mud pretty fast, and they start slipping a lot when we start trying to climb some muddy tracks.
Still, on a gravel road or a mild trail, the Himalayan handles itself well. The weight is kept low, the non-ABS brakes have a good amount of power and feel for a loose surface, and the easy-riding character of the whole package will encourage riders to get out and start exploring. And that's what this bike's all about. It's an approachable, learner-friendly package that opens up a world beyond the sealed highways. But I can't help thinking to myself on the ride home that in trying to make its first dirt bike, Royal Enfield has accidentally made its best ever street bike. It's the brand's first color TV-era motorcycle if you ask me, even if it's got legs and knobs and wood panelling instead of a high-def flat screen and wall mounts. I don't mean that in a bad way—motorcycles have been excellent fun for a long, long time. Ask your grandfather.
It's so much better than the rest of the Enfield range in my eyes that it's going to have to be compared with the more mainstream mini-ADV machines that are starting to pop up. The Kawasaki Versys-X 300 is probably a good place to start, as it costs around the same, here in Australia anyway. Time will tell for the American market. The Versys gives you a parallel twin engine, a 4.5-gallon tank and some 15 more welcome horses. It's also lighter than the Enfield at 386 pounds fueled. But it's got a half-inch higher seat, a 19-inch front wheel instead of the 21, and shorter travel suspension, so it's definitely a bit more sealed-road oriented, as well as managing to make the Himalayan look much more windswept and interesting in design.
If it hasn't come across strongly enough, let me say I think the Himalayan and its LS410 engine are a huge step in the right direction for Royal Enfield. I suspect we'll see that motor in a heritage-styled road bike before long that'll make the tattooed ladies swoon as well as eating highway miles, and it will be a good thing. I wonder if it regains a bit of the old bangy Enfield charm when you put an aftermarket pipe on. Between you and me, I also hope Enfield keeps making the old, flawed, rattly 1950s designs it's famous for, because nobody else makes anything like them these days. Deep down and against all reason I've got a soft spot for them, too.
the upcoming bike from Royal Enfield to look out for is the parallel 750 twin -Himalayan.
Royal Enfield to the outsiders and cynics is a company from another time. Their bikes really haven’t changed in any drastic fashion for years, they say. This isn’t strictly true, of course. It seems facile to say converting a cast iron block to aluminium or integrating the gearbox is easy; these are significant engineering efforts.
Welcome to the Royal Enfield Continental GT. And I’ll up and end the suspense right here. This is, based on the first ride, the best Royal Enfield motorcycle I have ridden in the last 13 years of road testing. Want more details? Right this way, sir.
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When I met Siddartha Lal, the CEO Eicher Motors the last time around, the question was now that RE had settled into a nice groove with buoyant sales, what direction would the products take. What he said was simple, “We have a heritage and we think our products should reflect what the company would be making today had it been in existence all this time.”
That is dramatically different from Triumph who have successfully revamped their product lines and image, and still have a few products that talk directly to their heritage. The Continental GT, then, is a clearest indication of what it is to come. And yes, despite the economic gloom, we live in exciting times.The Continental GT as you know has had inputs from Harris Engineering; yes that Harris and it shows. But for now, I’m going to talk more about the feel and sensations rather than the technicals. For two reasons: first, I think technology is only worth the benefits it brings so the sensations are more vital than the tech. And two, since the actual launch event hasn’t happened as I write this, and because I’ve spent all day riding the bike and haven’t really had time to delve into the technical details so far. I’ll circle back to the tech low- down once I have more documentation and information, hopefully later today.
It is a great looking motorcycle. We got to see it parked head to head with a genuine old RE GT, and it looked absolutely spot-on as a faithful, modern-day homage to that motorcycle as well as to the Cafe Racer format. Build quality and paint finish looked excellent. The finish levels can still be improved a bit, but as the new flagship for the brand, the Continental GT does the business.
Even when you look at the details the sheen doesn’t fade. The tank looks long and lean, the bar-end mirrors looks rather well-made. All the bits look like someone paid attention to them. It is a bit sad that the bar-end mirrors are OE equipment everywhere but India. Back home we will get normal stalk mounted mirrors and the bar-ends will be an optional accessory. I suspect this has to do with regulatory issues in India, and I’ll confirm this. There are a few rough edges here and there, but you really have to nitpick and split hairs before you spot them.
On the move, the motorcycle feels easily like the best breathing Royal Enfield I’ve ridden yet. Acceleration is urgent though not shattering, and up to about 90-100kmph, vibration is well-controlled too. At about 120kmph though, the vibes kick in properly and sustained 120kmph cruising is going to be arduous. Our Aussie media friends at the launch enthusiastically saw 145kmph on the speedo, so it is fast.
Through all this punishment, the engine feels nicely sorted rather than a clattery mess which is a huge step forward. In short, the journalists looking for oil leaks — they said it was simply because they know their Bullets — were happy to be disappointed. The bikes, despite the caning, never missed a beat. My bike initially did have a bit of a stalling issue in traffic though, which was diagnosed as a badly set idle. And once set, it never recurred. As in promising, promising, promising. I can’t wait to see the numbers when we test this.
Ride quality similarly feels vastly more sorted. It still feels like a heavy-boned motorcycle, but it has gained a sporty sort of damping without becoming harsh. On long drones, in fact, the bumps bother you a bit less than the seat, which is a welcome improvement.
Handling, similarly, is more precise by a fair bit. You still feel the heft and length but turn in is more assured, mid-corner stability is good and there is a sense of accuracy that is much better than any Enfield so far. It hasn’t become a race bike or a full on sportsbike, but then again, that isn’t the nature of the Cafe Racer.
The Cafe Racer format is visually very interesting but is also going to be the crux of the matter when you start trying to decide whether to get a Continental GT for your garage or not.
You see, the handlebars aren’t all that far away but they are low. Add in rearset pegs and you have a fairly committed, canted forward riding position. Most of you are going to end up riding with your elbows locked as a result, but this isn’t a super comfortable motorcycle and short trips are going to be the order of the day.
This is no surprise. The ’60s Cafe Racers weren’t endurance kings, they were the fastest cafe hopping device possible at the time. So will the GT go touring? Not unless you change a few this first or you’re super fit and don’t mind an ache or two. In this sense, it is true to its role and image, and I’m honest enough to notice the long distance discomfort but not cynical enough to say that Royal Enfield should have fixed this. The Continental GT talks a pretty well-defined design language and certain things sound best in the native tongue rather than translated. The ergonomics of the Cafe Racer is one of those things.
Best Enfield ever? I’ve no doubt. Given where the company has come from, the Continental GT is an achievement. It shows that they are now willing to be brave and try new things. And their efforts have, clearly borne fruit.
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On the other hand, India is one of the few countries where there are customers who choose Enfields as a product without really giving credit or consideration to its history, and indeed to the nature and circumstance of the Cafe Racer. These customers will find that there are competitively priced modern motorcycles that outperform the Continental GT on most, if not all, objective parameters.
In short, Enfield fans will love it and non-Enfield fans may or may not. The full picture will emerge over time. What is clear is that we have here one of the best looking motorcycles to go on sale in India in a historic, evocative perspective. And the best Enfield motorcycle so far.
I think that means, Royal Enfield’s done what they set out to do with the bike. The remaining question is the matter of price. While the UK and some other market prices are expected shortly, we suspect that the Indian prices will only come at the commercial Indian launch, which should happen roughly a month or so from now. Stay tuned.
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