One of the Best Affordable Adventure Motorcycles Just Got Even Better

The new Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 upgrades the engine (and more) to climb the highest mountains — and crush your local off-road trails, of course.

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published August 26, 2024

·

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Roughly 14 months ago, I was sitting in a very different spot: rather than a New York City apartment, I was straddling the saddle of a scrappy Royal Enfield Himalayan Scram 411, throttling breathlessly through the Himalayas in Northern India, and nothing could slow me down.

Royal Enfield’s first liquid-cooled option, the Sherpa is a 452cc single cylinder that makes almost 40 horsepower at 8,000 rpm. Based on my experience, I would say it’s much better suited for ascending the high Himalayas — and generally tearing up the trails wherever you choose to ride.

Well, except for the bike itself. In general, it punches well above its weight (and price), but as we summited mountain passes at or near 18,000 feet, that 411cc engine struggled mightily, seemingly feeling the altitude even more than our unadjusted lungs were.

Which is why the latest news out of Royal Enfield is pretty exciting. Just launched in the USA, the all-new Himalayan 450 features a significantly bigger, more powerful engine, which promises higher speeds, easier climbs and more breathless thrills — at a starting price point well below $6,000. Here’s everything you need to know.

Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

$5,799 at Royal Enfield

Powering up

One factor that enables Royal Enfield to keep costs down is the brand’s tendency to make the most of every engine it develops. In other words, they have no compunction about placing a potent new power plant into a range of models.

Toward that end, the new Sherpa 450 is present in both RE’s new urban bike (the Guerrilla 450, stay tuned for a review) and this new Himalayan. Which, as long as they continue to keep the bikes this affordable, I have no qualms with. That’s especially true for the Himalayan, which this particular engine is clearly designed to support (hence the name).

Himalayans are surprisingly good at fording, assuming the rider knows wtf they are doing.

Royal Enfield’s first liquid-cooled option, the Sherpa is a 452cc single cylinder that makes almost 40 horsepower at 8,000 rpm. To get out of tough spots off the beaten path, the torque curve offers a usable band between 3,000 and 8,000 rpm.

In a notable upgrade from the 411, the Sherpa connects to a six-speed gearbox, with a slip-and-assist clutch, complementing two distinct riding modes, fuel-friendly Eco and full-power Performance.

sherpa 450 engine — With 452ccs making nearly 40 horsepower at 8,000 rpm, this Sherpa is primed to climb.

Based on my experience with this engine test-riding the Guerrilla in and around Barcelona last month, I would say it’s much better suited for ascending the high Himalayas — and generally tearing up the trails wherever you choose to ride.

Smoothing out

The new engine is undoubtedly the headline, but it’s not the full story. While honoring the classic silhouette of the 2016 original, the new Himalayan boasts better front suspension courtesy of an inverted Showa unit, mullet-ized wheels (21 inches in front, 17 in back), a beefed-up twin-spar steel frame and improved ergonomics.

The new chassis and engine are optimized for easier riding in a standing position (quite common when the going gets rough) and streamlined to reduce standover height, enabling shorter riders to plant their feet while straddling the 31.5-inch high seat. The 4.5-gallon fuel tank is also narrowed to ease the strain on knees during long rides.

himalayan-450-action — Improved ergonomics should make it more comfortable to stand up on the pegs for extended periods.

The new bike also features Royal Enfield’s proprietary TripperDash, a TFT display that uses Google Maps and a joystick-style controller to help riders monitor and manage navigation, music, calls and messages as well as switch ride modes and disable rear ABS — for those who like to play it fast and loose in the gravel and dust.

For a more customized ride, Royal Enfield also offers more than 30 new accessories, enabling customers to push their bike toward a couple different themes, Adventure and Rally.

himalayan 450 motorcycle — With the aluminum boxes and taller windscreen, this particular bike is leaning hard into the Adventure theme.

The former is supported by such options as bespoke Box Aluminum Luggage, a taller Adventure Screen, Adventure Seats and LED Fog Lights. The latter comes to life with options such as a Rally Rear Mudguard, one-piece Rally Seat, Rally Handguards, Sump Guard and Headlight Guard.

Bottom line: No matter which direction you decide to head, all signs point to doing so more comfortably and confidently than you ever could on what came before.

Availability and pricing

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is available now in four colorways — Kaza Brown, Slate Himalayan Salt, Slate Poppy Blue and Hanle Black — at a starting price (for Kaza Brown) of $5,799. Tubeless options in Hanle Black and Kamet White are coming soon.