Royal Enfield is an international brand. Its motorcycles are available in several countries, including America. In the USA, the Chennai-based two-wheeler giant offers the INT 650, Continental GT, Meteor, and the Royal Enfield Himalayan. While the Himalayan is a popular bike in India, here’s what a US rider thinks about it.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan that we see in the above video is a rental motorcycle. It was two-month-old and had about 1400 miles (2250km approx) on its odometer when the rider rented it for four days. During this period, she rode the bike in the city, on highways, as well as on country and mountain roads. However, she didn’t cover any off-road tracks as the owner of the motorcycle had requested not to. Over four days, she clocked around 250 miles (400km approx) on the Himalayan and is now sharing her experience and what she thinks about the motorcycle.
Also Read: SG 411 - Custom Royal Enfield Himalayan Like None Other
The rider owns a Triumph Street Triple R (675), and coming from an inline 3-cylinder motorcycle to a single-cylinder machine, she finds the Royal Enfield Himalayan to be quite forgiving. When compared to her naked sportbike, the Himalayan's throttle responds with less urgency. While the dual-sport bike has got enough grunt to maintain decent highway speeds, it doesn’t like to be ridden hard, especially in the twisties.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan is a tall motorcycle. It has a good amount of ground clearance so that it can go over most of the obstacles one would encounter during off-road riding. Being a short person, the rider didn’t actually have any issues managing the motorcycle but she couldn’t keep both her feet down at the same time. She also talks about how the Himalayan would prove to be a comfortable bike for tall riders.
The rider tells that she has ridden a few single-cylinder motorcycles in the past, including a KTM 390 Duke, however, she finds the Royal Enfield Himalayan to be the most refined. The vibrations are contained but they do creep in onto the handlebars which can be felt after being on the saddle for a longer duration. She appreciates the wind protection that the stock windscreen offers and the onboard compass that’s located on the motorcycle’s instrument cluster.
In the USA, the Royal Enfield Himalayan is available in 6 colour options and costs USD 4,999 (INR 3.67 lakh). The company is yet to launch the updated model (with Tripper Navigation) in the country.
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