P126
COMPARISON I LIGHTWEIGHT ADVENTURE BIKES
line of sight. Its four-inch TFT
display is analog-inspired in
normal riding modes but can
be turned into a Google Maps-
enabled GPS and gives you
visual cues for answering calls
or selecting music on your con-
nected mobile phone. It's not the
brightest in the full sun. Surely, a
TV screen on the console would
look wildly out of place here.
There are four ride modes,
which combine two engine map-
ping tunes (Performance and
Eco) and two ABS settings (on/
off). You can't switch modes
on the fly; you need to stop, and
shock in back. Both ends only
have preload adjustability, but
their performance is quite good
despite lacking clickers. Nine
inches of ground clearance
allow it to tiptoe over most
off-road obstacles you might
encounter, but it definitely has
its limits off-road.
Stopping the Royal Enfield is a
suite of Brembo's India-born By
-
Bre brakes brand, matching the
KTM 390 Adventure R in spec,
with the Enfield getting a slightly
larger rear rotor at 270mm com-
pared to KTM's 240mm. They
work fine on both bikes.
The tech on board is surpris-
ingly existent and hidden well
inside the low-tech style of the
bike. The retro-styled Tripper
dash is round and proud in your
ABS settings only switches the
rear. We simply ride in Perfor
-
mance/ABS Off all the time.
No, it's not going to out-accel-
erate the CFMOTO or have the
top-end pull of the KTM. It will
also not compete in aggressive
off-road riding or have the best
wind protection in the rain. But,
if you want to simply cruise on
your adventure ride, this bike will
cruise with a tractor-like character
as you smile in simplistic bliss.
If none of that is for you, you will
likely be bored riding this bike.
Pick the Royal Enfield Hima
-
layan 450 if you're looking for a
retro-cool utilitarian all-terrain
scoot that can handle big adven-
tures, if you're not in a hurry and
stick to dirt and gravel roads on
the extreme side of things.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450
leans into its British roots and
Indian grit to deliver a dependable,
but utilitarian, ride.
