[CodeEvo]

Originally Posted by aston_martyr

Thanks for the info. However my dealership out here in Bangalore told me the exact opposite. Whosoever takes delivery within Dec 31st are eligible for launch price, rest would be carried over next year with the revised prices.

Yup the same was mentioned to me as well. If the bike is delivered post 31st December then the prices will be revised as per whatever is the new pricing.

[neil.jericho]

Back in 2019, when the Royal Enfield 650 twins were launched, Indian motorcycle enthusiasts were genuinely excited by the prospect of two affordable multi-cylinder motorcycles being sold by a company with a pan-India service network. At that time, I was invited by one of the showrooms to attend the local launch (The Royal Enfield Interceptor & Continental 650. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 2.50 - 2.65 lakhs) of the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650.

Fast forward to 2023 and history was all set to repeat itself, at least partially. The Himalayan 450 has global motorcycle enthusiasts buzzing with excitement at the prospect of an affordable do it all adventure motorcycle being sold by a company with an increasingly large global service network. This time, I wasnt invited by any of the showrooms to attend the launch but I made it a point to invite myself! The sales lady at the company store in Bangalore confirmed that the motorcycle was present in the store and it would be unveiled at 7:30 PM in Royal Enfield showrooms across India.

Center Stage




Off To One Side

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the showroom had not one, but two motorcycles, under wraps. One took center stage and another was tucked away to a side. The webcast was being shown on a TV but nobody was really paying attention to it. Everyone was patiently waiting to see the motorcycle and learn the prices.

Introductions Before The Unveiling

Around 7.30, the gentleman in charge of the company showroom gathered everyone around the motorcycle. He introduced the chief guest of the evening, who is a retired officer and had bought a Royal Enfield Bullet in the 80s! After a brief speech, the chief guest was invited to unveil the motorcycle.

My immediate impressions of the Himalayan 450 were that it looks better in front of you, than it does on a television screen.

First glimpse

While everyone congregated around the gorgeous Hanle Black model, I pulled away to the side and requested a sales person to take the wraps off the 2nd motorcycle which was being ignored. While I would have liked this Kaza brown paint shade to be a tad darker, I must admit that I am thoroughly smitten by this scheme.

Meanwhile, the helpful staff members served refreshments and a snack to everyone who was in the showroom. The Burger King burger and a Paper Boat drink were gratefully accepted by all the walk-ins.

Pricing
There was so much excitement around the unveiling of the 2 motorcycles, that nobody paid any attention to the live stream from Goa. Thanks to being a part of several active Whatsapp motorcycling groups, I saw the prices, as soon as they were announced. When I shared the numbers with some of the sales folks, they were as excited as we potential customers were. The hard to hide grins said it all! Slowly the pricing information started to spread in the crowd and everyone was visibly happy with these introductory figures.

Crowd
I would venture to say that there must have been at least 75-100+ walk-ins yesterday evening. And that is on the conservative side. Overall, the crowd was very well behaved and patiently took turns to be seated on the new bikes, and get photographed on them. Fortunately, we only had one obnoxious gentleman who probably was some influenza, and shamelessly hogged a lot of time on these new motorcycles, without bothering about the others who were waiting for their turn. Im just grateful that there was only 1 such person at the launch event.

Now that I'm done with the lengthy preamble, lets get on to the actual motorcycle!

[neil.jericho]

At the launch of the 650 twins in the Cochin dealership, the motorcycles were placed in such a way that there was enough lighting and space to closely examine the motorcycles, when the polite crowds permitted you to, that is. This time, the Hanle Black motorcycle was lit up by floor level spotlights and there was an active smoke machine right next to it. While this setup is fantastic for taking Instagram photographs, its safe to say that it is not that great for enthusiasts like me who wanted to closely examine the motorcycle. The Kaza brown motorcycle was placed along the glass wall and hence, getting a full look at it was also not easy. A proper walk around examination in broad day light should give me a more nuanced opinion.

Anyways, my impressions in the first 30 seconds were that at the expected prices, the fit and finish levels were fantastic. There were no standout red flags. All the wiring seemed to be carefully tucked away. The under seat storage was neat and well laid out. The seating position was neutral and comfortable for my 5'10" ish height. The dash was sweet. The seat looked massive and felt really comfortable. I couldn't notice any ugly welds or sore spots. The exhaust is compact and isnt going to foul with your saddle bags or luggage. One thing that really interested me was the design of the radiator guard. On the suspension, firmly pushing down on the Showa front end resulted in a very reaffirming compression and rebound action. The rear felt a little soft for my weight, but it shouldn't be anything which one or two clicks of preload adjustment cant sort out in 10 seconds.

Initial Impressions - A walk in the park 10 / 10

Tasty indeed


The tank design is rather neat


Very organic design


Doesnt look like a sub 4 L motorcycle, does it?


For everyone worrying about modern petrol compatibility


The beak design is also nicely done


Simple fuel cap


Looks like a proper big capacity motorcycle


Long and slender tail piece


Shared LED headlight?


Cue the "Oh, the brake light fell off a new RE bike, aah?" jokes from non RE fans!


15K price difference or not, this Hanle Black will likely be their best seller


Svelte rear end with a stylish looking and functional saree guard


In my books, this is the best viewing angle for the new Himalayan 450

[neil.jericho]

Here are some pictures of the new Himalayan 450.

[neil.jericho]

The more I poked around to find something which was less than ideal, the more I realized that Royal Enfield has left no stone unturned in making this an affordable world class product.

It took me over an hour of prodding and patiently waiting for my next turn, to finally find a few things which I didnt really like. A few weeks ago, I had shared my thoughts on this motorcycle (without having seen it, then), so Ill club them together
- The integrated rear brake light and indicator setup is very neatly integrated. Excellent job. That said, I like big standalone rear brake lights. I wish Royal Enfield had played it safe here.
- The lack of adjustable levers on an otherwise largely well finished motorcycle is baffling. Once you get used to riding with adjustable levers which are set just right for the size of your hands, you cant ride a motorcycle without them.
- The switchgear could have been a bit better. For the price point, is it a deal breaker? Not for me. But the rest of the bike feels like it is built to a higher price point, and the switch gear doesn't match that.
- My calves foul with the foot pegs. This baffled me because on the 650 twins, when most enthusiasts on the forum complained about this issue, I found that the way in which I naturally placed my feet on the ground, resulted in my feet being nowhere close to the foot pegs. On the Himalayan 450 though, my natural placing of the feet does have my legs brush against the foot pegs. A test ride will reveal more on this.
- This panel on top of the tank seems to have sailed through the QC stage rather suspiciously! I would hope that Royal Enfield gets better finished ones on the production motorcycles.

The feedback which I heard from most other people in the showroom was extremely positive. A few folks were eager to know more on the delivery dates and their position in the queue. Test rides should start next week once the mandatory RTO approvals are in place. Something tells me that a LOT of TBHPians are going to be test riding this motorcycle in the coming months. Expect 2024 to be the year in which Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 ownership threads dominate this little section of our TBHP universe.

Summary
In two words - Smash Hit.

[MotoChild]

Originally Posted by aston_martyr

Thanks for the info. However my dealership out here in Bangalore told me the exact opposite. Whosoever takes delivery within Dec 31st are eligible for launch price, rest would be carried over next year with the revised prices.

I am surprised to hear this. It was completely as my understanding based on yesterdays announcement.

Originally Posted by CodeEvo

Yup the same was mentioned to me as well. If the bike is delivered post 31st December then the prices will be revised as per whatever is the new pricing.

If RE is really going ahead with pushing the bikes before 31st December with this stunt, it really seems like they want the First Lot to fly off the shelf, as soon as possible.

TEST RIDE: I had a good long call with one dealership salesman here in Delhi, who explained that the Test bikes are yet to get the RTO approvals. One can expect to get a test ride starting December, in Delhi that is.

If that is the case, 30 days is too less of a time to test the bike, and make decision of buying it to avail the introductory offer. They really seem to be rushing with this one. Why?

[MathanK]

I did a quick check at Mahadevpura showroom, BLR today. Bike felt really substantial in person & quality levels are acceptable. But surprisingly it felt heavier than 196kg as it required good amount of efforts to left from the side stand. I was told that test rides are expected to start by 1st week of Dec.

[Legal_Eagle]

There was a picture in the forum yesterday regarding a gaping hole in the frame surrounding the tank. I visited the dealership morning 11.00AM just to check it and also to look at the bike more thoroughly assuming the dealership to be less crowded. But, boy! How wrong I was! It was already too crowded in there. But still managed to check it out peacefully after waiting for my turn.

The gap is present on both sides and is consistent in both the bikes on display. But it may retain moisture during rainy season and may lead to corrosion. For me it is definitely not a deal breaker, enthusiasts would definitely come up with some workaround.









Overall, the build quality is good. Road presence is massive, towering above everything else in its segment and even from a segment above. RE has really upped the ante in recent times, hope other manufacturers follow suit.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Royal Enfield even seems to have launched riding gear to go with the new Himalayan. Frankly mind blown by the all- in approach RE has taken to this particular launch!

Check out these new helmets to match the paint schemes of the Himalayan!

[AtheK]

RE has become a pioneer in launches and how to place there products, this is no different. Launch is like a clockwork, have bikes for people to touch and feel on launch day, RE app updated to start taking orders, have a ready set of accessories and apparels to match. Very clear on when test rides will start and make your customer valued. Make sure you get the customer completely engaged and invested. Kudos and Brilliant, compared to some other launches where no one has clue when bikes will be in showroom, when can you test ride, yada yada!!

I will wait for the tubeless spokes to make way, I am extremely interested in this bike and I will most probably even end up owning one shortly, the only breaking point could be if there are too many vibrations on cruising speed of 120-130 kmph, which we will find out shortly anyway.

Good review @neil.jericho I am guessing you visited the BTM showroom, I will visit after few weeks, let the dust settle. Always good to read your views and your sharp eye to detail, a pass from you on build is a lot going for the bike already.

[iron.head]

Originally Posted by Legal_Eagle

The gap is present on both sides and is consistent in both the bikes on display. But it may retain moisture during rainy season and may lead to corrosion. For me it is definitely not a deal breaker, enthusiasts would definitely come up with some workaround.

Attachment 2535571

Thank you for investigating this. Few perspectives. First of all, this motorcycle is not priced too low to have such quality issues. Not to start a debate or hurt somebody's feelings but Bajaj India builds higher quality products for the money. KTM is very serious on quality despite the hardships the company was going through during the start of the partnership with Bajaj. This is to show what can be expected for a certain amount of money.

The protector/guard that we can see in the Himalayan 450 picture (in the previous posts) is supposed to protect the tank behind it in the event of a crash. It is relying on being bolted on to the frame of the motorcycle and we can see that the tubular section is welded on to this extension that is non-tubular.




Now let's look at the quality of this aftermarket guard/protector from a company that has no experience in building a motorcycle. They claim to use the best materials commercially available for their products. "T-Rex Racing" is the name of the company. Now when a third party shop can come up with such high quality products that are used by 1000s of customers why is RE still beating around the bush! While claiming a 1000 points for the quality, fit and finish!

[masterChief007]

Hi, just a novice comment regarding the eyesore weld. It seems to me that it is not supposed to take any considerable load upon impact, the sole purpose of that weld is just to reduce the rattle it will create when the bike is moving at a speed and this that weld is sort of quick fix solution. In case of serious load getting transferred the weld will break and will not transmit the force near the engine chassis area. Instead the tank will bear the brunt.

[iron.head]

Originally Posted by masterChief007

Hi, just a novice comment regarding the eyesore weld. It seems to me that it is not supposed to take any considerable load upon impact, the sole purpose of that weld is just to reduce the rattle it will create when the bike is moving at a speed and this that weld is sort of quick fix solution. In case of serious load getting transferred the weld will break and will not transmit the force near the engine chassis area. Instead the tank will bear the brunt.

If the motorcycle touches the tarmac sideways, that protector will be in contact with the tarmac and likely break at that seemingly weak weld. It looks ugly too and will catch rust at that spot.

Showcasing my ugly drawing to question this choice of construction. Why not just do it the way everybody (who does a good job, like T-Rex, etc) does which is to properly weld a tubular pipe on to the next tubular pipe.

What RE has done:



What RE could have done:



(i.e. seal the weld entirely and use a nice tubular pipe, like the rest, to link the two tubular structures).

[aviator1101]

Originally Posted by Legal_Eagle

There was a picture in the forum yesterday regarding a gaping hole in the frame surrounding the tank.

The gap is present on both sides and is consistent in both the bikes on display. But it may retain moisture during rainy season and may lead to corrosion.

Fellow BHPian M_Power11 posted a pic of a gap in the tank rack which started an informative discussion.

Legal_Eagle confirmed the same gap exists on all bikes and the consistency of the gap.

Few others have crucified RE for this cardinal sin without understanding the logic behind the construction of the tank rack.

I will try to contribute my bit towards the discussion.

This pic shows the gap in the frame when seen from top, from where as Legal_Eagle correctly brought out, water/moisture ingress might happen.

However, what needs to be seen is whether a gap exists in the lower part of this welded portion which should act as a vent for egress of moisture/water.

I haven't seen the bike in person yet, so I browsed through the images on forum and found one posted by Shyamg28 which I'm sharing below.

The highlighted portion of the image clearly shows a gap for water/moisture egress.

This part also seems to be powder coated. So will not corrode easily IMO. However, care needs to be taken. I will apply some M-seal to both gaps and sleep peacefully.

Next, the logic behind the construction is important. The lower part of this rack is welded to the portion housing the radiator. So, as I understand, this welded part will act as a crumple zone during a fall and bend optimally and yet not damage the tank. A solid weld might make it rigid and damage the radiator housing in case of a fall.

I will request members who have seen/will visit showrooms subsequently to kindly check and corroborate what I'm trying to say.

Fault finding is important, but let us do it in a constructive manner.

Regards

[iron.head]

From where did the science of crumple zones and impact to the radiator come into the picture? There is no need of a crumple zone here. These rails/guards getting bent aka crumple will not save anything! In fact, if the rail bends and goes inwards, it will damage the tank! The radiator is not in the way!!

It's whole purpose is to stay there and not crumple! The motorcycle is not 2500 kilos that something needs to crumple and absorb an impact. I have crashed my Classic 500 twice with the 650 rupees (2011) leg guard and the leg guard did not bend! If the leg guard would have bent, it would have fractured my leg!

The thin and hollow portion of this crash guard is the problem! That's where it will corrode, bend, and break! Why RE has to cut these corners and claim to have spent 6 years in making a "perfect" motorcycle! In Sid Lal's interview on the official channel he claims just that!