RE Himalayan 450 test ride: 6'2" tall rider shares his observations

Also, sharing a few quick comparison points with the Triumph Scrambler 400X for those confused between the two.

BHPian ulusGabinius recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Took a long, 5 km TD today on the Old Mumbai-Pune highway on a Kaza Brown H450. No broken roads as such, unfortunately, but nice long stretch of highway where I could hit and maintain 100 km/h for about five minutes. To give perspective, I'm 6'2" with a 34-inch inseam.

At a standstill:

• The Dhone Automobiles PCMC showroom is small but pretty nice.
• The SA himself didn't like the Kaza Brown and told us it could be modded in the aftermarket, so to take that one as it was VFM.
• The bike is somewhat heavy at a standstill, but that feeling reduces when you take it off the sidestand. Once you get going, it's weightless.
• It's not very hard to move around, say in a park. Of course, that's just me, because of my long legs perhaps.

On the go:

• My gods does it go. The engine sound changes dramatically at 5000 rpm when it starts to roar like one of the older Enfields, but until then it will purr along beautifully quietly.
• Tractability is supreme, but of course not as good as the old Himalayan. My FZ 25 is actually sort of similar in that regard.
• Beautifully light clutch, the only one lighter is the Honda Highness. The Triumph clutch is just as light as this. I can use this to make the engine behave even more gently than it naturally wants to.
• The bike will stall if you keep riding it like an old Himalayan since it does need to rev up to 2000 or so to get moving from a standstill. The old Himalayan could do it at only around 1000, just because it was so tractable.
• It's so flickable that misjudgment will cause you to tilt too far or turn too sharply. It's just as easy as the Super Meteor, but it doesn't feel sporty. More like it glides into U-turns.
• The suspension is a chef's kiss. Superb, and just as good as the Triumphs.
• Big bike feel is excellent because of the big tank and the handlebar. It feels like you're ruling from a golden throne.
• You only notice the throttle lag when you rev up very quickly. Be gentle on the throttle and it's not noticeable.
• Brakes are solid. Could have maybe used some feel, but there is no dive and no real grippiness issue. Nice and progressive all around.
• Rear seat was super comfortable, I think I could go for a long ride on the back too.
• Standing up is even easier than the old Himalayan, the bike feels easily controllable with the knees.
• Didn't feel any heat at all in the cool Pune weather, but after about 20 km in a mixed traffic-highway speed riding situation, the fan came on. It's loud, but it's directed away from the legs for the most part, so no complaints there.
• The only downside was the vibes post 6000 rpm. They're in the hands and the seat, until 7500, when they're all over. I think this might be annoying for someone who tours regularly, but I had no problem maintaining a hundred in 5th, and the RPMs were about 5000-5500 with no fuss at all.

All in all, it's bloody excellent!

Comparing with the Triumph Scrambler 400x, here are a few points that someone confused between the two might consider:

• The Scrambler will feel quicker and more responsive in the city, and more sporty, because it is smaller, in both wheelbase and weight.
• The Scrambler's vibes are a little higher than the Himalayan's, but they come into the feet, not the handlebar, so it might be less exhausting.
• The Scrambler has no throttle lag, and it feels quicker on the throttle, more like a commuter or a street naked in comparison to the RE throttle lag.
• The Scrambler will need sintered pads in front to deal with city traffic, the carbon ones will wear out soon enough. The RE seems to have no such issue.
• To sum that up, the Scrambler is an easier city bike and the Himalayan is a superior touring bike.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.