About Himalayan
The Himalayan was named after the mountains its makers knew best, and it was built to ride them. When Royal Enfield launched it in the mid-2010s, it was a curious thing: a simple, air-cooled single with modest power, long-travel suspension and a rugged frame, aimed at riders who wanted to cross high passes and broken roads rather than win drag races. The idea of an affordable, unpretentious adventure bike turned out to be exactly what a lot of riders wanted.
The first Himalayan earned a cult following for its comfort, its toughness and its honesty, though critics found it underpowered and a little crude. Royal Enfield answered with the second generation, built around the all-new liquid-cooled Sherpa 450 single, with a stronger chassis, ride-by-wire throttle and a round screen with built-in navigation. It was the company's most modern motorcycle to date, and reviewers who had politely tolerated the original found plenty to genuinely like in the new one, on and off the pavement.
The Himalayan now competes with the KTM 390 Adventure, BMW's small GS models, the Hero Xpulse and Triumph's smaller Scrambler and adventure bikes, often winning on price and approachability. The next step is bigger: a twin-cylinder Himalayan 750 has been teased ahead of its debut, aiming the name at heavier middleweight adventure machines. Coverage follows reveals, long-term reviews, comparison tests, price changes and the long-distance rides that keep the name honest.