The Royal Enfield Himalayan is very affordable, but is it worth your money?
Ever since the launch of the Royal Enfield Himalayan back in 2016, this adventure tourer motorcycle has been racking up a lot of appreciation. Being one of the cheapest offerings of the segment, the Himalayan became a fan favorite in North America due to the highly tractable 411 cc oil-cooled single-cylinder motor that can pull cleanly from a very low RPM, and the rugged simplicity, both of which many of its competitors in the segment lacked. Competing with the likes of the Kawasaki Versys X 300, Honda CRF300L, KTM 390 Adventure, and the CSC RX4, the Royal Enfield Himalayan is the cheapest of the lot too, coming at an MSRP of just $4,999.
Even though the Himalayan is quite an enticing proposition of the segment due to the long list of qualities it possesses, it still is not an ideal machine for the many motorcycle enthusiasts and riders out there. This is mainly due to them being plagued with a long list of reliability and quality issues, some of which are a bit concerning. Along with that, the Himalayan has quite a lot of restraints in terms of on-road performance and behavior, which does bog down the overall riding experience. An unimpressive features list, mediocre lighting, and subpar build also add to the list.
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Powered by a single-cylinder SOHC long-stroke 411 cc motor that is capable of producing a meager 21.8 hp, the Royal Enfield Himalayan is a pain to ride on those long open freeways. This adventure tourer feels like it hit a wall once it reaches about 70 mph. Twist the throttle more, and you would be greeted by the louder noise and more harshness, both of which impact the touring ability offered by the motorcycle.
Along with the slow and unrefined motor, the 5-speed transmission can be a pain too. The transmission feels very clunky at slow speeds and offers quite a lot of false neutrals. The 1st to 2nd shift would often result in neutral too. However, the clutch is reasonably soft and offers positive feedback.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan gets a halogen headlight and indicators, making it look and feel archaic in comparison to the rivals like the KTM 390 Adventure, which comes with a full-LED setup. The headlights offer poor throw and spread. As a result, the Himalayan is not an easy motorcycle to travel on during the night. The illumination offered by the indicators is not up to the mark, too.
However, with the help of aftermarket LED headlights on offer for as low as $100, it does take care of the lighting problems that owners have complained about. The halogen indicators can be swapped for a more modern LED setup too. But, all of these do add up to the base price tag, making it an inch closer to some of the better options in the market.
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Due to the long-stroke motor being used, the Royal Enfield Himalayan offers more vibrations than its rivals from Japan, Austria, and China. Take the motorcycle above 5,000 RPM and you will be met with significant vibrations through the handlebars, footpegs, and mirrors. As a result, overtaking the fast-moving traffic by ringing the throttle is not going to be an enjoyable experience.
Even though there are quite a few aftermarket accessories in the form of upgraded handlebars, rubber bushings, aluminum mirrors, and many more, none of them have managed to completely eradicate the higher than average vibrations put out from the single-cylinder mill. This makes it a less preferred motorcycle for the newbie riders who are not accustomed to the vibrations.
Coming with 21" front and 17" rear spoke aluminum rims, the Royal Enfield Himalayan surely stands out in terms of appearance. Unfortunately, the spoked wheels can cause quite a lot of punctures, which increases the downtime of the motorcycle.
Having a puncture during the hardcore off-roading sessions means that you would have to tow the motorcycle back or need to carry a puncture repair kit, an extra tube, tools, and a tire inflator. All of which are not very practical.
Braking has never been the forte of the Royal Enfield Himalayan ever since its initial launch. Coming with the standard 300 mm single disc with a 2-piston caliper at the front and a 240mm disc with a 1-piston floating caliper at the rear, the braking performance leaves a lot to be desired. The front brakes feel wooden and offer poor feedback and initial bite. The braking progression is nothing home to write about as well.
The rear brakes are even more appalling and should only be used in case of emergencies. Stomp on the rear brake pedal and the bike comes to stop with a bit of drama. The pedal feel and feedback on offer are probably the worst of the segment, too. However, this motorcycle does offer the Bosch switchable dual-channel ABS and that is a great addition.
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Being one of the most affordable dual-purpose motorcycles on sale currently in the United States, the Himalayan does miss out on a lot of essential tech and features. In comparison to the KTM 390 Adventure, the mighty Himalayan doesn't get features like USD forks, alloy wheels with tubeless tires, a slipper clutch, and many more.
The instrument cluster on offer with the Himalayan only offers basic information like side stand indicator, trip information, gear position indicator, a digital compass, and a Tripper navigation system. In comparison, the KTM 390 Adventure gets a full-blown 5" TFT dash which offers all the features of the Himalayan and many more too.
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Many users around the world have reported side panels falling off, uneven panel gaps, torn rubber parts, orange peel on the paint, etc. Even though many of these issues have been sorted in the 2021 model year of the Himalayan, the paint and plastic parts quality is still a few miles behind the likes of Versys X 300 and 390 Adventure.
The bend pipe and muffler tend to rust, and it's a common sight even on a brand-new Himalayan with very few miles on the clock. The same applies to the spoked wheels too. Another common issue is the loose instrument cluster, which feels quite fragile when being pressed. Many of them have been known to fail due to the water and moisture entering the cluster.
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One of the Achilles heels of Royal Enfield has been the service support. Be it in the United States, India, or any other part of the world, Royal Enfield has an abominable reputation on this front. Royal Enfield users have regularly complained about the mishandling of motorcycles when given for service. Other complaints concerning parts availability, service time, workshop culture, and many more are often heard too.
The reviews given on the websites like Trustpilot and Yelp reveal all the issues mentioned above. Most of their authorized dealers and service centers received an average rating, with many customer complaints being reported on all these fronts. It is also sad to see that Royal Enfield hasn't improved a tiny bit from what they were back in the day. All of this means that the Himalayan wasn't added to our list of affordable motorcycles that will last a lifetime.
The earlier iterations of the Royal Enfield Himalayan came with a fragile split cradle frame, which was quite renowned for cracking. The same can also be seen in the promotional video published by the Royal Enfield team on their YouTube channel.
Even though Royal Enfield states that the problem has been completely sorted for the later model years, there are many 2019 and 2020 models of the Himalayan getting cracks in the chassis, which is mainly attributed to poor quality welding.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan has a long history of reported niggles under its belt. One of the most common issues that persist in the Himalayan is concerning the cone-set bearing, which tends to get chewed up at an alarming rate (aftermarket NTN bearings solves this issue). As a result, many of the owners have reported having changed the cone set bearing at as low as 3,000 miles. The fuel injection system has shown trouble in some of the 2021 motorcycles in the form of erratic idling, too.
Electricals of the Himalayan is one of the areas where they have managed to cut costs. As a result, the wires are quite low rent and that leads to electrical issues. Another major issue is the infamous crankpin failure, which leads to a complete breakdown of the motorcycle. The magnetic coil has been quite problematic too, with many of the earlier iterations being affected by the same. Fortunately, the 2021 Royal Enfield Himalayan seems to have ironed out many of these catastrophic problems, as there aren't many reports of these failures yet.
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