I didn't realise!

Royal Enfield Himalayan: a motorcycle inspired by the mountains

Why the Himalayan takes a different approach to adventure riding.

When people think of adventure motorcycles, enormous engines and complicated electronics often spring to mind. Royal Enfield's Himalayan offers another idea: an approachable motorcycle designed around travelling over varied terrain.

The original Himalayan was introduced in 2016. Its upright seating position, suspension travel and purposeful luggage-friendly form reflected Royal Enfield's intention to build an accessible adventure motorcycle. In 2023, the company introduced a substantially new Himalayan with the liquid-cooled Sherpa 450 engine.

The interesting part is the design brief. A motorcycle intended for mountain routes and imperfect surfaces needs manageable power delivery, predictable handling and equipment that suits a journey rather than a race circuit. Those choices can mean more to a travelling rider than a headline horsepower figure.

An older Himalayan 411 and the newer Himalayan 450 are not interchangeable in a comparison. The engine, chassis and equipment differ, so anyone reading reviews should make sure the writer is talking about the same generation.