Scaling new heights

The Himalayan is now in its second generation. The motorcycle you see here is all new and the only thing it shares with the old generation is the name

- Dipayan Dutta

Before we jump into our review, let's talk about the Himalayan, Royal Enfield as a brand, and the shot caller aka the Royal Enfield customer. Royal Enfield made essentially one motorcycle for the better part of the century. It was reliable, could be fixed with a hammer some M-seal and duct tape; and it had a cult following like you wouldn't believe. This rugged steadfastness made Royal Enfields the Armed forces' choice of transportation in the country's nether regions, and more specifically the 2,400kms of treacherous natural border that spans the northern frontier, the Himalayas. The low-end long-stroke torque, and the field serviceability all made it exactly everything that was needed, and nothing more. Keep that phrase in mind for later. It made it the motorcycle to take when you wanted to go exploring, and that's pretty much how Royal Enfield surpassed the point of being a motorcycle manufacturer and became a phenomenon.

It also made their window for operation very narrow, because Royal Enfield customers wanted exactly one thing. And would rarely bite if things were even slightly different. In that view, a purpose-built adventure bike was the antithesis of everything that Royal Enfield stood for, even if it was theoretically a more ideal bike for the Himalayan exploration that was synonymous with Royal Enfield. But in 2016, Royal Enfield went ahead and did it anyway, with the OG, Himalayan 411. It was a statement, of how the legacy would be taken forward. It was a risk, but it paid dividends. The Himalayan now is one of the most popular entry-level adventure touring bikes across the world. In seven odd years, it has left an indelible mark on the industry. So following it was never going to be easy.

But here's the thing, from the first time I laid eyes on the new Himalayan, I knew Royal Enfield had done exactly that.