Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Long-Term Review Report 1: Finding Adventure In Commuting

New Delhi: It's been 3 months and 3,000 kilometres on the saddle of the Himalayan 450. Regular office commutes and rare off-road sessions are my long-termer motorcycle's current diet. 

Straight off the bat, it's the tubeless spoked rim variant that I ride. It indeed brushes away the thought of getting stuck due to a flat tyre. In fact, the swap of rims and tyres from a tube to a tubeless hub was quick. The service station took less than half a day to get the motorcycle ready.


On the road, there isn't any marked difference. The motorcycle feels solidly planted on the tarmac. It's on the loose soil and ruts, the rear feels a bit wobbly now. It may be due to some extra weight of the hub. However, dropping the air pressure down by a few knots always helped.The odometer currently reads 3,800 kilometres and I had done minor engine oil top-due during the wheel swap. Winters in north India are pleasant to ride motorcycles. The massive single-cylinder and its heat do tend to disturb during the summers, but for me, that's still some time away. The 452-cc, liquid-cooled engine is refined and powerful. Quick overtakes in the city are brisk. The clutch does feel a bit clunky in choc-o-bloc traffic. Adding to the woes is the 21-inch front wheels, which are cumbersome in slow-moving traffic. Well, these aren't grudges against the Himalayan, because it's not just a motorcycle for commuting - it's way more. It's among those complete offerings which one can keep in a single-motorcycle garage, and still be happy.I admire the way the Himalayan looks. A marked departure from the Himalayan 411, and in a good way. The standard seat height of 825 mm married to 196-kilo kerb weight, it took me a few sessions to get used to the form. But the ergonomics are comfortable with a commanding view of the road ahead. Over the course of three months, the Himalayan could return a mileage of up to 25 kmpl in cities. Of the many customisations available for the Himalayan, I feel I may choose handlebar risers to make my life a little easier while standing on the motorcycle and beating down the trail.The Himalayan tempts me to load it up, hit the highway and escape for days and weeks. I hope to double the odometer reading quick time as I embark on a journey towards the eastern part of India, navigating through the hinterlands of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, less explored Jharkhand and head to Kolkata. More on that and Himalayan's touring exploits very soon.