Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 – designed to take on the rough with smoothness

Royal Enfield pulled off quite a coup when it launched the Himalayan 411 in 2016; oozing with rugged adventure vibes, found the following genuinely enthusiastic and successful sales.

It’s definitely not perfect. It’s a little crude in places and certainly not fast, but it’s fun, quite capable off-road and can be fitted with bespoke alloy panniers for long journeys, although it’s not a big motorway cruiser.

It has now been overhauled from the ground up; The engine, suspension and frame have all been redesigned, with the team learning from older models. It’s a refined gem today and makes quite a visual impression – especially when decked out in a good ‘Kamet Putih’ paint job (five colors available) and with a full suite of luggage.

In place of the 411 air single making 24.5 bhp there is now a sweet and smooth-revving double overhead camshaft 452cc water-cooled Sherpa single, making useful 40 bhp and 40Nm of torque, certainly enough to give a satisfying burst of acceleration. Certainly more than enough for a happy cruise at motorway speed.

There is good quality Showa suspension; The fork is lower at the front with 200mm of travel, while there is also 200 mm at the back (20mm more than the previous bike), where it is also adjustable to be open. There is an all-new steel frame. And a sense of quality.

Now there is more ground clearance (230mm), and two different engine modes; Eco and Performance. There is switchable ABS (useful for off-road riding) alongside a 21-inch steering wheel at the front, and a 17-inch at the rear and larger disc brakes. Fuel tank capacity from 15 to 17 liters.

Although 2kgs lighter than the previous model, it still feels quite heavy at first impression – especially when hefting off (steeply sloped) side-stand, not to mention difficult-stand-stand, which is a bit of a struggle. In fact it weighs in at 196 kgs ‘wet’ – so it’s best not to put it in the mud too often.

However, when moving, the feeling of weight immediately disappeared; feels light, balanced and calm when in slow traffic. It has a smooth six-speed gearbox, and there’s a brilliant new TFT Dash that offers phone and data connectivity, all controlled via a thumb joystick on the left handlebar.

Through the Royal Enfield app, you can connect your smartphone to TripperDash, so it can be used with Google maps, although – for now – the phone must be unlocked, saving battery power. Fortunately, there is a USBC charging point. The Dash works well with the iPhone 15 Max, though I’m happy with how good my phone’s battery life is.

It seems subjective but some disagree that the new Himalaya is a good-looker; more cohesive, modern, purposeful, streamlined than the outgoing model. More than a piece.

It is also very well, in confidence-inspiring, approach that will suit all-comers. During the (very) hot afternoon spent in all the heavy traffic negotiations in London, the Himalayas felt very much at home; calm and unhurried. When walking feels comfortable, brake to a stop slowly and accelerate at a moderate speed smoothly.

With handlebars relatively high-up (not to mention panniers and extra front ‘saddle bag’ and white and black paint job), it almost felt like a cruiser CHiPs command at times. Due to the standard adjustable seat – height from 825mm to 845 – even shorter riders should be able to adjust. The lower seat may be specified, at 805mm.

On the road faster the engine revs very well and really smoothly, partly explains the new Himalayan 25 percent increase in top speed. It is not a fireball, but there is always sufficient acceleration in the planned overtaking maneuver. Can be revved hard but there really is no need; power distribution throughout the lower rev range see that; other benefits when plugging together off-road. More relaxed too.

The screen does a great job of deflecting the wind – and to some extent the rain – and on the long journey this bike is very comfortable indeed, fun as well. No problem riding for hours.

The seating position is good, although those with longer legs may need to pull it back; footpegs felt relatively close to the seat. In the twisties, the new Himalayan is fun, relaxed and agile, fun.

It’s also designed to be off-road – off-road when needed. I can’t leave the asphalt but the owner, says that it behaves well even if the tires – more focused on the road than on the road – quickly get stuck in the mud. Personally, I need the handlebars to be slightly raised, so that they can stand up when going off-road. A rugged crash bar means it should withstand knocks and rolls, without much damage.

Panniers and top boxes are great assets; top-loading and capacious, they are very easy to attach, or remove.

The new Himalayan is priced from £5,570 for the Kaza Brown model – around £1,000 more than the old model cost. But there are more than £1,000-worth of improvements and new technology in this good-looking, easy to ride, fun-to-live-with a bike that should prove equally at home in the city – or on a long tour for the rider. heading out into the wilds in search of adventure.

It’s all very well to have a bike that stands out but what about your crash helmet? One really – England – capitalized on the desire of the riders not only to look good when on top of the machine, but also to be different. Very different.

Ruroc, based in Gloucestershire, has made a strong impact on the motorcycle helmet (and clothing) industry with clearly designed, aggressive and individual products, most recently with the EOX, a slimmer shape, even more visual than the company’s Atlas 4.0. casualty.

It’s quite a stunner with rakish angles (if it was a car it would be a modified sports coupe), chinbar in-yer-face important and meaty, projecting rear aerofoil.

It’s not just the shape that rises out however; it’s really stunning – you could say shocking – graphics, ranging from the ‘Buzzsaw’ model we tested (resplendent in red, silver and gray, and sporting a line of bleeding metal teeth), through Marvel’s fang-laden ‘Venom’ for the number of ‘Wolverine’ threats.

Shrinking violets can choose from – the more vivid ‘Liquid Carbon’, the bright orange ‘Ignis’, the bright white ‘Ghost’ and more. There’s no end to the graphic options on this ‘street fighter’ style helmet, recalling the days when DIY decorated helmets were commonplace.

Beneath its pleasant outer skin, Ruroc has been busy with EOX (pronounced ‘ee-yos’). The Carbon Composite Shell is made of T300 carbon fiber reinforced with Kevlar, Nylon and Fiberglass for added strength, and is claimed to be the company’s lightest, weighing an average of 1,500 grams. It feels light.

Out on the road, helmets are a mixed bag. Size comes up tight and fit snugly (you have to go up a size), help stability at speed. There’s a nice, wide-open visor aperture (good for peripheral vision). Also equipped with a clear visor, reassuringly rugged, distortion-free (in addition to the spare, Dark Smoke visor), as well as Pinlock anti-fog insert, class and small stash bag, optional cheek pad insert. A newly designed and unobtrusive ‘slot-in’ communication system has also been designed for EOX, at an additional cost.

The paint finish on the outside of the test helmet was impeccable, as well as the visor mechanism, which worked smoothly and solidly. There’s a large thumb tab to raise the visor and the coating feels quite soft although it’s not quite the same tactile or – standard build – from Shoei, for example.

The downside? It’s very noisy because a lot of air can come in at higher speeds, especially from the top vents. In the city, on hot days, this airiness is beneficial – it is no longer, it is cooler, it travels faster when earplugs are really necessary. The chin vent adjustment slider is located inside – not outside – the chin piece. Visually this works but when wearing gloves it is awkward. So is the magnetic Fidlock strap fastener. Familiarity helps but it’s not as easy as a Double-D ring or holding a standard; time to think again?

It is expensive; The Buzzsaw costs £459, the simpler design £399, while the better graphics cost £539. For most users style will be the main issue and this EOX – in special designs such as the unforgettable Buzzsaw – has it in spades. More at https://www.ruroc.com/en_gb/motorcycle/motorcycle-helmets/eox?p=2

Choosing the ‘right’ bike gear turns out to be more complicated than you think, and the more safety-conscious you are, the harder it is to choose. Take the jeans; once Levis did. Nowadays, only safety-conscious people will ride fast in regular denim, rather than opting for ‘proper’ protective bike jeans. But which one?

All manufacturers of trumpet safety confidence but only a few from the British company Hood. It has been there since 1998 but the founder was in the jeans business in the late 70s, building up knowledge, moving with the times and technology, starting with Cordura fabric, later switching to Kevlar, then for new products, as Chris Easterford told me when. I met him at Norfolk Hood base.

Underlying Hood’s ethos is the claim that single-layer jeans are no match for multi-layer jeans, which they claim (backed by leading independent experts) offer more protection for your skin when you slide. This is because the layers (rather than the skin) ‘slide’ over each other in abrasion, absorbing the force.

Today all Hoods have an outer layer of denim with elastane, nylon and cotton, through ‘Infinite K-tech para-aramid’ which scored 10/10 for protection in its Ride Magazine damage test. And a layer of polyester.

“The rule is, we just don’t compromise on security and protection,” said Chris, who with his wife Julie runs a mail order-only business. “Hood jeans provide at least twice the level of abrasion protection compared to AAA single layer jeans” he said. It is difficult to verify without sliding down the road in different jeans but riders who want complete, complex, certification confidence can find more here: www.hoodjeans.co.uk/k-tech-para-aramid.

How are they in practice? We tried a pair of the AAA-rated £189.99 slim-fit SK11. Straight black style (blue and blue also available) and close but not tight, looks great and is well made. Two different levels of mounted armor are available; The heavier D30 Ghost Level 2 (so it ruins the slimline look around the waist but without the cost of fun), or the slimmer Level 1, offering less protection but a slimmer look. The same goes for the knee where there is a wide range of visual-assisted adjustment to get just the right fit on the kneecap.

The SK11 is heavier and larger than most, thanks to the added safety built in. Sticky, weighty and a lot ‘disappears’ but still feels heavy duty. The extra layer means it’s warmer than some jeans on a hot day, although I still wore it on the hottest days in London without a problem.

They’re comfortable and stretchy (though not surprisingly, not as comfortable as Levis), have roomy pockets, six well-fitted belt loops (you should wear a belt for maximum safety) and breathability. Even in the heat. I like them. They can easily be worn all day on the bike.

Hood sells up to 3,000 pairs a year in a variety of styles, so others love it too. The UK is the largest market followed by the US. The hood will adjust the leg length at no extra cost and is machine washable at 30 degrees. Price from £149.99.