All-New 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Review

Royal Enfield unleashes the specs for the much improved 2024 Himalayan model. We just got back from 250 miles of kicking the tires and hitting the ice on Royal Enfield's new Himalayan, in the Himalayan mountains near Manali, India. Not knowing what to expect, we were impressed by the stats and numbers presented by the various production teams in the Royal Enfield family. What does the new Himalayan offer?

• ENGINE - The New Sherpa 450 Motor

Let's get to the heart of the matter. Royal Enfield's new Sherpa 452cc (Sherpa 450) engine is a quantum leap in terms of power, performance and technology over the previous generation's air-cooled LS 410 mill. First off, it's now water-cooled which allows the Sherpa 450 to run at an 11.5:1 compression ratio versus the previous generation's air-cooled 9.5:1. The resulting increase in power is noticeable in the comparison chart which also translates to the in-seat experience.  Max horse power went up to almost 40 bhp @ 8,000 rpm from 24 bhp @ 6,500 rpm. Torque increased from 23.6 to almost 30 ft-lbs at 5,500 rpm. The engineers kept the same usable power curve but just added over 60% more power while extending the redline by over 2,000 rpm.

How does it ride? The change in specs translates directly to the seat experience both on and off-road.  On-road, the new top end give the Himalayan 450 actual passing power. Keeping in mind, this is still a 450cc motor, it does remarkably better than the previous generation which could hit 70mph in a pinch, but was not maintainable. The low end has been bumped up as well and perhaps the most impressive change to the new motor is how long the legs are. 

When coming out of a tight turn in a low high gear, or getting yourself through some technical off-road sections, the low end is very forgiving and can lug you out of a bad spot even from as low as 2,000 rpm. This is a great thing for lazy shifters and new riders. On the top end, it pulls all the way up to the 8k red line, which is where the new passing prowess comes from. Last but not least, the counterbalanced engine is smooth. I'm a huge fan of multi-cylinder engines but with the new Sherpa 450 so well-tuned down low, I don't even think about it. 

Can the new Himalayan 450 pass at speeds faster than 65mph?  Yes! As mentioned in the video, the new powerplant with updated gearing takes you comfortably to 65mph in 4th gear at 7k rpm! With two more gears to go there's no doubt this would hit around 90mph (145kph) in sixth gear.

  Lots more power everywhere + 6 speeds means good times ahead.

The new Himalayan's exhaust note comes from not only the relocated airbox, but a newly reworked exhaust system which sports a much smaller muffler. According to the engineers, this is made possible by the larger catalytic converter that also contributes to the sound deadening.   

Thankfully, all this new and usable power is mated to a smooth shifting 6-speed transmission. The airbox is now located above the engine and under the tank, resulting in a downdraft injection setup tied to a new ride-by-wire throttle. It's also worth noting they've included a slipper clutch that helps take the jerkyness out of hasty downshifts. 

The new Sherpa 450 platform is a major upgrade to the LS 410 from the first generation.

 • WHEELS, SUSPENSION and BRAKING

The front tire size stays the same at 90/90-21, but the rear tire gets a beefed-out 140/80-17 skin. Aside from adding blingy new gold wheel options, the upper "Summit" trim lines also have tubeless spoked rims, which is nearly unheard of in this category. We found the stock tires to be more road oriented but that didn't stop any of us in the off-road sections. 

Larger rear tire and more aggressive geometry makes fun handling both on and off-road.

The suspension has been majorly overhauled as the previous generation's 41mm conventional forks are now replaced by 43mm inverted Showa cartridge forks. The spring is in the left fork tube and the dampening resides on the right. The rear shock has been totally redesigned into a more horizontal setup thanks to an all new cast swingarm and linkage system which also contributes to keeping the saddle height lower. Without going into too many details, the new suspension and geometry are much stiffer and also more aggressive, both on and off-road. 

All-new front and rear suspension is amazing capable out of the box.

The brakes have also been upgraded as well from 300mm to 320mm in the front and 240mm to 270mm in the back. Those wanting to disable ABS braking won't be disappointed. The option is available in the new gauge features!

• BODY and WEIGHT

Feeding the new powerplant is a 4.5 gallon tank, an increase of .5 gallons more than the previous version. The signature boxy style of the original generation is now replaced by a more modern looking tapered design. People have mixed feelings about this, but the fact is so many other changes were made to the platform as a whole that it would not have been possible to keep the original design. The upper tank guards are still there and nicely contoured with the new tank's bold shoulders which don't generally show well on many images. Like the original Himalayan, the tank guards work! More than a few testers dropped the bike during the off-road section of the test rides and the bike came out no worse for wear.

New tank design is narrower at the seat and also 0.5 gal (2 litres) larger!

The frame construction and geometry is also all-new. Most notable is the engine is now a stressed member of the frame so the previous generation full cradle frame is gone. This saves some weigh but also helps to increase the ground clearance from 8.6 to 9.1 inches. Another nice touch is the bolt on rear subframe, which is a feature generally found on more expensive bikes.

The engine is now a stressed member of the frame, which saves weight. The new engine is also about 20lbs lighter!

Although the ground clearance is up with more suspension travel, they managed to keep the seat height about the same at around 31-32 inches. The saddle is now two position adjustable with low and standard height options. Combined with a narrower tank profile, reaching the ground has never been easier. Part of that narrow profile isn't just in the tank and saddle. Many of the bike's component like the battery and airbox have been center-lined in the frame more like modern bikes.

DIY and shade tree mechanic rejoice!  According to our sources, center-stands will still be standard equipment on the new Himalayan 450!

With this impressive set of upgrades and added features, the bike has shaved about 6 pounds from the original version and comes in at about 432 lbs!

• ELECTRONICS -  Lights and Gauges

Speaking of gauges, this is another area the Royal Enfield family of engineers is tremendously proud of. The new 4" round TFT display is highly configurable, easy to read (even for those who need reading glasses) and auto switches contrast mode depending on the environment. There's a Mode button on the right switch gear which changes between analog/digital map display, which a four-way joystick on the left control set near the horn which moves you through the menus and options.

The advanced, stylish and easy to read 4" TFT display is highly configurable.

Probably one of the most notable features of the new TFT gauges is the Google Maps powered interface which displays the navigation map right on the screen while keeping all critical riding information available. An easy to read large tachometer needle and speed indication are available in analog mode while keeping turn by turn directions front and center. This is all made possible through a Wi-Fi connection between your Apple or Android phone and a Royal Enfield proprietary app which hasn't been released yet.

In addition to full map display, the bike will also control your music and phone calls. 

All the lights are now LED. The signature round headlight is very bright and properly focused while mated to a small windscreen that harkens to the original generation's lines. The rear lights feature a clever turn and stop light integrated signals which are large and very visible.

All lighting is now highly visible LEDs. No more changing bulbs!

• KNITPICKS and IMPROVEMENTS

Like many motorcycle journalists do, we spent some time croning about what couple be improved. While everyone has different thoughts on the topic, and many things like geometry and vibration are personal preference, one thing we noticed was the rear shock could use a little more rebound damping when being ridden aggressively. While I love how firm the new suspension set up is, especially for someone at over 200lbs, after the rear shock compresses it can launch your butt in the air a bit.  For most this won't be a huge problem and it's possible some pre-load adjustment would have reduced this effect but we're splitting hairs here.

One of the first things noticed in the technical presentation is the airbox has moved to under the tank. The previous Himalayan had an airbox under the seat which was easier to access, but also made it wider between the legs.  For those riding in very dusty areas, this may create a bit more work but not much.  I checked the tank removal process and it looks pretty simple. Since there are no plastics attached to the tank, it's simply a matter of removing a few screws under the seat, disconnecting the hoses and harness and you're good to go. 

As a six foot tall rider with a 32" inseam, I'd probably install bar-risers and/or lower pegs to make the seating position more relaxed for long days in the saddle. 

Is anything being held back?  It's not uncommon for manufacturers to hold back on some specs when launching a new model in order to have meaningful generational upgrades a few years later. Looking down the road, all we could see being added to the current model would be adjustable suspension and maybe a larger TFT readout.  

• COLORWAYS, PRICING and AVAILABILITY

The all-new Himalayan comes in five different colorways spread across three "Base", "Pass" and "Summit" trim lines. Although all models have the same specs and features, one difference is the tubeless spoked rims which only come on the Summit variants. The Base line comes in Kaza Brown. The Pass line comes in Slate Himalayan Salt and Poppy Blue; while the Summit line comes in Hanle Black and Kamet White.

The top Summit trim line with tubeless spoked wheels in Kamet White.

The Pass trim line in Poppy Blue.

The Base trim line in Kaza Brown.

U.S. market pricing is not known at this point but should be available after the bike is officially launched in the first half of 2024. Although we expect there will be an understandable price increase, Siddhartha Lal (Managing Director and CEO of Eicher Motors) told me that the pricing will stay reasonable and maintaining accessibility to every-day riders is one of their chief goals.

The speculation mill had prices going anywhere from 6,500 to 7,500 USD. We are hoping it will stay just under $7,000. If this should happen, the new Himalayan would have few rivals in the 400-500cc dual-sport range and could be one of the best overall values for new and experienced riders alike. Although no official US availability date has been released, we would expect to see the new Himalayan on showroom floors in the late spring or summer of 2024. The bike will be officially launched in India first, then overseas.

We're really excited about this new model, and believe it will shakeup the displacement category for years to come. 

More riding impressions coming soon in a full review in ADVMoto!  

Visit RoyalEnfield.com for official info down the road.

Editor's update: The 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan starting MSRP is $5,449.00.

 • 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan Specifications and Comparison