faff you get with water-cooling your engine ( plus the extra 2L of fuel ), but it is still higher than some would have hoped for . As a result , this is the one area where the Himalayan 450 is truly beaten by its main rivals the Honda CRF300 Rally and KTM 390 Adventure which weigh at least 26kg less .
20mm and the kickstand also helps riders get on with a possibly over-generous lean . There is also a factory low seat which drops seat height down to as low as 805mm and a taller Rally seat for those taller riders wanting to adapt the Himalayan 450 into a more offroad focused machine . At launch , RE will have a range of 30 accessories ready to go , including a Rally kit which adds the aforementioned rally seat , aluminium braced handguards , an aluminium skid plate and lower engine bars , taller handlebars , a larger windscreen , a louder exhaust and a slick looking rear cowling which can still haul luggage with RE ’ s soft luggage kit . There ’ s also a travel kit that adds larger crash bars , adjustable touring mirrors , a full set of aluminium luggage and comfort seats .
HIMALAYAN VS THE HIMALAYAS To launch the new Himalayan to the world , Enfield dragged us up to the bike ’ s namesake mountain range to put it to the test in the environment that inspired it . With the ride predominantly above 10,000ft in elevation , it did take its toll on some riders but the bike itself truly excelled . Leaving base camp in Manali , we rode through the world ’ s longest tunnel above 10,000ft - the 9.02km long Atal tunnel which eliminates the need to ride over the Rohtang Pass . In fact , the pass is now used only by vehicles which are too big for the tunnel and motorcycles are sadly banned from the more scenic route over the mountains . While we might think of the roads in the Himalayas as predominantly dirt tracks , the roads are actually a mix of paved and dirt sections . The little Himalayan took it all in its stride . I can ’ t say I even bottomed the suspension out until we started doing really silly things in the dirt on day two . The factory tyres , specially developed for the new Himalayan by CEAT , held on well , but I can ’ t help but
WEIGHTY ISSUE Remember how I said RE had nailed 9 / 10 things on a lightweight adv rider ’ s wish list ? Yep , weight is one area where the bike doesn ’ t quite hit the mark . With a kerb weight of 198kg fully fuelled , I suspect this is one area that will disappoint a few potential buyers . That ’ s 1kg lighter than its predecessor ’ s 199kg wet weight despite all the extra
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