Royal Enfield Himalayan Old Vs New - What’s Different?

Apart from the name, there’s hardly anything in common with the two Himalayans.

The specifications for the upcoming Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 have been revealed. This bike is the successor to the existing Himalayan 411 which is the oldest bike now in the Royal Enfield lineup as the 350 cc and the 650 cc range have been updated. With the new Royal Enfield Himalayan, the brand has tried to address the issues of the older bike and offer a new ADV riding experience. These significant differences between the two are in terms of design, features, hardware, and mechanicals. Here's a breakdown of the key distinctions between the two Himalayan models.

Engine

Powering the new Himalayan is a Sherpa 450 cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine. It makes 40 bhp at 8,000rpm and 40 Nm at 5,500rpm and is linked to a six-speed gearbox with slipper clutch. This is the most modern engine from Royal Enfield yet and also the first to employ DOHC. Meanwhile, the old Himalayan gets a 411 cc, single-cylinder, air/oil-cooled engine. It makes 24.3 bhp at 6,500 rpm and 32 Nm of peak torque at 4,000-4,500 rpm and is linked to a five-speed gearbox. As you can see, the new Himalayan is not only more modern but also comparatively more powerful. The other key highlight is the nature of the engine, the Himalayan 411’s long-stroke motor delivered in a relaxed manner, the new Himalayan has a higher redline and could be a revv happy peaky engine.

Design

When comparing the new Himalayan 450 and the Himalayan 411 side by side, you can observe distinct differences. The fuel tank on the new bike bulges outward on the edges, and the rider seat is larger and flatter. The OG Himalayan looked a bit industrial, while the new Royal Enfield ADV bike has a more mass market appeal in that sense. The USD fork gives the new Himalayan a more brute stance and coupled with the larger fuel tank, it looks visually larger. The new Himalayan gets a new indicator-integrated LED brake light and the exhaust muffler is also much narrower. Apart from the new LED headlight and indicators, the new Himalayan 450 also debuts a 5-way joystick on a Royal Enfield motorcycle.

Underpinnings

The new Sherpa 450 engine is housed in a tubular steel twin-spar frame with a bolted-on rear subframe, which is very different from the split-cradle frame of the older bike. The Himalayan 450 features a 43 mm USD front fork and an offset monoshock with 200 mm of travel at both ends. It's equipped with a 320 mm front disc and a 270 mm rear disc and dual channel ABS. The bike rides on 21-inch front and 17-inch rear spoke wheels and uses tubed 90/90 front and 140/80 rear tyres from CEAT. However, the new Himalayan will get an option of tubeless spoke wheels but that is still time away owing to pending homologation. Seat height is now taller at 825 mm as compared to the older bikes 800 mm. The newer Himalayan has a 10 mm increase in ground clearance, with the older model at 220 mm and the new one at 230 mm.

In contrast, the Himalayan 411 uses a 41 mm telescopic front fork with 200 mm of wheel travel and a rear mono-shock with 180 mm of wheel travel. Its braking system consists of 300 mm front and 240 mm rear disc brakes, and it also rides on spoke wheels. Both bikes get dual-channel ABS, while on the new Himalayan it’s switchable. The new Himalayan gets a 17 litre fuel tank while the older model got a 15 litre tank. The seat height on the older Himalayan was at 800mm whereas the new one offers adjustable seat height options at 825 mm as standard, 845 mm which is the highest and 805 mm which is the lowest.

Features

One department where the new Himalayan has made massive upgrades is in the features department. Starting off with a circular TFT screen (first for a Royal Enfield bike) that gets a proper Google powered map navigation and not just turn-by-turn navigation. Other than that there are two riding modes to choose from and also the rider can control music on the fly. The Himalayan 450 also gets all-LED lighting and a USB charger next to the handlebar. In contrast, the Himalayan 411 employed a semi-digital LCD instrument console and the compass was recently replaced by the Tripper navigation pod.