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Royal Enfield Himalayan 452 vs rivals: specifications compared

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At long last, all the details about the hotly anticipated Royal Enfield Himalayan 452 are now out in the open, including detailed specifications of the company’s new flagship ADV. We pit it against its chief rivals to see how it stacks up on paper. 

RE Himalayan 452 vs rivals: powertrain

 

RE Himalayan 452 vs rivals: powertrain
RE Himalayan 452 Triumph Scrambler 400 X KTM 390 Adventure SW BMW G 310 GS
Engine Liquid-cooled, 452cc, single-cylinder Liquid-cooled, 398cc, single-cylinder Liquid-cooled, 373cc, single-cylinder Liquid-cooled, 312cc, single-cylinder
Power 40hp at 8000rpm 40hp at 8000rpm 43.5hp at 9000rpm 34hp at 9250rpm
Torque 40Nm at 5500rpm 37.5Nm at 6500rpm 37Nm at 7000rpm 28Nm at 7500rpm
Power-to-weight 204hp per tonne 216hp per tonne 246hp per tonne 194hp per tonne
Gearbox 6-speed 6-speed 6-speed 6-speed

In terms of pure performance, the KTM 390 Adventure has the upper hand here. Not only is it the most powerful motorcycle here, but it’s also very nearly the lightest, meaning that it has the best power-to-weight ratio of this bunch, and by some margin. But since these are off-road bikes we’re talking about, there’s more to the story than just outright performance. The KTM’s motor is known to be a little flat at the bottom, and you see this in the RPMs at which it delivers peak output – both the KTM and the BMW serve up their best fairly high up in the rev band, meaning that they’re not ideal in tricky low-speed off-road situations.

The Triumph Scrambler 400 X and the Himalayan 452 are better off in this regard, and quite evenly matched too. Both deliver a healthy 40hp at 8000rpm, but the Himalayan has an advantage on the torque front – both in terms of the output as well as how early it’s delivered. Its hefty kerb weight means that its power-to-weight ratio is at the lower end, but it should prove to be the friendliest, most apt engine here when it comes to off-roading. The next section sheds some light on why the Himalayan is as heavy as it is.

RE Himalayan 452 vs rivals: dimensions and weight

RE Himalayan 452 vs rivals: dimensions and weight
RE Himalayan 452 Triumph Scrambler 400 X KTM 390 Adventure SW BMW G 310 GS
Ground clearance 230mm 195mm 200mm 220mm
Seat height 825-845mm 835mm 855mm 835mm
Kerb weight 196kg 185kg 177kg 175kg
Fuel capacity 17 litres 13 litres 14.5 litres 11.5 litres

One contributing factor to the Himalayan being 11kg heavier than the nearest rival is the fact that it carries considerably more fuel than any of the other bikes here, at 17 litres. It also marks itself out by being the most off-road focused bike here by offering the tallest ground clearance of the lot, and the only standard seat that offers height adjustment. At 855mm, the KTM has the tallest seat, and by some margin – a byproduct of it having to use the 390 Duke’s frame. If you’re not built very large, the BMW should be the most approachable bike of this lot, with a lithe 175kg kerb weight, though this does come at the cost of fuel capacity.

RE Himalayan 452 vs rivals: underpinnings

RE Himalayan 452 vs rivals: underpinnings
RE Himalayan 452 Triumph Scrambler 400 X KTM 390 Adventure SW BMW G 310 GS
Suspension (f/r) Upside-down fork / monoshock Upside-down fork / monoshock Upside-down fork / monoshock Upside-down fork / monoshock
Tyres (f/r) 90/90-21 / 140/80-R17 100/90-19 / 140/80-17 100/90-19 / 130/80-R17 110/80-R19 / 150/70-R17
Brakes (f/r) 320mm disc / 270mm disc 320mm disc / 230mm disc 320mm disc / 230mm disc 300mm disc / 240mm disc

Once again, the Himalayan announces itself as the most off-road focused machine in this group. You see this in the fact that it’s the only bike here with a 21-inch front wheel, and in how it offers the largest rear brake disc here. The other noteworthy standout here is the 390 Adventure, which is the only bike here to offer adjustable suspension at both front and rear. It also became more off-road focused recently with the introduction of wire-spoke wheels (which the Himalayan also gets) while the Triumph and the BMW roll on alloys. Also worth noting is that the Himalayan doesn’t yet come with tubeless wire-spoke wheels in the Indian market, but the company will sell it with tubeless wire-spokes overseas, and is in the process of homologating the parts for sale in India as well. Once that happens, it will be the only machine at this price point (and in fact many segments higher as well) to offer tubeless wire-spoke wheels.

 



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