Thank you Ian for that real world review, after all , we aren't all a MotoGP/Motocross world champion rider are we? I hope you don't mind me saying that most of us are just average blokes, enjoying riding bikes within our capabilities.
I don’t mind you saying that at all Paul. I actually blocked one of the 🛎️ ends that had a go at me previously for not taking it off road. Tried to have another go today, despite my words, so I hit the button 😂. Cheers
I bought a Himalayan 450 a couple of months’ ago, I absolutely love it. I have no desire to go off road or to ride it quickly, which I think is how most UK riders will be. For me, the 450 is a lovely little road bike that can cruise at motorway speeds when it’s necessary but is almost perfect at 50 - 60 mph. I don’t feel any vibration issue at all and now that it’s run in, I managed to get the bike up to an indicated 86 mph just to see if it would do it. I think it would have reached 90 mph but this is not my normal riding style and I doubt I’ll ever try that again. My only criticism is that the little screen is next to useless as a wind deflector, so why is it there at all? But aside from this, I would recommend this machine to anybody. As I say, I love it, I might have gone for the little Triumph but I am so pleased with my choice!
Thanks for your thoughts as an owner Lee. Always good to know when someone pretty much agree’s with me. That Sherpa 450 engine is a belter. All the best.
As an owner of a GoldStar this bike is just the type of bike i like. Obviously the styling is completely different but if i ever get fed up of the BSA this definitely would be on my radar. Very good vlog Ian loved it.
Thanks Ian…..I wanted it to be an honest, no frills blast, on as many different types of roads/lanes as I could squeeze into half an hour (ish) 😂, ridden as I guess many others would ride it 😉. Despite the obvious wind noise, I am happy with the result. You know, I am surprised the Goldstar hasn’t sold in bigger numbers, it’s a good bike.
I bought mine from a very local dealer in West Lancashire but BSA messed him about so he stopped selling them on Jan 1st. Not the first ďealer I've heard this about. BSA just haven't got their act together.
Great review ian 😀, I'm sure alot of potential buyer's are now reassured after watching it. I bought 2 brand new BMW R850, one in 2000, another in 2003. The first 1200 ish mile's had lots of vibration and blurring of the mirrors,then shortly after the mileage above they suddenly changed and were vibration free,so if anyone is concerned on their bike,put some miles on before making any judgements of the bike 🙂.
100% agree. Pretty much all RE’s improve with a few miles on the clock. Take the J series 350 for example, after 1000 miles it is transformed. I have said in some vids, that it’s a shame some people sell them with about 500 miles on the clock, as they haven’t reached their best. Patience is definitely a virtue where bikes are concerned. Cheers
@@ianhughesroyalenfield I'm glad they do sell them before 500 miles because I got a Classic 350 dark in black from a local dealer for £3399 with only 361 miles on it!! They'll be giving it the first service too at that price.
"How long have I been out " 😅 ,shows how much you were enjoying it Ian , it is a great bike, I didn't want to stop riding it either when I took one out ,it handles so nicely! Great review, Cheers Mel 🍻
Enjoying your review, I'm half way through. I had a test ride on this new 450 about 3 weeks ago and it ticked absolutely every box for me. I don't do offroad and mostly try and avoid motorways etc, I just watched the Bingley ....... those are my kind of roads! I thought the engine might disappoint, feel a bit modern and revvy ....... not a bit of it! That engine still feels and sounds like a grunty longish stroke single and, for a water cooled, it even looks great. They've kept the curvy and rounded shapes to the engine casings, reminiscent of the old British bikes .... brilliant!!! And, the gearbox, with it's extra 6th gear, is just as slick as my Hntr 350. I tend to lean towards naked roadsters but this would fit the bill perfectly. They've even kept a proper looking headlight even though it runs an LED and not a tungsten halogen bulb. As for the vibration issue ........ I cut my teeth on old BSAs so, NO ISSUE 😁👍 Right, back to your review! All the best, Phil (Somerset)
Hi Phil, we have the same feelings. Not everyone wants to go off road, but still like this style of motorcycle, without the bulky looks of modern “Adventure” bikes. It really reminds me of the old Yam XT500, or Honda XL500, and maybe the Suzuki SP400. It’s a really good bike. I left a comment on Dave Wheeler’s video this morning, if we had returned earlier, this video would have been out before his 😂. Cheers
@@ianhughesroyalenfield I agree, my brother had a Yam XT500 ..... great bike, wish they still made them. Yeah, I'm not a fan of adventure bikes like the BMW GS etc but this new Himalayan is very discreet, even more than the outgoing Himalayan, IMO. I need to start saving my pennies! 😁
Have you seen the Mash X-Ride 650 ? A dead ringer for the old XT500, but a truly modern (ish) bike. I just don’t understand why the big 4 can’t produce something along the same lines.
@@ianhughesroyalenfield Yes indeed! A while back, I was giving it some careful consideration but preferred the straight forward roadster version (can't remember what it was called now) Basically, a big ole Honda 650 air cooled single thumper. In the end, I steered away from that idea when I discovered Unicorns are more common than Mash dealerships, at least, where I live. But yes, I was quite smitten for a time, simple uncluttered enjoyment, like the old days 😁👍
@PAGallagher definitely. I had pretty much the same 650 lump in a Honda FMX 650, a poor attempt by Honda of a Supermoto, the engine was good enough for the chassis 😳🫣😂. I traded it in for a Suzuki DRZ400SM, now that was a fun bike 😈😂
Great second chance review. Better bike than people think! 👍. Don't know why some people think it's not a real bike! You've disproved that. You won't get me going off road, only by mistake! I like my Ruby too much! Well done, great video.
Great ride out. As for off road test rides I'd advise people to look at some of the Aussie vloggers who have been properly spanking this bike around the out of town trails. It doesn't disappoint!! 😅
Thank you Ian. Your follow up was certainly worth waiting for. It only goes to show that you have to try a bike before you buy it. I rode the 411 version and didn’t like it. The same with the Voge rally. I just loved the Classic 350 when I saw and later rode it.
So true Jonathan. You need to get out one of these though, just for a bit of fun 😉 I am looking forward to the stripped down version called the Guerilla, coming out 😎
i am saving up for one, i wanna go offroad, but i will be using it on road as well, so every revieuw is important for me. thanks for the review. i have tested one but only for about 40minutes, and i loved it, but not long enough and on varied road situations so i want these vids, thank you
Glad you enjoyed this,did you watch the first one I did ruclips.net/video/q-IEe8Kgjyg/видео.htmlsi=V1JYccyRMsUqVlGJ , it’s a really good bike. A lot of people are taking them off road, and do say how good they are. All the best.
@@ianhughesroyalenfield yes i did watch the first video, i am in love woth the bike so i am geeking out about every video i can find, especially people who drive them and revieuw them multiple times :)
@vaerenbergh I couldn’t get enough of it tbh, as you can probably tell 😊😂 I am really looking forward to the Guerrilla. There is already one review out, here in the uk, but my dealer hasn’t had a delivery yet 🙄, can’t be far off though.
I think they did about 5 years of research and design and trials before it was release ,they had some clever people work on this build and it turned out great and good value I think ,for its reliability over years we will see 👍😎
It’s a modern bike Jimmy, I am sure reliability will be fine, providing people maintain them properly. I believe the R&D department is in the uk, so not just built with the home (Indian) market in mind. 👍
Reminds me of a modern trials bike, I think it looks great, will make a great little real world tourer, slap on some panniers and a bit bigger screen and head to Europe for some great fun on quiet roads, really enjoyed your review
Thanks Peter. I agree, though some people aggressively think otherwise (they have been removed), it makes a damn fine road bike. Not sure about the bigger screen, as I think it might cause more turbulence than this “little un”. At motorway speeds, for my stature, it’s fine. Cheers
Thanks Dino, Ann suffered a heart attack in the early hours of Friday. We were/are down in Cheshire, so took her to local A + E, she is now in Cardiac ward, awaiting an angiogram. Will know more when they have the results back from that. She is alright in herself, but obviously concerned. I have passed on some of the messages, and she is really quite chuffed. I will pass yours on tomorrow when I visit. Hope you and the crew are well.
Great re review Ian it is as I thought a bike like most of the Royal Enfields needs a few miles to settle in a bit I think the engine will probably smooth out quite a bit more as the miles mount up .but for people of our generation I don't think it vibrates at all compared to the machines we grew up with .seem to me to be a nice punchy single with a bit of feel what's not to like 👍
Definitely Kev, in fact the Classic 350 vibrates more, well at least the mirrors do 😂. That 450 engine and gearbox is absolutely sublime, even up shifts without the clutch are smooth (obviously getting the timing right). Cheers
Good second ride Ian, it definitely brings out the naughty boy in you 😂 I think some people are just looking for something to criticise it on because it’s such a different bike to what we’ve come to expect from RE, personally I think it’s a cracking bike, all the best buddy 👍
Thanks Mike. I think if RE had called it something else instead of Himalayan, the purists wouldn’t have been quite so down on it. RE need to move with the times (largely due to emissions restrictions), and that engine will find it’s way into all manner of styles going forward. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a 450 Classic at some point……..omg can you imagine that 😂. Meanwhile, I am looking forward to the Guerrilla (Scram) 😎
Totally agree with you on your review spot on loving my 450 does the the stuff the 411 should of done the only negative I have it's the fuel cap opens the wrong way and it's a pain in the to fill good thing is it sips fuel I'm getting 81 mpg on mine riding it normal like you were doing 👍
Thank you, I will have to take a look at the fuel filler. Someone else mentioned that too 🤔. When I took the 450 out the first time, I was amazed at the indicated mpg, but I was being “careful”. I didn’t think to see what it was doing this time out 🙄, I was enjoying the ride too much. Great to know you are enjoying yours 👍
That engine seems have freed up nicely now, Ian. 👍 I think that, from your comments and those of TBW, this bike would be fine for most folks in our real-world lives.
Thanks Chris…..it really is a belter. I am awaiting the upcoming Guerilla (scram version), as the only issue for me is the seat height. On level ground, I am not quite flat footed, so on roads like the Wrynose pass, I would struggle. You can buy a lower seat, but I personally think you would lose some of the comfort. Knowing RE, I think the new platform will find its way into many guises, so interesting times ahead.
@@ianhughesroyalenfield You could be right about other platforms and the seat comfort aspect, but that issue can be addressed with different types of foam, should the factory choose to do that. Thin doesn't have to mean uncomfortable, but many companies unfortunately penny-pinch.
Well youve gone and done it again. Ian , Nice ride out whilst encorporating a good honest bike review.Time to take the bike back now, its gone dark and Crewe Motor Cycles are now closed, Ah well another day passed whilst smiling all the way. Until the next time, Mike Sunny Wales.
Thanks Mike, it’s been rather warm and sunny here too, too warm to be on the bike to be honest……but looks like rain starting tomorrow, bugger 🙄, no bloody middle ground nowadays. Either sweltering, or freezing 😂. Glad you enjoyed the video, look forward to hopefully meeting you in October when we make our annual pilgrimage to Hendre Mynach in Barmouth. As daft as it seems, not far off 😳
Hi Ian ,great review and nice to see the 450 put through the Paces, the vibrations issue is very subjective and from your video its very apparent that you experienced literally none, my experience last week was alot different and it was very apparent here in Dubai at highway speeds, im comming off a 411 with 44000km over 7 countries , butbwith that said its not a deterrent for me as i will be buying one when we move to Chennai next week. Bike use is personal and relative to the individual, so we all have different experiences with our bikes. My use is primarily long tours overland, so my requirements will be different from most, i was initially worried aboutbthe side stand byt found that turning the handlebars oppose lock prior to mounting, helps with lifting the bike upright, The fuel cap is annoying, as it doesn't stay up, when opend and on tours with filling up ect can be cumbersome, but not a game changer. Ull be buying the Kamet white next week and plan to tour India with the possibility of riding back to Europe next spring. Keep up the great content, and try nit to let the negative comments get to you, i post across multiple FB platforms on my Himalayan and occasionally get negativity, but the good far outweighs the bad, and just remember that ur videos give sound information to the vast majority, so thanks for that Regards Noel
Wow Noel, thanks for this. There is no doubting that the 450 is a great bike, and it wouldn’t be a Royal Enfield if it didn’t have its “quirks” 😂. Yes, your needs are different to mine, but this Himi, like the 411, can still do everything. Good luck and thanks again.
I’ve not ridden a 450; but it’s clear from your video that the performance criticisms of the 411 have been answered on this bike. People make me laugh, I mean, actually complaining about vibration on a single, jeeez. I luv my 411, warts and all. But, I wouldn’t take a 450 off road either. It’s far to nice a bike to take onto the bedrock, rock strewn trails and river crossings of the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales. The bash plate of my 411 has many gouges and buckles to remind me of past trails. My hand guards have scratches through contact with bushes on narrow lanes. My engine bars are even scratched with going through deep ruts and scraping against rocks in the sides of ruts and I just couldn’t do that to a 450. I have no doubt at all that the 450 will be very capable of riding these trails and the fact that you can disable the antilock brakes on the 450 is a great help when riding some surfaces. Anyway, Itchy Boots has demonstrated just how good the 450 is off road as do some of the Aussie guys. Superb review Ian, great work fella. Take care and ride safe.
Thanks Neil. Nathan the postman did quite a good summing up, and fair enough, he was comparing to the 411 in a mainly off road discussion, and he thought the 411 was less intimidating, especially for newer riders. Cheers my friend.
@@ianhughesroyalenfield Great video Ian. To be honest, Mr Grizzle here sums up exactly the difference between 411 and 450. The old one's been busted up on the trails and the new one's too nice to try it. I find it a shame the bike's not as 'usable' as the old one but if folk are getting different uses out of it then all for the good. Safe travels.
@nathanthepostman thanks Nathan, I feel humbled that you should comment on my video, so thank you. Despite what some pillocks say, it does make a half decent road bike, riding our pothole ridden roads very well, comfortable at all legal speeds, and fun in the twisties. I am looking forward to the Guerilla being released, as I think that will be more road focused. Thanks again 👍
Hey Ian, I only just discovered your channel this morning. Watched your walk around the Guerrilla 450 in the shop, which I enjoyed and now this one. I love the real world, down to earth review style. I'm going to be treating myself to a new bike fairly soon and I'm tossing up between the Guerrilla and the Himalayan 450. Thanks for your informative and entertaining review. You've gained a new and happy subscriber!
Wow, thanks so much. Well, if you like down to earth reviews, you are going to love the one on the Guerrilla 450. It arrived this morning, so I was there and on it straight away. So here I am, tied to my old and slow laptop, trying to edit …. It’s going to be a very long one, in fact some of the route is the same as this Himi review, but then I go further 😂. I struggle to contain my excitement, it’s a bit embarrassing really, but………🫣😂 Thanks for the sub, hope you enjoy my content. All the best.
That was very impressive Ian well done that bike has to be streets ahead of the old one both in looks and performance I liked it and reckon I could see you on one before very long suits you sir 😉I have to say though I still like the black one with gold wheels pretty damned spiffy I reckon . Good one cheers 👌👍
Thanks Mal. I think every man and his dog will go for the Black/Gold one……that said it does still look smart. Not keen on the Grey Red/Grey Blue models, as I am not keen on the trendy “Primer” grey colour.
Hi Ian, i enjoyed that as with more miles now on that bike it was good to see it on open roads and it looks more than quick enough for motorway’s and overtaking, i need to go get a test ride of the one at Saltire sometime, trail bikes were always my choice and be good to ride a modern trail bike 😁👍 Cheers Bruce
Thanks Bruce. Definitely more than capable of dealing with modern road/traffic conditions. I saw eighty six miles per hour on the motorway, with still more to go. It nips up to 60/70 quick enough on the A/B roads. Rides over our shitty roads brilliantly too 😎. Yes, you need to get out on one 😉, I’d like to know what you think, whether you agree with my thoughts. Cheers
I'm calling in at Crewe on Tuesday for a service on my 350 classic, think I may just ask Roger if he will let me have another go on it. When I first started off on it I thought it was a bit buzzy through the bars but after five minuets of so I stopped noticing it, but hadn't done many miles then.
Ahh, sorry Craig, I didn’t mess with that. I had a brief look at it in the first video….maybe it would have been better with a “box” affair with directional buttons. Cheers
Hello Ian, I'm quite late on this video, but i think this is exactly what I was looking for. I want a comfortable ride for me, that can go in and out of city, can tackle bad roads and poorly engineered and frequent speed bumps (i am not a guy who is ready to willingly throw myself in a ditch and call it offroad or something). I test rode one of these last week, engine charecter felt quite well for my driving style and requirements 90-100kmph cruise, and performed exceptional in the city twisties. But.. I rode one of my friends bike yesterday, 9k kms old, and it felt completely different bike, engine was making quite lot vibes, struggling to go over90kmph and all the bad stuff. My friend has a rough riding style, but is it possible to detroy such machine in only 9k oddo kms? Everything okey for me on this bike, but a bit concerned with engine life, since my versys 650 is only getting smoother with time.
Good morning, I would say that your friend has probably ridden his bike hard from day one. Look after the bike and it will look after you. Usually RE’s improve with more miles. It is impossible for me to know how it would be with 9k miles when broken in, and serviced as per RE’s recommendations, but I doubt it will be like your friend’s bike is now. Hope this helps. Cheers
That was a nice area that you rode thru. It's a pity that where all those roadworx were there will most likely be lots of new housing. People have to live somewhere tho don't they?
All those new roundabouts and roads etc have taken over two years, and umpteen months of major road closures. Even then they couldn’t get it right. The new roundabouts on the main road, are too tight for some articulated lorries to negotiate without driving over either the outer curbs or the roundabouts……all designed on a fag packet when they were p****d up 😢. Yes, new housing developments to be built to the left of where I finished (eventually) the video. Now, I bet not many of them will be “affordable” !
@@ianhughesroyalenfield The same nonsense going on everywhere. I think affordable housing is something they can spell but couldn't care less about. When they are built the speed limits will be restricted there too.
@simonchilli2088 definitely. Makes my blood boil tbh. There are no road repairs going on, yet the councils are getting so much from these building companies, they really should be spending the coffers elsewhere. Cheshire East (where we are in this video) are paying a temporary financial director almost £1200 a day…..yes you read that right….a day ! The council is already cash strapped, yet they are paying this ridiculous amount to one person. Everyone is in uproar, but they are powerless.
Hi Ian. Thanks for this great video. What about the comfort of the standard windshield? I've seen a lot of videos saying the windshield is not suitable for speeds around 80 mph. Your views?
To be honest, it really didn’t bother me. Yes, there was a bit of buffeting as I mentioned. Maybe 80 mph constant cruising would become tiring , but dropping down to 70mph every now and then would be fine. I have ridden bikes with bigger screens that have been a lot worse. Don’t know if that’s much use. All the blurry bits on the motorway, are above 75mph, and what you hear, is what I hear. I certainly didn’t get any head shake 😉
That was a compelling ride! The Himalayan does seem to be an ideal bike for modern road conditions. Did you have any difficulty in lifting the bike off the side stand? It is a criticism that I have seen, due allegedly to the top heavy nature of the bike and high angle of lean on the side stand.
Morning Gap. It is a bit heavy to lift off the side stand, which does lean over quite a way, but after a few times, it’s easy enough. It would be harder if parked on a slant. The weight is all high up, and I could imagine that with full luggage, it could be even more difficult. I have no doubt, that somewhere in India, an accessory company are designing an alternative. 👍 Cheers
🤔 the CB500X is a cracking road bike, with a modicum of off road ability. Some are saying the Himi is more off road than road, but it does make a damn fine bike for the twisties. When I first took the Himi 450 out, I was trying to compare it to a 2023 CB500X ruclips.net/video/q-IEe8Kgjyg/видео.htmlsi=pbGI3vc8tFt2BIDM but with the Himi being a 40bhp single, and the 500X being a 47bhp (ish) twin, it’s not quite a fair playing field. Yes the Himi can quite comfortably hold 70+ mph on the motorway, but I think it would be easier on the 500X. I think the 500X looks better, but that’s subjective. It really depends on the roads you ride the majority of the time. Perhaps take one out, it might surprise you 😉
I really do like the Himi 450 Blake, but I don’t have the funds to buy one. Maybe in the future there will be some “hardly used” examples with low miles, at ridiculously low prices, just to tempt me into debt 🤞😂 Cheers
@@ianhughesroyalenfield if I win the lottery, worth 100 million or so, I will get you one. But that means that will will need to buy a lot of you guys a Himalayan. So sleep tight, I will try for you this week.
I like the power its got plenty for the motor way and hills I wish the meteor had 50 cc more for that ,it’s a good value utilitarian bike good on gravel roads to suspension is good soaks up the bumps ok ,ok it’s not a dirt bike but it dose what it says on the tin ,very good bike for the price ,jimmy Australia
Show me an example of YOUR experience recording audio at 50 - 80 mph on a motorcycle. Besides, I am not going to waste what little mortal time I have left, editing the high’s and low’s just to please you !
@@ianhughesroyalenfield where is your shi**y attitude coming from dude?? if you dont know how to read a comment, dont read it and specially dont reply. everything was good on your video other than some in some bit of the audio totally with buffeting noise. i have corrected some well known uploads from people like dandanthefireman, chrisbritch, nomadsweden.....they are way popular than you c*nt, they never disrespected my comment in anyways. dan hap a clip of his vidoe totally blackedout for 4 5 mins......he acknowledged my comm, so as other peoples too, and you are showing attitude ?? WOW. and for what cause?? correcting your mistake while editing. huh. 🙏👎GL 'get lost'. cant even sure what a comment ment by people watching the whole video without even skipping 💔
Thank you Ian for that real world review, after all , we aren't all a MotoGP/Motocross world champion rider are we? I hope you don't mind me saying that most of us are just average blokes, enjoying riding bikes within our capabilities.
I don’t mind you saying that at all Paul. I actually blocked one of the 🛎️ ends that had a go at me previously for not taking it off road. Tried to have another go today, despite my words, so I hit the button 😂. Cheers
I bought a Himalayan 450 a couple of months’ ago, I absolutely love it. I have no desire to go off road or to ride it quickly, which I think is how most UK riders will be. For me, the 450 is a lovely little road bike that can cruise at motorway speeds when it’s necessary but is almost perfect at 50 - 60 mph. I don’t feel any vibration issue at all and now that it’s run in, I managed to get the bike up to an indicated 86 mph just to see if it would do it. I think it would have reached 90 mph but this is not my normal riding style and I doubt I’ll ever try that again. My only criticism is that the little screen is next to useless as a wind deflector, so why is it there at all? But aside from this, I would recommend this machine to anybody. As I say, I love it, I might have gone for the little Triumph but I am so pleased with my choice!
Thanks for your thoughts as an owner Lee. Always good to know when someone pretty much agree’s with me. That Sherpa 450 engine is a belter. All the best.
The small screen is there to protect the back of the speedo.
As an owner of a GoldStar this bike is just the type of bike i like. Obviously the styling is completely different but if i ever get fed up of the BSA this definitely would be on my radar. Very good vlog Ian loved it.
Thanks Ian…..I wanted it to be an honest, no frills blast, on as many different types of roads/lanes as I could squeeze into half an hour (ish) 😂, ridden as I guess many others would ride it 😉. Despite the obvious wind noise, I am happy with the result. You know, I am surprised the Goldstar hasn’t sold in bigger numbers, it’s a good bike.
I bought mine from a very local dealer in West Lancashire but BSA messed him about so he stopped selling them on Jan 1st. Not the first ďealer I've heard this about. BSA just haven't got their act together.
@ianhalliwell8604 the fact that they keep dropping the prices doesn’t help the dealers either 😢
Great review ian 😀, I'm sure alot of potential buyer's are now reassured after watching it. I bought 2 brand new BMW R850, one in 2000, another in 2003. The first 1200 ish mile's had lots of vibration and blurring of the mirrors,then shortly after the mileage above they suddenly changed and were vibration free,so if anyone is concerned on their bike,put some miles on before making any judgements of the bike 🙂.
100% agree. Pretty much all RE’s improve with a few miles on the clock. Take the J series 350 for example, after 1000 miles it is transformed. I have said in some vids, that it’s a shame some people sell them with about 500 miles on the clock, as they haven’t reached their best. Patience is definitely a virtue where bikes are concerned. Cheers
@@ianhughesroyalenfield I'm glad they do sell them before 500 miles because I got a Classic 350 dark in black from a local dealer for £3399 with only 361 miles on it!! They'll be giving it the first service too at that price.
@simonchilli2088 crazy though isn’t it. Clementine was bought similarly. We get the best of them 😉
KAAVER. ::. SUPREME. ::.DIVINE. POWER. ❤❤
"How long have I been out " 😅 ,shows how much you were enjoying it Ian , it is a great bike, I didn't want to stop riding it either when I took one out ,it handles so nicely!
Great review,
Cheers Mel 🍻
Thanks Mel…..yes, and I didn’t stop for a photo, just didn’t want to stop riding. 😎
Enjoying your review, I'm half way through. I had a test ride on this new 450 about 3 weeks ago and it ticked absolutely every box for me. I don't do offroad and mostly try and avoid motorways etc, I just watched the Bingley ....... those are my kind of roads! I thought the engine might disappoint, feel a bit modern and revvy ....... not a bit of it! That engine still feels and sounds like a grunty longish stroke single and, for a water cooled, it even looks great. They've kept the curvy and rounded shapes to the engine casings, reminiscent of the old British bikes .... brilliant!!! And, the gearbox, with it's extra 6th gear, is just as slick as my Hntr 350. I tend to lean towards naked roadsters but this would fit the bill perfectly. They've even kept a proper looking headlight even though it runs an LED and not a tungsten halogen bulb. As for the vibration issue ........ I cut my teeth on old BSAs so, NO ISSUE 😁👍 Right, back to your review! All the best, Phil (Somerset)
Hi Phil, we have the same feelings. Not everyone wants to go off road, but still like this style of motorcycle, without the bulky looks of modern “Adventure” bikes. It really reminds me of the old Yam XT500, or Honda XL500, and maybe the Suzuki SP400. It’s a really good bike. I left a comment on Dave Wheeler’s video this morning, if we had returned earlier, this video would have been out before his 😂. Cheers
@@ianhughesroyalenfield I agree, my brother had a Yam XT500 ..... great bike, wish they still made them. Yeah, I'm not a fan of adventure bikes like the BMW GS etc but this new Himalayan is very discreet, even more than the outgoing Himalayan, IMO. I need to start saving my pennies! 😁
Have you seen the Mash X-Ride 650 ? A dead ringer for the old XT500, but a truly modern (ish) bike. I just don’t understand why the big 4 can’t produce something along the same lines.
@@ianhughesroyalenfield Yes indeed! A while back, I was giving it some careful consideration but preferred the straight forward roadster version (can't remember what it was called now) Basically, a big ole Honda 650 air cooled single thumper. In the end, I steered away from that idea when I discovered Unicorns are more common than Mash dealerships, at least, where I live. But yes, I was quite smitten for a time, simple uncluttered enjoyment, like the old days 😁👍
@PAGallagher definitely. I had pretty much the same 650 lump in a Honda FMX 650, a poor attempt by Honda of a Supermoto, the engine was good enough for the chassis 😳🫣😂. I traded it in for a Suzuki DRZ400SM, now that was a fun bike 😈😂
Great second chance review. Better bike than people think! 👍. Don't know why some people think it's not a real bike! You've disproved that.
You won't get me going off road, only by mistake! I like my Ruby too much!
Well done, great video.
Thanks Peter. It’s another do it all from Royal Enfield 👌
Let's do this!all I keep thinking is the beach boys song. Good vibrations!
Funnily enough Blake, I was going to use that on the thumbnail, but it wouldn’t have worked, as you will find out 😂
SUITS YOU SIR! Good Unbiased review as usual, Cheers ,DINO and Tribe.
Thanks Dino. Stop it …….. 😂
Great ride out. As for off road test rides I'd advise people to look at some of the Aussie vloggers who have been properly spanking this bike around the out of town trails. It doesn't disappoint!! 😅
Thanks Bob, yes leave it to those who know how to ride off road 👍
Again,well done! Thanks for the ride!😊
Thanks Blake.
Thank you Ian. Your follow up was certainly worth waiting for. It only goes to show that you have to try a bike before you buy it. I rode the 411 version and didn’t like it. The same with the Voge rally. I just loved the Classic 350 when I saw and later rode it.
So true Jonathan. You need to get out one of these though, just for a bit of fun 😉 I am looking forward to the stripped down version called the Guerilla, coming out 😎
@@ianhughesroyalenfield that’s a new one on me. The engine begs to be used in another iteration similar to the 650’s. 👍
It wouldn’t surprise me…..the Guerrilla will be basically like the Scram version of the 411.
That's about as off road as I get too! Had mine for about two months now and everything is perfect. Good review by the way.
Lucky you…….great bike. Cheers
i am saving up for one, i wanna go offroad, but i will be using it on road as well, so every revieuw is important for me. thanks for the review. i have tested one but only for about 40minutes, and i loved it, but not long enough and on varied road situations so i want these vids, thank you
Glad you enjoyed this,did you watch the first one I did ruclips.net/video/q-IEe8Kgjyg/видео.htmlsi=V1JYccyRMsUqVlGJ , it’s a really good bike. A lot of people are taking them off road, and do say how good they are. All the best.
@@ianhughesroyalenfield yes i did watch the first video, i am in love woth the bike so i am geeking out about every video i can find, especially people who drive them and revieuw them multiple times :)
@vaerenbergh I couldn’t get enough of it tbh, as you can probably tell 😊😂 I am really looking forward to the Guerrilla. There is already one review out, here in the uk, but my dealer hasn’t had a delivery yet 🙄, can’t be far off though.
I think they did about 5 years of research and design and trials before it was release ,they had some clever people work on this build and it turned out great and good value I think ,for its reliability over years we will see 👍😎
It’s a modern bike Jimmy, I am sure reliability will be fine, providing people maintain them properly. I believe the R&D department is in the uk, so not just built with the home (Indian) market in mind. 👍
Reminds me of a modern trials bike, I think it looks great, will make a great little real world tourer, slap on some panniers and a bit bigger screen and head to Europe for some great fun on quiet roads, really enjoyed your review
Thanks Peter. I agree, though some people aggressively think otherwise (they have been removed), it makes a damn fine road bike. Not sure about the bigger screen, as I think it might cause more turbulence than this “little un”. At motorway speeds, for my stature, it’s fine. Cheers
So Sorry Anne is unwell, Hope all is back to normal really soon, chin up eh!Cheers, DINO, and Family.
Thanks Dino, Ann suffered a heart attack in the early hours of Friday. We were/are down in Cheshire, so took her to local A + E, she is now in Cardiac ward, awaiting an angiogram. Will know more when they have the results back from that. She is alright in herself, but obviously concerned. I have passed on some of the messages, and she is really quite chuffed. I will pass yours on tomorrow when I visit. Hope you and the crew are well.
All the best to the misses. From down under. 🇦🇺🙏
Thank you, appreciated 👍
Great review as always, that screen shape reminds me of the tip of a gentleman's sausage, or is it my imagination.. Anyway keep up the good work
😂 hadn’t looked at it like that…..🫣😂 Cheers
@@ianhughesroyalenfield It looks like a arrowhead, there.. something to think about when you look at it , other than ..
I prefer to think of it as an “arrowhead” 😂
Darth
Great re review Ian it is as I thought a bike like most of the Royal Enfields needs a few miles to settle in a bit I think the engine will probably smooth out quite a bit more as the miles mount up .but for people of our generation I don't think it vibrates at all compared to the machines we grew up with .seem to me to be a nice punchy single with a bit of feel what's not to like 👍
Definitely Kev, in fact the Classic 350 vibrates more, well at least the mirrors do 😂. That 450 engine and gearbox is absolutely sublime, even up shifts without the clutch are smooth (obviously getting the timing right). Cheers
Good second ride Ian, it definitely brings out the naughty boy in you 😂 I think some people are just looking for something to criticise it on because it’s such a different bike to what we’ve come to expect from RE, personally I think it’s a cracking bike, all the best buddy 👍
Thanks Mike. I think if RE had called it something else instead of Himalayan, the purists wouldn’t have been quite so down on it. RE need to move with the times (largely due to emissions restrictions), and that engine will find it’s way into all manner of styles going forward. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a 450 Classic at some point……..omg can you imagine that 😂. Meanwhile, I am looking forward to the Guerrilla (Scram) 😎
Totally agree with you on your review spot on loving my 450 does the the stuff the 411 should of done the only negative I have it's the fuel cap opens the wrong way and it's a pain in the to fill good thing is it sips fuel I'm getting 81 mpg on mine riding it normal like you were doing 👍
Thank you, I will have to take a look at the fuel filler. Someone else mentioned that too 🤔. When I took the 450 out the first time, I was amazed at the indicated mpg, but I was being “careful”. I didn’t think to see what it was doing this time out 🙄, I was enjoying the ride too much. Great to know you are enjoying yours 👍
That engine seems have freed up nicely now, Ian. 👍 I think that, from your comments and those of TBW, this bike would be fine for most folks in our real-world lives.
Thanks Chris…..it really is a belter. I am awaiting the upcoming Guerilla (scram version), as the only issue for me is the seat height. On level ground, I am not quite flat footed, so on roads like the Wrynose pass, I would struggle. You can buy a lower seat, but I personally think you would lose some of the comfort. Knowing RE, I think the new platform will find its way into many guises, so interesting times ahead.
@@ianhughesroyalenfield You could be right about other platforms and the seat comfort aspect, but that issue can be addressed with different types of foam, should the factory choose to do that. Thin doesn't have to mean uncomfortable, but many companies unfortunately penny-pinch.
@chrisweeks6973 indeed Chris 👍
Well youve gone and done it again. Ian , Nice ride out whilst encorporating a good honest bike review.Time to take the bike back now, its gone dark and Crewe Motor Cycles are now closed, Ah well another day passed whilst smiling all the way. Until the next time, Mike Sunny Wales.
Thanks Mike, it’s been rather warm and sunny here too, too warm to be on the bike to be honest……but looks like rain starting tomorrow, bugger 🙄, no bloody middle ground nowadays. Either sweltering, or freezing 😂. Glad you enjoyed the video, look forward to hopefully meeting you in October when we make our annual pilgrimage to Hendre Mynach in Barmouth. As daft as it seems, not far off 😳
@@ianhughesroyalenfield . yes that would be good.hoping for an oct meet up . bfn
@michaelgilbert3311 even if the weather is inclement, perhaps you could pop down to us for a brew.
@@ianhughesroyalenfield that sounds like a plan cheers
Hi Ian ,great review and nice to see the 450 put through the Paces, the vibrations issue is very subjective and from your video its very apparent that you experienced literally none, my experience last week was alot different and it was very apparent here in Dubai at highway speeds, im comming off a 411 with 44000km over 7 countries , butbwith that said its not a deterrent for me as i will be buying one when we move to Chennai next week.
Bike use is personal and relative to the individual, so we all have different experiences with our bikes.
My use is primarily long tours overland, so my requirements will be different from most, i was initially worried aboutbthe side stand byt found that turning the handlebars oppose lock prior to mounting, helps with lifting the bike upright,
The fuel cap is annoying, as it doesn't stay up, when opend and on tours with filling up ect can be cumbersome, but not a game changer.
Ull be buying the Kamet white next week and plan to tour India with the possibility of riding back to Europe next spring.
Keep up the great content, and try nit to let the negative comments get to you, i post across multiple FB platforms on my Himalayan and occasionally get negativity, but the good far outweighs the bad, and just remember that ur videos give sound information to the vast majority, so thanks for that
Regards
Noel
Wow Noel, thanks for this. There is no doubting that the 450 is a great bike, and it wouldn’t be a Royal Enfield if it didn’t have its “quirks” 😂. Yes, your needs are different to mine, but this Himi, like the 411, can still do everything. Good luck and thanks again.
I’ve not ridden a 450; but it’s clear from your video that the performance criticisms of the 411 have been answered on this bike.
People make me laugh, I mean, actually complaining about vibration on a single, jeeez.
I luv my 411, warts and all. But, I wouldn’t take a 450 off road either. It’s far to nice a bike to take onto the bedrock, rock strewn trails and river crossings of the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales. The bash plate of my 411 has many gouges and buckles to remind me of past trails. My hand guards have scratches through contact with bushes on narrow lanes. My engine bars are even scratched with going through deep ruts and scraping against rocks in the sides of ruts and I just couldn’t do that to a 450. I have no doubt at all that the 450 will be very capable of riding these trails and the fact that you can disable the antilock brakes on the 450 is a great help when riding some surfaces. Anyway, Itchy Boots has demonstrated just how good the 450 is off road as do some of the Aussie guys.
Superb review Ian, great work fella.
Take care and ride safe.
Thanks Neil. Nathan the postman did quite a good summing up, and fair enough, he was comparing to the 411 in a mainly off road discussion, and he thought the 411 was less intimidating, especially for newer riders. Cheers my friend.
@@ianhughesroyalenfield Great video Ian. To be honest, Mr Grizzle here sums up exactly the difference between 411 and 450. The old one's been busted up on the trails and the new one's too nice to try it. I find it a shame the bike's not as 'usable' as the old one but if folk are getting different uses out of it then all for the good. Safe travels.
@nathanthepostman thanks Nathan, I feel humbled that you should comment on my video, so thank you. Despite what some pillocks say, it does make a half decent road bike, riding our pothole ridden roads very well, comfortable at all legal speeds, and fun in the twisties. I am looking forward to the Guerilla being released, as I think that will be more road focused. Thanks again 👍
Hey Ian, I only just discovered your channel this morning. Watched your walk around the Guerrilla 450 in the shop, which I enjoyed and now this one. I love the real world, down to earth review style. I'm going to be treating myself to a new bike fairly soon and I'm tossing up between the Guerrilla and the Himalayan 450. Thanks for your informative and entertaining review. You've gained a new and happy subscriber!
Wow, thanks so much. Well, if you like down to earth reviews, you are going to love the one on the Guerrilla 450. It arrived this morning, so I was there and on it straight away. So here I am, tied to my old and slow laptop, trying to edit …. It’s going to be a very long one, in fact some of the route is the same as this Himi review, but then I go further 😂. I struggle to contain my excitement, it’s a bit embarrassing really, but………🫣😂 Thanks for the sub, hope you enjoy my content. All the best.
That was very impressive Ian well done that bike has to be streets ahead of the old one both in looks and performance I liked it and reckon I could see you on one before very long suits you sir 😉I have to say though I still like the black one with gold wheels pretty damned spiffy I reckon . Good one cheers 👌👍
Thanks Mal. I think every man and his dog will go for the Black/Gold one……that said it does still look smart. Not keen on the Grey Red/Grey Blue models, as I am not keen on the trendy “Primer” grey colour.
@@ianhughesroyalenfield Completely agree Ian whenever I see anything finished in grey it just looks like primer to me too😉👍
Hi Ian, i enjoyed that as with more miles now on that bike it was good to see it on open roads and it looks more than quick enough for motorway’s and overtaking, i need to go get a test ride of the one at Saltire sometime, trail bikes were always my choice and be good to ride a modern trail bike 😁👍
Cheers Bruce
Thanks Bruce. Definitely more than capable of dealing with modern road/traffic conditions. I saw eighty six miles per hour on the motorway, with still more to go. It nips up to 60/70 quick enough on the A/B roads. Rides over our shitty roads brilliantly too 😎. Yes, you need to get out on one 😉, I’d like to know what you think, whether you agree with my thoughts. Cheers
Good video editing skills to make it look like you're going faster.
;)
😂
Good vibrations.
No vibrations 👍
I'm calling in at Crewe on Tuesday for a service on my
350 classic, think I may just ask Roger if he will let me have another go on it. When I first started off on it I thought it was a bit buzzy through the bars but after five minuets of so I stopped noticing it, but hadn't done many miles then.
Sounds like a plan Andy……the Himi still hasn’t got the mileage where we can thrash it, but certainly enough to give it some more 😉
Totally agree with your assessment of the bike. Only thing I'm not a huge fan of is the quality of the switch gear. In particular the toggle switch 👍🏼
Ahh, sorry Craig, I didn’t mess with that. I had a brief look at it in the first video….maybe it would have been better with a “box” affair with directional buttons. Cheers
Hello Ian, I'm quite late on this video, but i think this is exactly what I was looking for. I want a comfortable ride for me, that can go in and out of city, can tackle bad roads and poorly engineered and frequent speed bumps (i am not a guy who is ready to willingly throw myself in a ditch and call it offroad or something). I test rode one of these last week, engine charecter felt quite well for my driving style and requirements 90-100kmph cruise, and performed exceptional in the city twisties. But.. I rode one of my friends bike yesterday, 9k kms old, and it felt completely different bike, engine was making quite lot vibes, struggling to go over90kmph and all the bad stuff. My friend has a rough riding style, but is it possible to detroy such machine in only 9k oddo kms? Everything okey for me on this bike, but a bit concerned with engine life, since my versys 650 is only getting smoother with time.
Good morning, I would say that your friend has probably ridden his bike hard from day one. Look after the bike and it will look after you. Usually RE’s improve with more miles. It is impossible for me to know how it would be with 9k miles when broken in, and serviced as per RE’s recommendations, but I doubt it will be like your friend’s bike is now. Hope this helps. Cheers
@@ianhughesroyalenfield thanks Ian, take care
That was a nice area that you rode thru. It's a pity that where all those roadworx were there will most likely be lots of new housing. People have to live somewhere tho don't they?
All those new roundabouts and roads etc have taken over two years, and umpteen months of major road closures. Even then they couldn’t get it right. The new roundabouts on the main road, are too tight for some articulated lorries to negotiate without driving over either the outer curbs or the roundabouts……all designed on a fag packet when they were p****d up 😢. Yes, new housing developments to be built to the left of where I finished (eventually) the video. Now, I bet not many of them will be “affordable” !
@@ianhughesroyalenfield The same nonsense going on everywhere. I think affordable housing is something they can spell but couldn't care less about. When they are built the speed limits will be restricted there too.
@simonchilli2088 definitely. Makes my blood boil tbh. There are no road repairs going on, yet the councils are getting so much from these building companies, they really should be spending the coffers elsewhere. Cheshire East (where we are in this video) are paying a temporary financial director almost £1200 a day…..yes you read that right….a day ! The council is already cash strapped, yet they are paying this ridiculous amount to one person. Everyone is in uproar, but they are powerless.
Hi Ian. Thanks for this great video. What about the comfort of the standard windshield? I've seen a lot of videos saying the windshield is not suitable for speeds around 80 mph. Your views?
To be honest, it really didn’t bother me. Yes, there was a bit of buffeting as I mentioned. Maybe 80 mph constant cruising would become tiring , but dropping down to 70mph every now and then would be fine. I have ridden bikes with bigger screens that have been a lot worse. Don’t know if that’s much use. All the blurry bits on the motorway, are above 75mph, and what you hear, is what I hear. I certainly didn’t get any head shake 😉
Thank you sooooo much. This will be my next bike. Been watching a lot of videos and your honest review is just great
That was a compelling ride! The Himalayan does seem to be an ideal bike for modern road conditions. Did you have any difficulty in lifting the bike off the side stand? It is a criticism that I have seen, due allegedly to the top heavy nature of the bike and high angle of lean on the side stand.
Morning Gap. It is a bit heavy to lift off the side stand, which does lean over quite a way, but after a few times, it’s easy enough. It would be harder if parked on a slant. The weight is all high up, and I could imagine that with full luggage, it could be even more difficult. I have no doubt, that somewhere in India, an accessory company are designing an alternative. 👍 Cheers
Always looking for that next bike I wonder if this would be a good replacement for my great cb500x 2020 model ?
🤔 the CB500X is a cracking road bike, with a modicum of off road ability. Some are saying the Himi is more off road than road, but it does make a damn fine bike for the twisties. When I first took the Himi 450 out, I was trying to compare it to a 2023 CB500X ruclips.net/video/q-IEe8Kgjyg/видео.htmlsi=pbGI3vc8tFt2BIDM but with the Himi being a 40bhp single, and the 500X being a 47bhp (ish) twin, it’s not quite a fair playing field. Yes the Himi can quite comfortably hold 70+ mph on the motorway, but I think it would be easier on the 500X. I think the 500X looks better, but that’s subjective. It really depends on the roads you ride the majority of the time. Perhaps take one out, it might surprise you 😉
Personally, I think you really like this bike! Might be in your future. 😊
I really do like the Himi 450 Blake, but I don’t have the funds to buy one. Maybe in the future there will be some “hardly used” examples with low miles, at ridiculously low prices, just to tempt me into debt 🤞😂 Cheers
I'm worried about Clementine 😳
@@ianhughesroyalenfield if I win the lottery, worth 100 million or so, I will get you one. But that means that will will need to buy a lot of you guys a Himalayan. So sleep tight, I will try for you this week.
@Ainsworth-Rider don’t be 😉
@BlakesPipes thanks Blake, that would be nice wouldn’t it 🙏😂
I like the extra power it’s got compared to the 350 meteor
So did I 😉 hence why I am looking forward to the release of the stripped down, more road focused Guerrilla 😎
I should stick with my Meteor 350. I'm afraid the post box isn't big enough to handle the speed camera awards. 😁😎
😂
😂
🤣🤣👍
Still don't have it here , even though there's a factory in Milwaukee,wi , my state.
That’s crazy mate. Hope you get on one soon.
Sir I’m watching you review, but I would know what song is in the intro, thanks ✌️
Cheel - Kurt ! Copyright free from RUclips studio. ruclips.net/video/X4Fyz76c9fg/видео.htmlsi=5FM-BH3edD4s_eOb
I like the power its got plenty for the motor way and hills I wish the meteor had 50 cc more for that ,it’s a good value utilitarian bike good on gravel roads to suspension is good soaks up the bumps ok ,ok it’s not a dirt bike but it dose what it says on the tin ,very good bike for the price ,jimmy Australia
Excellent Jimmy, thank you.
BTW, what is your vlogging equipment: camera, helmet mike?
DJI Osmo Action 3 , DJI 3.5mm mic adapter, cheap notebook mic off Amazon in helmet. Camera recording volume set to -6 then increased in editing. 👍
nice one, thank You
Glad you enjoyed it 😎
Is this bike capable enough to ride at 75-80mph?? I doubt in American highways
Where the speedo is blurred, I was doing over 80mph, so the answer is yes 👍.
kindly tune the audio when editing, listeing thru headphones there is too much wind noice. tune the low's and high's
Show me an example of YOUR experience recording audio at 50 - 80 mph on a motorcycle. Besides, I am not going to waste what little mortal time I have left, editing the high’s and low’s just to please you !
@@ianhughesroyalenfield where is your shi**y attitude coming from dude?? if you dont know how to read a comment, dont read it and specially dont reply. everything was good on your video other than some in some bit of the audio totally with buffeting noise. i have corrected some well known uploads from people like dandanthefireman, chrisbritch, nomadsweden.....they are way popular than you c*nt, they never disrespected my comment in anyways. dan hap a clip of his vidoe totally blackedout for 4 5 mins......he acknowledged my comm, so as other peoples too, and you are showing attitude ?? WOW. and for what cause?? correcting your mistake while editing. huh. 🙏👎GL 'get lost'. cant even sure what a comment ment by people watching the whole video without even skipping 💔
Are you sure there is no vibration over 70, speedo seem to be vibrating and blurring then😂
😂 it’s another Royal Enfield quirk 😎😂
Can you keep it on 75 miles ?
Yes if you have a steady hand. The engine will take it. 👍
Ian, thats not a rant thats like Grandad stating he’s got different coloured socks on 😂😂😂
This did make me giggle 😂 RUclips doesn’t really like us having the kind of rants we would like to have 😂.
@@ianhughesroyalenfield that’s because you are gentleman sir!
@TommieTrumper-TFC1200 that’s kind of you to say, though others may disagree 😂
Pity RE cant make a speedo that doesn't "steam up" over 70 ! 😅
😂 you noticed that “fault” too then 😂
Watched a guy in india he put better quality grips on the bars and the vibs were gone so there’s an option
Indeed Jimmy, but I could easily cope with the very slight tingle, even on longer rides. I have ridden Jap bikes with more vibration 😉 Cheers
Opinions are like aholes, everybody has one, do don't worry what people put in the comments.
Cheers…..I am now quite hardened to the idiots, if they decide to insult, they get blocked…..simples 😂