Despite the litany of experiences, machines, and adventures I've been on this past year, there's one that I haven't been able to shake. Something that I continue to fantasize about. Something I must finally put in my garage next year.
It's a machine that remains at the forefront of my mind. A machine that's caused sleepless nights and for me to even try my hand at math. I hate math, but I'll gladly do it to see what I'd need to do to afford its purchase. A machine that left such an indelible impression on me that, after riding it, I've used whatever excuse I can to write about it here on RideApart. Because more people should know how fucking good this motorcycle is.
I'm talking about Royal Enfield's Himalayan 450, a motorcycle that, to me, feels pretty perfect. It's why when we first started discussing doing these Editor's Choice Awards, a series where Janaki, EJ, Robbie and I all professed our profound love for a single solitary thing we've touched or experienced in 2024, I didn't even have to think about my choice.
The Himalayan 450 was my clear winner.
Now, again, I've had one of the best years of my life in terms of machines tested, new experiences had, and gear that's come into my possession. I've been saved by my Garmin, lived the high life at MotoGP with Red Bull, took my first big game animal with the help of my Can-Am, rode some pretty spectacular places on snowmobiles with professionals, and took the helm here at RideApart. The latter of which I'm immensely proud of given how my team has just soared to the heights we've achieved.
But when I look back, there's one thing I wish I had in my garage and in my name more than any other, and that's the Himalayan 450.
I was fortunate to test the Himmy in the worst conditions possible. Ahead of the launch, it had rained in my home state of Utah. And elsewhere, in the high backcountry, it had snowed. As such, the trails were utter trash, with washed out sections, deep ruts, and the biggest, coldest mud puddles I've ever seen.
Royal Enfield, however, hadn't fitted our Himalayans with proper knobby tires, only the stock CEAT dual-sports. If you know anything about off-road riding, these weren't great for the conditions. Honestly, you'd likely be hard-pressed to find folks who run Erzberg or Romaniacs who'd be brave enough to go out with these motorcycles in those conditions.
I didn't know that at the time, but neither was I expecting to fall head over heels in love with the Himalayan 450. To be honest, on paper, it doesn't seem like the thing I'd like. It's not some gnarly off-roader with crazy suspension travel, knobby tires, and power to pull wheelies on gravel. And its past as the proverbial donkey of the adventure motorcycle segment further colored my impression. "How good could it be?" I mused to myself while driving to the launch.
Then I rode it.
The trails along our pre-planned route were basically destroyed by the weather. And yet, this motorcycle never faltered. We took it through knee-deep mud puddles, through countless river crossings, thrashed it along rocky trails, sped up rutty hills, G-d it out hitting jumps, and then, just for fun, laid our knees down through corners once we hit the pavement. Never once did the smile plastered across my face fade. Nor did it ask me to stop abusing it. All the while, I couldn't believe that Royal Enfield was going to sell this monumentally capable motorcycle to the general public for just $6,000. I mean, we were chasing folks on KTM and Yamaha dirt bikes and, in one instance, harassing them to go faster. On a $6,000 adventure bike. How could that be?!
I did, eventually, let it down. Through one particularly greasy mud hole, I gave it a little too much gas on the exit, slipped the rear wheel out too much, and laid it down on its left side. But here's where Royal Enfield imbued the Himalayan 450 with its best party trick: Fixability.
Ahead of our ride, I talked with one of the brand's engineers, who told me that a core goal of the project was that this motorcycle had to be able to be fixed by the side of the road near its namesake mountains. Essentially, you had to be able to fix it no matter the situation or tools on hand. When I laid it down, I bend both the handlebars and the shift linkage. Neither are good when you're staring down another 20 miles of off-road trail, along with another 25 of pavement. But with the help of another rider, we pulled the bars back into alignment and, with the help of a nearby stick, bent the shifter back.
Guess what? Everything worked.
Not only was I able to get out of the backcountry, and ride through many more mud puddles and river crossings. Once I hit pavement, we started carving corners as if the motorcycle was a sport bike. I had just binned the bike and within an hour or so, I was dragging my knee without a care in the world.
I don't know how Royal Enfield engineered the Himalayan 450 to have such a dual personality, but it did so to such a degree, I'm still talking and thinking about it all these months later. What else would get my Editor's Choice Award?
I could go on and on about the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, and if you've run into me in recent months, you can probably attest to that fact. But this is a motorcycle that punches so far above its weight, and for such a staggeringly low price, I'll gladly talk about it until I'm blue in the face. It may just be the most perfect motorcycle ever built. At least, it may be for me.
