Quick Read: 2018 Royal Enfield Himalayan
2018 Royal Enfield Himalayan. Photos by Kevin Wing.
Editor’s note: This Quick Read is part of our Mini-ADV Comparison Test Review of the Kawasaki Versys-X 300, BMW G 310 GS and Royal Enfield Himalayan.
Interestingly, of the three mini-ADVs we tested, it?s the Royal Enfield that seems to know exactly ?who? it is, and it makes no pretenses otherwise. It looks like a tool because it is. It looks like it could claw its way up a gnarly, oxygen-deprived pass because it was designed to do just that back home in India. Point it where you want it to go, twist the throttle and utilize the broad, friendly torque curve to tractor your way forward. It?s unflappable and rock solid. If the G 310 GS is the hare, the Himalayan is the tortoise; patience is the name of the Himalayan?s game, and slow and steady wins in its world. Read our in-depth First Ride Review of the 2018 Royal Enfield Himalayan here.
Screw-and-locknut valve adjusters simplify the 3,000-mile inspection interval, and standard centerstand simplifies chain maintenance.
The spec chart (see below) tells much of the story: a 58-inch wheelbase that?s more than 2 inches longer than the BMW, a big 21-inch tube-type spoked front wheel, 26.5 degrees of rake (the Versys-X 300?s is a steep 24.3) and 431 pounds carried low under a softly-padded 31.5-inch seat that compresses to put the rider even closer to the ground. Despite the low seat, 6-foot-tall, 200-plus-pound Senior Editor Drevenstedt found the ergos quite comfy, and decl...
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