How Royal Enfield Kicked Off the Global Small ADV Movement
Ask any person across the vast landscape that is the country India that which motorcycle would he/she prefer for long-distance touring, and the answer would be unanimous: Bullet. Royal Enfield Bullet, to be precise, is the one motorcycle that has captured the fancy of millions of Indians.
All Indians know that Royal Enfield is a British brand, yet they are proud of the company’s Indian legacy. This is the company after all, that supplied motorcycles to the Indian Army. Seeing the Bullets garbed in olive drab, crisscrossing the length and breadth of the country really sparked off Royal Enfield’s domination in the Indian midsize motorcycle market.
Just a couple of decades ago, if a person wanted to buy a motorcycle he could tour long distances with, there was no other alternative present on sale in India other than the Royal Enfield Bullet. The bikes which came in 350cc and 500cc avatars were the sole, and increasingly preferred mode of transport for those seeking adventure on two wheels.
Due to their sheer simplicity and ruggedness, these were also the ideal choice in case of breakdowns or mechanical issues. You see, any mechanic in India can tinker with a Bullet and fix it up, such is the simplicity of design of the iconic motorcycle.
India is home to one of the most challenging, yet equally breath-taking terrain on the planet: The Himalaya. Meaning ‘The Abode Of Snow’ in Sanskrit, the Himalaya have served as a natural border between India and China. Naturally, there has been huge army presence in the mountains on both sides. The Indian Army used Royal Enfields extensively in the Himalayas due to their mechanical robustness. This led the civilians to believe that they too could take their precious Bullet to the mountains.
Eventually, people started taking these thumping standard motorcycles the long way and came back recounting tales of wild adventure while riding, inspiring more to follow suit. Thus began the adventure motorcycling culture in India, for no other place in the country could match the diverse challenges in terms of climate and terrain that the Himalaya can bring forth.
For years, only Royal Enfields were the trustworthy steeds that took motorcyclists to the beautiful expanse of the Himalaya. With the turn of the century, buyers were able to choose between a bigger variety of motorcycles, with more and more slated for launch in India. Some manufacturers even started building purpose-built motorcycles to suit different tastes.
By then, the Bullet had become a synonym with riding to Ladakh (Jammu-Kashmir, India), and as such was still the most preferred bike for people wishing to tour the country (and beyond) on two wheels.
Royal Enfield woke up to the fact that their motorcycles were being put to use in roles that were not meant for them, but still the bikes shone through consistently. This revealed to them a huge untapped potential in the market: Motorcyclists who had adventure running in their veins, but did not have the kind of money to buy an adventure motorcycle that could match their level.
With the lowest rung of adventure motorcycling as the target, Royal started developing a purpose-built motorcycle whose aim was clear: Bring adventure motorcycling to the masses without breaking the bank. From a collaborative development shared between Royal Enfield and its subsidiaries, a new motorcycle was born: The Royal Enfield Himalayan.
At first glance, the tall, spartan motorcycle looked the ADV part but seemed to lack the go to match the show. A slightly disappointing new engine which could have done with a little more horsepower, no safety systems whatsoever, and Royal Enfield’s own infamous build quality resulted in tarnishing the Himalayan’s name. However, the motorcycle quickly rose back up by demonstrating its excellent riding dynamics, ergonomics, and again its rugged simplicity of design.
Until now, the smallest adventure motorcycle one could buy in India was the Kawasaki Versys 650, which is really an upright sports tourer. Royal Enfield undercut the Versys massively with the Himalayan by pricing the bare-bones ADV at a very competitive level. Simply put, you could buy three Himalayans and have a large dollop of cash left over in the money that you would need to buy a Versys 650. Sure, the Himalayan doesn’t even come close to the kind of performance the Versys is capable of, but the Versys cannot match the former’s price tag.
You would again say that the two bikes are poles apart in every respect. Well, the launch of the Himalayan had many manufacturers sit up and take notice at the former British brand that was stirring up things in the lower end of the ADV motorcycle spectrum. Kawasaki came up with the Versys X-300, BMW followed suit with the G310 GS, Suzuki pitched in with the V-Strom 250, and KTM is currently testing its own ADV 390 before a launch touted to be sometime in 2019. Even manufacturers like Benelli who had but one 1130cc ADV bike in its lineup, or Harley-Davidson, who had no ADV product in its long history are scrambling for a piece of the pie that Royal Enfield is currently enjoying a major chunk of.
So what is exactly so special about the Himalayan? The bike may be slightly underpowered, have questionable build quality, and may not be as precise or feature-laden as its peers, but think about it: Why do those peers exist in the first place?
Once you arrive on an answer to the question, you will begin to see what a great motorcycle the Himalayan is, and what a master strategist Royal Enfield is as a bikemaker. With this bike, Royal Enfield has reaffirmed its place in the hearts of Indian adventure motorcyclists, and more upstarts in the field now have access to a proper, real adventure motorcycle.
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