THE MOUNTAIN CHILD

Terrain as hostile as it can get and the landscapes? More transcendent than Vincent Van Gogh’s best masterpieces.

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People and the culture? True to their intent. The Himalayas have a certain mystical energy associated with them. Being the youngest and one of the most rugged mountain ranges in the world, not to forget highest as well, the Himalayas are ever evolving. It only makes sense for a motorcycle that has been conceived in the land of high passes to constantly evolve too. Not just mere evolution but if a motorcycle is carrying the same namesake as the fabled Himalayas, it has to be immensely capable. So is the all-new Royal Enfield Himalayan just that? The answer lied in the Himalayas, we just had to seek. 

FORM, FUNCTION, FUSION!

With every new motorcycle on the bright horizon, it seems like Royal Enfield is leaving its dark past behind which was riddled with build quality issues. Even in terms of fit, finish and feel, the all-new Himalayan is a generational upgrade. It gets the same switch cubes as the latest crop of RE motorcycle, albeit with a few changes in the layout and quality. To toggle through the ride modes (Eco and performance), there’s a button on the right hand side and to meander your way through the TFT screen, there’s a tiny joystick tucked beneath the indicators, alongside the horn switch. Although we were thoroughly impressed by the TFT instrument cluster and its widgets, the joystick could have been slightly bigger and with better tactile feedback because on umpteen occasions, my hand hindered with the joystick even when I didn’t want to.