Test ride of the 2021 Royal Enfield Himalayan both on the street and in the dirt a woman rider perspective!

The first thing you notice about this 411cc aircooled fourstroke motorcycle is the style. This modern classic carries the style of a retro scrambler, and inside beats the heart of a modern adventure bike. While it's no firebreathing Africa Twin or SuperAdventure, the offroad prowess of the Royal Enfield Himalayan will surprise you. With incredible versatility between the road and dirt, the Himalayan is a real treat. The low center of gravity and incredibly planted chassis allow it to rock back and forth through the twisties, as well as it can handle dirt roads and double track, everything from rocky, bumpy terrain to slick hard pack. Coming from a motocross background, the little Royal surprised me with its offroad performance.

Is the Royal Enfield Himalayan an ideal beginner bike? While the Himalayan checks a lot of the boxes of a good beginner motorcycle such as low seat height, small displacement and comfortable upright seating position, there are other factors that might not make it ideal for a true beginner. Bottom line, there are easier bikes to ride. Something with a quickshifter, or perhaps even Honda's DCT system, which is fully automatic and requires no shifting or clutch work from the rider, will be easier to manage for a true beginner. The Royal Enfield Himalayan is a delight, and offers a glasssmooth ride with its counterbalanced engine, however the spread of power isn't as linear as a liquidcooled bike can provide. Coupled with its fivespeed gearbox which is spaced a little wide, keeping the Himalayan in the meat of its power requires a little extra effort, which can be challenging for a beginner.

Part of the appeal of the little Royal is its nofrills, barebones classic design. That means you're not going to have a lot of the bells and whistles found on higher end bikes such as entrylevel motorcycles from BMW and Kawasaki that will make life behind the bar smoother and more turnkey. But if you're like me, and you enjoy the visceral experience of riding a motorcycle the way they used to be before ride modes, traction control and electronic suspension pampered us to no end, then you'll love the Royal Enfield Himalayan. You'll have to work harder to keep it in its power, shift until you hear the thunk, finesse the clutch more, grab the brakes harder, but that rugged edge of the Himalayan goes hand in hand with its unmistakable style, again, my favorite thing about it.

The MSRP is also incredible. At $4,999 USD, the Royal Enfield Himalayan comes in at a great price point, carrying what a lot of motorcycles under $5k lack STYLE! Throw in the incredible versatility and performance, namely that silky smooth engine and superbly planted chassis, and there is so much to love about the Royal Enfield Himalayan.

See my full review on WomenRidersNow.com!
https://www.womenridersnow.com/pages/...

❤ Kalamity Jean