I was thinking of ways to sum up our time with the Royal Enfield Scram 411 and the most recurring theme was just how good it was with whatever was thrown at it. A real Swiss army knife of motorcycles, if you will. Let me explain.
Over the past nine months or so, the Scram 411 has been the workhorse of the Autocar India long-term fleet. From jam-packed commutes to long and arduous road trips and even an off-road training session, this motorcycle has dealt with all this and then some.
In the last month of 2022, our Scram went on its longest journey yet – a 1,200km round trip from Mumbai to Goa for India Bike Week – and this revealed some interesting aspects of this motorcycle. For one, it makes for a comfy mile muncher, dealing with bad patches of road with ease and it can comfortably hold early triple-digit speeds too. However, do so for an extended period and the fuel economy goes for a toss as we only managed 25kpl on this trip.
Apart from this journey and some commuting in between, Zaran had the chance to take the Scram off-roading while attending the Off Piste training school. Although it dealt with the rough stuff without skipping a beat, the lack of switchable rear ABS did make it tricky, which is a must for riding off-road. Hence, Zaran had to pull out the ABS fuse, which deactivates the system altogether, including the front. The ability to switch off just the rear ABS, just like on the Himalayan, would have been better.
Another pleasant surprise was how comfortable the Scram felt in the city. Given its large dimensions and 19-inch front tyre, you’d expect it to be difficult to navigate through traffic, but thanks to the wide handlebar which provides good leverage, and the relatively light clutch, the Scram doesn’t feel cumbersome to ride in heavy traffic.
Our time with the Scram hasn’t been trouble-free, however. Along with the puncture, which required a tube change a few months back, there have been a few more “surprises” as well. On my ride back from Goa, the Scram’s instrument cluster came loose from its housing and was hanging on by the cable. This was a small fix, with just a few new screws needed to help secure it in place, but it’s not a good thing to have happened.
We also faced an issue with the handlebar bending slightly and this was despite the bike not being dropped. The service team said this may have been caused by something falling on it while being parked and this was promptly replaced. There was also an instance of the check engine light flashing, which was resolved by turning the bike off and on a few times.
Of other things, the Scram has picked up a few rattles owing to its rough usage, and similarly, the white, matte-finish paint has been hard to keep clean given all the excursions it’s done. Still, our overall experience with the Scram has been pleasant and as such, our long-term fleet’s workhorse will be missed.
Azaman Chothia
Dinshaw Magol
Rishaad Mody
