Royal Enfield Himalayan

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The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is one of the most sorted sub-500cc, single-cylinder adventure tourers in India and will make for a good step up from your Dominar. While the performance on tap will largely be the same, the Himalayan's suspension and seating comfort, as well as overall quality levels, will definitely feel a tangible notch higher than the Dominar's. We'd recommend you go for the Himalayan right now over the upcoming Norton Atlas because the latter is likely to be in a different price bracket entirely. Also, its India launch timing and service reach remain shrouded in mystery, and for a daily rider, those legitimate concerns matter more than a feel-good brochure.

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Whether or not you want to keep your Hunter and supplement your garage or have only one bike to handle everything is a personal decision, and we'd advise you to evaluate your priorities and make that decision.What we can tell you is that the 398cc KTM 390 Adventure will be more fun than the RE Himalayan 450 with its explosive top-end rush and significantly lower weight. If you do choose to keep the Hunter, then going with a machine that's markedly different in character and from a different brand makes more sense, so you get to choose between two distinct flavours of motorcycling as and when you wish.

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The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is one of the most sorted single-cylinder adventure bikes on sale, and aside from its portly kerb weight and large size, there are few drawbacks with this machine. It has excellent seating and ride comfort, a grunty engine, a plethora of official accessories, and RE's service network is one of the widest in the country. If you can make your peace with its size, the Himalayan is a hard machine to fault realistically, for most use cases.Today, KTM India will sell you a 390 Adventure with both 349cc and 399cc engines, and the price difference between the most affordable and most expensive model is over Rs 1 lakh. The 350cc 390 Adventure is a capable long-distance machine, and you won't miss the drop in outright peak power too much, especially if this is your first 300cc+ machine. The 399cc models are, of course, packing in better performance, and the higher variants even come with more adjustable and longer travel suspension. Owing to its lighter weight, the KTM is more lively than the RE in the twisties and is also easier to manage at slower speeds inside the city. Do bear in mind that no matter which version of the 390 Adventure you choose, you'll have to make your peace with some amount of vibration because these aren't the most refined bikes in today's market. Coming to the Norton Atlas adventure models, with their 585cc, twin-cylinder motors. These bikes are sure to be in a different segment when compared to the single-cylinder 350-400cc machines listed above. No realistic comparison between them would be a fair or straightforward one, and it's better to cross-shop the Atlas with the Honda NX500, Kawasaki Versys 650 and BMW F 450 GS - if at all. We're yet to ride and evaluate the Norton Atlas models, and even if they launch this year, it would be a wise move to wait at least 6 months - if not more - before investing in a brand-new platform from a new brand which has yet to establish a comprehensive presence in the Indian market.

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Since you liked the Bullet 350 on your test ride, sticking with it for your next purchase would be a good idea. Inside the city, this Royal Enfield bike will return better fuel economy and will be easier to manage than the Himalayan 450, although the latter is unquestionably a more capable motorcycle. Coming to the Himalayan, this machine has a greater spread of abilities than the Bullet but there are trade-offs. Its size and heft may get tiring after a while, especially in staccato city traffic. And like you pointed out, the warmth from its radiator is also noticeable. However, we'd advise you to not write off the Himalayan because of some warm air. Ask yourself if you're willing to put up with this one trait to gain spades of comfort, capability and performance because the Himalayan genuinely has a lot to offer. Since you're browsing through the RE stable already, the Scram 440 is another machine that deserves your attention. It has more performance than the Bullet and its suspension is compliant too, making it a good city companion. Should you want to browse through the catalogue of other brands, Honda's CB350 is an excellent city bike too. With its smooth engine, light clutch action and comfortable seating position, the air-cooled CB makes for a good commuting partner too. A test ride of the Scram and CB350 would be our recommendation so you can make a more informed decision. Also, take another test ride of the Himalayan and pay deliberate attention to the heat you're feeling in traffic before you rule it out.

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The Royal Enfield Guerrilla comes with a 452cc engine, whereas the Triumph Scrambler 400 X now comes with a 349cc engine so its no surprise that the Triumph didn't feel as sprightly in comparison. However, for your usage, should you be willing to sacrifice some pep, the 350cc Scrambler 400 X is actually a great all-rounder. Especially since you're a novice and want to get into off-roading. The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is a great bike but we'd advise you to not consider this bike, at least not if you plan to start your off-roading journey with it. At 196kg, the Himalayan is a heavy machine and with its fuel tank full, it also feels rather top heavy, which could get challenging for a beginner to manage at crawling off-road speeds. However, for city commuting and highway journeys, this Royal Enfield bike will be quite nice - its only off-roading where its weight will be a serious deterrent.The 350cc KTM 390 Adventure would be a good middle-ground option between the two aforementioned bikes - in theory, at least. Its lighter than the Himalayan and has more power than the Scrambler. A test ride should shed more light on whether this KTM bike is the one for you. Since you said you're looking to get into off-road riding, we'd be remiss if we didn't recommend the Hero Xpulse 210 to you. Now, the Xpulse is definitely a smaller and slower machine than all the machines listed above but if you genuinely want to hone your craft and get better at off-road riding, there's genuinely no better place to start than here. City commuting is another strength of the Xpulse, although on the highway, its engine feels a little stressed post 100kph. If you don't mind compromising on outright performance on the highway, then the Xpulse will be a good option for you. Some other benefits of choosing the Xpulse would be that it returns excellent fuel economy - much higher than all other options - and it costs much less to buy too.You need to evaluate your priorities and make an informed decision after test riding all three bikes. Best of luck!

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You've test ridden many 300-400cc machines and have a good understanding of what you like or dislike in each machine, so that's a good place to start. We still believe that the Himalayan 450 is your best bet because aside from its weight (which you will learn to work around, over time) there are no significant drawbacks here. And this is not a case of settling for a machine with an innate flaw. Instead, riding the Himalayan 450 day in and day out, will automatically make you more cognizant of its weight and you'll start to manage your starts and stops better as well as improve your slow speed balance on the bike, given some time and a little bit of practice.We would also recommend you look at the Scram 440 because while this bike weighs as much as the Himalayan, it is a much shorter machine so its weight doesn't feel top heavy like the Himalayan. It has good highway legs up to 100-110kph and with long travel suspension and neutral ergonomics, it will be a good city commuter and highway mile muncher.Take a test ride of the Himalayan again and see if looking past its weight, is doable for you. Also spend some seat time aboard the Scram before you make a decision.

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In terms of familiarity, the Harley Davidson X440 will be the logical next step up for you from your Thunderbird 350. With its neutral ergonomics, plush suspension and torquey air/oil-cooled engine, the X440 T will serve your use case well. If you want something with a bit more performance and more commanding ergonomics, then the Triumph Scrambler 400 XC is what you should consider. The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 will easily be the most comfortable for two-up riding of the bikes you've shortlisted, but its heavy kerb weight could be hard to manage, especially with a pillion onboard in stacatto big-city traffic. We'd recommend you steer clear of the Super Meteor 650 because its laidback riding position and stiff rear shocks will cause you discomfort over bad roads. Take a test ride of the other three with your pillion to see which one you find comfortable before you make your purchase.

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Of the three Royal Enfield 650s you have shortlisted, none of them has particularly comfortable rear suspension, especially so in the city. The Himalayan 450 would be the logical choice between the four you have considered but if you want something a little more manageable and nimble inside the city, you can look at its sibling - the Guerrilla 450.If you want something that will stand out and look good, the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is a unique option that you can consider. Underneath its svelte, Swedish bodywork are the KTM 390 Duke chassis and engine, so you should have a supremely talented bike that will also be uncommon.

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Depending on your budget, the answer to your question will vary widely. If you can stretch up to Rs 5 lakh, options like the KTM 390 Adventure S and Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 are our prime picks in the adventure tourer segment. They have punchy performance, good handling (KTM has the edge over RE here) and have enough comfort to tackle everything Indian roads can throw at you (RE is better here than KTM).If you want to stay below Rs 3 lakh, options like the TVS Apache RTX 300, Honda CB350 models, and Royal Enfield Classic/Bullet 350 should be the ones you take a test ride on. The RTX will feel faster and more capable, but the 350s have a different charm with their slow-revving motors and appealing design.Take test rides of all these machines before you make your decision.

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Since you are leaning towards adventure bikes, our first recommendation to you would be the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. It will feel like a proper step up in terms of performance, comfort, build quality and features. It is also far more comfortable for long days in the saddle when touring and is capable of carrying luggage as well as a pillion without fuss.Be aware that the Himalayan is heavy and tall, so U-turns and city commuting will take some getting used to. If you are a spirited rider and you want sharper performance, look at the 398cc KTM 390 Adventure X. It is quicker and lighter on its feet and great for fast highway work, but its suspension and seat comfort aren't quite at the level of the Himalayan. Take test rides of both before you make a decision.