Royal Enfield Himalayan 440 Review: Better Than the 450?

The OG Royal Enfield Himalayan is back, marking 10 years of the launch of India’s first homegrown adventure bike. With a slightly bigger 443 cc long-stroke engine and six-speed gearbox shared with the Scram 440, the new Himalayan 440 promises the same easygoing torquey character as the original 411, but with better touring ability.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Himalayan 440 Launched at Rs. 2.29 Lakh

New Royal Enfield Himalayan: Why the 440?

So, why on earth did Royal Enfield decide to bring back the original Himalayan with a bigger 443 cc engine? Considering there’s already the Himalayan 450 which is faster, sharper and with more capability, the decision for a Himalayan 440 to co-exist seemed strange, at least on displacement terms at first glance.

According to Royal Enfield, customer demand, and a love for the original Himalayan 411 with its easygoing personality made the brand re-think and re-launch the OG Himalayan with a 440 cc heart. After all, Royal Enfield already had the 443 cc engine with 6-speed gearbox doing duty on the Scram 440. And it’s the only platform until now with a single model.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 vs Himalayan 440 - Differences Explained

So, enter the new Himalayan 440, available in three colour options, and hopefully it will address the sweet spot with its Rs. 2.29 lakh price point that the Himalayan 450 misses out on.

Also Read: Top 5 Highlights of Royal Enfield Himalayan 440

Royal Enfield Himalayan 440: Performance

Truth be told, the Himalayan 440 isn’t trying to be a cheaper version of the Himalayan 450. It is a distinctly different proposition, and it shows in its engine character, performance and dynamics.

While the 450 is geared towards riders looking for stronger performance and sharper dynamics, the 440 takes a more relaxed approach, just like the original 411, but with improved highway performance.

Powered by a 443 cc, single-cylinder, SOHC, air-cooled engine producing 25.4 bhp at 6,250 rpm and 34 Nm at 4,000 rpm, the Himalayan 440 delivers its performance in a smooth, unhurried manner.

It's all about pulling power, rather than outright acceleration. Although, given a long stretch of road, it will comfortably hold highway speeds for extended periods of time.

At 90-100 kmph, it feels right in its comfort zone, with the engine feeling relatively unstressed. The gearbox is slick and precise, while the clutch, even without slip and assist function, makes the motorcycle easy to manage in slow-moving traffic as well. A slipper clutch is missed though.

In performance and acceleration, there’s nothing intimidating about the way the 440 builds speed. It doesn't urge you to chase higher speeds or ride aggressively. Instead, it delivers a steady, predictable performance that suits long-distance touring and makes it particularly approachable for riders new to adventure motorcycles.

Royal Enfield Himalayan 440: Dynamics & Braking

On a twisty road, the Himalayan 440 is predictable and easy, but make no mistake. The chassis isn’t designed to carve corners or to push it towards the sporty spectrum. It’s best enjoyed chugging along around corners unhurriedly, rather than hitting a set of double apexes or manoeuvring around a chicane.

Updated braking hardware with larger caliper pistons offers significantly improved braking performance compared to the 411. The brake rotors however remain unchanged, but the better stopping performance is certainly welcome.

Royal Enfield Himalayan 440: Fuel Economy

In our tests, which included over 200 km of riding in medium to heavy traffic, to fast expressways, the Himalayan 440 returned 27.1 kmpl of fuel efficiency in mixed riding conditions. The figures are fairly decent, and we expect the fuel economy of around 30-32 kmpl on sustained highway riding.

Royal Enfield Himalayan 440: Design & Features

Visually, it looks similar to the 411 – same dimensions, same proportions. It’s only when you look closely you will notice the differences. The colour options – three in all - are different.

The big change is the instrument console. The old analogue set-up is gone, including the tachometer and the compass. Instead, you get the part analogue, part digital speedometer console and the Tripper navigation pod. Purists may prefer the analogue tach, compass and speedometer console. And I understand. Honestly, I find the new layout simple, useful and easy to read.

A tachometer on a low-revving long-stroke engine always felt pointless, if you ask me. From experience, the compass on the older Himalayan 411 had a mind of its own. The Tripper pod with turn-by-turn navigation is a far more useful feature.

On the features list you have switchable ABS, and that’s about it. At its price point, it’s almost Rs. 80,000 less than the Himalayan 450. Suddenly, the lack of a long features list doesn’t seem as important.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Himalayan 440 Accessories Prices Announced

Royal Enfield Himalayan 440: Negatives

But the Himalayan 440, isn’t perfect. Push beyond 120 kmph, the vibes start creeping in – not as bad as the 411, but the long-stroke engine just isn’t happy at high revs. At 90-100 kmph, you can possibly sit all day long. If you’re in a tearing hurry to get anywhere, you can possibly cruise for extended periods at 120 kmph as well, with a speedo-indicated top speed of around 132 kmph showing up during our tests.

But at around 110-115 kmph, you will first “see” the vibes on the rear-view mirrors, and then gradually by around 120 kmph, you will start feeling some buzz on the handlebar and the footpegs. Nothing serious. But it’s as if the motorcycle is telling you that you’re going too fast and need to relax and slow down.

And the chassis reinforces that message. At triple digit speeds, quick direction changes can bring in a slight weave. It’s not scary but doesn’t exactly inspire confidence when you’re trying to overtake at 120 kmph. At best, the Himalayan 440 is great for relaxed cruising, not sporty, high-speed highway riding.

And then, there’s also an issue with fuelling at low speeds. Every now and then, in stop-go traffic, the engine tends to stumble and stall. It’s not a major problem. But when you have traffic behind you, and everyone is honking behind you, it does get annoying trying to restart a stalled motorcycle.

Royal Enfield Himalayan 440: Verdict

The Himalayan 440 addresses a sweet spot in the price and performance space that is left behind by the Himalayan 450. While the 450 is more performance-oriented, with a shorter-stroke, higher-revving Sherpa engine and sharp dynamics, the Himalayan 440 brings back simplicity and easy rideability to India’s first homegrown adventure bike. At its price point, it certainly is an attractive adventure tourer.

The Himalayan 440 meets all those requirements of a long-distance tourer which can take some beating when the road ends. But if it’s genuine adventure capability with performance you’re looking for, the 450, even though it’s more expensive, is still the choice experienced riders should make.

Eventually, the Himalayan 440 is less intimidating, less complicated and more relaxed.

The Himalayan 450 may be the better all-round adventure motorcycle. But the 440 might just be the better Himalayan for a lot of riders. And that is its USP.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 First Ride Review

Royal Enfield Himalayan 440: Key Specifications

Royal Enfield Himalayan 440: Review Image Gallery