Royal Enfield is bringing back the Himalayan 440 to offer a more accessible price point for riders. The bike features a new LED headlight, fresh paint schemes, and an improved engine. It gets a sixth gear and runs smoother than the older version, making it a better ride for everyone.
Royal Enfield's adventure-touring Himalayan range is growing, mirroring the mountains it takes its name from. In 2016, the Himalayan 411 appeared first, making way for the Himalayan 450 in 2023, and soon we'll have the flagship Himalayan 750 in our midst. That's quite the spread, one that will cater to a wide range of rider preferences and budgets. However, why bring back a 10-year-old motorcycle with a handful of improvements? The short answer is a more accessible price point for the newest/oldest Himalayan 440. For the long answer, please read on.
Only the eagle-eyed will spot the differences between the older 411 and the new 440. Visual changes include a new LED headlight, new paint schemes, a new instrument console and... nothing else. This is not really a terrible thing because I've always thought the old Himalayan was quite a handsome motorcycle. I also like the fact that the 440 now brings back the embossed Himalayan logo on the side panels rather than the stickers seen on the last of the 411s.
The biggest changes are the ones not seen but certainly felt. The E20-compliant LS 440 air- and oil-cooled single-cylinder engine gets an 81-mm bore (3 mm wider than before), while its stroke remains unchanged at 86 mm. Power and torque figures see marginal increases to 25.4 bhp at 6250 rpm and 3.46 kg-m at 4000 rpm respectively, while kerb weight remains the same at 199 kg. However, the biggest improvement is refinement; this engine runs far smoother than its older version. Coupled with the lighter clutch lever and the addition of a sixth gear, the mechanical changes immediately make the Himalayan 440 a better bike to ride in the city as well as on the highway.
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The 440's long-stroke character is the star of the show, and in this respect it will remain unique in the Himalayan range for the foreseeable future. It's a slow-revving unit with pleasing amounts of torque from idle to its mid-range. There's no tachometer and it's not required either; just grab a handful of throttle and the Himalayan 440 simply gushes forward. However, this isn't a rev-mad tyre-shredder; progress is best made with generous throttle inputs that remain around the halfway mark; cruising at 100 kph is now a smooth affair. The Himalayan 440 won't set the fastest time between mountain passes, but it'll easily be the most undemanding one. With off-throttle pops from the exhaust all the way, no less.
Where the Himalayan 440 betrays its inherent age is in its dynamics. Despite the larger-diameter pistons in its brake callipers, braking is so-so at best. As are the tyres that inspire little confidence on the road, though they can take a beating on the rough stuff; however, I would never trust them to handle the switchable ABS. The suspension setup offers the same 200 mm of travel up front and 180 mm at the rear, combined with a seat height of 800 mm and ground clearance worth 220 mm. All of which means that the Himalayan 440 is a friendly motorcycle to get acquainted with, even if the suspension feels a bit unsophisticated in today's context.
The touch points could've been better, too; the old grips, levers and switches look rather out of date. Also, the old meter console added a tonne of character to the bike, though there's nothing wrong with the new one lifted from the Scram 440. The lack of tubeless tyres is a miss (for now) and that headlamp can barely compete with smartphone torches. Then again, the Himalayan 440 is priced at ₹2.29 lakh (ex-showroom), and it undercuts the base 450 by ₹79,000 and the top-spec 450 by ₹1.1 lakh. For someone who absolutely must have a Himalayan without stretching their budget and skills, there's no other option.
The Himalayan 440 also seems like a good idea when you consider that Royal Enfield has already paused bookings for it after filling up its production run for the next six months. It brings back one more option for buyers, one that is relaxed and friendly, if a bit too familiar for some. It's not the fastest or the most high-tech motorcycle around -- but no other adventure motorcycle has that long-stroke knack for turning trips into journeys, with improved nostalgia as standard equipment.