Royal Enfield Himalayan Scram 411 in CarToq’s first ride review

Royal Enfield is working on a lot of new motorcycles for the Indian market. The new-gen Classic 350 that was launched last year was very well received in the Indian market. However, when people got to know that their next product will be a road-going version of the Himalayan, they were a bit skeptical. Now, the motorcycle is finally here and it is called Himalayan Scram 411. We have spent some time with the new motorcycle and it is clear that Royal Enfield designed the Scram mostly for the cities. They know that it will be occasionally on trails and highways. Don’t get me wrong, the Scram 411 is still a very capable motorcycle when it comes to off-roading. However, Royal Enfield first considered the city aspect of the motorcycle so that might be the reason for calling it “Scram”, which is half of “Scrambler”.

Design

When you look at Scram 411, you can see some of the elements of the Himalayan. The headlamp is the same as the Himalayan but it gets a blacked-out surround. The beak-like mudguard is now gone and it has been replaced with a regular mudguard. Scram comes with a new metal cowl that surrounds the headlamp. It misses out on the windscreen because you probably won’t need it in the city. Overall, the front does less busy than the Himalayan.

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Royal Enfield has also removed the external frame that used to run around the fuel tank and headlamp. The fuel tank has the same design but there are new tank shrouds on which “Royal Enfield” is written. Then there are new side panels and the rear has also been redone. However, the turn indicators and the LED tail lamp stays the same but are positioned differently. The rear tail rack is now gone and has been replaced with grab rails.

Royal Enfield is offering many different paint schemes, all of them look quite good. Yes, the design can be a bit polarizing at first but it does look cleaner than the Himalayan. Personally, once I saw the Scram 411 in the flesh, the design started to grow on me. But, not everyone will feel the same. I would suggest that you go to the showroom before making your decision.

The instrument cluster is taken from the Meteor 350. It is clear to read and has a multi-information display that shows a fuel gauge, two trip meters, an odometer, time, gear position indicator and a service indicator. You also get a “Trip F” which shows the distance that you have travelled after hitting reserve. There is also a hazard switch but unfortunately, you do not get a USB charger. Also, you do have a bash plate that will protect the engine from stones.

Our review unit was also equipped with Tripper Navigation Pod. You would have to opt for the Tripper Navigation from the Make It Yours catalogue as it does not come standard with the motorcycle. Tripper works well but it can be a bit confusing sometimes and a tad slow to respond sometimes. However, if you have installed a Bluetooth device or intercom in your helmet, then it can provide navigation directions through the speakers in your helmet too alongside the small display and that does make the experience better. Also, without the Tripper Navigation, the instrument cluster does look a bit weird and empty.

Comfort, Ride & Handling

Royal Enfield has tweaked the riding triangle a bit. The handlebar is now lower and closer to the rider which makes it comfortable for the rider to hold on to the motorcycle. The split seats of the Himalayan have been replaced with a new single-seat unit. It is also as comfortable as the split seats of Himalayan. Although, you might feel that the seat is a tad bit firm at first. Because of the new seat, the seat height has gone down by 5 mm so it now stands at 795 mm. The seat should not be an issue for most of the riders. Along with this, the footpegs are centre set.

Then there is the ride quality. The suspension setup is the same as the Himalayan but Royal Enfield has made changes to the suspension travel. Up-front, there is 190 mm of suspension travel which is 10 mm less than the Himalayan whereas the rear suspension has 180 mm of travel. The suspension absorbs all the bumps and potholes that you would find on our Indian roads. Scram 411 does not get unsettled and once you get a hang of it, you won’t even have to slow down for some bad patches of road.

Because of the 19-inch wheel, the ground clearance has been reduced from 220 mm to 200 mm and the wheelbase has also been decreased by 10 mm. This has helped in making the Scram 411 lighter, tighter and nimbler when filtering through traffic. The handlebar requires less effort to turn when you compare it to the Himalayan. Overall, the Scram 411 does feel more agile while riding.

Brakes & wheels

Braking duties are done by a 300 mm disc in the front and a 240 mm disc at the rear. There is a dual-channel ABS as standard. However, it is a bit disappointing that Royal Enfield is not offering switchable ABS considering that Scram is still a very capable motorcycle and you can ride it off-road. Royal Enfield has not made any changes to the brakes so Scram’s front brake also lacks feel and you have to use really pull the lever in case you need to stop the motorcycle quickly.

The front-wheel measures 19-inches whereas, on the Himalayan, you get a 21-inch wheel. At the rear, there is a 17-inch wheel. Both are spoked wheels with tube-type tyres. They are dual-purpose tyres so there is a decent amount of grip while off-roading too. You do not get a centre stand as standard so it can be a pain when you have to fix a puncture. However, it is being offered as an additional accessory.

Engine

The engine is the same 411 cc, long-stroke, single-cylinder engine that is air-oil cooled. The engine produces 24 bhp at 6,500 rpm and 32 Nm of torque between 4,000 and 4,500 rpm. Yes, it is the same engine as the Himalayan but Royal Enfield has retuned it. It has more low-end grunt so the Scram 411 feels more eager than the Himalayan. What also helps is that it is lighter than Himalayan by 5 kgs. The engine is refined and stays vibe-free for the most part, it is only when you rev the engine hard, you start feeling vibrations and then the rearview mirrors start vibrating. Being a long-stroke motor it is not meant to be revved hard but it has enough torque for those quick overtakes. The idle cruising speed is around 100 kmph.

The gearbox is still a 5-speed unit. It has positive shifts but there were some issues that we faced. It would often refuse to go into neutral from 1st gear. It would go directly to 2nd and then you would have to bring it back to neutral. The clutch is on the heavier side so it can be a chore to ride the motorcycle in bumper to bumper traffic.

A Few Niggles

There were some small issues that we faced with Scram 411. For instance, quality issues with the motorcycle. The tail lamp feels flimsy, fork gaiters kept moving upwards for some reason and there was a gap between the engine kill switch and the switchgear housing. Sometimes the motorcycle would refuse to start, it felt like the battery was dying. Despite being in neutral, the motorcycle would jerk forwards when you pressed the self-starter. Then there is the way the side panels protrude outside, they can make your legs hurt if you are riding while standing up.

Moreover, the “Check Engine” light turned up for no reason and went away after 15 minutes. That was quite weird for a motorcycle that had done only 1,500 km. However, these are some minor things that Royal Enfield can sort out with future batches.

Pricing & Conclusion

Royal Enfield Scram 411 is available in three variants. There is the Graphite Series, which is priced at Rs. 2.03 lakhs, then there is Blazing Black and Skyline Blue, priced at Rs. 2.05 lakhs and finally there is the top-end White Flame and Silver Spirit that costs Rs. 2.08 lakhs. All the prices are ex-showroom.

At this price, it undercuts the Himalayan by Rs. 12,000. For most people, it makes more sense to buy the Scram 411 over the Himalayan. This is because not everyone is into hardcore touring or off-roading. If you will be using the motorcycle mostly in the city then it is the Scram 411 that would suit you more. Moreover, even if you want to go touring then also you can buy the Scram and buy some luggage mounting solutions with the money that you saved. Royal Enfield is also working on a Himalayan 450, we are expecting it to get launched by the end of this year or early next year. So, people who are looking for a more hard-core adventure tourer can wait for the new version.

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