Started riding this year, got a 411, with the vague intention to upgrade to the 450 in a few years. It's nice to hear some analysis from a science teacher and not just the same reiterated platitudes from the friendly-press channels. Kudos for acknowledging the old-vehicle to new-vehicle phenomenon. It's the same with cars. New always feels better than your old. Cheers from Australia.
I’ve been waiting for a while I had some time to really watch and listen to your review. First I’m so glad you got to ride it and I see the smile it brought to your face. I won’t try and sway you or tell you anything different, you probably already know my thoughts. However, I’m very excited to see what you finally get and what your decision will be!
Bonjour, il y a bien des années j'avais testé l'Himalayan 411 je l'avais trouvée cool mais vraiment trop anémique, ces derniers mois je cherchais une deuxième moto pour rouler en solo et reprendre un peu le off road il y avait 2 motos qui sortaient du lot la CF Moto 450mt et l'Himalayan 450 je les ai testées les 2 à plusieurs reprises et j'ai finalement choisis l'Himalayan 450 avec laquelle j'ai déjà fait plus de 1800kms j'en suis super satisfait, et comme vous je trouve qu'elle garde l'esprit de la 411 tout en offrant un sérieux plus avec son nouveau moteur mais aussi ses suspension et son meilleur système de freinage. Grand ✌️de la Haute Savoie en France
Great assessment ... I really love the 411 but sold it to a local rider, then bought a Motoguzzi VT85. If the 452 was out already, I might have bought it. But really enjoying the "guzzi".
You mentioned 450 is top heavy, i found that when test riding. It is hard to fall off a 411 on tough trails as carries weight low. With all the performance upgrades including tec cam, i find the 411 acceptable and it will sit at 70mph. Overtaking is the only thing, need to plan ahead and can be hard work. With the 411 you get a bike that is air cooled (removes reliability factors water pump, radiator fan, thermostat) and valves can be adjusted in 20 mins whilst on a long tour. Also thousands out there so a lot of knowledge and spares available. On balance im sticking with my 411. I genuinely think these bikes will become the desirable ‘landrover defender’ of motorcycles in 10-15 years time as they wont build any more air-cooled thumpers.
I have the Himalayan 411, and my brother has the Tenere 700. So the 450 sounds/looks like a mix between the two. I still absolutely love my 411, but I can definently agree that it feels underpowered for highway riding... That said I never got it to ride on interstates or the like, but rather focusing on the road less traveled. So I would always recommend that you get a bike with a focus for how you intend to use it. For me, the dirt road capable and simple design of the 411 I think will cement it as my hopefully forever bike. Area also matters a lot though, as AZ has a lot of fast highways, while up north there seems to be a tendancy of slower roads (Spent the summer in north east Wyoming, most roads were 55-65 mph, 70 mph max).
Interesting to hear your thoughts. It surprises me you find it so similar to the 411 when others don’t necessarily. But I guess most of them aren’t actual owners, with a few exceptions. I was pretty geared up to get one of these, but I think I might take a break from RE for now. The KLR speaks to me the way the Himalayan speaks to you, and I’ve been regretting selling mine almost from the instant I did 3 years ago. I might be able to pick one up for a good price with the winter season here.
Thanks for the reviwe. Greate content. Looking forward to hear what will you think of the honda NX500 . I own 411 but latly starting to wonder about the NX500
I got my 450 in April upgraded from the 411. Really enjoy the extra power which makes a difference particularly when you need to cover some miles. Handling is great, gearbox super smooth. Off road bottom end grunt is still good. I have fitted the touring seat, bash plate and taller screen. Will fit some more aggressive tyres in due course. I also like the look of the CF. I have also been looking at older 500’s but Itchy Boots decision to go with the Yamaha may push up values!! Oh forgot mine is black with gold times but tubed.
The new Himalayan just looks great. My 23 411, reminds me of my 94 KLR. I can tell you from having two KLRs, they are great bikes, way top heavy imop. The Ibex looks the part however plan on replacing the plastic pieces early if you drop it. Alas my 23 411 will have to do for a while but glad you liked the new bike. The black reminds me of a BMW GS bumble be, really cool.
With the type of test ride you were able to do, I could see how you might consider it to be a 411 with more power. I have watched many reviews of this bike from people who have been able to spend much more time with the bike, and take it through it's paces. I think that, if you took it on some high speed twisties, you would find that it handles much better than the 411. If you had the opportunity to take it on some dirt, or even just a very rough road, you would find that the suspension is much better than the 411. You would also find out that it is perfectly capable of banging out highway miles even riding two up. It is good to know from you, that it is not a significant departure from the bits that made people feel good about the 411. It simply has more power, better handling, and much better suspension. There are companies already making substantially improved windshields, and Acerbis is already rolling out a 25L fuel tank for the bike. IT has to be top heavy, but nice for traveling. Did you by chance do the Cerro Gordo run this past summer? You look familiar, and I do subscribe to the Ghost Town Living channel.
By the way, Fuzzy Biker over at Forgotten Motorcycles channel bought his Himalayan 450 about 9 weeks ago, and has already put about 12,000 miles on it, without issues.
Yeah, I definitely would have like a longer test ride, but I am glad I got any time at all to be honest. It is definitely one of my top contenders right now. I didn't do the Cerro Gordo run....but a lot of people recognize me from the 2012 Barkley Marathons Documentary....perhaps that's where you saw me? I was at Western States 100 last summer...as well as Hardrock 100...maybe at one of these events?
You might calm down about the new Himalayan but looking at the evils on your face when you're talking about it.... means a lot when a bike makes you smile... that's what it's all about really, isn't it?
There are now aftermarket larger more useful windscreens for the Himalayan 450. Out of your list of potential bikes I would personally go with the Transalp especially if you’re looking to go long distances. It’s just so damn comfortable and the power delivery is so smooth and linear. The KLR 650 is a hard pass. It’s a top heavy tip over machine and needs to be put on a diet for off roading. KTM well sometimes we go looking for trouble. Good looking high performing bikes but boy what a PITA they can be if you get a Monday morning build. The CF Moto is interesting to me, I have seen a lot of good things especially from Nathan The Postman’s channel where he takes these bikes all of which he owns on long distances adventure trips around the world:
Great input! Thank you! I still have to test ride a transalp, but I did sit on one today. It’s a smidge big for me. Im eager to sit on the NX500 too which I know they have here in my town. Sat on the cfmoto today and it was quite fantastic. Didn’t get to ride it though.
Hallo John! Ich habe auf Deinen Vergleich schon länger gewartet. Ich fahre eine 2021er 411 ohne irgendwelche Probleme. Die neue 450er ist höher, auch was den Schwerpunkt betrifft, hat keinen Hauptständer und und einen niedrigeren Auspuff. Die 411 ist ein Langhuber, dementsprechend stark im unteren Drehzahlbereich. Wasserkühlung bedeutet mehr Technik, ebenso Ride by Wire. Das stärkste Argument ist die Leistung… Der Kraftstoffverbrauch wird höher sein. RE hat sich dem Zeitgeist angepasst, was verständlich ist. Aber ein Trakor wie die 411 ist es nicht. Möge jeder für sich entscheiden, was ihm wichtig ist. Ich für meine Person bleibe bei 411. Herzlichen Gruß aus Deutschland!
Started riding this year, got a 411, with the vague intention to upgrade to the 450 in a few years. It's nice to hear some analysis from a science teacher and not just the same reiterated platitudes from the friendly-press channels. Kudos for acknowledging the old-vehicle to new-vehicle phenomenon. It's the same with cars. New always feels better than your old.
Cheers from Australia.
I’ve been waiting for a while I had some time to really watch and listen to your review. First I’m so glad you got to ride it and I see the smile it brought to your face. I won’t try and sway you or tell you anything different, you probably already know my thoughts. However, I’m very excited to see what you finally get and what your decision will be!
That's a nice review, good to hear the direct comparison between the older and new styles :)
Bonjour, il y a bien des années j'avais testé l'Himalayan 411 je l'avais trouvée cool mais vraiment trop anémique, ces derniers mois je cherchais une deuxième moto pour rouler en solo et reprendre un peu le off road il y avait 2 motos qui sortaient du lot la CF Moto 450mt et l'Himalayan 450 je les ai testées les 2 à plusieurs reprises et j'ai finalement choisis l'Himalayan 450 avec laquelle j'ai déjà fait plus de 1800kms j'en suis super satisfait, et comme vous je trouve qu'elle garde l'esprit de la 411 tout en offrant un sérieux plus avec son nouveau moteur mais aussi ses suspension et son meilleur système de freinage. Grand ✌️de la Haute Savoie en France
Great assessment ... I really love the 411 but sold it to a local rider, then bought a Motoguzzi VT85. If the 452 was out already, I might have bought it. But really enjoying the "guzzi".
Thanks for the video. Definitely do yourself a favor and test ride the Honda 500. It is impressive and packed with features.
You mentioned 450 is top heavy, i found that when test riding. It is hard to fall off a 411 on tough trails as carries weight low. With all the performance upgrades including tec cam, i find the 411 acceptable and it will sit at 70mph. Overtaking is the only thing, need to plan ahead and can be hard work. With the 411 you get a bike that is air cooled (removes reliability factors water pump, radiator fan, thermostat) and valves can be adjusted in 20 mins whilst on a long tour. Also thousands out there so a lot of knowledge and spares available. On balance im sticking with my 411. I genuinely think these bikes will become the desirable ‘landrover defender’ of motorcycles in 10-15 years time as they wont build any more air-cooled thumpers.
I have the Himalayan 411, and my brother has the Tenere 700. So the 450 sounds/looks like a mix between the two. I still absolutely love my 411, but I can definently agree that it feels underpowered for highway riding... That said I never got it to ride on interstates or the like, but rather focusing on the road less traveled. So I would always recommend that you get a bike with a focus for how you intend to use it. For me, the dirt road capable and simple design of the 411 I think will cement it as my hopefully forever bike.
Area also matters a lot though, as AZ has a lot of fast highways, while up north there seems to be a tendancy of slower roads (Spent the summer in north east Wyoming, most roads were 55-65 mph, 70 mph max).
Interesting to hear your thoughts. It surprises me you find it so similar to the 411 when others don’t necessarily. But I guess most of them aren’t actual owners, with a few exceptions. I was pretty geared up to get one of these, but I think I might take a break from RE for now. The KLR speaks to me the way the Himalayan speaks to you, and I’ve been regretting selling mine almost from the instant I did 3 years ago. I might be able to pick one up for a good price with the winter season here.
Thanks for the reviwe.
Greate content.
Looking forward to hear what will you think of the honda NX500 .
I own 411 but latly starting to wonder about the NX500
It's good to hear a simple and honest opinion 👌
I got my 450 in April upgraded from the 411. Really enjoy the extra power which makes a difference particularly when you need to cover some miles. Handling is great, gearbox super smooth. Off road bottom end grunt is still good. I have fitted the touring seat, bash plate and taller screen. Will fit some more aggressive tyres in due course. I also like the look of the CF. I have also been looking at older 500’s but Itchy Boots decision to go with the Yamaha may push up values!! Oh forgot mine is black with gold times but tubed.
The new Himalayan just looks great. My 23 411, reminds me of my 94 KLR. I can tell you from having two KLRs, they are great bikes, way top heavy imop. The Ibex looks the part however plan on replacing the plastic pieces early if you drop it. Alas my 23 411 will have to do for a while but glad you liked the new bike. The black reminds me of a BMW GS bumble be, really cool.
How funny, I was just at Go Az Scottsdale today and sat on this same bike.. plan to go back and ride it soon..👍
Much needed information John. I stand behind your choice.
With the type of test ride you were able to do, I could see how you might consider it to be a 411 with more power. I have watched many reviews of this bike from people who have been able to spend much more time with the bike, and take it through it's paces. I think that, if you took it on some high speed twisties, you would find that it handles much better than the 411. If you had the opportunity to take it on some dirt, or even just a very rough road, you would find that the suspension is much better than the 411. You would also find out that it is perfectly capable of banging out highway miles even riding two up. It is good to know from you, that it is not a significant departure from the bits that made people feel good about the 411. It simply has more power, better handling, and much better suspension.
There are companies already making substantially improved windshields, and Acerbis is already rolling out a 25L fuel tank for the bike. IT has to be top heavy, but nice for traveling.
Did you by chance do the Cerro Gordo run this past summer? You look familiar, and I do subscribe to the Ghost Town Living channel.
By the way, Fuzzy Biker over at Forgotten Motorcycles channel bought his Himalayan 450 about 9 weeks ago, and has already put about 12,000 miles on it, without issues.
Yeah, I definitely would have like a longer test ride, but I am glad I got any time at all to be honest. It is definitely one of my top contenders right now. I didn't do the Cerro Gordo run....but a lot of people recognize me from the 2012 Barkley Marathons Documentary....perhaps that's where you saw me? I was at Western States 100 last summer...as well as Hardrock 100...maybe at one of these events?
Im going to buy the himalayan and just the community of royald enfield is better too
You could buy a puck on line for the side stand dosnt cost much and is good quality
You might calm down about the new Himalayan but looking at the evils on your face when you're talking about it.... means a lot when a bike makes you smile... that's what it's all about really, isn't it?
There are now aftermarket larger more useful windscreens for the Himalayan 450. Out of your list of potential bikes I would personally go with the Transalp especially if you’re looking to go long distances. It’s just so damn comfortable and the power delivery is so smooth and linear. The KLR 650 is a hard pass. It’s a top heavy tip over machine and needs to be put on a diet for off roading. KTM well sometimes we go looking for trouble. Good looking high performing bikes but boy what a PITA they can be if you get a Monday morning build. The CF Moto is interesting to me, I have seen a lot of good things especially from Nathan The Postman’s channel where he takes these bikes all of which he owns on long distances adventure trips around the world:
Great input! Thank you! I still have to test ride a transalp, but I did sit on one today. It’s a smidge big for me. Im eager to sit on the NX500 too which I know they have here in my town. Sat on the cfmoto today and it was quite fantastic. Didn’t get to ride it though.
Actually 440 cc of the same himalayan scram 411 is launched in India. I don't know whether it will come here in the states
Have a deposit on a 450. The CF the dealer said won’t be available until next year some time. Something with an EPA hold up
Hallo John!
Ich habe auf Deinen Vergleich schon länger gewartet. Ich fahre eine 2021er 411 ohne irgendwelche Probleme. Die neue 450er ist höher, auch was den Schwerpunkt betrifft, hat keinen Hauptständer und und einen niedrigeren Auspuff. Die 411 ist ein Langhuber, dementsprechend stark im unteren Drehzahlbereich.
Wasserkühlung bedeutet mehr Technik, ebenso Ride by Wire. Das stärkste Argument ist die Leistung…
Der Kraftstoffverbrauch wird höher sein. RE hat sich dem Zeitgeist angepasst, was verständlich ist. Aber ein Trakor wie die 411 ist es nicht. Möge jeder für sich entscheiden, was ihm wichtig ist. Ich für meine Person bleibe bei 411. Herzlichen Gruß aus Deutschland!
Wait for sometime Himalayan 650 cc is coming as it is testing on Indian highway soon it will be launched.
The old himalayans are so cheap now.
Dealer fees kinda kill it though.
Yup, some dealers are charging as much in dealer fees than they are for the bike:.
So what other bikes do you have a deposit on? I presume one is the CF Moto 450, but what is the other one?
Did you only ride it on tarmac?
Try the 450 again with a full tank of fuel to test the top-heavy weight, and getting it upright off the sidestand.
Yeah this occurred to me a few hours later that the tank was short about 25 lbs due to it missing about 3.5 gallons!
I am beginning to want to replace my 411 🤦🏼♂️
Would you trade your 300LS for it?
I’d trade my existing 411 Himalayan
@@On2Feet enough said lol. 300LS it is!
Definitely keeping the 300 for the tougher trails and singe track riding.
@@On2Feet Considering 300 as a small town commuter with some off roading. Top speed would be 55