As Royal Enfield launches the Scram 411 to North America, we now see an interesting pivot point in the company’s history. It appears that Royal Enfield is about to spin its air-cooled Himalayan lineup in one direction while launching a new, higher-performance adventure bike series in another direction.
First up, the new Scram 411. Just as we told you back in March, the idea Royal Enfield seems to be aiming for is a sort of groovy utilitarianism—or as RE puts it, “Based on the globally popular Himalayan motorcycle, the Scram 411 brings a modern, urban twist to this proven platform, while maintaining its adventure DNA. The Scram 411 is an engaging, accessible and capable street scrambler, ideal for city riding, but its competent rough-roading capabilities mean the fun doesn’t stop when the pavement ends.”
So, this is a street scrambler, although it’s very similar to the Himalayan ADV, with the same frame and engine. The Scram 411 comes with 19-inch front wheel, instead of the Himalayan’s 21-inch front wheel, which is still better for unpaved roads than a 17-incher. However, that smaller hoop gives a scrambler aesthetic and also makes for reduced ride height. Throw in a new one-piece seat, get rid of the Himalayan’s engine guards, windshield, centrestand and rear rack, and that’s the Scram 411.
While it’s not made to take the same beating as the Himalayan, the Scram 411 does appear to be more heavy-duty than many of the other scramblers on the market, which are only in the category due to styling or the wildest fever dreams of marketeers.
Mark Wells, Royal Enfield’s Chief of Design, says this was a goal for the company:
“Most scrambler motorcycles focus only on aesthetics and looks. When we began work on the Scram 411, we were determined to create a motorcycle that would be distinct in design and purpose, and bring the best of rough-road capability to urban riding. With its distinctive look and design, playful colorways, accessible riding proposition, the Scram 411 is an ultimate ADV crossover for the urban environment.”
Should be tough enough for the potholes and streetcar tracks of the GTA, at least!
Canadian pricing for the Scram 411 starts with a $6,749 MSRP; the machines are expected to start showing up at North American dealers (not necessarily Canadian dealers) as early as September, 2022. The Scram 411 is expected to arrive in seven color choices, although it seems unlikely your local dealer will carry the complete selection.
But wait, there’s more!
Check out what Royal Enfield boss Siddhartha Lal posted to Instagram this week:
Whatever that is, it isn’t the current Himalayan model. It looks a lot like the prototype bike that’s been seen testing in the UK, a liquid-cooled ADV in the 450cc range. Stay tuned on that—it seems highly likely the existing air-cooled Himalayan is about to take a back seat in the Royal Enfield lineup.
big focused push on new bikes
scattergun approach on dealerships.
The air cooled 411 platform is focused on the domestic Indian market, while the new liquid cooled 450 is for the rest of the world. We’ll likely see it in early 2023.