One Lamp, Two Genies

Incorporating off-road functionality into a road-going motorcycle is difficult, but to do it and price it so well is nothing short of magical

- Joshua Varghese

WITH A BUDGET OF RS 3.0 lakh (ex-showroom pricing) and an intense desire to go off-roading or, maybe, even indulge in some touring, some motorcyclists are currently torn between two capable machines with distinctive characters. One is the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and the other is the Triumph Scrambler 400 X. We were also similarly perplexed and it was further difficult because they are not products that compete with each other directly. Confusion prevailed for the rest of the day, so early the next morning, Azaman and I left for a ride along a route that offered a bit of everything: winding roads for some fun, highways for some touring, urban congestion that no one wants (but is unavoidable), and the unpredictability of dirt.

The Himalayan 450 is a completely new motorcycle but there are elements that echo familiarity to its predecessor. Royal Enfield have addressed that rather well with the Hanle Black paint scheme. Most of us could not think of anything past the golden wheels that went so well with the motorcycle's tall and imposing stance. A proper ADV.

The Triumph Scrambler 400 X also gives a sense of déjà vu because we saw its twin sibling, the Speed 400, first. That apart, it is a textbook scrambler. It looks purposeful and certainly cannot be confused for anything else. So far as design goes, both motorcycles are equally matched and no one could call one more beautiful than the other simply because they are true to their respective segments and have an air of purity about them.