Royal Enfield has taken its ugly duckling Himalayan and given it a make-over, introducing the far-better-looking and vastly less adventure-focussed Scram.
The remodelling includes major changes to the styling — it looks far more like a retro scrambles machine — and a 19-inch front wheel. Losing the screen and rails around the headlight has seemingly made a big difference, although they have added some odd panels near the tank — at the launch journos were joking about the effectiveness of Royal Enfield's new "MotoGP-derived Winglets".
So the new bike is a variant on the Himalayan, which was the first of the new-generation machines to come from the Indian manufacturer, and a very successful one at that. While I didn't like the styling, there weren't many options in the small-bore, inexpensive and easy-to-ride adventure market.
It sold really well. With the Scram, Royal Enfield has made the bike less adventurous and more street-focussed, but not too much. The new bike is a better choice for anyone using their bike for day rides, commuting and general riding. The Himalayan is the better choice for longer tours or anywhere a 21-inch front wheel is preferable.
MOTIVE FORCE
The Scram, powered by a very basic air-cooled single-cylinder engine, is a little ripper — or overweight nail, depending on your point of view. When I was swinging through the bitumen curves of the Gold
