When the Marketing Manager of Royal Enfield Australia New Zealand first shared his test ride experience on a homologated SCRAM 411 before the compliant versions arrived in Aus, and said that it was such a different experience to riding the Himalayan, we were extremely curious. How could it be that different? Whilst it looks more urban and has more lively styling it still shares so much with the Himalayan. Same 411 cc single cylinder engine, same frame, same suspension, similar lines, same riding position. So could it really be such a different ride?
I rode the first SCRAM we received to our dealership around the block a few times which is hardly a good test ride, but I was about to find out exactly what new experiences this model delivered on the two day SCRAM 411 Media Launch that we co hosted with Royal Enfield Aus_NZ mid July 2022.
Even though I had laid out the test route for RE and Journos and selected some of our favourite twisty scenic hinterland roads saddling the NSW & QLD border to blast through for video, stills, and drone footage, I wasn’t entirely excited about the 2nd leg of the day 1 route from Canungra (beautiful bike friendly town btw) to Queensland Moto Park (QMP) in Coulson QLD – 1hr west of Beaudesert where the SCM camp crew had set up for a gourmet feast by the fire. It was that hour that I wasn’t looking forward to. I’m not a big fan of long straight roads with not too much to see or navigate. Especially on a 411cc single cylinder.
Cue the Royal Enfield marketing tag line “This is no cosmetic crossover or pumped up street bike this is a brand new subspecies.”
It really is a sub species. This is a super fun, nippy, even more nibble variant of the Himalayan. The smaller 19″ front wheel compared to the 21″ of the Himalayan makes the SCRAM a different ride particularly in the urban setting. Saying that it shares the same tyre pattern, suspension, handlebars and foot pegs as the Himalayan so go for your life and take it off road across tricky terrain like you would on the Himalayan. Although there is less ground clearance on the SCRAM. Thankfully the Himi pannier racks and panniers will also lock in to the SCRAM so you can still load up and go for an adventure.
It’s around 6Kg lighter as it has no centre stand, tank guards, or wind shield but it performs as if it is even a little lighter.
They do share the same engine…but it’s different. The ECU has a different mapping and as such the acceleration and torque is a notch more than the Himalayan. Cruising at 110kph is easy and you don’t feel like you are ringing it’s neck. Hence that 1hr mostly straight stretch from Beaudesert to QMP was actually quite enjoyable for me! I did have the benefit of a group of 12 Journos and influencers and Chas the RE head mechanic playing with me all the way. Of course we did not exceed the 110kph limit but if we wanted to…the SCRAM had some more guts in it.
As far as comfort goes it is very comfortable even without the windshield. The new one piece seat has plenty of padding for semi long distances even if you are pushing 100 Kgs or more. It may even be a little more comfortable that the Himi’s. A few more rides will figure that out. It’s also a head turner with a really nice front end and simple understated instrument cluster and has 7 colour variants attractive for all ages.
What would I change or add on the SCRAM? As the SCM crew do like to explore off road and sometimes get in to tricky slippy single track areas, then like the Himalayan I would swap the stock handle bars for a beefier black adventure/braced handle bar. That’s about it really and it won’t break the bank at around $140.
Like all current RE’s it is LAMS approved. Starting at $8,240 for the Graphite variants inc 3 yrs ∞ Km Warranty and 3 yrs Roadside Assist. It’s pretty smart of RE to tweak the proven and reliable Himalayan in to a new sub species. And judging by the interest and sales of the SCRAM so far we will need to keep a healthy stock level in the shed. A simple review but test ride it for yourself at Salt Creek Motorcycles ;)