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Royal Enfield

Himalayan

BS4· 2018-2021 adventure Value
Price (AUD)
$4k–$6kest. Aug 2026
Type
Adventure
Origin
India
Built in
India

Overview

The BS4-generation Himalayan introduced electronic fuel injection (EFI) to the Australian market, significantly improving reliability over early carbureted models sold overseas. It is a rugged, tractor-like, low-tech adventure bike. It isn't fast, but its low seat, torquey long-stroke engine, and robust simplicity make it a beloved entry point into adventure riding. Budget for the service schedule before you buy: unlike almost every other bike on this site, the valve clearances are checked at every service rather than every few, so the service and valve intervals are the same 5,000km figure. That is not a typo — it is the periodic maintenance chart in the owner's manual.

Engines & variants

411cc Single (LAMS) LAMS approved

Under the limits as standard. No restriction required.

Finding it on the approved list

Compliance-plate model code: D4A5C

  • It is filed under the code D4A5C, not under "Himalayan". Searching the name alone on the NSW list returns only the Himalayan 450 and reads as not approved; this 411 is a separate entry.
  • Royal Enfield sits under two different make strings on the Queensland and Victorian registers — "Enfield" and "Royal Enfield" — so check both before concluding anything is missing.
NSW, QLD and VIC learner-approved registers, cross-checked Aug 2026
Config
Single
Capacity
411cc
Power
18kW (24.5hp) @ 6500rpm
Torque
32Nm @ 4250rpm
Seat height
800mm
Weight
191kg wet
Final drive
Chain
Cooling
Air/oil
ABS
Standard
Traction control
None
0–100
~10.0sunverified
Top speed
~130km/hunverified
Fuel
15L
Economy
3.5 L/100km
Service
5,000km / 6 months (oil replaced every second service, 10,000km)
Transmission
5-speed
Valve clearance interval
5,000km — checked at every service
Timing chain / belt / gear
Chain-driven

Pros

  • Extremely approachable 800mm seat height for an adventure bike
  • Torquey low-revving engine excels at slow-speed off-road riding
  • Very easy to service at home (screw and nut valve adjusters)
  • Comes standard with useful crash bars and luggage racks

Cons

  • Very heavy for the amount of power it produces
  • Struggles at highway speeds over 100km/h
  • Brakes feel wooden and weak
  • Service visits every 5,000km, with a valve check at each one — roughly twice as often as most learner bikes

Known problems

medium
Service schedule is twice as frequent as most learner bikes
The owner's manual periodic maintenance chart schedules a service at 500km and then every 5,000km, with inlet and exhaust tappet setting inspected and adjusted at every one of those columns. Engine oil is replaced at every second service (10,000km). Most bikes in this class service annually or every 10,000-12,000km and check valves at 24,000km or beyond, so a rider comparing running costs on purchase price alone gets a nasty surprise — the Himalayan can see three or four shop visits in the time a Ninja 400 sees one.
Fix: Price the schedule before buying, or learn to do it yourself. The valve adjusters are screw-and-locknut, which is the easiest type there is, and this is the main reason Himalayan owners take up home servicing. Check the service book on a used bike: skipped valve checks are common precisely because the interval is so short.
Every 5,000km · ~$150-300 per service
medium
Steering head bearing wear
The factory steering head bearings were often installed with minimal grease. They can notch or fail prematurely, causing stiff or vague steering.
Fix: Replace with high-quality tapered roller bearings and pack them properly with marine grease.
From 10k-15k km · ~$200-400
medium
Stator coil failure
The stator on BS4 models can overheat and fail, leaving the battery drained and stranding the rider.
Fix: Replace the burnt stator; many owners upgrade to better aftermarket units.
From 20k+ km · ~$300-500

unverified marks a figure we could not confirm against a manufacturer source. It is our best reading of what is published, not a checked fact — confirm it yourself before you spend money on the strength of it.

Also worth looking at

Closest in class and capacity to the Royal Enfield Himalayan.

Honda CB500X 2013-2018 Adventure LAMS Kawasaki Ninja 400 2018-2023 Sport LAMS Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 2018-2023 Naked LAMS KTM 390 Duke 2017-2023 Naked LAMS