Indian giant Royal Enfield expands its Himalayan lineup with the new Scram 411. A dual-sport bike through and through, the Scram is a bona fide go-anywhere machine built for budding young riders bound for the dual-sport/adventure progression. The mid-range, single-cylinder engine joins with long-stroke suspension, wire wheels, and dual-purpose tires to unlock its over-land potential.

Power for the Scram 411 comes from an air-cooled thumper that runs a 78 mm bore and 86 mm stroke for a 411 cc displacement. A mild, 9.5-to-1 compression ratio should handle mid-grade fuels without dieseling or pinging.

The Royal Enfield Scram 411 engine produces 24.3 horsepower and 23.6 pound-feet of torque. Power maxes out at 6,500 rpm while torque, according to the factory, could top out at 4,250 rpm – plus or minus 250 rpm. I don’t know, it sounds kind of imprecise to me, but what are ya’ gonna’ do?

Digital ignition and electronic fuel injection manage the engine, but that’s all you get for engine-control electronics. Forget about higher electronics. The wet clutch has a buttery-smooth pull, but like the rest of the machine, there’s no fandanglery like a slipper clutch or any such business.

A five-speed transmission and chain-type final drive complete the drivetrain. An overall drive ratio turns in a Royal Enfield Scram 411 top speed of 80 mph.

Royal Enfield breaks into new territory with its Scram 411. As the devilishly clever name suggests, this build has strong ties to the old-school scrambler culture with genetic markers to match.

The overall build is that of the old UJMs, also classified as standard models, and the design team really hit the mark with a fresh interpretation of the scrambler setup. This allows the pilot to have a very relaxed riding posture once you factor in the scoop seat and low, jockey-mount pilot’s footpegs.

Seat height is kind of tall for shorter inseams at 31.2 inches, but that’s the trade-off to accommodate the long-stroke suspension components necessary for rough off-road work. Unfortunately, the seat is rather firm, to be kind.

The blackout treatment dominates the overall non-sheet metal parts with the exception of the exhaust system and bash plate. A large round gauge and smaller companion gauge rides atop a single round headlight. It’s offset to one side at a jaunty angle with matching round mirrors to bring it all together.

The 4-gallon fuel tank contributes a modest hump to the flyline while the seat rocks a faux tuck-and-roll look. A lofted pillion pad segregates pilot from passenger while fold-up footpegs and a tubular J.C. rail complete the girlfriend goodies.

The taillight mounted well out of harm’s way, sits on the tip of the tail but above the actual fender. A mudguard assembly mounts to the rear fender proper and carries the rear blinkers and the license plate also used to extend the rear wheel-fling coverage. In the end, it’s just a rad little scramble-tastic sled that just seems to say “fun,” even when sitting on the stand.

Tubular members make up the single-downtube/double-cradle frame and the associated subframe on the Royal Enfield Scram 411. It’s the frame that sets the stage with its Standard genetics on full display.

Blackout fork sliders ride on 41 mm inner fork tubes with long bellow gaiters to accommodate the 7.48-inch suspension stroke. Out back, a monoshock handles business with seven inches of travel at the axle.

These figures are typical of the genre, which is to say, generous on the pavement and adequate when the black turns to brown. The suspension is plain vanilla as far as adjustments and setup since the Scram runs on fixed variables front and back.

I gotta say I’m loving the laced wheels. The 19-inch front and 17-inch rear is a perfect balance between terrain busting and street handling. The hoops themselves come with stealth knobbies in a 100/90 ahead of a 120/90 and are also a good balance between off-road and on.

Ready to ride except for fuel, the Scram 411 weighs 408 pounds, but you can add about 25 pounds for a full fuel tank to get the curb weight. Since it’s so light, you can see why the factory opted for a single front brake with a 300 mm disc and twin-pot caliper up front. A single-piston caliper bites the 240 mm rear brake disc with dual-channel ABS protection at both ends.

The 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 should cost around $4,500 in the U.S. I say “around” because the bike maker hasn’t announced prices on our side of the pond, just yet. Understated graphics are a constant across all the colorways, but the factory offers no less than seven paint packages from which to choose. Color choice can also affect price with the gray tank coming in the least expensive, and the color-tank packages at the top of the list.

So, the Royal Enfield Scram 411 finds itself in a sparsely-populated category, mainly because of displacement, but also because of price. I took a look around the Asian market and found the CRF450RL from Honda, and the DR-Z400S by Suzuki.

Both are more like proper dual-sports, so there is a lot more dirtbike in the styling than what the Scram brings to the table, even if the actual capabilities are similar. Honda gets $10 grand for its entry but Suzuki is a bit closer at $7,099, which is still significantly higher than the Scram.

Ducati actually has an almost Standard-style build in its Desert Sled, but not only is the engine twice the size, but the price is also over the $12k mark. Granted, it will deliver higher top speeds, but the 80 mph from the Scram is technically sufficient for interstate work.

“It’s worth pointing out that this bike is built on one of the first platforms developed in-house, instead of the style that the marque inherited from its former British owners. Looks like a fun little bike, but I wonder how long that engine will hold the attention of riders working up to larger, more capable machines.”

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “When talking about adventure-type bikes, there’s usually the skew either toward on-road or off-road. As off-road capable as the Scram 411 is, if your heart is truly in off-road riding, you might want to look harder at the Himalayan. The Scram is a sportier version and makes a dandy commuter.”

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