Reserve Product Discovery
Words by Dale Spangler | Photography from Royal Enfield
Recently I was invited on my first new model press intro—the new Royal Enfield SCRAM 411. Oddly enough, after nearly 30 years in the Powersports industry, this was my first invite to a press intro, having worked on the opposite side of the business doing marketing for industry distributors and brands while occasionally contributing articles to media outlets a couple of times per year. But having just purchased a Royal Enfield Himalayan from my local dealer in Boise about a month before, I jumped at the chance to experience the SCRAM 411 and compare it to my experience with the Himalayan.
The SCRAM 411 is Royal Enfield's new low-displacement (411cc) street scrambler based on its popular Himalayan ADV platform. It is a stripped-down version of the Himalayan with subtle changes that add to the rider experience and enhance rideability and comfort. It is a bike designed to be ridden in just about any type of environment—urban or rural, pavement or dirt—and the possibilities are limited only by one's imagination. After receiving a phone call from Jean Turner, Public Relations Manager for Royal Enfield, my interest was piqued, and I said yes to the opportunity to ride the SCRAM 411.
SCRAM 411 Introduction
The event started on a Wednesday with a travel day, then kicked off later that evening with a welcome party at Royal Enfield's U.S. headquarters in the historic Third Ward in downtown Milwaukee. The bike was unveiled, followed by a short presentation by a few Royal Enfield employees that played a part in the development of the SCRAM 411 project. Chief of Design Mark Wells and Brand Manager Adarsh Saxena each shared design inspiration and technical details behind the SCRAM. Then, Royal Enfield's Creative Lead and Group Manager of Color, Trim, and Graphic Design, Darline Vogel, shared her inspiration for the color choices and graphical treatments for the SCRAM 411, which are clean and straightforward with well-placed pops of contrasting color.
The welcome event closed with President & Business Head of the Americas Region, Krishnan Ramaswamy, sharing Royal Enfield's vision and how the company seeks to position itself in the market as the largest OEM manufacturer of small displacement motorcycles under 500cc. An interesting fact I learned from Mr. Ramaswamy is that the Americas region is the fastest growing and largest sub-global region for Royal Enfield outside its home market in India. So expect to see even more unique and fun motorcycles coming down the pipeline from Royal Enfield in the next few years.
Riding the SCRAM 411
The next day (Thursday), we set off at 10:00 am on day one of two ride days and spent an hour or so modeling the bike in downtown Milwaukee while the Royal Enfield video and photo teams captured content of us. Right away, I appreciated the SCRAM 411's long travel—the same setup used on the Himalayan—especially when riding over rough and potholed roads in the city, something often overlooked when considering a motorcycle for inner city riding or day-to-day commuting.
After cruising the city for a while, we began working our way west from Milwaukee towards Madison and towards our final destination at the Hickory Hill Motel in Viroqua. I later learned that this region of Wisconsin is known as "The Driftless Area." Thousands of years ago, when glaciers moved south from Canada, this portion of southwest Wisconsin was untouched by the glaciers. The region's rugged and rolling hills are what many believe the Midwest could look like today had the glaciers not smoothed down and ground away the rolling hills like those found in southwest Wisconsin.
With an ambitious 180-mile ride on day one, and despite nearly 30 of us in our ride group, leader Jen Muecke did a fantastic job laying out our route (which was complicated). She managed to wrangle a group of 17 media plus a support crew for two days. We only lost one person the entire trip, and I give huge props to Jen for keeping us on track during two long days in the saddle.
With such a large group, naturally, there was a lot of starting, stopping, and waiting, and I was happy to be riding a lightweight, easy-to-ride, and nimble motorcycle. After a long day in the saddle, the group rolled into the Hickory Hill Motel close to 7:00 pm. After a late dinner, a few tired souls gathered around the campfire for post-ride conversation at the Hickory Hill Motel, and that was it for day one.
Day two started with blue skies and cooler temperatures for what was to be another long day in the saddle. After a quick breakfast, we headed east to S & S Cycle in Viola for a tour of the company's impressive facility on the grounds of the S&S Ranch. After that, it was wide open throttle, putting the SCRAM 411 through its paces on the fast, flowing Wisconsin roads lined with lush green vegetation for miles.
Having lived away from the Midwest for over 20 years, I couldn't wrap my head around how lush, and green everything was. Southwest Wisconsin is a magical place to ride a motorcycle. After two days and over 400 miles of riding on a variety of roads and terrain, we rolled back into Milwaukee Friday evening, tired but content with a smile on my face.
SCRAM 411 Riding Impressions
My impressions after riding the SCRAM 411 for two days? I won't bore you with the detailed technical specs because you can find those on the Royal Enfield website. Instead, I prefer to share how the bike felt and my visceral response to spending two days with the motorcycle.
Royal Enfield calls the SCRAM 411 the company's first ADV crossover model, which I think is accurate. The rider ergonomics, handlebar position, and tight turning radius all felt like the Himalayan. In my opinion, this setup feels more like a moto bike, with straighter bars, a more comfortable upright position, and good balance when standing.
Gearing felt a bit higher than the Himalayan, so overall top speed was increased for street use. The top speed for me was 86 mph—downhill, full tuck, wide open—which was more than fast enough for enjoying rolling and twisty roads, and the bike felt stable and worked well when we came to gravel.
The lower displacement long-rod motor acts like traction control or a heavy flywheel, making it hard to break the rear tire loose. After a while, I was able to anticipate this and grab a hand full of throttle sooner than I would on a higher-horsepower motorcycle. It was confidence-inspiring compared to modern 100+ horsepower models that require electronics to tame.
Royal Enfield used a smaller 19-inch front wheel instead of the Himalayan's 21-inch, which dropped the front-end ride height and made the bike feel even more nimble. It also slightly lowered the overall seat height for an even less intimidating feel. At 5'-9", my feet were nearly flat on the ground, which was perfect for me.
The tires chosen for the 411 were better than I expected. Built to spec for Royal Enfield by CEAT out of India, the tires are nicely balanced for street and mild gravel riding, and others on the ride agreed they were impressive for stock units from an obscure brand.
Another change from the Himalayan platform is the addition of a one-piece seat on SCRAM instead of the two-piece unit that comes on the Himalayan. No motorcycle seat is perfect for every rider, but the SCRAM seat was above-average comfortable for me, as was proven over two days of 200+ mile riding.
Royal Enfield eliminated the front windscreen, crash bars, center stand, and rear rack that come standard on the Himalayan for a more stripped-down urban-style street scrambler look. Then they added new elements to create the SCRAM's unique style, like a custom mini-cowl that surrounds the headlight and helps protect the gauge cluster. They also added a purely aesthetic element, with what I'll call "mock-radiator shrouds" near the gas tank. These "shrouds" add a slightly more aggressive look to the SCRAM but actually serve no function other than looks.
Gauges are simple and attractive, with an old-school analog speedometer that's easy to read at speed and includes a digital odometer and trip meter. The bike also comes with Royal Enfield's Tripper Navigation system, a simple turn-by-turn navigation display pod that pairs with your smartphone via the Royal Enfield App. I haven't done this yet on my Himalayan, but I intend to now that I've learned how simple it is to use.
Once again, having the long-travel adventure suspension was a huge plus, especially when the roads got rough and we hit gravel. Being an old motocrosser, I appreciated having the plush suspension. The four-gallon gas tank that comes standard on the Himalayan also carries over to the SCRAM for extended range, with our group riding over 200 miles on a single tank each day.
One last note, I love the exhaust note of the SCRAM 411. The bike sounds fantastic and is quiet enough for long hours in the saddle. And the mellow exhaust note also seemed to be appreciated by the locals each time we passed through one of the many small towns.
Overall Impressions
This SCRAM 411 fills a void between pure offroad capability and pure street. It lands nicely between the two. Built around an accessible, low displacement, easily maneuverable, and user-friendly platform that is the Himalayan, as Royal Enfield describes it, the SCRAM 411 "has more off-road capability than regular street motorcycles but is still practical and user friendly." It is also more than offroad capable and works well for exploring and mild off-roading. I felt right at home on the SCRAM on pavement and gravel roads.
The Himalayan—and now SCRAM 411—have changed my perception of what a street or adventure motorcycle should be. I question why I ever needed a $15K big bore ADV motorcycle with 100+ horsepower and electronic bells and whistles that are often unnecessary and add costs. I found the limited power of the SCRAM 411 to be a joy to ride. I thought less about going fast and instead slowed down and enjoyed the ride and the scenery more.
Whether you live in a city and want a nimble commuter to escape the city on the weekends or live in a rural setting and want a scrambler for hitting the twisties and exploring gravel roads, this bike is equally at home and fun in both scenarios. Easy to ride. Easy to work on. And as Royal Enfield says, "rough road ready." It's also a great-looking motorcycle with a classic style that I prefer over more modern, angular, and futuristic designs. That's the SCRAM 411.
Add to that a retail price of $5099.00, and you have a winner for the masses. A bike is designed to appeal to first-time riders that more experienced riders can also enjoy. Such as an old motocross racer like me who was giggling like a grade-schooler under my helmet each time I twisted the throttle and began grabbing gears.
According to Royal Enfield, the SCRAM 411 will be available in dealers beginning in September 2022. There will be seven (7) colorways, each priced at $5099.00 MSRP. Included is a three-year unlimited mileage warranty and roadside assistance—something hard to believe in a time of soaring costs, inflation, and high customer demand. Royal Enfield could surely charge more for these motorcycles, but instead, they're doing their part to attract more riders to the sport of motorcycling. And from what I experienced in Wisconsin, Royal Enfield has created a formula to do just that.
