With the Himalayan 411 now relegated to the history books and the new Himalayan 450 proving to be too big and expensive for those who want an accessible and affordable do-it-all bike from Royal Enfield, you’re left with the Scram 440. This bike is essentially a heavily revised version of the Scram 411 that was on sale previously and as you’ll read on, it is a surprisingly capable machine.
Royal Enfield Scram 440 Design & quality – 7/10
Has a bright colour palette and decent build quality
While this bike came out just last year, the Scram 440 traces its roots back to the original Himalayan 411 and while Royal Enfield has overhauled quite a lot, you can never escape the fact that this bike feels old in some areas. But that’s not a bad thing – in fact, I quite like its old-school, straightforward persona in the face of increasingly ‘new-age’ bikes flooding the market today. While not as ultimately neat and tidy as the new-gen REs, the finish levels on the 440 are quite acceptable and this is ultimately an area where the platform’s age shows in touchpoints like the switchgear, key, fuel filler lid and levers.
The previous Scram 411 looked like a stripped-down Himalayan and at first glance, you’ll be hard-pressed to tell the 440 apart from the 411. But, look closer and you’ll see that RE has made some small tweaks in the form of the new LED headlight, some tasteful colour options and on this top Force variant, alloy wheels. Not only do the alloy wheels suit the look of the Scram 440, the addition of tubeless tyres is a big boon. Other small but appreciable changes are that the bike now comes standard with a main stand and the subframe has been reinforced to be able to accommodate a top box (available as an official RE accessory).
Royal Enfield Scram 440 Riding position & comfort – 8/10
Commanding rider’s triangle with an accessible perch
As we’ve established by now, this is a stripped-down ADV bike and it has a nice, commanding riding position. And despite the wide handlebar, filtering through traffic isn’t as challenging as you’d think. One thing I must point out is that while making lock-to-lock u-turns, your opposite hand will have to stretch quite a bit. This wasn’t a real dealbreaker for 5’11 me but smaller folks should keep this in mind.
Happily, shorter riders will find swinging a leg over the Scram 440 quite easy thanks to the 795mm seat height although the placement of the rider’s footpegs will splay your legs out at a standstill. Your shins will also foul with them when you’re ‘walking’ the bike in dense traffic – not a pleasant experience.
While the low seat height is friendly, the padding is rather soft which means that heavier people will sink into the hard base underneath quite quickly. Ofcourse, this is a subjective thing but I think on a bike with some touring ability, a thicker seat should’ve been standard.
Royal Enfield Scram 440 Performance & refinement – 7/10
443cc motor has a nice sound and is a lovely highway companion
Speaking of touring potential, the Scram 440’s long-stroke motor will accompany you on both short sojourns and long trips quite happily with the trademark Royal Enfield thump. Modern emission norms mean that the thump is quite muffled but even so, it is a deep beat with lovely pops on the overrun.
| Engine and output | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 443cc, single-cylinder, air/oil-cooled |
| Power | 25.4hp at 6,250rpm |
| Torque | 34Nm at 4,000rpm |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
This 443cc motor is best enjoyed when you keep it in the mid-range, rather than wringing it out and short-shifting through the precise six-speed gearbox to ride that gentle wave of torque is quite enjoyable.
Do bear in mind that unlike the RE 350s, you can’t let this engine’s revs drop down to almost near idle in a higher gear and then pick up the throttle – downshifting is almost always necessary.
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Acceleration | |
| 0-60kph | 3.67s |
| 0-80kph | 6.26s |
| 0-100kph | 10.47s |
| Roll-on acceleration | |
| 20-50kph (in 2nd gear) | 2.56s |
| 30-70kph (in 3rd gear) | 4.63s |
| 50-80kph (in 4th gear) | 4.46s |
The gear ratios are well spaced-out and on the highway, anything up to an indicated 100-110kph in sixth gear (one more than the 411) will feel relaxed. After that, strong vibrations start to creep in almost immediately in all areas, including the tank, handlebar, seat and footpegs. While Royal Enfield has done some work to improve the NVH levels of this engine, there’s no escaping the fact that this fundamentally an old motor and going above a certain threshold does expose that in a rather crude fashion.
Royal Enfield Scram 440 Mileage / Range – 8/10
With a 15L tank, you’ll go quite a ways before having to fill up
That being said, as long as you keep the engine in its sweet spot, not only will you be more relaxed, you’ll also see decent fuel economy. In our tests, we got an average of 34.5kpl (combined) from the Scram, which is very respectable for a motor of this size.
| Fuel efficiency | |
|---|---|
| City | 27.26kpl |
| Highway | 41.8kpl |
With a 15 litre fuel tank, you’ve got well over 450km of range on a full tank, further cementing its long-distance capability. In case you’re wondering, yes, the Scram 440 is E20-compatible.
Royal Enfield Scram 440 ride comfort & handling – 8/10
Its not outright sporty but this is not a lazy handler either
While long tours are what most owners will dream of embarking on, the Scram 440 will also be required to wade through urban drudgery from time to time. When you do that, you’ll discover this bike is a potent urban tool because this is a stripped down ADV. You’ve got long-travel suspension (190mm/180mm of wheel travel F/R), an upright and commanding rider’s triangle and loads of leverage thanks to the wide handlebar.
| Suspension, tyres and brakes | |
|---|---|
| Suspension (F/R) | Telescopic fork / Monoshock |
| Wheel travel (F/R) | 190mm / 180mm |
| Tyres (F/R) | 100/90-19 / 120/90-17 |
| Brakes (F/R) | 300mm disc / 240mm disc |
Over the week and a half I used the Scram, it was a wonderful tool to combat the chaos of Mumbai’s incessantly bumpy and forever dug up roads. At 196kg, this is a heavy bike (you’ll feel every ounce at walking speeds and while propping it on the centre stand) but it has superb chassis balance on the move which allows you to quickly flick it from side to side and manoeuvre through traffic. The suspension is also wonderful in how it deals with almost everything in its way without discomforting the rider.
| Weight and dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 196kg |
| Seat Height | 795mm |
| Fuel capacity | 15 litres |
| Ground clearance | 200mm |
| Wheelbase | 1460mm |
Even though this is no apex hunter, show it a set of bends and it won’t shy away from them, although the OE CEATs are rather average and we’d suggest putting on some grippier tyres.
| Braking | |
|---|---|
| 60-0kph | 17.24m |
Another area worth exploring is better brake pads because while the front brake doesn’t lack power, there’s no feel at the lever despite the fact that it now gets bigger pistons in the front brake caliper.
One welcome change is that the rear ABS can be turned off by pressing a button on the LH switch cube which means if you’re planning to take this bike off-road or just want to hoon around on the road, it’s got you covered.
And yes, the Scram 440 will happily go off-road but I would say it is best enjoyed exploring a gravelly, rough road rather than a technical, muddy trail because I don’t think picking such a heavy bike up is going to be a fun experience off-road for you or your trail buddies. The standing up ergonomics are also not really geared towards focused off-roading and taller riders will have to bend forward to reach the ‘bar.
Royal Enfield Scram 440 Features & safety – 7/10
Dual-channel ABS is standard here
The charm of a machine like the Scram is that while it has the basics covered, it doesn’t go overboard. There’s a slip/assist clutch (clutch pull is still quite heavy) which works well during aggressive downshifts, switchable dual-channel ABS and the Tripper navigation pod is an optional extra – decent kit considering the price and segment.
Royal Enfield Scram 440 Price & verdict – 8/10
Slots in well into RE’s diverse portfolio, is quite well-priced even post-GST 2.0
Speaking of its price, with the new GST rates in effect, the Scram 440 is priced between Rs 2.23 lakh – Rs 2.31 lakh for its two variants – Trail and Force – respectively.
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Trail | Rs 2.23 lakh |
| Force | Rs 2.31 lakh |
The main difference is that the former comes with wire-spoke wheels shod with tubed tyres and unless you’re going to use it primarily for off-roading, we’d suggest going for the Force variant.
Summing up, the Scram 440 is a genuinely sweet bike that finds a nice middle ground between RE’s slower, city-focused 350s and the heavier and more expensive 450s and 650s. It’s also one of the last of the relatively old-school feeling motors in RE’s line up, which comes with its own appeal as well as drawbacks. Overall, it is reasonably peppy, has great comfort and its pricing is still quite competitive, coming in well under the Rs 3 lakh mark (on-road, Mumbai).
