Scram 411 is not an ADV and not a Scrambler, What the hell is it?

Royal Enfield has been killing the game in the sub 500 cc category in India. The Classic 350 sales, for example, outnumber all the other motorcycles combined. Royal Enfield enjoys a monopoly in the segment that other motorcycle companies can only dream of.

This monopoly however has attracted quite a lot of competitors as well. Companies are now on Royal Enfield’s tail to get a share of that sweet sales figures. Motorcycle brands like Honda, Jawa, Yezdi, Benelli, and now Bajaj- Triumph are all trying to lure customers from Royal Enfield with competent motorcycles.

Royal Enfield however isn’t a brand to shy away from competition, you don’t become the oldest motorcycle brand in production with a fearful attitude. Enfield is on course to launching 20 motorcycles in 5 years. These motorcycles offer different things and are aimed to offer an option to everyone.

There is however one motorcycle among these that just doesn’t sit right with me. It is the Royal Enfield Scram 411!

What is Royal Enfield Scram 411?

The Scram 411 is essentially a Himalayan with 19-inch front tyres and no windshield. It uses the same chassis, engine, lights, and everything else as the Himalayan. On the engine front, the Scram 411 is powered by a single-cylinder air-cooled 411CC engine that produces 24.3ps and 32 NM. It has the same suspension set-up and same brakes as well.

Is Scram 411 an Adventure motorcycle?

No, the Scram 411 is not an adventure motorcycle. It has 19-inch front wheels a downsizing from Royal Enfield Himalayan which has 21-inch front wheels. 21-inch front wheels are very important for going off the road as it allows the rider to move through rough terrain and ride over big obstacles.

In order to give the Scram 411 a different identity, Royal Enfield has fitted it with road-biased tyres that take away all the advantages of a Himalayan. It also removes the windshield which is a must for offroad motorcycles as it blocks dust, debris and wind.

All of these changes take away the ADV character from the Scram 411.

Is Scram 411 a Scrambler?

No, the Scram 411 is not a scrambler either. Scrambler motorcycles are geared towards off-roading and sports which the Scram 411 with its 19-inch road tyres certainly isn’t.

What the hell is Scram 411 then?

The Royal Enfield Scram 411 is an attempt to sell motorcycles with the help of the scrambler moniker. You see, currently, there is a wave of modern retro motorcycles in India. People are loving retro styling when added to modern technology. You get the best of both worlds and it is a win-win.

Motorcycles like Honda CB 350, Jawa 42, Meteor 350, Yezdi Trios along with the legendary Classic 350 are all the rage in India. This has opened up the door to a land of opportunities where any motorcycle could be turned into a retro-looking motorcycle with a modern engine and chassis.

The Scram 411 is an attempt to diversify the modern retro niche. Since there are not many players in the Scrambler niche, Royal Enfield wants to take a head start in it.

Of course, creating a new segment of motorcycles is very difficult so Royal Enfield has come up with this simple trick of turning their current motorcycle into a scrambler.

However, I don’t think that they have made enough changes to it in order to be called a Scrambler. The Scram 411 has somewhat of an identity crisis. On one hand, it has the potential of bringing in extra customers, but on the other, it could also dilute the brand image of the Himalayan.

The only scrambler at this point in the Indian market is the Yezdi Scrambler which is built from the ground up as a scrambler and does not just dress up as one like the Royal Enfield Scram 411.

The launch date for Royal Enfield Scram 411 is announced to be 7th March 2022.