Is the Himalayan 450 an adventure bike still, or has it turned into a road tourer?

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 release has sparked a debate among adventure riding enthusiasts about what the bike really is and what it is meant to do. The original Himalayan 411 won praise for its rugged simplicity and off road focus, but the 450 introduces more road oriented features such as more power, better highway stability and more sophisticated electronics. With the shift in design philosophy, some riders are questioning if the new Himalayan has gone too far from its adventure roots to become a more road biased tourer than a true dual sport machine. Most of the discussion revolves around the bike’s added weight, more complex systems, and how all of this affects the bike’s performance in harsh off road conditions. Supporters say the 450 strikes a better balance between on and off road, for real world adventure riding, where there are often long stretches of tarmac between off road sections, while critics say it has sacrificed some of the original's go anywhere ability in the name of on road comfort and performance.