I think we can all agree that Royal Enfield’s been killing it lately. New model launch after new model launch, it seems that there’s no stopping Enfield from dominating the entry-level, retro-themed market. From the new Himalayan 450 to the Shotgun 650, RE’s clearly giving the people what they want.
And so, with all those good things on RE’s report card, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t disappointed with the updated Scram.
Back when it was launched in 2022, I thought that the Scram 411 had quite a lot of potential. It was fun, easy to ride, and plenty capable. But it was horrendously underpowered, much like the Himalayan 411 it shared a stable with. So when RE unveiled the Himalayan 450, it made me super excited for them to release a Scram with the new liquid-cooled engine.
But alas, this wasn’t to be—at least not yet. And it seems that Royal Enfield is stretching the service life of the 411 platform just a bit longer.
You see, for 2025, the Scram 440, as it’s called, is still very much the same bike as before. It’s powered by an air-cooled single that’s been bumped up to 440cc, giving it a whopping one-horsepower increase to 25.4 ponies at 6,250 rpm. Torque also sees a modest jump from 23.6 pound-feet to 25.1 pound-feet—not much, but maybe enough to give it a better ride on the highway.
But here’s the thing, RE’s 440cc air-cooled single just has to be redundant, doesn’t it? It already advanced leaps and bounds with its new 450 engine featuring liquid-cooling and almost double the power. And its 350cc engine found in the Hunter, Meteor, and Classic makes just five horsepower less. So yeah, the two engines are within striking distance of each other, and it would’ve made more sense if RE just went ahead and launched the Scram 450 we’ve all been waiting for, right?
Now, Royal Enfield also threw in an additional gear into the Scram’s transmission, so it’s now rocking a groundbreaking six-speed gearbox. Hopefully, this further improves the bike’s highway manners, as the five-speed gearbox in the old bike made highway riding a chore, and enough to make someone with even the slightest mechanical sympathy cringe.
Apart from the engine and transmission, Royal Enfield has carried pretty much everything over from the Scram 411. The Steel frame with non-adjustable suspension, as well as the 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels are all the same. This time, however, buyers can opt for alloy wheels with tubeless tires, especially if they plan on using this thing mainly on the street.
Nevertheless, the Scram’s platform seems perfect as a do-it-all bike; the ideal one-bike solution for folks looking for a capable commuter on the weekdays that can hustle in the twisties and light trails on weekends. But man, I wish Royal Enfield just plucked the new liquid-cooled engine out of the Himalayan 450 and Guerrilla 450 and stuffed it into the Scram. Seriously, it’s a massive missed opportunity.
But hey, I’m speaking to information on a spec sheet, and not real-world experience, so who knows? Maybe there’s a reason Royal Enfield retained the Scram’s archaic underpinnings.
Only time, and maybe a test ride, will give us the answers we’re looking for.
Sources: ADV Pulse, Royal Enfield
