How Versatile Is the Royal Enfield Scram 411?

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Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Royal Enfield North America. It outlines a two-day Southern California adventure we had recently showcasing the Scram 411’s versatility for urban-minded and light adventure rides. Royal Enfield is one of the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturers. Born in England, the company’s manufacturing is now rooted in India but it continues to leverage a design and engineering operation in Leicestershire, England.

Learn more about Royal Enfield's Scram 411: https://royalenfieldna.com/engage-scram-mode-usa/

Video: Joseph Agustin & Ray Gauger Media, Inc.

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Transcript
00:00 Hey folks, did you know that Royal Enfield is one of the oldest motorcycle brands in
00:05 the world?
00:06 It's also one of the biggest.
00:07 Today, we're taking a look at Royal Enfield Scram 411 to see how versatile this $5,100
00:14 bike can be.
00:15 [music] [engine revving]
00:39 [music] We just got done riding Royal Enfield's 2023
00:55 Scram 411.
00:57 This is an entry-level, air-cooled, scrambler-style street bike from Royal Enfield out of India.
01:04 Now, if you're not familiar with Royal Enfield, they actually began manufacturing motorcycles
01:09 in England in the early 1900s.
01:12 Things were going so well for them that fast forward to the 1950s and they opened another
01:18 production facility in India.
01:20 Now, it's hard to believe, but only a few decades later, their English operation actually
01:26 closed down.
01:27 Then, in the mid-1990s, Royal Enfield was rebooted again, and that's where the 2023
01:35 Scram 411 lives.
01:36 Now, even though these motorcycles are manufactured in India, a good bulk of its engineering and
01:44 design actually takes place at Royal Enfield's design studio in England in the heart of motorsports
01:51 and F1 racing.
01:53 Now, not only is the Scram 411 a good fit for new riders, it's also an affordable option
01:59 for someone who's looking to have a little bit of fun during the week and then kick up
02:03 some dust on the weekend.
02:05 That's the exact use case we had on the Scram 411.
02:09 We began our adventure by cruising Southern California's Pacific Coast Highway.
02:14 On that road, the Scram 411 really shines.
02:17 Let's begin with the ergonomics.
02:18 The seat on this motorcycle, it's pretty comfortable.
02:21 It's wide.
02:22 It has just the right amount of squish to let miles melt away with ease.
02:27 The handlebar is nice and upright, and the foot pegs are positioned in such a way that
02:31 make for a really relaxed ride.
02:34 We're six foot tall, so we're a little bit taller than the average American.
02:38 We had no problem putting both feet on the ground at a stop.
02:42 If you're a smaller stature person, you're probably going to feel pretty comfortable
02:46 on this bike.
02:48 Another neat feature is this is a real full-size motorcycle.
02:52 This isn't a scooter.
02:53 This isn't a mini bike that's trying to be a real motorcycle.
02:57 This is the real deal, especially with its cable-actuated clutch and five-speed gearbox.
03:02 Now, it's no surprise that this air-cooled 411cc single, it's not going to win any drag
03:09 races unless you're racing sleepy-headed drivers next to you.
03:13 Still, this engine's good for right around 20 horsepower.
03:16 You'd be surprised how much get up and go it has.
03:20 It actually can go up to 80, 85 miles per hour on a flat road.
03:25 Cruising down PCH, you're going to be going way slower than that.
03:28 I really like just the vibes, literally the vibrations that this engine puts off.
03:35 It's just got the right amount of torque.
03:38 It really feels like you're riding a classic motorcycle.
03:42 Yeah, there's some vibration through the controls.
03:44 Yeah, the engine isn't as loud-sounding as bikes twice the price, but this thing's pretty
03:52 fun to cruise on.
03:54 It really makes me remember what it was like when I first started getting into motorcycling,
04:00 the sound of the engine, the feel of the buzz through the controls, just that visceral experience.
04:07 And the experience works really well when you're cruising.
04:12 It's also worth noting that this engine is designed to go the distance.
04:18 After its initial service, Royal Enfield recommends oil change intervals at 6,200 miles.
04:26 So when you ride this bike, you can put on some miles and it's not going to require a
04:31 crazy amount of maintenance.
04:33 Now there's certainly faster motorcycles out there for you experienced folks, but if you're
04:37 new to riding, the engine and the power band on this motorcycle is going to be a good fit
04:42 for you.
04:43 The throttle response is super gentle.
04:45 The engine's not going to bite you.
04:47 When you're learning how to use the clutch and figuring out how to get the synchronization
04:51 down right between the throttle, the clutch, and the gear shifting, you want a friendly
04:56 motorcycle.
04:57 You want a bike that's not going to bite you.
04:59 And that's what this Royal Enfield Scram 411 really slots in.
05:03 It's really well-suited for running around town, grabbing a cup of coffee.
05:08 You don't have to think about the motorcycle getting away from you.
05:11 And when you're new to riding, that's a big deal.
05:14 It's going to help facilitate a fun, safe, and enjoyable life riding motorcycles.
05:21 After grabbing a coffee and checking out the sights and the sounds at the beach, we headed
05:26 into Duluz.
05:29 Duluz is the type of road riding that's made for the Scram 411.
05:35 Now, these roads are small roads.
05:38 Think third, fourth gear, between 30 and 40, 45 miles per hour.
05:42 And that's the kind of riding where the Scram 411's really in its element.
05:47 These roads are a little bit more beat up.
05:50 They might have some stuff in the road.
05:52 And that's where this bike does really well.
05:55 You'd be surprised how agile this 400-and-some-pound Scram 411 is.
06:00 It is very, very maneuverable.
06:03 And the handling on this thing, when you have this thing leaned over, you'd be amazed the
06:09 kind of handling it offers.
06:11 It feels more precise and more sporty than you would think a $5,100 Scrambler-style motorcycle
06:19 would be.
06:21 Just over seven inches of suspension travel on this motorcycle.
06:25 This thing rides really well over the bumps.
06:28 It soaks up the rough stuff, yet still gives favorable road holding when you have this
06:33 thing leaned over in the corners.
06:35 After carving up some turns in the hills of Duluth, we pointed our bike towards Murrieta,
06:40 California.
06:41 Murrieta's an old farming and ranching town from the 1900s.
06:44 Nowadays, it's been an extension of Riverside County, where a lot of suburbanites live to
06:50 commute between San Diego and Riverside.
06:53 But still, if you head toward the Santa Ana Mountains, there's some of the remnants of
06:58 Murrieta's wild, wild west history.
07:01 We rode this bike on a two-track trail to this abandoned aqueduct.
07:06 It was a concrete aqueduct, spray painted with a bunch of words we can't say right now.
07:12 But it was a hoot to ride the bike in these conditions.
07:15 We rode up and down these concrete ledges, and I was surprised how well this bike worked
07:21 in the standing position.
07:22 The ergonomics work really well on the street and off-road.
07:26 You gotta remember, this isn't an off-road bike or a dual sport bike by any means.
07:32 But this bike is more than capable of taking you off the beaten path and allowing you to
07:37 see things that you normally wouldn't be able to see from a road.
07:41 Now, after we carved those concrete pillars, we actually climbed this mountain.
07:48 This steep mountain.
07:49 It was almost like a steep, rocky mountain that they were getting ready to grade to build
07:53 probably more houses.
07:54 But this thing lugged right up it.
07:56 Of course, we had to use first gear.
07:58 That's one of the knocks on this bike.
08:00 The five-speed gearbox, the gearing is a little bit tall.
08:03 That's how you get it to go 85 miles per hour on the highway.
08:07 So you're gonna have to put it in first gear in the steep stuff, but this thing lugs up
08:12 that kind of terrain just like a tractor.
08:14 And it was a hoot.
08:15 We finished it off by doing some donuts, having some fun, and that was a wrap of our dual
08:21 sport ride in the hills of Murrieta.
08:25 As usual, we totally lost track of time.
08:28 That means we had to ride back in the dark.
08:30 And that's one area where we wish Scram 411 splurged a little bit on LED lighting.
08:37 That said, the halogen bulb headlight, it's nothing fancy, but it throws off a deep enough
08:43 swath of light for you to see where you're going when you're riding, even on a dark night.
08:48 Well, folks, we did it.
08:49 We covered a lot of ground on Royal Enfield Scram 411.
08:53 We cruised PCH.
08:54 We rode in the canyons of Duluz.
08:56 We rode off-road.
08:57 You know we did some donuts in the dirt.
08:59 We rode at night and in a quick rainstorm.
09:03 Whether you're new to motorcycling or a more seasoned vet, this $5,100 Scram 411 offers
09:08 a lot of versatility for you urban riders out there.
09:11 Well, folks, that wraps up today's adventure.
09:14 As always, make sure to surf on over to MotorcyclistOnline.com.
09:18 That's where all of our written content comes to life.
09:21 Give this video a thumbs up if you liked it, thumbs it down if you didn't because we'd
09:24 love to hear from the naysayers.
09:26 And sound off in the comments section.
09:28 What do you think of the Scram 411?
09:31 Special thanks to Royal Enfield for sponsoring this video, and we'll see you in the next
09:35 episode.
09:35 [MUSIC PLAYING]

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