reviews

The Royal Enfield SCRAM 411 is here! How does it compare to the competition?

One of the most highly-anticipated big bikes among Royal Enfield and classic bike fans is finally in the Philippines! I’ve personally been wanting to see and test ride the Scram 411 ever since it was first announced, because it promised to check so many boxes for a first big bike in the Philippines, namely:

  • Highway legal (400cc and up, 411cc to be exact)

  • Relatively light, easy to ride and commute

  • Great classic looks

  • Cheap and easy to maintain

  • Off-road capability

The Royal Enfield Scram 411 in Graphite Blue at its Philippine launch

The Royal Enfield Scram 411 in Graphite Blue at its Philippine launch

Here’s the basic facts about the bike:

  • Envisioned and developed as an “ADV crossover” for commuting on the weekdays and on-and-off-road fun on the weekends

  • 411cc fuel-injected, 4-stroke, SOHC, air-cooled single-cylinder engine with maximum power of 24.3bhp at 6500rpm and max torque of 32Nm at 4000-4500 rpm, same as the Royal Enfield Himalayan

  • 200mm ground clearance (best in class)

  • Telescopic front suspension with 41mm forks and 190mm travel

  • 180mm travel on the rear monoshock

  • Dual-channel ABS (non-switchable)

  • 19in front wheel (down from 21in on the Himalayan), 17in rear

  • Improved seat compared to Himalayan

  • 795 mm seat height, lower than Himalayan

  • Starts at PhP 311,000 up to PhP 315,000 for premium color variants

I attended the launch (video above) and shortly after was able to test ride it:

Overall, the bike did not fall short of my expectations: It was nimble and easy to handle in traffic thanks to that 19in front wheel, smoother than the Himalayan with a revised, longer gearing that makes it nicer to ride at low speeds, along with a more comfortable seat. Suspension is stiffer than the Himalayan but still much more comfortable than comparable standards, like the Svart 401. I’m looking forward to spending more time on the bike and really traveling with it, the way it was meant to be used, tackling mixed roads and light to medium off-road.

At its price, it competes directly with its sibling the Himalayan (currently starting at 338k), the KTM 390s (Duke, Adventure, Svartpilen and Vitpilen 401), and entry-level bikes from CFMOTO, Bristol, etc. Offhand, this is how I think they stack up:

  • Pick any of the 390s if speed is a priority and you are tall enough:

    • 390 Duke for the lightest, near cheapest, and most sporty

    • Svart 401 for a super light, stylish city bike that can handle light touring (my personal pick of the 390s)

    • 390 Adventure for more aggressive riders that want to go off-road and tour, or riders moving up from small dual sports

    • Vitpilen 401 for pure style and a sporty ergos and ride, NOT for touring

  • Himalayan for lovers of off-road-biased touring, those who want a chill ride, and short riders

  • CFMOTO and Bristol for cheapest bikes with extra electronic features, for short riders too

  • The Scram 411 for a jack-of-all-trades bike that can commute, tour longer, look great at cafes, offer a chill ride, while having the capacity to bring luggage using the Himalayan’s accessories. Also good for short riders and lower than the Himalayan.

As you can tell, I’m pumped about the Scram as it really does check so many boxes in its class, so much so that I find myself wanting one as a daily bike and something to thrash around on light trails. It’s lighter than my Interceptor while having that tractable engine from the Himalayan that’s so easy and stable off-road.

Test riding the Scram 411 at Royal Enfield Quezon City

Test riding the Scram 411 at Royal Enfield Quezon City

And it’s also one of the cheapest options—it offers so much, and frankly is only mainly lacking in the speed and acceleration department. But since I already own a faster bike (the Royal Enfield Interceptor), that’s not a major consideration for me.

You can test ride one today in the Philippines by contacting Royal Enfield Quezon City or Royal Enfield Bacoor.

That’s my initial take on the Royal Enfield Scram 411! Don’t forget to stay subscribed to my Youtube channel for more motorcycle and travel content coming on the Scram 411 and many more.

A Smartphone Tripod Adapter That Doesn't Suck: MeFoto Sidekick 360 Review

Today I'm doing a quick review on the MeFoto Sidekick 360, which I just stumbled on in Samy's Camera in San Francisco. Doing a lot of smartphone photography content lately, using a cheap smartphone adapter has just been a pain: they're impossible to level on a Gorillapod, not usable in portrait orientation, and are just poorly built.

The Sidekick 360 makes setup and leveling a breeze and its Arca Swiss compatible base means you don't even need a tripod plate to use it - no fiddling with screws! Watch the video above for more info.

The MeFoto Sidekick 360 retails for $30 and the larger Sidekick 360 Plus retails for $35. For buyers from the Philippines, find it on Lazada here (affiliate link).

Video Review: 4K Video and Time-lapse on the Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe

Quickly put this post together before leaving for San Diego for Adobe Max! In this video I share unedited sample 4K video and time-lapse footage from the Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe, which I had the chance to try in Batanes last week courtesy of Asus Philippines. I also share my general thoughts and impressions on the quality of the footage and overall usability of the camera on the phone.

For more on the Zenfone 3's camera, check out my post on shooting the Milky Way with the Zenfone 3 Deluxe!

Shooting the Milky Way With a Mobile Phone: Testing Long Exposures on the Asus Zenfone 3

Shooting the Milky Way With a Mobile Phone: Testing Long Exposures on the Asus Zenfone 3

Just back from Batanes as part of a large group of bloggers and other media people who were there to try out the photography features of the Asus Zenfone 3 line of mobile phones, courtesy of Asus Philippines. I was there mainly as a resource person on shooting the Milky Way, and I was intrigued about the possibility of pulling off Milky Way shots using a mobile phone. How did it turn out? Find out by watching the video above and seeing the final images below!

One of the headline features of the Asus Zenfone 3's camera is its built-in manual mode that allows you to go all the way to ISO 3200 and do long exposures of up to 32 seconds. (For comparison, using the $3.99 645 Pro app on my iPhone 6, I get up to ISO 2000 and a 1/2 second exposure at most, on f2.2.) Combined with its large aperture f/2.0 Largan lens, this would theoretically add up to the standard exposure settings for a wide angle Milky Way shot. For this post, I'm focusing exclusively on shooting the night sky and the Milky Way, saving my overall thoughts on the photography and video features of the Zenfone 3 for a post in the coming week.

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Gear Post: Carrier Pro ZIG Bag x Organizer for GoPro Cameras

Simple "unboxing" video I made to show everyone my first look at the Carrier Pro ZIG, a unique and well-designed bag/organizer for your GoPros and all their accessories. I really appreciate all the thought that went into the design of this product because traveling with cameras and all their accessories, even one as small as a GoPro, can be a pain and small stuff gets misplaced easily.

Created by Gian Rosales, it is a proudly Philippine-made, crowdfunded product. I'm only too happy to support a world-class product from a homegrown entrepreneur.

Order your own Zig here!