When you think of Royal Enfield (RE), a thumping cruiser with round headlamps comes to the mind. A bike that you imagine taking to the highways for long journeys. But the company aims to change that with the Himalayan.
The company purpose-built their latest offering for touring, and fortunately, didn’t make a half-hearted attempt at doing so.
At least, that is what it looks like at first glance.
The Himalayan is powered by a long stroke 410 engine, which churns out 24.5 horsepower and 32 Nm of torque. This newly designed engine comes mated to a 5-speed gearbox, and the company claims that it can go 10,000 kilometres between oil changes.
In terms of braking, the front end is equipped with 300mm disc brakes, while the back gets 240mm disc brakes, enough for the 182 kg (kerb weight) bike.
Another interesting aspect of the Himalayan is the fresh instrument cluster which displays speed, direction, ambient temperature, travel time, service intervals and multiple trip distances.
The company also adds that the bike will provide a mileage range of approximately 450 kilometers, thanks to the 15-litre fuel tank.
Sticking to the tourer approach, RE has built the Himalayan on a split cradle frame, which has been designed by Harris Performance. It also sports a mono shock suspension and a good 220 mm ground clearance.
The split seats and large front tyre (sized at 21 inches) along with high handlebars promise to be comfortable for long rides.
Royal Enfield has definitely taken a fresh new approach here and has tried to offer a true-blue tourer, something that the Indian roads do not see a lot of.
The company has made no announcement of its price as of now, but it is expected to cost around Rs 1.8 lakhs to Rs 2 lakh.
If this happens, the bike will not have a tourer competitor, but the price range will pit it right against the Mahindra Mojo.
For now, the new approach is being welcomed by bike lovers as it might spark the inclusion of several offerings by other motorcycle manufacturers in the future.
Royal Enfield Himalayan Features:
- Engine: 411cc, single cylinder, air-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC
- Transmission: 5-speed constant mesh
- Power: 24.5 hp @6500 rpm
- Torque: 32 Nm @ 4000-4500 rpm
- Weight: 182 kg (kerb)
- Ground Clearance: 220-mm
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 15 litres
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