Launching Soon!! What To Expect From The Upcoming Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

Engine, hardware and features…we get into it all

• The Himalayan 450 will feature Royal Enfield’s first ever liquid-cooled engine
• A 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel setup will make the Himalayan 450 ready for any kind of off-road challenge
• It is expected to get several modern features against the present RE Himalayan bike

Royal Enfield is known for its diverse lineup of motorcycles, and one of the highly anticipated additions to its portfolio is the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. The current Himalayan is already a favorite among motorcycle enthusiasts, and the upcoming version is generating quite a buzz even before its official launch.

What Will Be Its Price? 

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is expected to come with a price tag of approximately Rs 2.80 lakh (ex-showroom). This pricing will position it in competition with the KTM 390 Adventure, Yezdi Scrambler, and the upcoming Hero XPulse 400.

What Will It Look Like? 

One of the standout features of the current Himalayan is its rugged and purpose-built design. The new Himalayan 450 continues this tradition with a lean, minimalistic appearance that's notably slimmer than its predecessor. Not just slimmer, the bike will also be lighter now. Leaked documents have shown that it’ll weigh 196kg, which is a solid 3kg lighter than the current Himalayan. Bear in mind that will be despite the bike using stronger components and suspension. 

High-set fenders, a front beak, and an overall rugged aesthetic convey its readiness for off-road adventures. It's worth noting that the design of the Himalayan 450 bears a resemblance to the Hero XPulse 200 4V. Enthusiasts will be keen to see if Royal Enfield includes crash guards as standard equipment, which would be a practical addition for off-road riding.

What Engine Will It Sport?

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 marks a significant departure for the brand as it features a 450cc liquid-cooled engine, a first for Royal Enfield, which has traditionally relied on air- or air-/oil-cooled engines. While this move is exciting, there's anticipation regarding how Royal Enfield handles the placement of the coolant to prevent any potential leakage or build quality issues. 

The engine is expected to produce approximately 40PS, promising impressive highway performance. It's complemented by an estimated 35-40Nm of torque, making it suitable for both touring and adventure riding, particularly with its strong low-end grunt. Interestingly though, some leaked homologation document has shown that the bike will make 40PS at a solid 8000rpm, showing that the bike will definitely have a solid top end. 

We expect the bike to make all of its torque around the 5000-6000rpm, which should make it a supremely torquey bike. Yes, it’s a lot to expect but given what the current Himalayan is like, the idea of such a torquey motorcycle is definitely not far fetched. 

Will It Be Loaded With Features?

Spy shots of the Himalayan 450 have revealed a circular TFT console, another first for Royal Enfield. This console is expected to offer a range of information and features, including Bluetooth connectivity, a USB charging port, and turn-by-turn navigation, enhancing its capabilities as a touring bike. 

Additionally, the bike features spoke wheels, which are well-suited for off-road adventures. However, it's important to note that these wheels are unlikely to support tubeless tyres, which means dealing with punctures might still be a challenge, as experienced by current Himalayan owners. That said, online reports have suggested that Royal Enfield could offer tubeless tyres as an accessory, something that’ll make things a whole lot easier for prospective owners. 

And even if Royal Enfield decides against doing that, there are multiple customising shops that offer to do the same at an extremely nominal price tag. And that will really be a no brainer of an upgrade, given that spoke wheels with tubeless tyres offer the best of both the worlds. In fact, the most affordable bike in India which got this combination earlier was the Suzuki V-Strom 650XT, which obviously costs more than thrice of what the Himalayan 450 is expected to cost. 

What About Suspension? 

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 boasts impressive underpinnings, including an inverted fork at the front and a monoshock at the rear. While the inverted fork was previously seen on the Super Meteor 650, it's expected to have a different tuning to align with the Himalayan 450's adventure-focused nature. 

This fork will be designed to be robust and capable of handling challenging terrain. The monoshock, too, is anticipated to be sturdier than those found on other Royal Enfield models and may come with preload adjustability for rider customization. These things said, the fork and the monoshock will not have anything more than preload adjustability. Royal Enfield has never given highly adjustable suspension on any of its bikes and while the Himalayan 450 will be an off-road oriented bike, it’s highly unlikely that it’ll get adjustable suspension. 

Verdict

In summary, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is poised to be a formidable addition to the adventure motorcycling segment, offering an enticing combination of performance, features, and off-road capabilities. Enthusiasts eagerly await its official debut in the Indian market.