Photo: autox.in
Indian scouts have managed to take several pictures of the Himalayan, the first adventure bike Royal Enfield will deliver. We showed you an early version of the Himalayan in May, disguised as a battered, old rusty two-wheeler, but taking a huge step from the classic RE design.
The new photos, poor and small as they might be, reveal a bike that ticks a lot of boxes for those in search of a light machine to tackle rough trails. The Himalayan has nothing to do with what Western riders consider as being an "adventure bike".
Instead of being a 200+ kg (440 lb) dry heavy motorcycle loaded with a heap of cutting-edge electronic gimmicks, the coffers a simple architecture and basic bike functions. The Himalayan is powered by an air-cooled single-cylinder engine believed to be a 410cc, 28 hp unit, most likely mated to a 5-speed transmission.
Sure, they are more comfortable and more powerful, but when tackling really rough terrain their weight often overwhelms their power. Likewise, such a bike without a s***load of crash bars and other protection add-ons will take a lot of damage that won't simply buff out.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan solves the problem with a minimalist, spartan design that also keeps the machine as lightweight as possible. The engine is bolted to a tubular steel frame and the overall architecture seems to favor solo riding.
A passenger has plenty of real estate for comfortable seating if needed, but two-up touring with luggage might be a bit of a problem because of the rather small rear cargo rack. It will, however, accommodate a decent-size roll-pack tightly kept in place with elastic cords.
Even so, the new spy shots taken by autox show the Himalayan equipped with dual rear luggage racks and a similar array in the front. Strapping softbag panniers to these will increase the cargo capacity significantly.
The exhaust looks like another department that needs improvements, as it only allows a very small pannier to be attached to the rear right rack.
Royal Enfield looks like still having to sort some things out for the Himalayan, but most of the work looks like already done. The bike is expected to retail in India for the equivalent of €3,550 ($3,900) but will surely arrive at a slightly higher price in the Western markets.
Still, it will be a most interesting choice for those in search of a simple, rugged and lightweight bike for both commuting and rough trail adventures.
Instead of being a 200+ kg (440 lb) dry heavy motorcycle loaded with a heap of cutting-edge electronic gimmicks, the coffers a simple architecture and basic bike functions. The Himalayan is powered by an air-cooled single-cylinder engine believed to be a 410cc, 28 hp unit, most likely mated to a 5-speed transmission.
A spartan, rugged bike you can smash against the rocks
One of the biggest downsides of modern adventure bikes is that they are getting bigger and heavier, with becoming more expensive to buy, run and repair.Sure, they are more comfortable and more powerful, but when tackling really rough terrain their weight often overwhelms their power. Likewise, such a bike without a s***load of crash bars and other protection add-ons will take a lot of damage that won't simply buff out.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan solves the problem with a minimalist, spartan design that also keeps the machine as lightweight as possible. The engine is bolted to a tubular steel frame and the overall architecture seems to favor solo riding.
A passenger has plenty of real estate for comfortable seating if needed, but two-up touring with luggage might be a bit of a problem because of the rather small rear cargo rack. It will, however, accommodate a decent-size roll-pack tightly kept in place with elastic cords.
Even so, the new spy shots taken by autox show the Himalayan equipped with dual rear luggage racks and a similar array in the front. Strapping softbag panniers to these will increase the cargo capacity significantly.
A rear monoshock is a first for Royal Enfield
We can see that Royal Enfield abandoned the dual coil-over-shock rear suspension in favor of a modern monoshock design. This, and the sporty, arching rear subframe might be the work of Pierre Terblanche, who has been working with Royal Enfield for some time now.The exhaust looks like another department that needs improvements, as it only allows a very small pannier to be attached to the rear right rack.
Royal Enfield looks like still having to sort some things out for the Himalayan, but most of the work looks like already done. The bike is expected to retail in India for the equivalent of €3,550 ($3,900) but will surely arrive at a slightly higher price in the Western markets.
Still, it will be a most interesting choice for those in search of a simple, rugged and lightweight bike for both commuting and rough trail adventures.
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