We hoped to see the new Royal Enfield Himalayan at EICMA last month, but several days before the major bike show kicked off, we were informed that the Indian manufacturer decided to postpone the launch of the model.
Instead of breaking cover at the most important show in the Western motorcycle industry, Royal Enfield preferred to pull the wraps off the Himalayan in a home show. While this might sound a bit strange to some, the move is, in fact, as natural as it gets.
With its 400-ish single cylinder engine delivering only an estimated 28 horsepower, it is hard for the Himalayan to make a strong impression in North America or in Europe. The latter market has a strong tradition in adventure motorcycles and is not at all easy to trick into a machine like the Royal Enfield Himalayan.
A 28hp adventure bike sounds fun, but has limits
Most modern middleweight bikes in Europe produce up to twice the maximum power of the Himalayan, and significantly better torque, especially the dual-sport ones. So unless the bike is built like a tank AND exceedingly affordable, it can't make the headlines.
So Royal Enfield postponed the introduction of the bike for February 2016, at the Indian Auto Expo show. The Himalayan, however, will be a glorious addition to the Indian/Asia scene, and has very good odds to become an instant bestseller in these markets, most likely because it strays from the traditional line of Royal Enfield, and it does this in a modern way.
We kind of like the rumble of the Himalayan in this video, as it sounds pretty much like any Western adv bike does. It's throaty exhaust tone could surely be improved by adding an aftermarket silencer, and we can bet that this type of modding will become very popular. The low height of the can, however, may be troublesome in certain riding scenarios. If you look around at other proven adv bikes, you'll see that their silencers are way higher.
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