When Royal Enfield first launched the Himalayan, the bikemaker sent out a statement to the world that it is capable of developing other motorcycles as well, apart from retro cruisers and roadsters. During its nascent stage, the Himalayan was riddled with issues but regular updates meant that the current iteration of the Himalayan is devoid of any major issue. The latest version of the ADV-tourer went on sale earlier this year but motorcyclists around the country left wanting for more. A RE Himalayan 650 to be precise.
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And now, it seems like the rumoured Himalayan 650 might turn into a thing of reality soon. According to a recent report that emerged on the internet, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 650 is definitely in the works.
Over the past year, a lot of RE test mules have been spied testing on the Indian roads. Be it the 650cc cruiser, roadster or the Interceptor 350 but the more powerful version of the Himalayan hasn’t been spied testing, not even on a single occasion. Part of the reason behind this could be the fact that it is not being developed on Indian soil. Reports suggest that it could be developed at Royal Enfield’s technology centre in the United Kingdom.
The current iteration of the ADV is powered by a 411 cc single-cylinder air-cooled SOHC four-stroke engine producing a maximum power output of 24.3 bhp and 32 Nm of peak torque and is connected to a five-speed transmission. While the Himalayan is high on its ‘go-anywhere’ quotient, it just cannot go there fast enough. Performance could be the only department where the Himalayan loses out a little. And if RE is indeed developing a new Himalayan around the 650cc platform, it could unleash hell on its competitors. For instance, the 650cc mill in the 650 twins puts down around 47HP and 52NM of peak torque. The 650cc mill is renowned around the globe for its torquey character, something that would go down very well with the Himalayan’s persona.
We do not know if Royal Enfield will use the Himalayan 650 name for it or opt to give it a separate identity. Either way, it is great to know that we might actually get to see a 650cc ADV-tourer from RE’s stable and if all things go well for the company, its rival camp should start brainstorming. A lot!