After a series of spy shots, spottings, testings, official video reveals and breaking a few foot-pegs the highly anticipated Royal Enfield Himalayan is all set hit the markets this month. The bike-maker has geared up to launch the Himalayan on the 16th of March. The company’s first adventure tourer was unveiled on 2nd Feb 2016, just a couple of day before the Auto Expo. The bike brings a whole new character and dimension to Royal Enfield’s product portfolio. New engine, new bodywork and construction, fancy tech-mech to suit the demeanour and most significantly, a new thump, or rather a lack of it!
The Royal Enfield Himalayan draws power from a newly developed 411cc single cylinder, 4-stroke SOHC engine. The engine is capable of delivering 24.5 bhp of power at 6,500rpm and a max torque of 32Nm at 4,500 rpm. The newly developed power-plant looks different in shape and construction than any other RE bike and is snug in a half duplex split cradle frame. On the front the Himalayan rides on a 21 inch while the rear is a 17 incher rear tyre, the combination is claimed to tackle undulations and broken terrain with relative ease. The front is assisted by a 41mm telescopic front suspension with 200mm travel, while 180mm travel linked monoshock performs the duties at the rear.
The Himalayan has been tested extensively on a variety of terrains by professionals, including the rally specialist, C S Santhosh. The bike is built to take on terrains with ease and we think the machine will do a decent job on the off-road ride. For now there are no official words on the price of the bike, but we can expect it to roll out for a price under INR 2 Lakhs. It is just a matter of some time till we get our hands on the bike for some adventure ride. Till then stay tuned with us for more updates and the much awaited ride impressions and review of the newbie in town!
