It looks like Royal Enfield has just broadened their lineup to include a new all purpose, on and off road motorcycle called the Himalayan. The inspiration is the vast and varied terrain of the Himalayas themselves, but in making an all purpose, go anywhere bike, they came up with something as well suited for city streets and potholes as it is mud and dirt. It’s an adventure bike.
It’s still powered by a single, but it’s all new, a long stroke 411cc air cooled single that also sports an external oil cooler and drives through a 5 speed transmission. The frame, designed by Harris Performance, has high ground clearance, a long travel front suspension with a 21 inch wheel and a monoshock setup in the rear, a first for Royal Enfield, with a 17 inch wheel. There are multiple mounting points for aluminum panniers, jerry cans, soft luggage and whatever else you might need whether you take it into the wilds or the untamed cities. Disc brakes front and rear plus the tank holds 15 liters or about 4 gallons of fuel.
This sort of affordable, simple, all purpose bike could be a good choice in today’s sluggish economy. You get a bike for all seasons and all roads with fuel economy and fun in the bargain. This could be a winner.
Link: Royal Enfield
JP Kalishek says
Wish them luck, and hope this works well for them.
Michel Crockwell-Laurent says
Definitely my type of bike!!!!!
Dale Dunn says
Looks like fun, but what’s the extra front fender for?
Yeti2bikes says
Getting clogged up with mud.
Bob Slovey says
If the standard fuel tank is a 4 gallon unit, then the obvious next question is…. Is there a larger fuel tank option available from the factory? I’m thinking a 6 gallon unit would be ideal for most remote excursions.
Paul Crowe says
I bet with a 400cc engine, you could go quite a long way with 4 gallons, though you could strap on more if you wanted.
Jason says
The racks on either side of the fuel tank hold detachable fuel tanks.
Tin Man says
It seems that if you spend all the money to develop an all new bike you would make it a bit larger then the 400 class if you want it to sell in the world market. I agree that the big 1100 ADV’s are excessive but something around 650 would fill a gap in the marketplace. Of course without knowing the price it’s hard to judge how well this bike will sell outside of India. Best of luck to R.E.
Wave says
How would a 650cc adventure bike fill a gap in the marketplace?
Most proper off-road touring machines are 650cc or thereabouts. There’s the Suzuki DR650, BMW G650, KTM 690, Husqvarna 701 Enduro, just to name a few!
Wave says
Having said that, I do kind of agree that a bit more capacity might be nice. For the Indian market, 400cc is plenty though.
This will end up ridiculously expensive in Australia, because all Royal Enfields are somehow branded as an exclusive lifestyle product, despite being mass-produced in India for their domestic market.
I would rather have the the BMW G650 GS and keep the change!
Paul Crowe says
Is that due to a surcharge because it’s a “lifestyle” product down there or is the price due to import tariffs? India puts huge tariffs on imported motorcycles, maybe Australia does, too.
I’m not sure about the 400cc size being enough, either, especially for those of us who carry a few more pounds, but most of us are so used to huge engines we tend to dismiss smaller displacements when they would actually work just fine. I guess a road test is in order whenever one of these comes around.
Wave says
I’m not sure what the tariff rates are, but we have no locally manufactured motorcycles, so you would think it should be the same for all bikes.
If you think 400cc isn’t enough for touring on rough roads, then check out C90adventures on YouTube. He’s ridden most of the world on a Honda C90.
GenWaylaid says
Very nice. These days I’m riding a 1983 Honda FT500 Ascot. This seems like a pretty comparable bike. It’s more modern and a bit more off-road oriented than my Honda, but the big, thumping single is the same. I would have bought a Royal Enfield, but the Ascot was a fraction of the price with low miles.
Buck says
What is that structure on either side of the tank? Placing the logo there gives the appearance of a model built with the gas tank decals slid too far forward.
Jason says
Fuel tank carriers
Wayne Carr says
looks good, looks like the tank is held on with black string !!, & made by Indians !!
they should try their hand @ scooters !!
Dudley Clark says
The mounts on either side of the gas tanks are for additional fuel tanks can be purchased as accessories, along with paniers for the rear racks.
meka says
At last ! A tourer with a new engine, YES. The price of the bike is 2500 US $ in India (rs 175 000).
The first bad critics are on the somehow small tank and the small engine (400cc with big loads is it enough), The bike is heavy (182 kg) & with only 5 gears. Waiting to see if the frame and paint are tough enough. No projector head lamp. Racks optional. Look controversial.
Good points : a real good balance, new engine, good size tires, low maintenance, good instrument console, lamp attach to frame. Mono-shock rear suspension. Good price for value.
Price & specs may change.
Royal Enfield had to create a new model for all terrains. More youngsters want to explore far from home and away from work. This model is also to get a better identity in the more demanding foreign market. With 400cc they lead the indian market doing more sales in the 150cc to 220cc segment ( but soon comes the Bajaj Puslar NS400 in cooperation with KTM-engine. Check also the newly arrived Bajaj Avenger Street 220cc at only US$ 1200 & the Bajaj V15 150cc at US$ 950. Bajaj is doubling sales every year. The next step for Royal Enfield is to create a double cylinder 1000cc engine like the beautiful creations of Aniket Vardhan.
Dr Rajiv Marcose says
Hi, I am a 45 year old orthopaedic surgeon with an interest in motorcycles and all things mechanical. Based in Uttranchal, close to the Himalayas, I own a Continental GT, which I ride whenever I get time.
Royal Enfield sold around 47,000 bikes this Jan in India, of which 44,000 were those with 350cc engines. The 500’s and the 535’s together added up to less than 3500 units. Exports stood at a little over 500 units.
The fact is that although RE claims to have aspirations of being an international player,
they I guess realise that their bread, butter and jam too if you will! Is going to come from sales in the Indian market in the short and medium term. Hence the 400cc motor – power comparable to their current 500cc engines with pricing that will be more than that of the 350’s but less than that of the 535’s.
Riding an Enfield in India I guess is akin to owning a Harley in the States. It’s a cultural thing! and probably has more to do with the thumph of the motor than its power output or reliability. That said the current Enfields are a far cry from their pre UCE counterparts.
Tata ratna says
The come back of the Royal Enfield Fashion. Communion or communication ?
Efforts are made on dealers, brand stores, Clubs and forums to stimulate passion.
True, Royal Enfield is selling more bikes than Harley Davidson.
They increased their sales by 73% in 2015 : 44,138 units compared to 2014 ( 25,510)
True, Royal Enfield is a cultural emblem, part of the classic & vintage period of India.
Because Royal Enfield was rediscovered by Westerners, it becomes trendy in India.
Now the world has changed and there are many aggressive competitors on the market.
The customer is asking for light, reliable, fast, stylish, fuel efficient and cheap bikes.
The biggest demands are on scooters due to younger, urban and feminine generations.
There are no comparison, the scooter Activa from Honda sold 225,000 units in july 2015.
Royal Enfield has a market niche; Their sales have dropped abroad by 18%.
They needed to revive their image of a slow, poorly made, expensive bikes company.
It was done with the Continental cafe racer and the dirt BMW look Himalayan models.
Already the Continental disappoints its owners. It’s too expensive, slow, with vibes etc.
Is Royal Enfield coming back in the party of big players. Will they withstand the crisis ?
The new Royal Enfield Himalayan is impressive, well prepared during 2 years.
it’s a daring challenge, we all pray for its success.
J. pandey says
Now you know the equation : price, weight, speed, reliability. Let see the first sales of march.