Royal Enfield Himalayan unveiled; launch in March

After a series of spy shots, spy videos and an extensive teaser campaign, Royal Enfield has finally unveiled the all-new Himalayan adventure tourer. Claimed to be Royal Enfield’s first purpose-built motorcycle, the Himalayan has been tested on a variety of terrain conditions and in a range of temperatures to make it abuse friendly.

The Himalayan uses a half-duplex split cradle frame and gets a set of 41 mm front forks with 200 mm of travel and as a Royal Enfield first, suspension duties at the rear are taken care of by a linkage-type monoshock with 180 mm of wheel travel. Up front, the bike sports a 90/90-21’’ tyre, while at the rear, the Himalayan gets a 120/90-17’’ tyre. It boasts of a ground clearance of 220 mm. Stopping power comes from a 300 mm disc brake up front and a 240 mm disc at the rear. ABS however, isn’t an option just yet, but given how it will be mandatory soon, we can be certain that it will be added later.

Another ‘all-new’ on the bike is the engine. Labelled - the LS 410 or “long stroke” 410 engine, the SOHC motor on the Himalayan has 2-valves, with a bore x stroke equation of 78 mm x 86 mm. As the name suggests, this is a long stroke engine designed for good low-end torque delivery. The engine delivers 32 Nm of torque from 4,000 – 4,500 rpm and a moderate 24.5 BHP at 6,500 rpm. It is mated to a 5-speed gearbox.

Fuel is fed through a carburetor and while a fuel-injected model can be expected in the near future, Royal Enfield has chosen a carbureted setup to make the bike easier to fix, especially in remote areas where fuel adulteration and even availability can be an issue.

The bike tips the scales at 182 kg. It gets a 15L fuel tank with a touring range of 450 km. The Himalayan gets a 10,000 km oil change interval and a 25,000 km spark plug change interval.

This will be offered in two colour options – Granite and Snow. It will be on display at select Royal Enfield stores in Delhi and NCR region from Feb 03, 2016. Bookings and test rides for the Himalayan begin from March 17, 2016, across the country. Details such as the warranty, price and delivery schedule will be revealed in March when the bike is launched.