Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 launch imminent, teased officially

Royal Enfield is preparing to launch the much-awaited Himalayan 450 in the Indian market. The manufacturer has released an official teaser for the motorcycle in which it can be seen going tackling some tricky snowy terrains. The Himalayan 450 is one of the most important products for Royal Enfield and it will sit above the current Himalayan which comes with a 411 cc engine.

Speaking of Himalayan 411, it has been a huge success despite its shortcomings. The biggest two gripes that the current motorcycle is known for are its weight and an underpowered engine. To tackle this, the new motorcycle will be fitted with a new 450 cc engine. It is still a single-cylinder unit but is liquid-cooled. In fact, it is the first liquid-cooled engine that Royal Enfield has made.

The power outputs are not yet revealed but they are expected to be around 40-45 bhp and 40 Nm of peak torque. The engine would be tuned for low and mid-end grunt so it can tour without the engine facing any stress. Moreover, the low-end grunt also helps while off-roading. The new engine is expected to come with a 6-speed gearbox.

When compared, the current-gen Himalayan produces around 25 bhp of power and 32 Nm of peak torque from its oil-cooled 411 cc, long-stroke engine. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed gearbox.

The Himalayan 411 is known for its function over form design language and it will stay true for the Himalayan 450 as well. There is a beak-like front guard in the front with a large windscreen. There is also an external cage to somewhat protect the motorcycle in case of a fall. There is ‘Royal Enfield’ badging on the cage as well and it is expected that the rider would be able to mount jerry cans on it just like they can on the existing Himalayan.

Suspension duties on the Himalayan 450 will be done by up-side down forks in the front and a monoshock at the rear. The braking setup will consist of disc brakes at both ends. It is expected that there will be switchable ABS on offer as well. There will be a circular digital instrument cluster which is expected to be a new unit.

Expect the new Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 motorcycle to cost much higher than the 411 models currently on sale. The existing models are priced at ₹2.16 lakh (ex-showroom). The new generation motorcycle is likely to be priced north of ₹2.50 lakh (ex-showroom).