Royal Enfield Himalayan First Look Review

Royal Enfield Himalayan First Look Review

Royal Enfield has finally pulled the wraps off the Himalayan – the first adventure bike from the company. Built for long distance touring, the Himalayan has been built from ground up.

Built around a new half-duplex split cradle frame, the Himalayan is the answer to every adventure enthusiasts in the country. While Royal Enfield is known to make classic and modern retro looking bike, the Himalayan was its big and ambitious project, thanks to its long association with the famous mountain range – the Himalayas.

In terms of the overall design, Royal Enfield has taken a very simple approach from the fascia all the way till the tail section. The round headlamp, even though it looks old, does make the bike look little different. Come to the side, and you’ll see the same simplistic approach. In order to keep the weight in check, Royal Enfield hasn’t equipped the bike with big body panels and for the same reason, the frame tubes are visible to enhance the visual appeal. The tank looks big, but holds 15-litres of fuel, which is not bad for an adventure bike. The bike also gets a small tube frame that is mounted on the tank and the headlamp assembly. While there is no mechanical use of it, this frame holds the jerry can which is a part of the company’s official accessories list. The center of the side profile holds a black plate, which has the Himalayan named embossed in it. The subframe of the Himalayan has been beefed up to take care of the pillion and the extra panniers. The seat is wide, comfortable and well cushioned – things that are very important for long distance touring.

The Himalayan is powered by a new 411cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine that produces 24.5bhp at 6500rpm and peak torque of 32Nm between 4000rpm and 4500rpm. This engine is mated to a five-speed gearbox that transfers power to the rear wheel via a chain drive. The company has finally equipped its bike with overhead cams, rather than using the traditional push rod architecture. While we haven’t ridden the bike yet, but it could be the most refined Royal Enfield yet, thanks to usage of counter balancer.

The braking department for the Himalayan is take care of by 300mm single Bybre disc with twin-piston caliper in front and 220mm disc with single-piston caliper at the rear. Unfortunately, the bike misses out on the ABS. The suspension duties are taken care of by 41mm telescopic forks at the front with 200mm travel and monoshock at the rear. This is the first Royal Enfield to get a monoshock. The bike rides on a 21 inch 90/90 tyre at the front and 17-inch 120/90 tyre at the rear.

When it comes to the instrument cluster, the Himalayan easily wins that category. Other than the regular functions like speedometer, tachometer and fuel indicator, the bike gets altimeter and compass, which is a brilliant idea for an adventure bike. Then there are the hazard lamp, gear indicator, tripmeter and odometer for the daily needs.

The Himalayan is available in two colour options – snow white and graphite black. Royal Enfield will launch the Himalayan in mid-March and we’re expecting a price tag of close to Rs 2.2 lakh (on-road Delhi).