- Himalayan 650 will be available in two variants
- Won’t be a true ADV like the existing Himalayan
- Launch planned in 2024
Royal Enfield has been working on a range of brand new motorcycles and the Himalayan 650 is one of them. This bike is potentially the most rumoured bike in the Indian two-wheeler industry.
According to our sources, the Himalayan 650 project began around 18 months ago and it wasn’t part of the company’s initial plan when the new 650cc parallel-twin platform was developed. The company believed that it would be extremely difficult to use that engine on an adventure bike. So it decided to focus on other projects. However, the project was given a green signal when the company found out there’s a lot of demand for a Himalayan 650 due to the current Himalayan’s poor highway cruising speed. But there will be a change in the way the bike will be positioned.
Firstly, the bike, when it makes into production, may not be called Himalayan. It could get a new name. Plus, this bike won’t be a proper ADV like the current Himalayan. Moreover, according to our sources, there will be two variants on offer – one with alloy wheels and one with spokes. The alloy wheel variant will be positioned as a sports tourer and the spoke wheel version will be called the adventure tourer. But Royal Enfield won’t market this Himalayan like the way they did for the 410 version. So they are mostly likely going to play it safe and launch a road oriented bike and a soft roader.
The Himalayan 650 will get a 19-inch front wheel and not 21. The seat height will be higher than the Himalayan. There will be decent ground clearance too. But most importantly, this bike will carry 80-85 per cent of Himalayan styling. So expect no nonsense, rugged styling like the current model. The exhaust will be mounted higher. Brakes will be better. In terms of features, this bike will get a TFT screen with Bluetooth connectivity, multiple riding modes and also a one-level traction control system.
The global debut of the Himalayan 650 has been planned in the last quarter of 2024. The company is looking at hitting the Rs 4 lakh price (ex-showroom) mark for the Himalayan. So on-road price will be around Rs 4.5 lakh.
