- Himalayan 450 goes off-road racing
- RE took part in Swank Rally De Sardegna
- The bike was seen with rally parts
Royal Enfield has made its off-road racing debut with its adventure bike – the Himalayan 450. The company recently participated in Swank Rally De Sardegna in Italy.
Salvatore Di Beneditto rode for the brand in a rally-spec Himalayan 450. From the pictures, it is clear that a lot of cycle parts have been removed to save weight. The biggest weight drop has come from replacing the headlamp unit with a rally-type light. However, the windscreens are a bit bigger. The bike was also seen with some Royal Enfield aftermarket accessories like the radiator guard, rally seat and also the rear cover. Interestingly, the sump guard is not from RE. The tyres are knobbies in nature but aren’t made by CEAT.
In terms of performance upgrades, there’s a high chance the company has tuned the ECU to extract more power. The bike is also seen with an after-market exhaust. The fuel tank braces have been retained to hold additional luggage with possibly some spares inside. The front mudguard has also been removed. Interestingly, this rally participation hasn’t been publicised by Royal Enfield, but Salvatore was seen wearing RE-branded gear, which makes it clear that it’s an official participation from Royal Enfield.
