Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 goes hardcore off-roading; launching soon!

- Himalayan 450 off-roading video released

- Video shows the bike being ridden by CS Santosh

- Official launch might take place soon

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 has been spied on umpteen times by now. While we were tired of seeing the pictures and videos of its test mules flooding the internet, an interesting video of the production model of the Himalayan 450 has now been released. 

The video shows the Indian Dakar Rally sensation, CS Santosh belting the motorcycle through trails. The bike can be seen being jumped and slid through dirt, mud, and slush. This could be an indication that the new Himalayan 450 will be pitched as a much more capable off-roader than the existing 411cc Himalayan. Interestingly, even by the looks of it, the Himalayan 450 appears to be a leaner motorcycle than the existing iteration which should make it an easier bike to ride off-road. 

The motorcycle will be powered by an all-new and more modern 450cc motor with liquid cooling. From what we have deciphered from its spy video giving away the exhaust note, this will be a short-stroke, high-revving engine. We are expecting it to make power and torque output of around 40bhp and 45Nm, which will position it close to the KTM 390 Adventure in terms of engine performance. Even the hardware will be more upmarket than its predecessor with components like upside-down forks and bigger disc brakes. 

What’s more, the spy shots have revealed that the features will also be more contemporary. So, a full-LED lighting system and a round fully-digital console with Bluetooth connectivity will be a part of the package. Even the inclusion of dual-channel ABS with a switchable function and an assist and slipper clutch won’t come as a surprise. 

The new Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is likely to arrive ahead of the festive season. The pricing should be around Rs. 2.70 lakh (ex-showroom), which will put it against the KTM 390 Adventure X and the BMW G 310 GS in India.