Royal Enfield Himalayan spied testing

An early prototype of the Royal Enfield Himalayan has been spied testing near Chennai.

This is the first time we have a clear picture of this upcoming adventure motorcycle. At first glimpse we may conclude that the Himalayan is surely going to be a hard core adventure bike. Long travel suspension at the front, high ground clearance and a rugged body indicate its character.

The twin downtube cradle frame looks new, so does the engine. While there have been reports suggesting that this bike will be available in two engine options and two body styles, one of our sources said that there will be only one engine, which is a new air-cooled single cylinder.  The official power figures are yet to be finalised, making us believe that the launch is still far away.  The Himalayan will get spoke wheels, with proper dual-sport tyres for good grip. We are expecting the fuel tank capacity to be around 15-litres to take care of long journeys.

Royal Enfield has confirmed that they won’t be present at the 2016 Auto Expo, so we are expecting the company will create hype around this biennial event for the Himalayan, just like it did last year, outside the Expo Mart. Over the last few years, there has been an increase in consumers who opt for adventure motorcycles. However, there is a big void in the affordable adventure bike segment and if Royal Enfield manages to launch the Himalayan as early as possible, it will surely get lot of customers.

Image source: motoroids