Royal Enfield Himalayan spied testing in Chennai

Few weeks ago, we had reported about Royal Enfield registering the “Himalayan” name in Europe, making us believe that the company is working on an adventure motorcycle. And now we have managed to see a Royal Enfield test mule being ridden on Chennai roads.

While there are no stickers or information suggesting the name of the bike, but we believe it is the early prototype of the upcoming Royal Enfield Himalayan. The test mule was heavily camouflaged –a way not to reveal too much information. As per a source, the Himalayan motorcycle will be based on a new platform and the test mule proves the same. The major attraction of this upcoming motorcycle will be the introduction of monoshock suspension– a first time for a Royal Enfield motorcycle.

The test mule seems to be using the Continental GT frame, which is a good thing, because that bike is a really good handler. The fuel tank design is new and is bigger than the other bikes in order to give a better range. The riding position is upright and comfortable and the bike gets centre set footpegs. The tail section of the bike looks incomplete as the bike is an early stage prototype.

Royal Enfield is tight-lipped about this new bike, but we are expecting the Himalayan to be powered by a new engine. Rumours suggest that it will get a 400cc engine, which is basically a bored-out version of the current 350cc engine. We won’t be surprised to see Royal Enfield launching a bigger version of the Himalayan as well in future, say with a displacement of 700cc or more.  We are expecting the company to launch the Himalayan by the end of this year, but there is a high chance of the bike making a debut at the 2016 Auto Expo.

Stay tuned to BikeWale as we get you more details on the Royal Enfield Himalayan. 

Image source : motor vikatan