Royal Enfield is working on as many as five all-new 450 cc motorcycles with the Himalayan 450 likely being the first one to arrive sometime next year
Royal Enfield is currently developing a slew of new motorcycles in the 450 cc and 650 cc segments. While we previously wrote about the upcoming range of 650 cc offerings, now details surrounding the 450 cc range have come up on the internet courtesy of an internal presentation. Only yesterday we showed you the clearest spy images of the Royal Enfield 450 cc roadster.
The Chennai-based manufacturer has been caught testing an adventure tourer based on a new platform and a new 450 cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine for months now and it will more likely be the first one to launch next year. A more hardcore variant of what is supposedly called the Himalayan 450 will be introduced in the near future.
The new engine and platform combination will be utilised on a total of five motorcycles. The hardcore version will be a derivative of the Himalayan 450 with a single-piece flat seat setup, higher ground clearance and a longer travel suspension in suspension. This could help Royal Enfield enter the gruelling Dakar rally in the distant future.
With RE gaining positive reception internationally, making an impact in such competitions would certainly elevate the brand image further. A naked roadster will have a lower seat height compared to the Himalayan 450 and it will be equipped with alloy wheels and wire-spoked wheels across different variants.
The test prototype of the roadster indicates the presence of a slim fuel tank, LED headlamp and tail lamp, LED turn signals, offset monoshock rear suspension, etc. Other 450 cc motorcycles in the pipeline are a scrambler and a faired cafe racer. The latter will have lower set clip-on handlebars and bikini front fairing alongside sharing underpinnings with the 450 cc roadster.
The upcoming Royal Enfield 450 cc scrambler, on the other hand, will have a tall handlebar setup, wire-spoked wheel at the front and rear, an underseat exhaust unit, a front beak, a flat bench seat, short fender, etc will likely be available. All these motorcycles will boast LED lighting all around and possibly a more modern instrument console.