Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 will more likely be launched in India sometime next year and it will pack a new 450 cc liquid-cooled engine
Royal Enfield has been spied testing the Himalayan 450 again on Indian roads and the latest images you see here are the clearest yet. The Chennai-based retro motorcycle maker is testing the Himalayan 450 not just in India but in the United Kingdom as well. The adventure tourer will be positioned above the existing Himalayan 411.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is expected to go on sale sometime next year in India judging by the regular sightings of the prototypes. The test mule you see here shows a lot of information we have already known so far. It gets new body panels, a high stack front beak, a tall transparent windscreen, a split seat setup and a larger fuel tank compared to the Himalayan 411.
The front end comprises a round-shaped LED headlamp with a black casing, black finished side-mounted exhaust canister, 21-inch front and 17-inch rear wire-spoked wheels wrapped around by tubed rubber, rear luggage rack, switchgear from the familiar RE parts bin, and a semi-digital instrument cluster (Tripper Navigation system is highly likely).
It will take on the KTM 390 Adventure directly along with the BMW G310 GS and the upcoming Hero Xpluse 400. The Himalayan 450 is suspended on upside-down front forks and an off-set rear monoshock suspension while the braking duties are handled by front and rear disc brakes with a dual-channel ABS system.
The adv appears to have more hardcore off-road characteristics compared to the Himalayan 411 and it looks to sit on a brand new architecture that should help in reducing the overall kerb weight – the 411 has it at close to 200 kg. It will reportedly derive power from a new 450 cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled fuel-injected engine.
It is expected to produce a maximum power output of around 40 bhp and will be paired with a six-speed transmission with a slipper and assist clutch as standard. The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 could be priced aggressively against its competition. The company is currently working on launching the new-gen Bullet 350 and a pair of 650 cc motorcycles as well.