Royal Enfield Himalayan 250 could be in the works for arrival in the near future as the adventure motorcycle segment is flourishing
The Royal Enfield Himalayan is one of the most affordable adventure bikes in the country. The Indian manufacturer is set to update the bike next year to make it comply with the latest emission norms, as well as equip it with some new features. A test mule of the 2020 Himalayan was spied recently and it could be a new entry-level Himalayan altogether.
Royal Enfield offers the Himalayan with a 21-inch tyre up front and an 18 incher at the rear, but the test mule appears to be sporting a 19-inch tyre up front and a 17-inch one at the rear. The discs on both the tyres also appear tad bit smaller, which hints that the manufacturer could be working on a new Himalayan with a smaller capacity engine.
Currently, Royal Enfield offers the Himalayan with a 411 cc single-cylinder, air-cooled engine which churns out 24.5 hp of maximum power at 6,500 rpm, and 32 Nm of peak torque at 4,250 rpm. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed transmission.
The 250 cc segment is one of the most popular motorcycle segments in India, and Royal Enfield is certainly not the only brand which is working on a 250 cc adventure bike. KTM unveiled the 250 Adventure last month, which could soon be brought into the Indian market. On the other hand, Hero is also developing a bigger engine for its XPulse adventurer reportedly.
If such is the case, expect Royal Enfield to launch the 250 cc Himalayan late next year, or during early 2021. As of now, the Indian two-wheeler manufacturer retails the 411 cc Himalayan at a starting price of Rs 1.67 lakh (ex-showroom) for the BS4-compliant version.
However, the entry-level ADV could be priced around Rs 1.5 lakh (ex-showroom), since it will be BS6-compliant at launch and will get a few additional features over the current model. As of now, the Himalayan competes against the likes of the Hero XPulse, BMW G 310 GS and the Kawasaki Versys X-300.
*Pics for reference only