Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Raid will likely have an upgraded suspension, a more powerful engine, auxiliary fuel tank, etc
Royal Enfield was spotted testing the Himalayan 450 recently giving us a hint of what is about to come. The test prototype has not got to the final stage of testing yet judging by the not-yet production-ready body panels. Before the Himalayan 450 was caught on camera in its testing avatar, BikeWale revealed plenty of information surrounding the adventure motorcycle and more details have emerged since as well.
The Himalayan 450 appears to be a hardcore off-roader compared to the Himalayan 411 and it will likely have a more sprightly powertrain as well. The most interesting part of the latest report is that the Himalayan 450 will spawn a more off-road focused variant known as Himalayan 450 Raid, and it will go on sale around 2025-26 – likely three years following the market debut of the regular model.
It will have loads of premium technologies including tubeless spoked wheels at the front and rear, a more powerful engine and an auxiliary fuel tank. This goes on to suggest that the Chennai-based manufacturer could contemplate entering the gruelling Dakar rally in the future and the event already sees participation from Hero MotoCorp and TVS Motor Company. The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Raid is internally codenamed K1X.
The brand is expected to launch the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 sometime next year and it will more likely compete against KTM 390 Adventure and BMW G310 GS. Going by RE’s premium motorcycles, it could undercut the competition to have a pricing advantage and is expected to be powered by an all-new 450 cc single-cylinder fuel-injected liquid-cooled engine developing a maximum power output of 40 bhp and 45 Nm of peak torque.
Upon the arrival of the Himalayan 450, the regular 411 cc Himalayan could also face the axe. RE has a host of new motorcycles in the pipeline as the recent launch of the Scram 411 could be followed by the Hunter 350 in the second half of this calendar year while a new 650 cc motorcycle – either a bobber or a cruiser – could make its global debut in late 2023. The company is also developing the next-gen Bullet 350 and a Classic-themed 650 cc roadster as well.
Back to the Himalayan 450, it will likely boast of all-new bodywork, six-speed transmission with slipper and assist clutch as standard, a dual-channel ABS system with switchable rear ABS, ride-by-wire throttle with Road, Rain and Off-road ride modes, 20-litre fuel tank, USD front forks, monoshock rear suspension, 21-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels, a luggage rack with a payload capacity of 15 kg, etc.