Royal Enfield Himalayan 452 India launch: What to expect? – BikeWale

Neil Nair

The rumour of a bigger, more powerful Himalayan has been doing the rounds ever since the 650 Twins were showcased. While a 650cc Himalayan isn’t out of the question, it seems like Royal Enfield has different plans with the Himalayan for now. 
Well, the wait is almost over since the bike is set to be launched in November and as we revealed earlier, it will be called the Himalayan 452, and not 450 like most assumed it to be. Thanks to numerous spy shots and leaked information we have a fair idea of what to expect from the new Royal Enfield Himalayan 452. 
If Royal Enfield wanted to introduce a bigger Himalayan, why isn’t the upcoming model a 650 then? There are two reasons for that and I am sure you won’t expect the second one. 
Well, the heft of the 650cc engine used on the Interceptor and Conti GT would not fully suit the off-road focused nature of the Himalayan. Lest we forget, the width of the parallel-twin motor would also pose as a challenge when engineering a well-balanced ADV. But that doesn’t mean that the Himalayan 650 has been shelved. According to our sources, it is in the works and is likely to come as a touring and road-biased machine rather than a full-blown off roader. 
The second reason is the Dakar Rally Championship where Royal Enfield is looking to participate in 2024. The guidelines of the Rally specifies the motorcycle class to have 450cc, single-cylinder engines. With the Himalayan 452, Royal Enfield will be the first Indian manufacturer to have an in-house developed motorcycle in the Dakar. 
We know that the Himalayan 452 will use a 451cc, single-cylinder engine that is completely new. Mated to a six-speed gearbox that is likely to get a slipper clutch, the engine is said to churn out 39.47bhp at 8,000rpm. In comparison, its rival, the KTM 390 Adventure’s 373cc motor offers 42.9bhp at 9000rpm. 
That said, the new Triumph Scrambler 400 X puts out around 40bhp at 8000rpm, close to the new Himalayan. But with the additional engine capacity, the Himalayan 452 would be expected to bring better low and mid-range performance. 
Then there are its dimensions which are bigger than the Himalayan 411. The 1510mm wheelbase is larger than the 411’s 1465mm while it is also 12mm wider than the latter. These changes are to accommodate the larger engine while keeping the Himalayan functional off the road. 
However, going by the spy images, we can see that the 452 offers a riding triangle similar to the current model. It is fitted with wide and tall handlebars, a slim tank and a seat height that offers wider accessibility. The motorcycle continues to offer a 21/19 spoke wheel combo and is likely to come shod with CEAT dual-purpose rubber. Interestingly, the Himalayan is also expected to come with cross-spoke wheels and tubeless tyres which are likely to be offered in a higher variant. 
The other interesting information we have about the Himalayan 452 is its weight. Considering the bigger engine, the addition of features and whatnot, it is obvious to speculate that the motorcycle would be heavy right? But that isn’t the case with the new Himalayan. A few documents have revealed that the 452 will weigh 3kg less than the Himalayan 411 which is at 199kg. 
While we had an idea of the styling of the Himalayan 452 thanks to the spy images, we know exactly what it looks like now. Royal Enfield hasn’t strayed too far from the design of the current model. 
It has the distinctive shape of the headlap mounted just below the windscreen, which is now redesigned. It also comes with a secondary fender that has been redesigned too. The Himalayan 452 also continues to come with a tank guard however the new one is more rounded than triangular. It protects the brawny-looking fuel tank that is likely to offer more holding capacity. 
That said, the side panels and rear section are changed too, making it look more svelte and sharp. I even liked the design of the new exhaust can. It is oval and stubbier and the finish is somewhat premium. The motorcycle also gets a bigger grabrail and tail rack as standard. 
Well, the videos surfaced have also revealed that the new Himalayan gets thicker cushioning for the seats. I have ridden the Himalayan 411 for close to 700 km and didn’t really feel the need for more cushioning then. However, I found the seat slightly narrow at the inseam, which was also the case with the Scram 411 that we used as a long-termer for close to a year. Well, by the looks of it Royal Enfield has addressed that with the new seat while looking to improve the touring credibility of the motorcycle. 
That said, the Himalayan 452 is likely to come with around 4-5 colour options with the silhouette of the Himalayas as part of its graphic kit. It will also get full-LED lighting for the headlamp, tail lamp and turn signals. 
Other than the full LED lighting, the Himalayan will also get a fully digital instrument cluster that is likely to be a colour display. Unlike most Royal Enfield’s on sale, the Himalayan does not get a separate Tripper Navigation system. 
Instead, we can expect it to have turn-by-turn navigation integrated into the console. This would also mean that the cluster would be Bluetooth-enabled and would like to offer call and message alerts as well. In addition to this, the new Himalayan will offer switchable ABS as standard.
To speculate what the pricing of the new Himalayan would be, let us look at the current pricing which starts at Rs 2.16 lakh. It goes to Rs 2.28 lakh depending on the colour. 
So, if priced aggressively we can expect Royal Enfield to price the Himalayan 452 at around Rs 2.4-2.50 lakh, ex-showroom. Given the changes it will receive, the premium of around Rs 20,000 seems acceptable. 
In either case, Royal Enfield will be looking to price the Himalayan 452 competitively. The motorcycle will compete with the Triumph Scrambler 400 X which is priced at Rs 2.63 lakh, ex-showroom. However, it will surely undercut the KTM 390 Adventure’s Rs 3.38 lakh pricing making it one of the more affordable ADV options in India.
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