As many as five 450cc motorcycles are in the pipeline
Whether you love or hate the brand, you have to agree Royal Enfield has made some serious strides in 2023. Among the accolades, the biggest one came towards the end when the Indian giant revealed its first-ever liquid-cooled motorcycle, the Himalayan 452. Not only does the ADV mark a new chapter in the company’s life, but it seems there’s an entire liquid-cooled lineup coming our way next. The confirmation of the same comes straight from a RE top honcho.
In an interview, RE’s chief of design–Mark Wells–suggested a new 450cc lineup based on the Himalayan’s engine seems like a no-brainer. He complimented the power delivery and character, saying no other engine can match what the mill can do. His exact words read, “it would be foolish of us not to think about what else this engine… [could feature in]. It’s a fantastic engine, it really is. It’s genuinely class-leading, and I don’t think there’s an engine anywhere in the class that’s doing what this does. We’ve talked about the torque, but that low-down torque – the way it picks up – is so nice.”
To give you a recap, the new Himalayan debuts a 452cc, single-cylinder engine. It’s armed with liquid cooling, a high 11.5:1 compression ratio (by RE standards), and a four-valve head. A six-speed transmission and slipper clutch play the sidekicks here. All this results in a stonking 15-pony increment from the 411cc, air-cooled single.
What’s coming your way, you ask? Again, the answer to that question comes straight from the bikemaker. As revealed in a leaked financial report, RE has five 450cc bikes in the pipeline. There are two base models–the Himalayan and a roadster–followed by derivatives based on these. The former will birth an enduro-like offering, while the latter will pave the way for a cafe racer and a scrambler (did someone say Scram 452?).
You should know the 450cc roadster has already been spied multiple times in India and Europe. The spy shots clearly showed the 452cc mill with a similar exhaust to the new Himalayan, in addition to similar LED tail lamps and indicators. Plus, we could see bespoke alloy wheels, a round LED headlight, and a curvy fuel tank. Another big difference is the presence of conventional telescopic forks, unlike the Showa USD units present on the ADV.
As good as all this sounds, there’s no concrete timeline for the upcoming 450cc lineup. There might be confirmation from Wells, but what’s coming first still remains a mystery. Till we wait, tell us in the comments – which one of these 450s should Royal Enfield unveil next?
Source – Motorcycle News
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Punya is an avid motorcyclist who’s always up for a ride to the canyons or the racetrack. He insists his riding skills are better than his writing skills, even though he’s worked with some world-renowned automotive websites.
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