It’s very likely that the new Royal Enfield Himalayan will be unveiled in a few months’ time. Just this month, in India, details were revealed of the Bullet 350 – the newcomer to the J1 platform, equipped with a 20 hp single-cylinder engine – and, in the last few days, photographs have emerged that reveal the new Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 almost in its definitive version, albeit with an all-black color scheme, the one that probably characterizes the “test models”, the prototypes used for road tests.
However, the degree of definition of the surface and the attention to detail that seems typical of bikes almost ready for industrialization lead us to believe that the Adventure, which takes over the baton from what was the last air-cooled Euro 5 homologated enduro with more than 350 cc, is now ready for international presentation. On the other hand, other very credible indications, such as the teaser released a few days ago, point to the hypothesis that the Himalayan 450 (displacement still to be confirmed, but very likely) will be presented soon and for the international market.
Although the new Himalayan has been caught testing several times over the past year, there is a complete lack of certain data on the displacement and performance of the liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine, the latter being an absolute historic first for Royal Enfield. No official statement from the Indian manufacturer has confirmed what seems to be the most likely hypothesis: 450 cc, around 35 hp, which is delivered by a six-speed gearbox (five in the air-cooled version) with a slipper clutch.
What is certain are the wheel diameters, 21″ and 17″, fitted with tubular tires, and the braking system consisting of a pair of discs obviously equipped with ABS. The frame features an inverted fork and a rear monoshock, while the equipment includes a complete LED system, instrumentation with a circular TFT panel placed in an almost vertical position.
In terms of styling, much has been done to avoid losing the very recognizable and very personal look of the current model: the side metal parts next to the fairing remain vertical, while the radiator is not too aesthetically heavy and does not affect the line of the bike.
Given the rather definitive state of the bike pictured, Indian sources speculate that the official launch of the new Royal Enfield Himalayan could take place on November 1st: We can only wait, not least because it’s legitimate to think that the same platform will be used by Royal Enfield for other models and if it seems almost a given that a Scram 450 with a 19-inch front wheel could appear in the future – although we wouldn’t want to risk it happening in 2024 – the recent request for protection of the Guerrilla 450 name by the Chennai-based company legitimizes the idea that a road naked with an 18- or 17-inch front wheel, as in the prototype we showed you less than a year ago, could be in the offing. Nothing definitive, it’s certainly not the first time that the registration of a name is not followed by the immediate presentation of the corresponding model, so all caution is required, but the hypothesis is at least well-founded and suggestive. There’s not much to add: at EICMA 2023, the Royal Enfield stand will probably have more than one surprise in store for us all