In order to effectively take on rivals such as KTM 390 Adventure, Royal Enfield has come up with a brand-new platform. Codenamed K1, this new platform will spawn a number of new offerings and first off the mark will be Himalayan 450 catering to aspirations of the adventure (ADV) segment. Now it has been spotted in RE social media videos where the CEO is taking it to UMINGLA Pass. The highest pass in the world.
The design seems like a proper ADV with a high stance, long travel suspension with a big tank, raised headlight, front fender and a larger console which is very Dakar-inspired. The bike will feature a single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine capable of putting out exactly 40 bhp aka 29.4 KW seen in the leaked image. The engine could generate even more torque than its horsepower figure, making it very torquier than its rival. A very long wheelbase of 1510mm can be seen, a kerb weight of 210 KG is expected, making it the heaviest and longest in this segment. 2245mm of length, 852 of width and 1316 of height makes it the biggest motorcycles in this segment. Clearly, RE is making sure there are breakages of chassis, suspension with the kind of beefing is on offer.
Himalayan 450 gets different styling and design, although cues related to Himalayan 411 are quite apparent on the bike. Specifically, the way the frame connects the headlamp to the fuel tank gives the impression of an evolution of the OG 411. In addition, the circular new LED headlamp is unmistakably Himalayan and so are the setup of spoke wheels. The bike will use a trellis frame, and we expect RE to fine tune it right unlike their other chassis on offer.
The front suspension on the Himalayan 450 gets a longer travel unit and adding to the excitement is the inclusion of USD forks. We don’t have information on the ground clearance, but by looking at the image, Himalayan 450 definitely impresses on this front. The bike seems sorted from the perspective of ergonomics and ride comfort, too. Handlebars are easy to reach and centre-set foot pegs add to the overall feel of riding comfort.
Now coming to the critical question of launch timing and pricing of the Himalayan 450. According to initial plans, Himalayan 450 was expected to get market launch towards the end of 2022, although the latest schedule has pushed the launch in two months from now. As far as pricing is concerned, we guesstimate Himalayan 450 to start at around Rs 2.7 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). However, at this price point, it’ll be very close to what Interceptor 650 demands from prospective buyers.
RE has addressed this issue by launching new variants of Interceptor 650 including the ones with alloy wheels that will push the prices of Interceptor 650 upwards, thereby creating a significant gap between the prices of the two motorcycles. Of course, the INT 650 prices also have gone up before the change happened. Now, significantly different than the Himalayan and Scram 411, it will keep the aforementioned bikes for sale while this goes on sale at the same time. Most importantly, Himalayan 452 will go against the likes of the well received Triumph Scrambler 400 also.
