Royal Enfield Himalayan 650 will be a different proposition yet audience friendly motorcycle that everyone eagerly awaits. RE says not to expect launch by the year 2021
Looking to chart into new territories, Royal Enfield is expected to launch Himalayan 650 in India. The company had launched Himalayan in the market earlier in 2018 but the bike couldn’t be able to find favor with the customer owing to a slew of issues, with lack of the power being the main one. Taking the lessons from its previous mistakes, Royal Enfield is now working on to bring a more powerful version of the bike, called Himalayan 650 in the market by the mid of 2021
Royal Enfield Himalayan when initially launched was powered by a new LS engine that had been developed specifically for the bike; however, many customers complained about lack of grunt and subdued performance. Taking the feedback positively, Royal Enfield launched Interceptor and Continental GT 650 last year in India, both of which get powered by a powerful parallel-twin engine. The company now plans to use the same engine, albeit in a more powerful state of tune for the upcoming Himalayan 650.
The 650 parallel-twin engine used by Royal Enfield in 650 Twins has struck a chord with the customers. The motor displaces 648cc, parallel-twin, air-cooled architecture and produces an output of 47bhp@7,100rpm and 52Nm@4,000rpm. In comparison, the currently selling Himalayan features 411cc, a single-cylinder engine producing 24.5bhp@6,500rpm and 32Nm@4,250rpm. The current Himalayan engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission while the upcoming Himalayan 650 will feature 6-speed gearbox.
Expectedly, the company has to make considerable changes in the chassis of the bike to fit the bigger engine although the details of the alterations are scarce at the moment. Himalayan 650 will feature an upgraded suspension system and dual-channel ABS for delivering effective stopping performance. The all-new Royal Enfield Himalayan 650 is expected to be priced at around Rs 2.7-lakh.
