The Royal Enfield Himalayan is an Adventure Touring motorcycle manufactured by Royal Enfield. It was revealed in February 2015 and launched in early 2016. Pierre Terblanche led the design team during Himalayan's development.[1] As of 2025, this motorcycle has two distinct variants, the original 411 cc machine and a modernized 452 cc revamped offering. Both are branded and marketed as the 'Himalayan', but in truth the two machines share no common components but do share a similar target market.[2]
The Himalayan was conceived by CEO Siddhartha Lal, as an adventure touring, or dual sport motorcycle.[3] The Himalayan differs considerably from the other motorcycles offered by Royal Enfield – most of which are various incarnations of the Bullet utilizing the same frame and engine – in terms of its chassis and powertrain. Pierre Terblanche, formerly of Ducati and Moto Guzzi among other companies, headed Royal Enfield's design team during development of the Himalayan.
An early prototype was made in mid-2014, followed by a more complete version in 2015.[3] The vehicle was released in India in early 2016, followed by a release in international markets such as Philippines, Australia and the United Kingdom later that year. Electronic Fuel Injection and ABS became standard in 2017.[4]
In late 2023, Royal Enfield launched a new variant of this product, the Himalayan 450, sometimes called the 'new, Himalayan. This model is equipped with a new liquid cooled 452 cc DOHC single-cylinder engine producing around 40 hp at 8000 rpm, with ~40 Nm of peak torque at 5500 rpm.[5]
Description
Engine - 411 cc. Initial Himalayan variant
Used in the original Himalayan branded product.
The Himalayan's engine was designed and produced by Royal Enfield 'from the ground up' and shares little commonality with prior products. [6] The engine, named the LS410 indicating its long-stroke ratio, is a unit-construction 411 cc single-cylinder, oil-cooled 4-strokeSOHC engine. The motor generates a power output of 24.5bhp at 6,500 rpm (18.02 KW) and a maximum torque of 32 Nm at 4,000-4,500 rpm. The engine also includes an oil cooler, a first among motorcycles manufactured by Royal Enfield India. The bike employs electronic fuel injection, and the engine is mated to a 5-speed constant mesh transmission.[7]
This engine has a single overhead camshaft, thereby moving away from the traditional pushrod design that had been used by the company from 1955, starting with the original Bullet up to the contemporary Classic series.
Engine - 452 cc. Updated 2023 Himalayan variant
Used in the revamped 2023 updated Himalayan variant.
A modern single cylinder, water cooled engine displacing 452 cc and producing around 40 horsepower. This engine is mated to a six-speed manual gear box.
Accessories
Royal Enfield produce a range of accessories for the Himalayan, including a crash guard, bash plate, headlight guard, top rack and top box. Various of aftermarket suppliers have also entered the market, widening the range of such products.
Frame and chassis
The Himalayan has a half-duplex split cradle frame. Suspension is telescopic in the front while the rear is provided with monoshock suspension. Front forks are 41mm with 200mm of travel and the rear suspension offers 180mm of travel. The motorcycle has a ground clearance of 220mm.[citation needed]
Factory standard tyres measure 90/90 21-inch at the front and 120/90 17-inch at the rear, as of 2025 Himalyan tyres are manufactured in India by CEAT.
The motorcycle has a 300mm disc with a dual piston floating caliper at the front and a 240mm single piston caliper disc at rear.[citation needed]
The instrumentation console for this motorcycle is also modeled anew. It includes an analog speedometer and tachometer, with a digital display for the odometer, gear position indicator, trip-meter and Ambient temperature gauge. Also included is an analog fuel gauge and a digital compass.[7] Also included is a windscreen, which can be manually adjusted for height via screws to two positions. [citation needed]
The motorcycle was designed specifically with adventure touring in mind and features an upright seating position, with a seat height of 800mm, allowing the rider to be seated relatively low compared to the overall height of the motorcycle. The motorcycle also features mounts on either sides of the tank, which can serve as holders for jerrycans, as well as tank guards. The rear includes a luggage carrier, and mounts are also provided as well to install aluminum panniers both provided by Royal Enfield as accessories.[8]
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