Royal Enfield, part of the
Eicher Group, has launched the Himalayan—a motorcycle purpose-built for
adventure and touring in the Himalayas. The motorcycle is powered by a new LS
410 engine. The Royal Enfield Himalayan paves the way for a purer, non-extreme
and more accessible form of adventure touring in India. In fact, its extremely
capable off-road capabilities make it adept for riding though potholed urban
jungles as it does for treacherous mountain trails.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan
will be available in Bangalore for Rs. 184,316 (on-road), in Kolkata for Rs.
181,517 (on-road), in Chennai for Rs. 175,840 (on-road), in Hyderabad for Rs.
176,580 (on-road), in Pune for Rs. 170,362 (on-road) and in Navi Mumbai for Rs.
171,065 (on-road). Delhi-ites will have
to wait a while for the motorcycle, as registrations of new BS III motorcycles have
been put on hold for the time being by the government
Click here to see the youtube video of the Himalayan Review
The Royal Enfield Himalayan is
available in two signature colour options—Granite and Snow and is open for
bookings across all Royal Enfield dealerships across the country in a phased
manner.
Siddhartha Lal, MD & CEO,
Eicher Motors Ltd. said, “Himalayan is the culmination of Royal Enfield’s 60
years of enduring history in its spiritual home—the Himalayas. Our single
biggest insight in all these years of riding has been that the best motorcycle
for the Himalayas is not one that tries to dominate its landscape, but one that
is able to go with its flow. Large adventure tourers that currently define this
category, do not fare well in the Himalayas as they are very heavy, extremely
complicated, intimidating and not really designed for this environment. With
its purpose-built ground-up design, the Himalayan is a simple and capable
go-anywhere motorcycle that will redefine adventure touring in India.”
Built on a rugged duplex split
cradle frame designed and developed by Harris Performance, the Himalayan is
stable and agile in equal parts. A strong mono shock rear suspension with
linkage allows for longer travel and delivers a smoother ride experience
regardless of terrain. The Himalayan’s 220 mm ground clearance ensures it
gobbles up obstacles comfortably be it in the Himalayas, rocky river beds or at
stream crossings. An optimal wheel size combination allows for better control
while riding over rocks and ruts.
The Himalayan is powered by a
completely new and evolved overhead camshaft engine platform that forms the
base for its new long stroke LS 410 engine. The all new engine delivers high
torque and usable power at lower RPMs. This makes for smooth riding in higher
gears at lower speeds, making it easy to climb hills, or to maneuver through
traffic. Modern design and materials of the engine translate to increased
efficiency and low maintenance, and the engine can go 10,000 kilometers between
oil changes.
Rudratej (Rudy) Singh,
President, Royal Enfield said, “What excites me about our new motorcycle, is
that it fundamentally builds on Royal Enfield’s core philosophy of balancing
aspiration with access. It allows both seasoned riders as well as enthusiasts
to do more with just one motorcycle. The Himalayan serves the purpose of a
seasoned rider and at the same time opens the roads (pun not intended) to many
more people who will get the confidence that they can ride on and off the road
less travelled, going beyond their day-to-day commuting needs.”
“Functionally - the
Himalayan’s non-intimidating spartan design, a flat torque curve, accessible
seat height and long suspension travel alongside the ease of ownership, make
the Himalayan is an extremely versatile motorcycle that is adept for long rides
while equally being the definitive choice to navigate our urban jungles.
Towards creating and growing a new segment which offers an option for adventure
loving motorcycling enthusiasts we are offering the new Himalayan at a price of
Rs. 155,545 (Ex-showroom) in Maharashtra and Rs. 178,872 (on-road) in Mumbai” ,
Rudy added.
Touring utility is built
inherently into the Himalayan. A 15 litre fuel tank provides a long range of
approximately 450 kilometers. Luggage mounting points, for hard panniers, soft
luggage and jerry cans are integral to the motorcycle’s design. A simple
instrument cluster keeps track of speed, direction, ambient temperature, travel
time, service intervals and multiple trip distances. Most importantly, an
ergonomical sync between footpegs, handlebar & seat height provide a
comfortable upright riding posture that is necessary for long rides. An accessible
800mm seat height with lower mass-balance ensure ease of planting feet on
ground for complete control. Royal Enfield Himalayan comes fitted with
dual-purpose tyres that lend a confident grip and performance across a range of
conditions. In addition to complete braking control, the 300mm front and 240mm
rear disc brakes help to reduce braking effort.
Royal Enfield has also
launched meticulously designed, purpose-built protective riding gear that
caters to the long range tourer travelling to unpredictable places, terrains
and climates. The protective gear range includes the 4-season Royal Enfield
Darcha riding suit made in collaboration with REV’IT; versatile touring jackets
and trousers with Cordura, protective armour, removable thermal liners and breathable
waterproof lining. The collection also has riding gloves, riding trousers and
riding boots.
Royal Enfield has invested
significant time and effort in testing the Himalayan extensively with experts
and across multiple terrains for both off-road and on-road manners. Starting
from the Bruntingthorpe airfield in UK to the race track in Sriperumbudur,
Chennai; from off-road terrains to urban settings and then in real world riding
conditions in the Himalayas; the motorcycle has clocked lakhs of kilometers and
cumulative mileage before hitting the production line.
Source: Royal Enfield