Royal Enfield Himalayan enters the 21st century By Ben Purvis
For decades, Royal Enfield has represented a step back in time that's welcomed by riders longing for a simpler age, but doesn't offer a lot of competition to rivals operating at the cutting edge of motorcycle technology. That's all changing now with the new Himalayan - the first liquid-cooled, six-speed DOHC bike in the company's long history.
The original Himalayan, launched in 2015, was a tentative step into the modern era for Royal Enfield, ditching retro looks in favour of a utilitarian style from former Ducati design boss Pierre Terblanche. But underneath laboured an old-fashioned air-cooled single and ultra-simple chassis. The new model brings everything up to date, with the focus on an engine that nearly doubles its predecessor's output thanks to truly modern design.
The DOHC, four-valve, liquid-cooled single manages 40 hp at 8,000 rpm, up from 24 hp for its air-cooled predecessor, from a capacity of 452 cc. It sits beneath a steel twin-spar frame that replaces the cradle design of the original Himalayan, with upside-down 43 mm forks instead of right-way up 41 mm versions, and an aluminium swingarm with a rising-rate monoshock.
That redesign means the new bike, despite its liquid-cooled engine and the radiator, water pump and pipework that entails, is 3 kg lighter than the old model, coming in at 196 kg including a 90% full tank of fuel. It's a bigger, 17-litre tank as well, up from 15 litres on the older model.
As before, the Himalayan is designed to cope with the terrain its name suggests, with a 21-inch front wheel wearing 90/90-21 rubber and a 17-inch rear with a 140/80-17 tyre. There's 200 mm of wheel travel at each end and 230 mm of ground clearance, and the seat can be adjusted from 825 mm to 845 mm.
Brakes are from Brembo's ByBre subsidiary, with a two-piston front caliper and a 320 mm disc, plus a single-piston rear and 270 mm disc, with ABS that can be switched off for off-road use.
The styling is an updated take on the rugged original, with a sleeker look that retains signature elements like the round headlight and the distinctive luggage racks on each side of the fuel tank. From the rider's seat, there's more evidence of the bike's modernity thanks to an appealing circular dash that's actually a colour TFT display, developed with the help of Google to include map-based navigation when paired with a smartphone.
Royal Enfield has also signalled its intentions for the future by revealing a prototype electric Himalayan, featuring a purpose-made alloy chassis that doubles as the battery casing. It's been under test in the Himalayas to check whether electric bikes offer the sort of capability in remote settings that the combustion engine version achieves.
