Himalayan Twin
By Ben Purvis
A big, twin-cylinder version of Royal Enfield's Himalayan has been part of the brand's product plan for years - appearing in silhouette form as early as 2022 in a shareholder presentation - and now it's nearly ready for launch with RE publishing images of top staff including CEO B. Govindarajan aboard the bike.
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Widely rumoured in the Indian press to be the debut platform for a new generation, 750 cc version of Royal Enfield's air and oil-cooled twin-cylinder engine, the Himalayan twin moves away from the retro styling of other bikes to use the company's twin - the Interceptor 650, Super Meteor 650, Continental GT, Bear 650, Classic 650 and Shotgun 650 - in favour of an up-to-date look and construction, with kit including a monoshock rear suspension system, upside-down forks and a completely new frame.
The idea is to create a machine with genuine dirt road ability rather than one that is only for Royal Enfield's traditional retro-bike customers.
Royal Enfield's 750 cc generation of the twin, currently available only in 35 kW, 650 cc form, is known to be under development, but it could yet retain the existing 650 cc twin - we'll have to wait until its launch, expected around EICMA, to find out for sure.
