Royal Enfield – new Himalayan 450 – built in the Himalayas

A Royal Enfield, one of the main players in the mid-range motorcycle segment (250 cm3 – 750 cm3), presented today the new Himalayan at the EICMA 2023 Milan Motor Show in Italy. Based on the powertrain integrated into a more recent, lightweight, and technologically advanced vehicle from Royal Enfield, the new Himalayan uses the new liquid-cooled Sherpa 450 engine and features a set of new integrated technological features that enhance the adventure experience on their new motorcycle. Introduced today to global audiences, the new Royal Enfield Himalayan will be launched in India before the end of the year, and will subsequently be available in other regions. Royal Enfield has a long association with the Himalayas, which has been the spiritual home and creative inspiration of the brand. The original Himalayan was inspired by the 60-year tradition of exploring the Himalayas on a motorcycle, and was created in the Himalayas. Uniquely designed to inspire confidence and be a competent motorcycle for going anywhere, the Himalayan has repeatedly shown its value as the ideal motorcycle for adventure motorcycling in these incredible mountains. It has been the motorcycle of choice for thousands of explorers worldwide who have ridden it to cross a multitude of locations and terrains, creating a niche adventure subcategory that is real, sensory, and accessible. The new Himalayan represents an evolution, a development of this premise, taking it to another level.

When talking about the brand’s connection to the mountains, and the inspiration for the new Himalayan, Siddhartha Lal, CEO, Eicher Motors Ltd., said: “At Royal Enfield, we have had a strong connection to the Himalayas for over 60 years, which led us to create the first Himalayan in 2016. We received fantastic feedback for a specially designed adventure bike, which encouraged us to launch a completely new Himalayan.”

This bike was designed with the new Sherpa 450 water-cooled engine, a 6-speed gearbox, and is perfectly suited for the Himalayas. Its sole purpose is to perform incredibly well in the unpredictable terrains and weather conditions of the Himalayas. 

We created this bike to be the best in the world in this domain. We developed the chassis and ergonomics to make it fantastic for adventure. It is “the” bike you will need for any purpose, anywhere in the world, because if it can cross the Himalayas, it can conquer anything in the world.

The Himalayas are a landscape in constant change and exploring this region requires a change of plans at every step; from the different weather conditions to the unpredictable terrain and rivers that can be almost dry in the morning and up to the mudguard at night. The new Himalayan was designed to adapt to all these conditions, from the large air intake that prevents water entry to the robust structure and luggage bars ready to withstand all difficulties when things don’t go as planned. The improvements to the original model were based on time spent in the saddle, from epic journeys exploring the wildest mountains to everyday driving situations. Furthermore, the bike was tested and developed by explorers, citizens of the world, experts, and motorcyclists of all skill levels in a wide variety of conditions, both on adventure trips in wild landscapes and in controlled test centers in the UK, Spain, and India. This testing program resulted in a truly versatile bike that is ready for anything and puts a smile on the face of all riders, regardless of their skills.

When talking about the perceptions behind the design of the new Himalayan and the motorcycle development process, CEO B Govindarajan stated: “Before we started working on the new Himalayan, we rode with our consumers and talked to citizens of the world, explorers, and athletes. With the help of these insights and our own experience, we decided on the critical DNA to maintain and what we should evolve in the new Himalayan. The new Himalayan 450 includes the liquid-cooled Sherpa 450 engine, the first of its kind from Royal Enfield. It is also the first time we have Ride-by-Wire functionality on our bike, providing the ideal power and torque for challenging terrains. Additionally, for the first time in collaboration with Google Maps, we have the TripperDash with full map navigation. We rigorously tested this bike for over 5500 km, from 3 meters above sea level in Chennai to nearly 5,800 meters in UmLing La. The new Himalayan is therefore a combination of expert insights, new technology, and the true DNA of Royal Enfield.”

For more information, you can visit the official Royal Enfield website.