For fans of Indian adventure touring bikes, the last few months have been one of anticipation as they waited for Himalayan 450, the first major upgrade to Royal Enfield’s successful adventure tourer introduced in 2016. But, for the company, the model is a critical stepping stone in its endeavour to break out of its retro image and establish itself as an all-round premium bike maker.
“It’s a game changer, a strong motorcycle from our side and has the potential to become a world beater, ” said B Govindarajan, CEO of Royal Enfield, during a post-earnings conference call.
The new model was officially unveiled for the first time just six days ago at the EICMA Motor Show in Italy, one of the largest motorcycle trade fairs in the world. Govindaraj said the unveiling drew a “spectacular response” from the global audience.
The bike, which has been tantalising fans for more than two years, will be finally launched in India at the company’s annual motorcycle festival, the ‘Royal Enfield Motoverse’, at Vagator in Goa from November 24th to 26th. The company earlier this month threw open pre-booking for the model.
A Critical Piece
There are several things that make Himalayan 450 special – both to the company as well as to the fans.
First, it is the most contemporary, and arguably the most stylish, bike to roll out of a Royal Enfield factory so far.
While the original Himalayan started this trend by making a bold departure the retro look that the brand is synonymous with, it never managed to completely break free from the serious air into something sporty.
The new Himalayan 450 has made solid strides in this direction and has the potential to appeal to a whole new class of buyers who would otherwise have never thought of buying an RE bike.
Secondly, it is the first motorcycle that is based on the all-new Sherpa 450 engine which is the first liquid-cooled Dual Overhead Camshaft (DOHC) engine from Royal Enfield. DOHC technology has the potential to lift the model’s fuel efficiency – a factor that many buyers do worry about these days due to high fuel prices.
Siddhartha Lal, MD and CEO, of Royal Enfield’s parent Eicher Motors, underlines the importance of the model for the company: “We really do believe that this can be a big growth driver for us both in numbers and in stature and in many other ways.”
RE CEO Govindarajan calls the new Himalayan “an evolution” of the seven-year-old model. According to the company, HImalayan 450’s engine puts out 65% more power and 25-30% more torque compared to the outgoing model and introduces a water-cooled engine.
“As customers have evolved, markets have evolved, and terrains have evolved,” says the CEO.
Govindarajan said the idea was to retain the “original DNA” of Himalayan, which has already carved out a niche for itself as one of the most reliable cruisers in the market.
“But we wanted to give it a lot of power, torque, and refinement both on and off the road. That is what the promise of the new Himalayan is..,” he pointed out.
The new model has also undergone some changes to address the “height issue” that often discouraged vertically challenged buyers from considering Himalayan – one of the most imposing motorcycles in the market.
“..the lowest seat height configuration for the model can be just over 800mm ie 80cm, so someone who is even 5’3 or 5’4 can have one and half feet on the floor..so it is stable and accessible.,” Siddhartha Lal pointed out.
So far, the company has managed to generate “tremendous feedback” from automobile experts, content creators and journalists.
Adding to the hype has been several content creators claiming to have pre-booked the bike.
Electric Dreams
In their quarterly interaction, the RE management also spoke about the company’s plans in the EV space – one where RE has been somewhat reluctant to tread.
The company unveiled a special project called the electric Himalayan test bed at the EICMA show.
However, Govindarajan added that it is just a concept right now of “what Royal Enfield electric adventure tourer would look like.”
“It is not meant for production this early,” he added.
The electric segment has been something of a challenge for the company as its bikes are associated with long drives and adventures, which is a challenge on electric technology.
For example, the maximum mileage offered by electric bikes in the market is around 100km. Even if RE doubles the battery size, it would not be able to offer something that can do 500-600 km on a single charge, as may be required on cross-country trips.
Such bikes may also have a hard time finding recharge points in mountains and other remote areas where the bikers choose to roam.
The company however is adamant about the EV mission and finding a way to make it effective and feasible.
“It is in the laboratory, in a sense..more than a concept,” said Govindarajan, adding that the company has tested the EV prototype in the Himalayas. “We've done a lot of testing, a lot of validation tests, and we plan to continue to evolve it.”