Royal Enfield Himalayan 450LC - ZigWheels Free Advice

Royal Enfield has been quite busy over the past couple of years and has a bunch of new products lined up for us. Among the many notable new machines, one bike in particular has got us a wee bit more excited and that’s the Himalayan 450 LC.

The prototype was recently spotted testing, and although we have only one picture, we could see some interesting details on the upcoming bike.The two biggest problem areas for us with the existing Himalayan are its weight and dull top-end performance. With the Himalayan 450, RE plans to plug those gaps but there are other pitfalls they need to dodge. In the spirit of motorcycling and in the hope of better motorcycles, here’s ZigWheels’s free advice! 

Engine

The most crucial detail on the upcoming bike is its motor – the new bike will be powered by a 450cc, single-cylinder engine and will be the first Royal Enfield powerplant to feature liquid-cooling. It might also benefit with 4-valve technology.

According to our sources, the original approach for the Himalayan 450LC was to build a simple air-cooled 450cc engine on the lines of the current Himalayan. However, RE engineers opted for liquid cooling in pursuit of improving the bike’s performance. 

• Yamaha MT-15’s Feb 2022 Sales Confirm Update’s On The Horizon
• BSA Gold Star 650’s European Arrival Delayed
• Royal Enfield Scram 411 vs Royal Enfield Himalayan: Is The Himalayan Obsolete?
• Check Out Royal Enfield Modified Bike Here

As we can see in the spy picture, the engine doesn’t have any fins, and even the engine case and cylinder design is unlike that of any other bike from RE. It will be significantly more powerful than the current Himalayan, say around 35-40PS, and this should result in a much higher top speed that will improve its cruising performance. And for this very reason, the new adventure bike might also sport a 6-speed gearbox.

ZigWheels Free Advice:

The hallmark of the Himalayan has been its easygoing and welcoming nature. Heaps of displacement with an unstressed design is its formula. But the new engine’s pursuit of power could, COULD, upset the balance. As the Austro-Akurdi 373cc motor can deliver 43.5 ponies, surely this 450 could deliver 50? This thought could upset the apple cart. Our recommendation – RE, don’t go hunting for Oranges with peak power! We’ll happily settle for, say, 40PS as long as the Himalayan 450 can maintain the chill vibe of the current Himalayan. 

Frame

The other big change is the frame, while we can’t see it in the picture, the Himalayan 450 is likely to sport a trellis frame. This will not only help in reducing the kerb weight, but it might also endow the ADV with better handling dynamics. Another detail we can spot in the spy picture is that the test bike looks quite slimmer than the current Himalayan. 

ZigWheels Free Advice:

On the Himalayan, you don’t worry much in case you dropped the bike while off-roading, which isn’t the case with the BMW G 310 GS and the KTM 390 Adventure – especially BMW. So apart from being lighter and more agile, we are hoping that the upcoming Himalayan 450LC carries forward the rugged nature and toughness of the existing motorcycle. 

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Suspension

The other big change on the Himalayan 450 in comparison to the current bike will be its suspension setup. It will be the first Himalayan offering to sport an USD fork; however, the first production RE motorcycle to feature the same will be the upcoming Super Meteor 650. The rear suspension will continue to be a monoshock unit. Whether suspension travel will be similar to that of the Himalayan remains to be seen.

ZigWheels Free Advice:

While USDs sound cool, they should feel cool too; cool over city speed breakers and potholes, over ruts, and when landing jumps. The Himalayan’s setup, while accommodating, is a bit lacking in terms of control, and a more polished ride with this new USD setup is a must. If you want, the BMW GS310 makes for a good benchmark. 

K2K

RE has been exceptionally canny in creating special editions and new colours of their motorcycles. However, for a brand that is focussed on accessible motorcycling, their foray into a 19” wheel shod Himalayan has come pretty late in the day. Even then, it has come courtesy a new nameplate, the Scram.  

ZigWheels Free Advice

Much like Triumph’s Tiger, RE, pretty please split the Himalayan lineup. An adventure focussed 21” front-wheel sporting variant with more suspension travel and a larger 17-litre  tank for those who want to scramble their way to the cold and challenging Khardungla. But there are a bunch of riders who would prefer the sunny coastal roads of Kanyakumari, In that case a 19” front wheel, alloys preferably, and a smaller 14-litre fuel tank would do just fine. You could call them the Himalayan Expedition and Himalayan Trek. Nice, no?

Himalayan 411 Future?

So what significance does the new Himalayan 450 have for the existing Himalayan 411? We think the upcoming ADV bike will be the replacement of the current bike, and the Scram 411 will be the entry-level offering into the Himalayan family, which makes sense. As the RE Himalayan 450LC will be a good upgrade for existing customers and hardcore off-road riders, the Scram 411 with its friendly nature will be the better option for novice riders. 

Price & Launch Timelines

As we can see from the picture, the Himalayan 450 is in early days of testing, and knowing for how long RE is testing its new range of products, it’s safe to assume that it might make its debut by late 2023, if not later. As for pricing, we think it could be around Rs 2.80-3.00 lakh (ex-showroom), which is significantly cheaper than its main rivals, the KTM 390 ADV and the BMW G 310 GS, by a huge margin!

But the main question is will RE go aggressive on the pricing front? With the 650 twins it has proven in the past that it can, and the affordable price tag will definitely work in favour of the brand. Another reason we think that RE will have to manage the above pricing is the Scram 411. You see, if the retail price for the Himalayan 450LC breaches the Rs 3 lakh mark, then the price difference between it and the Scram (Rs 2.-3-2.08 lakh currently) will be very huge; something that other brands might take advantage of.