A Quick Guide On Making The Himalayan Antarctica-Ready

Royal Enfield has embarked on a 39-day ride spanning 770 km to the South Pole to celebrate its 120th anniversary. The ‘90° SOUTH - Quest for the Pole’ expedition is being undertaken by the trusty Royal Enfield Himalayan. But to face such challenging conditions, RE has made some modifications to the bikes, and you’ll be surprised to know how little it took for the two Himalayans to be ready to conquer the South Pole.

The stock tyres weren’t the best option to tread through the deep snow. So, Royal Enfield swapped those with studded units and a tubeless setup. The latter allows the tyres to run on low pressure, increasing floatation on soft snow without compromising on traction on hard ice. Another enhancement comes in the form of an adjustable ski mounted onto the front wheel.

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Top-end performance isn’t going to be a priority in snowy conditions; hence, Royal Enfield prioritised low-end grunt instead. So, for a slight torque boost, the main drive sprocket has been switched from a 15-tooth unit to a 13-tooth one.

Antarctica receives 24-hour sunlight in summer, so that negates the need for a headlight. Therefore, Royal Enfield has removed the headlight unit and centre stand to shed some weight. The two Himalayans also feature some ergonomic enhancements. For starters, the rear brake pedal has been moved to make it easier to operate with the riding boots. Furthermore, these bikes are equipped with Acerbis hand guards and a Renthal handlebar brace.

Lastly, to aid riders, these bikes are equipped with heated grips and presumably heated seats. For the additional juice required to power these, the alternator has been upgraded and fitted with rare-earth magnets. For safety, all electricals have been waterproofed with silicone grease and shrink sealed with heat.

Interestingly, these bikes did not require any heavy modification to the engine or the underpinnings to take on such treacherous conditions. Though the 411cc long-stroke engine with its 24.31PS and 32Nm sufficed, enthusiasts are still yearning for a bigger Himalayan. Here are our two cents on why we might not see a Himalayan 650 ever.