Royal Enfield Likely Working On A Bajaj Dominar 400 Rival

If all the upcoming Royal Enfield bikes weren’t enough for you, then we have good news. The veteran bikemaker might be considering working on a power cruiser based on the upcoming 450cc liquid-cooled platform.

The 450cc liquid-cooled platform will be first featured on the upcoming Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, followed by the Hunter 450. Reportedly codenamed the “K1D Power Cruiser”, it could be the third bike based on this platform, a genre Royal Enfield has never indulged in before. But we believe it would make sense for Royal Enfield to do so right now. Here’s why.

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The 450cc liquid-cooled platform is an all-new venture, with a lot of R&D having gone behind it. So, it would only make sense to exploit the platform to the maximum and spawn multiple bikes off it. Besides, a liquid-cooled engine is a first for Royal Enfield, and developing a different genre of bike on this platform would only be apt. And lastly, the new engine will be more powerful and grunty, befitting the character of a power cruiser. So, it will be a modern bike, with modern bits like a TFT console, LED illumination, and the works, though with Royal Enfield’s retro touch sprinkled in. 

While Bajaj tried to explore this segment with the Dominar 400, it hardly set the sales chart on fire (at least in India). On the other hand, Royal Enfield has the requisite name and fame in the cruiser segment, and with a powerful liquid-cooled engine, will be fully prepared to make an impact. 

Nevertheless, while the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 isn’t a true-blue cruiser, the larger-engined Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 –though suitably big and burly – goes about its business in a more laid-back sense. So the upcoming power cruiser should neatly slot between the two, something that’s relatively more agile, and yet with the swanky styling of a cruiser.

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Summing up, this Royal Enfield’s liquid-cooled power cruiser was not present in the investor's presentation document revealed earlier, so it is likely a new idea. As such, this power cruiser is a long time away from production, and we don’t expect it to hit the streets before 2026, at the earliest. But when (or if) it does make it into production, it will rival the likes of the Bajaj Dominar 400 and Benelli 502C.

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