Royal Enfield Confirms Plans For A Himalayan 650

Things are getting more and more interesting as time floats by. Royal Enfield’s Himalayan has been the subject of rumors for quite some time now. Countless speculations have been made about a bigger mill in the classic adventure bike.

Not that it needs it, right? With 411ccs of displacement and a single meaty thumper at its heart that produces a fire-breathing 24 horses, that should be able to satiate your thirst for adventure, right? Well, not really. It’s no wonder there has been a lot of clamor for a more potent engine in the Himalayan for quite some time now, and Royal Enfield’s line of 650cc mills seems like low-hanging fruit to simply add to the Himalayan’s basket of goodies. 

If you’re not against the idea of a new 650cc motor in the Himalayan, I’m happy to report that plans have been formally confirmed by Royal Enfield. According to an article published on Bike Wale, we can expect two versions of the Himalayan, one that’s more of a sports tourer, and another that’s geared more towards off-road adventures. That being said, it’ll be more of a tourer or “soft-roader” like quite a few adventure bikes out in the market. In addition to that, it might not even be called the Himalayan anymore. 

Apparently, the bike’s development started 18 months ago, and the project was green-lit following a shift from the more rugged purpose that the Himalayan currently exemplifies. However, don’t hold your breath until its launch, as it seems that we can expect to see the new Enfields on roads by 2024 at the earliest according to the source. 

Still, it seems Royal Enfield was listening to the clamor and the rumor mill. Adventure bikes don’t always find themselves on the dirt, and performance on-road is yet another area that the Himalayan nameplate can improve upon. Though, what does this mean for the 411cc iteration of the adventure bike? Only time will tell.

Royal Enfield Confirms Plans For A Himalayan 650
Source: Philippines Election