The self-attested “oldest motorcycle company in continuous production in the world” has been making the right moves to be heard the world over. And their recent project seems to have gained a lot of traction at the recently concluded EICMA show: The 650cc retro twins running on brand new twin-cylinder engines.

After dominating back home in India, the post-British brand has been relentlessly expanding for half a decade and have increased exports to 93% this year compared to last year. And for 2018, they have no plans for slowing down. Their dual-sport enduro is making its way to our shores.

Called the "Himalayan", an adage to the mighty mountain range, it brings a lot of new things to the table – an all-new engine, all-new chassis, all-new design language, and most importantly, all new functionality of performing on both on and off-road terrains with equal ease.

We must make you aware that the Royal Enfield Himalayan is not designed to win any beauty pageant. The bare-bones philosophy adopted here, in fact, does more good than harm for the Himalayan.

The fuel injected engine, which has been christened as LS410, is a single cylinder, air cooled, 411cc motor that can churn out a maximum power output of 25 hp and a maximum torque output of 42.5 lb-ft. Not a lot but Royal Enfield says that it will be more than sufficient to surpass obstacles while riding at lower revs.

Mated to a five-speed transmission, the engine is tuned for a strong low-end torque and is bolted onto a duplex split cradle frame designed and developed by UK-based Harris Performance. The suspension setup includes 41mm telescopic front forks and a linked hydraulic monoshock, with much longer suspension travels of 200mm and 180mm.

The 4-gallon fuel tank will take the Himalayan for approximately 280 - 300 miles and the upright riding position compliments stress-free long strides. Braking will be handled by 300mm front disc brake on a 21" spoked wheel and a 240mm rear disc brake with ABS on a 17" spoked wheel.

The Himalayan will be in available in Graphite and Snow paint job and will be here in the summer of 2018. The model will retail for $4,499. Hopefully, fit and finish is up to the mark, unlike what its other models were infamously known for.

Coming in a space made by the Kawasaki Versys-X 300, and the recent entrant, the BMW G 310 GS, Royal Enfield has a pretty damn tall order. Hopefully, fit and finish is up to the mark, unlike what its other models were infamously known for.

Reference

Kawasaki Versys-X 300

BMW G 310 GS