Last month Royal Enfield USA introduced the motorcycling press to its new adventure star, the Himalayan.
For many years the Royal Enfield name has been associated with the Indian-built classics produced off English tooling from the Fifties. Today the company is turning the corner. They are designing new products, introducing new models and recently opened a new facility in the UK. The Himalayan is the first of a string of new models slated to arrive at US dealers over the coming years.
Last month a reveal party was held at TexPlex Park near Dallas. The Himalayan was put through its paces on a variety of terrains, including asphalt. The overall mood was positive, it was obvious some were pleasantly surprised. But many of us old-timers remember the days of leaky crankcases and wobbly left-shift conversions of earlier Enfields. The Himalayan is... real.
The motor propelling the Himalayan is a 411cc thumper with 24 horsepower and 24 ft/lb of torque at 4500 RPM. This all meshes with a 5 speed tranny and the usual wet clutch setup. Nothing earth shattering about that— except it's a product of this century as opposed to a rehash of pre-war British technology.
With a growing dealer network, a fresh new facility in the UK designing new Royal Enfields and ever-growing demand for middleweight, affordable motorcycle the future is looking rosy for Royal Enfield. Who knows? Maybe the marque's best days are yet to come.
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