Royal Enfield has announced post-GST prices and the Himalayan FI price has increased by Rs. 20,000/- over the carb model.
Royal Enfield launched the Himalayan in March 2016 at a price of Rs. 1.55 lakhs (ex-showroom, Chennai). Following the Government’s decision of phasing out BS3 vehicles, Royal Enfield launched the BS4 version of the Himalayan in April this year. Prices were hiked by Rs. 6,000/- for the BS4 engine update. Post this, GST was made applicable from 1st July and prices were revised again.
In the post-GST price list, the Himalayan witnesses a price increase of around Rs. 2700/-. The current Himalayan FI price (post-GST) stands at Rs. 1.84 lakhs (ex-showroom, Chennai). This implies that Himalayan prices have seen an increment of close to Rs. 20,000 for FI technology. Introduction of ABS version has not been confirmed yet.
Even after a year from its launch, Himalayan owners were facing peculiar quality issues. News reporting gearbox failure, electrical failure, paint chipping and even cracked chassis on new bikes were doing the rounds on the internet. Add to that, the mediocre after sales quality was making matters worse. Royal Enfield is a brand known for showing growth in sales even during industry slowdown. Sadly, sales of the Himalayan were dwindling due to the above-mentioned quality issues. Even though Royal Enfield was replacing all faulty parts under warranty, occurrence of such issues left a bad impression on prospective buyers.
In June this year, factory despatches of the Himalayan came to a grinding halt from the 1000+ figures it was maintaining in 2016. Royal Enfield confirmed that production was temporarily stopped for the FI (fuel injection) update. This time, the manufacturer has acknowledged the shortcomings and spent Rs. 600 crore on a new plant in Chennai to focus on quality improvements. Royal Enfield has also hinted at a bigger version of the Himalayan in the future.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan is the cheapest adventure tourer in India and enjoys an unchallenged run. It is powered by an air-cooled 411cc engine with the carb model rated at 24.5 BHP of power and 32 NM of torque (the FI model could have slightly higher output). As is the case with other Royal Enfield motorcycles, maximum torque is available at low RPMs making the Himalayan a versatile motorcycle for any terrain. Only fly in the ointment was the overall quality and Royal Enfield seems to be taking care of that in the upcoming model. While bookings have started for the Himalayan FI, deliveries are likely to begin from next month onwards.
RE Himalayan FI Price
– Royal Enfield Himalayan costs Rs. 20,000/- more for FI technology
– Himalayan BS4 with FI is priced at Rs. 1.84 lakh
– The company spends Rs. 600 crores on improving quality of parts
– Bookings started, deliveries to begin from August
