The recently spied new variant of the Royal Enfield Himalayan could be launched in 2022
Royal Enfield is road-testing a new variant of the Himalayan, which has been spied, recently. This model seems to be the road-focused variant of the bike manufacturer’s sole adventure motorcycle.
Unlike the regular Himalayan that is setup to tackle rough terrain, this new variant comes with a smaller front wheel, although still wire-spoked, indicating its road-biased nature.
The recently spied 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan road variant does not have a flyscreen, a high fender, fork gaiters and no racks either at the front or at the back.
It features new tank extensions, mildly revised side panels, and a very much shortened rear mudguard. However, it does come with the same fuel tank, seats, handlebar, lights, indicators and exhaust setup.
The engine seems to be the same 411cc, single cylinder, air-cooled lump that puts out 24.3 BHP at 6500 RPM and 32 Nm from 4000-4500 RPM in the off-road variant.
However, since this new variant will spend its life on the black stuff, it should come with different tuning. The gearbox, however, should be the same 5-speed unit.
Thanks to the removal of the racks and the use of a smaller front wheel, the road-focused Himalayan will be marginally lighter.
It should be equipped with Tripper navigation assist and the same braking setup as the off-road model, but be devoid of rear-wheel ABS deactivation.
What will this new variant be called then? We quite like the sound of ‘Himalayan R’, but, an official word from Royal Enfield should put speculations to rest.
This is not the only new variant of the Himalayan that is under development either, for the premium bikemaker is also working on the Himalayan 650 in the UK at present.