Royal Enfield unveils maiden e-motorcycle Himalayan 450 at EICMA 2023

Himalayan 450

After doing extensive test runs across the length and breadth of India, Royal Enfield finally unveiled the Himalayan 452 adventure bike at the International Motorcycle and Accessories (EICMA) 2023 in Milan. The bookings for the new Himalayan 450 have commenced internationally and the adventure motorcycle will be available from November 24, 2023.

While Royal Enfield has not revealed the prices, the company may make the announcement in the near term. Once launched in the Indian market, the adventure bike will replace the Himalayan 411 and will be taking on bikes like KTM 390 Adventure (Rs 2.80 lakh-3.60 lakh) and BMW G 310 GS (Rs 3.25 lakh).

The bikemaking arm of Eicher Motors Limited (EML) claimed that this model marks a new chapter for Royal Enfield with its first-ever liquid-cooled engine. It is powered by a 451.65cc single-cylinder engine, which produces 40bhp of peak power at 8,000 rpm and 40 Nm torque at 5,500 rpm and is paired with a 6-speed gearbox via a slip-and-assist clutch.

Siddhartha Lal, Managing Director, Eicher Motors Ltd.,  stated in an official release, “We had great feedback for a purpose-built adventure tourer, and that gave us a lot of courage to go in for an absolutely new Himalayan. This motorcycle is ground-up and is absolutely purpose-made for the Himalayas.”

To be offered in three variants and five colour options, the all-new Himalayan is also equipped with a fully digital TFT instrument cluster, along with smartphone connectivity, switchable ABS, and integrated Google Maps navigation. The instrumental console offers Bluetooth connectivity and three riding modes: Eco, Performance with rear ABS, and Performance without rear ABS.

“We've developed the chassis and the ergonomics to make it great for adventure touring. It is ‘the one’ motorcycle that you will need for any purpose, anywhere in the world; because if it can traverse the Himalayas, it can traverse anything in the world,” added Lal.

Royal Enfield has also showcased a high-performance electric bike- Himalayan Electric Concept at EICMA 2023. Although the technical specifications remain undisclosed, Autocar Professional had reported that this concept e-bike is based on a new platform developed in collaboration with Stark Future. The same publication also claimed that there are two models currently being developed – codenamed L1A and L1K, with the former expected to carry the 'Flying Flea' badge.

Borrowing its cues heavily from the Himalayan 450, the battery-run adventure bike concept sports a circular, full-LED headlamp, a large windscreen and houses a compact electric motor.

B. Govindarajan, CEO of Royal Enfield said, “This Electric Himalayan concept motorcycle is an outcome of this pursuit, as purpose and innovation meet distinct Royal Enfield design and character. This motorcycle is only just a part of a much bigger sustainable ecosystem of exploration and adventure that we are working on in the Himalayas.”

Royal Enfield had earlier revealed that it plans to launch its first electric bike in India in 2025, and the company has earmarked over Rs 1,000 crore in capex this fiscal out of will be deployed on developing products and sales infrastructure for EVs.

The company is in the process of establishing a dedicated assembly line that will have a capacity of around 1.5 lakh units per annum for its EVs at its existing manufacturing premises in Vallam before expanding into a new greenfield facility at Cheyyar, in Tamil Nadu.