Royal Enfield Himalayan

More news from: http://www.motorbeam.com/2015/02/bikes/royal-enfield-bikes/royal-enfield-himalayan-adventure-bike/

For most riders, there is no better way to witness the beauty of Himalayas than on a thumping Royal Enfield which amplifies the riding experience by ten folds. With the Himalayas being such an integral part of the RE charm, the company has now filed for a trademark for the name ‘Himalayan’ at the European Union’s Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) and this could be the upcoming Adventure motorcycle.

It is believed that the upcoming Royal Enfield Himalayan will be using a newly developed 385cc single-cylinder engine that could replace the outgoing 350cc engine currently powering several models from the Royal Enfield lineup. It is also safe to assume that the RE’s newest recruit, motorcycle designer Pierre Terblanche will be playing a significant role in the development of the entire project.

The Chennai based manufacturer has been planning to make it big in major markets like Europe and is eyeing the 300-500 middle-weight segment. Royal Enfield hit the sweet spot with the Continental GT and nothing says they cannot replicate the same success with the Himalayan Adventure tourer. What we can expect on the upcoming motorcycle is a familiar RE design language and heavy improvements on the quality of parts and refinement of the engine. A little more reliability won’t hurt either.

In addition to the adventure bike, the trademark also covers a range of products including head protection, clothing, riding gear among other motorcycle paraphernalia that you would be using during those adventure rides. Expect more details in the near future.

Royal Enfield Himalayan set to be unveiled at start of February

ROYAL Enfield looks set to unveil its new adventure bike, the Himalayan, on February 2, according to multiple sources in India

The news follows reports that Himalayan has completed a rigorous testing regime on rally stages in, where else, but the Himalayas.

Although it’s likely that Royal Enfield will initially concentrate on selling the Himalayan in its domestic market, we think it will eventually make its way to Europe. Because of this there’s no word on pricing outside of India, where it’s expected to cost around 200,000 rupees – about £2,061.

The bike’s spec won’t be revealed until it’s officially presented to the world but thanks to recent spy photos, we know what the finished bike looks like and we have a strong idea that it’s powered by a 410cc single-cylinder engine.

There is some speculation from India that will also be available in a more road-biased form with alloy wheels and different tyres to make it more of a touring bike.

From: http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/royal-enfield-himalayan-set-to-be-unveiled-at-start-of-february/30683.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMb_HSvGZyo

FOLLOWING the first official pictures and promotional video, Royal Enfield has just launched its new Himalayan adventure bike to the world at the Auto Expo in Delhi.

The presentation, which you can watch above (skip the first 15 minutes), was hosted by Royal Enfield CEO Siddhartha Lal, who talks through the bike at length and now it’s officially out there, there are some proper specs available.

We thought the engine was going to be around 410cc and we weren’t far off because the Himalayan is powered by a 411cc air-cooled single cylinder carb-fed engine paired with a five-speed gearbox.

It makes a claimed 25hp at 6,500rpm (slightly less than the 28hp we were expecting) and 23.6lb/ft torque at 4,000 – 4,500rpm.

The bike’s kerb weight is 182kg, although Royal Enfield doesn’t explained what it classes as kerb weight.

The Himalayan is built around a half duplex split cradle frame. At the front are a set of 41mm conventional forks with 200mm travel and at the other end is a monoshock that gives 180mm travel.

Braking at the front is handled by a two-piston floating caliper biting on to a 300mm disc, while the rear gets a 240mm disc and single piston caliper.

Ground clearance is 220mm and the seat height is 800mm.

It’s available in two colours – ‘Snow’ and ‘Granite’.

The 21 inch front wheel is shod with a 90/90 section tyre, while the 17 inch rear gets a 120/90.

From: http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-videos/royal-enfield-himalayan-officially-launched-in-india/30772.html

I received an email from Boyd’s Motorcycles this morning with some updated info about the Royal Enfield Himalayan coming to NZ.

Hi Ed,

Thought I’d share the details of the Himalayan that have been confirmed.

Seat height: 800mm
Weight: 182 kg wet.
Ground clearance: 200mm
Fuel capacity: 15 ltrs
Transmission: 5 speed

Engine: All-new 411cc air-cooled, four-stroke, overhead camshaft unit that develops 24.5bhp of power @6500rpm and a torque of 32Nm @4000-4500rpm

The instrument panel is very easily readable and helps in keeping track of speed, direction (with the integrated compass), time, temperature and even your service reminder.

Approximate price is going to be $7,490 + ORC but will confirm this at a later stage.

We have been told they will be available before Christmas and colour options are White or Black.

I was in Boyds a few days ago and asked again when the Himalayan was due in as previously it was due the end of last year, apparently they’ve now been told the end of this month.

Himalayan owners complain about reliability / quality issues – Is Royal Enfield listening?

Complaints with regard to quality, dependability and service issues where the Royal Enfield Himalayan is concerned grows by the day.

Criticism of Royal Enfield Himalayan commenced with the bike’s initial promotional videos even prior to launch. It was seen being ridden by Dakar rally racer CS Santosh and when he landed the bike, the right foot peg broke off. Being an experienced rider, he managed to gain control of the situation.

The complaints and issues with the Himalayan did not end there and it went on to face multiple such issues and buyers, besides having to contend with quality issues also had to face poor after sales service.

RE Himalayan leaks fuel
One buyer’s Himalayan was leaking fuel even before delivery.
The bike was itself designed for adventure and to be taken across the rough and rugged country side. However, any owner will tell you that this is not the case. The bike cannot be depended on to go outside city limits leave alone tackle uneven territory.

It has been over a year since the Himalayan has been launched and there has been no respite in sight in dealing with the fragile quality of the bike nor have service facilities been spruced up, much to the dismay of most owners who have invested their hard earned money in the purchase of this vehicle.

A service advisory from top management to all Royal Enfield service stations across India.

Problems faced by owners range from gearbox failure to paint chipping and blocked fuel pipe. Owners also have to deal with the bike pulling to one side, disassembly of front fork and rusting of components. The list of customer complaints ranges on to rusting, stalling, electrical failure, fogging of instrument cluster and rear tyre locking. Even as Royal Enfield tries its best to rectify all these issues, the steady flow of complaints makes it difficult to keep track while the bike itself has lost its credibility standing in the market.

Below are some of the issues shared by Royal Enfield owners on social media, online forums, including their official website.

One owner found chipped paint inside fuel tank. He realized this when the fuel line was blocked.

Front suspension rust / quality issues is causing handling nightmare.

Flywheel key split into half for one of the owners

Chassis has cracked for many owners.

From: https://www.rushlane.com/royal-enfield-himalayan-quality-reliability-12237993.html

I saw this nice one parked in central Hamilton the other day.

and designers are starting to customise them.