The idea of the Royal Enfield Himalayan has been cultivated for 60 years. With an unwavering legacy of 118 years, Royal Enfield arrived in India from 1955. The Bullet was the first Royal Enfield brought to India, and was used by the Indian army patrolling the Himalayas. Due to the great success of their service in these rugged lands, one of the most extreme in the world, is that they have forged the bases that relate to Royal Enfield with adventure.
I have been riding in the Himalayas for decades. They are the most beautiful landscapes - with thousands of kilometers of arid land, snow, restricted passages and huge mountains. The thin air and starry nights connect me to the universe, as nothing else can. My first big trip through the Himalayas was in 2010, when I was riding with my friends and we got stuck in a small town due to the floods that hit the Leh region. As we could not finish our trip, our most valuable learning was that to cross the Himalayas you can not use a motorcycle that tries to dominate the terrain, but one that flows in perfect harmony with it.
Due to our own experiences and learning in the Himalayas, the idea of developing a motorcycle suitable for these lands had been going around for some years. We started with a piece of blank paper and the idea of designing a simple motorcycle, but able to get around any terrain, rocks and rivers in an easy and comfortable way for the pilot. We were looking for it to be robust enough to keep its trajectory in the face of strong crosswinds, which could carry a passenger and a lot of luggage, but at the same time light enough to be easy to lift in case of falls. That it was simple enough so that you can repair damaged parts yourself (because of a previous fall) and turn it on even if the battery is dead (seriously! You can turn on the bike and the lights even if you do not have a battery!). It should be low enough so that a citizen of average height can ride it, but high enough to pass high obstacles without problem, should have a long-range front suspension - to absorb very well the irregularities of the terrain, good torque at low RPM, have an affordable price for much of the population, economic to maintain and offer great fun to its owner. An easy task, right? Good torque at low RPM, have an affordable price for a large part of the population, economic to maintain and offer great fun to its owner.
During the exciting years when we were designing the Himalayan, I had the opportunity to test the bike at various stages during the development. While our team of experts was testing the bikes, I just wanted to add value from the perspective of the current customer, and ensure the direction of where the brand was heading with this model.
In 2014, I drove the prototype for many kilometers in the airfield of Bruntingthorpe, England; and on some off-road roads in the vicinity. While I climbed a steep hill full of swamp, the bike gave me tremendous confidence in its ability to climb, height of the engine on the floor and the smoothness of its suspensions.
In line with Royal Enfield's tradition of developing long stroke engines, the Himalayan's new engine delivers great torque across the full range of RPM's. This is especially important to ensure smooth driving when going at low speeds at high shifts, making it easy to climb hills and maneuver in traffic conditions. With very few moving parts in the motor and new materials, it means low maintenance frequency and reduced wear. The periodic reviews are every 5,000 km.
Apart from the great off-road capabilities, the Himalayan also offers impeccable performance on paved roads. In 2015, when we did tests on the Chennai track, when I took the wet corners and bent enough to be at risk, the bike adhered very well to the pavement and had no sudden movements. This gave me enormous confidence in the versatility of this new model.
We removed all the parts that were not functionally necessary, to keep the bike as simple as possible-less parts means less maintenance and less chance of failure. We made the Himalayan look simple, but robust, as we thought from the beginning.
To really test the bike on its natural terrain, in the summer of 2015 I traveled to the Himalayas with colleagues, family and friends.
Equipped with tires suitable for off-road and on-road conditions, with a tire size of 21 "front and 17" rear, a good distance between the engine and the floor, and a long-range front suspension; raffling rocks, rivers, swamps is very easy in the new Himalayan.
The luggage has been thought of as an essential part of the Himalayan. With soft or rigid trunk options, a rear grill and supports for fuel drums - or water - on the sides of the tank; that surely will be very useful when you find yourself in remote terrains and with nothing nearby.
An optimal seat height combined with the position of the handlebar and the footrests; They give you incredible comfort and ergonomics for long trips, while the front visor covers you with elements in the field. The low center of gravity, the concentration of masses in the center, combined with a tank (15 liters) ergonomically designed to accommodate the knees, give you excellent stability and maneuverability, whether you want to sit or even stand on Footrest in any terrain.
Although the Himalayan is a double purpose motorcycle, it is not an extreme motorcycle, and was designed to be your only motorcycle (a motorcycle for all your needs). You can go to travel on your motorcycle on weekends, and cross almost any type of terrain, you can also carry a companion and a lot of additional luggage; It even has holders to load drums with water or gasoline when traveling to remote places - this can save your life. Its torque at low revs and great comfort makes it your perfect travel companion even in the concrete jungle during your day to day.
But more than a sum of parts, the Himalayan is a single set that takes you to an unknown area, where the bike becomes an extension of your body, and you achieve that connection between man, machine and terrain, which is what motivates us to go out and ride.
The Himalayan is the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Royal Enfield, and it is also for all those lovers of adventure, who seek to have a single motorcycle, with an affordable price, that takes them everywhere, regardless of the ground conditions. A motorcycle ready for adventure.
