Royal Enfield Himalayan Enters the 21st Century By Ben Purvis
For decades , Royal Enfield has represented a step back in time that ' s welcomed by riders longing for a simpler age but doesn ' t offer a lot of competition to rivals operating at the cutting edge of motorcycle technology . That ' s all changing now with the new Himalayan - the first liquid-cooled , six-speed DOHC bike in the company ' s long history . The original Himalayan , launched in
2015 , was a tentative step into the modern era for Royal Enfield , ditching retro looks in favour of a utilitarian style from former Ducati design boss Pierre Terblanche . But underneath labored an old-fashioned air-cooled single and ultra-simple chassis . The new model brings everything up to date , with the focus on an engine that nearly doubles its predecessor ' s output thanks to truly modern design . The DOHC , four-valve , liquidcooled single manages 40 hp at 8,000 rpm , up from 24 hp for its aircooled predecessor , from a capacity of 452 cc . It sits beneath a steel twin-spar frame that replaces the cradle design of the original Himalayan , with upside-down 43 mm forks instead of right-way up 41 mm versions , and an aluminum swingarm with a risingrate monoshock . That redesign means the new bike , despite its liquid-cooled engine and the radiator , water pump and pipework that entails , is 3 kg lighter than the old model , coming in at 196 kg including a 90 % full tank of fuel . It ' s a bigger , 17-liter tank as well , up from 15 liters on the older model . As before , the Himalayan is designed to cope with the terrain its name suggests , with a 21-inch front wheel wearing 90 / 90-21 rubber and a 17- inch rear with a 140 / 80-17 tire . There ' s 200 mm of wheel travel at each end and 230 mm of ground clearance , and the seat can be adjusted from 825 mm to 845 mm . Brakes are from Brembo ' s ByBre subsidiary , with a two-piston front caliper and a 320 mm disc , plus a single-piston rear and 270 mm disc , with ABS that can be switched off for off-road use . The styling is an updated take on the rugged original , with a sleeker look that retains signature elements like the round headlight and the distinctive luggage racks on each side of the fuel tank . From the rider ' s seat , there ' s more evidence of the bike ' s modernity thanks to an appealing circular dash that ' s actually a color TFT display , developed with the help of Google to include map-based navigation when paired with a smartphone . Royal Enfield has also signaled its intentions for the future by revealing a prototype electric Himalayan , featuring a purpose-made alloy chassis that doubles as the battery casing . It ' s been under test in the Himalayas to check whether electric bikes offer the sort of capability in remote settings that the combustion engine version achieves . ' Liquid-cooled engine and six-speed '
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