THE BRADLEY REPORT
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 laboured 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 aluminium swingarm with a rising-rate monoshock . That redesign means the new bike , despite its liquidcooled 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-litre tank as well , up from 15 litres 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 tyre . 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 .
BMW R 1300 GS By Ben Purvis
BMW ' s R-series GS models have dominated sales charts around the globe for the last 20 years , and that trend shows no sign of changing in 2024 thanks to the launch of the widely reported and test- ridden allnew R 1300 GS . It ' s a genuinely new bike , with arguably the biggest changes ever seen in the evolution of the GS - including completely revamped styling , a new sheet-steel chassis and the most powerful engine ever seen in a GS model . That frame is a huge departure , dropping the tubular steel concept of its predecessors in favour of pressed steel sheets - a concept that BMW has already trialled in the F-series GS models . It is said to be a concept that combines low weight , rigidity and the ability to cope with the rigours of offroad use without suffering the metal fatigue that an aluminium frame might be susceptible to . The chassis is in a large part responsible for the 12 kg weight reduction compared to the previous R 1250 GS . At the back , there ' s a cast alloy seat subframe instead of the old steel tube design ,
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and BMW has even rethought the Telelever front suspension system , introducing a new ' EVO ' Telelever design that adds more stability and steering precision by taking its inspiration from the sports bike Telelever systems previously used on bikes like the HP2 Sport . Below it hangs a boxer twin engine that ' s grown to a genuine 1,300 cc capacity , pushing out 107 kW ( 145 hp ) at 7,750 rpm and 149 Nm at 6,500 rpm . As before , it ' s a water-cooled design , with BMW ' s ShiftCam variable valve timing and lift system , and there ' s a huge suite of rider aids including Dynamic Brake Assist , Driving Modes Pro , Dynamic Traction Control , Dynamic Cruise Control with brake function and , optionally , Active Cruise Control that uses a front-facing radar to monitor the vehicles in front and keep pace with them , as well as intervening on the brakes when
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 colour TFT display , developed with the help of Google to include map-based navigation when paired with a smartphone . Royal Enfield has also signalled 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 .
needed . There ' s also a rear sensor that enables lane change warnings . Optionally , the new GS can be fitted with electronic Dynamic Suspension Adjustment that alters not only damping , but also the front and rear spring rates , bringing them into line with the selected riding mode and compensating for loads including passengers and luggage . Further options include height control , raising or lowering the suspension , depending on the situation , and making it easier to reach the ground at a standstill . The four standard riding modes add an ' Enduro ' setting to the previous Road , Rain and Eco option . Visually , the new GS offers a much sleeker look than its predecessors . The lopsided headlight design of the last few generations is gone , replaced with an X-shaped design that ' s tucked into the top of the front nacelle that helps disguise the radar sensor , when fitted . As before , there ' s a choice of wire or alloy wheels , as well as a huge array of options and variants available , but as yet , BMW has NOT launched an ' Adventure ' variant - that is likely to come for the 2025 model year .
THE BRADLEY REPORT
NEWS
BRIEFS
BDN reports that Yuasa has just delivered the biggest energy storage plant in the world , in northern Hokkaido , Japan . The installation , which stores power from a wind energy transmission network , has no less than 3.3 million cells , a power output of 240MW and a capacity of 720 megawatt-hours .
Vmoto headed into EICMA with a new Guinness World Record in the bag - for the " greatest distance on an electric scooter in 24 hours by a team in relay ". Team Vmoto achieved the distance of 1,931 km , improving the previous record by 151 km , on the Circuito Tazio Nuvolari in Cervesina near Pavia . The scooter used was a standard Vmoto CPx PRO , driven by a crew of five pro riders and journalists .
Boise , Idaho based Rekluse has launched what is describes as " Next- Generation Auto Clutch Tech " with its EXP 4.0 . Said to offer riders " more direct power delivery to the rear wheel , unmatched durability even under high temperatures , and an enhanced lever feel for more connected and precise control ", highly responsive engagement is due to an improved base and wedge design with pins and bearings that enable rolling instead of sliding to expand the disc - reducing resistance in engagement .
Following the launch of the Open Bluetooth Intercom ( OBI ) protocol , a new software update for cross-industry Bluetooth connectivity allows Cardo wireless communication systems to connect seamlessly with a non-Cardo Bluetooth unit " as seamlessly and fluidly as connecting via Bluetooth to another Cardo communicator ".
Triumph has introduced seatlowering tech for its Tiger 1200 . A new enhancement to its advanced Showa semi-active suspension , the new Active Preload Reduction feature reduces the rear suspension preload as the Tiger slows , allowing seat height settings to be reduced .
The residents of Strasskirchen near Munich , Germany , have voted overwhelmingly to welcome the building of a new BMW Group facility for highvoltage battery assembly . BMW has a 105-hectare site awaiting development there , with rights to a further 29 hectares of adjacent land .
INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2024 21
Sources : AMD , IDN , FT , Reuters , PSB , MPN , BDN , MCN , AP , Bloomberg , MSNW , Electrek , electricmotorcycles . news , RideApart . com , Motor1 . com , Cycle World , motorbikewriter . com