CS Santosh Hoons Around On The Upcoming Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is one of the most hotly anticipated motorcycles that will be launched this year! Already much has been said about the motorcycles, thanks to the numerous spy shots that we have been privy to. But this time, it is different. Ace rally pilot and Dakar veteran, CS Santosh is seen honing around on the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, giving it the beans, at presumably Big Rock Moto Park, his own off-road school. 

(Photo Credit: Rushlane)

In the short Instagram video, Santosh is seen jumping, sliding and riding the Himalayan 450 on off-road terrain, giving us a good idea of how capable the motorcycle is going to be. With KTM recently updating the 390 Adventure, the Himalayan 450 is all set to give tough competition and probably set new benchmarks in the sub 500 cc adventure motorcycle segment.

The Himalayan 450 is likely to get an all-new 450 cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine with output that could be in the ballpark of 40 bhp and 37 Nm. The new bike is likely to feature all-LED lighting, a fully digital TFT instrument console with Bluetooth connectivity, as well as upside down front forks, a first for any single-cylinder Royal Enfield model so far. Also new will possibly be a six-speed transmission, possibly with a slip and assist clutch, compared to the current Himalayan’s five-speed ‘box.

(Photo Credit: Motorcyclenews.com)

The motorcycle is likely to get a 21-inch wheel up front and a 19-inch wheel at the rear, shod with dual-sport rubber and from the numerous spyshots, it will have a retro design, with a minimalist theme and likely to have blacked out parts. 

We expect the motorcycle to be launched around the festive season, with prices starting at Rs. 3 lakh (ex-showroom).