Royal Enfield has started to build the Himalayan ABS in India. However, the ABS version of the on-off road bike will not be launched in India first. It will first be sold in the European market where every bike has to be mandatorily sold with ABS. Without ABS, Royal Enfield will not be able to launch the Himalayan in Europe.
This explains why the company has exported the ABS version of the Himalayan to France. One of the French dealers of the company – Tendance Roadster – confirmed to CarToq that the Euro-spec Himalayan will indeed have ABS. In fact, the first batch of Himalayans with ABS are already on their way to Europe.
The Indian market will also receive the Himalayan ABS, but at a later date. We expect Royal Enfield to offer ABS on all its motorcycles sold in India next year. Expect to see the ABS equipped bikes first showcased at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo. Royal Enfield has launched the BS4 version of the Himalayan earlier this year.
The BS4 bike got fuel injection and also many engineering changes and improved quality levels. Eicher CEO Siddhartha Lal has even stated that the Himalayan BS4 is absolutely fine, with no issues to speak of. We hope that buyers also have the same thing to say about the BS4 bike as the Himalayan’s BS3 version has been infamous for quality and reliability problems.
The ABS equipped Himalayan that will eventually be launched in India may come with a price hike of about Rs. 10,000. It is expected to retain the 411cc single cylinder engine though. This air-oil cooled, long stroke engine produces a peak power of about 24.5 Bhp while peak torque is 32 Nm.
The engine is paired with a 5 speed manual gearbox. The Himalayan gets long travel suspension at the front and the rear, and a high ground clearance of 220mm. The bike is meant for new and experienced riders alike, who want an affordable motorcycle to explore India on.