Royal Enfield has just launched the dual channel ABS-equipped Himalayan on-off road adv motorcycle. Prices start from Rs. 1.79 lakhs, ex-showroom, Mumbai, which is a modest Rs. 11,000 increase over the non-ABS version of the motorcycle. The Sleet variant is pricier by Rs. 1,836. Customer deliveries of the Royal Enfield Himalayan ABS have already begun, and ABS-equipped motorcycles have been shipped to dealer stockyards across India. In the coming days, expect the Himalayan ABS to be delivered to more customers across India.
Talking of changes on the Royal Enfield Himalayan, the ABS system has been added and the console gets an ABS light, and there’s an ABS sticker on the front forks. Apart from these changes, the Royal Enfield Himalayan ABS looks bog similar to the non-ABS version. There are no other mechanical changes as well. The motorcycle is powered by a 411cc, four stroke engine with 24.5 Bhp of peak power and 32 Nm of peak torque. The air-oil cooled engine gets fuel injection as standard, with an overhead camshaft and a two valve head. A five speed manual gearbox is standard and so is an electric start system.
The motorcycle gets long travel suspension consisting of telescopic front forks and a monoshock rear. The front suspension has 200 mm of travel while the rear gets 180 mm of travel. Ground clearance is hefty to say the least, at a whopping 220 mm. The motorcycle also gets a range of official accessories specifically meant for touring from Royal Enfield. At present, the Himalayan is the only affordable dual purpose motorcycle sold in India, and the next similar option – the BMW G 310GS – is priced more than double that of the Himalayan.
Meanwhile, official communication from Royal Enfield on whether the dual channel ABS unit on the Himalayan is switchable has not arrived yet. Bikers would want the dual channel ABS on the Royal Enfield Himalayan to be switchable though, since many off-road conditions would require such an option. Meanwhile, Royal Enfield will roll out dual channel ABS to more of its motorcycles in the coming months. The Classic 500 range, the Bullet 350, 500 and the Thunderbird twins will soon get dual channel ABS, with a similar Rs. 11,000 price increase.
Images courtesy Neelesh Bajaj