Royal Enfield launches 'Himalayan' at Rs 1.55 lakh

Niche bike maker Royal Enfield today launched Himalayan, an all terrain 411-cc bike, priced at Rs 1.55 lakh (ex-showroom Maharashtra).
The company, which is the two-wheeler arm of Eicher Motors, currently sells various popular models like Bullet, Classic, Thunderbird and Continental GT.
"We are creating a new segment of adventure tourer in India. We hope to get a lot of adventure bikers through this. We will have to wait and see if it is adopted very quickly or gradually picks up," Eicher Motors MD and CEO Siddhartha Lal told PTI.
While the focus is on the domestic market, Himalayan has generated interest in all the markets where the company is present, including the US and Europe, he added.

With its purpose-built ground-up design, the Himalayan is a simple and capable "go-anywhere" motorcycle that will redefine adventure touring in India, Lal said.
Elaborating further on export plans for the bike, he said, "We will send some bikes to some of the markets, like Latin America and South East Asia, to see the response so that in due course of time we can sell there too if there is demand."

Himalayan comes with a five-speed gearbox and 24.5 BHP engine. The company would also sell accessories to go with the bike which has a ground clearance of 210 mm.
It is the first model to be built on the two new engine platforms the company is developing. Multiple products could be launched on the two new engine platforms. The new products would be in the range of 250 cc to 750 cc.

The launch would help the company further consolidate its position to become a leading player in the mid-sized (250 cc - 750 cc) segment globally.
Having established its business firmly in the domestic market, the company is now eyeing major markets across the world to sustain its growth momentum.
In the past few months, Royal Enfield has steadily expanded its global footprint in key nodal cities like Bangkok, London, Madrid, Paris, Dubai, Bogota and Medellin.
The company plans to produce up to 9 lakh motorcycles by end of 2018 from its two existing manufacturing facilities and a third upcoming facility in Tamil Nadu.

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Himalayan is powered by a new LS 410 engine which delivers high torque and usable power at lower RPMs and can go 10,000 kms between oil changes. Bookings across all Royal Enfield dealerships will begin in a phased manner from tomorrow.
Launching the bike, Siddhartha Lal said the large adventure tourers which currently define this category do not fare well in the Himalayas as they are very heavy, extremely complicated, intimidating and not really designed for that environment.
Strong mono shock rear suspension with linkage allows for longer travel and delivers a smoother ride experience regardless of terrain, he said.

Its 15 litre fuel tank provides a range of around 450 km.
The bike rides on dual-purpose tyres. In addition to complete braking control, the 300mm front and 240mm rear disc brakes help reduce braking efforts.
Royal Enfield President Rudratej Singh said the Himalayan is priced at Rs 1,55,545 (ex-showroom Maharashtra) and Rs 1,78,872 (on-road, Mumbai).
It will be available in Bangalore for Rs 1,84,316, in Kolkata for Rs 1,81,517, in Chennai for Rs 1,75,840, in Hyderabad for Rs 1,76,580, in Pune for Rs 1,70,362 and in Navi Mumbai for Rs 1,71,065 (all prices on-road).
The oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, Royal Enfield made its first motorcycle in 1901. With over 50 per cent growth every year for the last 5 years, it has been ramping up its capacity at its Chennai plant. Its models are shipped to over 50 countries.