Royal Enfield has launched its Himalayan adventure bike Down Under, which will retail for $5990 (plus on-road costs) in two colour options: granite or snow.
The Himalayan was unveiled by Royal Enfield's boss of international business, Mr. Arun Gopal, in Melbourne. He said: “The Himalayan is the culmination of Royal Enfield’s 60 years of enduring history in its spiritual home – the Himalayas.
"Our single biggest insight in all these years of riding has been that the best motorcycle for the mountains like Himalayas is not one that tries to dominate its landscape, but one that is able to go with its flow. Large adventure tourers that currently define this category do not fare well in such terrains as they are very heavy, extremely complicated, intimidating and not really designed for the environment.
"With its purpose-built ground-up design, the Himalayan is a simple and capable go-anywhere motorcycle that will redefine adventure touring globally.
“Its non-intimidating nature serves the purpose of a seasoned rider and at the same time opens the roads to many more people who will get the confidence that they can ride on and off the road less travelled. Functionally, the Himalayan’s non-intimidating spartan design, a flat torque curve, accessible seat height and long suspension travel alongside the ease of ownership, make the Himalayan an extremely versatile motorcycle that is adept for long rides through tough terrains while equally being the definitive choice to navigate cities."
The Himalayan is built on a duplex split cradle frame designed and developed by Harris Performance, and suspension travel is 200mm at the front and 180mm at the rear. The bike tracks on a 21-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear. Kerb weight is 182kg.
The bike is powered by a completely new long-stroke LS 410 single-cylinder engine, delivering 24.5hp (18kW) at 6500rpm and 32Nm at between 4000-4500rpm.
Royal Enfield says the 15-litre fuel tank delivers up to 450km, while the 300mm front and 240mm rear disc brakes comes with dual-channel anti-lock braking.
Visit royalenfield.com.au to find your nearest dealer.