Royal Enfield Is Officially Fixing the Biggest Problem With Its Best Motorcycle

Since its launch just nine years ago, the Royal Enfield Himalayan has only grown more and more beloved amongst adventure motorcycle fans.

Along with eye-popping retro style, the bike is super approachable for newer riders and a helluva value proposition for anyone interested in getting off the beaten path.

Royal Enfield

I know this from experience, having ridden its stripped-down sibling, the Himalayan Scram 411, through the actual Himalayas on an epic Dainese Expedition Masters trip a couple of years ago. 

The bike is super nimble off-road and comfortable enough on-road for the six long days we spent in the saddle on that adventure.

The only major beef I had was, honestly, the power. Climbing over those massive mountain passes in Northern India, we often had to drop the bike all the way down to first gear and just crank the throttle to squeeze all the juice we could out of the 411cc, 24-horsepower engine. 

Marco Marini/Ricardo Albiero

Last year, Royal Enfield upgraded the engine to a 452cc single cylinder that makes almost 40 horsepower at 8,000 rpm, while keeping the starting price under $5,500, which is awesome.

However, the latest news out of India is even more exciting. The brand has been spotted testing a Himalayan with a much larger engine, which could be a game changer for more ambitious motorcycle adventurers. And it’s not the only new “Himmy” getting reps.

Power play

So, what exactly is under the hood here? By all rumors and indications, there are two distinct possibilities.

One is that it’s a 48-horsepower, 648cc parallel twin — like what you’ll find in several other Royal Enfield bikes with 650 in their names, including the Bear 650, Shotgun 650 and INT650. 

The second possibility is that it’s a 750cc. That’s the next engine size the brand is planning to roll out, on a new fairing-equipped version of the Continental GT. 

With either engine, this new Himalayan should have a lot less trouble climbing steep slopes. 

Royal Enfield

I have ridden the other two RE models with 648cc engine, the Continental GT 650 and the Super Meteor 650.

While I did so on relatively flat roads in New York and Texas, respectively, there’s no question these bikes have way more juice. 

Heck, I kissed 100 mph on the latter, which I am pretty sure you could only do on the current Himalayan if you rode it off a cliff.

Accompanying updates

It’s worth noting, Royal Enfield isn’t just squeezing a bigger engine into the current bike, nor is it using the framework the brand employs with other bikes boasting a parallel-twin engine.

The bike being tested features a more contemporary frame, with an upside-down fork, an alloy swingarm and a monoshock rear end. 

Royal Enfield

Just a couple of features nod to the bike’s historic retro styling: the old-school round headlight and instrument panel, though it is likely to have a color TFT display, not a classic mechanical gauge.

Like its predecessor, this new bike appears intended for a mix of on-road and off-road use. Key indicators include dual-front discs, the modest front mudguard (versus the beaks you see on, say, various versions of BMW’s GS) and the wheel vibes.

Featuring dual-purpose rubber tires and wire spokes, the wheels measure 19 inches in front and 17 inches in back, specs that lean more toward the street than the larger ones (21/18) you often see on more aggro off-roaders.

Electric avenue

Alongside this bigger-engined version of the Himalayan, Royal Enfield has been test-riding a very different one. 

Dubbed the Him-E, it’s an electric version that actually looks more geared for off-roading than its petrol-powered brother. 

It has a one-piece seat, enabling the rider to shift around with ease, especially as the lack of a fuel tank means it can transition smoothly to the front of the bike. 

Royal Enfield

More notable from a dirt-riding perspective? A big 21-inch front wheel with knobbier tires.   

This bike looks much different from the prototype that popped up in 2023. The rear frame section is much more polished, featuring trellis-style aluminum casting attached to battery cases. 

This new version looks to have two battery packs along with both external and internal cooling vanes.

The seat now looks to be self-supporting, eschewing the steel tube subframe of the 2023 edition. 

Royal Enfield

Overall this bike looks both more refined and more substantial, a compelling off-road companion to RE’s other big electric effort, the forthcoming sub-brand known as Flying Flea.

Now, when will we actually see these bikes roll out? Time will tell, but industry insiders expect to see the twin-cylinder launch later this year as a 2026 bike.

The electric Himalayan, like the Flying Flea, will have to wait till next year at the earliest.

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