Reports out of India’s moto-press say the Royal Enfield Himalayan will get a new, bigger engine in the next couple years.
India’s motojournalists made much ballyhoo about the Himalayan when it debuted in 2016, but more than a year later, we still haven’t seen the bike on North American roads. The all-new 411 cc single-cylinder motor was supposed to spearhead a brave new future for Royal Enfield.
Fast forward a year and a half, and the Himalayan hasn’t lived up to expectations. While Royal Enfield is undoubtedly selling every one it builds, there have been complaints that the engine is too wimpy and the quality control is poor (considering the rider broke a footpeg off the bike in the original promo video, the latter issue is hardly surprising).
So, Siddartha Lal, CEO of Royal Enfield’s parent company, Eicher Motors, says the Himalayan is expected to get a new engine in the next 18 months. That’s good news for any North Americans who might be interested in purchasing the bike, as the 411 cc mill probably wouldn’t have lived up to expectations over here.
As for the quality control, we’ve already seen Royal Enfield taking steps to address those issues, just in time for the current Himalayan model to hit our market next year (if all goes as predicted).
Pat history dictates it will be slow, poorly finished, overpriced and unreliable.
Come on RE, you can do it if you try !