Bhārat Bikes: Royal Enfield’s Himalayan 450 Breaks Cover

Staying updated on the roadster/cruisers Harley-Davidson's made with Hero Motocorp means one thing: A front-row view of what else India's market is getting for this year – and based on recent spy shots, it looks the new debutante to soon break cover in Bhārat markets is Royal Enfield's next-gen adventure-tourer, the Himalayan 450.

Considered the best budget beginner adventure bike, Royal Enfield's current Himalayan asks a reasonable $5,299-5,500 USD – and for that amount of green, you’re getting 411cc's (or around 25hp) of peashooter (single-cylinder) power @ 6500rpm, with a modest but nice 23.6 ft-lbs of yank @ 4000-4500rpm.

This new Himalayan, we’re told by LiveMint, will add a extra 31cc's to that success, thanks to a brand spankin’ new heart, which will deliver around 42hp and 29.5 ft-lbs of torquedos (quoted as "40-45 bhp and a peak torque of 40 Nm").

Here's a view courtesy of HT Auto, showing a view of the 450 caught in traffic:

As we can see, RE's kept the LED light, brake light indicators, and added a new gas tank, with a taller windscreen and new seat pair to complement RE's confirmed use of tubeless spoked wheels.

Of course, all of this extra power and componentry will come with a larger price tag… though whether or not this machine will succeed in competing with the viral KTM 390 Adventure is still to be seen.

What do you think of Royal Enfield's Himalayan 450?