THIS is the best look yet at Royal Enfield's upcoming Himalayan adventure bike.
Rugged, practical and convincingly covered in mud and dust, this looks every bit the grizzled adventurer - and a long way from the technologically sophisticated and refined adventure offerings from BMW, Triumph and Honda.
First published on Indian site Motoroids, it is the latest in a long line of spy shots of the Himalayan... you'd think the test riders might try a new route. Last week we published these shots.
We're getting quite excited about what could be Royal Enfield's most important new model since 1948 - when the Bullet first shot into the market.
Ok, so nobody's expecting blistering performance from that 410cc air-cooled single, but there are signs Royal Enfield is moving with the times with the addition of monoshock rear suspension.
With ex-Ducati designer Pierre Terblanche on Royal Enfield's books, we can't be the only ones to study the photos for evidence of the designer's influence. Fortunately the simple, rugged machine appears to be relatively Multistrada free (a bike we once described as a 'candidate for the ugliest motorcycle of all time.')
There's some debate about what the bike will cost when it arrives to the UK, with local prices for the Indian market expected at around £2,500. It's safe to say we'll pay at least an extra £1,000 (and then some). However, if Royal Enfield can get this bike into dealers for around £4,000 then it could have a hit on its hands.
Last week Royal Enfield's CEO Siddhartha Lal told Visordown about the firm's ambitious plans to become a global brand with domination of the emerging middle-weight market. So could this be the bike to convince you to buy a Royal Enfield? Let us know what you think.
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