More off-road focused Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Rally ‘on its way’

New spy shots have confirmed a more off-road focused version of the Royal Enfield Himalayan ADV is on the way as the third model to be spun off from the adventure motorcycle’s fondly-regarded brand.

Following on from the recently launched Royal Enfield Scram 411 - a scrambler version of the Himalayan using its 411cc engine - the Times of India are reporting a prototype of a new variant bearing similarities to the Himalayan has been spotted out in the wild.

The model appears to confirm rumours from earlier in the year that the Indian firm is working on a honed off-roader with a more powerful engine to rival the likes of the KTM 390 Adventure and BMW G 310 GS.

Less clear about this new model - purported to be named the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Rally - is whether it will be a formal addition to Royal Enfield’s rapidly growing model range or whether it will come as a limited run at the start of 2023.

Expected to be pitched as a more ‘premium’ adventure offering, the Himalayan 450 Rally will feature a higher-set front-end with a beak, a 21-inch front wheel and a 17-inch rear, plus knobbly tyres. 

The spy image - which can be seen here at Motorbeam - goes a long way to matching a render Indian publication Bike Wale claims was pulled together from reputable sources (below).

Other traits of the forthcoming model include a lofty ground clearance and fuel tank, while the upswept exhaust suggests the Himalayan 450 Rally will be designed for harder off-road use than either its namesake of the Scram 411.

Under the skin will be a freshly engineered 450cc single-cylinder engine expected to boast around 40bhp, which could make its way into the current Himalayan too.