Royal Enfield Himalayan Road-Biased Variant Images Leaked Online

A full-scale clay model appears to show off key changes.

By: Janaki Jitchotvisut

Aug 3, 2021 at 11:50am ET

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The Royal Enfield Himalayan has a reputation for being a small but relatively capable little dual-sport motorbike. The bike’s 411cc, air-cooled, single-overhead cam thumper puts out a claimed 24.3 horsepower at 6,500 rpm. Torque is a respectable 23.6 foot-pounds at around 4,000 to 4,500 rpm. With a curb weight of just under 439 pounds and a seat height just south of 31.5 inches, it’s a pretty accessible way to start adventuring off-road.

What about those riders who like the rugged good looks of an ADV bike but plan to keep most of their adventuring on pavement, though? It seems that Royal Enfield had those riders in mind when it started working on a more road-biased Himalayan variant. The powerplant and character appear to be the same, but there are a few key differences to note.

Indian publication Motoroids got hold of some leaked images of a full-scale clay model of the more road-biased Himalayan. At this point, it’s just one more puzzle piece to fit alongside some of the test mule videos that have been floating around on the Internet for months now. We don’t have full details yet, and it’s unclear when they might arrive, but here’s what we can see so far.

Perhaps the biggest difference is the wheels. The 2021 Himalayan has a 21-inch spoked front wheel, and a 17-inch spoked rear wheel. Meanwhile, the model in the photo seems to show a pair of wheels that appear matched in size, front and rear, and are probably 18-inch units.

What do you think?

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The windscreen found on the 2021 Himalayan is also no longer in evidence on the clay model, which significantly changes the look of the bike. If the Himalayan is already a fairly rugged-looking little machine, the subtraction of that little windscreen just makes it look even more essential.

Additionally, there are new little shroud-pieces up at the front of the fuel tank, bearing the number 411. Does that number have something to do with the model name that Enfield intends to use for this bike? Will it have the word “Himalayan” in the name, or will it get its own, completely separate road bike identity? Enfield has filed for a number of name trademarks in the past couple of years, so it may use one of those as well once it finally comes to market.