T TAKES A CERTAIN

Iamount of courage to break away from convention and do your own thing. Sometimes the rewards are sweet, some other times it can be challenging. So what does a company over 100 years old do when they realise they have an opportunity to give the world something completely new and hitherto unattempted? Adventure bikes have to be big, heavy, and have a massive ground clearance with the provision to pack days of luggage in boxes wherever possible. True, but not all of it. And that’s what Royal Enfield have so vehemently demonstrated with their all-new motorcycle, the Himalayan.

The bike was imagined a long time ago, what with the brand being associated with the Himalayas and almost go-anywhere performance. They’ve been meaning to create something of this sort for a while, and, now, with the Himalayan, they have done exactly that. A new chassis, new suspension, all-new engine, and totally revised ergonomics mark the Himalayan apart from anything else in the stable, or even in the market.

The half-duplex split cradle frame supports luggage racks from the outset, incorporating pannier and mount provisions, and, even at the front, allows jerry-cans to be mounted for regions where petrol stations are far and few between, supplementing the 15-litre tank. The front end also gets a windscreen and a beak to prevent the fixed headlamp and screen from getting mud-splattered.

The front suspension uses a fat 41-millimetre telescopic fork with 200 mm of travel. It puts down a 21” spoked wheel wrapped in 90/90 rubber with a 300-mm disc brake bitten by a twin-piston calliper. The front wheel hub is a simplistic lightweight no-nonsense design. At the rear is a 17” wheel with 120/70 rubber and a 240-mm disc brake with a singlepiston calliper that is placed with the company’s first-ever monoshock suspension. The link-