Just a few days ago the famous Cuenca Rally, where we could see the Indian pilot CS Santosh at the controls of what seems like the beginning of the future Himalayan Rally. In other media they refer to the model under the name Himalayan Raidso this data is somewhat inconclusive for now. In any case, in view of the images that Autocar India has published, we are sure that Royal Enfield has used this Offroad test to test its next model.
It is not new that the Indo-British brand is thinking about launching a Himalayan Rally on the market, seeing the good reception that this type of frames currently have among the general public. In fact, in the early stages of 2022 there was already speculation about this idea, even though the current “four and a half” model had not been launched.
Royal Enfield Himalayan Rally: What we can expect from it
Then there was talk of specific changes to the standard variant. All of this focused on giving it greater country qualities, under a more marked Offroad facet. Subsequently, a news item appeared in the Indian media pointing to the development of a new Himalayan 450 Raid.
The first information about this version spoke of 2027 as the year in which Royal could consider its launch, although, to be honest, this date seems too far away in time.
In any case, this Himalayan 450 Raid, known in the brand’s internal code as K1X Projectwould have knobby tires, radial type rims or a fully adjustable suspension system.
Finally, based on the latest images of what could be a prototype of the future Himalayan Rallywe can see how it comes devoid of most of the accessories that a street version should incorporate. In addition, the brand has taken advantage of this test to test components related to the engine and the cycle part.
You can clearly see how key elements of the standard Himalayan 450 have been replaced by higher performance ones, such as the inverted front fork. It also equips a complete Akrapovič exhaust system, which suggests that there would be engine improvements, including a final performance above 50 HP of power.
Beyond these observations, it is evident that Royal has left the rest of the parts that a future Himalayan Rally could use to equip its bodywork and basic essential equipment to the imagination of those attending.
We just have to wait for new news about the next steps to take in the development of the model to discover what the more Offroad version of Royal Enfield has in store for us in the future.
