Royal Enfield is being less than subtle about its forthcoming Himalayan 750 model – testing the bike recently in the Khardung Pass section of the Himalayas and sharing photos of its exploits on Instagram. The brand also took the opportunity to put a forthcoming electric Himalayan through its paces. I’ll cover that bike in a different story.
Royal Enfield hasn’t officially released details of the Himalayan 750, but its photos suggest the bike isn’t too far from production. EICMA 2025, anyone?
The new Himalayan 750 is expected to feature a 750cc, air-/oil-cooled parallel-twin engine, which Adventure Bike Rider estimates will produce 50 to 55 hp. That strikes me as nominal over the 47 hp delivered by the company’s existing 648cc parallel twin, used in bikes like the Classic 650. Maybe the reason for the bigger engine is related to meeting ever more stringent environmental regulations. Otherwise, I’m not sure I see the point.
Aesthetically, the Himalayan 750 maintains the design of the 450 model, with a recognizable round LED headlamp and tower-style structure. This is good, in my opinion. Previous spy shots had it looking like a bubbly Husqvarna Norden 901.
The 750 appears to have a larger half-fairing than the 450, a seemingly bigger fuel tank, and a taller windscreen. The round TFT instrument console appears to be carried over, but this bike has new trapezoidal mirrors instead of the 450’s round ones, and an upswept exhaust reminiscent of the Bear 650. All this is subject to change, of course. Little details of prototypes often disappear on production models.
The Himalayan 750 will probably keep its 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels, departing from the 21-inch front and 17-inch rear setup of the 450. That will give it a more road-focused, adventure-tourer feel. I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if Royal Enfield offers a 21-inch front tire version.
Who knows whether the tires will be tubeless. When I was at the Classic 650 launch late last year, the issue of customers’ desire for tubeless tires (the Classic 650 doesn’t have them) seemed to be on the mind of many on Royal Enfield’s team.
According to ABR, an all-new frame and subframe seems likely, designed to accommodate the larger engine and components.
The most important thing, of course, will be price, but this strikes me as the sort of bike I could get behind. My main criticism of Royal Enfield’s 650 platform is that its engine feels just a bit anemic (and vibey) at motorway speeds. Below 60 mph, the engine is delightful. So, perhaps that tiny bit of extra oomph that comes from boosting it to 750 could be what’s needed to create a characterful, relaxed adventure tourer.
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