BS6-compliant Royal Enfield Himalayan Spotted Testing

It comes with feature updates and a new set of tyres

• The BS6-compliant Himalayan features a smaller front wheel and a fatter rear tyre.
• The instrument console also gets a small update. 
• Expect the updated model to garner a price hike of around Rs 9,000 over the BS4 model.

An update for the Royal Enfield Himalayan to comply with BS6-emission norms was inevitable, and enthusiasts have finally managed to catch a glimpse of the motorcycle doing rounds on Indian roads. From the looks of it, the bike not only gets a greener engine, but also a couple of mechanical and feature updates.

For instance, the lettering on the instrument console is slightly different compared to the current-gen model. Then there are the tell-tale lights, which get an extra button and a notification light possible for switchable ABS. Rumours of this feature being added to the ADV have been rife and having it on board would make adventure touring a whole lot of fun, especially on dirt. That aside, the front disc seems to be similar to the one on the upcoming 2020 Royal Enfield Classic 350 and the Thunderbird 350. This could improve braking, at least we hope so.

Apart from these inclusions, the console remains unchanged. Interestingly, the bike now comes with a hazard lamp switch on the right switchgear, which was earlier seen on the BS3-compliant models. For some reason, Royal Enfield decided to remove the feature in the fuel-injected BS4-compliant model. 

The next big change comes in the form of a new set of wheels. The test mule has traded in its 21-inch front tyre for a smaller wheel, which appears to be 19 inches. Just like the 650cc twins, the rims on the BS6-compliant Himalayan seems to be of aluminium, shod with fatter MRF Meteor dual-purpose tyre, likely a 100-section unit. The rear features the new MRF Meteor rubber, which is likely to be a 130-section tyre instead of the current 120-section Ceat Gripp XL unit.

The 411cc fuel-injected air-cooled single-cylinder engine is expected to comply with BS6 regulations. The result may be a drop in power output. Currently, the Himalayan makes 24.5PS at 6500rpm and 32Nm at 4250rpm. 

We can expect the Chennai-based bike maker to launch the adventure tourer by early-2020. Considering the updates, it's likely to carry a premium of around Rs 9,000 over the current model, which costs Rs 1,80,951 (ex-showroom Delhi). The Royal Enfield Himalayan always has and will be a more affordable alternative to the KTM 390 Adventure which is likely to get a sticker price of around Rs 3 lakh (ex-showroom). It is likely to be launched early next year. 

Source: Team-bhp