A few Royal Enfield dealers have begun accepting bookings for the upcoming ABS-equipped Himalayan. While most dealerships aren’t giving out exact prices yet, there are a few who are. A dealer we spoke to suggests that the Himalayan ABS will be priced at Rs 1.78 lakh and the Himalayan Sleet ABS will be priced at Rs 1.80 lakh (both prices, ex-showroom Mumbai). On-road costs for both, however, are expected to cross the Rs 2 lakh mark.
These prices suggest that there is an increase of around Rs 10,000 over the non-ABS equipped Himalayan models. Even if this dealer claim is not 100 percent accurate, we believe a price hike in the range of Rs 10,000-12,000 is fair increment to expect – and actually quite competitive when compared to how much more Bajaj and TVS charge. Other than the addition of ABS, we expect the motorcycle to remain mechanically unchanged. It will continue to use the single-cylinder, fuel-injected 411cc motor that makes 24.8hp and 32Nm of torque. What remains to be seen however, is that if the Himalayan will be equipped with switchable-ABS (like the BMW G 310 GS), given that it is an entry-level ADV motorcycle.
Back in November 2017, Royal Enfield updated its Himalayan to BS-IV specifications and also made some headway towards correcting the previous bike’s reputation for low reliability. The biggest change on the updated Himalayan was the fuel-injection system that replaced its carburettor; the company added this upgrade in order to meet BS-IV norms. The bike also underwent other small changes – like the addition of a small metal guard on the oil cooler, matte-black powder coating for the fuel tank's cap, bar-end weights and luggage-mounts below the rear seat.
You can read our review of the 2017 Royal Enfield Himalayan here.
Ved Janve
Dinshaw Magol
