Royal Enfield has confirmed that the Himalayan 440 will launch on September 4. We’d first reported back in April that Royal Enfield was working on the Himalayan 440 and learnt last week that a launch was imminent. The bike is expected to fill the gap between the Scram 440 and the Himalayan 450, offering a more accessible, less technologically complex alternative to the latter.
- Based on the Scram 440's LS440 engine
- Expected to get a 21-inch front wheel and increased suspension travel
Royal Enfield Himalayan 440: What we know so far
The 21-inch front wheel and spoked rims will be the main differentiators over the Scram 440
The Himalayan 440 will be built on the same foundation as the updated Scram 440, using the LS440 engine. On the Scram, it produces 25.4hp at 6,250rpm and 34Nm at 4,000rpm, which is marginally higher than the 411's 24hp and 32Nm, thanks to a 3mm larger bore. No mechanical changes to the engine are expected, mirroring how the Himalayan 411 and Scram 411 shared identical powerplants.
The most significant difference over the Scram 440 will be the wheel setup. The Scram 440 uses a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel combination suited to road use, while the Himalayan 440 is expected to return to the 411's off-road-oriented 21-inch front wheel, likely with tubed wire-spoke rims. Suspension travel is also expected to step up to 200mm at the front, like on the Himalayan 411, from the 190mm on the Scram.
The Himalayan 440 is not expected to be as technologically complex as the Himalayan 450, which brought a TFT display, turn-by-turn navigation, a USD front fork and a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch to the line-up. Instead, the 440 is expected to cater to buyers who prefer the simpler, more familiar character of the 411.
Currently, the Scram 440 is priced from Rs 2.25 lakh to Rs 2.32 lakh, while the Himalayan 450 costs Rs 3.08 lakh to Rs 3.40 lakh. Somewhere between those two models is where the Royal Enfield Himalayan 440 is likely to be positioned.
Ved Janve
Stephen Raj Antony
