After what seems like a very long wait, Royal Enfield has finally announced prices for its brand-new Himalayan. Prices start at Rs 2.69 lakh for the base Kaza Brown colour while the middle Pass colour schemes cost Rs 2.74 lakh. The Kamet White colour costs Rs 2.79 lakh and the Hanle Black is the most expensive colourway, priced at Rs 2.84 lakh. These prices are introductory and are valid till December 31, 2023.

The erstwhile Himalayan 411 was priced between Rs 2.15 lakh-2.30 lakh, which makes this new model dearer by roughly Rs 54,000, depending on the colour chosen.

The 2024 Himalayan represents a quantum leap forward for the model, with nothing carried forward. A new liquid-cooled, 452cc, single-cylinder engine sits at its heart, making 40hp and 40Nm of torque. Dubbed the Sherpa 450, it is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with a slip-and-assist clutch. It's a great deal lighter and even with its cooling and lubricating fluids, this engine weighs about 10kg less than the old LS 411 motor.

An all-new steel twin-spar frame that uses the engine as a stressed member is found on the new Himalayan suspended by a 43mm USD fork and preload-adjustable monoshock, both with 200mm of travel. Ground clearance stands at a towering 230mm, and despite that, the stock seat height is a manageable 825mm. It can be raised further to 845mm and with the accessory low seat, it can even be reduced to 805mm.

As with the earlier bike, wheel sizes are 21/17-inch (front/rear), although the tyres are all-new and have been specially designed for the new Himalayan. In fact, the rear is even a radial unit. Braking duties are handled by a single 320mm disc at the front and a 270mm disc at the back, and all the hardware is supplied by ByBre. Dual-channel ABS is standard and it can be turned off at the rear. 

All prices introductory, ex-showroom.

The new, circular 4-inch TFT dash can be paired to your phone via Bluetooth, can display Google Maps data as well as control music playback via the joystick on the left switch cube. The new Himalayan is also the first Royal Enfield to get ride-by-wire and has two riding modes – Eco and Performance.