Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 exhaust note surfaces ahead of launch

Royal Enfield’s long-stroke single-cylinder models have always had their signature sound and the eponymous thump is one of the biggest draws for prospective customers. However, the upcoming Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is powered by a liquid-cooled, four-valve single-cylinder engine that should have a shorter stroke. We finally have our first taste of what this new engine will sound like and it is quite different.

1. 450cc liquid-cooled engine will underpin 5 future models
2. Combination of RE thump with modern single-cylinder fast-paced note

Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 exhaust note: details

The thump generated by a long-stroke, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine (which underpins six REs currently) can’t really be mimicked by a shorter-stroke, liquid-cooled mill although there are traces of that in the upcoming Royal Enfield Himalayan 450’s exhaust note. 

While there isn’t a traditionalist thump in the exhaust sound, it doesn’t seem to sound as gruff or thrashy as some other bikes with a large single-cylinder engine like the KTM 390 Adventure and the BMW G 310 GS. The Himalayan 450’s exhaust has a pleasingly deep note and while it certainly has a faster idle than current single-cylinder Royal Enfield models, there is still an audible beat at idle.

From this short video, the best way to sum up the Himalayan 450’s exhaust note would be as a middle ground between the slower thump of the current Royal Enfield Himalayan and the fast-paced yet somewhat anonymous brap of a modern single-cylinder engine. 

Do you think Royal Enfield has got this sound right? Let us know in the comments below.

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