Royal Enfield Himalayan Electric: electric motorcycle for mountain tours

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Royal Enfield wants to focus more on electric motorcycles. The oldest motorcycle brand in the world, which was founded in England in 1901 and has been selling bikes with age-old technology for decades, is planning an electric offensive. The Indian manufacturer has already unveiled the finished Flying Flea FF.C6 and Flying Flea FF.S6 and plans to sell them from 2025. The traditional brand has now published new photos of an electric Himalayan.

The electric motorcycle in the pictures is the prototype of an adventure bike, which bears the designation HIM-E (for Himalayan Electric). A modified version of the HIM-E was recently shown at a Royal Enfield event in India. The battery grew and sat lower, the electric motor moved over the sprocket and the frame downrights were changed.

Modern design

The design of the HIM-E is much more modern than the Himalayan 450 with its reciprocating engine, its contours are more reminiscent of the Yamaha 700 Ténéré, although the humped "tank" is of course only a dummy and the seat almost reaches the steering head. The frame appears to have been reduced to a minimum, with the battery being used as a load-bearing element. An aluminum carrier is only installed at the bottom on each side, but there is still a normal rear frame under the seat. The swingarm is elaborately manufactured and generously dimensioned, but trimmed for lightweight construction with holes and struts.

Suitable for off-road use

A thick upside-down fork with long suspension travel guides the front wheel, which looks just as high-quality as the rear Öhlins suspension strut with pressure compensation reservoir. The 21 -inch front and 18 -inch rear wire-spoke wheels show that Royal Enfield is serious about the off-road capability of its electric bike. – In contrast to the rims of the Himalayan 450 –, the English SM-Pro rims are center-spoked, which indicates tubular tires.

The front mudguard and the tightly cut rear end, including the short license plate holder, are also absolutely in keeping with the times in terms of style, whereas the round headlight looks rather nostalgic, even though it is fitted with LEDs. A luggage rack is indispensable in India, although it is still quite small on the HIM-E. The front fairing is said to be made of organic flax fibers.

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Royal Enfield Himalayan Electric Teil 1 (9 Bilder)

Crash bar and engine guard as standard

Royal Enfield seems to have included a generous engine guard and crash bar as standard – certainly important for rides over bumpy Himalayan trails with a high risk of falling. The windshield looks a little makeshift, but as it is attached to the Himalayan 450 in exactly the same way, it could well go into series production like this; after all, it is long and rises steeply for good wind protection.

The rider sits "in" the motorcycle, the seat has a clear hollow to ensure that even shorter people can stand securely. The handlebars are wide and have a high offset, which makes it easier for the rider to control the bike when stationary, as they do not have to bend down low, but remain upright with their upper body. For the front brake, Royal Enfield uses a tried-and-tested brake calliper from Nissin. The information in the cockpit is provided by a rectangular TFT display –, a first for Royal Enfield.

Help from Stark Future

Royal Enfield has not yet revealed anything about the performance of the electric motor or the energy content of the prototype's battery. However, the brand has already been involved for some time in the start-up "Stark Future" in Barcelona, which has developed the "Varg", an electric motocrosser with up to 59 kW of power and has attracted a lot of attention in the industry. The Indians were concerned with technology transfer, as the development of the HIM-E takes place at the headquarters in Chennai and at the engineering office "Harris Engineering" in England. This now belongs to Royal Enfield.

Endurance test in the Himalayas

The development team carries out the tests in the Himalayas, where the passes lead up to over 5000  meters. Development could hardly take place under tougher conditions, with rough gravel tracks, river crossings and cold. However, the HIM-E is likely to have to contend with the typical problem of short range, as the vehicle weight would be too high for off-road use with a very large battery. It is not known what compromise Royal Enfield has made in this respect. However, the HIM-E also had to undergo extensive tests in the wind tunnel at the factory; after all, good aerodynamics reduce power consumption.

Series production not yet confirmed

Royal Enfield has not revealed how far the prototype has progressed. At first, the manufacturer stated that the HIM-E would not go on sale, but later the Indian trade press reported that the HIM-E would be sold as a production bike from 2027. However, Royal Enfield had already announced in 2023 that it would be investing at least 150 million euros in the development of electric motorcycles, so it would be strange if it were to use the HIM-E, which has long since reached an advanced stage, only as a technology carrier for other models.

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Royal Enfield Himalayan Electric Teil 2 (6 Bilder)

India needs electric vehicles to combat smog

The prospects of success for the Royal Enfield HIM-E are not bad at all. In contrast to many electric motorcycles, which are developed by small start-ups and then often quickly disappear again, Royal Enfield, which sold over 920,000 motorcycles in 2023, is backed by a financially solid group: the Eicher Group is the largest agricultural machinery manufacturer in India.

In contrast to Europe, where electric motorcycles lack acceptance, electric motorcycles are even politically desirable in India. The air pollution in India's megacities is literally breathtaking; the capital New Delhi is even considered the dirtiest city in the world in this respect, with a toxic haze sometimes hanging over it for weeks at a time. The government is therefore planning to ban motorcycles and scooters up to 150 cm³, which includes the vast majority of Indian bikes, with combustion engines in cities in the future. It remains to be seen how realistic the implementation is, but at least it would help the smog-plagued Indians to improve air quality.

Perhaps a trendsetter

Of course, Royal Enfield has not commented on the price. Nevertheless, it can be said that the Himalayan Electric, if it comes onto the market, will be unaffordable for most Indians. But in a country with a population of over 1.4  billion, where around 17  million motorized two-wheelers were sold in 2023, there is a growing affluent middle class that could help the HIM-E achieve significant unit sales. Who knows, perhaps India will provide a new impetus for electric motorcycles that will set a global trend.

(dmk)