A twin-pot Royal Enfield Himalayan 650 is in the works

Royal Enfield is evidently developing a 650cc version of its popular Himalayan adventure bike.

The Himalayan 650 prototype has a round headlight but no beak that is so beloved of modern ADVs. Its tail section is similar to that of the existing Himalayan 450. Seating is in two parts and there’s a single exhaust angling upward on the right side. 

Unusually, the Himalayan 650 would seem to have a rectangular TFT dash. A tough bash plate runs back to the centre stand. Dual front discs are featured, probably overkill in a bike that might not be good for much more than 35kW.

How offroad you’d go on this is unclear but perhaps not too far as the Himalayan 650 could weigh around 250kg, up substantially on the 197kg of the Himalayan 450. 

We’d expect that the parallel twin engine powering this machine will be the same air/oil-cooled 648cc twin that motivates every other 650 in Royal Enfield’s line-up. It conjures 35kW of peak power and 52Nm of torque. On dirt roads and well-formed trails this should perform well.

The Himalayan 450 (above), unveiled last year, features a liquid-cooled 452cc single, with almost double the power of the original 411 (30kW). It is said to represent a good mix of affordability and usability.

Power output of the 650 won’t be that much greater but it will be better suited to carrying the weight of luggage and a passenger with its decent bump in torque.

Royal Enfield Chief of Design, Mark Wells, said the 650 version of the Himalayan is the one that most RE enthusiasts have been asking for.

Bear 650 here soon, order now

Of note, this won’t be the only RE 650 taking to the trails soon. For Royal Enfield New Zealand has opened pre-orders for the Bear 650. First units go on sale at an introductory price of $11,490. All that’s required is a refundable deposit of $500 for the desert scrambler.

It is available in white, green, Wild Honey, Golden Shadow, and a special colour edition called Two Four Nine.

Bear 650 also comes with a three-year, unlimited km warranty, and three years of roadside assist. Deliveries start imminently.

The white version is $11,490, while all the others but for the the two four nine cost $11,690. The special edition goes for $11,890.