Royal Enfield has announced that it will launch the Himalayan adventure tourer motorcycle on March 16, 2016.

The Himalayan was unveiled in February 2016. It gets a half-duplex split cradle frame with a 41 mm fork suspension with 200 mm of travel at the front and a linkage-type monoshock with 180 mm of wheel travel at the rear. The bike weighs 182 kg, has a 15-litre fuel tank and a claimed touring range of 450 km.

At the front, the Himalayan rides on a 21-inch wheel shod with a 90/90 section tyre, while at the rear, it has a 17-inch wheel shod with a 120/90 section tyre. The bike has a ground clearance of 220 mm.

Powering the Himalayan is a 411cc, single-cylinder, 2-valve, SOHC, carburetted engine that develops 24.5 BHP @ 6,500 rpm and 32 Nm of torque @ 4,000-4,500 rpm. The power is transmitted to the rear wheel through a 5-speed manual gearbox. Stopping power comes from a 300 mm disc brake and a 240 mm disc brake at the front and rear respectively.

The Himalayan will be available in two colour options - Granite and Snow.

Courtesy : Team BHP

Power figures of the India bound Triumph Thruxton R cafe racer motorcycle has been revealed. The new Thruxton R is expected to be priced under Rs 10 lakh ex-showroom with a probable launch by mid-2016

After making two-wheeler enthusiasts for a long time, Triumph Motorcycle finally unveiled the engine specifications for the Thruxton cafe racer. The 2016 Triumph Thruxton is available in two trims – Thruxton and Thruxton R. The latter was showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo and 2016 IBW thereby indicating the fact that only the Thruxton R will be launched in India. The 2016 Triumph Thruxton R is powered by a 1,200cc displacement parallel-twin motor generating 98PS of power at 6,750rpm and peak torque of 112Nm at 4,950 rpm. The powerplant is mated to a 6-speed transmission. The new 1,200cc motor according to the British bikemaker has been tuned for better torque and it delivers 62 per cent more torque than its predecessor. 

The 2016 Thruxton range design is an evolution of iconic Bonneville cafe racer styling with intricate detailing inspired from classic Triumph bikes of the past. They feature top quality finish and intricate level of detailing to enhance their iconic looks, such as the beautifully crafted Monza-style filler cap. Overall styling of the Triumph Thruxton R is pleasing and in our opinion it was among the most beautiful motorcycle to be unveiled at the 2016 Auto Expo in Delhi. The 2016 Triumph Thruxton R gets equipped with top shelf cycle parts like Brembo monobloc brakes and Ohlins suspension system. Also the steering geometry has been reworked to improve the handling dynamics of the motorcycle. The 2016 Triumph Thruxton R will be produced in Thailand and assembled in India and expect a launch by mid-2016 in the Indian market. Expect the 2016 Triumph Thruxton R to be priced under Rs 10 lakh ex-showroom in the Indian market. 

Courtesy : Zigwheels

Sales have consistently grown since launch of new Bajaj Avenger models in October 2015.

Indian bike maker Bajaj has been registering month-on-month growth in the sales of its Avenger portfolio since the launch of new cruisers on October 27, 2015. In February 2016, Avenger sales have grown by close to 10 percent month-on-month.

While speaking to a leading Indian business news television channel earlier today, Kevin D’Souza, president, finance at Bajaj Auto, disclosed that the company has recorded sales of close to 31,000 Avengers in February 2016. The exact model-specific sales data is yet to be released by the company. The company had sold a total of 28,085 units under its Avenger brand in January 2016. Of this, the single-cylinder, 149cc Avenger reportedly accounted for the bulk of the sales at 15,722 units. On the other hand, the 220cc Avenger variants accounted for sales of 12,363 units during the said month.

The Avenger brand had made it to the list of top 10 bestselling motorcycles list in December 2015 for the first time. At sales of 20,182 units in that month, the brand had ranked 10th on the list. Of this, while the 150cc variant had accounted for sales of 9,234 units, the 220cc variants had registered sales of 10,948 units. Interestingly, for the first half of the ongoing fiscal, monthly Avenger sales averaged at only around 3,650 units. 

Courtesy : Autocar

With the Himalayan, the Indian classic bike manufacturer boldly makes its way into the adventure bike segment.

Royal Enfield motorcycles are known for going rugged places, and these classic models are often found thumping their way slowly but steadily up the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. So it’s only logical that Royal Enfield designs a motorcycle specifically to take on these same ‘pahaadi’ high passes. The Himalayan will be launched in the Indian market on March 16, 2016. 

Classic adventurer

Not the best kept of secrets, but the Royal Enfield Himalayan has been spied innumerable times with its distinctive adventure-bike styling standing out like a sore thumb. There’s something very Royal Enfield about the Himalayan, with styling that harks back to the adventure bike of the century gone by, than modern day. There’s a philosophy Royal Enfield has long subscribed to – recognising that serious Indian bike tourers often end up in obscure, inaccessible rural surroundings, where modern motorcycle servicing is no where to be found. However, when called upon to repair an Enfield, roadside mechanics in India will seldom shy away from the job, thanks to its simple, old-school engineering.

In the words of Siddhartha Lal, owner and visionary behind the revival of Royal Enfield: “We started with a clean sheet of paper to build a motorcycle that was as comfortable fording a rocky river as it was to crunch hundreds of highway miles; substantial enough to hold its line in high cross winds, and to carry a pillion and lots of luggage, but light enough to pick it up when it falls; simple enough to mend a broken part yourself (as a result of that previous fall!) or to start even if the battery is dead (seriously, you can push start it and put on your headlamp even if the battery is missing!).”

Practical pahaadi

You can see practicality written all over the Himalayan, a bike that has been built tough, with Royal Enfield telling us all excess flab has been shaved. There’s a front windscreen, easily readable instruments, the convenience of on-board luggage carrying capability and space to clip on fuel and water jerry cans, or even extra front-mounted panniers, all of which makes for good touring capability. The heft of the Himalayan engine counters its otherwise tall center of gravity and Royal Enfield has thought of the motorcycle's off-road prowess, deploying a longer, 15-litre capacity fuel tank that is slim enough to allow standing on the Himalayan foot pegs for better control when riding over the really rough stuff.
 

Hillbilly bike

The  new Royal Enfield single-cylinder engine is four-stroke, 411cc, 2-valve, long-stroke and air-cooled, with a carburettor in place. The Himalayan engine is designed to deliver a flat, easy to access torque curve, delivering 3.3kgm at 4,500rpm to supply the rider with ample power at low engine speed, without having to rev the motor hard. It’s a button-started powerplant with 24.5bhp of maximum power available at 6,500rpm. Royal Enfield claims reduced moving parts, with more use of modern materials, ensuring this will make a low-maintenance, efficient bike, that can go a full 10,000km between oil change intervals.

The Himalayan gearbox is five-speed, with a cable-fed clutch to back it up. Power is transferred to the rear wheel via a drive chain. The engine sounds unlike any Royal Enfield you ever heard, with quicker revving, and a quiet, yet pleasantly punchy note.

Cliffhanger

The Himalayan comes with a comfortable, upright riding position. Keeping the average height of Indians in mind, Royal Enfield has built its new adventure bike to be accessible enough, yet giving it generous ground clearance. A steel construction frame holds the new bike together, with 200mm travel 41mm telescopic suspension in front, and a monoshock, with linkage for improved damping in any conditions, supported by a steel fabricated swingarm at the rear. The Himalayan comes with on and off-road tyres, and you find a larger 21-inch wheel in front, and a 120/90 x 17-inch unit at rear; both rims using wire spokes. Single rotor disc brakes are provided front (300mm) and rear (240mm).

Royal Enfield tells us the Himalayan will deliver equally well on-road and off it, and we can’t wait to take it out for a test ride.

Rugged, comfortable and solidly built adventure bikes are perfectly suited to Indian roads, which are often as good as off-road. And one has to salute Royal Enfield for boldly plunging into a segement that most other manufacturers turned a blind eye to, save for Hero who pioneered the segment with the Impulse. Even KTM has failed to cash in on its rich off-road legacy, not bringing in a bike on these lines yet.

Luck favours the brave, so you can be sure the Himalayan will pay Royal Enfield handsome dividends when it launches on March 16, 2016, in addition to cementing their position in a market space set to take off and soar as high as the mountains.

Courtesy : Autocar