Royal Enfield Himalayan 650 Spy Shot

Royal Enfield ventured into the twin-cylinder middleweight class for the first time with the Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650 models—and was rightly rewarded with good sales figures and praise. The parallel twin marches very powerfully for its 47 hp and also sounds suitably robust. This was followed by two more models, the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 and Shotgun 650, and now new variations are already waiting in the wings for 2025 with the Royal Enfield Classic 650 and Bear 650.

It seems quite logical that a 650cc version with 47 HP of the popular Himalayan, which has so far only been available as the already lively single-cylinder Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 with 40 HP, will be launched on the market! Whether a mere 7 HP more will be considered a real benefit by customers remains to be seen, but around 200cc more and thus a stronger punch from the bottom should count for more. After numerous rumors, speculations, and some official internal presentations, it seems Royal Enfield is finally ready to take decisive action and has begun testing the Himalayan 650. And it looks very much like the new "big" Himalayan is set to become a true premium model, which would be positioned as the company's flagship after its market launch.

At first glance, everything looks a bit more robust and more like an adventure bike compared to the Himalayan 450 - if, like us, you feel the front resembles the Husqvarna Norden more than the little sister, you might not be entirely wrong in assuming that this Austro-Swedish model could have served as a design inspiration. The seating arrangement is split, with the front seat hollowed out for more comfort and convenience, while the pillion seat is stepped. Just like the Himalayan 450, the taillights are integrated into the indicators, but that's where the similarities between the existing Himalayan 450 and the new twin-cylinder version end. The new mirrors on the handlebars of the Himalayan 650 are also designed to provide better rear visibility. Unlike the 450, the Himalayan 650 opts for a 19-inch front tire and a 17-inch rear tire instead of the 21-inch setup.

Royal Enfield has significantly upgraded the brakes as well. The prototype features a Bybre brake system with dual discs at the front, essentially a Brembo setup. For the first time ever, a Royal Enfield model is equipped with dual front disc brakes! Unlike the Himalayan 450, the upcoming Himalayan 650 features a half fairing, making it more of a tourer than an adventure off-roader. This is further evidenced by the standard luggage racks, which can already be seen mounted below the pillion seat on the frame of this prototype. One can only hope that the fuel tank holds more than 20 liters to maximize the range on a single tank.

It appears that the Himalayan 650 will likely (and logically) use the same 650cc parallel-twin engine as the rest of the 650 series, albeit with a few modifications. Currently, this engine delivers 47 hp and 52 Newton meters. New is the header system for the high-mounted muffler and the oil cooler with its fairing and new connection logic. The test bike features the high-mounted exhaust on the right side, which looks similar to that of the Himalayan 450 but ends significantly higher.

When it comes to the chassis, the Himalayan 650 prototype is equipped with a new adjustable upside-down fork at the front and a completely new rear unit with a linkage-mounted central shock absorber for the new swingarm. In contrast to the round TFT element of the Himalayan 450, the speedometer features a rectangular instrument cluster that appears to be a fully digital TFT unit. It should be clear that the new Royal Enfield Himalayan 650 will be more expensive than its 450 sibling. The only question that remains is whether Enfield will continue to target the lower price range of the segment or aim for higher realms with the Himalayan 650. As direct competitors, we already see the Honda NX500 or the Benelli TRK 502 X, and due to the same displacement, also the more powerful Suzuki V-Strom 650, Kawasaki Versys 650, and with a bit of imagination, the Yamaha Tenere 700. On the lower end, the KTM 390 Adventure with its 19-inch front wheel could also be considered a competitor due to its comparable performance - although design-wise, it is worlds apart from the Enfield.

Since the Royal Enfield Himalayan 650 is still a prototype, the prices are obviously not set yet. However, we suspect that there will indeed be a black version like the model that came in front of our camera. As for the other colors, we can only speculate, but based on the other Royal Enfield models, we expect really well-executed colors and designs. Regarding delivery, it is quite possible that the Himalayan 650 will hit the market by the end of 2025 - we certainly hope so!