Himalayan 452

[Horse]

The looks are getting better but it's definitely too 'soft' now. The harsh horizontal lines of the original on the fork covers and the cooling fins made it look rugged.

From the R1300GS thread:

"IMHO, it's lost a lot of the previous GS' purposeful rugged looks."

[KungFooBob]

RE are showing off a leccy version at the EICMA.

[Couchy]

I know it’s the modern way to build hype but months of it and I lose interest, I’d just like to see here’s the new bike and this is how much, it’s in the dealers if you want to buy it. I’m sure I’m the target market and I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s put off by the run up to the release this way

[Bustaspoke]

I know it’s the modern way to build hype but months of it and I lose interest, I’d just like to see here’s the new bike and this is how much, it’s in the dealers if you want to buy it. I’m sure I’m the target market and I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s put off by the run up to the release this way

You & me are not the only ones with that opinion..

[The Spin Doctor]

Royal Enfield have got really bad at what are clearly set-up 'spy shots'

The 452 has been 'spotted' out and about for months.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Pretty much every spy shot of every vehicle is a set up / tip off from the manufacturer.

The stuff they genuinely don't want you to see is done well behind closed doors, or more often than not on a completely normal looking vehicle with new insides.

S'also why the press don't tend to run many stories showing the inevitable broken down test vehicles (which as you would expect, happens all the time). Gentleman's agreement that the OEMs will reveal stuff so long as the press don't harp on about test vehicles on fire

[Whysub]

RE are a manafacturer that test their new bikes for months, which they did with the 411 Himalayan. Seeing as the Bullets were unchanged for years, the Himalayan was a big departure for them. Even though it was still a powered by an air-cooled, single cylinder motor.
The 452 is their first water-cooled bike, a massive departure for the company. Will they soon be producing a 650 (or larger) water-cooled bike to compete, performance wise, with other Euro and Japanese bikes? I'd put money on it.

[Dodgy69]

Unless they are much cheaper, competing with euro and Japanese manufacturers could be a wrong move. Imo.

[mangocrazy]

Isn't it more the case that RE are being forced into water cooling and fuel injection due to ever-tightening emissions legislation? Carbed, air-cooled bikes are very difficult (read nearly impossible) to get through €uro5 legislation.

[KungFooBob]

The 500 UCE engine has a Keihin EFI system and they launched that in 2007. I don't think they've made a carbed bike since.

The 500 UCE bikes went euro 4 in 2016, all they did was add abs.

[Mr. Dazzle]

The 500 UCE engine has a Keihin EFI system and they launched that in 2007. I don't think they've made a carbed bike since.

The 500 UCE bikes went euro 4 in 2016, all they did was add abs.

They've got cats, have they not, which means they're almost certainly EFI. Plus the fact they're EFI anyway, as you said

You'd probably get forced into EFI these days just by the fact the supply chain for 'good' carbs in volume is a bit limited! Like trying to buy spares for your steam train

[Dodgy69]

Yeah...the 500 engine was binned in 2020 because of euro 5, or the fact it couldn't pass it.

That new 350 is oil/air cooled and did pass.

Summot like that....

[The Spin Doctor]

Isn't it more the case that RE are being forced into water cooling and fuel injection due to ever-tightening emissions legislation? Carbed, air-cooled bikes are very difficult (read nearly impossible) to get through €uro5 legislation.

Not just Euro but existing India wide standards too.

India has aligned its own Bharat Stage VI standards for 2- and 3-wheeled vehicles with Euro 5. They were proposed in February 2016, and brought in during COVID in 2020.

Obviously enough, the air-cooled 350s and their 650 twins get through the standard OK. The challenge is getting more power and keeping emissions down. The Indian market is rapidly shifting away from cheap-n-cheerful transport towards a demand for more sophisticated bikes.

Anyway, it's all a stop gap. India has the largest factory on the planet for building electric two and three wheelers.

[Mr. Dazzle]

But always remember, until the massive polluters like China and India start tackling emissions its pointless for us to do it

[Bustaspoke]

The Journo's / 'Influencers' have been on a jolly riding the new bike.Cue lots of OTT music & the testers thoughts.

[Whysub]

Seems most were very positive about it. But then, it's hard to be critical when you know you won't get invited to another launch of theirs if you are.

It's why I prefer to test ride the bike and make my own mind up.

[KungFooBob]

Cooperb Motorcycles have revealed the pricing on Friendface...

[KungFooBob]

And the best coloured one...

[Dodgy69]

I'm out...

[matt]

The lowest priced ones are the best colours in my opinion,£5850:I don't think that's too bad really. Similar to a crf300l ,quite a bit cheaper than the rally . You can't get many new bikes for that sort of money can you.