Putting months of rampant speculation to rest, Royal Enfield has released the first official images of the 2024 Himalayan 452 to the public in early October 2023. On its official Instagram page, you can see a front three-quarter shot of a blue and white bike with a more muscular, curvy appearance than the original Himalayan.
It closely resembles what we’ve previously seen in the various leaks, spy photos, and spy videos that have circulated in the moto sphere for some time. Here, you can clearly see the upside-down front fork, as well as the large radiator on full display because the new bike is liquid-cooled. A simple, dynamic animation applied to the left-hand side of the image declares that this bike is “built by the Himalayas.”
Visit the official Royal Enfield India website, and you’ll find the same image and text displayed as a banner on the front page. There’s more text that reads “The Final Test,” as well as a button underneath that you can click to “Stay Updated.”
Clicking the button takes you to a landing page with a countdown clock to November 7, 2023—the official global launch date of the 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan 452. Underneath the countdown clock, there’s a form where you can input your contact information to get on Enfield’s mailing list so you receive updates on this and future bikes.
Underneath the form, you’ll find a teaser video embedded—the same video that you can see here. It traces the beginning of the Himalayan model, all the way back in 2016. It’s a bike that’s found success on and off road on every continent, including Antarctica. Enfield is, quite justifiably, proud of that fact, and is not afraid to say so.
On one hand, it might seem like a daunting task to update a model that’s so well loved. Sure, Enfield most recently unveiled its updated Bullet 350—which is the bike with the longest brand history in the bunch. People who love the Bullet line are generally looking for something different than people who love the Himalayan, though—so even though it’s the same brand, it’s arguably a different kind of pressure to meet or exceed rider (or future rider) expectations.
How does the new Himalayan stack up? We look forward to finding out soon. What do you think of what you’ve seen so far? Are you excited about a more powerful, redesigned Himalayan? Let us know in the comments.
