Motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield on Tuesday (February 02) unveiled its all-terrain bike Himalayan to cater to the growing offroad segment.
Though the Chennai-based company has not disclosed its price tag but it is expected to be priced around Rs 180,000. The bike will be available in the market in March.
The bike is built primarily for offroad experience to tap the growing market of enthusiast bikers who want to explore new terrains.
"In the last 10-15 years there was no leisure motorcycle market in India so we decided to put all our efforts and time to deliver a bike which will be serve the dual purpose of both off-road biking and city commuting," Royal Enfield CEO Siddhartha Lal said.
Royal Enfield, the two-wheeler arm of Eicher Motors, sells popular models like Bullet, Classic, Thunderbird and Continental GT. The bike maker reported a 65 per cent jump in total motorcycle sales at 47,710 units last month as against 28,927 units in January 2015.
The Himalayan is a 411cc unit, single-cylinder, air-cooled mill with overhead cams producing 24.5bhp at 6,500rpm and 32Nm at 4,000-4,500rpm. The fuel tank capacity is only 15 litres.
It is also the first bike to come out of the two new engine platforms the company is developing.
Asked if the bike will also be sold abroad, Lal said the immediate focus for the company is the domestic market.
BW Reporters
The author is Senior Correspondent with BW Businessworld
