The OG Royal Enfield Himalayan is back on sale, with a host of improvements and a bigger 440cc engine. Called the Royal Enfield Himalayan 440, the bike retains its rugged character that made the original Himalayan a cult favourite. Price strarts at Rs 2.29 lakh (ex-showroom Chennai), making it just Rs 6,000 more expensive than the Himalayan 411 was before its discontinuation in 2023.
2026 Royal Enfield Himalayan 440 vs Himalayan 411 – What’s The Differenece?
- Longer Stroke Engine: The new Himalayan 440 uses the same 443cc, air-oil-cooled as the Scram 440, which is essentially a rebored versions of the same engine offered in the Himalayan 411. It makes 25.4hp at 6250 rpm and 34Nm of peak torque at just 4,000 rpm. In fact, Royal Enfield claims that 90% of the torque is being offered at just 2,800 rpm, which will provide various benefits, including enhanced low-end delivery, improved rideability, and optimal performance in various riding conditions.
- 6-speed Gearbox: Unlike Himalayan 411’s 5-speed transmission, the new Himalayan 440 comes with a 6-speed unit, which will make highway cruising smoother and more comfortable. The brand has also claimed to reduce the clutch lever effort.
- Reinforced Frame: The motorcycle continues to uses the same half-duplex, split-cradle frame; however, Royal Enfield has strengthened the frame and sub-frame with enhanced material grades to improve the overall strength and durability. As a result, the kerb weight of the bike has also been increased by 1kg, which is now at 199kg.
- New Cluster: The new Himalayan 440 uses a semi-digital instument cluster, offered alongside the tripper navigation display. The previously offered compass and RPM meter have been removed.
- Top-box capability: A top box can now be mounted on the rear rack and has a maximum payload capacity of 7 kgs.
- New Features: Aside from the above-mentioned changes, the bike now also features LED headlamp and a Type-C USB charging port.
What’s Unchanged?
- The underpinnings of this mid-capacity adventurer tourer remains the same as the Himalayan 411. That said, it continues to gets a 41mm telescopic fork with 200mm travel and a rear monoshock with 180mm of wheel travel.
- Anchoring duties are taken care of by the same 300mm disc at the front and a 240mm disc at the rear as before, with dual-channel ABS as standard, which is switchable at the rear.
- The bike rides on21-inch front and 17-inch rear spoked wheels, wrapped with 90-section front and 120-section rear tube-type tyres.
- The 800mm seat height, 220mm ground clearance and 15-litres of fuel tank also remain the same as before.
Colour Options
Royal Enfield offers the 2026 Himalayan 440 in three colour options: Mustang Brown, Neolang White, and Sela Black.
Author’s Take
We believe the reintroduction of the OG Himalayan is a result of a gap generated after the GST revamp last year, which made the Himalayan 450 nearly Rs 21,000 more expensive than before. Furthermore, the Royal Enfield Scram 440 never really appealed to buyers in the same way as the Himalayan 411 did. Therefore, bringing back the OG Himalayan with these improvements could work’s in the brand’s favour. It gives the brand a more affordable adenture motorcycle while retaining the familiar Himalayan name and design that buyers already know.
Also Read: Royal Enfield Classic 350 Gorkha Edition Launched At Rs 2.10 Lakh
