Royal Enfield will show no less than 5 new motorcycles at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo, an event that’ll kick off from the second week of February. Here’s a quick walkthrough on what to expect from the retro-motorcycle giant.
Thunderbird 350X
Royal Enfield wants the Thunderbird 350X to be positioned as the poor man’s Harley, and that explains the styling of the brand new variant that’ll soon be launched. In fact, the Thunderbird 350X has already been spotted at Royal Enfield dealer stockyards. The bike will feature kicked out footpegs, a wide handlebar, a soft-tail rear mudguard, alloy wheels, and even perhaps tubeless tyres. It’s likely to be launched in the next few days, or at the Auto Expo, where it’ll certainly be showcased. Mechanically, the 350X will be similar to the Thunderbird 350 that’s on sale currently.
Himalayan Sleet with Accessories
Royal Enfield will launch a new paint scheme for the Himalayan. Called Sleet, this camo paint Scheme is unlike anything seen so far on Indian motorcycles. Apart from the distinct looks this paint job will give the Himalayan, the bigger story around this Sleet coloured bike is the addition of various accessories such as fuel canisters and panniers. These accessories will be outfitted to the Himalayan Sleet at a discounted price. Mechanically, the bike will remain unchanged from the BS4 Himalayan range.
Thunderbird 500X
The Thunderbird 500X is the bigger engined sibling of the 350X. Styling and features will remain similar, but the engine’s capacity will be bumped up to 500 cc, from 350 cc. Corresponding power and torque outputs will go up from 19.8 Bhp-28 Nm to 27.2 Bhp-41.3 Nm. A five speed manual gearbox will be standard, and so will disc brakes on both wheels. ABS is not likely to be offered though.
Interceptor 650
The Interceptor will be be Royal Enfield’s Triumph Street Twin challenger. It’ll be launched by the middle of this year, and will be powered by a spanking new 650 cc, twin cylinder air-oil cooled four stroke engine. The most advanced motor that Royal Enfield has ever deployed, the new, parallel twin engine features an overhead camshaft and four valve heads. Fuel injected, the motor makes 47 Bhp at 7,100 rpm and 52 Nm at 4,000 rpm. A 6 speed manual gearbox with slipper clutch is standard. The bike will get ABS as standard, and is likely to be priced in between the 3-4 lakh rupee marks.
Continental GT 650
As its name suggests, it’ll be a cafe racer, and the spiritual successor of the GT 535. It’ll share most parts with the Interceptor save for the styling, rear set footpegs and seat-handlebar geometry. The motorcycle will be slightly pricer than the Interceptor and will sit at the very top of Royal Enfield’s motorcycle range in India. Like the Interceptor, the GT 650 is expected to be pegged between 3-4 lakhs in terms of pricing.
