Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Getting Ready For Dakar Rally: CS Santosh Posts Pictures
The new Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 was launched in India in 2023. It is known for its agility and dynamics. The motorcycle is in huge acceptance among adventure lovers. The new Himalayan is now being readied for the Dakar rally. In October 2024, CS Santosh announced his return to rallying after a 3-year hiatus. Recently, he shared a series of Instagram stories that shows the new bike being prepped for Dakar.
The images show the bike - a rally-spec Himalayan 450 being worked on and tested. We can spot special rally seats, minor changes to the bodywork, rally-spec full-system Akrapovic exhaust, knobby tyres, spoke wheels and a rally-spec visor. The front suspension seems to offer longer travel than the 200 mm on the stock motorcycle. There is a rally fender as well.
Lesser parts and panels means Royal Enfield has had a strong focus on weight reduction and the rally-spec Himalayan will be significantly lighter than the stock one.
CS Santhosh's Return To Rallying
Santhosh had a deadly crash at the 2021 Dakar Rally, following which he had to be away for some years. There were rumours of him making a return with Royal Enfield. The re-entry was officially confirmed through an Instagram post that showed CS Santhosh in his Red Bull Kini riding gear. He was reportedly in Cuenca, Spain, when it was clicked.
A part of the caption reads, "Exciting times ahead as I start to rediscover these adventures on 2wheels, and I’m happy indeed to give myself this opportunity considering how my life changed for the better since my crash in Dakar 2021."
Himalayan 450 For The Dakar!
In October, the first visual proof of CS Santosh’s Dakar bike- a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, surfaced and was soon followed by an official announcement.
Pictures of an early prototype of the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Rally were shared online. Santhosh participated in the Cuenca Rallye held in Spain with the rally-prepped Himalayan. The rally covered 400 km over two days. The rider moved to Royal Enfield (RE) from Hero Motorsport.
Roping him in was proof that Royal Enfield was serious about the sport and had proper plans aligned for the new Himalayan. We knew that RE would enter Dakar sooner or later, with the famed Indian rider at the helm. Later, we saw an early prototype of the rally-spec Royal Enfield Himalayan compete in Italy’s Swank Rally Di Sardegna rally, ridden by Salvatore Di Benedetto. This solidified assumptions around the rally-spec Himalayan's Dakar entry.
Royal Enfield's Dakar Entry With The Himalayan Confirmed!
Recently, we had the official confirmation on Royal Enfield's Dakar entry with the Himalayan and CS's Dakar return through a post shared on Instagram. The rider shared a set of images showing key details of the rally-spec Himalayan and him riding it. The caption reads:
"The inability to observe beauty does not negate its existence"
Seeing the world for what it could be “magic”
These last few years after my crash have indeed been magical! I’m on a journey I could have never envisioned on this motorcycle. We are indeed proud of where we are on this journey and these pictures show the first evolution of the motorcycle 3 years ago. Looking forward and continuing to write pages on this journey back to the Dakar Rally on the Himalayan.
Motorsport enthusiasts couldn't be happier about seeing CS ride at the gruelling Dakar on a Royal Enfield Himalayan. Both the ride and the rider have huge fan followings in the country.