[Jako]

http://www.motoroids.com/news/a-bigger-royal-enfield-himalayan-is-on-its-way-says-ceo-siddhartha-lal/

[heloego]

Whoopie Doo.
Although I did note the word "models" (plural) quoted. If it's a true quote, it makes you wonder...

[Ice]

 A 50 horsepower twin will make the Himalayan more appealing to adventure riders here than the 410 single.   

[Narada]

I was told by the Seattle RE dealership owner that the twin is supposed to be an extra cost option on all models.  That was about a year ago... Wait and see...

[gashousegorilla]

http://www.motoroids.com/news/a-bigger-royal-enfield-himalayan-is-on-its-way-says-ceo-siddhartha-lal/

 Ummmmm.....  is it me or has the tune changed a bit ?    What happened to wanting to be the " WORLD leader in the mid size engine displacement category or some such ?

[AVL Power!]

That was a day dream they woke up from 

[Guaire]

That was a day dream they woke up from 

  Someone must have figured out that the entire planet isn't India. It must have dawned on them that the world isn't going to buy nothing but RE Bullets.
   The Sanskrit name of India is Bharat Varsa. That's the same name as planet Earth. Maybe that explains the lack of differentiation.

[gizzo]

like the world series baseball, then  ?

[JohnDL]

Very vague on details as always. All he hints at is a bigger engine in the Himalayan - that could just be boring it out to 500cc.

The Himalayan has been promoted in the UK all this year, but there's still no sign of it in the dealers, and it's not even mentioned on the UK RE website.

Maybe this is why it's been delayed:

https://www.rushlane.com/royal-enfield-himalayan-quality-reliability-12237993.html

"It has been over a year since the Himalayan has been launched. Problems faced by owners range from gearbox failure to paint chipping and blocked fuel pipe. Owners also have to deal with the bike pulling to one side, disassembly of front fork and rusting of components."

"The list of customer complaints include rusting, stalling, electrical failure, fogging of instrument cluster and rear tyre locking. Even as Royal Enfield tries its best to rectify all these issues, the steady flow of complaints makes it difficult to keep track while the bike itself has lost its credibility standing in the market."

[Kevin Mahoney]

RE struggles mightily with the concept of being an Indian company that sells globally or a global company.

I think they are waking up to the fact that if they want to be a global leader, India is only a small part of the puzzle as was mentioned below. Because something sells in India doesn't mean jack here. The GT is a great example. Why introduce a model in India whose gestalt does not relate to anyone in India? When you get beyond Europe and to a smaller extent the US there was no cafe culture. Why would you think that you can make Indian customers desire and buy something that they can't relate to at all?

They have heard for 20 years from the distributors who established the Royal Enfield globally (against all odds with little or no help from anyone) that the 500cc single was inadequate for the roads outside of India and the brand will never take off without a twin. They believed that there was no market for anything bigger than a 350 and we were just pains in their a**. There was a firm belief that if it worked in India that the rest of the world just didn't "get it".

The other side of the coin is that when they were a struggling company (right up till 2010 when a happy accident made the C5 a cash cow) they did not have the money to develop a bigger bike against an uncertain (to them) market outside of India. While frustrating we all could understand the logic.

Now that the "happy accident" has put money in their pockets things are different. They are spending huge amounts of money on research, good quality management etc. There is now a realization that to succeed outside of India being a one trick pony won't work. I think many good things are coming.

[Otto_Ing]

The other side of the coin is that when they were a struggling company (right up till 2010 when a happy accident made the C5 a cash cow) they did not have the money to develop a bigger bike against an uncertain (to them) market outside of India. While frustrating we all could understand the logic.

Now that the "happy accident" has put money in their pockets things are different. They are spending huge amounts of money on research, good quality management etc. There is now a realization that to succeed outside of India being a one trick pony won't work. I think many good things are coming.

R&D is unfortunately not only about money, or fortunately depending how one sees it. It took others decades to come where they are, RE can flush a trillion down the tube and they still won't buy much time. The common denominator is experience and knowledge of the entire organisation which they have to build up. Even with a small budget they could have developed a twin decades ago.

On the contrary big budgets often lead to situations where 20 people discuss what 2 guys should be doing or developing for them until the 2 guys finally quit. Then after they get consultants to do the job, however consulting companies are not dumb asses, the know they get paid only as long as the work is not finished. What do they do? Keep pulling the rabbits out of the hat; PowerPoint slides, Meaningless calculations in form of colorful pictures, Statistics and Regulations. The most fucked guys are the one's who actually do the job right. Of course as a owner of a consulting company you can't have such guys employed, they would not make any money. So you got to punish them. How? Military style, let the colleagues take care of it. And that in todays world is called good management.

Rant over.

[malky]

Enfield is still the only manufacturer that has what I want. If the Himalayan turns out to be not what I'm after then the second choice will be a "trailie" GT. The only other thing that comes close is the Beta Alp.

[Kevin Mahoney]

Even with a small budget they could have developed a twin decades ago.

You aren't kidding about that. I saw a running prototype in 2000. I really don't blame them though, as you point out pushing something new with any risk in it whatsoever is not culturally acceptable in many Indian companies (regardless of what their brochures would tell you) it can end your career. However we aren't talking about a company that wants nor needs to develop the next Hayabusa.  Open the book, take some tried and true engine building concepts and Bob's your uncle. I think there is so much low hanging fruit it would not be too difficult.

[Narada]

What was "the happy accident of 2010"? 

I had a happy accident when I pulled a hamstring during a bonneville tip over and then met a very adventureous massage therepist,  but this one sounds different?

[REpozer]

Enfield is still the only manufacturer that has what I want. If the Himalayan turns out to be not what I'm after then the second choice will be a "trailie" GT. The only other thing that comes close is the Beta Alp.

Would you believe that there is a Beta dealer near me?

[ROVERMAN]

The reliability reports on the Himalayan are frightening! What the hell is happening.

[Ice]

What was "the happy accident of 2010"? 

I had a happy accident when I pulled a hamstring during a bonneville tip over and then met a very adventureous massage therepist,  but this one sounds different?

 The UCE happened coincidentally at at about the same time the Economy of India took off.

[Otto_Ing]

You aren't kidding about that. I saw a running prototype in 2000. I really don't blame them though, as you point out pushing something new with any risk in it whatsoever is not culturally acceptable in many Indian companies (regardless of what their brochures would tell you) it can end your career. However we aren't talking about a company that wants nor needs to develop the next Hayabusa.  Open the book, take some tried and true engine building concepts and Bob's your uncle. I think there is so much low hanging fruit it would not be too difficult.

It appears simple to make a new engine but copying mechanical design is not as easy as one might think. Even if one has all the old drawings not everything can be written and drawn down. Than again we educate today millions of engineers who do not know how to read a drawing forget about understanding it. They then become managers....

...I do not envy the 2 guys at RE who might have a clue surrounded by probably 20 clueless who believe to know better anyway.

[Ice]

You aren't kidding about that. I saw a running prototype in 2000.

 Was it the same as in the first series of leaked prototype photos ?
What can you tell us about it ?

[malky]

Would you believe that there is a Beta dealer near me?

I'd be off for a look.

What surprises me about the whole Himalayan "disappointment" is, even though it did happen, why did that clip of the footpeg breaking get out. That alone has done more harm than good with, moto journalist who apparently haven't even seen the bike, quoting it. I know some people who paid the deposit and ordered one based on the fact that they should have the bike by now (UK). I'm certainly glad I didn't pay a non refundable deposit.

[ace.cafe]

It appears simple to make a new engine but copying mechanical design is not as easy as one might think. Even if one has all the old drawings not everything can be written and drawn down. Than again we educate today millions of engineers who do not know how to read a drawing forget about understanding it. They then become managers....

...I do not envy the 2 guys at RE who might have a clue surrounded by probably 20 clueless who believe to know better anyway.

Agreed.
It's not as easy as some people think. There are many things involved which need to be understood. "How" is one thing, and "why" is quite another.

[malky]

Quite interesting reading through various discussions on the proposed Enfield twin. While some other manufacturers have gone down the road of retro, the one that I've ridden, (amongst others) that to me outshines the rest was the Kawasaki W650. They got it right. The big problem with the W650 was it didn't have a Triumph badge on the tank. It was everything a twin should be, slim, lithe and reliable.