Royal Enfield is working on a brand-new 450 cc engine platform, which will feature liquid-cooling, and double overhead cam (DOHC), both firsts for Royal Enfield. The new engine, expected to set new benchmarks for Royal Enfield in performance and refinement, will spawn a number of models, and we have already seen spy shots of a Himalayan 450 adventure bike in the past. Now, we can see the first clear pictures of a prototype of the upcoming Royal Enfield 450 cc roadster, which could well be called the Royal Enfield Hunter 450 when it goes into production.
Also Read: Royal Enfield 450 cc Platform To Have 5 New Models
The Royal Enfield 450 cc roadster has a sporty stance, and while the deisgn is not overtly retro, it is retro-inspired, yet modern, with 17-inch wheels, and a monoshock.
The bike seen in the spy pictures is still a prototype and without any branding or logos on the bodywork, it’s difficult to guess the brand. But it’s an advanced prototype of one of the models of Royal Enfield’s new 450 cc platform. And it looks anything like a Royal Enfield. There are no in-your-face, retro-styled design elements, and the engine isn’t an air-cooled single. Instead, we have a liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine and the stance is sporty, and with somewhat retro-inspired design. The engine is expected to make around 40-45 bhp, and provided the kerb weight is not much, and the engine rev-happy, the new 450 cc platform should be something which will be worth the wait, regardless of the model.
Also Read: Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Spotted On Test With Accessories
The 17-inch wheels of the test bike leave no doubt that this is a road-biased roadster, and the bike seems to sport a simple telescopic front fork, unlike the upside-down forks seen on the Himalayan 450. The rear suspension isn’t quite visible in the spy shots, but the bike will come with a monoshock, and the front brake appears to be a two-piston caliper and a single 300 mm disc, so despite the new platform, the performance won’t be too much to overwhelm new riders.
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The headlight seems to be a finished unit, and the exhaust, complete with heat shield and catalytic converter seems to suggest that mechanically, the bike is at an advanced stage of readiness. But the absence of instruments, and the handlebar mounted on temporary risers seem to suggest that it’s still a prototype, and features, and ergonomics are yet to be finalised. We expect to see the first models of the new 450 cc platform only towards the end of 2023, to be launched as 2024 models.
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