Royal Enfield’s stoutHimalayan 411 adventure bikeis a low-powered, old-school heavyweight compared to much of its competition, but that’s to be expected from a bike maker serving the second largest motorcycle market in the world (after China) where product endurance and affordability is prized above outright horsepower or fancy… anything. But a new teaser video from the Chennai-based Royal Enfield indicates thay are close to revealing a new model, the Himalayan 450, that may break out of that paradigm and more closely compete with other international brands.

While the 15-second teaser (below) consists mostly of cinematic drone video of mountainous tracts we all dream about wandering through on an epic ride (and are likely in the Himalayas), breaking the video down frame by frame offers a few clues to the new bike, which is expected to officially break cover at EICMA in November.

First off, as has been widely reported and rumored for the better part of a year, the 450 Himi will feature a liquid-cooled motor instead of the typical heavily finned (and plain heavy) air-cooled, low-compression long stroke thumper from the 411. Stills from the video show a prominent radiator and no engine finning. Will it have a four-valve head? Unknown at this point but seeing how the INT650/GT 650 twins have four holes per 325 cc jug, it’s likely. Speculation is that it will make somewhere around 40 horsepower, or roughly double the ponies provided by the 411 Himi.

Short bits in the video show the 450 being ridden with aggression in snow (and with traction aides on the front tire) so it would appear Royal Enfield is pointing the 450 deeper into the dual-sport segment rather than the “adventure” niche where the current 411 seems to live. Also of note: the 450 has wire-spoke wheels and a redesigned tank that is braced by some crash bars. The crash bars are… interesting in design, so it will be interesting to see if they make it to production. But seeing how Royal Enfield usually errs on the side of practicality, it’s a good bet they’ll make the cut. Rumor is the bike is being ridden by select journalists at this time, ahead of the big EICMA reveal.

Another video posted by popular and typically reliable India-based motorbike YouTube channel BikeWalepurportedly shows even more of the bike, and while it’s not anofficialRoyal Enfield outlet, the bike in the video, which is ridden非常aggressively, seems to match up well with the peeks we get in the Royal Enfield teaser. More hints from the video(s): There’s LED lighting at least for the headlight, a small bug screen, mono-shock rear suspension, and a large round instrument in the cockpit.

The end of the Royal Enfield video features a drone shot with two riders on an alpine roadway, along with Lat/Long location information that centers on the city of Manali, where the original Himalayan 411 was first introduced. Metrics like weight, fuel capacity, wheelbase, price, accessories and so on are still unknown. There is a short bit of exhaust note at the end that sounds more like what you’d hear from a modern dual-sport. Will the new 450 supplant the 411? Unknown, but Royal Enfield could offer both, with the 411 perhaps holding down a lower price tag and the “adventure bike” end of things and the 450 being the more capable, more expensive high-end dual-sport option.

Stay tuned.

Do you have interest in a ‘modern’ 450 DS from Royal Enfield? Why or why not? Leave a comment below.