Is the Himalayan 450 Raid Dakar ready or is it just marketing hype?
The Himalayan 450 Raid has been hyped up by Royal Enfield as a Dakar capable machine, something that can be said for a brand not renowned for producing high performance off road bikes. The Dakar Rally is an incredibly tough motorsport event, putting both riders and machines to the ultimate test over difficult desert terrain. It takes a bike to be truly 'Dakar ready' and this means being able to handle extreme temperatures, rough terrain and conditions. The Himalayan 450 Raid is supposed to be better suspension, a more powerful engine and rally specific features, but can it truly compete with purpose built rally machines from established manufacturers? That claim has spurred debate among rally fans and adventure riding enthusiasts.
It's just clever marketing, no way. Rally tech can't be matched by RE with KTM and Honda.
It won’t win Dakar, but it could probably finish with the right rider. That's impressive enough.
The Raid kit could make it competitive for privateer entries, but the base might not be.
It’s more true to being ‘Dakar inspired’ than actually ready. Good for amateurs, not pros.
RE's been testing it hard. You can't underestimate them, they might surprise us.
It's not 100% but it's a huge step for RE and Indian bikes in general.
But it's the real test of how it will stand up to rally conditions. Talk is cheap.
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Discussions and Questions Is The Himalayan 450 Raid Dakar Ready Or Is It Just Marketing Hype
Is the Himalayan 450 Raid Dakar ready or is it just marketing hype?
09 January 2025 10:57
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