The Royal Enfield Himalayan, launched in 2016, was the brand’s first purpose-built adventure touring motorcycle, designed from the ground up to tackle rugged terrains and long-distance travel. With a large windscreen, split seat, high ground clearance, baggage mounting points, and a digital-analogue instrument cluster with a compass and trip meter—perfect for off-road exploration—it was created by Royal Enfield's design teams in the UK and India. It was powered by a recently created 411 cc air-cooled single-cylinder SOHC engine (LS410), which provided useful torque at low RPMs, allowing versatility in a variety of environments. The bike, which was made at Royal Enfield's plant in Chennai, India, used a half-duplex split cradle steel frame that was created in partnership with Harris Performance (UK). Rubber for grips and foot pegs, polymer plastics for mudguards and side panels, aluminium parts for weight reduction, and steel for the chassis and petrol tank were among the essential materials. The Himalayan, which marked Royal Enfield's debut into the international adventure bike market, stood out for its tough simplicity, fusing comfort with durability.