Royal Enfield has applied for the trademarks of Sherpa and Hunter which we expect could be applied to the upcoming smaller and bigger Himalayan adventure models.
The current 400cc Himalayan has been a moderate hit so 250cc and 650cc versions could also score well for the Indian company, both in the subcontinent and overseas.
Several manufacturers have produced baby adventure bikes in recent years such as the Kawasaki Versys-X 350, and there has been a host of 650cc models available for many years.
Kawasaki Versys-X 300Sherpa and Hunter
Both Sherpa and Hunter would be ideal names for extensions to the Himalayan family.
We’d also like to see them a bit more adventure oriented like the Dakar Edition featured at the top of this page and showcased in Bangkok in 2018.
Perhaps the Hunter would be the bigger model and the Sherpa the smaller one, given the company had a 178cc Sherpa in the 1960s.
Royal Enfield boss Siddhartha Lal has long suggested the 650cc engine from the popular Interceptor and Continental GT could be used in the Himalayan.
The Himalayan is powered by a 411cc, single-cylinder engine producing just 18kW of power at 6500rpm and 32Nm of torque at 4250rpm.
Royal Enfield HimalayanThat compares with the 648cc twin from the Interceptor and Continental GT which has 35kW at 7250rpm and 52Nm at 5250rpm
Indian websites have published spy photos of disguised 650cc Himalayans being tested on local roads, so they could be close to production.
However, the trademark application is probably a little late for a 2020 release.
We suspect they are more likely to come in 2021.