After a horrid crash at Dakar 2021, ace rally veteran, CS Santosh got back into the thick of action, piloting a rally-prepped Royal Enfield Himalayan at the 2024 Rallye TT Cuenca, which was held in Spain this past weekend. CS Santosh finished 30th with a total of 38 participants in the motorcycles category. The rally route was over 400 km, with different terrains over a course of two days. This is the first instance of CS Santosh getting back to rallying after his crash almost four years ago.
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The images reveal that the Rally Himalayan 450 is low on body panels, it even misses a front mudguard. However, it does get a rally tower along with a rally seat and a full-system Akrapovic exhaust. Other details include a fully adjustable front suspension with a new triple clamp and new switchgear with revised wiring harness. The tyres seem to be tube-type with regular spoked rims.
While there are no visible changes to the engine, we suspect there would have been some tinkering with the engine to increase power and torque output. Also, the rally Himalayan seems to be significantly lighter than the stock Himalayan, with lesser parts and panels.
Does this hint at Royal Enfield preparing for and participating at international rallies, like the Dakar? Well, there is no official talk so far and there have been no instances of Royal Enfield participating in any rallies with a factory rally team. But we will not be surprised if we see Royal Enfield motorcycles participating in Dakar 2026. Think of this as a shakedown for the brand. And with a seasoned Dakar veteran like CS Santosh on the saddle, Royal Enfield will be looking to score at least a finish at one of the toughest rally raids in the world, in a little more than a year's time.