Royal Enfield Sherpa – What is it?

Many of you may have heard about the Royal Enfield Sherpa. Is it a bike with a new design and engine? Will it be a new ADV off-road-focused product? Or is it a name that is just trademarked by the company which it will never use? In this story, we will explain the Sherpa but first, let’s rejig our memory about the past and present of Royal Enfield. The bike manufacturer has made many different types of bikes in the past and has kept the formula of selling motorcycles simple yet brilliant. The line-up has British post-war designs with modern tech plus adventure bikes (Himalayan) to cater to the budding touring segment. The most modern bikes in their line-up are a cafe-racer (Continental GT) and a classic looking retro the Interceptor.

Royal Enfield has always charmed the commuter segment in India where buyers wanted something better than the dreary Japanese or Indian options at hand. Buyers are happy to shell out the extra money too. The bikes with an enduring and unforgettable image. So what will we expect the Sherpa to be? When will it come? Find out below.

Royal Enfield Sherpa Expectations

The trademarked name – Sherpa is not new. The Royal Enfield Sherpa was made in the mid-1960s as 173cc commuter motorcycle. Sherpa was sold as a safe and economical motorcycle. The company claimed that the motorcycle could hit around 90kmph. It was powered by a 173cc, two-stroke, single-cylinder engine paired to a 4-speed gearbox and a multi-plate clutch. It sounds like an honest and simple bike. So maybe that is what Royal Enfield is trying to do here. A bike for the masses. A bike that will fulfill the Indian buyer’s need for style, comfort, mileage and most importantly – not break the bank.

The Sherpa as speculated could be a new line-up of bikes being made to cater to the below Rs 1 lakh segment. If reports are to be believed, a 250cc engine paired to a 5-speed gearbox will be the centerpiece on a short wheelbase motorbike. The design will be retro and typical Royal Enfield. From a big metal tank, round headlight and spoke wheels – we should not expect anything less.

Also Read: Upcoming Yamaha SR400 – RE, Jawa competition

Price and Competiton

Before talking about any of that, this could be one of those bikes that never see the light of day. But we certainly hope this does. A light 250cc bike from Royal Enfield that can be used by commuters and priced from Rs 85,000 to Rs 90,000 will be a great offering for the budget buyers.

It will enter a segment choke-full of Heros, Yamahas, Bajajs, KTMs etc. Royal Enfield could also give us another bike using this platform and a name they recently trademarked – Hunter, a baby Himalayan for the dirt.

Now that would be something that adds India’s newfound appetite for two-wheeler off-roading.