Royal Enfield spotted testing liquid-cooled 450 single-cylinder scrambler

Spy shots have emerged from southern Europe showing a new liquid-cooled 450 scrambler in the works from Royal Enfield.

Believed to be called the Scram 450, the back to basics naked follows a 450 rally bike spotted in development back in August 2022 not far from their UK Technology Centre – suggesting the Indian brand is working on a range of bikes, using a new engine platform.

Although a 450 single won’t be setting any speed records and is unlikely to produce any more than 44bhp, it would be the only liquid-cooled engine in the range – slotting in nicely between the current air/oil-cooled 350 singles and larger parallel-twin 650s.

Exactly when we might see the Scram in dealers remains to be seen, but from the shots seen here it looks to be a while away – fitted with no clocks and bulky handlebar clamps that appear to be far from a final design. In fact, the final position of the upright bars could still yet to be determined.

Sticking with the front end, the mystery naked also gets a set of non-adjustable conventional front forks with a single LED headlight wedged between the two blacked-out legs – something first seen on an Enfield with the Super Meteor 650 cruiser. The indicators also appear to be LED.

With modest power on tap, there’s only a single front disc and two-piston caliper up front, and the new engine is held in place by a blacked-out tubular chassis – with a small bash plate at the base and chunky tyres to help with the scrambler aesthetic.

Much like the rally machine seen before it, the rear shock protrudes from the front of the slim swingarm and is mounted up beneath the slim one-piece rider and pillion seat. This looks to be narrow and should give even shorter riders a comfortable flat footing.

Elsewhere, the swing arm is partially covered on the right-hand side by stubby exhaust can, which protrudes from a bulky collector box to be held in place by the pillion peg. Again mirrors the unit seen in the off-road development bike last year – implying they share the same engine.

• Sari guard For those of you wondering about the grill to the left of the rear wheel, it’s a Sari guard – protecting many female riders and pillions on the Indian market.
• Unfinished business The lack of clocks and numberplate bracketry suggest that the Scram is still a while away from production. We’d also expect less of the upper chassis to be on show on the finished bike.
• Shared platforms Royal Enfield will more than likely use this engine in a number of bikes, with every motor in their current range used in at least two models.
• Limited adjustment The conventional front forks appear to be non-adjustable. It’s less clear at the rear, but anything more than preload is unlikely.
• Comfortable cruising The Scram looks to have a low seat height, made even less intimidating but the narrow motor between your legs.