5 BIGGEST mistakes newbie Royal Enfield motorcycle owners make

Royal Enfield is the oldest motorcycle brand in the world that is still in production. It has a wide reach in India and has become a cult brand over the years. Due to the popularity of the Royal Enfields, there are many who try to con the new Royal Enfield buyers with things that they should not buy. Well, if you’re a Royal Enfield enthusiast and plan to buy a brand-new Royal Enfield soon, here are a few things that you should definitely keep in your mind soon after buying the bike.

Installing cheap aftermarket wheels

There is a lot of variety of aftermarket alloy wheels that you will find in the market and many of them are available at a mouth-watering price. Well, if you are giving in to the low-quality, cheap alloy wheels for your brand-new Royal Enfield, be very careful. It can damage your motorcycle and moreover, can break and cause massive accidents. Well-designed aftermarket alloys sure raise the eyebrows but they can breakdown and injure the rider. Also, poor quality of these aftermarket alloy wheels can cause cracks, air leaks and your insurance also may not cover them.

Poorly designed illegal exhaust

The real thud sound of the Royal Enfield bikes that used to define them has become more subtle in the newer generation models due to the emission norms. There are many who grew up listening to the sound of Royal Enfield motorcycles and do not find the newer generation bikes exciting enough. They go for cheap aftermarket exhausts and it can be a disaster for the motorcycle. Exhausts are very important and a manufacturer spends hundreds of hours to perfectly design the exhaust. Many change them for poorly designed ones available in the market. It degrades the power of the engine, lowers the fuel efficiency and can also hamper the working of the exhaust valve. If you’re brave enough to defy the laws and go for loud exhausts, it is best to take advantage of official aftermarket exhausts available at the Royal Enfield showrooms or get a proper customised one.

Pressure horns, aftermarket lights

Cheap aftermarket horns or light accessories can draw a lot of power that can affect the battery and alternator. There are many who install aftermarket horns on the leg guards and put up auxiliary lamps too. Well, the cops will stop you and issue a hefty fine but over a period of time, these aftermarket accessories can degrade the electrical system of your bike and you may have to spend thousands to replace the wiring system.

Poorly designed crash guards

Crash guards are important, especially on the heavy motorcycles like Royal Enfield makes. However, poorly designed leg guards can do more harm than good to the bike. If the crash guard is too stiff, it can transfer the shock to the chassis and can leave the chassis bent. Also, low-quality material can bend and can hurt the rider during an accident. Always go for official crash guards or choose the tried and tested brands in the market.

Wide handlebars

Yes, it will give you a custom motorcycle look and it will be a great looking bike but you would not enjoy it riding as much. Extra-wide handlebars change the riding posture completely and it becomes very difficult to manoeuvre the motorcycle. Since Royal Enfield motorcycles are quite heavy, they require much more effort to turn than most other bikes. With the wide handlebar, you may not be able to move the bike around at all.