Royal Enfield Himalayan Custom Upgrades Project Bike

[MotoNews]

Published in: Bikes

Royal Enfield Himalayan Custom Project Bike: Upgrades Galore! 

Royal Enfield’s Himalayan is one of my all-time favorite affordable bikes with astonishing value and versatility. The aftermarket began providing a myriad of upgrades shortly after its launch. It has inspired travelers and artists from all over the world in ways very few other bikes have. From recent success in flat track racing to globe-trotting, the Himalayan has proven itself a worthy companion.

That said, we never leave well enough alone and immediately began to ponder what functional and aesthetic improvements could be made. Thanks to the healthy aftermarket support which sprang up over the past couple of years, we managed to assemble a Himalayan which not only looks sharp but has increased comfort, convenience, and off-road manners.

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• Himlayan Comfort Upgrades

• Corbin Canyon Dual-Sport Saddle (Corbin.com)

What can you say about a saddle that your butt won’t tell you? One of the Himalayan “sore spots” is the soft foam seat, which works great for the first couple of hours but can get tiresome on long-distance rides, especially for heavier riders. Although the foam has been slightly revised recently, Corbin’s solution to this was one of the first to market.

Corbin's Camyon Saddle  has plenty of taper toward the tank but it sits slightly higher than stock due to the heavier-duty materials and wider shape. This seat is a godsend for many heavier and taller riders.  First the one-piece unit moves the rider's position back a bit which reduces the "crapmed" cockpit feeling some taller riders complained about. Second, there is no questioning the extra support provided by the wider and more sculpted surface.

The passenger seat is worlds better, and if you ride two-up, it may be worth the upgrade for that reason alone. The materials and stitching are top notch. You can also customize your colors, but it will cost a bit more.

My only gripes about the Corbin is the extra-heavy seat pan, but that’s where a lot of the cost and comfort originate. It's also pricey. While less expensive options exist, you get real all-day comfort, even for XL riders.

• Warp 9 Adjustable Levers (Warp9Racing.com)

Like stainless braided brake lines, we can’t figure out why all bikes don’t come with adjustable levers. Thankfully Warp 9 stepped in to help out with their brake and clutch lever set. Installation is no more difficult than any other bike lever swap, but the results are noticeable. Having both levers just a little closer to the grip makes controlling these two essential functions easier and more precise. No mystery here; just get the levers where you need them!

The only caveat involves the clutch lever pivot section, which is larger than stock and comes close to the handguards. We have Barkbuster handguards on the bike from Twisted Throttle—and the clutch lever barely touches them at full extension. To solve this, more space can be created by installing a washer or two between the handguard crossbar and its inside mounts.

Overall, there’s not much to complain about with an upgrade like this. Installation is simple, build quality is an improvement over stock, and the levers help the bike fit the rider. If you have smaller hands and difficulty working the clutch or brake, Warp 9’s adjustable levers should be high on your upgrade list.

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Click Here to read more details about the "Warp9 Royal Enfield Himalayan Brake-Clutch Adjustable Levers"

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•  TechSpec Tank Pads (TechSpec-USA.com)

One of our favorite and easiest upgrades to apply are the side tank protectors. Both TechSpec and R&G produce functional tank protectors for the Himalayan but we like the molded textured rubber of the TechSpec units.  They serve a fairly straightforward purpose, but also help add some visual contrast to the bike.    

  

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• Himalayan Performance and Power Upgrades

• Hyperpro Suspension Street Box and RSC Steering Damper from EPM Performance (EPMPerf.com)

These will be some of the most argued about upgrades on the list. The Himalayan’s stock suspension struck me as one of the best available at its price point. Still, being an over 200-lb. rider usually means some changes are necessary for comfortable off-roading.

Hyperpro’s Street Box  is a handy kit which omes with fork springs, oil, and a 460-series rear shock with 50 clicks of rebound adjustment. More importantly, it’s the correct spring for your weight and riding style. With the front progressive fork springs and oil damping, the upgraded rear shock transforms the ride.

There’s no comparison between the build quality of the old and new shock units. Although larger, the new Hyperpro weighs less and makes the bike much more planted in nearly all riding conditions. The compression damping feels spot-on, and the rebound needed minimal adjustment during break-in. Aside from the much better ride, the rear shock lifted the back end about an inch. This could be a combined effect with the new saddle, but if you’re on your tip-toes riding the Himalayan, this may be an issue. Then again, some riders may welcome the extra height.

At around $700, the Street Box is a no-brainer in terms of comfort, safety, and fun, especially if someone plans to spend a lot of time off road or is a heavier rider.

The RSC (Reactive Safety Control) steering damper arrived as a surprise. The Himalayan doesn’t have serious high-speed wobble problems or feel sketchy off-road, so we wondered how it would help. This is not a top consideration upgrade, but if you are an aggressive rider and the new suspension helps you push faster speeds on dirt or highway, the steering damper does a great job. The build and finish are exceptional, while the speed-sensitive adjuster makes an easy job of getting it right. It’s a bolt-on job, but be sure to use some blue thread-locker because the system does take a fair amount of lateral wiggle force.

• Lextek SA1 Slip-on Silencer (LextekProducts.com)

 The silencer was one of the first mods we bolted on since it was relatively easy and significantly impacted the bike’s look and feel. We generally don’t swap silencers or expect substantial power gains, but we’re happy with the better sound, weight reduction, and sharper looks. Picking up a bit of torque doesn’t hurt either.

The Lextek sounds more like stock at idle, but at 6,000 rpm, there’s more growl, though not so much as to be deafening at speed for extended distances. The exhaust comes with a removable baffle already installed. Still, we didn’t see a good reason to pull it because doing so would increase the level of noise, and we also wanted to maintain closer-to-stock back pressure.

Installation is simple, but we found the provided kit pulls the exhaust in toward the tire a little. This is easy to fix with a quick run to the hardware store for some spacers, but including them would have been nice. Overall, it’s a solid budget silencer for a solid budget bike.

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Click Here to read a detail review on the "Lextek SA-1 Slip-on Exhaust For Himalayan"

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• Booster Plug FI Tuner (BoosterPlug.com)

For such a small device, the Booster Plug claims to do a lot of work getting rid of the overly lean conditions many bikes come with for the sake of emissions standards. Some Himalayan riders complain about hard starts and stalling. While other factors may cause this like an imporoperly adjusted TPS,. the Booster Plug concept is pretty simple. It works by fooling the ECU into thinking there’s colder air coming into the engine and trick it into adding a little more fuel.

The Booster Plug snaps into the existing wiring with fairly clear instructions, so no splicing is needed. All you do is run the external temperature sensor up toward the bike’s front and tuck the tiny black box somewhere in the frame.

We noticed a bit of decibel-pop reduction and a bit more power, and smoother running at the upper rpms. We’ve heard the benefits of this system are arguable for some engines, but in our case, it seemed to work well and is worth looking into if you experience stalling problems. Riders who are strict emission control lovers won't appreciate this modification and there's a chance it may impact wararntly claims but if you're not worried about that, it seems to work fairly well. 

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 • Himalayan Luggage, Protection, and Electronics Upgrades

• SW-MOTECH Sysbag 10/15L with SLC Side Carrier System, Enduro LT Tank Bag, Bark Buster Hand Guards (SW-Motech.us)

It’s hard to take road trips without luggage, and we wanted to fit something that wasn’t too unwieldy. SW-MOTECH’s Enduro LT tank bag is a perfect size. Although the Himalayan’s large tank can take a larger bag, its size works great for a day or two of essentials. You can expand it, but with some careful planning, it’s mostly unnecessary except when picking up extra supplies or on extended trips.

The strapping system is very secure, but I appreciate the U-shaped zipper and deep base cutout. This means filling up at gas stations doesn’t require shenanigans with the strap. All you do is partially unzip the bag, and it folds over to the side for plenty of gas cap access. The tall profile looks a bit odd but, hey, that’s another thing I love about the bike!

We’re happy to report a fair amount of dust, rain, and sun have softened the shells a bit but haven’t put a dent in their utility. SW-MOTECH’s luggage options we’ve tested aren’t natively waterproof but come with internal liners to help out. The Sysbag 10- and 15-liter side cases are separately reviewed, so click here to check them out for more details.

Overall, these bags not only give plenty of packing room but also keep weight down.

These bags are also available on TwistedThrottle.com , Revzilla.com and Motosport.com.

• SRC MOTO USA Rear Rack Top-plate, Kickstand Foot, Headlight, Radiator, Rear Brake System, Oil Cooler Guards and 12V Accessory System (SRCMoto.com)

 SRC MOTO USA continues their love of small bikes like Honda’s CRF250/300 with the Himalayan. They offer a healthy range of products that bolt on easily that are functional, affordable, well made, and look good. Of the many bits we’ve installed, three of them stand out.

First are the USB and 12V lighter dash kit. It’s not just the outlets but also includes the custom mounts and an entire one-piece wiring harness system—very professionally done, too. We appreciate the SAE connector that goes straight to the battery, perfect for popping the seat and keeping the battery charged. The second is the headlight guard. All their guards are well built, but we particularly like the styling, removability, and low weight.

Last but not least is the hard-core skid plate, originally designed by friend and enthusiast Jesse Kimball (GeoMotoADV) This is a wonderful example of how a passionate community member has rolled up his sleeves to make some incredible products for a bike.

Now available through SRC MOTO USA, Jesse’s skid plate provides complete engine and exhaust coverage. Ours was one of the first produced; we had it powder coated and quickly fell in love with the design, including easy bolt access and visual integration into the bike’s front wishbone style downtube. Moreover, it works. We’ve slid it over logs and it’s kept the underside safe for a couple of thousand miles without issues.

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• Conclusion

Much more work has been done to the bike than what’s listed here. The frame was custom painted at Fast Eddie’s in Manassas, Virginia, and various bits were sourced on eBay, like the windscreen. Also, we exchanged the stock Pirelli Scorpion tires for some Dunlop D605s, which are reviewed separately here.

You may not choose to go as far as we did with Royal Enfield’s increasingly popular bike. After all, the simplicity and unique styling are part of its appeal. In the end, we were impressed by how much the upgrades improved the handling, performance, comfort, sound, and looks of this already impressive budget machine.

As one industry friend who recently took our project bike for a spin said, “It’s not even the same bike.” We take that as a compliment to the bike itself along with the tremendous support the Himalayan has received from the aftermarket. With more small and mid-sized adventure bikes being released every year, this is becoming the new golden age of small adventure bikes in the U.S. While I love riding anything and everything, I’ll keep this project Himalayan as my daily rider and hope you’ll be able to check it out if we meet on the road or at an event.  

 

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• Did you Know? We like the Himalayan so much it became the feature cover bike for "Far-Rider Adventures", ADVMoto's adventure motorcycle comic series which debuted in 2021.  There's more coming to Far-Rider Adventures so please check out FarRiderComics.com to stay up to date with the latest!  

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