I am about to hit the 10K milestone on my odometer so I thought of quickly jotting down the modifications/accessories I have done/added on my June 2024 Himalayan 450 Kamet White
BHPian anurag344 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Setting Context:
- I stand at a sky scraping 164cms and weigh a well earned 72 kgs. I am 44 years of age and re-joined the world of motorcycling during the Covid years. I am a full time keyboard clacker but I do pay some attention to my fitness levels
- I commute in a car and the bike is used only for touring (with no pillions). I avoid off-roading if I can. I also suffer from the habit of over-packing for a trip
- My previous motorcycle was a J series Classic 350. Did around 14K kms on it mostly touring solo. I loved it to bits but it ran out of steam on the highways and I wanted to cover longer distances. So it was sold to a friend and I moved on to the new Himalayan.
- My riding group consists of an NX500 and an Interceptor 650. We typically cruise at around 120-130kmph on highways and cover 500-600 kms in a day.
Modifications and Accessories:
- Royal Enfield Rally Protection Kit: Sleek. Peace of mind when it comes to chassis and engine protection. My previous bike had the humongous leg guards from RE and I was now on a weight reduction mission (for the bike I mean)
- Way2Speed tubeless conversion – I was spooked about punctures so I took my bike to Top Gear Thumpers Marathahalli soon after delivery. It cost me around 11K if my memory serves well. It is holding up well, as in there isn’t a drop in pressure even when the bike is parked for days. No punctures so far.
- Carbon Racing Windscreen + ProSpec extender – I got the RE touring screen but it was still causing buffeting on the helmet. Plus I felt it was too narrow and wind blast was coming from the sides as well. Finally with the current elaborate setup, wind blast on the helmet is greatly reduced (but not eliminated, and I do wear ear loop plugs). I have to strictly follow a look-far-ahead policy as the Pro-spec is in my line of sight.
- Maddog ScoutX Auxiliary lights – Stock LED lights are basically DRLs. I didn’t get the Alphas for 2 reasons: Didn’t want to blind incoming traffic and also they need to be mounted on the tank guards due to their weight. I got them mounted on the front forks so that they don’t get damaged easily in a fall. I am suffering from buyers remorse a bit as the illumination isn’t really enough for night touring.
- Grip puppies – The bike is vibey at highway speeds and these have helped control the handlebar vibes to a great extent.
- Royal Enfield Touring Mirrors – Got these along with the bike and they are buzz free at 130 kmph. I had regular mirrors on my previous bike (which had a much smoother engine) and they were useless post 90 kmph.
- Royal Enfield Touring Seat – The stock seat is extremely uncomfortable for touring. I then tried a detachable gel seat but it wasn’t very practical. Finally moved to the touring seat from RE and it is holding up well. It has increased the seat height to 830 mm but I told myself “you need to get used to tallish seats if you want to upgrade to a bigger ADV in the future”.
- Royal Enfield Saddle Stays – I use Rynox Drystack Saddle bags to keep the weight as low as possible. Didn’t get the full panniers to avoid loading the bike further.
- Zana side stand extender – The side stand lean angle is well known. This gives me some peace of mind when parking on uneven terrain.
- Givi E43NTL Gold Monolock Top Case – Practicality trumped aesthetics and I use this for storing smaller knick knacks (rain gear, tyre inflator etc.). Also serves a safe store for helmet (can easily accommodate a full face) when taking a break during rides. I did put some 3M reflective tape all round on it to improve visibility for traffic in my rear. Not faced any wobbles/instability at highway speeds.
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
