Why Did Himalayan 450 Chassis Break: What I Learnt From Royal Enfield

A technical look and a deep dive into why exactly did the chassis of two Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 motorcycles broke and what I think could be the prevention for it.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.

[@TheRoamingDelhiite]

When the chassis breaking incident happened for the first time in the Himalayan 411, the excuse was B3 bike hai...BS4 mein ye problem nahi hai...then BS4 mein chassis tooti then the excuse was BS4 mein problem thi...ab BS6 wali bike mein nahi hai...or excuses like rental bike hai etc...ab H450 mein chassis toot gayi toh crash guards ki galti hai...and till date Royal Enfield has not come up with any official explanation for all these cases...influencers/journalists are only saying that "I was being told by RE" "RE informed me" "RE confirmed me"...There is no official statement from RE..

[@_abhimanyu.]

RE being RE.

[@HughBond-kx7ly]

What is your gibberish trying to say?

[@amitgomes388]

What he has written is in English and Hindi not gibberish, you lacking the knowledge to understand the mix of the two languages does not make it gibberish, and what he is saying is Royal Enfield is pulling bullshit out of thier ass as usual

[@mohitonutube]

We just wait for a chassis with authorised crash guard to break :-( Then lets see

[@AnotherComment-rl6fv]

how many bikes has the broken chassis problem? Typical Delhi mentality

[@vijayam1]

Brilliant.. So the bottomline is if there is crash guard or there isn't a crash guard, if the bolts start to slowly undo themselves -- let's just say we talk hypothetically from an RE engine vibration perspective -- so, the bolts get loose over time, the rider doesn't know that, the graph spikes and the chassis snaps. So eventually it's not the crash guard, it's the design itself and that is, either you hate me or agree with me is a blunder from an engineering perspective.

[@theheritageconventions2211]

Right, and also i would say that the Official RE crash guards are just a waste of money as they dont actually protect the engine/ legs or both on a same time

[@jameshunt1822]

Engines should never be a stress member

[@sanjeevtomar8090]

An engineer should never design so poorly that is causing single point of failure

[@joes650]

so buy an off-road moto with a cradle type frame.

[@sumeetghai8867]

​@@jameshunt1822It isnt its the customer who is😅😅😅

[@pinaknubs4123]

None of the explanations makes any sense. It's like a politician providing justification for a bridge failure. RE very well knows the amount of customisation it's vehicle goes through. They purposely ensured that people can't fit non OEM for their own pockets. How come old models wherein there was no concept of accessories and bullets were able to manage it but newer models can't. RE at fault all the way.

[@o0giri0o]

Simple solid engineering vs complex modern engineering. Not saying RE made a mistake with going more complex.

[@sreeharsha1828]

You can still buy an old model double cradle frame Chassis RE scram if you can't understand and live with a modern stressed member engine bike like Himalayan. Just don't cry about increased weight, lack of power, vibration etc.

[@tazzjazz]

😂 try to over/under torque the bolts in ur cars lower arm and then see what happens, in a stress engined bike, every bolt is as important as that of the example given before. U should complain abt the mechanics not being upto date on the things that their job revolves around.

[@anirudhhhh]

​@@tazzjazzBro for TVS, Hero, KTM, Bajaj, Honda and Yamaha we don't hear such issues. These brands had engine as their stressed members for years now. And people install giant zoo cages in the name of crash guards.All of it is aftermarket. RE needs to also investigate how their competition deals with such engineering problems.

[@emperorofdarkness3096]

​@@anirudhhhhZoo cages🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 you make me laugh 😂

[@onelife.rideit.6338]

Whatever failure there maybe be it engine, electrical or ecu all acceptable but, Chasis braking is not acceptable, It can kill someone.

[@warmfishsalad]

Brake failure is far more dangerous, btw the 2 owners of the chassis incident are completely fine.

[@rupeshnanal1574]

Well said ....RE is playing volleyball 🏐 ...I made my mind to cancel RE and go for triumph scrambler 400x as it is undoubtedly quality product

[@suhas.kotian]

Sounds like damage control. How much did RE pay you to say this? There are thousands, if not lakhs of motorcycles here in India running aftermarket crash guards, never heard any other motorcycle with snapped frame. Why only RE? They blame the aftermarket guards yet fix those motorcycles under warranty? Both the owners also came out and said it's their own fault. Sounds very fishy. RE should spend their money in R&D and quality control instead of marketing and damage control.

[@_abhimanyu.]

RE will never accept their fault. Blaming the after market accessories also means that people will now only buy RE accessories. You see, its a win win for them.

[@95Ar98]

Dude just think with your mind a bit open, the big brands who makes the engine as a stressed member and people who buy them generally do not use zana products mainly they use the GIVI or some other expensive crash guard brands. The problem here is the bike is new and as always indian accessory brands didnot put in a lot of research to make a compatible crash guard.. So this problem can be an issue.. The 3rd party companies must do some research or just ask about the tehnicalities of the himalayan and should have come up with a better product. I use himalayn 411 and use the zana engine guard, the part of the guard which bolts with the frame of my bike broke and stayed inside, it was a nightmare and had to drill the bolt out and re-thread it to use a new bolt. The mechanic told me that the quality of the guard is too bad and the weight of the guard was not well distribuited which resulted in stressing the bolted parts and they ultimaltely snapped off. I previously used the RE's original engine guard but it got bent when the bike fell down so thought of buying this zana and now i have some serious concerns..

[@suhas.kotian]

@@95Ar98 whatever you said applies to KTM Adv and vstrom and other bikes as well. Forget advs, people add huge ugly cage like crash guards even on their street bikes. But I've never heard chassis breaking from any manufacturer. It's only RE. Why?

[@95Ar98]

@@suhas.kotian bro do you know what a engine stressed frame is? very few bikes in india have that type of frame integration, so thats why i said that. Also It is the 1st time RE has made a bike with this technology.. so not everything can be like before... I am not defending RE but in this case i dont think RE is to be blamed completely.

[@suhas.kotian]

@@95Ar98 lmao I think you have no idea what you're talking about. Most of the modern bikes use engine as stressed members and i'm not talking about commuter bikes here. Chassis breaking is RE specific issue, as customer we need to hold the brand accountable so that we get better products, not defend them.

[@varun]

My brain is doing somersaults trying to understand this.

[@FindUrBalance]

[@warmfishsalad]

May God help you then in future 😂

[@VikramKumar-lh3ge]

Seems like this guy is only saving RE for some money or something else And being a rider I condemn this video. #IhateRoyalEnfield

[@RamKumar-bs1el]

@@VikramKumar-lh3ge Yes, it seems like paid PR.

[@bambi507]

​@@VikramKumar-lh3ge prove your claims or stfu

[@georgehesse7396]

I liked this guy’s thorough explanation of the broken frames linked to after market crash guards. Thorough and helpful. Well done!

[@rideronfire9291]

Other Adventure motorcycles such as KTM Adv 390, the chassis never breaks even though many riders use aftermarket crash guards. There is a fault maybe everytime in RE engineering and that is why something or other happens to their vehicles. They said they test in Ladakh in very harsh conditions, they must test with every other possibilities.

[@rideyourluck1371]

bhai ktm 25 saal se adv bike banatahy ... RE haal fhil haal me dekha dekhi bikes banana suru kiya hy avi bahut kuch sikh na baki hy RE ko avi bahut bachha hy adv bikes bana ne k mamle me.. bhai ktm triamph bmw yeh saaab se RE bahut ddduur hy .. ktm is dakar winer , like honda afric twin all this bikes r varry robast and like JHakkasss.. RE to RE hy . hee heee

[@virajvrooms]

@@rideyourluck1371 Valid point. but in theory. I won't spend 3 lakh+ on a bike like this unless my father-in-law is the manufacturer.

[@geoffreydaniel4557]

The Honda CB500x had a chassis break recently. There are numerous Tiger 900s that had a chassis break due to 3rd party crash bars. There are lots of BMW GSs and KTM big adventure bikes that have chassis breaks as well. I am not justifying for RE but the Himalayan is not the only adv to have chassis breaks. Other big adv bikes have chassis breaks as well.

[@DAILY_FACTS_TREAT]

​@@rideyourluck1371 Spelling likhna sikh phle badme gyan chodna.

[@abhi__fitnesspbx]

similar thing happened in Vietnam with a Honda Nx 500. At least RE honoured the warranty. Honda didn't even accept a warranty claim. Total customer expense for a new chassis.

[@ronybhattachaya]

bro are stop blaming customers, dont become fanboi and defend blindly, in that photo there was not crash guard, how can you confirm that its for crashguard?

[@MrHellogreat]

Exactly no crash guard in any picture

[@aviator9985]

Abhinav Ji, Greetings to you. 1 the engine is mounted on the chassis cradle frame. The Left, Right engine vibration, weight balancing should be on a "link tie " with rubber danper nut bolt mounting external to the chassis front down tube with additional fixtures that do not interfere with the chassis cradle frame. All engine hard point to be on the CG, behind the engine frame. Any accessories should be fixed with additional, U clamps or other design that do not penetrate the engine cradle frame.

[@harshadsubhash]

I love motorcycles. By profession, I am a japanese language interpreter. Your way of talking makes me feel to interpret it. I wish people in manufacturing and processing industry pickup ypur style and pace while elaborating their points. My life would be much better. I shall share this with my Indian clientele to help them understand how to talk their job.

[@oporajitoD]

I want to watch anime in the real version is Duolingo enough learn japanise?

[@glitchmanshandle]

@@oporajitoD nani!?

[@FreedomBaba]

Here we go again. The original himalayan had some headstocks snap right off. Now we've got another frame problem. Many European and Japanese motorcycles use the engine as a stressed member with aftermarket crash guards. They don't break. I'm calling bullshit on this. I've never seen a torque wrench in India in 40 years. I never use crash guards. They're more hassle than they are worth. From an Brit in Himachal pradesh. Thanks for the video. Love India ❤

[@___SSS___]

Brits were taking credit for designing and developing himalayan 452 in the RE facility in London . But after chasis breaking news all are blaming and cussing its made in india by indians . For your kind information ktm , triumph , Aprilia and harley davidson are also making in india 😅😅😅

[@95Ar98]

Man just think with your mind a bit open, the big brands who makes the engine as a stressed member and people who buy them generally do not use zana products mainly they use the GIVI or some other expensive crash guard brands. The problem here is the bike is new and as always indian accessory brands didnot put in a lot of research to make a compatible crash guard.. So this problem can be an issue.. The 3rd party companies must do some research or just ask about the tehnicalities of the himalayan and should have come up with a better product. I use himalayn 411 and use the zana engine guard, the part of the guard which bolts with the frame of my bike broke and stayed inside, it was a nightmare and had to drill the bolt out and re-thread it to use a new bolt. The mechanic told me that the quality of the guard is too bad and the weight of the guard was not well distribuited which resulted in stressing the bolted parts and they ultimaltely snapped off. I previously used the RE's original engine guard but it got bent when the bike fell down so thought of buying this zana and now i have some serious concerns..

[@laughingcube]

​@@___SSS___at no point is the OP blaming India.. He/She is just saying that RE should take responsibility of this instead of blaming someone else. Or clearly state that owners cannot use aftermarket products. As for who takes credit, no matter what happens it's always the responsibility of the seller- no matter who/where it was made/designed.. We Indians have to build a reliable brand- like the Italians/Japanese have done. And that comes by taking responsibility

[@srinathiyengar.mudgal]

Amongst all the REVIEWS ON "HIMALAYAN 450 ADV" "CHASSIS BREAKDOWN", your video provided the most technical explanation with R.E feedback. Most comforting with all possible alternatives required, to overcome the problem presented to rider community. Hope to see worrisome issue & solution reasoned by all riders clear their emotions by putting some thought. Thanku for this thoughtful one. Thank you & cheers.

[@ungalpunga]

Himalayan 450 has Showa suspsion with (SFF - Separate Fork Function) which means one fork is for damping and other fork is for rebound. This causes a light twist to the chassis and hence the extra stress in the right side of the chassis. If its is caused because of engine is stressed member, many other bikes before Himayan 450 have the engine as the stressed member, they dont break even after many years with crashguard etc. Ask yourself, if this is happening because of the torque of a bolt, chassis can snap on the left side as well. Howerver the chassis is breaking only on the right side.

[@EMILIA-t7g]

You did a good job explaining what the Enfield rep told you but at the end of the day, it's a failure point and it will harm confidence and sales..They need to fix it, redesign it, and offer work around.

[@southernknight9983]

They did and the fix is easy. Don't get after market crash guards, cause they are not considering the stress point on the frame. It's that simple. This is a failure of an aftermarket company and it is they who need to fix it or stop selling their product before they get sued by a costumer or RE themselves.

[@avinashlohara7772]

Investing 3.5 lakhs on a bike and live at the risk of its chassis breaking.. this is Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 u want to say. Instead Its better to go with KTM adventure 390

[@ketankadam5669]

Check the video released by zana, about the issue. RE chassis breaking is nothing new

[@Anthony9592]

Very sensible explanation, dear Brother. But allow me to say that RE has built a notoriety for chassis failure over the years. Even their bread and butter, Classic 350 & 500 were not without serious chassis issues. I can think of around 5 riders whose chassis has broken in the unlikeliest of places. I own the Desert Storm and I am a big fan of RE, but I must say their R&D on chassis is much to be desired. I guess the minimalistic chassis on the new Himalayan 450 was designed keeping in mind the weight factor. But considering that the machine is by no means light, I believe RE should have reinforced the critical chassis components using better steel. RE should know better by now that its riders will never stay contented without mods on their models and hence every model should be designed keeping in mind the potential abuse on them.

[@ontwowheelsjoe]

Trust is like a vase, once it’s broken, though you can fix it, the vase will never be the same again. Same case here 🙏

[@goa.experience]

Tune mujhe woh Jab we Met ke station Master ki yaad dialadi ...buddhe

[@gromit576]

You can't simply whack the vase with a stick and blame the vase.

[@haldar9528]

It's not wise to let a 'saying' affect your mechanical understanding. Ditch the melodrama, stick to facts.

[@ontwowheelsjoe]

@@haldar9528 just think about it, a motorcycle chassis breaks due to wrong torque. How many bikes have had this problem

[@twowheeledparadox]

​@@ontwowheelsjoeSome Ducatis had this problem too. If you understand the function of those bolts, you will understand why. If you use incorrect torque on your car's suspension's joints, something will break.

[@justatanu]

What ever the justification Re gives is fine but even if someone installed an after market crash guard it should not just snap off with out the bike getting in to crash, we talking about metal here not ceremic.

[@sontosh007]

1st thing to prevent it from happening is to build strong chassis.

[@soumennandi6748]

Did they mentioned in anyplace the torque for those bolts for the oem crash guard? Have you aware of that the small service centre of RE does not even know how to fix it? Are you talking about using torque wrench? You should tell your connection in RE that they should mentiond the torque for their oem product in their mannual. I feel that RE should address the issue in a official way.

[@farmersidd]

I understand the importance of torque settings on bolts, and nuts. But then again was the issue diagnosed properly? If yes, then RE should mention not to use after market parts. Not to mention in any case the Himalayan 450 is quite undercooked, the vibration levels are so high that it becomes unbearable after a certain point. And in my opinion the vibrations coming out of the engine and moving around all over the motorcycle is to be blamed. Thanks!

[@buzzlightyear1484]

Do you think a single cylinder box engine wouldn't vibrate. All engines vibrate

[@farmersidd]

@@buzzlightyear1484 vibration is the essence of the Universe everything vibrates. But the engineering is so high that you don’t feel it, in any case the moment you start feeling that your body is shaking either you are sick or there is something wrong with you. So technically there is a threshold to everything, and anything beyond that is not good, I guess you haven’t ridden a Honda yet. Go ride one and you will realise what I am talking about.

[@cerebrix]

For my first ADV bike I had it down to either a G310 gs or wait for the new Himalayan to finally get released here in the USA. I decided to pick up the G310 based on the fact that I'm a newer rider and I don't think a lot of power is important to me right now. Reading these comments. It looks like I really made the right choice. Sorry about your bike man. Hopefully they're taking good care of you. This wasn't your fault. Ride safe

[@Justafriend55]

2021 411 himalyan was better That model is the strongest himalyan in terms of build quality I had 2-3 crashes 2 with stock crash guard and 1 with after market hyper rider cras guard Nothing happened to the bike I just do one thing - drive my bike with love ❣️ and not like its a tank 😅

[@SrinivasGanesh]

Very very insightful. As always we learn a lot from your videos! Thank you. OEM is the way when it comes to protection accessories.

[@aryyapaul9178]

Hahahaha. What a fkn circle jerk.

[@Mr.R_Gaming]

OEM doesn’t gives you leg protection

[@twowheeledparadox]

​@@Mr.R_GamingThere was a study in the UK that the so-called "leg guards" are more likely to cause injury than if they are not present. This applies to higher speeds.

[@rkr6237]

@@twowheeledparadoxhi. Got a link to this? Thanks

[@twowheeledparadox]

@@rkr6237 I am not able to find the exact article that quotes the exact study and the whole story of the legislation as I read it a long time ago but you can google the Harry Hurt Report. It has a summary which includes a point on the effects of crash bars - reduced ankle and foot injuries but increased thigh and upper leg injuries.

[@heavyrider]

Can I say that RE mounted engine on a fragile chassis that they recommend an OEM leg/crash guard to help the engine?

[@whatthearthur8660]

Next they will say not using RE gloves, shoes or oil is causing this

[@Amory98]

There are more than 40 million Hondas out there. No chasis breaking incident, ever, even though people be doing mad things to Hondas.

[@warmfishsalad]

In Himalayan 450 (and in fact all the upcoming motorcycles using Sherpa 450cc engine) will have engine as a stress member for the chassis and use specific torque adjusted bolts to equally distribute the stress among different parts of the chassis and to secure the engine, other motorcycles using trellis or perimeter frame do not use engine as a stress member, so the bolts securing the engine can easily be used to install crash guards without damaging the chassis. Also note, that among 40k+ sold Himalayan 450 models, only 2 have faced this incident and even with the same reasoning, so I think RE is not at fault here and still they repaired those 2 motorcycles considering under warranty. It's just that the brand Himalayan is such a fast growing and popular brand such that every small incident catches limelight, Like you see just the Tata cars catching fire every time.

[@paybackgaming7728]

Bro's explanation reminds me of my history teacher at school 😂

[@Jonathan-L]

I can't remember ... I must have been asleep during those lessons.

[@timlubbers2884]

Used the engine as a part of the frame has always concerned me. When I had my R1200GS, I had problems that eventually totaled the bike. My enduro based bike (the klr) has a full engine cradle and although it’s a tank, I’m never concerned about the frame …

[@mrhanu7832]

I have a same bike I'm not using any crash guard but one of my friend using a RE crash guard but yesterday small fall down happened and the bike tank was little damage and also the crash was not broken but it was not protected the tank in this what RE will do they have build a good value for money crash guard. Its not good quality product.

[@rkdash2006]

very good point Abhinav. Keep these types of content coming. You are becoming and encyclopedia fr Himalayan 450. I appreciate the amount of effort you have made. Your content selection is excellent

[@ajayaryatutorials]

As an engineer I can attest that it was a very informative video...that was thoroughly enjoyed

[@prakharthegreat]

Good point about the torque wrench. Happened on my Harley I used a simple plier to fix the nut and it snapped.

[@pranavchoudhary7964]

Sir, please ask RE to approve those tubeless spoke rims asap man. We are waiting for them since too long.

[@babbarshera1667]

Good sir , as you've had a detailed talk with the RE folks pls do let us know the specified torque as well !

[@Willberight2moro]

3rd party products and unprofessional installations are every manufacturers nightmare. Look at 3rd party batteries catching fire and ppl blaming Samsung or Apple for compensation.... Where is the line, square wheels?

[@prodyunborah93]

Now I’m sure which one to go for. Thanks Abhinav!

[@thrivefitsolutions]

It's not royal enfield that is at fault, it is the after market manufacturers who haven't done enough research and development before releasing their products, for them it's a race to release their items first in the market and hence you see these issues coming up. A friend of mine too owns a himalayab 450 with an aftermarket crash guards . He was on his way from odisa to Mumbai when he noticed the main screw that holds the cage in place had fallen off and missing. After market products are good when there's enough time and attention given to detail . Not just sell a bloody roll cage which has zero engineering behind it. Think !!

[@darktitan8085]

Buddy you're not wrong But think about this for a second. Whu is the chasis breaking always a royal enfield thing? This isnt the first time it happened to a himalayan right? Engineering is very very complex and i will give them some benefit of doubt. But imagine you are an aftermarket manufacturer. How would you know that something that small would be the cause - for the chasis itself breaking?

[@charchitrajput8020]

bro u are saying that its such a poor design that a thing like crash gaurd which is so simple must be designed in labs for this particular bike. This is bullshit from REs side

[@flyingkiwi215]

@@charchitrajput8020it’s DIY installers and garages that don’t use torque specs , that’s the problem

[@warmfishsalad]

​@@darktitan8085 Triumph Speed 400 swing arm cracked a few months ago for no reason, so it can happen to anyone

[@warmfishsalad]

​@@charchitrajput8020you are ignoring the fact that the engine is a stress member for chassis, other companies using trellis or perimeter frame do not use engine as a stress member, so the bolts used to secure the engine can easily be used to install crash guards without damaging the chassis in other bikes

[@blinDTiger0.01]

On Saturday last week, precisely on 15/06/2024, one of my friends from West Bengal faced a collision with a car on the wrong lane (friend was on the right track, but that car...) on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, on his Scram 411. This accident cost him 3 broken ribs, fractured right shoulder, fractured right elbow, fractured right hand, fractured left hand, and a bone near the right kneecap, along with bended front rim and handlebar of the Scram 411. Currently, he's admitted in Fortis Gurgaon, and his bike is in the Agra Police station. He went to Spiti, and while returning this happened. He has been riding for a long time now, and did multiple tours on the same bike, for example to Nepal, Sandak Phu, Arunachal Pradesh, etc. Amongst all these misfortunes, my trust on the bike just increased by few meters.

[@samabhi28]

I have previously used OEM leg gaurd for my classic 350 bs4, when i had an impact which was minor .the leg gaurd broke into two halves ,what i see inside is hollow cylinder of mere thickness..when i later checked aftermarket leg gaurd it seemed a next to next level quality than RE. Rally gaurd by RE I don't see will protect engine or bike tank anyway when it comes in impact.

[@sanjay.redbull]

first question - chasis bresking footage of only one bike is out on public. not other one's, and in footage of that 1 bike in photos it shows that crash guard is not installed on it. i can get that bolt got loose and chasis broke, but how come RE said that it is due to crash guard ?? my second question - even if we have installed after market crash guard of a reputed manufacturer and sufficiently tightened the bolt and not overly tightened or loosly tightened, what to do next ??

[@vinizaz]

With all due respect, please stop referring to the cameraman as an object. Call him by his name, that's some basic decency, even though u might be paying him or a friend!

[@TheZenith790]

rightly said

[@ShubhenduLalit]

Excellent video Mr. Bhatt, and right on time as I leave for my PDI. I'll confirm if the RE accessories installation guys are using torque wrenches (just for my peace of mind), so if in case they're not, I will just forgo the rally protection for the time being. Bone stock with factory settings feels like the safest way to go ahead right now.

[@mohitonutube]

Its a top heavy bike, bound to get dropped.

[@ShubhenduLalit]

@@mohitonutube Excellent point, Mohit. I went to the service center after PDI, and confirmed that they torqued in the bolts with hand tools instead of a machine. And I also spotted a H450 there that had come in for service, whose rally protection was severely misaligned. So that sealed the deal for me. I'll postpone it for now, and take the calculated risk. I haven't dropped my Thunderbird in the past 8 years (knock wood), so fingers crossed :)

[@Windings-gj8dk]

You have a badly designed bike, using the engine as part of the frame is a very very bad idea, it will always be a weak point.

[@bishalghosh536]

In the case of hanle black model, there is no crash guard....i am worried because i have 1st lot motorcycle

[@arjunsaraf7173]

TBH I own RE450 and always worried of some shit like this. RE tries to earn alot from accessories and imvest less in design and looks of Accessories therefore we go to aftermarket accessories. Eg. Headlight.. they know its not sufficient, Engine guard not at all attractive, seat to much expensive, No nuckle guard etc etc.. There is no sense in making the fitting and chasis so much prone to breakage. RE needs better engineering team I think.

[@mohitonutube]

For 90 days RE did not give me crash guard. What they expect one to do?

[@Windings-gj8dk]

Yes, RE learned nothing from the 411 frame disaster, instead they made another with the same problems, it took me 4 seconds when I looked at the new 450 frame to conclude no lessons learned, no changes made. They hired a donkey instead of a frame designer / engineer. The British bikes of old were designed by proper engineers, since those days RE have not been able to design much of anything. I was hoping they actually had an R&D department and decent engineers, looks like I was wrong.

[@ajayaryatutorials]

My continental GT 535 chassis broke too! I have a negative image on RE since then.

[@peterholthoffman]

The explanation makes sense to me. The only culpability on the part of RE might be for them to have anticipated after-market accessories that would not take the engineering into account and put on a warning saying that the engine is a load bearing, stressed member and therefore nothing that changes anything about the engine mounts should be done. I see a bit of an analogy with car people who change their wheels, so the load is no longer centered over the bearings. Then they wonder why the bearings wear out.

[@Man-ch2et]

Not an RE fan, but I own a him450.. not happy with it's weight but I bought it knowing about it. Coming to the issue, I feel after market parts do damage the bike. Learnt from experience.

[@raghudesh706]

Thanks for nice detailed analysis ❤

[@dipen.nisar.autovlogs]

Very Apt and Logical Explanation 😊

[@A5HU_03]

The reason why people go with aftermarket crash guards is because there is no stock available at RE dealerships. I myself bought a Himalayan 450 and have been waiting for my RE accessories for over a month now. RE should seriously work on this.

[@heavyrider]

If you come closer at 4:22, RE should have given the crash guard as a standard accessory. Which does a lot of things like distributing the load evenly, but expected the stress unit (Engine) to do the same.

[@ShadowVonChadwick]

This is why I ordered the RE sump guard. I am not a big fan of this twin spar frame. For me, its rigidity is a questionable spec under rare circumstances, transferring a major force to the head casting. I will be fitting my own when it arrives. I am a mechanic and do own an industry standard torque wrench. And beside the RE product looks to provide the protection I deem satisfactory & looks good. I am a bit sceptical of the rear mounting point rigidity. Cheers for the vid, stay upright. 👍 PS: I have another bike (KLX400r) for the rough stuff, so "horses for courses" as always.

[@prashantgaikwad7392]

Answer my simple question. Why only with the RE chassis? Why aren't any other brands from India and worldwide?

[@Bumblebee_Jayesh]

For that they won't have any answer. They can just blame other brands and defame them instead of looking within 😅

[@vinoddamji5729]

RE needs to do some work on this so that existing and future owners do not worry about this happening. This has to be avoided and riders have peace of mind.

[@wildmotosesh]

It's kind of a tricky situation here for us, the viewers. Since we don't have detailed evidences of both the scenarios, we can't really say who's at fault. Firstly, As far as i know RE had spent years on testing, simulations and proto runs in the toughest terrains to make sure they don't face such issues again and finely tune the bike as much as they can. As a matter of fact I own a BS6 411, have clocked almost a 30K km on it, mostly in Himalayas, haven't faced any sort mechanical failure yet.(No crash guard installed tho) if this info helps. Secondly, there's variety of crash guards and impact protectors in the market that actually serve different purposes for different scenarios. In case of stunt riding and low - speed off-roading you would rather install a cage like or wider protector to protect the body, engine from taking the damage from toppling on either sides. And in case of high speed rally riding and touring you'd rather install a smaller and more precisely designed protector that will give protection from dynamic impacts. Such crash guards are designed to absorb all the impact without letting it being transfered to the chassis. Hence, in most cases such guards break after absorbing the set amount of impact and not letting the impact reach the chassis. Now that requires some serious R&D and that doesn't seem to be the case with most of the domestic aftermarket products in India. Thirdly, My thought on why KTMs or 411s chassis are not snapping even with those aftermarket upgrades, I think it comes down to the nature of engineering. for e.g. y'all know Moto GP bikes are like peak of engineering. But if you take one out on the Indian roads, It's not even going to take much days before the chassis snaps. Now you can't say that the bike was not well engineered. It's just its chassis is designed so precisely for the track for maximum efficiency and feedback that even the vibrations from non-track uneven indian roads can snap the chassis in a short period of time . So instead of thinking 450 is weak or half baked, we should also consider the fact that it can be finely engineered in a way that any random external mechanical attachments might disturb the intended characteristics of the chassis. Abhi it's all revolving around crash guards. Let's wait for a more consolidated explanation from the company, community before jumping to any conclusions.

[@Windings-gj8dk]

RE learned nothing from their last shit show of a frame, instead they went and made another one, this will be the end of the big sales in the eu and america where there are so many other brands available for not much more money, and oddly enough no broken frames to worry about. China and Taiwan and South Korea will take full advantage of this now because they will see what we all do, and that is no competition from RE with this model, they can't make it work and it took four years of arsing about to prove it.

[@JoseAlvarez-dl3hm]

you are saying yourself that at the end of the day it is not a well engineered product, since real engineers take into acount their environment and multiple factor that their final product needs to endure out there, not considering the fact that a motorcycle can and will be customized is a huge fail for the engineering team, and also there are not much brands having these issues, so there is that too.

[@HughBond-kx7ly]

Thanks for your video as I am seriously considering this motor cycle for an adventure bike

[@pushkarpadmnav]

Moreover i am getting the feeling these days that in order to launch new products RE is not able to keep the production level to a high standard.

[@scooter6363]

In my opinion, these are purely assembly errors. From what I have read so far, the screws for the aftermarket crash guards were fitted without a torque spanner, without the required torque and without screw adhesive (e.g. Loctite). When the engine block becomes hot, the screws in the engine block expand and can then loosen or even fall out due to the vibrations. The frame is not designed for the forces that then act on the engine and the other bolted connections . So always use a torque spanner, use the correct torque and always use LOCTITE or another screw adhesive on the motorbike !!! In my opinion, Royal Enfield is not to blame.

[@yakeenonme]

I agree with you, OEM parts are better. But then, they are super expensive as well. Do compare the proces of visor or rebranded helmets.

[@rohitchatterjee2774]

Such a brilliant product but the two incidents has again brought the cloud of fear, anxiety and questions regarding the quality. Now even comes with the the cross spoke tubeless rims but I still cant overcome the fear to get this. And for a motorcycle that nearly cost INR 3.50 lakh, the quality is still not at the level of Scrambler 400X or ADV 390. I often wonder why. And no matter what RE says about how the chassis got snapped, it simply should've never happened. Not even once and these are not my words but Shubhabrata Marmar's.

[@kamaleshramalingame3300]

I like the latest J series platform Bullet, Classic, Meteor, etc. I'm neither a fanboy nor a hater of RE. What I need to ask is, why did they build the RE Himalayan with this kind of frame instead of a user-friendly off-roader chassis? When we compare it with other premium and costlier off-road motorcycles in India, the Himalayan is an affordable option, except for the XPulse. So, what is the need to use this kind of chassis in an affordable adventure category motorcycle? For improving the adventure riding experience, they could have used a more advanced chassis with user-friendly characteristics. Despite the benefits, they can't deliver the motorcycle on time, which is understandable. However, they also can't deliver the OEM accessories on time. Even if we get them, they are too costly for customers to afford. Due to the unavailability of OEM accessories for the Himalayan, if a customer opts for external accessories for comfort, it could break the chassis and result in a hefty bill.

[@xpressoarcherfield2120]

Good explanation, what is the torque reading for the mounting bolts for the OEM crash bar please 😊

[@vinaychinthla314]

Yea Abhinav i understand you, but as far as i have seen the pics i havent seen after market crash guard mounted to it

[@abhinavbhatt]

They were removed.

[@vinaychinthla314]

@@abhinavbhatt Hoo ok gotcha

[@munirajarathinaveltp599]

Good video. Only the brains which are ready to learn will understand your points. Lot of physics involved in designing a machine. We shouldn't disrupt any of its equations.

[@devan_dew]

Well explained with facts and figures Abhinav. Thanks

[@selvamaniganesh1856]

2 things: RE showrooms themselves don't have tourque wrenches, Royal Enfield Showroom - Sreehitha Auto Zone Pvt Ltd, Guduvanchery. How did you get the arrow exhaust?

[@yatinmulik]

I am not an advocate of aftermarket crash guards but the question here is why always royal enfield, even other oem's do no test their pre prod vehicles with after market crash guards but you never hear their chassis breaking for eg: suzuki vstrom sx owners literally have pipes running throughout their vstroms but I haven't yet heard about vstrom's chassis failure, I absolutely love himalayan but this is concerning, I hope royal enfield fixes this asap.

[@honeysingh-yk1xb]

Well explained by Bhatt bro . Today rider chooses the product by its good look not by its technical advantages.

[@danieldayal2570]

The standard design on most of the bikes is engine on chassis but himalayan 450 is chassis on top of engine. That means engine is not sitting on chassis rather engine hanging under chassis that is the problem. Its not about installing aftermarket but the fault itself is chassis design. I too have himalayan 450 n I never observed the chassis. God save us 🙏 One thing I am going to do is I will get the after market engine gaurd removed and will install OEM so in case any breakage RE can take full responsibility

[@Pluripotent1234]

The only explanation which made sense , thanks brother safe riding

[@avrajitroy6597]

I have never seen any RE service centre or showroom using a wrench having a torque meter.

[@reeshavgohain]

Another Sellout page. An adventure motorcycle is supposed to handle a lot of abuse. It's absolute BS that it can't handle the pressure at "these certain points", but the absolute meaning of an ADV bike derives from the fact that it can handle abuse. There are many examples to back my points up. I'm simply not intrigued by what he has to say and frankly I've been a fan of this channel since his R15 build days but 60% of my opinion says that this video is paid by RE. I had this feeling from the very first video of the new RE Himalayan that he ever posted on this channel.

[@raulgangsta5750]

You really tried very well to explain the issue, but I'm not really convinced. I rather advice RE to make bikes which are more versatile...🤘

[@mdzaid5925]

Well even the service center guys don't have torque wrench. So if any point of time the head is removed, does it pushes the bike in a compromised position.

[@shon79able]

But the question here comes again as to why would RE replace the parts if they knew that the aftermarket parts caused this chassis failure, normally they would obviously blame the after market and wouldn’t do anything about it, is it because they know something that they choose not to disclose or is they are being generous enough and don’t wanna spoil the brand image

[@Amory98]

If engine gurds installation can break chasis, that too of an "adv", I'm not sure I can get behind that indolence of quality check and deplorable build quality.

[@club90tv]

Hi Abhinav, thanks for the information

[@abhinavbhatt]

Most welcome

[@indiandefencewarfare9122]

I dont know why its just me or is anyone else is feeling the same that Abhinav's voice is same as Gautam Gambhir's voice

[@Akki-dada]

RE has inherent problem of Battries wearing off fast, clutch wire breaks every 3 months, bikes has difficulty starting after wash, bike is heavy to manuvere and bolts start rusting early.

[@OldMan_54]

Very informative and technically factual video.

[@himanshushete5703]

When are they launching the tubeless rims ? How much more time will homologation take ?

[@avinashprusty7519]

In however way we try to justify this, can you explain one thing? Why does it happen only with RE? People run non genuine accessories on Adv390, expulse or any bike for that matter. What matters to consumers is others doesn't break, RE does. Decide for yourself.

[@ranjithk9150]

Why aren’t they releasing tubeless spokes?

[@ridesolo0703]

Even the Enfield Workshops themselves don't use a torque wrench. I can't even find the torquing specs for the Himalayan 411.

[@voyagerprince]

But one of them chassis broken bikes Hanle black has no any crash guard installed on it. What would you say about that and why the bolts are fallen down?

[@sushobhonkonar]

it was a hoax the original owner said it was in a accident with a truck/pick up van. people just reposted the pic for controversy

[@AkshaySingh-jk2uf]

In hanle black there wasn't any crash guard on the motorcycle ( atleast in the images). It's good that Royal Enfield changed the required parts under warranty that's again a good sign

[@abhinavbhatt]

Notice the bottom tube on the Hanle Black very closely. The engine mount has sheared, indicating there was a crash guard on it without the spacer at some point of time.

[@BrickBrain]

The required NM for *Crash Guard* Installation are: small screws near saddle: 25 NM Left Engine Bolt: 45 NM Right Engine Bolt: 60 NM Oil Sump moint: 45 NM Source: Royal enfield Installation instructions note: Rally guard mounting may differ - no guarantees -

[@sachinbhat8756]

Well after reading comments I felt that I should chip in my experience. I have been riding RE bikes for 28 years and have been a victim a of broken chasis on himalayan411. But with the broken chasis case of the Himalayan 450 I did check the bolts fitment of the Mototorque crash guard and to my surprise the right side bolt was loose and I had just finished a 1200 kms ride. Now I have a case for the RE explanation through my experience. The after market crash guard is off. But let's wait and see if we find more of such cases and then conclude. My 2 cents to those who have fitted after market crash guards ...pls check the bolts and have them tightened or just remove the after market crash guard.

[@harry_8866]

I have a question for RE , i was very happy when i saw himalayan 411 got a double cradle chasis thought it was a failure in the beginning but later it got better n that same style was applied to all the other RE bikes , now why did RE gone back to very old style of incomplete open chasis ? In my opinion the engine has to be mounted inside a closed frame just like most of the bikes . I was very much sure things like this would happen . I request RE to please get back to double cradle chasis , Im gonna wait for somemore time to see if RE comes up with any better changes coz i so badly thought of buying this bike but i decided to wait because i didnt like the chasis design , btw i do cars n bikes for living .

[@BasecampNorth]

Makes a lot of sense.... thank you for sharing.

[@jakeviolet2195]

Sooo.... the problem can be solved with Loctite and a torque wrench?

[@robinhood11124]

It's not entirely RE's fault. People just insanely booked the bike the moment it was released...should have been a bit patient.

[@AkashPaul-ql1fu]

I just think in both the cases the installation was not proper. If the engine mounting bolt is not properly tightened using loctite then it is bound to become loose and fall. But if it's not the case then it is an issue of RE

[@01101729]

As many reports of frames breaking as KTM cam shaft and electrical issues, Triumph control unit issues affecting lights(£1500 fix), Guzzi cam failures and not to mention loads of Chinese bike issues no one wish to touch. Ignore the ‘Test ride reviews’ and start looking at owner 10-20km reviews. Everything else is fashion verdicts.

[@VimalRaju-m7u]

In my opinion, RE cannot and should not maintain the argument that a third party crash guard caused the chassis break. There were incidents with the old gen Himalayans where chassis broke on stock condition. No third party accessories were fixed in those cases. Even if third party crash guards are said to be the problem, what about all other motorcycle brands and models out there, running with such accessories.? As a rider, how many chassis breakage cases you have heard about other manufacturers.? In Tamil Nadu, hundreds of humble TVS mopeds carrying two adults, one kid and bundles of grass or other goods, are going over the mud rods and potholes like it's nothing. I have seen that a million times over the years. TVS mopeds have only a single down tube, not the cradle type twin tubes. How it manages such heavy stress on the chassis.? Then RE comes with this dedicated, indestructible, expensive off-roader and the chassis breaks while going over a highway...i really admire the way RE grew over the years and became a respected motorcycle brand worldwide ...as an Indian, I am proud of their achievements....but they should change their narrative in these cases, and approach the incidents in a more constructive way....one appreciable thing about this is that RE agreed to replace the chassis under warranty....very happy to hear.... Thanks...

[@regorohan]

This issue is not so simple as you or RE explain. but before I continue, I must first say I have great respect for Royal Enfield as they have made zillions of great motorcycles and built them from scratch. I am not an engineer of Motorcycles, I haven't ever built a single one. But I come from a rally and motocross background , being among the best riders in the country at that. I have broken dozens of engines, chassis , rims , suspensions in my long riding years, I ride hard. Royal Enfiled should have used 'test horses' instead of mules. these 'test mules' obviously never did any competitive off-roading and have no authority to test motorcycles to their extreme limits. Please study any modern off-road motorcycle frame, specially motocross. The 'tube' under the tank in these motorcycles is a 4 inch thick aluminium beam of hi-grade aluminium with a cradle frame. The Himalayan 450 steel tube under tank is more or less like a bicycle frame . and with such a vibey and heavy engine to compound the stress to it, and when they delete the cradle, it's a thin line to disaster. I could be wrong but im relying on design aesthetics and pure instincts rather than mathematics . Great Motorcycles are not made in conference rooms or in labs or on paper or in computers. but they are ridden through hell and high water and broken before they are re-engineered and sold. This is not the case in the Himalayan 450. I could be wrong, but I have a strong gut instinct that this 450 chassis is half as strong as the earlier 411 just by looking at it.

[@dipanjanmn]

i dont see any aftermarket crashgurad installed in the latest circulated pictures of the broken chassis