Thinking about buying a dual-purpose motorcycle and want to stand out a bit? Then you might like the new custom colour Royal Enfield Himalayans from Watsonian.
The Himalayan launched in 2016 as a 411cc single-cylinder bike designed by Pierre Terblanche, and chassis work by Harris Performance Products. It’s an affordable way to get onto a middleweight adventure sports bike, if it sometimes suffers from relatively low power and being made to meet a cost-effective price.
But it’s also become fairly popular for customisation. And during the Covid-19 lockdown, the team at Royal Enfield main dealer (and sidecar specialists) Watsonian decided to have a go themselves.
The result is a range of custom colour Royal Enfield Himalayans from Watsonian which also get headlight grilles and handguards added for some sensible extra protection. The choices are Postbox Red, Sky Blue and Mustard Yellow, which goes onto the tank and mudguards.
And they definitely contrast with the official paintschemes which run from Snow White to Granite, with Sleet and Gravel Grey in between, and either the two tone Lake Blue or Rock Red options. All of which keep the plain mudgards, aside from the snow or sleet choices.
“We imported Royal Enfield into the UK from 1999-2013, prior to becoming a franchised dealer, so we know the bikes inside out” explains Watsonian MD Ben Matthews. “Painting the mudguards, as well as the tank, really makes these specials stand out from the crowd. And if you want a sidecar to match, we can help with that too!”
The Royal Enfield Himalayans with the special edition Watsonian colour options cost £4,895, including a full manufacturer warranty. So not much more than the standard bike (£4,399 to £4,499 depending on colours), and the grille and handguards are worthwhile additions anyway.
Ultimately whether or not you fancy one will depending on personal taste, but it’s always interesting when any manufacturer or dealer starts trying something a bit different.
You can order via the Watsonian website, or check out our previous Royal Enfield news and coverage (or our previous articles on Watsonian sidecars). Or take a look at the range of Royal Enfields currently up for sale secondhand on eBay to start customising your own example.
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