After a series of leaks, some rumors, and a whole lot of waiting for Royal Enfield customers it turned out that the 650s were not getting the alloy wheels as option. Now the retro bike maker has finally brought the option of alloy wheels as factory accessories for its Classic and the Thunderbird series of retro motorcycles. The prices for these accessories start at Rs. 10,000 and are available for purchase from your local Royal Enfield dealerships and service centers all over the country.
So far, the retro bike maker only offered its Thunderbird 350X and 500X models with alloy wheels. However, now Royal Enfield has brought the option of alloys for its Classic and entire Thunderbird range. The company’s website states that the 9-spoke machined alloy wheels for Classic and Thunderbird series of bikes only take 105 minutes to be fitted. The customers need not worry about any other expenses as the new alloy wheels have been designed in such a manner that the other parts of the wheel fit in directly without any fuss. As far as the durability of the wheels is concerned, the brand is providing the customers with a 2-year warranty for any kind of damage against the wheels. The bikes that these wheels fit into are Classic 350, Classic 500, Thunderbird 350, Thunderbird 500, Thunderbird 350X, and Thunderbird 500X. As of now the wheels are available only in a single black color and carry a different look than the alloy wheels offered with the Royal Enfield Thunderbird X models in the market.
As of now, there is no news whether the brand will provide any kind of discount or exchange rebate for customers for trading in their old spoke or alloy wheels for the new machined alloy wheels introduced by the retro bike maker. As already stated, the new machined alloys are the same size as the current wheels on bikes and there will be no additional expense in installing them as the tyres too will fit the new machined alloys perfectly. In the coming times, the brand will also begin offering the same kind of alloy wheels for their twin cylinder Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 bikes as well, as the two bikes are currently offered only with only spoked wheels.
As of now, a lot of customers choose the aftermarket path when it comes to installing alloy wheels on their RE bikes in India. The reason why aftermarket alloys are so popular is that they offer the convenience of installing tubeless tyres in them. This in turn makes the bikes safer as tubeless tyres deflate gradually and over a longer distance. This also adds convenience for the bikers as tubeless tyres are easier to repair. However, now that the brands have introduced their own line of wheels, they will be a safer option for RE bikers as the quality of aftermarket alloy wheels remained shoddy.
While the company fits their bikes with spoked rims because of the rough-and-tough nature of these rims, as they can take a lot of abuse on the most challenging of the paths. Looking at the mass-trend of modification of Royal Enfield bikes in the country, the company too is eyeing the segment in the market. Seeing that most of the owners prepare for modifications even before buying their first Royal Enfield, and many others turning the aftermarket route for modifications. The company has now decided to offer and online configuration tool for their entire line-up.