Minor Modification On Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Causes Massive Crash, Broken Bones [Video]

Although illegal, modifications are quite common on bikes and cars in India. In most cases, people opt for cosmetic upgrades to change the overall look of their vehicles. However, some go for performance upgrades to improve their vehicle's capabilities. Sometimes, though, these modifications do more harm than good and often become a cause of accidents. Here, we have one such incident where a minor modification on a Royal Enfield led to a massive crash, causing the rider to break his bones.

The video has been shared by Abhinav Bhatt on his YouTube channel. The vlogger was riding his Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. He had bought the bike soon after its launch and, since then, had made several modifications to make it more off-road worthy. He is one of those riders who explore off-road trails, modifying his bike to suit the purpose.

The exact list of modifications on his motorcycle is not mentioned in the video. When he starts riding, he mentions that he had not ridden the bike in months. On the day the video was shot, he was exploring trails with his friends. He was extremely happy with the bike's performance and could feel the impact of all the modifications he had made.

The bike felt more lively on the trails and was more fun to ride compared to the stock version. It is unclear whether he had switched the sprocket for better torque on the trails or if he was using the stock setup.

The biker overtakes one of his friends on the trail and continues riding. After covering a few kilometers, he encountered an extremely bumpy surface. At this spot, there was a large hole that he failed to see. The bike's front wheel got caught in the hole, but he managed to bring the bike out without falling.

He mentions that the front wheel of the bike locked up, and he was confused because he had not applied the brakes. He thought he might have accidentally pressed the rear brakes, causing the bike to stall.

After getting the bike out of the rough surface, he stopped to check if he had hit the pothole too hard or if the wheel had bent on impact. The wheel looked fine, with no visible bends, but unfortunately, he failed to inspect it closely.

After confirming that the front wheel was not bent, he got back on the bike and continued riding. Feeling confident and impressed with the bike’s performance, he started pushing it harder. However, just a few meters after resuming, he lost balance, and the bike fell. He was thrown off and was unable to move for several minutes.

About ten minutes after the fall, one of his fellow riders passing through the stretch stopped to check on him. He then went to call the other riders. They returned with help and later took the injured rider to the hospital. They had been riding in an area with no network coverage, making the situation more challenging. Eventually, one of his friends arrived in a Mahindra Bolero, picked him up, and took him to the hospital. The rider suffered fractures in his wrist, elbow, and shoulder due to the crash.

How did this happen?

While modifying the bike, the rider had cut the front fender. The brake line was not zip-tied to the forks, and when he rode the bike too hard on the trails, the brake line snapped and got caught in the wheel. He did not realize this because he never inspected the wheel closely. Had he done so, this accident could have been easily avoided.

This video serves as a strong reminder of why one must be cautious while modifying a bike or car. The rider admits his mistake in the video and advises others not to repeat it. Thankfully, he was wearing proper riding gear, which protected him from head injuries.