Royal Enfield holds the credit for giving us the first proper affordable adventure tourer bike (not counting the Hero Impulse here). The Himalayan was a step away from the typical Royal Enfield theme and showcased the company’s vision. However, for many hardcore off-road riders or heavy tourers, the Himalayan felt a bit short on expectations. nonetheless, it was a pretty wild bike in its own right. To counter this issue, Bulleteer Customs, who in past have made several noteworthy RE based mods, have made a wilder version of the Himalayan to suit the needs of extreme travellers and off-road junkies.
It has been christened as Wilder. According to the guys at Bulleteer Customs, the decision to name this bike as Wilder was quite simple yet logical. Simply put, the Wilder is a more extreme and wild version of the RE Himalayan and hence the name. It was made on the special demand of a client who is a huge fan of Motocross bikes and wanted his custom Himalayan to be more purpose built for rough terrain while keeping the same ride height as the Himalayan. Let’s now move on and get to know all the changes made on this wild-wild bike.
Starting from the front, the golden USD fork catches the eyes first and is actually a custom unit. Following it down we find the Wilder sporting a 110 mm off-road spec knobby front tyre along with disk brake. The rear tire is a 140 mm off-road spec unit shod onto a custom 18 inch rim. The front sports a custom headlight assembly with grill and is a LED unit. The instrument console has been kept stock but has been re-clamped to blend with the overall theme of the bike. Both the front and rear fenders are motocross inspired unit and are designed in a unique way to lend further character to the bike. The saddle is again a custom unit with a rear carrier grill and an option to add the stock rear seat according to need.
Then there is a custom racing number plate on the bike which fits snuggly into the design. The rear tail light duties are done by a LED strip that has been placed so as to make it look very attractive. The standard Jerry can holder of the Himalayan too has been customised along with being strengthened to serve as a tough crash guard. Also, it can still carry a Jerry can of petrol if needed. The engine has been mildly tweaked to give the bike that extra bite during crucial times.
Any custom mod job of a Royal Enfield bike is not complete without a set of custom exhaust and this bike is no different. The Wilder has been equipped with a high mounted custom exhaust which comes with heat wraps. This further enhances the off-road and water wading capabilities of the bike. However, one of the chief elements which define the Wilder is its energetic Military green paint job which speaks of adventure and the wild outdoors. The rest of the chassis and engine is blacked out including the wheels except the spokes which are done in chrome to add further appeal to the bike.
The total time taken to build this time is approximately 2 months and the level of detailing and work done on the bikes speaks volumes about the work done on the bike. As for cost, it depends upon the client and particular models. The Wilder here in pictures took near about a lakh rupees to get completed and the price is again justified by the final outcome. Hats off to the team at Bulleteer Customs for this marvellous piece of work.