On February 27, 2023, Royal Enfield notified the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that 4,891 Himalayan units produced between March 1, 2017, and February 28, 2021, could experience poor braking performance or a loss of braking altogether. The issue concerns the calipers utilized by the Indian OEM, which could corrode when exposed to heavy quantities of salt used to clear roads during the winter months.
Unless the owner thoroughly cleans the calipers after each exposure, the corrosive damage could lead to malfunctions such as brake dragging. In addition to increased brake noise, Royal Enfield notes that users should heed warning signs like “unusual odor/burning smell near the calipers, a drag feeling when attempting to accelerate, or unusual difficulty in pushing the motorcycle manually.”
After running a joint analysis with Bosch and Brembo, the team concluded that replacing the OE calipers with anodized units would address the corrosion issues. To remedy the situation, Royal Enfield will replace the front and rear brake calipers on all eligible Himalayan units, free of charge. While the company recently notified the NHTSA and its nationwide dealers, customer recall notices already started going out the week of February 6, 2023.
Owners of 2017-2021 Himalayans with questions are encouraged to contact Royal Enfield's customer service at 1-866-600-1122 (recall number: SC-28). Alternatively, owners can also contact the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or visit www.nhtsa.gov for additional information.
Royal Enfield has yet to set a timeline for carrying out the recall work, but we’re hopeful that all Himalayan riders will be ready to roll once the spring weather returns.
