Are you in the market for a new motorcycle, but you’re stuck thinking which is better, Royal Enfield or Harley-Davidson? If yes, then this blog is just the right place to be.
Royal Enfield offers smaller, lighter, and more affordable motorcycles, often designed for urban and adventure riding, while Harley-Davidson focuses on larger, powerful cruiser and touring bikes with iconic American styling. Royal Enfield appeals to newer and budget-conscious riders, while Harley-Davidson caters to those seeking a traditional cruiser experience.
In this article, you will get to know all about Royal Enfield vs. Harley-Davidson, the history of the two brands, the best bikes of the two brands, who is Royal Enfield appropriate for, who is Harley-Davidson appropriate for, and a lot more. Stick around to get all the answers that you’re looking for.
Royal Enfield vs. Harley-Davidson – Battle of the Motorcycle Brands
Harley-Davidson and Royal Enfield are two of the most popular motorcycle brands in the world. Even though they are very similar, they also happen to be two leading motorcycle companies on the market. They offer similar motorcycle types, which makes it tough to tell the differences between them. The truth is, there are a few major differences between the two brands.
The main difference between Royal Enfield and Harley-Davidson bikes is that Harley-Davidson offers a lot more expensive bikes at a much more expensive price and better quality with better hardware and performance. On the other hand, Royal Enfield bikes are cheaper, require less maintenance, are easy to repair, and are more lightweight.Â
It is clear that Harley-Davidson is a better brand than Royal Enfield. Harley-Davidson has fans all around the world, which makes it very popular, and it creates a big gap between Harley-Davidson and Royal Enfield. This fact contradicts the argument that the two brands are very similar. The truth is that Harley-Davidson is a lot more reliable brand than Royal Enfield. Harley-Davidson produces bikes all around the world and has a lot more experience than Royal Enfield.
However, Royal Enfield is much more popular in some Asian countries, especially India. Harley-Davidson bikes will be a great choice for bikers who are willing to pay the high amount, but Royal Enfield will be better suited to people who want to save money and still want to purchase a bike similar to Harley-Davidson.
Royal Enfield vs. Harley-Davidson – History
Harley-Davidson and Royal Enfield are storied brands, and as it turns out, they are about the same age. While the former is an American brand, the latter is an Indian motorcycle giant, and they both have beginnings from around the turn of the 20th century.Â
Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903 by William S. Harley and the three Davidson brothers (Walter, William, and Arthur). It was William S. Harley who actually came up with the idea for the iconic motorcycle brand.Â
Interestingly, Royal Enfield was formed 10 years earlier in 1893, under the original name “Enfield Manufacturing”. The company was founded by Albert Eadie and Robert Walker Smith, it created its first bike by fitting a Minerva engine on a regular old bicycle.
Both of these brands have gone on to have incredible success, supplying the Allies with motorcycles during the First and Second World Wars, and even becoming motorcycle icons around the world.
Royal Enfield vs. Harley-Davidson – Diverse Motorcycle Options
Enough about the history of the two brands, time to know about what motorcycles you will find in the two brands today. Royal Enfield and Harley-Davidson offer a diverse selection of motorcycles that bikers of different experience levels can go for.
Royal Enfield currently has four different model companies for its bikes – Meteor, Continental GT, Himalayan, and INT650. Respectively, these bikes are a cruiser, a cafĂ© racer, an adventure touring bike, and a retro-style roadster.Â
Meanwhile, Harley-Davidson offers a vast lineup with the above types of bikes, as well as many others. The popular model families include Road Glide (Touring), Iron (Street), LiveWire (Electric), and Pan America (Adventure Touring) bikes.
Recently, Royal Enfield has moved ahead and sold more bikes globally in comparison to Harley-Davidson. The brand is betting its stylish, low-cost motorcycles have a broad appeal in markets traditionally dominated by the historic American brand.Â
Who is Harley-Davidson Appropriate for?
Harley-Davidson is an iconic American motorcycle brand, founded in 1903 by William S. Harley and the three Davidson brothers. The truth is, Harley-Davidson is among the most popular and iconic motorcycle brands in the world. There is a lot of opinion and controversy surrounding Harley-Davidson. There is also a lot of comparison between Harley-Davidson and other brands.Â
The majority of motorcycle enthusiasts feel that Harley-Davidson is the best motorcycle manufacturer in the world. The brand has many factories in plenty of states, including Pennsylvania, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Missouri, Brazil, India, and more.
If you’re comparing Royal Enfield to Harley-Davidson, you must know that Harley-Davidson will win more often than not. Regarding cost, Harley-Davidson costs much more than Royal Enfield bikes, but it is because of the difference in quality.
The cheapest Harley-Davidson bikes sell for around $7600 while the higher models can cost as much as $30,000. This is quite costly, especially when you’re yet to add the cost of maintenance and repairs. Moreover, you will need to make expensive repairs with time. All these factors make Harley-Davidson bikes the more expensive option on the market.
One particular drawback with Harley-Davidson bikes is that they are much heavier compared to Royal Enfield bikes. In terms of features and performance, Harley-Davidson also adds some components inside their bikes, making their models heavier. Bikers who do not mind spending big and are fine with riding heavy bikes as long as they are getting ample power and throttle will find that Harley-Davidson bikes are appropriate for them.
In return for the expensive price of the bikes, you will receive incredible design and material quality, advanced technology, comfort when riding, a more powerful engine, and better performance.
Who is Royal Enfield Appropriate for?
Royal Enfield is a brand that was established in 1893, but the truth is, initially, it didn’t actually include motorcycles but lawnmowers, bicycles, and other things not related to motorcycles. In 1901, Albert Eddy and Robert Walker built their very first motorcycle.
Royal Enfield isn’t that popular around the world, unlike Harley-Davidson, which is a lot more popular. However, Royal Enfield is much more developed and prevalent in countries like India, African countries, and places where the economy is weak.
In addition to Royal Enfield, they have many other models that are marketed all over the world. This means that Royal Enfield customers don’t have many choices to make. On the other hand, Harley-Davidson customers have dozens of models to choose from.
Royal Enfield offers cheap motorcycles that give you reasonable performance that you’ll be able to enjoy while riding. However, it still cannot compare to Harley-Davidson. Harley-Davidson surpasses most performance factors when compared to Royal Enfield. However, Royal Enfield bikes have great features too, and they are very lightweight.
Royal Enfield bikes are pretty cheap too, which means you won’t need to worry about maintenance and even repair. The parts are quite cheap as well. This is why Royal Enfield is considered to be a slightly inferior brand compared to Harley-Davidson. If you don’t have a huge budget, and you still want a powerful bike with decent features, Royal Enfield bikes are appropriate for you.Â
FAQs
Which is more expensive between Harley-Davidson and Royal Enfield bikes?
Harley-Davidson bikes are more expensive compared to Royal Enfield bikes. The former has bikes that manage to reach prices of more than $30,000. The truth is, there are other brands that offer bikes at expensive prices that go above $30,000. However, one particular disadvantage of Harley-Davidson bikes is that their average price is over $10,000, which is considered to be quite high.
In contrast, Royal Enfield bikes are much less expensive. However, the difference in price point is due to the fact that they are low quality and don’t offer as impressive performance compared to Harley-Davidson bikes.
Which brand requires more maintenance, Harley-Davidson or Royal Enfield?
Harley-Davidson bikes require a great deal of maintenance compared to Royal Enfield bikes. An average Harley-Davidson bike will cost you an average of $2,500 for maintenance. At 2,500 miles, you will have to spend $250 on maintenance. The more expensive your bike is, the more expensive it will be to maintain.
In contrast, Royal Enfield bikes, on average, will cost you around $2,000 per 3,500 km. The truth is, it can cost you much cheaper prices, but it will depend on which model of bike you’ve got and how many miles you’re riding it each year. Regardless of the price you’ve purchased your bike at, you can save a lot of money on maintenance compared to the same types of Harley-Davidson bikes.
Which brand costs more for repairs, between Harley-Davidson and Royal Enfield?
Royal Enfield bikes are very cheap in terms of repairs, as the motorcycle models aren’t made of high-quality materials like Harley-Davidson. However, that isn’t to say Royal Enfield bikes aren’t high-quality. These bikes are made from some of the highest-quality materials in the world, but not on the same level as Harley-Davidson.
Harley-Davidson bikes will cost you much more money for repairs, and this is because these bikes are heavier compared to Royal Enfield bikes. It means that if you accidentally drop your Harley-Davidson bike, the cost of repair will be significantly higher.
Which brand has heavier motorcycles between Harley-Davidson and Royal Enfield?
Harley-Davidson bikes weigh a lot more than Royal Enfield bikes. This is the case because of the high performance that Harley-Davidson has, and the weight of its parts, transmission, and engine. The bigger the engine, transmission, and other parts, the much heavier the motorcycle will be. This is why Harley-Davidson bikes are heavier and more powerful than the Royal Enfield counterparts.
Which bikes perform better between Harley-Davidson and Royal Enfield?
Harley-Davidson motorcycles are a lot better in terms of power and performance compared to Royal Enfield motorcycles. The former is much better in every aspect – quality, speed, beauty, and power. So, it is important to take that into account.
Harley-Davidson bikes are more stylish and beautiful and have a higher quality compared to Royal Enfield bikes. It isn’t just the beauty, but there is also a massive difference in terms of the hardware, quality, and durability. The truth is, Harley-Davidson produces the most beautiful bikes with premium performance in the world. Moreover, even the bikers feel that Harley-Davidson is the superior brand.