Royal Enfield off-road collection review

It is every biker's holy grail to do the Ladakh circuit on a bike and I had a wonderful opportunity to check it off my bucket list with the Himalayan Odyssey 2025. An adventure of a lifetime with 70 odd rider who begin as strangers and leave each other's company as brothers. And Ladakh is not a picnic, it presents challenges galore to deal with.

For starters, as you climb up the altitude, you are face-to-face with less than smooth tarmac, off-road surface, broke tarmac, B-roads, trails, river crossings, gravel, mud, muck, slush and what not. All of these need to be haggled with while you are also dealing with rains, snowfall, cold winds, and lets just say less than favorable weather conditions.

And I had a ball of a time riding the Royal Enfield Himalayan that negotiated with whatever that was thrown at it during the entire journey. And Royal Enfield was kind enough to give me some cool riding gear to help me survive the tough terrain. And here is what I think of it.

Helmet - Royal Enfield Optimus Dual Sport 
The helmet gets a two-tone black and mustard yellow colour which matches with the Himalayan. The helmet is ISI and DOT certified. It is has a motocross model with high ventilation, a removal and adjustable peak and  inner liner is made of lycra fabric along with polygiene treated fully removal and washable inner fabric that inhibits the growth of odour causing bacteria. It gets a double D-ring lock, nose protector and wind deflector to prevent fogging. I had an amazing time riding with this helmet, it did not leave a room for complaint.

Gloves - MX Pro Gloves
The MX Pro gloves gets TPR finger and knuckle protectors, TPU sliders for palm and the grip is of microsuede material. It is finger touch sensitive and is L1-KP certified. The gloves are available in three colours and I had the Olive Green shade that looks a little rugged and its my favourite shade. The only problem here is that they get wet if it rains or snows. And if it gets cold, the fingers will suffer, especially while you are riding in cold territory. These gloves do a great job if you riding in optimal weather conditions. A place like Ladakh could use some rain protection along with thicker material to deal with the cold.

Jacket - Gravel Jacket
The jacket has CE level 2 protection for shoulder and elbow along with back protection as well. It also gets stretch fabric panels inside arms and neoprene fabric at the neck binding. The jacket uses Ribtex bonded fabric and polyester mesh. It terms of utility, the jacket gets 1 chest pocket, 2 front and 1 back pocket along with a neck brace attachment loop. The same problem with the gloves seep into the jacket as well and it continues with the trouser too, if it rains or snows, the jacket won't protect you from that. It will get wet and for the price it retails at, I was expecting a rain liner atleast, which was not present. The jacket looks good and will protect you from most of the falls that can be encountered while city, adventure and trail riding. It is the weather where the jacket will leave you with some complaints.

Trouser - Gravel Trouser
The trouser provides level-2 protection for knee and hip, it uses polyester mesh and accordion panel on the knees for stretch. It uses anti-tear fabric at crotch gusset and scuba fabric at the back for stretch and comfort. In terms of utility, there is adjuster tab with Velcro at waist and bottom hem, reflective prints for visibility, and pant connector with zipper. The trouser feels comfortable without creating an itch or irritation during long rides. It looks good too, and the only pain point is that, it gets wet if it rains or snows. Also, there is very little protection against cold winds. The trouser does a great job during city, trail and adventure riding, but it may leave you wanting for more when in cold region.