Himalayan Skid Plate Replacement

Wanted a better skid plate for off road riding

I decided to get a new skid plate for the Royal Enfield Himalayan. Lots of my riding is done on rougher terrain than just street and I wanted the added protection. Ended up going with a skid plate from Happy Trails with the added oil cooler guard. The Himalayan skid plate replacement went pretty well.

The Specifications

These specifications are taken straight from the Happy Trails website for this Himalayan skid plate:

A quality skid plate is a must-have item for serious off road riding. Yet the Himalayan stock aluminum skid plate does not protect the engine from large debris and direct contact with rocks and logs, part of every back country adventure. Our Happy Trails skid plate improves upon a basic proven skid plate design that we have been offering for over a decade. The plate is hand-bent, fitted, and welded at our factory in Boise, Idaho.

Features: Custom fitted for the Himalayan using adventure proven 1/8″ aluminum Base Plate mounting for easy & secure attachment Drain plug opening for quick and easy oil changes, while providing protection from rocks and other drain plug shearing debris Compatible with OEM centerstand. Color: Bare Aluminum

You will receive: 1 Skid Plate, mounting kit and instructions.

Dimensions: 16″ W x 7″ H x 14″ L

Weight: 6.2 lbs w/ hardware

The Install

The install of the Himalayan skid plate replacement wasn’t too bad, and I did it along with the oil cooler guard. This Happy Trials Himalayan skid plate fits with the center stand I have, which is good. I followed the instructions that came with everything and the install took about 90 minutes, start to finish. Had to bend the front plate a bit.

Removing the factory skid plate was pretty quick and easy. Putting the bash plate back on wasn’t too bad either. I ended up removing the stock EVAP all together.

When it came to the front skid plate, I had some issues with the overall fit of it. My right boot was hitting it sometimes while using the brake. However, with some minor bending, it now fits better and has more clearance for my boots on the brake.

Stock skid plate

Happy Trails bash plate

Happy Trails skid plate

Removing the factory skid plate was pretty quick and easy. Putting the bash plate back on wasn’t too bad either. I ended up removing the stock EVAP all together.

When it came to the front skid plate, I had some issues with the overall fit of it. My boot was hitting it, which then made my foot hit the brake on the bike. However, with some minor bending, it now fits better and has more clearance for my boots on the brake.

The Bending

I ended up using a crescent wrench to do the bending of the new skid plate.

Himalayan Skid Plate Replacement Complete

I think the new skip plate looks great and will definitely do the job.