I did not intentionally time things this way. Shortly after I published a glowing review of the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Mana Black, its manufacturer has announced a very intriguing financing option on said bike.
Royal Enfield is offering the Himalayan 450 on a so-called “50/50 Advance Payment Plan” at 0-percent APR. The idea is that you pay 50-percent of the cost now, and 50-percent of the cost in 24 months. With no payments in between.
So, for a base Himalayan 450 with handguards (for some inexplicable reason, Royal Enfield will only offer this deal if you get handguards), you’re looking at an on-the-road price of £5,839. Half that is £2,919.50. Walk into your nearest Royal Enfield dealership and they’ll hand you the keys for that amount, as long as you promise to return in January 2028 with the other £2,919.50. No interest. No monthly payments.
Actually, if I’m reading Royal Enfield’s media release correctly, you don’t even have to make the second payment. If the bike’s in good condition, has been regularly serviced at a dealership, and doesn’t have more than 8,000 miles on the clock (4,000 milers per annum), you can just hand the bike back and walk away.
The same deal applies to the Bear 650, Classic 650, Super Meteor 650, and Shotgun 650 (although, obviously, the specific amounts you pay are different).
Two bikes offered with zero deposit
What if you don’t have half the cost of a given bike? Well, to be honest, you probably shouldn’t be looking to buy a new motorcycle right now because you’ll inevitably end up being in over your head. Or, you could ignore my advice and take advantage of Royal Enfield’s 0-percent APR and zero deposit deal.
This one applies only to the Shotgun 650 and Super Meteor 650 models.
You can choose to do this via PCP (personal contract purchase) financing, which is a very bad idea, or HP (hire purchase), which is a little less bad – especially if you’re getting it at 0-percent interest. Although, the monthly payment on an HP-financed bike is going to be markedly higher.
The on the road price of a Super Meteor 650, for example, is £6,949. I wouldn’t expect that Royal Enfield would be willing to let you drag out a 0-percent HP deal for very long, so let’s say it’s 24 months. That works out to £289.50 a month. If you don’t presently have any money for a deposit, I’m going to question your ability to come up with almost £290 a month for the next two years.
Stuff you should avoid
The two 0-percent APR deals are part of Royal Enfield’s larger “Winter Reward” campaign, which runs until 31 March 2026. There are a number of other “deals” being offered, but they are markedly less attractive. Like 9.9-percent APR financing for a Classic 350.
No. For the love of God, man. Do not do that.
I have said and will say a million times that using finance to buy a motorcycle is a generally bad idea. But I’m mentioning the 0-percent deals because I have also often given the caveat that it might not be as bad an idea if you can get 0-percent financing.
Indeed, I’m sure that some slick sales person would tell you that something like the 50/50 Advance Payment Plan is particularly brilliant if you take into account the effect of inflation. That is, if you “purchase” a Himalayan 450 today at an agreed price of £5,839, it is almost certain that when you finish purchasing the bike in 2028, the pound will be a few percentage points weaker and the asking price of a new Himalayan 450 will be higher. Why, golly: you can’t afford not to buy a new Himalayan 450!
I’ll admit that if I weren’t on the lenders’ naughty list, I’d probably be very tempted by the 50/50 deal, in particular. But I’d like to think that I’d still turn it down. The problem with financing is that you commit your future self to paying for your present actions.
So, if you divide the £2,919.50 that’s needed for the second payment by 24, that works out to £121.64 per month. Sure, Royal Enfield’s not asking for monthly payments, but the smart person is setting that amount away – possibly in a savings account – to avoid heartbreak/shock when payment comes due in 2028.
You may have £121.64 a month spare at the moment, but two years from now AI may have taken your job. And believe me, that sort of thing happens.
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