Which Motorcycle Manufacturer Runs The Cleanest Assembly Line?

It may not be who you think.

07:30

Janaki Jitchotvisut

By: Janaki Jitchotvisut

Mar 15, 2021 at 11:54am ET

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Having a clean manufacturing process is important, particularly when you’re building something finicky like an engine. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a motorcycle, car, or otherwise, and it’s also why changing your engine oil regularly is so important. Engine oil traps unwanted particulates, and changing that oil at recommended intervals keeps them from wreaking havoc on the inside of your engine.

Let's say that you’re a motorcycle YouTube outfit like FortNine. If an anonymous automotive manufacturer that specializes in particulate testing of engine oils offers its services to you, what do you do? That’s way too good an opportunity to pass up, right? So, F9 solicited first-oil-change samples from a bunch of volunteers with shiny, new motorcycles from a variety of makes. AnonyLab™ then tested all those samples for particulate matter—and one result may genuinely surprise you.

To be absolutely clear here, the automotive lab in question doesn’t wish to be identified. However, Ryan F9 notes one important thing: This lab is independent of all motorcycle OEMs and is not affiliated with them in any way. With that in mind, Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Yin Xiang fared so poorly in particulate testing that it broke the testing equipment. Also toward the bottom were Aprilia and Ducati, although neither was anywhere near as bad as Yin Xiang.

Harley-Davidson wasn’t great, particulates-wise, but it was still within the realm of acceptability. Higher up the scale were Triumph, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, and Kawasaki. As national manufacturing stereotypes go, KTM and BMW were unsurprisingly both close to the top. However, neither was number one. Impressively, the very top slot went to … Royal Enfield?!

What do you think?

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Historically, Enfield hasn’t had the greatest reputation for reliability in the world. While F9 is the first to say that this test used an incredibly small sample size—just one bike each from a scant handful of manufacturers—it's still a clear indicator that Enfield is taking its modern production process very seriously. That’s great news for Enfield fans, for sure.

It’s worth noting that several OEMs aren’t present in this roundup. That includes Indian, QJ Motors, and Ural, just to name a few. However, while it’s by no means a complete list, that Royal Enfield result is probably something the company should be proud of. In 2021, the company appears to be striking a balance between approachability, affordability, and solid build quality. What more do you want from any bike, really?