Royal Enfield is India’s most reliable two-wheeler brand, says J.D. Power study

The J.D. Power 2025 India Two-Wheeler Initial Quality StudySM (2WIQS) released on March 5 has revealed that Royal Enfield is India’s most reliable two-wheeler brand in terms of quality. The study by J.D. Power ranked Royal Enfield the highest in the overall two-wheeler initial quality study, and it also included a list of all the highest-ranking models in various two-wheeler segments in terms of quality. This included scooters and motorcycles such as the TVS Jupiter, the Honda Dio 125, the TVS Radeon, the Hero Super Splendor and Honda Shine 125, the TVS Apache RTR 160 2V and the Bajaj Chetak.

Coming back to Royal Enfield’s performance in the study, the Indian two-wheeler brand got a score of 68 PP100. In recent years, the company has made rapid strides in terms of quality, be it with its ever-popular models like the Classic 350 and even its newer motorcycles based on the 650 twins platform such as the Super Meteor 650 and the Shotgun 650. It has also recently introduced the Classic 650, and there’s no doubt that this new motorcycle will also follow in the footsteps of its siblings when it comes to quality as well as performance and popularity.

How is the J.D. Power study conducted?

The J.D. Power study, redesigned for 2025, is conducted in collaboration with Differential, a strategic consulting and research firm from Singapore. It measures the problems experienced in eight problem categories for ICE-powered motorcycles in alphabetical order – namely brakes, connectivity, mobile app and navigation, engine, fit and finish, gauges and controls, lights and electricals, ride and handling, and transmission. For electric two-wheelers, the categories of engine and transmission are replaced by the categories of battery and charging, and pick-up and performance. The 2025 India Two-Wheeler Initial Quality Study (2WIQS) was based on responses from 6,503 new two-wheeler owners, including both internal combustion engine and electric powertrains, who purchased their vehicle from May to December 2024. The study was fielded from October 2024 to January 2025. Fieldwork was conducted through face-to-face surveys in 42 major cities in India covering 80 two-wheeler models from 12 brands. Brands included in the study are ranked according to the aggregate score of problems per 100 vehicles, with a lower score indicating a better quality vehicle.

As per the study by J.D. Power, two-wheeler customers in India ride their vehicles for longer and accumulate more kilometres on their vehicles – and as a result, they experience an increase in quality-related issues. As per the study, owners have an average increase of 9 problems per 100 vehicles (or 9 PP100) among customers who ridden their vehicles 2500km or more, as compared to owners who have ridden their vehicles 2500km or less in the first six months of ownership. The study also found that the sharpest increase in problems with higher usage is in the electric scooter segment, where customers faced nearly twice as many problems (98 PP100) than the other segments combined (53 PP100). Areas such as the brakes, lights, electricals, fit and finish were the most problematic ones among owners with higher-mileage vehicles in the e-scooter segment. Atsushi Kawahashi, senior director of J.D. Power Japan said, “Measuring new-vehicle quality in India is crucial for automakers aiming to enhance customer satisfaction and brand reputation.” Kawahashi added, “Leveraging these insights for proactive quality improvements can enhance resale value, lower warranty expenses and strengthen competitive positioning for India’s two-wheeler manufacturers.”