Oct 2011 - Royal Enfield

oyal enfield in argentina gear check keep riding 

october - december 2011 

www.royalenfield.com 

Rider Mania 2011 

Tour 

of Nepal 

Classic 

Chrome 

+ Tour Of Rajasthan 

+ Southern Odyssey 

marketing newsletter

kick start 

It is a great pleasure connecting up with all of you through 

The Beat magazine. When I came on board at Royal Enfield 

in the month of June 2011, I was welcomed here by a few of 

our dealer friends also on my first day itself. Yes, you all have 

guessed it right that they didn’t want me to be on an “absorption” 

mode even for the first few days. I think it was indeed a wonderful 

interaction on my day one to understand the customer voice also. 

I then also visited a few dealer outlets and met few customers to 

understand their expectations from Royal Enfield. 

The conclusion that I drew was, in order to enable our dealers 

and field team to face the market challenges and grow our business 

(numbers); the ‘Industry’ (manufacturing) team had to quickly 

come together and draw up an action plan on the product quality 

to retain our customer loyalty and maintain customer satisfaction. 

We launched the “CWQA” (Company Wide Quality Assurance) 

programme as a way forward. We formed 9 cross-functional teams 

who would address the current irritants and also implement the 

earmarked improvements in all our bikes as well as sub systems. 

I must say that they have by now made good progress in the 

implementation. 

We started off with the ‘painting and plating’ process consistency 

improvements, and then implemented the supplier base quality 

assurance structure and ‘mistake proofing’ the assembly defects. 

We also created benchmarks for these as against some of the best 

standards available worldwide. There is a momentum which has 

been set and it is heartening to see the improvements getting 

implemented in phases 

I am confident that that we as the ‘industry team’ would 

definitely support you all and ‘deliver the promise’ for you to go on 

full throttle. I shall catch up soon with more news from our front. 

Until then, Keep Riding. 

Warm Regards 

B Govindarajan 

Sr. Vice President (Industry) 

If you would like to contribute to The BEAT email us at schavan@royalenfield.com editorial team Shaji Koshy, Sachin Chavan, Praveen P Sathaye 

Cover photographs by Jaskirat Singh 

2

upcoming rides 

Royal Enfield Southern Odyssey 2011 

If you like to ride steep 

gradients, catch a 

glimpse of exotic 

locales, wild elephants, 

bison and deer, get deep into 

jungles and feel the sea breeze 

on your face as you cruise 

along the coast, this is the ride 

for you. On this trip, water 

comes in two flavours, fresh 

and salt. 

The Royal Enfield Southern 

Odyssey 2011 kicks off with 

a visit to the birthplace of 

your motorcycle — the Royal 

Enfield factory in Chennai 

and also gives you the chance 

to undergo a riding training 

session on the MMSC race 

track with guidance from 

some of our most experienced 

factory riders. 

The placid backwaters of 

Kerala, the scenic coastlines of 

Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, 

not to forget Kanyakumari, 

the southernmost tip of the 

Indian sub-continent; all 

these are included in the 

itinerary of the Royal Enfield 

Southern Odyssey. Also, on 

this ride the cavalcade of Royal 

Enfield motorcycles will pass 

through the major tea, coffee 

and spice plantations of South 

India wher you shall also get 

a chance to stay over at a tea 

estate and experience the life 

in the hills. 

The Southern Odyssey gives 

you a chance to experience 

your Royal Enfield over these 

magical roads. Rediscover the 

South, rediscover yourself. 

The 

itinerary 

Dec 11 – Dec 23 2011 

Chennai • Karaikal 

• Rameshwaram • Kaniyakumari 

• Kottayam 

• Thekkadi • Kodaikanal 

• Munnar • Valparai 

• Ooty • Madikeri 

• Bangalore 

3

UPCOMING RIDES 

Royal Enfield Tour of Rajasthan 2012 

The Royal Enfield 

Tour of Rajasthan 

is a ride far off 

the beaten track 

that provides you with a 

unique riding experience 

full of challenges, the fun 

and adventure of discovering 

Rajasthan on your Royal 

Enfield. The Tour of Rajasthan 

promises to test your grit and 

build your talent on the famed 

deserts. Commencing from 

Jaipur on 6th of February 

2012, this ride is guaranteed 

be an experience that all riders 

would treasure for life. 

The riders will get to pay 

homage to the Bullet Baba (Om 

Banna) - a temple devoted to a 

Royal Enfield Bullet, will ride 

over some of the best tarmac 

in the country and will pass 

through the famous border 

road along the battlefields of 

the 1971 war—the waterloo of 

Pakistani tanks—where their 

Royal Enfield motorcycles will 

perhaps be the only civilian 

vehicles passing through. 

We have charted routes 

that very few people ever 

ride on with an exciting mix 

of desolate smooth roads 

that stretch straight into the 

horizon, rustic country roads 

with surprise sand patches and 

even more surprised villagers 

watching at the thundering 

riders in amazement. The 

route shall also traverse 

through some exciting hilly 

roads in the ancient Aravalli 

range, shifting sand dunes 

and even a dry salt lake. 

Delicious Rajasthani meals 

and breathtaking monuments 

are a treat at almost every stop. 

The remote routes that we 

shall ride on are often not even 

marked on any map—through 

the Tour of Rajasthan we are 

happy to present an elusive 

rider’s paradise that is rife with 

fun and adventure. 

Special emphasis is given on 

safety in every aspect of this 

ride especially given the tricky 

and difficult terrain. With 

medical and mechanical help 

available at hand, the riders 

are always within assistance 

range and Royal Enfield will 

have its experienced pilots 

guiding the riders to cope with 

the weather and the terrain. 

The 

itinerary 

Feb 6 – Feb 15 2012 

Jaipur • Mahansar • Bikaner 

• Jamba • Jaisalmer • 

Sam • Jodhpur • Kumbhalgarh 

• Ajmer • Jaipur 

4

NEWS 

Royal Enfield Launches 

the Classic Chrome and 

Desert Storm in India 

The style quotient of 

leisure bikes in India just went 

up a few more notches. Adding 

panache are two unique, new 

bikes from Royal Enfield—the 

Classic Chrome and the Desert 

Storm. With their distinctive styling, 

drop-dead gorgeous looks 

and a performance to match, 

both these bikes are poised to 

be trendsetters on the Indian 

roads. These motorcycles were 

unveiled at Mumbai on the 29th 

of September 2011 and appeared 

at the select showrooms and 

dealerships on the same day. 

The Classic Chrome recreates 

the magic of old school bikes 

while offering the best in class 

technology. With the design 

philosophy of showing ‘metal as 

metal’, a styling that suits the 

Royal Enfield Classic the best, 

the Classic Chrome retains the 

authentic styling with the unique 

chrome tanks, wide mud guards 

and oval tool box, apart from the 

distinguishing tiger lamps that 

Royal Enfield bikes are famed 

for. The sprung saddle seat, 

the unique tail lamp, the Royal 

Enfield emblems on the engine 

and even the typeface on the 

speedometer are all inspired by 

the original styling of the 1950’s. 

The stunning Chrome is accentuated 

by the artistic paintwork on 

the tank, crafted painstakingly 

by our artisans. Built of old-fashioned 

metal—in Royal Maroon or 

Black—the clean elegant lines of 

the Royal Enfield Classic Chrome 

is a tribute to the retro look of 

post-war British motorcycles. 

The Chrome sports a seat with 

a leather finish and adds to the 

visual appeal of the motorcycle. 

The Royal Enfield Desert 

Storm ignites the pride and 

excitement of the battlefield in 

the hearts of anyone who rides 

it. The Desert Storm draws 

inspiration from the World War II 

era, with its bold and macho sand 

colour scheme. The matt-finish 

paint job, with the Royal Enfield 

monogram on the tank and the 

thigh pads, portray the same 

strength and grit that of a true 

veteran. The Desert Storm is also 

equipped with all the technical 

features of the Classic Chrome 

like the wide mud guards, oval 

tool box, the signature Royal 

Enfield tiger lamps, sprung saddle 

and the unique tail lamp. Both 

the models come fitted with the 

500cc Twin Spark, unit construction 

engine and the 27.2 bhp 

power output is made available 

with the Electronic Fuel Injection 

system. 

Speaking on the occasion 

Mr Shaji Koshy, Senior Vice 

President, Sales & Marketing 

said, “Our customers have been 

demanding the ‘Chrome’ model 

of Royal Enfield for quite some 

time now. Both Classic Chrome 

and Desert Storm are meant to 

bring more thrills to the customer. 

With leisure riding catching up 

rapidly, both these bikes will 

offer a unique choice to biking 

enthusiasts.” 

Talking about the new bikes, 

Dr Venkatesh Padmanabhan, 

CEO, Royal Enfield said, “When 

we launched the Classic in 

November 2009, we had not 

imagined in our wildest dreams 

that this new product would 

occupy almost 40 per cent of our 

total sales within a year of its 

launch. During this time we have 

feverishly engaged ourselves in 

burnishing this gem. The fruits of 

this labour are now manifested 

in the Classic Chrome and Desert 

Storm.” 

Classic Chrome and Desert 

Storm, being limited edition products, 

would be available at select 

brand stores and dealerships 

across the country. Please check 

www.royalenfield.com for more 

details on these motorcycles. 

5

NEWS 

Independence Day 

ride, Mumbai 

On a slightly overcast day on 15th August 2011, 

over 500 enthusiasts got together to celebrate our 

Independence Day at Mumbai. When over 450 wrists 

gunned their throttles, the morning resonated with the 

roar of Royal Enfield motorcycles saluting the spirit 

of nationalism. Riding 50 kilometres through the city 

from Bandra to the Gateway of India and then back via 

Nariman point along the road adjoining the sea, the 

bikers carried with them a sense of fulfilment, ready for 

the future, living with in the present and in touch with 

their past. 

Ace cricketer 

on a ride 

The ace cricketer Jonty Rhodes 

was in Chennai recently and being 

a diehard Royal Enfield fan couldn’t 

help resist the temptation of riding 

one in the ‘hometown’ of the motorcycle. 

On 18th September, 2011 

he came to the Royal Enfield Brand 

Stores in Chennai and interacted 

with our staff and riders who had 

assembled for an impromptu ride. 

They rode together to Mahabalipuram 

for a quick breakfast 

and then rode back; Jonty on his 

favourite motorcycle—a teal green 

Classic 500—enjoyed the ride and 

the warm conversations he had 

with the people he rode with. He 

went back to his hotel later in the 

day promising to do more rides with 

fellow Royal Enfield fans and riders 

during his next visit to the city. 

Ayudh Puja at the 

Tiruvottiyur Plant 

Ayudh Puja is an integral part of the Navratri festival, a 

Hindu festival which is traditionally celebrated in India. 

It is also called ‘Astra Puja’, which means ‘Worship of 

Implements’. Like every year this year also Ayudh Puja was 

celebrated with much fervour at the factory in Chennai on 

4th October, 2011 where traditional drums and ceremonies 

marked the celebrations. The equipment and tools were 

worshipped as a mark of reverence and respect for craftsmanship 

and sweets were distributed amongst the staff 

members. The same was also celebrated across India at our 

workshops and dealerships also. 

6

NEWS 

Royal Enfield's Newest Facilities 

New dealerships were recently added to the ever 

growing Royal Enfield network. Some more additions 

to the service network were also in the form 

of new state of the art workshops at some of our 

established dealers. 

1. Abhyudaya Motor Services, Mysore 

2. Heaven on Earth, Manali, Himachal Pradesh 

3. JSN Motors, Surat, Gujarat 

4. KayTee Automobiles, New Delhi 

5. Voyage Motors, Mumbai Maharashtra 

6. Vrinda Automobiles, Solan, 

Himachal Pradesh 

7. NP Autos, Gandhidham, Gujarat 

1 

TOP 10 

Dealers 

JUL '11 - SEP '11 

Dhone Automobiles 

Pune 

H.S.R.Services 

Bangalore 

Soniya Motors Pvt. Limited 

Mumbai 

2 

3 

Shahila Expositions Pvt. Ltd. 

Guwahati 

Teknik Motors 

Bangalore 

Manmohan Auto Stores 

Chandigarh 

4 

5 

Sukhdev Automobiles 

Patiala 

Ess Aar Motors 

New Delhi 

East India Agro Industries P L 

Calcutta 

6 

7 

Lamba Enterprise Pvt. Ltd. 

New Delhi 

7

preview launch 

Desert Sojourn– 

The Serai Ride 

Text by D Ravikiran Photographs by Sachin Chavan 

We had finalized the 

plan for a preview 

launch of the Royal 

Enfield Desert Storm and 

Classic Chrome motorcycles. 

Inspired from the ‘sun’ and 

the ‘sand’ the idea was to 

allow the media to have their 

first sighting in exactly that 

environment. Obviously you 

can imagine that such an 

environment where the sun 

and the sand meet was not 

going to be very hospitable. In 

an effort to make a bit more 

enjoyable (for us as well) we 

finally narrowed down to a 

set of dunes near Jaisalmer 

with the team staying at a 

resort called “The Serai”, 

located 45kms from the town 

of Jaisalmer. Both the bikes 

and the Serai complimented 

each other to bring out the 

character of an era gone by. 

There were about 20 odd 

air conditioned tents with 

different levels of pampering 

including private swimming 

pools; each tent had its own 

sit-out, a super luxurious 

bathroom, and a butler at call! 

The place had no internet, 

television or phones, a little 

hard to adjust but perfect 

for a getaway to enjoy life 

disconnected from the rat race 

of life. 

About 40 kilometers from 

the Serai were the magnificent 

and secluded sand dunes; 

there were 2 roads to get 

there, a narrow tarmac road 

and scenic trail. The moment 

we reached there it was clear 

that the back road trail would 

be the daytime route and the 

tarmac route would be chosen 

to ride at failing light. 

Since the recce started 

before the bikes arrived 

we took a car and an older 

thunderbird to the spot. The 

cab driver (of course) refused 

to go off road to the dunes and 

Sachin did a solo ride to the 

dunes. Manish from our team 

had gone on the dunes the 

previous day so we had to rely 

on his description and Sachin’s 

sense of navigation to see that 

on D-day we get to the right 

spot. We wanted to park the 

bikes in such a way that the 

bikes would come into view 

only after the media crested 

over a certain set of dunes. 

This task however was easier 

said than done. We went back 

to the camp and came back 

in one of their Gypsys. These 

were open top, modified for 

use in forest vehicles and take 

visitors sightseeing. The driver 

approached the edge of the 

dunes, shifted into 4X4 mode 

and just let it rip. He was quite 

skillful in dicing around in the 

sand till we got to as far as the 

wheezing one-litre engine could 

take us. After that we set out on 

foot. Owing to the rains 2 days 

ago the sand had compacted, 

making it easy for us climb up 

with the one bike we had. 

The itinerary was planned 

in such a way that the media 

would arrive at the dunes 

before sunset when the light 

would be just right to expose 

the bikes. We of course were 

there much earlier. The trick 

was to get the bikes smack 

bang in the middle of the 

dunes without leaving any 

visible tracks; to make matters 

worse the helicopter refused 

to fly; just kidding, there was 

no helicopter in the plan to lift 

the bikes to the planned spot 

and we were just on our own. 

The smart solution we came 

up; hauling the bikes to the 

spot using sheer muscle power 

and using booms and gunny 

sacks to cover the tracks. 

We stopped the trucks 

carrying the motorcycles 

about a kilometer from the 

point of entry to the dunes. It 

was getting hot now with the 

rains gone long time and no 

sign of any cloud cover too. We 

started unloading the bikes 

riding each one of them and 

parking them. By 3 o’clock, 

(not the right combination of 

sun and sand that you want) 

we proceeded to the dunes 

taking 3 bikes (one of each 

colour) with us and rode them 

into the dunes. Riding them 

this time was much trickier 

than last as the sun had dried 

the sand, it wasn’t as compact 

as before but was much more 

loosely held giving us the real 

taste of the desert. We didn’t 

have the luxury of reducing 

the air pressure (a-la pseudo 

balloon tyres) as the bikes 

were later going to be ridden 

on the road soon after the 

unveiling. One bike made it 

through but the other 2 bikes 

took a lot of manpower along 

with horsepower. Wiping the 

tracks was now a secondary 

concern as catching our breath 

and finding shelter from the 

sun and the sand became the 

primary one. As we rested on 

the dunes we noticed the wind 

do our job by covering our 

tracks and we were more than 

happy to leave it at that. Some 

of the things that happened 

later can’t really be written 

about but it was fun for sure. 

8

motor show 

The Goodwood 

Festival 

More than 1,38,000 

motor sport 

enthusiasts and 

vintage fashion fans flocked to 

this year’s Goodwood Revival 

to take in the atmosphere at 

the world’s largest historic 

motor race meeting, that took 

place during September 14th 

to 16th 2011. The Revival 

is the world’s most popular 

historic motor race meeting 

and the only event of its 

kind to be staged entirely in 

the nostalgic time capsule 

of the 1940s, 50s and 60s 

that relives the glory days of 

Goodwood Motor Circuit. 

It is the biggest and best 

historic motor racing party of 

the year. Royal Enfield had a 

significant presence, with UK 

distributor Watsonian Squire 

(who celebrate their centenary 

in 2012) exhibiting the current 

range of all the models as well 

as some of the UK special 

editions conceptualised by 

them. 

On the track there was 

a tribute to the legendary 

Argentinean racing driver 

Juan Manuel Fangio—100 

years after this birth—with 

a grid of rare machines 

associated with his career, 

including three spectacular 

Mercedes-Benz racers, plus 

two Chevrolets bought over 

from Argentina specifically for 

the Revival. Goodwood also 

staged its largest ever Revival 

vehicle parade with 100 

British-built Fords lapping the 

circuit as this popular marque 

celebrated its centenary in 

the UK. In the skies the 75th 

anniversary of the Spitfire 

fighter aircraft was marked 

with a fitting and emotional 

tribute as 10 of these iconic 

machines flew over Goodwood. 

For motorcyclists the Barry 

Sheene Memorial Trophy 

race is a highlight, attracting 

top names riding classic 

machinery. Two-man teams 

compete over two races thus 

making for interesting viewing. 

Prizes are awarded not only to 

racers and machinery but also 

to spectators, including daily 

awards for the ‘best dressed’ 

male and female visitors, 

with finalists parading each 

afternoon on the Richmond 

Lawn car walk. Held at the 

historic Goodwood circuit, 

which was opened by Lord 

March in 1948 and hosted 

professionally-organised motor 

racing until 1966, the Revival 

celebrates that golden era of 

racing and the vast majority 

of spectators come dressed 

in the fashions of the period. 

The organisers even recreated 

a typical British street from 

the Sixties, complete with bus 

depot, supermarket (stocked 

with brands of the era), clothes 

shops and coffee bar (loved by 

rockers). 

The Royal Enfield 

motorcycles on display 

at this festival blended in 

with the period scenario 

with their classic styling, 

which gives them an aura of 

timelessness. The spectators 

also experienced a bit of 

historical heritage admiring 

the motorcycles, which harked 

back to the ‘G2’ Bullet of the 

early 1950’s. Royal Enfield’s 

newest models retain the 

British style that is inextricably 

linked to the world’s oldest 

motorcycle manufacturer. 

Watsonian Squire Sales 

Director Ben Matthews said at 

the occasion, “Goodwood is a 

fantastic event for us, because 

we get to show Royal Enfield 

to a whole new audience that 

is passionate about motor 

vehicles with a heritage. It 

is also the only time you are 

ever likely to see me wearing a 

blazer and cravat!” 

9

tour of nh 17 

Royal Enfield 

TOUR OF NH 17 - 2011 

Text by Praveen P Sathaye Photographs by Various Contributors 

The Rains – The Royal 

Enfield way’. These were the 

‘Romance 

words which attracted most of 

the riders to join the Royal Enfield Tour of 

NH 17, a ride from Mumbai to Goa albeit 

with a twist. Exploring roads lining some 

of the best beaches and cloud-laden misty 

hill stations is the primary highlight of this 

trip, not to forget the experience of riding 

through the Indian monsoon. 

This year the second edition of the Tour 

of NH 17 took off from Mumbai on the 14 

August, 2011 with 16 riders on 13 bikes. The 

flag-off from Navi Mumbai did consume 

some time but once the bikers were on the 

road it was no stopping till they reached 

Vadkal Naka to take their first break. Riding 

further from there they ventured into 

the interiors of Raigad and took a brief stop 

next to Srivardhan beach, eventually ending 

the day’s ride at the coastal village of 

Diveagar. The first sight of the sea at Srivardhan 

left many of us spellbound as we 

spent quite some time in company of the 

sea breeze and the sun playing hide and 

seek with the clouds with the calls of the 

seagull and sound of crashing waves for 

company. 

The next day 15 August, being the Indian 

Independence day saw us adorning our 

jackets, helmets and bikes with the tri-colour, 

a symbol of our patriotism and respect 

to the nation. After the national anthem 

and a short briefing we rode towards the 

highway and after cruising along for some 

time stopped over for a brief lunch at Poladpur. 

Getting off the highway at Poladpur it 

was time to climb the Western Ghats as we 

crossed Pratapgarh fort and ascending to 

A ride in the clouds 

10

First view of the Koyna Backwaters 

Great tarmac on the NH 17 

Watching over the west coast 

11

tour of nh 17 

Group at Flag off 

Waterfalls resplendent in glory 

Waterfalls along the road 

picturesque Mahabaleshwar, the strawberry 

county. Our destination for the day was 

Tapola, further ahead of Mahabaleshwar 

and as we rode ahead we encountered the 

rains. Descending into Tapola camp was 

quite a tricky bit but with two days of good 

riding practice behind us we all managed 

to reach the river camp—a small tented 

establishment located along the the Koyna 

backwaters. After settling down we all 

came down to the water and indulged in 

kayaking and boat rides across the lake. 

The relaxed evening and the water-sports 

definitely did their bit of rejuvenating our 

souls. 

12 

On 16th August we moved towards 

the Kaas plateau. Lack of 

road signs and the fact that we 

didn’t know the exact route had us roaming 

around for a while before we could finally 

find the correct path to Kaas. The 

small village road kept winding down the 

slopes occasionally passing through hamlets 

with children and fowl running across 

our paths till we reached Bamnoli and 

started our climb onto the famed plateau of 

flowers. The plateau was awash with mist 

and visibility had dropped drastically. After 

a break at the plateau we rode further 

ahead towards Satara. It was here that we 

met two riders Hemal and Pankaj from 

the Royal Enfield club in Satara who had 

ridden out to meet us. They helped us get 

back to the highway through a shortcut and 

also helped us get fuelled up as most petrol 

pumps in the area had run dry. Once done 

with lunch we turned off from Satara and 

descended down Kumbharli ghats to reach 

the NH 17 again at Chiplun and then proceeded 

towards Guhagar, our stop for the 

night. Guhagar is a laid back small coastal 

hamlet in the Konkan region which is famous 

for the Shiva temple, the local cuisine 

and treatment the folks dish out to visitors 

and guests. The next day morning, 17th 

August, we all first went to the beach and 

spent considerable time walking on the 

desolate, pristine beach and paid a small 

visit to the temple also seeking blessings 

for our onwards journey. After a breakfast 

comprising of the local delicacies we loaded 

up one bike into the truck, the rider having 

taken ill the earlier night hence opting to 

travel in the back up vehicle. The departure 

from Guhagar was ceremonial with the hotel 

owner felicitating all the riders with garlands 

and leading us out till the highway on 

his old Bullet 350. 

We took a detour from the main road

Group photo at Rai Bhatgaon 

and proceeded towards the Rai Bhatgaon 

creek bridge, the usual place where we find 

ample space to line up the bikes for the 

group photograph. The final descent into 

Rai Bhatgaon was quite tasking as the road 

became steeper and there was loose gravel 

which posed quite a challenge. It was the 

sheer riding skills and the ruggedness of 

the machines that saw all of us through this 

section. After the customary photographs 

and a break to enjoy the quiet serene atmosphere 

we again proceeded towards 

Hathkhamba. Once we were back on the 

highway it was again another stint of riding 

through on and off rains till we reached 

Pali and got off the highway to start the 

climb into the ghats again. This time it was 

the Amba Ghat that we climbed and winding 

through the lush green mountains on 

a road shiny as a black ribbon and riding 

through swirling mists we reached the fortress 

town of Panhala and the legendary 

fort of Shivaji where we were to stay for the 

night at a hotel. Once settled we spent the 

rest of the evening reliving some chapters 

of illustrious Maratha history through the 

corridors of the magnificent fort. As evening 

fell and mists encapsulated the fort and 

surroundings we settled down to sleep off 

as the next day we had quite a long stretch 

to cover. 

On 18 August as we rode out from Panhala, 

the sight of so many Royal Enfield 

motorcycles thundering through the fort 

felt like straight out of a medieval battle 

as bystanders stood there in awe watching 

the cavalcade of shiny metal and chrome 

go past. From Panhala we rode through 

Thundering along misty roads 

some more interior rural roads and reached 

Anaskura Ghats from where the descent 

onto the NH 17 started. Lack of road signs 

and rains caused one of our riders lose his 

way here but a few phone calls got him back 

on track. We stopped for lunch at Rajapur 

and then got off the NH 17 towards Kunkeshwar 

and rode alongside the sea. By the 

time we rode into Malvan heavy rains had 

hit us and all we could do was admire the 

sight of the vast beach and crashing waves, 

a cup of steaming tea in hand watching out 

from the windows of our hotel, which was 

so aptly called Sagar Kinara. 

On 19 August, it was time to go towards 

the hills again, and we rode 

out of Malvan towards Vengurla. 

A quick stop at Vengurla lighthouse, some 

moments of solace gazing out at the vast 

open sea, sunlight shimmering on the rippling 

waters, a guided tour of the lighthouse 

and we were set to go further to Sawantwadi. 

As we were having lunch at Sawantwadi 

we witnessed one of the heaviest of 

downpours during the ride, thankfully at a 

time when all of us were not riding. From 

Sawantwadi we started our climb into the 

picturesque Amboli Ghats. Luckily for us 

this time the slopes were not plagued by 

landslides like last year which would have 

resulted in roads being blocked for hours. 

We rode up in a drizzle and by the time we 

reached our hotel we were already running 

through a wall of rain. Sachin Chavan from 

Royal Enfield joined us at Amboli and had 

ridden all the way from Chennai just to join 

us for the last leg of this ride. 

The last day of the ride, 20th August 

saw us waking up rather lazily and after 

doing little work on the bikes which needed 

attention we started our descent down 

to Sawantwadi and turned towards Goa. 

Once we reached Goa the scenery changed 

with red soil covering the area beside the 

roads spotted with small wine shops and 

local pubs. We rode into Vagator and after 

a quick lunch some of us rushed to the 

beach, some got to washing and cleaning 

their bikes after the long ride and some just 

holed up in the rooms and dozed off. Thus 

ended the epic romance we had initiated 

with the rains this side of Western Ghats 6 

days back in Mumbai and now ended successfully 

in Goa. Each of us would go back 

with loads of great memories of the ride, 

and of course rider friends for life. 

13

tour of nepal 

Onwards to Chitwan 

Royal Enfield 

TOUR OF Nepal - 2011 

Text by Avneesh Malik Photographs by Raghunandan 

High mountains, clear lakes, myriad trekking routes and much more comes to your mind when you think of Nepal. The 

Royal Enfield tour of Nepal provided us with much more than this; for 10 days we were exposed to very different things 

Nepal had to offer. We mingled with the local folk, enjoyed local cuisine, learned about their culture, aspirations and 

dreams and saw much of the countryside, something which would have been impossible if travelling through Nepal by 

any other means. We all got together at Lucknow on Oct 20th for the motorcycle and riding gear scrutiny, which was 

a breeze as everyone was well prepared. We collected our T-shirts and prepped up our motorcycles and helmets with 

the Royal Enfield tour of Nepal 2011 stickers. By the first day itself the bikers got well acquainted with each other. No one had any inkling 

that with each passing day this bond would grow stronger and together we would have an amazing experience exploring Nepal. 

14

tour of nepal 

At the briefing we were given 

Day 1 

details about the press and the 

flag-off event. Post that all of us navigated 

Lucknow traffic to an area on the outskirts 

of the city where after few snacks, a couple 

of speeches, photo sessions and music we 

started our ride to Nepal with our first destination 

a border town called Dhangadi 

around 250 km from Lucknow. It was nice 

to cruise on the six-lane national highway 

and then to the state highway where you 

would often overtake a bullock cart and few 

trucks. By the evening, the riders passed 

through Dudhwa national park on the Indian 

side of the border. The road inside the 

national park was a narrow straight road 

with large trees and anthills on both sides, 

and a few fortunate riders also had glimpses 

of deer and foxes. We reached the India- 

Nepal border at around 5 PM and after 

some customary formalities crossed over to 

the Nepal side where we got temporary permits 

for our vehicles. We moved to our hotel 

in Dhangadi where an elaborate welcome 

was organized and the rest of the evening 

was spent with riders sharing their stories 

and chatting. 

The day started leisurely as we 

Day 2 

fuelled up and rode out on the 

Mahendra Highway that serves as a lifeline 

for Nepal. This two-lane road was good 

with no traffic except for villagers carrying 

their produce and children going to school 

waving out to us. We had to exercise a little 

extra caution for the cyclists who were 

weaving in and out of the traffic all the 

way. Our first stop was at a town called 

Tikhapur where lunch and a cultural show 

were organized for us. The route from the 

highway to Tikhapur was along a gravel 

road with potholes and large stones, thus 

giving us the first taste of off-road riding in 

Nepal. After a sumptuous lunch, we proceeded 

towards the Bardiya national park 

on the same scenic Mahendra highway. We 

reached our final destination for the day 

passing through water streams, dusty village 

tracks, and small wooden bridges. Towards 

the end of the journey it rained 

bringing the mercury down and washing 

our dusty bikes and bags. The rest of the 

evening was spent amidst the peace that 

only a jungle setting could provide. 

Riders at the Chaumala Bridge 

Meandering Gandhaki 

Riding across diffficult terrain. 

This day saw us back on the 

Day 3 

Mahendra highway riding for 

about 300 km as we reached Lumbini, the 

birth place of Lord Buddha. Lumbini has 

15

tour of nepal 

an aura of serenity and calmness around it. 

It was not crowded as one would expect, 

there were very few monks and tourists, 

and we spent around an hour here soaking 

in the calm and enjoying the setting sun. 

The day wound up at Bhairahwa where we 

rested for the night. 

Slush fest enroute to Jomsom 

Our adventure with beautiful 

Day 4 

mountains and clouds began 

on this day. It was a short ride of 160 km 

and the exhilaration grew with breathtaking 

views, clouds blanketing the mountains, 

and the constant rain adding its own 

charm and adventure all the way to the 

beautiful tourist town of Pokhara. On 

reaching Pokhara, we were instructed to 

take good rest and retire early, as the next 

day was going to be a very taxing one. 

At daybreak no one had a clue 

Day 5 

on how our ride to Jomsom 

would unfold; all we knew was that a part 

of the road to Jomsom was a trek trail. We 

started the day early at 6:30 AM and it was 

a smooth straight ride from Pokhara. The 

fun started after 25 km when we took a diversion 

from the main road towards a town 

Descending from Tatopani 

called Beni. It was here that the road suddenly 

turned into a collection of potholes 

and we came across a number of water 

streams. Just 10 km into this road, we hit 

our first slushy patch caused by the landslides 

and incessant rains. At some places, 

the slush was a good 2-3 feet deep mixed 

with large stones causing the bike to either 

skid or have its footrest/brake pedal stuck 

in the rut. We would struggle to extricate 

out from one of the slush pits only to enter 

into another one with no idea of when it 

would end. By the time we all reached a 

town called Tatopani it was six in the evening, 

and we were still a good 35 km away 

from Jomson. Speaking to the trekkers and 

the locals we learnt that there were three 

major landslides ahead and we decided to 

cut short our ride to Jomsom and called it a 

day there itself. 

Slush dance 

16

tour of nepal 

We were slightly disappointed 

Day 6 

on not making it to Jomsom 

but we all had our share of adventure and 

memories to cherish forever and now we 

were looking forward to going back along 

the same slushy route to Pokhara. I guess 

we all learnt from our previous day’s experience 

and navigated through the slush and 

ensuring no bike got stuck. The bikes finally 

saw good roads after a grueling 85 km. It 

was told to us that if we could ride in those 

conditions, we could ride almost anywhere 

in the world! We reached Pokhara early 

evening and spent time shopping, sightseeing, 

chatting, and relaxing at the Bullet 

Base Camp—a bar owned by two local Royal 

Enfield enthusiasts. 

This day we rode over 220 km 

Day 7 

of hilly scenic route from 

Pokhara to Kathmandu with a lunch stop 

at a beautiful riverside resort. The road to 

Kathmandu is a well maintained but busy 

road with numerous tourist vehicles. 

Reaching our hotel in Kathmandu was a 

challenge as the town was bursting with 

people visiting the city for the festivities. 

For dinner we were treated to a cultural 

program of local dance at a fine dine restaurant 

serving traditional Nepalese food 

and wine. 

It was a much needed rest day 

Day 8 

for the bikes and all the bikers! 

We spent the first part of the day giving 

the bikes much-needed TLC and later loitering 

around Kathmandu tourist areas. In 

the evening few of us managed to pay a visit 

to Pashupatinath Temple. 

It was time to head back to the 

Day 9 

plains, but before we left these 

awe-inspiring mountains, we rode to Chitwan 

National Park through a town called 

Daman situated at an altitude of around 

2400 metres. The road to Daman was lined 

with thick forest cover and we passed 

though some breath-taking cloud formations. 

The evening was spent at a resort in 

Chitwan indulging in swimming and relaxing. 

It was short ride again on Mahendra 

Highway back to the 

Day 10 

town of Bhairahawa near Lumbini. The 

tour was almost coming to end and the next 

day would be the last ride of the tour after 

which we would head back to Lucknow. 

Pokhara Lake 

Water crossing at Bardiya National Park 

As a grand finale on the last day we 

covered the longest distance of about 480 

km in a single day. We all started the day 

early to ensure that we cross the Nepal- 

India border early to avoid hassles. We had 

our last Nepalese lunch at a local shop in 

Kohalpur. The lunch was simple but tasty 

and after going around 20 km further we 

crossed the Nepal-India border around 

Nepalganj. Lucknow was still 180 km from 

the border and we were instructed again 

to be extra cautious as the sparse traffic we 

had gotten used to over the past 10 days 

was very different from what we had here. 

Most of the last part of the ride was done in 

groups with all riders riding together and 

finally we reached our hotel in Lucknow at 

around 8 pm. Surprisingly no one was feeling 

tired even after the long ride and celebrations 

followed over the dinner with so 

many stories being shared. 

This ride had definitely been a lifealtering 

one for most of us. It was maiden 

ride for me and the experience of being on 

the road in close commune with nature has 

been extremely therapeutic to me. I came 

back feeling invigorated with such wonderful 

memories of the journey and the new 

friends I made. Thanks Royal Enfield for 

making our dreams a reality! 

17

keep riding 

Various rides organized all over the country under the Keep Riding initiative by Royal Enfield 

Siliguri to Lava-Rishap 

On 20th of August, eight machines and 10 

riders headed for a quaint and picturesque 

village of Lava at an altitude of 6834 m 

above sea level. The ride started at 11 AM 

and covered a distance of 218 km. Despite 

the monsoon the weather was quite sunny 

for the better part of the ride and after 

lunch the riders started for Lava riding 

through fog and landslide-ridden hills. The 

landscape was breathtaking and The riders 

reached Lava around 5 PM at sunset. 

The next morning the riders started for 

the Rishap which was just 14 km away but 

the road conditions were pathetic with mud 

and boulders strewn all over. The view of 

the Kanchenjunga range was amazing from 

Rishap and the riders stopped for a while 

to click pictures. The ride back to the hotel 

was 21 km long and quite tiresome. 

The riders started the next day for 

Siliguri after breakfast and took a detour 

through the Neora valley forests and Neora 

falls. The road condition was bad but the 

riders got guidance from the Royal Enfield 

staff members on their way. The riders had 

to brave the rain half-way back on the journey. 

To join our rides from Siliguri, please get 

in touch with Rajesh Sharma at sharmar@royalenfield.com 

20 

Agra to Damoh 

This ride from Agra to Damoh was one 

which marked the end of monsoon in this 

region. The 20-odd riders assembled early 

morning and took off from the Agra Sadar 

Bazaar. As the ride proceeded the the sight 

of lush greenery all around and intermittent 

monsoon showers refreshed the riders. 

Passing through Agra, Dholpur, Bari, 

Surmathura before reaching Damoh and 

then tracing the same path back, the riders 

covered 300 km. On their way they also had 

to ride through some small streams which 

had overflowed on the road and that added 

the adventure to the ride. 

To join our rides from Agra please get 

in touch with Ehraz Siddiqui at zzesiddiqui@royalenfield.com

keep riding 

Kolkata to Orissa 

Over a dozen riders started off for Orissa 

from the main gate of Victoria Memorial at 

Kolkata on 9th September and for next two 

days rode across the lush green countryside. 

They first halted at Ulubaria for breakfast 

and then onwards to Baleshwar and Panchalingeswar 

for the night. They spent a 

day riding around other scenic places nearby 

and did some good off-roading sessions 

in the slushy landscape around. Their last 

stop in Orissa was the Devkund Falls which 

they reached after traversing through some 

really dense forests. To join our rides from 

Kolkata please get in touch with Rajesh Sharma 

at sharmar@royalenfield.com 

Ahmedabad to Jhanjhari 

A cavalcade of Royal Enfield Bullets too 

part on the Jhanjhari trip from Ahmedabad 

on the 7th August 2011. The 127 riders 

(and pillions) on more than 100 motorcycles 

rode through smooth highways, small 

towns, village roads and treacherous rocky 

terrain. The ride to Jhanjhari introduced 

many new riders to the charm of the Royal 

Enfield Bullet. After spending sometime in 

the waterfall, riders rode back to the showroom. 

It was indeed difficult to capture the 

spectacle in a single photograph. 

To join our rides from Ahemedabad please 

get in touch with Pradeep Chaurasiya on 

pchaurasiya@royalenfield.com. 

Ahmedabad to Kathwada 

A ride to Pranlal Bhogilal’s vintage car museum 

at Kathwada was organised in August 

2011 from Ahmedabad. This museum 

gave the riders an opportunity to have a 

closer look at some magnificent automobiles 

of the era gone by from horse carriages 

to post-War British and American classics, 

motorcycles. A day spent in the company of 

Royal Enfield motorcycles and some of the 

best classic and vintage cars of the world 

gave the riders a feeling of actually being in 

a different era altogether. 




Round Trip from 

Jalandhar 

A round trip was organised from Jalandhar, 

Punjab from 8-10 October, 2011. 21 

riders turned out for this ride kitted out 

and ready to start the post-monsoon riding 

season. The first day they reached Barot in 

Himachal Pradesh after covering a good 

238 km. They then proceeded to Billing 

and rode further to Palampur before calling 

it a day at McLeodganj, the headquarters 

of the Dalai Lama. The 3rd day saw the 

riders in Naddi exploring Kangra Fort and 

then the return leg to Jalandhar covering a 

good 205 km. The riders covered a total of 

613 km throughout this ride. 

To join our rides from Jalandhar please 

get in touch with Sanjeev Thakur on 

sthakur@royalenfield.com 

Ahmedabad to Gopnath 

A ride from sweltering Ahmedabad to cool 

tidal beaches of Gopnath was organised on 

the 3rd and 4th of October 2011. The ride 

started early morning and first stop came 

at Lothal, an ancient port which is now an 

archaeological site. The riders were fascinated 

to realise that the ground they were 

standing on was a sea port hundreds of 

years ago. The group continued towards 

the beach, stopping for lunch and tea in 

between. At Gopnath, the riders all went to 

the beach in evening and indulged in some 

off road riding through the fields. The ride 

back was fun and fast with a wildlife sanctuary 

thrown in between. 




Ahmedabad to Bullet Baba 

(Pali) 

Royal Enfield aficionados believe that their 

motorcycles are not mere machines, but 

have a heart and soul of their own. This 

love is exhibited in the Bullet Baba Temple 

near Pali, Rajasthan. After about 390 km 

of riding through great stretches of national 

highways, the riders reached the temple 

a little before sundown. Legend has it that 

Om Banna died in an accident while riding 

his Royal Enfield Bullet on the highway but 

when the bike was moved from the accident 

site it strangely reappeared there. After 

these incidents, the locals made a temple at 

that place. 




21

keep riding 

cochin to Nelliyampathy 

On Oct 15th & 16th a total of fifteen riders 

rode out to Nelliampathy from the Cochin 

Brand Store. The ride started at 7AM along 

the recently refurbished Kochi-Thrissur 

NH47 highway. From Mannuthy in Thrissur, 

they turned off the road towards Palakkad 

and their next stop to regroup was at 

Mangalam Jn. near Vadakkencherry. This 

part of the route however was plagued with 

lots of potholes, bullying buses and lorries, 

and not to forget one motorcycle breakdown 

also. 

From Mangalam the riders proceeded to 

Nenmara and then to the Pothundi dam. 

Nenmara is a must-stop place because here 

one gets the last opportunity to fill fuel 

as there are no petrol bunks after this on 

the route. The ride from Mangalam Jn. to 

Nelliyampathy was amazing with super 

smooth roads and scenic views. From Pothundi 

dam, the climb to the ghats with the 

hairpin bends began and the temperature 

dropped as the riders ascended into the 

hills. 

After lunch at Greenland, the ride to a 

waterfall, about 30 km from the resort, 

through the tea plantations, thick forests 

in chilly weather and occasional drizzles 

was amazing and after taking a dip in the 

waterfall the riders returned to the resort 

by nightfall. The next morning, some of the 

early risers found time to visit a farm inside 

the resort. 

After a hearty breakfast, the riders and 

their machines took off towards the road to 

Minnampara and Kaareshwari. The route 

was about 6 km and had a few locations 

with breathtaking views. The group returned 

to the resort at around 1 pm where 

lunch was waiting after which it was time to 

pack the bags and get ready for a nice ride 

downhill. However, the rain gods were not 

kind enough & decided to show the riders a 

spectacle of thunder and rain in sync with 

the sound of the thumping machines. By 9 

pm the riders all reached the Royal Enfield 

Kochi showroom and dispersed with a selfpromise 

of more such weekends. 

To join our rides from Cochin please write 

in to: bavijayan@royalenfield.com 

ahmedabad to Thol and 

Nalsarovar 

The new Classic duo, the Chrome and the 

Desert Storm, was launched and the staff 

and riders from Ahmedabad decided to celebrate 

the occasion with a ride. Enthusiast 

riders are always ready for a trip and just 

need an excuse to hit the highway. The ride 

covered a distance of over 170 km and covered 

the two most famous bird sanctuaries 

and lakes around Ahmedabad. All kinds of 

roads, from a single lane to complete offroad 

and six-lane highways, greeted the 

riders along this ride. The first destination 

was Thol lake and the bikes were taken 

to locations around the lake not intended 

for any bike to visit. After a peaceful time 

here, the ride was continued onto Nalsarovar 

lake. This lake is home to many migratory 

birds and is beautiful anytime of the 

year. The shine of the Classic Chrome was 

brighter than the reflection of the sun on 

the lake and was much appreciated by all 

the riders. 




22

keep riding 

gandhinagar to Indroda 

Park 

The Indroda Park in Gandhinagar is home 

to various forms of wildlife and is also famous 

for dinosaur fossils. This short ride 

was intended mainly for those with families 

and Indroda provided a beautiful retreat. 

Indroda is a quiet and lush area basking in 

the glory of nature and though the sound of 

so many Royal Enfield motorcycles did create 

a din early morning, the wildlife around 

was not much moved. The place proved to 

be a photographer’s delight and many riders 

indulged in clicking memories through 

snapshots. 

To join our rides from Gandhinagar please 



S.NO RIDE FROM RIDE TO 

START 

DATE 

END 

DATE 

CONTACT PERSON 

CONTACT EMAIL ID 

1 Guwahati Ranikor 03-12-2011 04-12-2011 Rajesh Sharma sharmar@royalefield.com 

2 Noida Rishikesh 10-12-2011 12-12-2011 K Deepak kdeepak@royalenfield.com 

3 Jallandhar Jakhini & Beed 10-12-2011 11-12-2011 Sanjeev Thakur sthakur@royalenfield.com 

4 Jammu Sanasar 10-12-2011 11-12-2011 Abhishek Singh Kotwal askotwal@royalenfield.com 

5 Chandigarh Dak Pathar 10-12-2011 11-12-2011 Amandeep Singh asingh8@royalenfield.com 

6 Agra Ranikhet 11-12-2011 14-12-2011 Laiq Ahmed laiqg2004@yahoo.com 

7 Lucknow Mussoorie 11-12-2011 13-12-2011 Ehraz Siddiqui zzesiddiqui@royalenfield.com 

8 Varanasi Khajuraho 11-12-2011 13-12-2011 Ravi Asthana rprakash2@royalenfield.com 

9 Lucknow Dudhwa National Park 11-12-2011 12-12-2011 Piyush Gupta pgupta4@royalenfield.com 

10 Ganganagar Ganganagar 15-12-2011 15-12-2011 Simranjeet Singh sjsbakshi@royalenfield.com 

11 Ludhiana Shimla 16-12-2011 17-12-2011 Sandeep Singh Maan ssmaan@royalenfield.com 

12 Kolkata Tikarpada 16-12-2011 18-12-2011 Rajesh Sharma sharmar@royalenfield.com 

13 Baroda Diu 16-12-2011 17-12-2011 Pradeep Chaurasiya pchaurasiya@royalenfield.com 

14 

Yamuna 

Nagar 

Upcoming Rides 

Nainital 17-12-2011 19-12-2011 Anil Goyal agoyal@royalenfield.com 

15 Kanpur Orcha 17-12-2011 19-12-2011 Ehraz Siddiqui zzesiddiqui@royalenfield.com 

16 Indore Punjapura 17-12-2011 18-12-2011 Puneet Singh Banga psbanga@royalenfield.com 

17 Ahmedabad Mount Abu 17-12-2011 18-12-2011 Pradeep Chaurasiya pchaurasiya@royalenfield.com 

18 Jaipur Khatu Shyam Ji 18-12-2011 18-12-2011 Nitesh Singhal nsinghal2@royalenfield.com 

19 Ahmedabad Dasada 18-12-2011 18-12-2011 Pradeep Chaurasiya pchaurasiya@royalenfield.com 

20 Bharuch Sagbara 18-12-2011 18-12-2011 Pradeep Chaurasiya pchaurasiya@royalenfield.com 

21 Ahmedabad Ahmedabad 24-12-2011 25-12-2011 Pradeep Chaurasiya pchaurasiya@royalenfield.com 

22 Bhopal Kaliasoth 24-12-2011 24-12-2011 Puneet Singh Banga psbanga@royalenfield.com 

23 Ahmedabad Little Rann of Kutch 24-12-2011 25-12-2011 Pradeep Chaurasiya pchaurasiya@royalenfield.com 

24 Indore Mandav 25-12-2011 25-12-2011 Puneet Singh Banga psbanga@royalenfield.com 

23

keep riding 

ARGENTINA Text & Photographs: Lucia Alvarez Isasi 

A few of our friends, true blue Royal Enfield 

enthusiasts in Argentina, came together to 

ride out as summer season started in the 

Southern hemisphere. The advent of warm 

weather and pleasant road conditions definitely 

egged us on to take out our machines 

and hit the highways. The first of our summer 

trips for this year started off on the 

16th of September, the first of many that 

we hope to make during this summer. We 

spent three days travelling up to Traslasierra, 

and Cordoba astride five Royal Enfield 

motorcycles, two of them with the versatile 

sidecars—a total of 10 people. 

We started from the Royal Enfield Argentina 

showroom in Laboulaye, Cordoba 

on September 16th and after cruising over 

360 km on a very windy day reached Merlo, 

San Luis. We spent the night there at a 

comfortable and scenic mountain hotel and 

feasted over dinner in this beautiful city. 

On the second day, the sky was clear and 

we had lovely sunny weather to greet us in 

the morning. We started our engines and 

planned to spend the whole day just riding 

through Traslasierra in Cordoba. This 

is quite a beautiful route connecting some 

rather charming and quiet towns, located 

at the foot of the mighty mountains. It was 

here that the bikes looked and felt very 

much like an integral part of the landscape. 

Our journey was marked with breaks 

where we stopped just to smile and pose for 

24 

pictures and long pleasant stretches where 

we rode with the sense of complete freedom 

on our motorcycles, the omnipresent 

thump of the Royal Enfield motorcycles for 

company. The only major stop at mid-day 

was for lunch at a nice outdoor restaurant. 

After a sumptuous meal and rest we rode 

back 80 km to Merlo as the sun set over the 

distant horizon. A grand dinner at a mountain 

restaurant was our way of spending 

the night at Merlo. We were completely in 

love with the landscape around us; the feeling 

we got after riding our motorcycles to 

this place and secretly wished we could stay 

there for a few more days. But alas, a reality 

check made us realize we had to head back 

home the next day. 

Thus, on Sunday the 18th we returned 

and had quite an adventure riding back 

for almost 360 km just behind a thunderstorm 

till we ended up catching the showers 

in the last 40 km of our journey. We were 

lucky that we didn’t get hit by the rains 

all through our return journey but had an 

amazing ride nevertheless. Our ride ended, 

but on a thought that we would plan out our 

next ride in the coming weeks as now the 

summer season had made it so pleasant to 

venture out in the open.. 

This ride was such a memorable experience 

and we have already started planning 

for the next trip. We definitely look forward 

to having more and more friends and Royal 

Enfield riders join us for more to come.

dealer profile 

Royal Rhino 

Ravi Ambegaonkar the man at the 

helm of Royal Rhino—the dealership 

in Vadodara, Gujarat—has 

been an avid Royal Enfield enthusiast and a 

rider for over 20 years. He has been a fan of 

the legendary Royal Enfield Bullet since his 

childhood and this self-confessed aficionado 

admits that he has never looked at any other 

motorcycle. His dream of having one for himself 

was realized when he finally purchased 

a Bullet 350, an 1980 model, and grew to 

cherish and treasure the machine. Prior to 

starting the dealership Ravi was managing 

a Security Agency specializing in providing 

private security cover as well as conducting 

investigations. 

It was the day he saw an advertisement in a 

leading daily about partnering with the ‘legend’ 

that he decided to get more seriously involved 

with the marque and he applied to be 

a dealer for Royal Enfield. The journey from 

paperwork to the showroom took a full nine 

rigorous months but the result was something 

which he cannot describe in words. He 

started off with handling sales of about 20 

bookings a month slowly increasing to close 

to 80 as of date. Service started with attending 

to about 25 bikes in a month and owing to 

his personal interactions with the customer 

and well trained and skilled staff this number 

has been on the rise reaching an impressive 

200 a month. 

It has been an exciting, adventurous, and 

a learning year for Ravi in the culturally vibrant 

town of Vadodara where traditionally 

leisure and adventure motorcycling did not 

have its roots in the culture but with time the 

people have been bitten by the bug and today 

very much are part of Royal Enfield’s ‘Keep 

Riding’ initiatives. Ravi still believes he has 

a long way to go, but he is determined to be 

there at any cost. 

Riding has always been a passion for Ravi 

and he frequently used to go out on long rides, 

mostly solo and with no prior planning. Now 

he not only meticulously plans the ride but 

also serves as the ride leader teaching the nuances 

of riding safely on the highways and enjoying 

this activity. Today, ride planning and 

organizing is his forte along with ensuring 

safety and maintaining discipline while on 

the ride. Royal Rhino has actively conducted 

rides to Mount Abu, Udaipur, Saputara, and 

even to Goa to attend the 2010 Royal Enfield 

Rider Mania. His all time favorite motorcycle 

is his customized Machismo 350; a single 

seater with a matt green finish. He calls it the 

love of his life and rides it practically every 

day. 

One of the most ambitious rides that he has 

planned for this year is a ride to Goa to attend 

the Royal Enfield Rider Mania 2011. The 

regular riders from ‘Royal Rhino’ are all very 

excited as this comes to them as one 

event where all Royal Enfield enthusiasts 

come together and celebrate 

the brotherhood. They are eager to 

experience this extravaganza and 

tune in to the ‘Thump that Binds’ vociferating 

in the atmosphere at Goa. 

In 2010 Ravi had ridden down with 

a few people and took back loads of 

stories back to Vadodara, to inspire 

people who as a result this year have 

turned up in quite a sizeable number 

for this event. 

For Ravi, his association with 

Royal Enfield has been one of the most closest 

to his heart. He has placed the newspaper 

advert calling for ‘Partnering a Legend’ at his 

desk which serves as a pleasant reminder of 

the call that he responded to, and established 

this showroom and service station; something 

which marks the journey which started 

from a phone call and brought him today to a 

state where he feels he is just ‘living’ his lifelong 

dream. 

25

club 

Royal Pandiyas 

The Royal Pandiyas is the exclusive 

Royal Enfield club started in Madurai 

by two brothers who also man 

the Royal Enfield dealership in this temple 

city. The idea of a motorcycle club 

came about from their intense desire 

do something which would be 

in sync with the pulse of the Royal 

Enfield enthusiast and their desire to 

interact and associate with people of 

same views. It was the ambitious fire 

in KG Athilingam’s belly, which had 

always made him do unique things 

that besides creating hype, eventually 

became the talk of the town. Thus 

on September 25, 2010, was born the 

Royal Pandiyas, a club that was inspired 

by the stories about the rides 

they read on the Royal Enfield website. 

The club immediately focused on 

riding as one of its most important 

initiatives as they strongly felt that 

the bikers can understand their machines, 

its behavior and performance 

when they ride it for long trips. 

Each club member gets a joining 

kit consisting of riding gear 

equipment including helmet, knee 

26 

guards, elbow guards etc, thus encouraging 

and enabling him to ride out and ride safe 

while on these rides. Besides attending the 

monthly meetings, the members also join 

up for short trips, motorcycle events, touring 

holidays and weekend runs and each 

member is uniquely identified by his clubissued 

ID card and exclusive T-shirts and 

bandanas. The membership subscription 

has been kept low for more members to be 

able to join up and avail of the benefits. For 

administrative ease, the club comprises of a 

complete team of Office Bearers also. They 

also have an annual magazine, which highlights 

the rides and other activities that the 

club conducts. From time to time they also 

conduct blood donation drives and health 

check camps and have tie-ups with medical 

organizations for the same. 

The major activity of the club is to promote 

adventure and leisure riding, something 

that the Royal Enfield culture is 

strongly identified with. All rides are conducted 

in a systematic way with designated 

experienced lead riders taking responsibility. 

A staggered formation is maintained 

while riding together for safety. Each ride 

is trailed by a support vehicle for unfortunate 

breakdowns. Usually at the end 

of the ride the riders chill out with music 

and a scrumptious dinner. After all nothing 

beats a party at the end of long ride. The 

after party usually turns out as an interaction 

session amongst the bikers about the 

performance of their respective bikes, how 

they maintain the bikes etc. Being attached 

to the Madurai Royal Enfield dealership, 

the club also helps riders get their bikes 

checked and serviced before the ride as 

well as earns them fabulous discounts 

on many services availed. 

This club from the culturally vibrant 

city Madurai started off with less than 

10 members a year back and today is 

already approaching 100. Each ride 

conducted by them has a specific name 

coined which signifies the specific aspect 

of the ride; Kodaikanal ride was 

called the ‘Princess of the Hill Stations’ 

ride and the Yercaud trip was called the 

‘Shevroy Express’. Their next biggest 

ride will be one to Goa for the Royal 

Enfield Rider Mania 2011. This is a 

prestigious ride for them as they shall 

be part of one of the biggest event organized 

for Royal Enfield enthusiasts 

and riders. 

To join the Royal Pandiyas in Madurai 

and be a part of their rides and activities 

get in touch with Mr Athilingam 

on ggmotors2003@yahoo.co.in or 

+919994361758

ider profile 

The Yankee Rider 

William Blacke from the USA is one of the most active Royal Enfield 

riders in the social circle. An avid tweeter, he goes by the name @ 

blackwithane in the twitterverse and lives in Portland, Oregon. 

His first solo motorcycle ride was 

on a Japanese 150cc two-stroke at 

the age of 12 under the guidance 

of his grandfather and William Blacke was 

hooked on to riding for the rest of his life. 

He rode various street/off-road motorcycles 

till his early twenties but they were always 

the ones borrowed from friends or family. 

He didn’t get to own a motorcycle until he 

finished graduate school. Influenced by his 

grandfather and uncle he ended up getting 

a Suzuki VStrom 1000 and proceeded to put 

58,000-plus miles on it in the next year and 

a half. Of course he did venture forth everywhere 

he could; on/off road, but couldn’t 

help wanting something smaller and lighter 

that just ‘felt’ better. 

His first professional job out of school 

was with an engineering company where 

he shared a small cubicle with someone 

who not only turned out to be one of the 

best human beings he has ever known, but 

one who became a very good friend. His 

name was Manu who came from Hoshiarpur 

in Punjab, India. After long discussions 

about how they both longed to ride 

motorcycles all over the world, Manu began 

sharing stories about his travels on his beloved 

Royal Enfield 350 Bullet that he had 

to leave back home with his brother. He described 

his travels in Kashmir, the trip on 

his Royal Enfield over Khardung La that 

culminated in his stay with his holiness the 

Dalai Lama. Bill begged to see a picture of 

the motorcycle and once he saw it, he knew 

he had to have one. Bill had wanted a bike 

that would take him anywhere he wanted 

to go, one that was light, one that had style 

and most importantly, one that was made 

by someone’s hand. He longed for a handbuilt 

bike that he could love and cherish as 

much as those who had painstakingly created 

it. The Royal Enfield was everything 

he wanted. 

His maroon Royal Enfield Classic 500 

had been a dream which took quite some 

time to turn to reality. Sadly, they were not 

yet being imported into the U.S. when he 

wanted one and all he could find were tattered 

vintage models. Not trusting his skills 

at keeping a 50s or 60s bike running, he 

wanted something newer before he could 

afford the luxury of having a vintage bike 

which needed more care and would be ridden 

occasionally. In the meantime, he accumulated 

other motorcycles that suited his 

needs, but the dream of the Royal Enfield 

lingered on. Finally, a local scooter shop 

began carrying Royal Enfield motorcycles 

and in the spring of 2011, Bill was able to 

turn his dream into a reality. 

The dream took long to realize but he 

made up for lost time ever since he got the 

keys in his hand. He didn’t have any idea 

that this motorcycle would bring him so 

much joy. Ever since the Classic has joined 

his fleet his other bikes have just been in 

the garage. He always carries the Royal 

Enfield’s keys in his pocket and never regrets 

throwing a leg over the thumper and 

set off for a spin. His Classic 500 has taken 

him from the high mountains of the Pacific 

Northwest region to the desert in Oregon 

for photography, camping and smiles on 

his Classic 500. He is now planning a trip 

to Colorado to see his family this fall and 

expects the trip to be on the Classic 500. 

Many of his friends have asked if he has 

sold off the other bikes and questioned why 

he is always on the Royal Enfield. On many 

occasions, he has simply handed them the 

keys and said “ride around the block... I 

dare you to come back without a smile on 

your face”. Never once has he been wrong 

as the Classic 500 is indeed one of the most 

fun bikes to ride and after one such ride almost 

every single friend of his hops off and 

asks “how much was it again?” or “where 

do I get one” or simply “wow”. The best response 

he got from a friend with an 180hp 

Italian bike said “I would not have imagined 

that a bike with 1/6 the horsepower 

would be 100 times as much fun”. 

He has ridden over 160,000 miles in the 

last 6 years on his various motorcycles. He 

feels that the last 5000 miles on his precious 

Royal Enfield Classic 500 have been 

more enjoyable and more fulfilling than 

probably the previous 155,000 on all the 

others. 

He is now desperately waiting for a 

scrambler kit for the Bullet Electra EFI to 

be made available in the USA as that is the 

next bike he is going to buy. Being a diehard 

fan of Royal Enfield he is happy that in the 

changing times when every other manufacturer 

of motorcycles has lost the essence 

of their class this manufacturer has maintained 

the same over years and wishes that 

even in the years to come each new Royal 

Enfield shall still make him feel and experience 

the same charm, appeal and essence 

of what makes a Royal Enfield motorcycle 

unique and such a pleasure to ride and own. 

27

FLASHBACK 

Royal Enfield Bullet 500 

Although 500 cc single cylinder 

engine Royal Enfield motorcycles 

were manufactured for the 

military during WW II and even after 

that the Bullet 500 cc ‘single’ basically 

saw life but as a larger capacity cousin of 

the legendary Bullet 350 only in the early 

1950’s. First seen in 1952 the ‘big’ 500 

was powered by an engine which shared 

the same stroke as the 350 cc engines but 

had a bigger bore and head. Commercial 

production of the Bullet 500 started in 

1953 in Redditch and the first set of changes 

took place in 1954 itself. The initial 500 

cc motorcycles developed 25 BHP, which 

was quite powerful for singles of that era. 

1957/58 saw a completely new Bullet 500 

with a redesigned frame and fuel tank as 

well as graphics and a bigger head earning 

it the nickname ‘big-head’. This motorcycle 

was in production in the UK till 1961 by 

which time it was capable of producing 27 

BHP from the 500 cc power plant. With the 

company shifting focus on more powerful 

28 

twins, this model disappeared completely 

until in the early 1990’s it was made by Royal 

Enfield in India as the bigger brother of 

the Bullet 350. This was also exported to the 

UK but had a slightly underpowered engine 

developing 22 BHP. By 2002, it saw more 

models and variants including the Bullet 

500 Army flaunting the olive green war 

paint and kitted with custom panniers too. 

A deluxe version with generous chrome was 

also developed. With the advent of the lean 

burn engine the Bullet 500 disappeared in 

April 2007 and was replaced by the next 

generation of 500 cc singles from Royal 

Enfield. 

In November 2010, the Royal Enfield 

Bullet 500 saw life again in its traditional 

black livery with hand painted 

tank and the traditional Royal Enfield 

graphics but with a fuel injected 500 CC 

engine. The motorcycle was launched at 

the New York Motorcycle Show held in 

January 2011 and sports the traditional 

black livery with hand painted pinstripes 

and a fuel injected engine which also 

finds place in the Classic 500. This motorcycle 

today is the culmination of over 8 decades 

of legacy, of the longest running model 

in continuous production. The Bullet 500 

today is a seamless pairing of the majestic 

Bullet styling, performance and reliability 

with the new technology elements like the 

Electronic Fuel Injection synergized seamlessly 

with the period styling. This motorcycle 

is now all about romancing with history 

on today’s terms.

DIY 

DIY 

This time we are focussing on maintenance of 

the Brakes. 

1 

3 

2 

4 

➜ Remove the rear wheel and 

sprocket. 

➜ Open the brake shoes and 

check liners for wear. 

➜ Even if you see 1 or 2 rivets 

being worn out; it’s time to 

replaces the worn out liners. 

➜ Change liners/ fit new brake 

shoes. 

➜ Fit the rear sprocket 

➜ Fit and Tighten rear wheel 

➜ Adjust brakes and check play 

in the brake pedal 

➜ Rotate wheel and check for 

braking efficiency 

➜ If required carry out the 

adjustments 

➜ Repeat checks after minor 

adjustments 

5 

6 7 

30

DIY 

1 

3 

2 

4 

➜ Loosen the Disc Pads from 

the Callipers 

➜Remove the Callipers 

➜ Check disc pads for wear and 

tear and dust accumulation 

➜ Remove the disc pads and 

check for wear. 

➜ Use a hacksaw to remove dirt 

and roughen the disc pad surface 

– Do not use sandpaper or emery 

paper 

➜ Clean and lubricate the Disc 

brake piston 

➜ Put Disc pads back on callipers 

and fit the same 

➜ Check disc for uneven wear, 

scratches and bends 

5 

6 

7 

8 

31

eview 

We compare 2 bestsellers from the Casio Pro Trek range of watches— the PRG 80 

and the PRG 240. These watches have been quite popular with travellers, explorers 

and adventurers form a part of the arsenal of many a Royal Enfield rider. 

The Pro Trek PRG 80 since its 

release back in 2005 has been one 

of the very best field watches ever 

made. This watch however had 

an Achilles’ heel as the chronograph 

& CDT were weak and 

it also had unsteady thermal 

compensation (barometer & 

altimeter) besides few other 

glitches that needed to be 

done away with. Enter the 

challenger in 2010; the new 

PRG 240 

The first and foremost 

impression the PRG 240 gives 

you is the relative lack of weight, 

this watch by no means tries to 

hide its size, however the watch is 

surprisingly lightweight, compared 

to the PRG 80.The primary time 

display is typical Pro Trek with large 

clear digits, though a bit smaller 

than the PRG 80. Clarity of the 

PRG 240’s display is near perfect 

given the nature of the duplex LCD, 

noticeably sharper than the PRG 80. 

The contrast level is also very good, 

however the PRG 240’s display is 

more neutral (grey) versus the PRG 

80’s ‘greener’ LCD which just seems 

allow the digits to pop a little more. 

The PRG 80 can display day or date, 

while the newer sibling can either 

display barometric trend, day or 

year day and month throughout. The 

PRG 240 may seem a little more 

complex to set up than the PRG 80 

owing to the broader feature set, 

and it can also be set to mute which 

will be important to some. In the 

PRG 80 you have to live with the 

ever present “beep” on each push 

of a button. 

World-time on both watches 

works well, the PRG 240 brings 

more city locations and displays 

UTC as opposed to the older PRG 

80’s GMT and employs the duplex 

display to indicate current time 

in the same 24 hour format. The 

Chronograph is a full 24 hours, 

Pro Trek PRG 80 

★ ★ ★ 

compared to the PRG 80’s limited 9 

hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds, 

same with CDT the PRG 240 offers 

24 hours, which can be set right 

to the minute while with the PRG 

80 the countdown is only from 60 

minutes, however it can be set 

to repeat which is a very useful 

feature in its self. 

Alarms are pretty much the same 

(5 alarms & hourly signal), with the 

PRG 240 being visually easier to set 

thanks again to the use of the dot 

matrix display to indicate on/off. As 

for Alarm volume very few watches 

beat the PRG 80 on volume, and the 

PRG 240 is softer and less audible 

than its older sibling. 

In terms of aesthetics, build 

quality & comfort; the PRG 

80 is best described as 

huge, a behemoth of a 

watch but the PRG 240 is 

not far behind, although it 

does wear much smaller. 

The PRG 240’s build quality 

is as with all Pro Trek’s 

at the very top of Casio’s 

production, the colour of the 

watch is a little less interesting 

to the eye in comparison to 

the PRG 80’s which under close 

inspection has a metallic feel with 

impregnation of an almost “metalflake” 

material in the resin case. 

The buttons on the 240 are positive 

and do not require effort to use 

while the 80, well it`s bruiser in 

all respects and on a cold day in 

winter the buttons can be stiff 

to use on a new watch. 

Casio’s implementation of 

barometers & altimeters is very 

different from the majority of the 

industry. The PRG 240 offers variable 

logging rates which is a bonus 

for those ascending or descending 

rapidly, while the PRG 80 offers an 

altitude alarm which once preset, 

sounds once you exceed a predetermined 

altitude. Barometer so far 

it has proved to be very accurate 

straight out the box, no calibration 

required, as with all Pro trek`s 

absolute/relative air pressure is 

displayed, no Mean Sea Level conversion. 

The PRG 240’s trend graph 

is again small and lacks resolution, 

compared to the PRG 80, with 

its trend graph being three times 

larger. The PRG 240 uses the duplex 

LCD as an air pressure differential 

indicator, combined with the far 

longer display period. Any rapid 

change in weather will easily be 

★ ★ ★ ★ 

Pro Trek PRG 240 

seen, by the graph (which can be 

displayed in primary time) and 

most importantly the clearer differential 

indicator will show rapidly 

deceasing air pressure. The PRG 80 

can do the same but one needs to 

continuously select the barometer, 

to get a reading, which in reality is 

not as practical if both hands are 

occupied. Compass performs as 

well as any other ABC available the 

duplex display on the PRG 240 has 

a higher contrast ratio compared 

to the PRG 80. The PRG 240 adds 

an electronic bearing lock, which is 

a great addition as new Pro trek`s 

only display`s the bearing measurement 

for around 20 seconds, then 

blanks the display. The Older PRG 

80 lacks the bearing lock, and will 

freeze and display the last bearing 

for a couple of minutes or so. 

Both watches are easy to 

use and live with, the addition 

of Sunrise/Sunset on the PRG 

240 give the watch seven timing 

displays and three ABC displays not 

counting any of the setting displays. 

The PRG 80 has fewer features and 

subsequently requires less button 

pushing. Both watches have auto 

return to primary time and depending 

on the function the return time 

varies. The PRG 240 shows the 

current time in all display screens 

barring the logging feature, the 80 

is similar, with the logging & barometer 

not displaying current time. 

The PRG 240 no doubt is Casio`s 

new definitive field watch, the positives 

far outweigh the negatives. 

Casio`s implementation of the 

barometer & altimeter is unique. 

The PRG 80 is a little like “Technicolor” 

offering a warmth and 

depth of colour a little lost in our 

new digital age, and something 

not to be missed. 

Rating: PRG 80 3.5 out of 5 and 

PRG 240 4.5 out of 5. 

— Santhosh Vijay Kumar 

32

showcase 

Royal Enfield Merchandise 

Flaunt your affiliation towards the legendary marque by donning the official merchandise and casual wear 

from Royal Enfield. The following collectibles and merchandise for Royal Enfield aficionados shall be 

launched in the coming months. Some of these shall be unveiled at the Royal Enfield Rider Mania 2011 and 

some shall make their way into dealerships and showrooms over next few weeks. This initial line up is just 

the beginning and there shall be much more coming from the house of Royal Enfield. 

33

web world 

Vaishnavi Prasad, Chennai 

Girl 

On A 

Royal 

Enfield 

We had announced the “Girl 

on a Royal Enfield” contest a few 

weeks back and got huge responses 

from all the enthusiasts. The theme 

behind this contest was to share 

a photograph or a story which 

dramatically narrated the relationship 

between a girl and the Royal 

Enfield. The entries varied from 

blog posts to photographs to stories 

written on the Facebook fan page. 

The contest was simultaneously 

co-hosted by “Girly Hour”, one of 

the leading girl blogs whose followers 

and readers also shared their 

stories on the blog. 

The photographs sent in by 

Aparna Andhare, Preethika Gans, 

Vaishnavi Prasad and Shruti Sharma 

fetched those prizes from our side. 

The entries of Aoyon Chowdhury 

and Adv Varun Maheshwari were 

good though they didn’t make it to 

the final winners list. Pooja Kopargaonkar’s 

Blog entry earned her the 

grand prize; a ride on a Thunderbird 

Twin Spark over a weekend. 

In the words of Pooja Kopargaonkar 

her first Royal Enfield riding 

experience was one of a kind as 

she put it: “Well I can never forget 

the first time I rode a bullet, what 

a day! My brothers’ friend who 

had a bullet came home and we all 

Shruti Sharma, 

went to a nearby mountain called 

Rala Mandal for a hike. It was 

around 6 in the evening when we 

were coming back and I begged my 

brother that I wanted to ride the 

bullet and after so many no’s he 

eventually said yes. So we went to 

the bypass road which was nearly 

empty, and my brother made me 

understand the basic things and 

asked me to kick start the bike! At 

first I thought not a big deal, but 

when I actually tried, it turned out 

to be a big deal. After many tries I 

was finally able to start it, and then 

my brother gave me his helmet and 

sat behind me and I started riding 

while his fried choose to stay there. 

It took me some time to get the fear 

out and enjoy riding it as it was a 

dream come true situation for me. 

I rode for a km and then my brother 

asked me to take a turn, which was 

a little tough as I was not in a habit 

of riding a bike and while we were 

coming back to where my brother’s 

friend was standing a truck overtook 

us as if trying to scare me and 

yes he was successful because, 

as soon as I saw the giant truck so 

close I lost my balance and we both 

fell. This was our 1st tumble and we 

both got hurt. I thought my brother 

would scold me but he stated 

laughing and as soon as we syncd 

up with his friend even he started 

laughing. 

We went to a nearby dhaba 

where we washed our scratches 

and bruises and were still laughing 

and everyone was looking at us 

with shock. The good part was that 

the bike was alright with just a few 

scratches and my brother’s friend 

did not get upset. The only scolding 

we got was from mom when she 

saw us but she also cooled down 

seeing us laughing hard and that 

we were alright. I still think how 

we laughed so much even though 

it was paining, I think our bond was 

stronger than the pain and the feeling 

of riding the bike did the work 

for us.” 

In the words of Preethika Gans: 

“One thing from childhood which 

has never changed in me is the 

passion to ride or be a pillion on a 

bike. This passion is what made 

me explore and learn how to ride a 

bike. Though I started off with one 

34

web world 

Preksha Modi 

Preethika Gans 

Pooja Kopargaonkar 

of the Japanese bikes, something 

just dint feel right when it came to 

being satisfied as a rider. All that 

changes when one day, my friend 

gets a Thunderbird 350 and says 

take it for a ride. That’s the day I 

attained Nirvana. After that, many 

years went by without me getting 

to ride a bike (read that as Royal 

Enfield). But then times changed, 

a very close friend of mine got the 

TBTS and riding THE bike has never 

stopped since then. I have been 

to quite a few long distance bike 

trips and a very regular on Sunday 

mornings. Nothing can equal the 

pleasure of riding any of the Royal 

Enfield bikes. My personal favourite 

is the Selfism bike (Classic 500) and 

I’m definitely dreaming to own one 

of my own soon!” 

This contest was run in parallel 

on the Girly Hour Facebook page 

also and we did get a number of entries 

from there too. Following are 

the ones on this page which caught 

our attention and won goodies from 

Royal Enfield: 

In the words of Tanvi Hegde : 

I grew up riding a bicycle, a red 

BMX and after school we would 

stay back and do all kinds of tricks 

and wheelies on those cycles. But 

every time a motorcycle went past 

I would stare at it till it disappeared 

from sight. Bikes have always been 

a fascination. My dad owned a 

Bajaj scooter but when my mama 

bought a bike I would quietly sneak 

it at night ride on in the colony and 

keep it. When I started going to 

college all my guy friends had bikes 

and I can still count the number of 

silencer burns and scratches i must 

have got from adventures on these 

bikes, each one has a different 

Aparna Andhare, Mumbai 

story! The best bike ride that I’ve 

been on was in Goa, summer of 

2009, my 12th boards had just got 

over and I left for Goa it was my 

second night there and one of my 

cousin and his friends regularly 

went for bike rides at night. All of 

them had Royal Enfield motorcycles 

and when I heard that ‘dhukk dhukk 

dhukk’ sound from my window I told 

my brother that I just had to ride 

one; no matter what it took! And 

that night was one to remember, my 

first Royal Enfield experience. Since 

then I’ve ridden loads of bikes, 

accompanied friends to drag races, 

have had my fair share os spills 

too but all of that is overpowered 

when you have that rush of blood 

in your veins, that wind in your hair, 

that ‘dhukk dhukk’ sound and that 

freedom you feel when you ride a 

bike, nothing can ever beat that. Of 

all the bikes that I’ve ridden on, my 

favourite remains the Royal Enfield 

Bullet 500 and the Classic 500. 

Those two bikes give me a high that 

nothing else does! 

Aishuwarya Sudarshan also 

had her own story to share with 

us: My rendezvous with the Royal 

Enfield started as a 3 year old when 

i would wait near the gate for dad 

to come back from office, lift me 

up, put me on the tank and take 

me for a small ride. That is all i 

needed to make my day. As i grew 

into a sturdy *you know what that 

actually means* woman I started 

off with the smaller bikes. But my 

little heart wanted more. It wanted 

the sound of a 350/500 cc Royal 

Enfield, to hear the sound that men 

dreamed off and women drooled 

over and to feel the breeze in my 

hair as i would ride on it all around. 

I have always cherished that feeling 

and sometimes I do take my dad’s 

1982 Royal Enfield Bullet for a spin; 

but nothing beats having one of my 

own, even if it is for a short while. 

Other interesting stories came in 

from Preksha Modi, Ojasvee Arora 

and Priyanka Arora who all won 

goodies from Royal Enfield for this 

contest. 

A huge number of entries also 

came in from ‘Hop On Girls’ a 

unique group which has taken the 

initiative of teaching girls how 

to ride and with time master the 

Royal Enfield motorcycle. This group 

based out of Bangalore also conducts 

do it yourself workshop sessions 

to teach general motorcycle 

servicing and basic repair work on 

Royal Enfield motorcycles. 

35

“We would like to hear from you about articles published in The Beat as well as what more would you like to read – please mail us your 

suggestions to schavan@royalenfield.com. If you would like to receive a copy of “The Beat’ at your doorstep, please send complete details 

36 

including full name, postal address with pin code and your contact phone number to ppsathaye@royalenfield.com”

Oct 2011 - Royal Enfield

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