The interceptor - Royal Enfield

ROYAL ENFIELD OPEN DAY REVIEWS KEEP RIDINGJULY - SEPTEMBER 2011www.royalenfield.comHimalayanodyssey 2011The interceptor+ ToUR of RaJasTHan+ THE BUllETEERmaRKeting newsLetteR

kICk StaRtDear FriendsIrecently started off writing my blog on our website thus joiningthe other people from my team who have been sharing theirexperiences and views with you and receiving feedback fromyour side. I strongly believe in us pursuing the goal of becominga ‘Global Motorcycling Brand’ in the near future. A great leap forwardin this regard is the launch of a new global website as the primarycustomer engagement tool across the world; which I announcedearlier through my first blog.The new website has several features which have resulted fromloads of feedback we have been receiving from your side over past oneyear. The new website is designed to thrill you and make it absorbingfor any visitor to explore and revisit. A few of the features I would liketo list out are:A wide screen experience with ‘fluidic’ effect that you definitelynotice.A global showcase depicting all models at once and then detailingthem out separately.A myriad of exciting content like photos, videos, user content,blogs, social connects etcA very user friendly hassle-free navigation through differentsections of the websitePersonalised sections for our dealers making it very useful forcustomers and increasing our reach.Strong community building through a personalized user pagefor registered members where a tier system would enable users topublish their accomplishments on rides.Emphasis on our Mantra of ‘Keep Riding’ with a content filled andengaging section on rides with complete details, photos, Ride storiesetc. The events section would cover post-ride content as well.Showcase the rich legacy of Royal Enfield and provide companyrelated content that our customers and enthusiasts have alwaysfound very interesting.That’s not all either, because in the near future we are planning otherfantastic additions to the website; starting with being able to pay theregistration fees online for our rides as well and a complete repositoryfor in-demand Royal Enfield videos; just few of the features we areworking on. I look forward to hearing from your soon regarding yourexperience at www.royalenfield.com and my team will be workingconstantly, using your feedback to make the website better.Additionally we also opened our new service center and 1stservice training center on OMR in Chennai last week. This comes asa definitive step from our side to train the mechanics in the repairand maintenance of the new generation Unit Construction engines.We have taken this step based on your need to have more trainedmechanics around to attend to your bikes. We are also in the processof opening the 2nd training center in Chandigarh which would caterto the Northern regions and mechanics thereof. Not only do thesecenters give an opportunity to more and more mechanics gettingtrained and certified as Royal Enfield technicians they shall also haveshort technical courses for enthusiast customers to enable them tounderstand the nuances of their Royal Enfield motorcycle.With the announcement of the new factory we are definitely lookingat increasing production and bringing more motorcycles for you withtime. In addition, the new website and the training centres shallform part of our steady effort to enrich your overall Royal Enfieldexperience. Until next time, Keep Riding and don’t forget to strapyour helmet every time you ride.CheersShaji KoshySenior Vice President (Sales & Marketing)Royal EnfieldIf you would like to contribute to THE BEAT email us at schavan@royalenfield.com E D I T O R I A L T E A M Shaji Koshy, Sachin Chavan, Praveen P Sathaye2

UPCOmInG RIDESRoyal Enfield Tour of Nepal 2011After venturinginto the desolateRann Of Kutch,conquering themighty Himalayas andexploring the lush greenKonkan region in the rains,Royal Enfield rides into theland of the mystical Buddhaand the world’s bravestwarriors. Ride across theborder for the 11-day Tourof Nepal this Septembertravelling across the mostscenic mountains forming thefamous Annapurna rangeswhere you shall see the world’sdeepest gorge. Witness historywhen you visit the birthplaceof the Buddha; and experiencethe wilderness in the Chitwanand Bardiya sanctuaries. Thisride would start from andend at Lucknow and shallcross the border into Nepalat Dhangadhi. Traverse theboundary between heaven andearth on this unique journey ofsorts; the Royal Enfield Tourof Nepal.TheiTinerarysepT 21sT – oCTober1sT 2011: 11 DaysluCkNow • DhaNGaDhi• barDiya • bhairahawa• pokhara • jomsom• pokhara • kaThmaNDu• ChiTwaN • bhairahawa• luCkNow3

RIDEr maniaRoyal Enfield’sAnnual Biker Festin Goa happens inthe November eachyear. For three days, hundredsof Royal Enfield riders from allover the country will convergeat The Hill Top, Vagator inGoa for the Royal EnfieldRider Mania 2011 to celebrate‘The Thump that Binds’ themtogether. The event in its ninthedition is the one where you4Royal Enfield Rider Mania 2011meet passionate like-mindedRoyal Enfield fans, swap ridestories, discuss motorcycles, andpit your skills against each otherin competitive events like DirtTrack Racing, Trials, Slow Race,Arm Wrestling and the unique‘Carry your Royal Enfield’ event.For shutterbugs we also havea photography contest. TheCustom Bike competition shallsee the best of metal and chromecome down from all over toGoa to entice the crowd withuniquely built and painted RoyalEnfield motorcycles.After sundown the partybegins with rock bands andDJs belting out some cool musiclate into the Goan night. Othermajor attractions would be theaccess to rare Royal Enfieldliterature and video footagefrom the archives and genuineRoyal Enfield merchandise.There would be stalls sellinggear, tattoo artists and lotsmore which would ensure thatyou carry back something moreapart from just fond memoriesof the Royal Enfield RiderMania 2011.This is one event whichneither you nor your RoyalEnfield would want to miss outon. So pack your bags, checkyour bike and head out for RoyalEnfield Rider Mania when allroads lead to Goa.

RIDEr maniaTheitineraryNovember 20113 DaysGOA5

UPCOMING RIDESREGISTRATIONS OPEN 16th AUGUSTTour of RajasthanTheitineraryOCTOBER 8thto 17th 2011jaipur • mahansar • bikaner•jamba • jaisalmer • tanot• sam • jodhpur • marwarfestival • kumbhalgarh •pushkar • jaipurThe Royal EnfieldTour of Rajasthanis a ride far off thebeaten track thatprovides you with a uniqueriding experience full ofchallenges and the fun andadventure of discoveringRajasthan on your RoyalEnfield. The Tour of Rajasthanpromises to test your gritand build your talent on thefamed deserts just as theHimalayan Odyssey does in themountains. Commencing fromJaipur on 8th Oct 2011, thisride shall be one experience allriders would treasure for life.On this ride the riders willget to pay homage to the BulletBaba (Om Banna) - a templedevoted to a Royal EnfieldBullet, will ride over some ofthe best tarmac in the countryand will pass through thefamous border roads markingthe 1971 battlefields, theWaterloo of Pakistani tankswhere their Royal Enfieldmotorcycles will perhaps be theonly civilian vehicles passingthrough.We have charted routesthat very few people ever rideon with an exciting mix ofdesolate yet smooth roadsthat stretch straight into thehorizon, rustic country roadswith surprise sand patches andeven more surprised villagerswatching at the thunderingriders in amazement. The routeshall also traverse throughsome exciting hills and ancientmountain ranges, shifting sanddunes and even a flat dry saltlake.The ride will coincide withthe colourful Marwar Festivalof Jodhpur where thousandscongregate from all over theworld. Delicious Rajasthanimeals and breathtakingmonuments are a treat atalmost every stop. The remoteroutes that we shall ride onare often not even marked onany map. Special emphasis isgiven on safety in every aspectof this ride especially giventhe tricky and difficult terrain.With medical and mechanicalhelp available at hand, theriders are always within closeassistance if ever needed. Onthis adventure, Royal Enfieldwill have its experienced pilotsguiding the riders to cope withthe weather and the terrain.6

Royal Enfieldannounces newplant in Tamil NaduNEWSRoyal Enfield has undertakento expand its current productioncapacity owing to the growingdemand for its motorcycles worldwide.Being one of the first autocompanies that entered Chennaiin 1955, at Royal Enfield, we arepleased to announce that thenew plant will also be in Chennai.The Tamil Nadu Government hasallotted us land at the SIPCOT IndustrialGrowth Centre, Oragadamfor building the new Royal Enfieldplant. The proposed Royal Enfieldplant, spread over 50 acres, isslated for completion by the firstquarter of 2013. Once completed,the new plant will increaseRoyal Enfield’s current capacityof 70,000 units per annum to1,50,000 units per annum.The new plant will beequipped to produce the entireproduct range of Royal Enfieldmotorcycles. For Royal Enfield,expanding in Chennai comes withseveral advantages. Proximity toour existing plant in Tiruvottiyurwill bring synergies for the supplychain as well as our existinghuman capital. Further, Chennai’sgrowing importance in the globalautomotive industry combinedwith the effective auto-eco systemat Oragadam will augment ourgrowth curve.Royal Enfield’s TiruvottiyurFactory gets a new Paint ShopRoyal Enfield Regional SupplierMeet at Bangalore and DelhiThe Regional Supplier Meet was organized at Bangalore on 13th August2011 and at Delhi on 29th August 2011. Twenty nine suppliers of Bangalore,Hosur, Coimbatore and thirty nine suppliers of Delhi, Punjab andHaryana participated in this meet respectively.This event was presided over by Dr Venki Padmanabhan–CEO, Mr BGovindarjan–Sr VP (Industry), Mr N Krishnan–Sr VP (Product Design &Development), Mr N Shaji Koshy–Sr VP (Marketing) and Mr N Baskaran–GM (Materials).Mr Baskaran welcomed the entire supplier community followed bya presentation by Mr Govindarajan on the first six months productionperformance in 2011 and next six months fixed plan and tentative plansof 2012 and 2013. He also emphasized the focus on Quality and RE’s SQAteam formation and its role and the expectation from the supplier on theRE Quality journey. Mr Krishnan spoke on the new product’s overall planand the supplier collaboration requirements. Mr Shaji Koshy spoke on themarket scenario and how the customer expectations are changing. FinallyDr Venki spoke on the RE brand and the need for suppliers to be theintegrated system in the overall development of RE.There was an active Question and Answer session and all suppliers feltthe positivism and the pace at which they have to support RE.Constructed at a cost of around 3.5 crores, the new paint shopat the Tiruvottiyur plant definitely is going to be instrumental inincreasing the production capacity of the factory to meet the heavydemand for our motorcycles. This new pain shop was planned outafter understanding that painted parts were becoming a bottleneckin quick production cycles. This new facility will also reducedependence on outsourced partners/vendors for painted parts.Production at the new paint shop started in June 2011 and by Julya full 2 shifts started operating out of here churning out tanks, toolboxes, mudguards, side panels etc in full spree. The new paint shopcan easily cater to close to 2000 parts painted in a day and in syncwith the earlier existing paint shop shall be able to contribute tosignificant production increases.7

NEWSTweet Up: Royal Enfield has beenvery active on twitter, constantlyconversing with customers, riders,enthusiasts and fans and sharingwith them interesting informationand updates from the legendarymarque. As part of our initiatives ontwitter we have conducted a few“tweet-ups”, (meet-ups of peopleon twitter). These tweet-ups havetaken place at our Brand Storesand our factory in Chennai but weplan to take it to other cities also.These events give our followersan opportunity to have a closerexperience with the legendarymotorcycles and see the marvellousmachines for themselves. Italso helps Royal Enfield understandwhat the expectations are from thetwitterverse.Monsoon MadnessThis annual event that happens around Satara calls for bikers to get theirmachines out in the pouring rains and make their way through thick mud,slush, broken tarmac and puddles. Aptly called Monsoon Madness this yearthe event took place on 7th August 2011 and entered its 6th year. Throughthe ride a lot of riders lost their balance and got stuck in slush where theyused sheer muscle power to pull the bikes out. Even the 4x4 recoveryvehicles had their fair share of being stuck. 18 riders from the Pune BulletClub Roadshakers rode to Satara to be part of this adventure and after agruelling day’s ride rode back to Pune.Race to theCloudsThe ‘Race to the clouds’ also calledNandi Hill Climb took place on the2nd,3rd and 4th Aug 2011 withmore than 140 entries for bikesand 80 entries for cars. It had aseparate class for Royal Enfieldmotorcycles and prominent ridersfrom all over competed for thetop spots. 1st place was baggedby Junaid setting a time of 1‘40”with Rohan Pimpley coming a close2nd at 1‘43” and Baljeet Gill at 3rdplace with a timing of 1‘47”.Allthree winning motorcycles wereLB 500s.8Force India Chief Tuner VisitsRoyal Enfield Chennai PlantA surprise visitor to our Chennai factory was Mr Damian Le Breuilly, thechief tuner of the F1 racing team Force India. Besides exchanging a fewideas with our Product Development executives he also took a tour of thefactory and needless to say did come out impressed with the way themachines are painstakingly put together creating the legendary motorcycle.His affection for the motorcycle is evident from the fact that he has alreadyplanned to buy one for himself, and proudly sports the navy blue RoyalEnfield T-shirt he got here in Chennai.

featured dealerGG Motors,MaduraiGGMotorsGG Motors is one of the leadingRoyal Enfield dealershipsin the southern part of Indiaand has been instrumentalin not only catering to sales but also tocultivate the spirit of adventure and leisureriding amongst Royal Enfield customers.Jointly run by the two partners,KG Athilingam, and KG Venkatesan,this dealership is based out of the templecity of Madurai.KG Athilingam is a graduate in Economicsfrom Madurai Kamaraj University.After completion of the degree, hejoined as Head of Sales in the erstwhileRoyal Enfield dealership. Subsequent to theclosure of the then RE dealership, he decidedto forge ahead on his own. Absolute knowledgeabout the product, thorough understandingand a passion towards the brandled him taking up the control and ownershipof the Royal Enfield showroom giving birthto GG Motors, an authorized 3S dealer forRoyal Enfield at Madurai in 2003. He hasan interesting story to share regarding theopening of the showroom, when 3 days priorto the opening the principal bank which hadassured them of the loan turned down the offerand they had to move pillar to post to getthe show up and running in the remainingdays. They did it and the showroom was thetalk of the town after the grand inauguration.The initial days were difficult but withmore and more young people turning towardsBullets, they saw a growth from a saleof 5 bikes per month to more than 75 bikes amonth over past few years. GG Motors todayis poised to open yet another branch in theheart of Madurai city to better facilitate theRoyal Enfield enthusiasts. The journey hasbeen tough but hard work, dedication andthe sheer love for the legendary marque hasdefinitely paved the way for growth.KG Venkatesan a Diploma holder in textiletechnology was working in a textile millfor 3 years, but infected by the passion anddedication shown by his brother he decidedto join hands with him.G Motors strongly believe that in orderto succeed they need to keep the customer/enthusiast delight always at the top of theirmind as their philosophy for success. Strictadherence to norms, rules and standardshave additionally contributed to the steadyperformance and their individual style andmethodology with which they address anyrequirement brought forward by the customerwhich differentiates them in a uniquemanner. In the 2010 GG Motors have baggedthe all India 2nd position for Best ServicePerformance Award – non capital markets –this was a direct result of what they believe inand what they do.Also called the Madurai Brothers, the twomen at the helm of GG Motors have alwaysbelieved in giving a different experienceto their customers wheneverthey visit the showroom, should itbe for buying or servicing. With theresult an expectation has been developedamong the customer’s mindthat they will see something new andinteresting. Currently the showroomboasts of an air conditioned soundproofcustomer lounge with a specialsee-through glass section fromwhere they can see their bikes beingattended to.They have also set up a mobile servicevan – a Maruti Omni has beenrefurbished with a mini mobile latheand a spare parts shelf with a completeset of tools. In addition to thisthey also offer pick up and drop facilityfor motorcycles which need to beserviced. They also have a dedicatedspare bike which can be extended tocustomers whose bike is undergoingrepair and they are in urgent need. Toadd to the customer experience theyalso offer on-the-spot breakdown service torescue any stranded biker on the road.Their enthusiasm has been the force behindtheir individual riding initiatives whichhas also led to the formation of a Bullet club,by the name Royal Pandiyas right out of thedealership itself. They also have completeriding gear on sale for the enthusiast who isseriously pursuing motorcycling.By creating such a customer experienceand continuous improvement in the workingenvironment, they have managed to ensuretheir sales and service revenue graph is alwaysrising. They feel they have achieved thisonly through the steady performance and assistanceof their sincere and able staff.9

nEWSROYAL ENFIELD'S NEW DEALERSNew dealerships were recently addedto the ever growing Royal Enfieldnetwork. Some more additions to theservice network were also in the formof new state-of-the-art workshops atsome of our established dealers.1 FALCON AUTOMOBILESYamuna Nagar, Haryana2 SANGAM AUTOMOBILESSahibabad, Uttar Pradesh3 VOYAGE MOTORSUdaipur, Rajasthan4 RL AUTOMOBILES, Siwan, Bihar5 SHALIMATH ENGINEERS,Hubli, Karnataka1TOP 10DEALERSAPR '11 - JUNE '11Dhone AutomobilesPuneHSR ServicesBangaloreSoniya Motors Pvt. LimitedMumbai23Teknik MotorsBangaloreShahila Expositions Pvt.LtdGuwahatiLamba Enterprise Pvt. Ltd.New Delhi4105New Training CentresRoyal Enfield opened two state-of-the-art training centres inthe month of July in Chandigarh and Chennai respectively.These centres shall be offering certifi cation to workshoptechnicians and free lance mechanics after they undertake thecourses and clear the test after the training. The certifi cationshall be valid for a period of 3 years. In the longer run thesecourses shall also be offered out to customers/enthusiastswho would want to undertake this course. The training shallbe provided on the current range of UCE powerplants as wellas maintenance of the older engines also. The courses wouldrange from basic technician courses to even refresher andadvance courses for the new unit Construction Engines. Besidesthese there would be targeted courses for electrical, fuelmanagement and other allied engine systems.If you wish to receive The Beat,email your name and postal addresswith contact phone number toppsathaye@royalenfield.comSouthern MotorsChennaiManmohan Sales CorporationParwanooAmar AutoNew DelhiSouth Delhi MotorcyclesNew Delhi

MOTOR SHOWPrize winningMeteorSidecar ridesCrowd at the Open weekendGordon MayRoyal EnfieldOpen WeekendJune 25th – 26th 2011,United KingdomNow firmlyestablished inthe motorcyclingcalendar, RoyalEnfield’s Open Weekendattracted over 2000 visitors tothe Watsonian Squire factoryin the Cotswolds over 25th-26th June. On the brightlysunny summer’s day peopletook full advantage of the fleetof demonstrator machinesavailable and more than 250test rides were taken, expertlyguided around local roads bythe Cheltenham and CotswoldAdvanced Motorcyclists. Ridesin the Royal Enfield/GP Manxsidecar combination, featuredrecently in BBC Springwatch,were in constant demand, with150 passengers enjoying theirfirst experience of a trip in achair. This has perhaps alsobeen as a result of the sidecarcontraption being popular dueto the Harry Potter movies inwhich it starred.There was considerableinterest in the new Bullet500, set to sell at £3995 onthe road, which was unveiledto British customers forthe first time at the event.Other attractions includedmotorcycle adventurer, authorand Royal Enfield expertGordon May, who is preparingto ride his 1953 Bullet from theNorth Cape in Norway to theSouth Cape of Africa next year.MAG generated much supportfor the Get a Grip campaignthat is promoting safer draincovers and trials ace and ISDTgold medallist Johnny Brittain(pictured) dropped by on theSaturday and talked to masterof ceremonies Jim Reynoldsabout his successful yearsriding Royal Enfields.Shipston-on-Stour SeaThe legend: Johnny BrittainScouts were kept busy in therefreshment tent, serving 350portions of their now famouscurry, not to mention countlessbacon baps and sausagebutties.Prizes were awarded forthe best motorcycles riddento the factory. On Saturdaya rare 1953 Royal EnfieldMeteor Twin won the prizeand impressed the crowdassembled there.11

WEB WORlDKrishna MohanShashank ChoureyRainy RidEPHoToConTEsTOn our Facebook and Twitter channels wehad announced a Rainy Day Ride Photo contestto celebrate the advent of the monsoon.The response was overwhelming with manyfans sending in their photographs. Winnersgot T-shirts from Royal Enfield.Akhil SabuNirmesh ChauhanBhagvath AnandAditya RanjanBhagvath AnandManjunath RN12

WEB WORLDBharat JagdaleDeepak SharmaManjunath RNAditya RanjanBhagvath AnandNikhil KuriakoseKeith BrettellAditya RanjanKrishna Mohan13

HIMALAYAN ODYSSEYRoyal EnfieldHimalayan14

odyssEy 2011TEXT By adaRsH saXEna. PHoToGRaPHs By VaRioUs ConTRiBUToRsCome summer when the passes are cleared and the roads areopened, the land of the highest passes in the world opens up toa different audience. This is when one of the most scenic highwaysin the country beckons to adventurers all over the worldto come and experience the thrill. Yes, we are talking aboutthe legendary Manali-Leh highway which despite stretchingfor all of 480kms (don’t let the numbers confuse you) offersmuch more to a motorcyclist than any other highway in theworld. Endless twisties, all sorts of terrain—tarmac, gravel,sand, slush and a bunch of cold water crossings—you name it and you have it. Not justthat, this highway is actually the gateway to the most beautiful place on planet Earththat I know of—Ladakh!For more then past seven years, a bunch (read BIG bunch) of Royal Enfield enthusiastshave been riding on this very road to get to Khardung La in the form of theHimalayan Odyssey! This year the epic ‘mother of all rides’ Himalayan Odyssey 2011,similar to the earlier years, saw the number of riders swelling up again; 72 to be precise.After months of planning for the ride, most of us met each other on the morningof 24th June for the introductions, briefing, scrutiny and the physical fitness test. Ridinga motorcycle through some of the highest passes in the world for two whole weekscoupled with the unpredictable nature of the terrain at hand and the weather demandsa level of physical fitness that this test aims to check. Following the fitness test we spent15

HIMALAYAN ODYSSEYa busy day with riding gear and motorcyclescrutiny, and getting our T-shirts, caps andother goodies. As the day ended the feelinghad already started to settle in that the rideof a lifetime started the next dayAfter a night of nervous sleep, we wokeup early in the morning on the 25th, loadedthe luggage truck and rode in formation tothe historical India Gate to find hordes ofother Royal Enfield enthusiasts, media andfriends/family of riders for the HimalayanOdyssey 2011 flag-off. After some words ofencouragement from Royal Enfield CEO,Dr Venki, the ride was flagged off amidstmuch fanfare. With the mountains on ourmind we rode 260kms of the Delhi-Chandigarhhighway in a mere 6 hours, bunchingup in smaller groups on the outskirtsand rode into the city. A good warm-up ridefor the most of us, we were just starting toget to know each other.The next day, we woke up to a wet Chandigarhand out came the rain gear. Someriders were anxious and some had the mischievousgrin on their faces but everybodywas up for the challenge—little did we knowthat we had an entire rain-soaked day ofriding! The transition from the plains intothe hills was brilliant and with every passingkilometre, the sights got better. Despitethe rain, cameras came out of the bag andthe shutterbugs definitely seemed happy.The rear end of the group reached Manalia little after dusk. At dinner the riders satdown to recollect how the plains were behindthem now and how the days ride hadprepared the whole group for the days tocome—starting with the most popular passof them all the Rohtang Pass!Rohtang Pass, at an altitude of 13,051ftis a major tourist attraction and almost everytourist who comes into Manali does visitRohtang. As a result of this the roads leadingup to the pass are always chock-a-blocwith tourist vehicles and the unpredictablerain (sometimes snow) doesn’t help! We too,had a share of this and were stuck for a fewhours leading up to Rohtang, not to forgetthe tough time manoeuvring through theslushy terrain but what lay on the otherside of the pass was beyond words. Theentire landscape changed with a 360° ‘pictureperfect’ scene. After a stop at Koksar,we reached the fuel station at Tandi. Andif you do miss out on tanking up here, thenext filling station on the road is availableonly at Karu, all of 365kms away! The riderstanked up here and split into two groupswith one staying in Keylong and the otherat Tandi Camp.We woke up on 28thto a cold morning and whatlay ahead was a day whichwas to take the wind out ofmost of us. We were to ride from Keylong toSarchu and over the mighty Baralacha La(16,040ft). Like each day on the HimalayanOdyssey, the riders were briefed aboutthe challenges that lay ahead. After thequick re-group at the police check post inDarcha, the riders moved ahead towardsone of the many water crossings en routeto Sarchu. Water crossings if not dealt withskill, probably can be the worst nightmarefor riders. With a few hiccups, plenty of adviceand some help at hand eventually allthe riders made it through the water crossings,crossed Baralacha La and rode on toBharatpur. This place is all but 50 metresin length and has about 10 gypsy tentsscattered on either sides of the road. Mostriders got into the tents, feasted on chocolates,soups, the legendary Maggi and dalchawal!The ride from Bharatpur to Sarchuwas fairly easy and we arrived at the campwith a good 3 hours of day light to spare.This was also the day the team doctor onthe Himalayan Odyssey had a field day. Nosooner did we arrive at camp, the doctorhad to swing into action with some riderscomplaining of breathlessness and nausea.The camp at Sarchu, at 14,074 feet was incidentallythe highest where we stayed whileon the Odyssey.On 29th we first tanked up again (fuelthat the support team had carried along forus) and were all set for the longest ride ofthe Odyssey, Sarchu to Leh. The days ride,apart from being the longest also has itsfair share of highlights. From the high-altitudesand tracks of the More plains to the21-hairpin bends of the Gata Loops and thethree mighty Himalayan passes we reachedthe gateway to Leh. We had to literally pushourselves after scaling Tanglang La, thesecond highest pass in the world and theregroup at Upshi. By evening we rode intothe town of Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Thenext day was a scheduled rest day where theriders had time to recuperate and explorethe town.1st of July was perhaps going to be daywhich all the riders would cherish for therest of their lives, this was the ride up toKhardung La. After the two-hour ride wereached the highest motorable road in theworld. The feeling was of joy and triumph.The sight of 72 jubilant riders with thumpingmachines and clenched fists pointed atthe sky had left the other tourists wonderingwhat it takes to come on a bike. Afterclicking pictures and the customary teaat the Army-run canteen, we moved on toNorth Pullu en route to Hunder, a village inNubra valley. It felt as if we were suddenlyin some other part of the world, it was verydifferent from the scenes and landscapeswe were now used to seeing. Nubra is famousfor its sand dunes and also the doublehumped camels. The next, we rode back toLeh and thus rode over Khardung La again.This gave the riders another opportunity toget clicked. Now the riders had started tobecome comfortable with the terrain andwe reached Leh in the early afternoon.3rd July saw us start the second leg ofour ride. We rode a comfortable 170kms toPicturesque Ladakh16

The 3 Lead riders.Resting atop a mountain passWater CrossingHelp always at handOnwards to KalpaHomestay at DemulBaralach-LaEntering Losar17

HIMALAYAN ODYSSEY18

HIMALAYAN ODYSSEYTanglang-LaRocky roadsTso Kar or the white lake. We climbed themighty Tanglang La again and also made astopover in More Plains for the customaryHimalayan Odyssey group picture, anotherpicture which we are going to cherish fora long time to come. We stayed in mobiletents and ate in the small but warm diningtents set up for us. We were campingjust off the majestic Tso Kar and the strongwinds ensured we were inside the diningtents. We called it a night earlier than usualand packed off in our warm tents. FromTso Kar we headed back to Keylong coveringa total of 230kms. We rode over threepasses Nakee La, Lachlung La and the notoriousBaralacha La for the second time20Riding into Sarchuto get to Keylong. We also encountered thesame water crossings that we saw earlier,but because of the now increased level ofconfidence and better riding techniques,the riders could cross them without anydifficulty. We made it to Keylong beforesundown and prepared for what lay aheadthe toughest terrain and the most fun rideof the Odyssey. 5th July saw us move outof the Ladakh region and enter the SpitiValley of Himachal. The destination forthe day was Kaza, the capital of the Spitivalley. We rode out early post the briefing,regrouped at Koksar and turned off froma village called Gramphu for the Spiti Valley.The terrain and landscape changedremarkably here as this route had neverseen tarmac and was filled with rocks,sometimes boulders, long (and deep) watercrossings and some really tight bends.We re-grouped at this small village calledBatal for lunch and rode into Spiti valley acouple of hours before sundown.Some of the bikes had taken a beatingand the rest day on 6th at Kaza gave usenough time to get them fixed. The town ofKaza was also in its full glory with peoplecoming out on the streets performing traditionalart and dance forms to celebratethe birthday of the Dalai Lama this day. Agroup of 26 riders rode out to a small villageoutside of Kaza called Demul for a homestayexperience. At Demul, some hoppedonto the gentle but gigantic Yaks on a safariwhile some learnt how to make momos attheir respective homes and spent the nightwith the locals.The next three days the Himalayan Odysseyrumbled through Kalpa, Narkandaand Parwanoo in the hills of Himachal andsaw the landscape change once again. Theoff-road sections gave way to smooth tarmacand endless twisties. The ride was inits 3rd phase and we knew the journey wassoon going to come to an end. On the 10thwe started from Parwanoo and reachedDelhi in the evening, checked ourselvesinto a resort on the outskirts and partiedlate into the night.After 16 days of riding through extremelytough and testing terrain all theriders realized that they had become muchbetter on their bikes. The Himalayan Odysseyis always special for each rider for differentset of reasons, but each one definitelycherishes it for life.

tour of rokRiding through snow covered passes21

Keep ridingThe following rides were organized all over the country under the Keep Riding initiativestarted by Royal Enfield to encourage customers to ride out on their motorcycles.about Ladakh, mountain riding, mountainphotography and more. After a smallride through single and narrow lanes, wereached Aalloa. Some very tough sessionson river bed, sand, loose soil, hard rockswere to simulate riding terrains in Ladakh.Personal training was given on how not toride the clutch, riding technique when stuckin sand; even people had to individually lifttheir own motorcycles to get a feel.For joining our rides from Ahemedabadget in touch with Pradeep Chaurasiya atpchaurasiya@royalenfield.comLog Out Ride to Neemranaand Behror A Log Out was organised with the peoplefrom Sapient in Gurgaon. This ride wasfrom Gurgaon to Neemrana and furtheronwards to Behror. A total of 21 riders werethere on this ride and each of them had aunique experience to share after the ride.Their excitement was high owing to theirexperience on the Classic 500 which all ofthem found was a fun bike to ride besidescruising comfortably on the road the wholedistance.For joining our rides from Delhi get intouch with Anil Goyal atagoyal@royalenfield.comRide from Kolkatato Tajpur Prasanta Barik from Kolkata organised aride to Tajpur, one of the famous beaches22TajpurNeemranaalong the Bay of Bengal, 175 km away fromKolkata. Nine enthusiastic Royal Enfieldriders rode to this exotic location; some ofthem for the first time over such a long distance.The riders thoroughly enjoyed theride as was evident from the pictures.For joining our rides from Kolkata getin touch with Prasanta Barik atzzpbarik@royalenfield.comRide from Ahemedabad toAalloa Hills This ride was the ‘on road practical’ partof our Himalayan Week that Royal Enfieldhad organized to educate aspiring ridersAalloa HillsRide from Ahemedabad toRatan Mahal sanctuary In brief this ride had a wild life sanctuary;long and lonesome country roads; widesweeping foot peg scraping country roads,an awesome off-road stretch and a magnificentview after that. This was a trip mostof the riders will remember as the 1st rideof Royal Enfield’s new Lead Rider Swaroopwherein he did the recce, lead the actualride and superbly managed everything.This ride took off one early morning fromAhmedabad and rode across highways andsome country roads, no mobile network andfun. As part of the ride the participants alsocamped in Tents over the afternoon andreturned home refreshed with their experienceFor joining our rides from Ahemedabadget in touch with Pradeep Chaurasiya atpchaurasiya@royalenfield.comRide from Ahemedabad toBandiya Beli The place is not even marked on GoogleMaps. That would probably be the best wayto describe the unexplored nature of thistrip. 220 kms from Ahmedabad, situatednear Chotila, Bandya Beli is a jungle in theoutskirts of a village named Thangadh. Allkinds of terrains, from the four lane tarmacsof the highways to completely off road,greeted the riders and tested their skill. Thejungle in itself was a treat to explore and therains made it a perfect weather for everyone.A peaceful weekend off away from thecivilization made it a treat and riders keptasking for more.

keep ridingPunjapuraRatan MahalBelumKudremukhaBelum23

keep ridingFor joining our rides from Ahemedabadget in touch with Pradeep Chaurasiya atpchaurasiya@royalenfield.comRide from Ahemedabad toKumbhalgarh A widely anticipated ride, this trip wastermed as best by many riders. The trip wasso activity laden that even a brief mentionof each activity would require quite manywords. The ride was characterised by opentwisting highways, exploring forgottenforts, some off-road sessions, a short hillclimb, sitting beside serene lakes, riding inheavy rains, rappelling down a fort wall,rock climbing, trekking, walking across the2nd largest wall in the world, deep junglesafari, bird watching, camping in tents, enjoyinglocal folk dance, and the company ofrain soaked nature. Not to forget the Rajasthanifood added to an experience markedby loads of fun and adventure.For joining our rides from Ahemedabadget in touch with Pradeep Chaurasiya atpchaurasiya@royalenfield.comKudremukhaRide from Indore toPunjapura Punjapura is located 90 kms from Indoresurrounded by mountain and dense forest.The approach to this place is a single laneroad with sharp bends curves and interestingghat sections namely Jalebi ghat andBheru ghat. The beautiful place situated inthe middle of the jungle called Flame of theforest with a pond, furnished tents and deliciousfood. The riders also explored the jungleand did an adventurous river crossing,rode over the hill and even on very narrowpath. The pristine place was untouched,where no petrol driven vehicle was takenbefore. And after enjoying the experiencethe riders left is just as they had found it,clean and de-littered.For joining our rides from Indore getin touch with Puneet Singh Banga atpsbanga@royalenfield.comRide from Indore toChikhaldara ChikhaldaraPunjapuraKudremukhaThis is the longest and first inter-stateride of this region. Chikhaldara was a newplace for most riders. The group started at4.30.am from Indore to cover the distanceof around 400kms to Chikhaldara, a hillstationat the border of M.P. and Maharash-24

keep ridingBelumRide from Hyderabad toBelum caves NeemranaBandiya BeliThe Royal Enfield team organised a rideto Belum caves from the Hyderabad BrandStores. The ride was significant as even theregional head Mr Vikas Gautam joinedin the ride along with the customers. Thedestination was the famous undergroundBelum caves and the route took them oversome interesting highways and rural dirtroads also. It was also a great interactivesession for customers to talk to the RoyalEnfield staff. Three customers who wereon this ride immediately chose the HimalayanOdyssey as their next ride and wentfor it thus proving how these ‘Keep Riding’initiatives help in promoting adventure andleisure riding.For joining our rides from Hyderabadget in touch with Vikas Gautamvgautam1@royalenfield.comBelumtra, surrounded by Melghat Tiger ReserveSanctuary. We had our first stop at the littledhaba near Narmada River at 7.30 am.Enchanting temple bells, sadhu snan andhuge Narmada river. They also went offroadto see forgotten historic monuments ofthe Mughals, near Burhanpur. After ridingthrough towns and small villages, the ridersentered the forest area with a long straightroad in between. As they rode uphill the surroundingswere so quiet that for kilometresaway they could distinctly hear the thumpof every Bullet riding up. The next day ridersrode back in a systematic formation onthe highway to Indore.For joining our rides from Indore getin touch with Puneet Singh Banga atpsbanga@royalenfield.comRide from Bangalore toKudremukha Ride to Kudremukha: This ride took theriders on their Royal Enfields to the hillsthrough some dense plantations and somehilly terrain and off-roading tracks in April2011. The riders set off from the BangaloreBrand Store in the early morning and aftergetting out of the city via NICE road andMagadi Road, they stopped for the customarymorning chai. The route took them furtheron through Kunigal towards Hassan.The riders were led by Prasad who ensuredthat the riders were careful and circumspectwhile negotiating the narrow ghat roads especiallyaround Chikmaglur. The riders alsotraversed a chellenging and slithery 8 kmlong jeep track where they put their brakingand clutch operating skills to test and triedto get maximum traction from their bikes toget the better of this thrilling road.For joining our rides from Bangalore getin touch with Abin Varghese atavarghese@royalenfield.com25

ider profileGirl on a MotorcycleRiding started for Ela Johri when,as a 14-year-old, she got introducedto motorcycling in theform of a Yezdi. Since then therehas been no looking back. She has tried andridden every possible bike she came across.Three years back she was introduced to theRoyal Enfield. Having never ridden one shefelt that it would be quite a difficult bike tohandle but she found out that the Royal Enfieldwas much better than anything else shehad ridden before. The bike she rode was theLightning 535 with a kick start. From thenon no other bike has come even close to hermind while riding. It was the experience, thethrill, the challenge of riding this motorcycletook her along on a self discovery journey.Having cruised around Western Ghats andEastern Ghats for thousands of kilometresand she confesses to have been was totallystruck by lightning!Practice, practice and more practice;26seems to be her riding mantra. She stronglyfeels that in order to master any art constantpractice is the key. Same goes with motorcycling.She feels she has matured over theperiod of time, understanding the machineand synchronising herself to its heartbeat.It’s all about going with the beat, the thump.After her recent ride, the Himalayan Odysseyshe now considers herself as a reformedrider, having successfully conquered themighty Ladakh terrain.Today she rides a 500 cc Lean Burn Machismo,one of the most popular motorcyclesmade in 500 cc segment. She feels that althoughit doesn’t offer the cast iron engineand thump but what it offers is riding agilityand a powerful torque. She feels, onecan always trust the Machismo to take youthrough everything. Also, everyone just fallsin love with the chrome. After taking herbike to Ladakh on the Himalayan Odyssey,she has come to love it more and more witheach passing day as it never failed her in anysituation.Ela’s future plan now is to ride across differentand challenging terrain, exploring incredibleIndia on her motorcycle and understandingher Royal Enfield inside out.

CLUBThe ‘Bulleteers’Biking is living; everything else isjust waiting! This is the mantraof Bulleteer, a Royal Enfield riders’club based out of Bangalore.Founded in 2008, Bulleteer has over a hundredactive Royal Enfield riders and a cultfollowing in the city, cultivated through aseries of interesting rides and a host of commendablephilanthropic activities. Bulleteerwas an idea born out of a passionate bunchof Royal Enfield enthusiastswho thought of a way to dispelthe popular assumptions aboutbiking in general and Bullets inparticular. Bulleteers believein sustainable growth and responsibleenjoyment and to enablethis very foundation, do alot of activities with social impact.With five long rides to their credit andthree expeditions to Ladakh, Bulleteer isamongst the most active Royal Enfield clubsin Bangalore.A Royal Enfield riders club was the dreamof Arvin Padmanabha, who shared the ideabangalorewith three of his friends, Visakh, Harikrishnaand Sunil. The initial discussion happenedover a beer at the terrace of Arvin’senterprise, CrossWorks in the summer of2008. The idea percolated to the other threelike wild fire. Hari took on the responsibilitiesof legal and compliance issues, Visakhtook over the creatives and design and Sunilcame up with the name Bulleteer, rhymingwith the word Musketeer; a Bulleteer is ado-gooder with a Bullet as hisweapon. Thus Bulleteer wasborn.The first Bulleteer ride tookoff in November 2008; theroute was Bangalore-Coorg-Chikmagalur-Bangalore. Theride was designed as an awarenessevent for the “Need for agreener planet.” A small group of 17 bulletsand 31 people took off early in the morningfrom Bangalore tailed by a crew car whichhad mechanics, spare parts and first aidkits. Everyone who attended the ride werecomplete strangers at the beginning of thetrip, by the end of the 3-day trip a uniquebond was nurtured which holds strong tilldate. It is a proud achievement to have 16 ofthese men as the “Bulleteer Crew” who takesthe onus of organising the main Bulleteerevent biannually, as well as organise shorterrides on a regular basis.Bulleteer Vol:2 was the ride to protect thewildlife. The route this time was Bangalore-Bandipur-Ooty-Bangalore stretch whichhas a very rich bio-diversity. It was duringthis ride the caption of Bulleteer changedfrom ‘Real Men on Real Bikes’ to accommodatethe fairer sex. The ride was a grand successdespite taking detours which elongatedthe trip by almost 200 kilometres. The fewpeople who were pillion during the ride hadmade strong decisions to buy a Bullet forthemselves by the end of the ride. That wasthe reason the Bulleteer Vol:3, Hampi ridegot sold out. The cause behind the ride waspreservation of culture and history, and 70Bulleteers thumped away to glory to a placewhere every stone has a story to tell.Bulleteer Vol:4 Monsoon ride was the rideto Kudremukh where the riders spent theirtime understanding and supporting an NGOwhich works to protect the bio-diversity ofKudremukh, which is an unique and verydelicate ecosystem. This ride got termed asthe ‘Green Ride’ and all the Bulleteers wereattired in green. The sight of 50 Royal Enfieldsridden by men in green amongst thegreenery of Kudremukh is amongst the mostenthralling images we have in our Bulleteerimage archives. Then came the blue ride,the winter ride to Walparai, Bulleteer Vol:5.The ride was accentuated by the forest conservationactivities done by 40 Bullets and60 Bulleteers in the beautiful hills and ghatsections of Walparai, a bio-diversity park.It’s now time for the sixth edition of theevent and it has been titled Bulleteer-Monsoonride. This time the beasts are roaring foranother beast, the cause for Bulleteer Vol-6being tiger conservation. Already the necessarytie-ups are made with the Wildlife ConservationCrew, a team set out to educate theyouth on tiger conservation. The ride wouldbe through Wayanad in Kerala and will treadthe tiger habitats of the Western Ghats.Bulleteer strives to create a fine balancebetween fun and responsibility to make theriders enjoy the good things they do, as wellas experience the joys of riding, nature andBullets!To join Bulleteer contact Arvin Padmanabhaat arvin@bulleteer.com27

flaSH BaCkThe interceptorThe Interceptor was one of the lastmotorcycles to be manufacturedby Royal Enfield in the UK. Itmade its appearance in variousguises between 1960 and 1970. The first Interceptorwas unveiled in 1960 — a modifiedand highly tuned version of theolder Constellation twin,having ironed out some ofthe niggling issues of thatbike. Two years later the 750cc version of the Interceptorcame which kept evolving till endof production around 1970.During the 1960’s, the Americans28needed a motorcycle with a large engine capacitywhich would make high-speed cruisingof the country’s massively long highwaysa breeze. Thus when initially introduced,the Interceptor was sold solely in the USAand Canada and owing to the prefix ‘VAX’on their engine numbers were oftencalled VAX Interceptors.Fed by twin carburettors(except for few early models)these motorcycles also featureda lightened and balancedcrankshaft, hot ‘R’ cams and aracing magneto coil in addition tomany weight saving modifications.The Interceptor S was a scrambler versionof this motorcycle with QD lightswhich could easily change the look of themotorcycle from a road going machine intoa true-blue off-roader. This was specificallytargeted at the off-road competition marketin the USA. However not many scramblerswere sold and most of them got convertedto road trimThe Interceptor started being availablein the British market in 1962, and whentested could easily do a good 108 MPH and

oasted good acceleration. Only a handfulof these bikes survived which makes themone of rarest post-war Royal Enfield motorcycles,and a collector’s delight. Airflowfairings and sidecar fittings were also availablefor this motorcycle.In late 1968, came the Series II Interceptormodel which introduced big changesto the model including a triangle-shapedtiming cover, a true wet sump, lubricationsystem and a revamped clutch. In 1970some extras like the skid plate, air cleaner,oil cooler and seat rail were added withoutincreasing the price. The 1970 advertisementalso showed a young woman in a miniskirt sprawled across the bike. The advertisementboasted of rugged good looks, immaculatehandling and enormous torquethrough the revs, and pointedly stated thatthe Series II Interceptor was for the manwho just doesn’t follow the crowd.Royal Enfield made a prototype SeriesIII Interceptor to replace the Series II. Thebore was enlarged to 73mm to increase theengine capacity to 778cc; it was called the800 Interceptor. However, the companyshut shop in the UK before mass productioncould be realized.29

RIDING TIPSLOOKWHEREYOU WANTTO GO! t e x t by ad a r s h sa x e n aThis is perhaps the one line that youwill hear over and over again fromseasoned riders all over the globe.Each and every time you take yourbike out, this is exactly what you do to go inthe intended direction. You might or mightnot be aware but this is how it works. Ridinga motorcycle is perhaps a chain of eventsthat most riders perform sub-consciously.You ‘look’ to identify what lies ahead in yourtrack. You accelerate if there are no obstaclesor brake if there are any. Let’s try and understandhow we can use this to improve ourriding.The trick is simple; as simple as the headingof this article: “Look where you want togo” or as you will eventually realize that “youwill go where you look”. To ride a bike, we useour hands and legs but what we really needto train to become a better rider is somethingthat lies between the ears—our eyes!Start slowly, look ahead to register whatlies in front of you and your bike. With thisyou will be able to identify if there are obstaclesthat you need to avoid. Now choose a pathor line that avoids these obstacles and look inthe direction of this line. This may not be toomuch of a task when you’ve got a straight roadin front of you but can be tricky when you’reriding a set of corners and you need to changedirection of you bike.When you need to tackle the corners, youwill need to look dead ahead as well as a littleto the side as you change directions. Leadingup to a turn you may have to do severalthings like braking and downshifting buteven as you do this ensure that you look inthe direction where you want to go. This willhelp you in judging the corner. When you lookin the direction of your selected line throughthe corner, your body will perform the actionsthat are required for the motorcycle to moveexactly on that line and in that direction. Onthe other hand, looking at an object not in theline will disturb your motion path and youwill end up riding towards it.A lot of us also ride our motorcycles ingroups and with fellow Royal Enfield club riders.On rides like this you should try to avoidriding too close to one another. This way notonly do you have enough space between theriders but this also helps every rider to lookahead towards the intended path and not directlyat the rider in front.Practice this one thing while riding. Rememberto look ahead, pick your line and lookat this intended direction neglecting objectsthat you want to avoid. Thus remember whileriding:Look In the direction where you want to goat the line you want to follow through acurveAvoid Looking in the direction you don’tplan to go and obstacles like speed-breakers,potholes which are not inyour intended path Looking at the patch of road right infront of your front wheel30

DIYThe chain is one of the most important parts ofyour motorcycle as it works as the drive train.Regular cleaning and lubrication of your chainwill help prevent it from wearing out. If you rideyour motorcycle almost every day then as a goodpractice you must clean/adjust and lube the chainDIYat least once a month.➜ Check the chain forslack. The chain slackshould not be more than 25to 30 mm on top run of thechain. If it is more than therecommended settings, thechances of it slipping off therear sprocket are very highin addition to it wearing outthe rear sprocket. Similarlya chain too tight also haspotential to damage theteeth of the sprockets➜ To adjust chain slack,first remove the rear wheelsplit pin. Loosen the castlenut, spindle nut, anchor nutand brake rod nut.➜ Turn the RH adjustercam in such a way that25 to 30 mm slackness isachieved on top run of thechain.➜ Check for front and rearwheel alignment. Turn theLH adjuster cam in such away that both wheels arealigned properly. Check andensure that the notches onthe cam are resting on thepin in the swing arm onboth sides.➜ Apply brake and tightenall nuts. Finally tighten theanchor nut. Check the brakepedal for free play. If necessary,adjust the brake again.Tighten the lock nut➜ Check the wheel for freerotation. Check chain forplay and clearance.➜ Check surface of chainfor lubrication status andaccumulated grime. If it isdry and has accumulatedgrime, then clean with achain spray. Also oil thechain. Periodically alsoapply grease to the chainto ensure long life of thechain. Do not ride with achain that is too tight, tooloose or too dry.31

mOtORCYClE ROaDSNew Frontiers from the Capital City:dodra-KwarT E X T BY VI R NA K A I • P H O T O G R A P H S BY HA R S H MA N R A IThe heat was rising in peak summerand with despite the advent of themonsoon not much relief couldbe brought to the city. In suchtimes a short distance away from Delhi arethe mighty Himalayas and some unexploredregions which provide the much neededrespite and throw in a little bit of adventuretoo owing to the challenging terrain. SinceJune 2009, when we had heard that a newroad had been constructed to one of the mostremote parts of Himachal Pradesh, Dodra-Kwar, two villages 18kms apart and accessibleonly over the Chanshal Pass (12,600ft);we had been itching to get our bikes out andride there. So this year when we planned oursummer ride to Lahaul-Spiti we chalked outthe route in such a way so we could first ride32to Dodra-Kwar and then move on to Lahaul-Spiti. We all packed our bikes off to Chandigarhrather than Delhi as that was going tobe our starting point saving a precious dayfor riding for in the mountains.We left Chandigarh early and stopped forthe evening at Kharapathar a hamlet 30kmsabove Rohru set in the middle of lush forestsand apple orchards. The next day making ourway down early in the morning from Kharapatharto Rohru via an excellent single laneroad—great valley views and no traffic madeit an awesome way to start the day. Rohru isa busy little town on the banks of the Pabbarriver and we left it behind and rode towardsChirgaon where stopped for one of the manybut one of the best All–You–Can–Eat RajmahChawal lunches. From here onwards is wherethe fun starts. From Chirgoan to ChanshalPass the terrain goes from metalled to dirt torocky to slushy to muddy back to rocky andback to muddy the road will test you of allyour riding skills. The surroundings changedfrom farmland to small villages to thick denseforest and once you break through the treeline you see these awesome slopes which apparentlyare ideal for skiing in the winter.At the top of the pass is a small dhaba builtright into the rock face as the wind here attimes can be at almost gale force and wouldtear away anything that stands in its way. Twochais and many a photograph later we wereready to cross over to the other side into theRupin valley. The road down towards Dodrawas all muddy and wet as the snow had justmelted a few weeks ago. There were a few

Riding to Dodra-Kwarrewards you withmagnificent vistas like thisone of the Pabbar valleyRiding in the Rupin valleyThe slate-roofed village of KwarRiding through thetowering rock walls of theChanshal Passtimes when I found the bike going sidewaysand not straight as I would have liked it togo. A handful of steep/muddy/rocky hairpinturns to negotiate before you once again hitforest cover. The road carried on for a fewkilometres and we came to Dodra (2450m)the last stop of the local bus. The quaint littlevillage is built in a style typical to this regionwith slate roofs and overhanging verandasrunning all around the house. All the housesare still built in wood, stone and slate, as thatis what you find indigenously. Crossing theriver and climbing about 15kms we rode intothe village of Kwar. We rode into the village asthe sun was setting and we caused quite a stiras people looked out of their windows gawkingat these alien-like creatures on these loudbikes wearing funny gear wondering what wewere doing there. The children clapped andlaughed and came close to look at us and ourmachines. Luckily we were well received thereas a friend of a friend of a friend (mountain telegraph)had got us in touch with someone whohad hooked us up in the village. So we had tworooms at the tehsil guest house and the onlydhaba in the village was open and got us hotchai and got a great dal-chawal dinner readyfor us. What we found out much later was thatthe dhaba is only open in the day for the peoplewho work in the police station, bank and thetehsil office but was kept open only for us evenon Sunday. We were so taken aback by the villageand its inhabitants we ended up stayingtwo nights vowing we will be back soon. Fromthere we further rode towards Lahul-Spiti butthat is a whole different story.The 80-odd km ride from Chirgaon to Kwarwas phenomenal and it tested us and our bikesto the hilt. Whatever small problems we facedwe did on those first two days and the bikestook a good beating. The road, or the lack, of ittested all our riding skills as it went from wetto dry, sand to slush, mud to rock, and tarredtarmac to gravel. What really got us was thelack of any traffic on the road. There is a busthat goes to Dodra once a day and maybe onejeep used by locals for supplies. We may havebeen on the road for 15 days but the first fourdays were the best. What a ride! We recommendthis route for all riders who want to escapefurther north of the capital and wouldlove a little bit of adventure thrown in.Know an exotic location which would be best enjoyed on yourfaithful Royal Enfield? Email ppsathaye@royalenfield.com33

REVIEWSThis month it’s Riding Boots all the way:We review two offroad-oriented models offered by Sidi.★ ★ ★ ★Sidi Charger: The Charger isone of the higher end boots in theSidi range. It uses the Sidi SingleFlex system which is essentially ahinged ankle that allows the footto flex up and down easily, whilemaintaining stiffness from side-tosidewhich ensures that the ankledoes not to buckle. The greatestadvantage of this system is that nobreak-in is required for the shoe tolose its stiffness. These boots areso well designed that one can wearit even on a 2500 km ride straightout of the box and still not feel anydiscomfort.The plastic pieces are tough andin all the right places; nothing extraor fancy on this boot, it is all businessand very easy to get on since itopens up wide. The leather areas onthe boot are constructed of a syntheticmaterial called Lorica and areas good as real, if not better; it istough and lasts quite a bit. The bootis not waterproof, but it is prettywater resistant and on the watercrossing en route to Ladakh theyremained dry even when the legwas submersed underwater for wellover half a minute. These particularboots use a Teflon breathable lining,which ensures that any water thatcomes over the top of the boot willnot be retained and it will absorband dry out a lot quicker than mostother boots.The cam-lock buckles are thatthe Charger incorporates as veryuser friendly and they stay closed;they are also easily adjustable andthe adjustments stay put. Since theboot is overall a little less stiff inthe upper portion of the calf, theysuit adventure riding. Overall theboots are lightweight, well fittingand provide you the best protectionyou can buy for your legs at theprice. Available for $ 375 at www.motocrossgiant.com and most otheronline stores— Santhosh Vijay KumarSidi Discovery Rain: TheDiscovery Rain reviewed here isprimarily adventure touring boots—one that can be extensively used onand off-road, putting in long hoursin the saddle. These boots basicallyaim at giving you the protectionclose to that of a motocross bootwithout the bulky, heavy and rigidnature they’re known for.To start with, Sidi rightly claimsthat the Discovery Rain is waterproofand after riding through twocontinuous days of rain and morethan a few above-ankle lengthwater-crossings, these really arewaterproof. They do a fantastic jobin keeping all water out thus keepingyour feet dry and you happy!However, you will have water inyour boots if you plan on standing ina water crossing with knee lengthwater- it will simply sneak in fromthe top of the boot.Unlike touring boots, the34Discovery Rain uses a cam-locksystem with the help of 3 buckles(as compared to 4 on a typicalmotocross boot) on with the usualVelcro. Another problem with somemotorcycle boots, mostly of the motocrosstype, is of the break-in timethat they usually require. Howeverwith the Sidi discovery rain, I hadabsolutely no trouble breaking themin: in fact I didn’t feel a thing. Youcould just take a brand new pair outof the box and leave for a long ridethe next day—that’s how good theyare! Gear shifting is a no frills affairright from day one and like any otherboot, the more time your feet spendin them the more comfortable itbecomes.Available for $325 at www.motocrossgiant.com, www.revzilla.com and other leading riding gearwebsites these definitely are a goodinvestment.— Adarsh Saxena★ ★ ★ ★

WEB WORlDnEWlooKroyal enfield launched thenew avatar of its websitewith some striking newfeatures and functionalities:Some of the highlights of thenew website are: A wide screen experiencewith ‘fluidic’ effect A global website that showcasesall models A myriad of exciting contentlike photos, videos, user addedcontent, blogs, social connectsetc A very user friendly andhassle free navigation throughdifferent sections of the website Personalized sections forDealers on the website making itvery useful for customers An engaging section on rideswith complete details, photos,ride stories etc. Elaborate events sectionwhich would cover post-ridecontent as well. Personalized user page forregistered members where a tiersystem would enable users topublish their accomplishmentson rides. Trivia and related contentthat our customers and enthusiastshave always found veryinteresting Executive Blogs throughwhich people from Royal Enfieldcould share their thoughts andviews with enthusiasts and viceversa Here are a few glimpses ofthe new website. It is accessibleon www.royalenfield.com35