ROya L E N F I E L D I N U Sa

GEaR CHECK

K E E P R I D I N G Ca M Pa I G N

JulY 2010

www.royalenfield.com

to greater

H I M A L AYA N O DY S S E Y 2 0 1 0

heightS

MARKETING NEWSLETTER

kick STarT
and components. Improvement of hygiene of the bike has become the paramount task. Three years of focussed attention to identify corrective actions and implement them in the areas of design, supplier components, inhouse machining and assembly, painting and plating and resolving field issues has yielded substantial improvements and reduced field complaints. Perennial problems of premature engine seizure, joint leakages, silencer rusting, clutch and gear box related problems, starting issues, electrical failures etc. in Bullet, Electra, Machismo and Thunderbird were contained. Stringent controls were introduced in the Shop floor for clearing the supplier components for fitment and machine components for accuracy and for scanning engines and vehicles under PDI prior to despatch. The development and introduction of UCE engine in 2008 has given tremendous opportunity to raise the design quality, process and production quality and also to improve field performance of the engine, many fold. It has resulted in leak-free joints, consistent fuel delivery performance, reliable electricals, highly durable mechanical components that have elevated the quality of engine to a higher paradigm. The sales pitch achieved with UCE engine in Thunderbird is testimony to the quality status. The introduction of Classic 500 and 350 and Electra UCE and Bullet UCE have added to the upward swing of the product quality experienced by the customers. There are well trained quality personnel at Royal Enfield continuously attending to field quality issues, supplier quality requirements, in house quality performance, aesthetics of the vehicle and the new product quality in all respect. Attached to these groups is a team of metal tuners and measurement specialists to continuously improve the engine and vehicle performance The better quality of our vehicles was the result of higher interactions amongst teams, sincere efforts, intelligent directions and skillful executions of all corrective actions. As quality has no top limit, there are always further heights to climb, Royal Enfield has to get obsessed and stay obsessed about it. One of the most important factors for product acceptance, sustenance and higher demand is the quality of the product to the customers. At Royal Enfield, it is well understood that a market is never saturated with a good product, but it is very quickly saturated with a bad product and the purpose of our business is to create and keep a customer for generations. K P Nair, Vehicle Programme Management, Royal Eneld kpnair@royaleneld.com

NEWS
Tour of Rajasthan

Southern Odyssey

If you like to ride steep gradients, catch a glimpse of exotic wild elephants, bison and deer, get deep into jungles and feel the gentle sea breeze along the coast, this is the ride for you. On this trip, water comes in two flavours, fresh and salt. The Southern Odyssey starts with a chance to visit the birthplace of your bike the Royal Enfield factory and a training session on a race track with guidance from some of our most experienced factory riders. East Coast, West coast and the southernmost tip of the Indian mainland all these are included in the itinerary of the Southern Odyssey. Apart from this, the convoy of Royal Enfields will pass through picture-perfect tea, coffee and spice plantations the very reason why the world flocked to Indian shores for centuries. The Southern Odyssey gives you a chance to experience your Royal Enfield over these magical roads. Rediscover the south, rediscover yourself.

The Tour of Rajasthan is a ride far off the beaten track that will test your mettle and build your talent on the famed deserts as well as a ride on some of the best tarmac in the country. Ride on routes that few ever ride on, country roads, sand dunes, hills, jungles, highways as good as landing strips, a dry salt lake and all with little or no traffic. Then theres the border road where your Royal Enfield will be the only vehicle passing through some of the famous 1971 battlefields. And we will stop en route to pay homage to a temple devoted to a Royal Enfield Bullet. The ride will coincide with the Marwar Festival at Jodhpur. Sumptuous Rajasthani meals and breathtaking monuments is a treat at almost every stop. Stay has been organised at heritage properties, a castle hotel, a palace and luxury dune tents. We have found another elusive riders paradise. Couples can also register for an adventurous getaway.

ore than five decades of existence of Royal Enfield has undoubtedly established its brand image in India and abroad. The single cylinder push rod engine thumping its unique beat is legendary in villages and towns the world over. The Bullet identity is very special and royal and Royal Enfield is blessed with it. Debates on the quality of the Bullet were never in the front stage of its existence until recently. Proliferation of numerous commuter bikes with good quality and features has awakened the Bullet customers to demand quality and enhanced durability. The last decade witnessed voluminous field complaint reports and demand for trouble-free vehicles, in addition to the Royal Enfield motorcycle's unique features. In 2005, Royal Enfield identified more than one hundred field defects on performance and durability concerns in various systems

M
2

greetings from the editorial Desk!

Tour of NH 17

Tour of North East

If you would like to contribute to THE BEAT email us at schavan@royaleneld.com EDITORIAL TEAM Shaji Koshy, Sachin Chavan, Praveen P Sathaye

Royal Enfield heads out for a new adventure into the virgin lands of North East India. We have charted out a 11 day route through dense jungles, broken tracks, over high mountain passes, on snow-covered hills and rarely traveled roads in the wild. The trip will be challenging and fun-filled with plenty of riding in these backyards. While the main theme is an exhilarating experience, the underlying emphasis is on safety in every aspect of the ride. Royal Enfield provides service and medical back-up to provide confidence not just to the first time participants but also to their friends and family. The Tour of North East has expert and experienced pilots to guide the group in various areas of bike riding and coping with the weather and terrain.

Take a scenic tour winding around the legendary NH 17, often dubbed as the West Coast Road having inspired a couple of bollywood blockbusters on the lines of Bombay to Goa. While the main theme is on riding through places around the scenic Mumbai-Goa highway, the highlight is to romance the western monsoons, walking through clouds at one moment and strolling on the vast beaches watching the waves create magic the next moment, or gorging on strawberries one moment while sipping on a hot coffee. Each and every moment of this ride is one which will certainly give you moments of discovery where the sheer bliss of riding to remote places and riding in enchanting weather on your Royal Enfield will make it seem like an experience of a lifetime. Riding in the rains has always been a romantic, lively and exciting experience for many and Royal Enfield will provide service and medical back-up to provide confidence not just to the first time participants but also to their friends and family. The Tour of NH 17 has expert and experienced pilots to guide the group in various areas of bike riding and coping with the weather and terrain.

dEalEr NEWS

dEalEr prOfilE

ROYAL ENFIELDS NEWEST DEALERSHIPS

TOP 10 DEALERS
APRIL'10 - JUNE '10

Passion Play
RE Dealer Javeen Mathew's passion for Royal Eneld takes him on an epic ride
for Royal Enfield riders which has become a big attraction in the past few years. He has participated in various rallies and motor sport events since 1989 and is the main organizer of the Rubber City Challenge (the ultimate close circuit mud track event), Pagal Jump, Pagal Wheelie, Rubber City Rally and Motor Gymkhana. Even after participating and conducting all these events, his thirst to reach on the top of the world in his all-time favourite Enfield Bullet made him sleepless and restless. Javeens level of enthusiasm is evident from the fact that in order to participate in the Himalayan Odyssey 2010, he started preparation way back and even quit smoking to maintain a high level of physical fitness for this ride. Finally, on 19 June 2010, he made his way to Khardung La from Delhi. After having completed the Himalayan Odyssey successfully, he continued the journey as part of his Him-Sagar expedition by riding from Khardungla to Kanyakumari on his Royal Enfield to touch the southernmost point Indira Point to spread awareness about global warming. His epic journey took him from Delhi through Jaipur-Gujarat-MumbaiGoa-Bangalore-Madurai KanyakumariIndira Point Kottarakkara Chengannur Thiruvalla-Changanasserry and finally ended on 19 July 2010 at Kottayam. The companion for the journey was his favourite KL05-Z690, a single seater Royal Enfield Bullet Machismo 500, painted fire engine red and equipped

Dhone Automobiles Pune

Royal Motors Ambala

1

Manmohan Auto Stores Chandigarh

Barnala Automobiles Ludhiana

3
New dealerships that were recently added to the ever-growing Royal Enfield network. 1 2 3 4 5 6 suVaani mOtOrs Pondicherry rr mOtOrs Indore, Madhya Pradesh blue saffire mOtOrs Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh aGarWal traCtOrs Najibabad, UP rOyal riders Ahmedabad, Gujarat rOyal enfield brand stOre Nerul, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra

Jalandhar Motors Jalandhar

Ess Aar Motors New Delhi

HSR Services Bangalore

Southern Motors Chennai

Soniya Motors Mumbai

South Delhi Motorcycles New Delhi

5 4

aveens, the authorized Royal Enfield dealer at Kottayam in Kerala, is an exclusive Royal Enfield dealership with specialised service centre and spares. Started in July 2008 by Javeen Mathew, a Royal Enfield enthusiast, who proudly rides his LB 500 sporting some great modifications to make it a special motorcycle. In a short time Javeens has managed to gain the confidence of many a Royal Enfield customer and has established a name and fame for Royal Enfield in the region. This is also due to Javeen himself being a customer of Royal Enfield and catering to all the needs of the customer. Other attractions

at Javeens include trendy bike accessories, Indian and imported helmets along with some classic motorcycle miniature models sold as collectibles. Javeen also helps organize adventurous biking, rallying and long rides and even guides his customers in customization of motorcycles. He has been involved in getting branded merchandise to the enthusiast and has even helped form a local Royal Enfield riders club. Javeens passion for restoring old Royal Enfield motorcycles keeps this man tinkering away endlessly at his workshop. His love for motorsport led him to organize the Bullet Mountain Challenge a homegrown event especially

with 20-litre fuel tank, freeflow exhaust, steering damper, a Thunder Bird front fork assembly and a sump guard. The gear and brakes were taken back to the old position to have the feel of an Enfield. Tyres used were 4.25-18 (rear) and 3.25-19 (front). Javeens ride to spread awareness about global warming found him many admirers en-route. At Jaipur he stayed for three days as he visited nearby villages and the sarpanch of Choutee village, Manider Singh Yadav, was so pleased and moved that he had this to say: Hamara 57 sal ki zindagi mein tourist ko hum ne bahut dekha hai, lekin kabhi bhi koi itna safar kar ke hum gaonwalon ko seekhane nahi aya. (I have seen lots of tourists in my 57 years of life, but no one had travelled this much to teach us). In Gujarat he stayed for four days visiting the remote villages like Sikka, Salaya Santhalpur and Sidhada. The villagers of Sidhada provided night stay and organized a cultural show for their hero in his roaring red Enfield. Further down the road, warm receptions with activities were arranged at Goa, Bangalore, Kanyakumari, Kottarakara, Thiruvalla, Kodimatha and Kottayam by various Bullet club members and organizstions. The culmination of his ride was marked by a ceremony on 19 July 2010 at Thirunakka Maidanam, Kottayam in the auspicious presence of Hon. Justice of Supreme Court, Padma Bhushan K.T. Thomas, which was arranged by Municipal Council, JCI Kottayam, Ys Mens Club, Public Library, Kerala Merchants Association, Press Club Kottayam, Nature Club, Kottayam Club, CSI Church Committee, Rubber City Motor Sports Club, Pala Bullet Club and Kottayam Bullets.
5

NEWS

USA IN D L IE F N E L A Y RO

kEEp ridiNg

Nirvana at Mount Abu

First-timer Nikhil Pauls account of the ride to Mt Abu organised by Sarabhai Motors, Ahmedabad

25

Oyal enfield Was tHe marQuee sPOnsOr at the Venice Vintage Motorcycle Rally which took place in Southern California. Reckoned as the worlds oldest motorcycle brand, Royal Enfields presence was made significant by the presence of the Design Chief Singaravelu Siva Sivakumar and Andrew Ananthraj who looks after Exports. This participation brought along with it the legacy of the brand and not just the motorcycles. The executives from Royal Enfield actively interacted with the cognoscenti present at the event taking feedback from them on their thoughts on the ideal enthusiast motorcycle. Needless to say, a lot of interesting information was captured which would help in the planning of future motorcycle designs from the Royal Enfield stable. The Venice Vintage Motorcycle Rally formally started off on Sunday, July 11 at Venice, California. Besides the competitive ride event, the other attractions were the hunt for a Classic Biker Beauty and a Miss Venice Vintage Pin-up contest featuring participants decked in classy retro-style swimsuits. Kevin Mahoney, President, Royal Enfield USA (a division of Classic Motorworks) was also present on the occasion and laid emphasis on showcasing the Royal Enfield Classic motorcycles. He said that the creative direction for the new Royal Enfield motorcycles has always been influenced heavily by the inputs collected directly from the riders and enthusiasts and this process helped Royal Enfield understand the exact need of the rider/enthusiast. He went on to state that the Royal Enfield motorcycles were built by, and for the people / riders who loved classic bikes. He also emphasised that events like the Venice Vintage Rally provide an excellent avenue for the vintage and classic motorcycle community to help shape the future of the Royal Enfield model line. This fact was actually proven by the number of people asking what vintage did the Royal Enfield Classic belong to, thus creating that aura and charm of the days gone by. At the venue giant Royal Enfield banners were placed across walls. The new Royal Enfield Classic motorcycles were on display and Royal Enfield staff were there to talk to people who expressed their curiosity about the motorcycles and giving them more information about Royal Enfield in the USA. To sum it up in a few words, the Venice show was definitely an inspiring display of the Royal Enfield brand to this part of the American market Along with the Vintage show, Royal Enfield team also visited the famous Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum to see the various famed motorcycles of yesteryears that had made a significant impact on the motorcycling world in general and had become legends in themselves. A few Royal Enfield motorcycles also were part of this unique display of exquisite motorcycles and the team felt real proud to see examples of their marque earn a place in this prestigious museum.

Royal Enfield machines, 28 riders, smooth open roads, sounds exhilarating? Well I can tell you, its Nirvana! And that is exactly what I felt on the ride to Mt Abu organised by the Ahmedabad RE dealer (Sarabhai Motors). I am Nikhil Paul, employed with an automobile company and a proud owner of an Electra 5S for the past one year. Finally I got the chance to live with her like a real rider on this trip. Day 1 17th April was the day I had been eagerly waiting for because that was the day this ride to Mt Abu was going to happen. We all assembled at 6 am at a very famous garden in Ahmedabad. As the riders came in and as an increasing number of Royal Enfield motorcycles were parked, the morning walkers were giving us scared looks. The sight was intimidating! Men with the common passion riding their Bullets had already started to get to know one another. After a short briefing on riding and safety tips we fired up our Enfields and the sound of 25 beasts let loose must have shaken up the whole neighbourhood. We made our way to the highway in single file as instructed and regrouped at a petrol pump. After tanking up, helmets were strapped on, throttles twisted and we took off! We had first-time riders like myself and experienced riders like Kaustabh Misra (RE Ahmedabad dealer and tour organiser) and Pradeep Chaurasia (ASM, RE) who took charge as lead riders.

Our first break came up at a restaurant a few kilometres before Mehsana. After appeasing our hunger we took off again and this time as the traffic thinned out, all the wrists were doing the same thingfull throttle on! And the sound was just magnificent with 25 bikes roaring in symphony. And for me, a first timer it was NIRVANA! I had never experienced anything like this ever before and I had the biggest smile on my face. As there were many first-time riders, we had a few stops to regroup. After 5 hours of some really fast riding we made our pit stop at Abu Road just before the climb to Mt Abu. We freshened up and gave the bikes some rest as we were in for some really tough uphill riding. Again we had a briefing on how to ride on hilly roads. We were divided into 3 groups, fast, medium and slow as per the riders skill. The fast group left first and the others followed with a gap of a minute each. The ride up was an experience of a totally different kind. The twisting roads and the exhaust beat bouncing off the mountain were a simply superb aural experience. We all regrouped midway at a nice open space were all the bikes were parked in a row. This was the customary photoopportunity with all the riders standing besides their bikes with smiles on the riders and shine on the rides. Due to some oil spillage in the road two of our riders skidded off the road. Thanks to the slow speed they were riding at, no one was hurt and the bikes just suffered a few minor scratches. The second
7

keep riding
rider to skid off immediately signalled us to watch out for the oil spill and made us stop on the road side. After all was checked and assured that no one was hurt, we were back on the road and by 2:30 pm we rode into our hotel. After the check-in and half an hours rest we were back on our bikes for a gruelling session of off-road riding. We made our way slowly to the outskirts of the town and soon were on dirt winding up and down the curvy track. We came to a halt at a completely rocky and elevated ground which was perfect for our off-roading session. After our leaders (Kaustubh and Pradeep) scoped out the terrain and tracks we were ready to go. With the bikes in first gear, one by one we rode down to the open path near the foot of the chosen hill. There was decent amount of mud which we waded through and soon we were making our way up the elevated ground. The torque for which the Enfield our famous for was flowing in abundance as we made our way up. We reached the spot where it was safe for all of us stop for a breather. From there was the real climb on totally rocky terrain which we had to ride up and boy it was one tough climb. I had confidence in my bike but not myself so I wisely opted to stay down but those who had nerves of steel didnt need to think even once. The sight of those riders rocketing up the path was just jaw dropping. Neither the riders nor the machines felt on foreign paths. It was like the paths were made for our Bulls! After spending a good hour and a number of photographs we made our way back to the town. We had one or two riders stuck in the mud but the locals and the torque helped them out in no time. Our second stop was Nakki Lake, a famous spot
8

NEWS

Free Service camp

Royal Enfield organised a Free Service Camp for its customers at their dealer Lamba Enterprises in Delhi from 20th March 2010 to 22nd March 2010. A Total of 39 customers were attended to in this camp.

in Mt Abu. As the machines rode down the road to the lake, the sounds of the bulls were enough to clear the way with no horns required. After spending some time by the lake we headed back to the hotel. After all the riders had freshened up, we all gathered up for nice relaxing session under the starry sky. Jokes, experiences, stories and a formal introduction followed till the wee hours of the night. The bed never looked so inviting to me because the first day was super exhausting but it felt perfect. Day 2 As all of the riders had slept late in the night so it was inevitable that all got up late. But along with me a few other riders had to experience the early morning ride and so we were up at the crack of dawn to roar down Abus deserted roads. We made our way to a place called Gau Mukh which was on a higher ground than the city. The view of the land below was just breathtaking. We headed back to the hotel and as we reached the riders were all ready to hit the breakfast. We had a super group photo-session lined up after the breakfast. 25 riders and 25 bikes parked in

a semi circle. After the photosession we took off to explore Sunset Point from where the eagle-eye view of the ground thousands of feet below us was spectacular. Soon it was time to head back as we had a long and hot ride back to Ahmedabad. After tanking up our rides we were again back on the winding roads of Abu at 12 noon. Downhill riding again is again something very tough but all that is required is patience and control. But we had our second mishap and this one was really serious. One of the riders was pushed into the cement railing by a rowdy truck driver. He hit the railing with his head and skidded a good 8 metres on the road on his chest. But thanks to the helmet and the riding jacket that he was wearing, he escaped with just a bruise in his leg. Even the bike did not get too damaged and was in riding condition. This shows the importance of a helmet and safety gear while riding. Helmet is must whenever you are on a two wheeler. After reassuring that he and his bike were fine we were back on the road. And in an hours ride we were back in Abu Road our first stop for lunch. The wind seemed to be blowing

in a mildly violent way but it was nothing to what was in store for us. As we left Abu Road to hit the highway the winds picked up speed. We hit the highway and twisted the throttle against a strong head wind that was so violent that our bikes felt a little shaky. But as a few kilometres were chewed up , headwind felt like an old friend and were back to speeding our way down the highway. We had decided that we are going to reach Ahmedabad without having to switch on our headlights. The rides and riders both needed to cool down as the heat was scorching and we had been riding hard so we stopped just outside Palanpur. One of our rides had a breakdown and so the bike had to be repaired too. After the job was done we were back on the highway and the break had helped us cool down so we were soon thundering down the hignway. The third stop was in Mehsana at the Dudh Sagar dairy shop where we all gulped down flavoured milk and ice cream to cool ourselves down. The highway between Mehsana and Ahmedabad has a lot of traffic, but after some fast, skilled and orderly driving we were in Ahmedabad at 7:30 pm.

Freelance Mechanics
34 freelance mechanics were invited to the Free Lance Mechanics Meet to educate them and train them on the UCE platform in Rohtak, Haryana.

Mega Service Camp

A Mega Service Camp was organised at HSR Enterprises, Bengaluru from 4th May, 2010 to 8th May, 2010 for all Royal Enfield owners and a total of 125 motorcycles were attended to in this camp. Royal Enfield conducted a Mega Service Camp at Karnal from 22nd July, 2010 to 24th July, 2010 at Monga Motors, Karnal. A total of 82 bikes were serviced during this mega service camp. 9

gear check

DESERT STORM

CAMELBAK HYDROPAK
An efficient way to drink on the go, the ever popular Camelbak Hydropak is the most popular hydration pack available in India. One of the first hydration packs to be seen in the motorcycling scene in India, this versatile hydration pack is ideal for all sorts of activities and features a low profile and a comfortable design. Although it appears small, it can comfortably carry 1.5 litres of water. Using the suction nozzle is also very easy as it easily reaches into a helmet by opening the visor a little bit. The water capacity is sufficient for 24 hours of riding. The drinking pipe also is long enough to suit riders of any height and adjustable shoulder straps can make this pack sit comfortably on you back based on your preferences. It also does not interfere at all with the helmet or any jacket protrusions. Other features include External zip pocket for keys and essentials Easy, convenient filling with external cap access to the water reservoir Low-profile design keeps pack stable and doesn't interfere with helmet Soft mesh harness is comfortable and breathable The later (2010) models also have reflective colours and piping to increase low light visibility

Dateline: Dubai
The Dubai Royal Enfield enthusiasts initially started off with fortnightly rides but with time have started doing regular weekly rides on Fridays. A total of 32 Royal Enfield motorcycles were sold in Dubai itself in a short time and 28 people joined in as members of the riding group. On every Wednesday we send ride invites to all riders by email that has the ride route, map, expected ride distance, time, terrain and the lead riders name. Rajan and I lead our rides and we always have a support SUV with water, soft drinks, snacks and mechanic. We open our showroom on Friday morning around 5.30 am. We start from our showroom around 6 am. (Due to fast approaching summer, we will start at 5.30 from mid May onwards). The lead rider explains the route again before the ride and explains group ride rules. We stop few places for photo stops and coffee. The ride usually takes us through some back country roads, mountain The AGV FVS helmet is perhaps one of the most popular helmets used by riders in India who regularly tour. The AGV FVS helmet is one of the oldest models of the AGV line-up and has been around in the Indian market for quite some time but people swear by the worthiness of their AGV FVS helmets. All the AGV shells available in India have more or less same quality as they are closely similar. The visor on the AGV helmet is not prone to scratches easily, however tinted and black visors are a little extra dark making riding in low light conditions a bother. Also the visors are not anti glare hence oncoming lights are often reflected right inside the helmet. Removal and refitting of the visor is a simple process and once the knack is understood a visor replacement is just a 5-minute job. The removable liner is washable but warm and humid weather ends up making you sweat. It's advisable to wear a beanie or balaclava beneath the helmet. The major flaw of this helmet is the build up of moisture inside. The vents provided are not sufficient and hence the visor fogs up on cold and rainy days. Luckily the visor has adjustable steps and you can ride with the visor slightly open. Available in solid colours like Matt Black, Canary Yellow, Pearl White and also in some snazzy graphic designs these helmets are manufactured in India by Forma Sports in the Rs 2000 2500 band, which is quite affordable. Some stockists also keep Moto GP (Rossi) replica imported AGV helmets which are similar in dimensions but priced at least 10 times higher than the AGVs manufactured in India roads, roads along the desert and few off-road mountain and wadi (dry river bed) tracks. Our longest ride is around 400 km and shortest ride is around 200 km. We are planning for few two-day rides during next riding season (October to March). We formed an online group Royal Enfield Owners club of Middle East and Africa on Facebook (www.facebook.com/#!/group. php?gid=198654472533&ref=ts) where you can find some of the ride photos. If you want I can send some more photos. We shall continue to ride even during peak summer also. Perhaps we just might start the ride earlier and ride for a relatively shorter distance. Nelson Suresh Kumar Love at first sight this is probably an overused term when describing a very desirable set of wheels. But I have to repeat this here seeing the Classic at the Bike Show recently was a case of love at first sight for me. The subsequent demo ride a couple of days later was a mere formality. A couple of days, a premature ICICI retirement plan and an overwhelming sense of nostalgia later, and I became the proud owner of a 2010 Royal Enfield Classic 500! Im not (yet!) a very hands-on technical guy. I know as much about the insides of a motorcycle as George W. Bush knew about running a country. Its therefore very reassuring for me that I can count on the support from the local dealer. Nelson and his team are stars. Knowing that my C5 is in the safest hands with them allows me the luxury of tinkering with bits and bobs on the bike. As always, a bike is never ever completely done and thats the way it is with my C5. its always a work-in-progress beauty. On the road, its been less than 3

The Dubai Royal Enfield Enthusuasts kick up a desert storm every week on their C5 machines

AGV FVS HELMET

months since Ive got my C5; although weve ridden on many occasions, Im always looking forward to my next ride out with the Bulleteers. Ive always had a lot of fun riding with the Bullet boys I guess a lot has to do with the effort Nelson and his team take in planning interesting routes every week. Equally importantly, making arrangements for refreshments and breakfast! The sight in our rear-view mirrors of his now familiar Pajero with seasoned mechanics and a bunch of spares makes us a pampered lot of riders. One could get used to this! I could go on, but theres so many more rides to come, so much more fun to have, so many more bugs to eat while grinning ear-to-ear.. Riyaz Neem

12

13

hiMalayaN OdySSEy 2010

hiMalayaN OdySSEy 2010

TO GREaTER HEIGHTS
The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime. The sheer pleasure of discovering oneself while surmounting the challenges of perilous terrain is a tribute to the togetherness, the attitude and the bond that a motorcycle can create amongst total strangers. - SACHIN CHAVAN, LEAD RIDER, HIMALAYAN ODYSSEY, 2010

The seventh edition of the famed Himalayan Odyssey tested the mettle of 60 riders on their Royal

Enelds as they battled the elements to ride to the roof of the world

BY PRAVEEN P SATHAYE

I
14

t is this happiness that a bunch of riders set out to pursue early morning on 19 June, 2010 from India Gate, New Delhi, as the seventh edition of the Himalayan Odyssey was flagged off by RL Ravichandran, CEO, Royal Enfield Motorcycles. This edition of the Himalayan Odyssey charted a slightly different course and extended the definition of arduous adventure riding. Going beyond Khardung La into Nubra valley and exploring virgin territory, this annual ride organized by Royal Enfield delivered incomparable excitement to all its 60 participants. The addition of the new route this year meant additional preparation, physical as well as mental, to tackle the un-

known and undiscovered. It also required a little extra determination and grit from everyone to be prepared to tackle this territory earlier not known to the Himalayan Odyssey. Pre-ride preparations also meant higher levels of physical fitness, which was verified by a physical fitness test conducted by Royal Enfield for all participants. Running 5 km and doing 50 push-ups certified all of them to be having the basic fitness to tackle the harsh terrain and the difficult climate. The youngest member of this entourage was all of 22, while the oldest was nearly touching 60, an open testimony to the fact that where there is a will, there is a way. En route, medical help for the bikers

and mechanical help for their machines was always on-hand 24/7 in the form of a doctor who was also riding along and a couple of support vehicles carrying mechanics and spares. The flag-off ceremony began with the chants of morning ragas, a rose-and-tilak ceremony for all the bikers by children before the the riders moved out in two-by-two formation, the thump of their bikes accompanied by the high notes of the classical crescendo. After the flag-off and an escort till the outskirts of Delhi, the group of bikers stopped for their first break at the Rasoi Dhaba for parathas and meeting up with a special rider who had participated in the earlier Odyssey. They immediately set off again making good speed as they rolled into Chandigarh by mid-day and settled into their hotel. The summer heat took a toll on the riders as well as the machines but in true Himalayan Odyssey spirit it was all attended to and the next day everyone was ready to hit the hills. The 2nd day saw the riders move from the plains to the

foothills of the Himalayas. Erratic tourist traffic and haphazardly driven trucks on the winding mountain roads couldnt prove to be any deterrent to this bunch of enthusiastic bikers who reached Manali in good time. It was here in Manali that some of the participants caught a glimpse of snow-laden peaks for the first time. The 3rd day the ride up from Manali to Keylong was a little strenuous for the newbies as it crossed the first mountain pass in the routeRohtang La, 13,051 feet high. The ride up Rohtang was made more difficult by sporadic drizzles of rain as well as a few flat tyres as the bikes encountered rough roads for the first time. Rohtang itself was suffering from chock-a-bloc traffic due to the overflow of tourists but the Royal Enfield machines made good use of their power and torque to coast up steep slopes and wiggle through narrow places before the descent into Khoksar for lunch and rider registration at the police checkpost. Keylong saw half the group stay in a hotel while the other half stayed in huts alongside a monastery that has an exhilarating valley view of the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers coming together

to form the Chenab. Keylong was the place by which most of the riders as well as bikes had their first set of repairs done on them and the terrain now onwards as well as the climate was going to be tough. It was here, at Tandi, that we had the last fuel pump before Leh, a long 356 km ahead. On the 4th day we moved on from Key-

long towards Sarchu as we ascended up to the notorious Barlacha La pass at an altitude of 16,500 feet, which had just been cleared for traffic and still had snow piled up 10 to 15 feet on both sides of the road. The narrow road did have its share of traffic jams but for our motorcycles any gap was big enough to squeeze through
15

hiMalayaN OdySSEy 2010

hiMalayaN OdySSEy 2010

16

17

himalayan odyssey
knocking off some snow from the sides as we moved ahead and descended into Sarchu. At Sarchu that we realised that we had gained a lot of height as well as had suffered a significant drop in temperature in a relatively quick time. To make matters worse we stayed in quickly put together Alpine-style tents and had to brave windchill as long as we were outdoors. Some of us did fall sick here as symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness reared its head but the doctors on duty made sure each and everyone was fit the next morning as we started off towards Leh. he 5th day ride from Sarchu to Leh was one gruelling ride as we first encountered the 21 hairpin bends of the Gata Loops and climbed into Lachung-la and then descended into Pang riding through some breathtaking landscapes for a lunch break and regroup. As we moved into Pang most of us were exhausted but just about had the energy to go forward. We moved on from Pang and crossed the vast and deserted More Plains before riding up to Tanglang La, the second highest motorable pass in this region as well as the world at 17,500 feet. It was cold and windy up there and we barely stopped for a few minutes just to click the few customary photographs and roll down quickly to Upshi from where Leh was a smooth ride on paved roads. The 6th day was a day off for all of the participants but the technicians worked overtime to ensure that the bikes were kept in good shape for the next big adventure, namely Khardung La. After a well-earned and well-deserved days rest in Leh we set off towards Khardung La on the 7th day of the Odyssey. As we ascended the slow drizzle we had encountered turned to sleet and the temperature started dropping drastically. By the time we reached the checkpost at South Pullu, visibility had dropped down to a bare minimum and we could hardly see anything. We still managed to go on and crossed the highest motorable road in the world at Khardung La (18,380 feet) amidst freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall. The snow and ice on the road was making riding difficult but after crossing North Pullu, we rode into a very different landscape of Nubra Valley which has the amazing many-hued desert mountains and soft sand dunes donning the horizon. The temperature had also become more comfort18

able as we rolled into Hunder and stayed in comfortable tents at a picturesque camp along a swiftly flowing stream. On the 8th day we had plans to go via the newly-opened Wari La route but because of the bad weather the pass had still not opened and our camping sites at Tsokar and Sakthi had not been supplied adequately so we decided to retrace the route back via Khardung La. This time the legendary group photograph took place at the sand dunes of Nubra Valley and what a spectacle it was. The ride back to Khardung La was better as the sun was merciful and was shining in its full glory. Most of the snow we had encountered had melted which led us to a new problem deep water crossings. This time Khardung La was still cold but sunny and we could spend considerable time taking photographs and enjoying the moment on the top of the world. We camped in a meadow at Rumtse under the shadow of Tanglang La that night after

crossing Upshi. On the 9th day it was Rumtse to Sarchu with a quick dash across More plains. At Sarchu most of us were quite relaxed now as we had got quite acclimatised to the altitude as well as the weather and had started to soak in the scenery. Bigger tents with cots had also been set up and so the night was spent in cosy comfort, a far cry from our earlier experience at Sarchu. The 10th day saw us fuelling up for contingencies we moved on to Keylong via Barlacha Laluckily for us it was not blocked or completely snow laden, but we did have some tricky water crossings that were swollen with snowmelt. At Keylong some motorcycles did need some work on them as they had taken a battering. Despite being built strong, the harsh terrain and riding conditions do take a toll on the riders as well as their mounts. On the 11th day of the ride from Keylong we took a different route again to explore

the Spiti Valley by moving towards Gramphu instead of Rohtang and then after some really challenging water crossings and extremely rough roads reached Kaza. The ride to Kaza was definitely eventful as we also passed pretty close to Chandra Tal and saw amazing sights. The ride up the 16,000 feet high Kunzum La pass was made more exciting with rains having washed out most of the roads and replacing them with muddy fast flowing streams. On the 12th day after tanking up at Kaza we headed towards Kalpa where in we descended further into Kinnaur valley region of Himachal Pradesh. The roads had now become better but were still a set of winding twisties around cliffs. Rain had started now and we were all getting drenched as we were riding down into warmer and more populated areas. Kalpa was definitely a sight to see with the Kinner-Kailash mountain in the background and lush green forested valley in the foreground. On the 13th day after taking ample rest at Kalpa we all realised that the ride was slowly coming to an end as we had moved from difficult roads into easier stretches and more and more traffic infested roads. We rolled into Narkanda which was the last of our hill stops.

On the 14th day as we descended further from Narkanda we were nearing Delhi it also marked the end of our epic journey. Withdrawal symptoms had started affecting all of us as we again wanted to rather head back into the mountains rather than descend further into the plains. Finally we reached Parwanoo after bypassing Simla and Kalka and riding through coniferous forests via Chail. On the 15th day the last and final leg of the ride was from Parwanoo to Delhi on the NH 1 and we hit 4-lane highways and fast moving traffic. As we neared Delhi the climate was getting hotter and hotter and our bikes and bodies which had endured minus 4 degrees were now starting to feel uneasy as we neared 40 degrees centigrade.

Slowly all of us trickled into Delhi and rode towards Gurgaon where all of us had been accommodated in a lush green country resort. As the last of the riders of the Royal Enfield Himalayan Odyssey 2010 rolled into the Holiday Resort in the outskirts of Delhi, the whole atmosphere was reverberating to the loud thumps of 60-plus Royal Enfield motorcycles and their riders cheering away as the ride successfully culminated. After reaching the final point all of us were overjoyed at the accomplishment we had just achieved and the adventure we had enjoyed. Soon it was time then to pack up the bikes and the luggage and finally bid adieu to our companions on this epic journey. This was a journey in which we reached the highest motorable point in the world and had discovered a new world within our own worlds. That evening we all let our hair down and enjoyed the music and food to the fullest at the party that was organised to celebrate this spectacle. 60-plus bikers had embarked on this epic journey just a couple of weeks back and had all reached back safely after traversing the mighty Himalayas as part of the legendary ride that was the Royal Enfield Himalayan Odyssey 2010.
19

blast from the past

Royal Enfield Bullet G2, 346cc, OHV single

The 1949/52 Royal Enfield Bullet G2 was one of the most versatile machines of its time. The 350cc engine was a torquey little number that would become famed for both its ability to plod on at low speeds and its willingness to romp along when called upon to do so. At its heart, a 70mm x 90mm bore and stroke was contained in an iron cylinder deeply spigotted (recessed) into a vertically split alloy crankcase. The alloy cylinder head (also spigotted into the barrel) had its valves set at 90-degrees to each other and featured cast-in valve seats and a castin spark plug insert. It had an Amalcarburetter, a Lucas magneto that fired the engine and the sturdy 1-up, 3-down four speed Albion gearbox bolted directly to the back of the engine giving a compact design. Stopping power came with 6-inch front and rear brakes. Suspension consisted of Enfield's own telescopic front fork (two-way damped) and, more controversially, Enfields own brand of swinging arm frame that signalled the demise of the rigid frame trials bike. And over the next decade, the Bullet, with its neat and compact rockinnrollin chassis, was a common and consistently formidable force on the muddy weekend trials arena leaving most of the rest of the competition struggling on with their increasingly dated and uncompetitive plunger or rigid chassis. No points for guessing which modern day Royal Enfield motorcycle has derived its inspiration from this brilliant traditional single .

20

21

weather gods
photograph by harsh man rai

weather gods

Weathering The Storm

Headline for this

Intro to this story too

his summer as I got back to my desk after a long time, I could not escape the inevitable conversations that people have about the rising temperatures and how bad the summer was going to be. It brought back memories of my friend Surya some of you might have had the pleasure of his company. It wasnt unusual to have him butt into a weather conversation and say there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. It generally put an end to the conversation about weather. I suspect he stole this line from the SAS survival manual that he carried with him with more respect than the Bible or the Gita. For a motorcyclist, the weather in India does pose a huge challenge. Its OK if you are riding between a narrow band of 10 to 15 degrees in hot or cold conditions, but when your ride takes you from 5 to 35 then you have a serious problem on your hands. And many a times thats just within the same day. This phenomenon has led me to quite a few laughs over the years. How many times have you seen guys with new jackets sweating it our really bad cause they havent figured that there is a removable liner? Ive worn a jacket for 5000km, and then crashed, (and got hurt) 20km after I removed the jacket. Yup, I felt it was too hot! Removable liners are the best. If its hot, and you feel there are chances of rain then you need to take a call; you can wear the removable waterproof liners and be hot throughout the day (yes, I have the best of the breathable ones but it doesnt work as advertised: ask me how I know) or you can change when it starts to rain. Fine! So you get on the bike and there is whole bunch of riders behind you. Its overcast and you know it could start pouring any time. You mentally start checking shelter areas where you could stop and change. When a whole group of riders are riding the first guy to stop at the slightest sign of rain is generally considered a wimp. And most of the times as soon as the riders are all geared up the clouds disappear and the sun comes out to test the breathability of your gear. Its as if you are part of a larger comedy show When you decide not to be intimidated by the light drizzle and wait for the real downpour you cant find any shelter like the ones you passed there is simply either no cover, or there are too many people for you to have room enough to strip and put the waterproof liners in your suit. They become harder to put on under pressure and its definitely not helped by the fact that you are already slightly wet. When you finally get your clothing right and start believing in Suryas dictum, you need to stop, either to eat or for attending a breakdown or just waiting for someone who got left behind. Most riding jackets dont have hoods and you cant take off the helmet for the fear of getting your head wet. So there you are being comfortably rain protected, saving your head with the helmet. Not really a great feeling! This is just the rain but both cold and heat also pose its unique problems! Do tell me how you guys actually deal with the weather when riding. Right now the ceiling fan on my head feels like its an exhaust fan and I am definitely on the wrong side of it. I silently wish that the guys who designed our office uniforms had spent more time with Surya. - sachin chavan
23

22

ONliNE

ridEr prOfilE
the enthusiasts and keep them updated on the various developments happening either in terms of products or events. One such instance was the regular updates on the progress and adventures of the riders during the Himalayan Odyssey 2010. Regular updates not only helped family and friends keep track of the progress of the riders but after the Odyssey was over it turned into a discussion forum with nearly 50 of the riders uploading their photographs and sharing them on each others walls and commenting on the same. The discussions kept the memories alive and actually most of the participants felt as if they never got off the Himalayas. The Facebook Profile can be accessed at:
www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.ph p?id=100000958202582&v=info&ref=ts

reS web worlD

eaStern enthuSiaSt
Mark Shullai from Meghalaya recounts his enduring love story with his royal enfields
When I take my bike to the mechanic for repairing, I always like to sit around watching what he does, because I want to learn how to do it myself. So, that way I tinker with my bike a lot on my own, because that will help a lot when going on long rides to places where there are no mechanics or a sudden breakdown in the middle of nowhere, be it my bike or my friends. I for one feel blessed, since it is through my Royal Enfield that I have made more friends from all over India and abroad especially from the biking community and this has taught me a lot about the other cultures and religion of different states and countries which in turn has given me a feeling of self satisfaction, confidence, tolerance and it has changed my perception on how I feel about people living in other parts of India and the world. Being a member of a riding club I have been able to ride my bike to places in Meghalaya and the North East where an ordinary tourist would not have seen, in fact there are places in my own State which I have never heard of and never seen, places which are so beautiful that I would have regretted not seeing if not for my loyal iron steed. The camaraderie and the bond within the circle of the biking community is so strong that sometime I feel that we are brothers and a feeling like that will transform itself into a very long lasting friendship which is very hard to break. The best part of the ride is when I am done for the day and sitting with the other riders over a drink which is when the fun begins, sometimes it is pulling each others legs and there are other times when one of us strums on the guitar and the sessions begin, but the worst time is when I get up the next morning and loading my bike at times I wish I can ride without the headache of re-loading my saddle bags and just RIDE ON
IF ANYONE WOULD WANT TO SHARE THEIR RIDING LIFE STORY THEY COULD EMAIL ppsathaye@royaleneld.com

a primer to royal enfields social and digital media initiatives thats helping build our online community

WEBSITE: The Royal Enfield website www.royalenfield.com has been in existence for quite some time and over time has been getting richer and richer delivering a whole new set of features and interesting links for the Royal Enfield enthusiast. In fact by the time the next issue of The Beat comes out next quarter the website would have undergone a sea change in terms of look and feel as well as functionality and features associated with it. One of the main features in terms of content are the Blogs we are writing on the website. Blogs on the Website: A lot of corporates have started a new trend of publishing the thoughts and experiences of key stakeholders as part of their corporate blogs. The blogs on our website are currently penned by Sachin Chavan, Santhosh and Dr Venki Padmanabhan and give an outline of general industry trends, life at Royal Enfield and the riding lifestyle in general. This blog, besides being informative, also doubles up as an interesting read, humour included as it is a reflection of ones individual amusement with several things in life. Do read these blogs at the following link:
24

www.royalenfield.com/re_blog/index.asp

Feel free to put down your views as comments on the blog. We look forward to hearing what you feel about them FACEBOOK: Royal Enfield Motorcycles is active on Facebook and has already established contact with over 2500 people over the social media network. This platform is currently being used to reach out to

The Facebook group from Royal Enfield is called the Royal Enfield Discoverers where we encourage people to define and enjoy that one moment of discovery where they find new places, people, adventures, or simply rediscover themselves while riding on their Royal Enfield motorcycles. This group is a platform for discussions and also has breaking news, event notifications and image libraries (photo galleries) shared by all the members of the group. The Royal Enfield Discoverers also shall serve as a platform for Royal Enfield enthusiasts active on Facebook to receive notifications about events as well as other updates with reference to Royal Enfield products and services. The Royal Enfield Discoverers on Facebook can be accessed at: www.
f a c e b o o k . c o m / h o m e . p h p? # ! / g r o u p . php?gid=110631395635463

ey guys, my name is Mark V Shullai and I am 29 years old. I was born and brought up in Meghalaya also known as the Scotland of the East, a part of the 7 sister states in the North East. I was always fascinated by the Royal Enfield Bullet. I got my first 350 cast iron engined Royal Enfield in the year 2000. Now I have got a Thunderbird AVL 350, fully loaded 2007 model which I usually take on all my rides as well as a 1975 model STD 350 CI. My relationship with the Royal Enfield grew stronger listening to my fathers stories about this motorcycle which he use to own. In spite of all the problems the older model gives those days, I still cannot think of riding anything else. Ive always wanted to go on long rides on my motorcycle. I had heard a lot about a Bullet club in my town, named RERAM (Royal Enfield Riders Association of Meghalaya), I have always wanted to join the club and today I am a proud member of RERAM thanks guys for the brotherhood! The various rides that I have ridden to are:

Rider Mania 2009 in Ooty, which was great fun, met most of the riders from different places who participated. It feels so good to have a lot of motorcyclist around. Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, I had a lot of fun riding there, the terrain was challenging with a lot of slush, landslides, rains and not forgetting the cold temperature at Sela Pass, which is at an altitude of 13700 ft ASL, where I was all drenched, fingers numb, but it was simply awesome. Went for a ride ahead of Tawang to a lake named Shungetsar which is also known as Madhuri lake which freezes 5 to 6 inches on the surface during the winters. While riding to this lake, I had to cross an altitude of 14615ft ASL. It was great fun! The club has organized a lot of social activities like riding for AIDS Awareness, Disaster Management, Christmas carolling and other activities in which I always take part. I am obsessed with offroading and always love to ride just to test myself and bond more with my motorcycle, because I have to understand how it handles and how I should handle it.

25

keep riding

keep riding

Riding the ROYAL enfield way

Royal Enfields Keep Riding campaign seeks to promote the leisure motorcycling culture in India by involving local communities of Royal Enfielders in local rides while teaching rider safety, riding skills, motorcycle maintenance and emergency first-aid training
he Keep Riding Campaign was started off by Royal Enfield to ensure more and more Royal Enfield owners actually went out for leisure rides and thus be part of the leisure motorcycling culture that we are strongly supporting. In other words it was to encourage the owners to do what the Royal Enfield was meant to do and do it on a regular basis. Be ridden across vast terrain and taken out. This was primarily done to guide the enthusiasts at a regional level as many of them dont have access or the resources to undertake any of the national level long rides we organize. Many of these enthusiasts are not able to get themselves accommodated on the National rides purely due to limited
26

number of seats also as most of these rides happen far off from their hometowns thus making it difficult for them to participate. They would definitely be up for it had it been somewhere close to home and it is here where the regions play an important roles in conceptualizing as well as organizing these regional rides. Under this campaign the regional riders from Royal Enfield would organize a short ride preferably over a weekend and would lead the owners who join in to enjoy the ride and encourage them to have more such rides on their own too. These regional rides are spearheaded by our ride champions who motivate the customers to take up leisure riding and to take to it seriously. Recently in April a Riders training pro-

gram for Royal Enfield staff was also organized to support this campaign where in Riders from all regions came down to Chennai for this program and were taught the finer things about riding. The first half of the day was training time at the race track where basic motorcycling skills focussing on braking, acceleration and negotiating curves on tarmac was taught to the riders through guided sessions and practice runs around the track. The second half at the track helped everyone perfect the skills they had learnt on the track earlier in the day and demonstrate some good riding skills. The next day it was time to put these skills to test when all the riders set out to Yercaud for a tour. Basic touring skills and road riding skills in the real world of high-

ways, ghats, off road patches and traffic were put to test during this ride as we all set out from Chennai on the highway towards Yercaud. Driving through some rural parts of Tamil Nadu through sweltering heat did take some toll on the riders but then it definitely was an experience worth cherishing. At the hotel in Yercaud basic bike assembling as well as disassembling skills were put to test where one team of riders was asked to disassemble a bike while it was the rival teams job to reassemble the bike in the same amount of time and render it ride-able. The ride homewards was accom-

panied by thundershowers which tested the all weather capability of the riders. Overall a well spent the 2-day period learning and verifying skills for riding on the highway. Once the riding and basic bike maintenance part was done what remained was to train these riders in first aid and safety lest on one of the rides something unfortunate happened and they would have to take any medical action. A basic first aid and accident relief course was organised which across 2 days taught about the various types of hazards and injuries as well as the basic life saving techniques used to rescue

or treat people in such a mishap. Besides basic first aid and bandaging etc the course also taught CPR which in todays world can make a life and death difference to an injured or unconscious rider. This course earned them a certificate in life saving and first aid at the end of the program. After spending a good week getting trained in Chennai the regional riders went back smarter and sharper and went about putting in their effort for the keep riding campaign by organizing more and more rides for the Royal Enfield owners and enthusiasts from their region. Today the keep riding campaign has become a successful movement across the country with rides happening every month across all regions with some rides actually having an attendance of about 70-odd bikes across 3 different locations converging on a single point. Raising the bar a step further we have also seen 3-day rides covering over 1000 km with a significant number of enthusiasts turning up, thus bearing testimony to the fact that we have been successful in inculcating the riding spirit in the Royal Enfield owner and making him an true blue rider enthusiast.
27

on the road

dealer

28

29

brotherhood

raging bulls
oyal Indians Enfield Owners Club is a National platform for all bull heads operating out of Indias own Silicon Valley Bangalore. It all started when I, Biswaroop (aka BB), Smruti and Heiner all three unknown faces who met on Royal Enfield Rider Wants Rider section, set out on an unplanned road trip to Ooty via Mudumalai Forest from Bangalore and named the ride Jungle Thump. Destination was fixed, road unknown, no fixed accommodation, but one thing in common To Ride and Explore! The journey of 750 km led us through some beautiful reserve forests, steep ghat sections, extreme off-road riding and tented accommodation with no basic facilities,
30

The Royal Indians Enfield Owners Club has become a nation-wide clarion call to all passionate Royal Enfielders, from newbies to pros, to ride and explore

with on and off sighting of deer, wild elephants and some spine-chilling wild calls of animals in the dead of night, as if they were discussing arrival of two-wheeled intruders. The experience of 2 nights and 3 days of riding and being in the wild was

captured in the form of a Trip Log in one of the leading motorcycle magazines of India. This experience lead us to believe that we want to come back to mother nature more often and discover the wild side of riding, and share the experience with more like minded riders. The next ten days at office after our return, were engaged in figuring out a name for the Club that had got formed on this ride and its logo; the clear thought was to have a very close resemblance to the Royal Enfield heritage. Finally the name and logo got shape in the form of Royal Indians Enfield Owners Club, not specific to any city since we wanted this to be a platform for like-minded riders spread across the country to form their own city groups by the

same name and share the same passion. A few months later we announced a ride to Kemmangundi hills from Bangalore on 15th Aug, 2009 and the Independence Ride was attended by a group of 10 riders from Bangalore. The wheels for RIEOC started rolling and has gathered momentum quite fast since then. The Facebook community group was formed immediately after, followed by Orkut Community group and we announced our presence on a website, which triggered riders from different cities to join the club. A chain reaction started and city moderators were appointed in Lucknow, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Goa and Bangalore. Today RIEOC emerged as a serious business albeit with no intention of generating money, but to ensure that Club guidelines and rules are followed by all City moderators, every group ride is monitored by Road Captains appointed by Moderators in their City. Riding now became more like a culture and safe riding became the most important ride rule. A core team of 5 RIEOC members across cities kept monitoring City activities and were also responsible for encouraging people to take up more rides for fun and submit trip stories for others to do a virtual ride. While RIEOC members would take up weekend rides across Cities regularly, someone pointed to a USA-based biking website which encourages riders to take up the Worlds Most Challenging ride The IBA Saddle Sore 16K. Preparations started immediately, interested riders got

themselves busy in discussing the routes, difficulties, expenses, planning and finally the day came when 12 RIEOC members emerged on the most painstaking and challenging journey to cover 1600 km in less than 24 hours. Kanwardeep Dhaliwal (aka KD) from Royal Enfield arranged for necessary technical support en route, the back-end support team from a chosen few RIEOC members kept the thump up by monitoring the riders location on GPS and the continuous interaction with riders were updated on Twitter to keep the followers informed. The event ended with some minor technical snags but the mission was successful, and RIEOC as a group completed saddle Sore 16K. While the main intention of RIEOC was always to encourage riders to hit the road more often under safe riding conditions,

very soon a talent hunt began amongst existing members in January 2010 to build our new home www.royalindians.com and the results were unbelievable. Deejay took the initiative and with constant and genuine feedback from Shiv, Arun, Lohith and other members, our new home www. royalindians.com was launched on 18th March, 2010. From its inception in May 2009 till today, RIEOC has more than 250 members across India, many of whom just enjoy being virtual members on the Facebook fan pages and the remaining enjoy the smell of burning rubber on the outstretched roads. The members of RIEOC are a mixed breed of newbies to the bullet world, pro riders, seasoned road rollers and some expert bullet technicians, but the passion remains one-the Royal Enfield.
contributed by the royal indians team

31

32