Date post: | 07-Apr-2018 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | rajasekhar-raju |
View: | 223 times |
Download: | 0 times |
of 32
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
1/32
Tour ofRof Kutch
www.oyfd.com
t h e e n f i e l d f a m i l y g e a r c h e c k k e e p r i d i n g d i y
april - june 2011
+ One Ride! One lOve!
+ GUlF BiKe eXPO
+ ROyal way aROUnd
HmOss 2011
m a r k e t i n g n e w s l e t
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
2/32
2
kick start
Hi Friends,
After a great 5 year stint here at the Royal Eneld, it gives me
immense pleasure in writing to fellow bulleteers who adore
this brand in much the same way as India adores Sachin
Tendulkar or Chennai worships our own Superstar
Rajnikanth. Over the years weve seen the brand evolve, grow, redene
itself and appeal to people with a vigour that keeps getting stronger by
the day.
Being a part of the rst ever Royal Eneld One Ride, I rode with
a sizeable group of Royal Eneld riders recently to Mahabalipuram
and back to Chennai. I came away with a feeling that is frankly
beyond description. This got me thinking on what makes this brand
stay relevant to so many people from different walks of life. More
importantly, I dwelt on the factors that are instrumental in delivering
such a dream bike to thousands of Bulletteers across the world.
In these eventful years, we have seen so many positive developments
at Royal Eneld - a consistent growth in volume and nancial stability,
increased focus on quality, creation of company run Brand Stores in
10 locations, the smooth and successful transition to a new engine
platform, fresh new talents joining our family as employees, suppliers
and dealers, the blazing performance of the new Classics across the
world, dealers presenting themselves to the market with renewed
josh and the list goes on and on.
Here I come back to my question
as to what has made this success
possible. Our success is mainly driven
by individual departments and their
functions integrated together which
has given us the momentum to keep
moving forward all the time. In otherwords, progress has been driven by 2
locomotives - people and processes.
For someone whos been around the
block in the automobile industry, the
situation at Royal Eneld was quite
a revelation. On one hand you get to
see veterans of 25 years of experience
and more, who could probably work
blindfolded with ease and still creates
the masterpiece. On the other hand,
you see energetic youngsters raring
to be as procient as the veterans.
Visit any department or just walkthrough the vehicle assembly, engine
assembly, plating shop or the painting
shops and you would feel the unique
power of new and old co-existing
to nurture the legend that is Royal
Eneld. As we grow in volumes and
spread, we will grow better, share
more and learn more of this, I am
very condent.
With great growth comes the great
responsibility of improving on our
processes to keep the wheels moving
smoothly towards the ambitiousgoals we have set for ourselves.
We have to constantly keep our systems and processes abreast of
requirements in all areas, be it design & development, scheduling
& procurement, manufacturing & assembly or sales & service. The
disciplined SAP usage and constant improvement of the processes
have been instrumental in seamlessly absorbing a huge volume
increase across the board in all functions. To give a ready example the
RTGS implementation across all dealers has made the entire order
and payment cycle faster, reliable and more dynamic. Our dealers
would surely appreciate the speed of response on fronts like warranty
settlement and periodic reconciliation of accounts etc.
We will continuously keep updating our systems for future
requirements also - the rst step being up-gradation of the current
SAP platform to the ECC 6.0 interfacing with a robust Dealer
Management System. Consequently most of our business processes
are being reviewed and reformed to suit our future needs.
I sign off for now with the pride of having been a part of a glorious
phase in Royal Enelds history and the excitement to face an equally
bright future ahead. Being a born again biker, I am sure Ill catch up
with some of you on rides soon. Till then, all the best and keep the beat
going
K Ramesh,
Vice President Finance & Business Process
If you would lik to contribut to The BeAT mail us at [email protected] editorialteamShaji Koshy, Sachin Chavan, Praveen P Sathaye
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
3/32
3
upcoming rides
Its back! - The biggest,
toughest, highest and
the most fun-lledride above sea level,
now in its eighth edition is
back again to give all Royal
Eneld riders a chance to
have the trip of a lifetime
riding to the top of the
world. Keeping in line with
the tradition of promoting
leisure and adventure
motorcycling culture across
the country, Royal Eneld
brings the Himalayan
Odyssey 2011, a trip of
adventure riding across the
rugged and treacherous
landscapes of the Himalayas
including a ride to the
legendary Khardung La pass.
Ladakh literally means
the Land of the Passes. This
Holy Grail of motorcycling
roads famed world-wide
will take you through three
mountain ranges and many
passes to a dizzying 18,380
feet high at Khardung La
and a 40-km off-road ride
through a high altitudedesert at the Mor Plains.
Rich in natural beauty, the
landscape in its silence,
emptiness and unbelievable
vastness is breathtaking.
As it enters its 8th edition
of successful running, the
annual tradition of the Royal
Eneld Himalayan Odyssey
today has proved itself
to be revered as a ritual
of ultimate adventurous
motorcycling.
This ride has always been
considered as an exalting
pilgrimage to the Mecca of
endurance motorcycling, the
mighty Himalayas, Ladakh
region in particular. It is thisride from Delhi to Ladakh
and back that Royal Eneld
Riders undertake every year
which is often considered
as an achievement by many
a motorcyclist. The bikers
who choose to embark on
this adventure trip are not
just guided to understand
the perils of rough weather,
rugged terrain laden with
gravel and boulders but
also taught how to make
use of their understanding
and negotiate and tame this
difcult and treacherous
route.
It is this ability that the
riders develop during thecourse of the ride that
makes these able bodied
men (and women) ride on
together, Covering each
sector of this extraordinary
adventure with panache and
condence.
The adventure run begins
from 25th June 2011 and
goes on till 10th July 2011
Details of the same could
be had on our website at the
following link: http://www.
royaleneld.com/company/
events/himalayan-odyssey-
2011/himalayan-odyssey-
2011_.aspx
You can read about
last years adventure
on the following link:
http://www.royaleneld.
com/company/events/
himalayanodyssey/2010/
hostory.aspx
Take the High-Way!
The
iT ineraryJ u n e 2 5 - J u L Y 1 0 2 0 1 1 ,
1 6 d a Y s
deLhi Chandigarh ManaLi
KeYLong sarChu Leh
nubra saKthi debring
KeYLong Kaza KaLpa
narKanda parwanoo
deLhi
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
4/32
4
Royal Eneld takes
a memorable trip
down the legendary
Mumbai-
Goa highway, the NH 17,
a road which has been a
scenic backdrop for many
a Bollywood blockbuster.
However, this trip is with a
slight twist as we explore the
area surrounding the NH 17
riding along yet-unknown
beaches while trying out
delicious coastal cuisine, to
taking a walk in the clouds
in the Western Ghats and
riding through mist. Also get
a chance to ride through the
legendary Valley of Flowers
of Maharashtra before nally
ending up in tranquil Goa. We
shall have the rain gods for
company which makes this
ride not only more challenging
but much more enjoyable as
you romance the rains. We
encourage you to enjoy the
romantic and adventurous side
of this ride as a couple and gear
up to have an experience of a
lifetime. While the main theme
is an exhilarating experience,
the underlying emphasis is also
on safety in every aspect of the
ride. Royal Eneld provides
service and medical back up to
provide condence not just to
the rst time part icipants 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.
The Adventure run begins
from 14th August 2011 and
goes on till 20th August 2011
Details of the same could
be had on our website at the
following link:
http://www.royaleneld.
com/company/events/
tourofnh17/tourofnh17.aspx
You can read about last
years adventure on the
following link:
http://www.royaleneld.
com/company/events/
tourofnh17/tour-of-nh-17.aspx
Romance the Rains
The
iT inerarya u g 1 4 a u g 2 0 , 2 0 1 1 ,
7 d a Y s
MuMbai srivardhan
panChgani guhagar
panhaLa MaLwan
aMboLi vagator
one ride
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
5/32
5
neWs
Jay Leno popular star o TheTonight Show and Jay Lenos
Garage picked out a brand new
Fuel Injected Black Royal Eneld
Bullet Electra Deluxe to add to
his collection. Mr.. Lenos new
motorcycle was delivered by Mike
Francovich representing Royal
Eneld in Los Angeles. Mr. Leno
and Mikes ather were riends and
shared the car collecting hobby. A
whole segment about the Royal
Eneld or Jay Lenos garage was
shot on Saturday April 30, 2011. The
episode highlighted the three bikes
during the show. Mr. Lenos Black
Bullet Electra Deluxe, a Black Bullet
Electra with a Cozy sidecar at-
tached (also make in India) and the
ever popular Teal Green Classic 500.
Mr. Leno talked about the history
o Royal Eneld and then pointed
out the eature o the new UCE/EFI
bikes. He was very well inormed
about Royal Eneld and the UCE/EFI
bikes when he came to the studio.
He observed the eatures and ben-
ets o each model and sat in the
sidecar and spoke a bit about it.
Jay Leno is the most popular
night time TV host in America. His
show is The Tonight Show. He is
an Actor who rose to become the
host o this very popular show. He
is a avid automobile and motorcycle
collector. He is adamant that he
does not collect vehicles as museum
pieces but rather as part o a collec-
tion to be used. He drives and rides
all o his vehicles and is o ten times
seen on the streets o Southern
Caliornia driving one o his collec-
tion. he is an eclectic collector and
has everything rom early 1900s
steam and electric powered cars to
turbine cars and motorcycles. He
also had a widely popular internet
show called Jay Lenos Garage. It
is this show that we will be eatured
on. We should be on in about two
weeks. One nice thing is that the
show stays on line indenitely.
Classic Chrome & Bullet 500 LaunchedRoyal Enfelds ne CEO Dr Venki Padmanabam unveiled 2 ne models or 2011 at te Ne York MotorcycleSo eld during 20 - 22 January 2011. Tese to models are as ollos:
Jay Leno rides a Royal Eneld
Royal Enfeld Classic Crome: The Royal Eneld Classic Chrome isbased on the Classic 500 with a rather generous dose o chrome on it. Likethe Classic 500, the new Classic Chrome retains the quintessential classicBritish styling o the 1950s: simple, harmonious, well proportioned. TheChrome sports a seat with a leather nish and adds to the visual appealo the motorcycle.. Built o old-ashioned metal, in clean elegant lines oChrome combined with Royal Maroon the design o the Royal Eneld Clas-sic Chrome is a tribute to the retro look o post war British motorcycles.
Royal Enfeld Bullet 500: The Bullet 500 is the culmination o over 8decades o legacy, o the longest running model in continuous production.Since 1932 the Bullet has mesmerized thousands all over the world with itsunique styling and one o its kind eel o ride eel. The Bullet 500 is a seam-less pairing o the majestic Bullet styling, perormance and reliability withthe new technology elements like the Electronic Fuel Injection synergizedseamlessly with the period styling. The Bullet 500 is all about romancingwith history on todays terms.
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
6/32
6
one ride
One Thought;One Feeling;
One love for theRoyal Eneld.Starting 2011 the FIRST Sunday o April came to be celebrated asthe ONE RIDE day where Royal Eneld owners all over the worldwere encouraged to take their motorcycles out and ride. This year theONE RIDE took place on the 3rd o April and was celebrated acrossthe world. This celebration is in line with Royal Enelds philosophyo promoting the adventure and leisure riding under its 'keep riding'initiative.Although each rider could have his or her own individual 'One Ride'
Royal Eneld encouraged them to either start the ride rom any otheir Brand Stores/Dealership/Distributor or Service stations or end
at them or an easy count. Special ONE RIDE commemorative stickersand cloth patches were distributed amongst the riders who proudlyadorned their bikes, helmets and jackets with these memorabilia.Even i the riders were not able to join any o the ONE RIDE celebra-tions they were inspired to still take out their beloved Royal Eneldon this day and show the chrome and the polished tank some sunlightand ride.
This was a ride or camaraderie and unity where the roads camealive with the distinct thump o Royal Eneld machines. The eventbecame big with the support o all riders and enthusiasts who cameorward and joined in the celebrations.
Perhaps one o the largest celebrations o the ONE RIDE was onhome ground in Chennai. Over 140 bikers assembled at the Besant
Nagar beach to celebrate the ONE RIDE.This ride was to start rom Besant Nagar
to Mahabalipuram and then to The Farma resort on the OMR where riders weretreated to some good o-roading un. Ascrumptious breakast and loads o chitchat session later all the riders dispersedor home. Live tweets were done during
the ride rom our ocial channel as well as some enthusiasts who werethere on the ride. The CEO o Royal Eneld Dr Venki Padmanabham wasone o the prominent riders in the group.
Conrmed reports o the ONE RIDE rom many other locationsacross the country started pouring in throughout the day and keptcoming till the next ew days. Major rides happened at places likeAmbala, Gurgaon, Delhi, Jaipur, Bikaner, Udaipur, Chandigarh, Agra,Lucknow, Muzzaarpur, Patna, Allahabad, Deoria, Kolkata, Hyderabad,Ranchi, Vizag, Bangalore, Mangalore, Mysore, Madikeri, Cochin, Kot-
tayam, Nasik, Indore, Bhopal, Kolhapur and Goa.Mumbai Pune witnessed one o the largest gatherings o people
as 150 odd riders ride rom Mumbai, Nerul and Pune to meet up atLonavla or a brunch session at a motoring theme Cae. Live tweetswere done rom the ride be an enthusiast who went along.
Internationally te ONE RIDE as also celebrated and ridersrode out at olloing locations. Potograps and live teetsere sent in rom some o tese locations also Australia,Korea, Japan, Nepal, Dubai, Luxembourg, Spain, UK,Argentina and USA. At last count te total number o riderso celebrated tis day across te orld could easily runinto 4000 plus.
One Rden Korea
One Rde n UAE
One Rde n Chenna
One Rde n Chenna
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
7/32
7
one ride
One Rde n Japan
One Rde n Argenna One Rde n Argenna
One Rde n Aaa One Rde n Goa
One Rde n Nepa
One Rde n Deh
One Rde n Argenna
One Rde n SpanOne Rde n Ahrapay
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
8/32
8
neWs
InternationalParkour ExpertsAndy Day and Thomas Couetdic the two International Parkour Expertswho had come down on a tour o India came to Chennai as part o theirendeavour to spread the culture o Parkour visited us during their stay in
Chennai. They thentoured all over India on2 Royal Eneld Classic500 motorcycles whichwere loaned to themby Royal Eneld asa good will gesture.Their journey took themaround Karnataka, TamilNadu, Maharashtra,Gujarat, Rajasthan andall the way till Rishikeshand Varanasi where thejourney ended and theyhanded over the bikes
to us. It was a greatplease or us also bepart o their adventureacross India promotingand educating peopleon adventure sports andparkour in particular.Here are a ew glimpsesrom their epic journeys.
RM EastRideIn January the Kolkata basedRoyal Eneld Club, Eastern Bullsorganised an event called theRM East. A lot o Royal Eneldclubs and riders came or thisevent. Royal Eneld staers alsoattended this event by ridingdown rom Chennai to Kolkata.
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
9/32
9
neWs
Awards for Royal EneldBEST BRAND: Royal Eneld was awarded the Best Brand 2011 in 2wheelers by Auto India. Incidentally this award has been given to us or a3rd time in a row. Additionally Royal Eneld also climbed 7 places rom lastyears 9th position to this years 2nd position in terms o Best Styling in 2wheelers. Kudos to our styling team or their work on the Royal Eneld Clas-sic motorcycles which has signicantly contributed to this achievement
POwER BRAND:Royal Eneld was bestowed with the honour o beinga Power Brand by Planman Consulting or the year 2010 2011. Thislisting has been based on a perception based survey conducted by ICMRalong with the IIPM think tank.The parameters are based on thehigh recall value, brand aware-
ness, brand image/perception,brand perormance andbrand association. 1500
brands were selectedrom amongst 40,000across the world andthe surveywas conducted
amongst 10,000respondents based on the parameters o brandawareness and brand preerence acrossseveral cities in India. The additional 9 ac-tors which contributed to the selection as aPower brand were trust, sustainability, im-age, awareness, eectiveness, perception,aspiration, loyalty and positioning.
TOP 10Dealers
Dhone AutomobilesPun
H.S.R.ServicesBngo
Soniya Motors Pvt. LimitedMumbi
Royal Motorsamb
Manmohan Auto StoresChndigh
Teknik MotorsBngo
Jaycee Motors Corporationamit
Ess Aar MotorsNw Dhi
Amar AutoNw Dhi
South Delhi MotorcyclesNw Dhi
JaN'11-Mar'11
Royal EnfiEld's nEwEst facilitiEsNew ealer were recentl
ae t te eer grwng Ral
Enfel netwr.
1 GAUtAm mOtORS,
Maarr: Bar
2 NEwASKAR AUtOmObilES,Amenagar: Maaratra
3 S R mOtORS,Tane: Maaratra
2 3
1
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
10/32
10
motor shoW
Gulf Bike Expo
2011 was part
of the Gulf Bike
Week and is the
Middle Easts only dedicated
Bike Festival that showcases
the very latest in bikes, off
road and all terrain vehicles,
apparel, accessories, custom-
designed bikes and motorcycle-
related products as well major
international lifestyle brands
from Europe, the USA and
Asia.
The Gulf Bike Expo held
in Dubai in February 2011,
attracted over 30,000
enthusiasts plus 1000 people
from the Media. This was
the largest Bike and Off
Road Festival anywhere in
the Middle East. The show
had prominent Motorcycle
manufacturers and other
accessory exhibitors displaying
their products. Royal Eneld
Participated in the Bike Expo
for the second consecutive
year backed by the purchase
potential in Dubai.
Royal Eneld
ofcially launched
the Classic Chrome
and the Bullet 500
models for this
region in the Expo with the
media snapping every moment
of the launch.
Royal Eneld had one
open stall and a semi-closed
stall which showcased the
Classic range of motorcycles
apart from the Caf-racer
customised version by the
Dubai Distributor Classic
Motorcycle LLC. The Open
booth also featured
a prominent
sidecar combo on a 500cc
Royal Eneld along with
the Customised motorcycle
models from the distributor.
Royal Eneld rider group
of Dubai participated in the
rally and drew the attention
of the visitors for the unique
looks and sound compared to
the other prominent brands.
The visitors were amazed to
see the unique combination
of our motorcycles with the
Classic Retro appeal and style
combined with the modern
technology. Royal Eneld
also Stole the limelight by
winning the rst and the
second trophies for the
Best Customised European
Category. The award winning
customised bikes impressed
everyone for their nuance looks
and the retro appeal.
GulfBikeExpo
bkes and merchandse on dspaybkes lned up a he moor Sho.
Dgnares ro he Araord adrng he kes Roya Enfed sdecar Coo on dspay
the 2 bkeshch on he
es cusosedEuropean
caegory rophy
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
11/32
11
contest
Inked for LifeRoyal Eneld enthusiasts across Indiashowed o their tattoos as we looked
or some o the best Royal Eneldmarks through our Social media sites.We came across some interesting oneswhich deserved not just a mention butalso won their owners some goodiesrom Royal Eneld. Theses tattoosdenitely do make an impression andcarry a theme too. Some depicted theirliestyle on the Royal Eneld whilesome just depicted their machinesand their aliation to the Brand. Thenotable winners were Vaibhav Roy romGoa, Amit Jambotkar, Aarti Samant andSameer Saxena rom Mumbai
We are having more such contests on our social media platforms. Watch out for them. Participate and win cool Royal Eneld merchandise
phoTo By MAkARANd udAvANT
phoTo By Riddhi RAThiphoTo By shERMAN NAzARETh
Vahav Roy
Vahav Roy
Aar Saan A Jaokar
Saeer SaxenaA Jaokar
Republic Day RideIn the month o February on our Facebook an page wehad a contest or the best photograph o a Royal EnfeldRepublic Day ride. The three shutterbugs who wona T- Shirt each rom Royal Enfeld were Riddhi Rathirom Mumbai, Sherman Nazareth rom Mumbai andMakarand Udavant rom Nasik.
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
12/32
12
one ride
Need I say more? Well,
Royal Eneld is and will
always be the dream
bike of every biker in
India, no matter which
bike he is currently riding, he would always
aspire and die to be a One Rider on a Royal
Eneld. I cant help but hum to the tune of
a very popular jingle which was one of the
classic advertisements for Royal Eneld,
Yeh Bullet meri jaan, Manzilon ka Nishaan
truly, with that heartening spirit all the Royal
Eneld Lovers from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai
got together for a journey to the destination
that would not only give them a feeling of joy
but all the people watching on the road a true
sense of cataclysmic awe. The One Ride was
a ride for camaraderie and unity where the
roads came alive with the distinct thump of
Royal Eneld machine. With over 155 Royal
Eneld Bikes at their helm, hitting the streets
together, one cant just sit back to watch
them take the roads. Im sure each and every
passerby must have been dying to be part of
the ride. Out of the 155 Royal Eneld Bikes 75
were from Navi Mumbai.
3rd April, 2011 was celebrated as Royal
Eneld One Ride day across the world
where people took their respective Roya
Enelds on the road and gave the onlookers
a sight of Royal Eneld love. Royal Eneld
has proclaimed that this year henceforth, the
rst Sunday of April shall be celebrated as the
One Ride day.
A lot of folks from Mumbai and Nav
Mumbai came together with the Royal Eneld
spirit and spent the day at the starting point
at Nerul Royal Eneld Showroom and ended
their sojourn at the Big Wheels Motoring
Caf near Pune. For those who already know
this place, this had to be the perfect spot to
end the One Ride; for those who dont, well
you can call this the heaven of bikers; one that
most of them would always love to check into.
Indeed, couldnt ask for a better destination
than this place to end the One Ride.
The One Ride event in Mumbai was
Initiated and organized by Mr. Nitin Chawla
One Ride! One lOve
ROyal enField!text & photographs: rutavimehta
Foo he leader!
to ecoe Oneon he ONE RiDE
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
13/32
13
one ride
the Navi Mumbai Royal Eneld Brand store
manager and S.S Ghisad, Regional Manager
for service support. Nitin along with the senior
riders from Navi Mumbai, like Suresh Nair
(celebrating his 356th ride),Manish Sharma,
Ajit Matre, Steven Miranda, Akash Agrawal
,Vikram, Ronak Wadhwani, and Manan
Patel made the Ride quite a comfortable
and good experience for all 155 Riders. They
also ensured providing clear instructions/
guidance to avoid any complications on roads
or breakdowns. To make each Royal Eneld
owner special, the event was photographed
by me.
One Ride was formally agged off from
Palm Beach road where the Bandra Riders
also joined in and rode along with the Navi
Mumbai riders till the nal destination,
showing off their chrome and the polished
tank in the bright sunlight. It was certainly a
day to cherish and from this year onwards, a
tradition had begun and all the riders looked
forward to celebrate this as a fest each and
every year.
2 eer han 1on he ONE RiDE
Fyng coours
lne Up ousdeNeru brand Sores
lne Up ousde bgwhees moorng
Hghay rders
O o lonava
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
14/32
14
tour of rok
12th march 2011
Ahmedabad - The rid-
ers started pouring in
one by one as the bike
/riding gear scrutiny
started, and brieng happened. The rid-
ers got to know each other and exchanged
points and expectations from the ride.The Next day 13th March 2011 the twenty
six riders took off on their epic journey af-
ter they were agged off by Mr. Amitabh
Pathak, Commissioner of Police, Ahmeda-
bad, from Acropolis Mall, S.G. Highway
Ahmedabad. A large crowd had gathered
to cheer the riders as they embarked on this
adventure. Ahmedabad is reckoned as the
cultural capital of Gujarat and sets an ex-
ample to many other cities and towns this
side of the country, thus making it the obvi-
ous choice for the ag off. With this event
the culturally rich city known for the art
and craft and culinary delights woke up to
its adventurous side. The riders were given
an escort by the police vehicles till the out-
skirts of Ahmedabad and it denitely was
an impressive sight for the people around.
After the rst regroup they headed to-
wards Zainabad and reached later in the
afternoon. After a short nap the riders rode
through a sandy track, which also gave
some much needed practice to novice rid-
ers; to a nearby lake to watch the migra-
tory birds, . The next day 14th of March the
group rode out from Zainabad and hit the
little Rann of Kutch. After entering the vast
desolate landscape the riders couldnt hold
themselves back and enjoyed it to its fullest
extent running wide in the vastness. The
terrain was also quite harsh as was evident
by the 4 5 punctures they suffered by the
end of the day but it was all worth the expe-
rience. The day ended at Dholavira where
the team rested for the day and could see
the great vast white rann right in front of
their eyes. They prepared themselves for
tackling the great white rann the next day.
15th March was the day the Riders ven-
tured into the great white Rann. Riding
Ro e
Tour of R of Kutch
the Fag o ro Ahedaad
map o he Rann
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
15/32
15
tour of rok
togeher e rde Crossng he tropc
Grea whe Rann
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
16/32
16
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
17/32
17
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
18/32
18
tour of rok
over sandy and rocky trails the riders went
through the two border outposts at Machhi
and Karni which are areas quite secluded
from regular civilization. Reaching the
Greater Rann, the riders were in for a shock
as they realized that the Greater Rann was
still wet and ooded. The BSF comman-
dant conrmed that late rains in February
and a broken dam on the other side of the
border was the cause of it . However the ride
through the trails to Karni and Mucchi was
any off roaders dream and more than made
up for the disappointment. In the evening
they visited the 4000 year old Harappan
civilization near Dholavira before calling it
a day. 16th March was a long day and the
riders covered approximately 300+ kms out
from Dholavira to Hodka.
They stopped at the Bhuj dealership
where a traditional gala welcome was or-
ganized by the local team. The day ended
at the serene Shaam E Sarhad resort at
Hodka, after a night ride out into the White
Desert which fortunately was dry. 17th saw
the riders heading all the way to the India
Bridge and then further on to the BSF oper-
ated old sardar post. Located right on the
border the Old Sardar post is the site where
a memorable battle was fought by the CRPF
in 1965. To reach the post the bikers had to
go ride on surface which was more of an
off-road trail than tarmac roads. The tem-
perature in the Rann at this time of year
had started to rise already and as per the
riders it was very hot. Riding 300 kms on
this day was denitely exhausting but the
adventure made it seem exhilarating and a
test of endurance. On the return the riders
rode up to Kala dungar to have a magni-
cent view of the sunset over the rann. They
spotted some wild jackals on the horizon
as the wildlife of the rann started getting
alive with the fading twilight. After the
sunset they headed straight to the resort.
18th March was the penultimate day of the
tour and perhaps ended up being the long-
est day of the whole journey. The riders on
their Royal Eneld motorcycles left from
Hodka and since they did not get the nec-
essary permissions to cross the little Rannagain they had to take the highway all the
way back to Zainabad.
The weather was hot and the strong cross-
winds on the long 400 kms marked the end
of one of the most awesome adventures for
the year. After a small party for all the riders
where they shared stories of the individual
adventures they had during the ride and
how they bonded over the motorcycles they
called it a day. The next day on 19th March
the day started off with the riders slowly
getting to realise that this was perhaps
the last day of their adventure. No one re-
ally wanted to head back to civilization but
then they shook off the after-effects of the
nights party and geared up for the last 120
odd kilometre ride back from Zainabad to
Ahemedabad. The sleepy town of Ahemeda-
bad was woken up to the sound of over 2
dozen thumping royal eneld machines
as the riders rode into the city and headed
straight to their nish point. Getting off the
bike they were exhilarated and recollected
each and every moment of their adventur-
ous ride as they dusted their jackets and -
A border Oupos achesover he Rann
Rader o he ROK
is he JOSH ha couns
Caes or copany
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
19/32
Cng o he hghespon n he Rann
tour of rok
19
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
20/32
20
diY
Keep the motor-
cycle on the main
(centre) Stand and
place a fat piece o
stone/tile/wood under
the stand to ensure
the ront tyre is o the
ground. Rotate the tyre
and check tyre surace
or metal burrs, nails
or other objects
embedded which
may have caused the
puncture. be careul
while inspecting with
hand.
Disconnect the
speedo cable. Loosen
the Pinch Bolt on the
right side ork guide.
Remove the split pin
rom the ront axle us-
ing pliers and remove
the axle nut along with
the washer. Gently
tap the axle Push out
the ront spindle. Put
the nut back on the
spindle along with the
washer to avoid them
getting misplaced on
the ground.
Shake the wheel
loose and pull it
towards the let side.
Tilt the bike to the
right side and remove
the wheel along with
the speedo drive and
the Right side spacer.
take out the speedo
drive and the bush on
the right hand side.
Ater the puncture
is repaired and the
tyre set back on the
rim. Place the speedo
drive bush in position
and place the speeedo
drive on it.
Tilt the bike to the
right side again and
insert the ront wheel
back along with the
speedo drive and RH
spacer between the
ront ork ends. Ensure
the speedo drive is
placed properly such
that the cable can be
connected without
any diculty.Ensure
that the disc is placed
exactly between the
disc pads.
Caution: Dont
press the ront brake
lever at all during this
operation.
Insert and gently
tap the ront axle till
it ts snugly. Ret the
washer and tighten
the axle nut. Tighten
the pinch nut on the
ork gyide. replace
the split pin with a
new one. Rotate the
tyre to check or ree
movememt. Check
or any rubbing sound
o tyre or disc plate
rubbing.Connect the
speedo cable to the
speedo drive. Press
brake lever 3 - 4
times to check ront
brake working. Take a
short ride to check or
wobble.
One o the most common problems we ace while
riding out on the roads are punctures. And in such
a case dragging the bike with a defated tyre to
the closest puncture shop may not be the most
easible idea. Better would be to remove thewheel and take the same to the puncture repair
shop. Following are the instructions or removing
the rear and ront wheel o the bikes.diy
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
21/32
21
diY
Keep the vehicle on
main Stand and ensure
the rear tyre is o the
ground. Rotate the tyre
and check tyre surace
or metal burrs, nails
or other objects
embedded which
may have caused the
puncture. be careul
while inspecting with
hand.
Remove the split
pin rom the rear
axle using pliers and
remove rear spindle
nut. Push out the rear
spindle along and re-
move the rear spindle
along with cam
adjusters, distance
washer and spacer.
Put the nut back on
the spindle along with
these to avoid them
getting misplaced on
the ground.
Shake the wheel
loose and pull it to-
wards the let side. Tilt
the bike to the right
side and remove the
wheel assembly.
Ater the puncture
is repaired and the
tyre set back on the
rim. Tilt the bike to
the right side again
and t the rear wheel
back. Ensure that the
sprocket bush rubber
slots are positioned
into the sprocket drum
lugs.
Once wheel is
placed with the bush
rubber slots well
placed inside the drum
lugs. Place the collar
into the rear wheel
seal. Insert spacer and
the chain adjuster cam
along with the Axle/
spindle.
Adjust the two
chain adjuster cams to
have same number o
notches on both sides.
Tighten the spindle
nut and lock it with a
new split pin.Check
the chain or optimum
tightness/slack. Rotate
the wheel or ree
movement and check
rear brake or tight-
ness and locking. Once
done ride the bike or
a ew metres to check
i no wobble is there
in wheel. Now you are
ready to go.
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
22/32
22
keep riding
Fng rde ere rganed a er e cnry nder e Keep Rdng naeared by Rya Ened encrage cer rde n er rcyce
BIKANER
Ten riders under the guidance of Dhanna
Lal, rode out from Bikaner and traversed
across some rural patches and dirt roads
through the adjoining small hamlets, rode
through the desert landscape and around
evening time returned back to Bikaner.
During the ride they also had to spend
some time at the local mechanics getting
some motorcycles xed. The customers
on getting to work on the motorcycle real-
ised that this often creates a unique bond
and understanding of the machine as you
get to see it closely and spot the details
too while getting a hands on knowledge
transfer of the intricacies. Covering over
200 Kms this ride was denitely going to
be etched in the memories of the riders for
years to come.
AMBALA JAIPUR
The Royal Bikerz club from Ambala
Cantt following the route Ambala-Mohri-
Pipli-Panipat-Murthal-Delhi-Gurgaon-
Dharuhera-Behror-Jaipur for their
recent ride. Their ride started on a cold
chilly morning and headed towards Delhi
with more and more riders joining in
from Mohri and Pipli till Panipat, During
this ride they also met Mr. Vijay Singh
of Rajputana Custom Bikes. His Great
ancestral house was located opposite the
Chief Ministers house and a portion of
it had been converted into a workshop
for motorcycle customization. It is here
that he built custom Royal Eneld Bikes.
At Jaipur they also visited the acclaimed
Amer fort and spent time there. Spread
across 4 days they rode through chilly
nights as well as unseasonal rains but
enjoyed the ride thoroughly.
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
23/32
23
keep riding
RANTHAMBORE
As part of the Log Out programme Royal
Eneld riders and friends from Gurgaon
rode down to Ranthambore. A small group
of bikers, they called themselves the No-
mads and despite setting off early at 5:30
in the morning had to counter trafc en-
route. Stopping at roadside dhabas to try
out the local delicious parathas and meals,
the riders just took off their urban diet
conscious garb as they feasted on the local
delicacies. At Ranthambore besides watch-
ing the magnicent fort and its huge walls,
they also had their share of wildlife; not to
forget a tete-e-tete with the mighty Tiger.
Guided by Anil Goyal and Arpit Bansal,
the riders understood the real meaning of
the philosophy of leave home on this ride
and came back tired but extremely happy
and satised.
SAPUTARA
Saputara traditionally is known for its calm
and peaceful environment. People generally
go there to get their dosage of peace and
tranquility. And then one day, the sleepy
little hill station in Gujarat woke up to the
thump of 20 bullets. And life was never the
same again. It all started when 21 riderscame together at the Royal Riders show-
room at Ahmedabad on the cold wintery
morning of 21st January 2011. This was
their rst ride of 2011 and they all had gath-
ered with their riding gear, gloves, winter
clothing, etc in place and after a hot cup of
tea (or was it many cups) the thump began
to stir up the souls of sleeping Amdavadis.
Getting on the old national highway to
Vadodara, they made the 1st stop for break-
fast at Anand. Some took a rather light
breakfast while others decided to ll their
stomachs to their limits. Being a long ride,
some people also joined from Vadodara
and Bharuch. Once the whole group was
in place and about 200 kms already under
the belt, they stopped for lunch and deeplyappreciated the inventors of foam based
sofas. Bums rested stomachs and fuel tanks
relled and it was time to begin the 3rd sec-
tion of the ride. This section was the most
fun lled one with broken roads, winding
twisties and low visibility. Overall a great
experience this ride would be one which all
the riders would cherish for the entire year.
TUGHLAKHABAD
Three Riders from Murthal taking inspira-
tion from their Royal Eneld friends took
up this trip and started off from Murthal
one winter morning. They rode northwards
towards Ambala and maintained a moder-
ate pace crossing into Chandigarh, taking
fuel and food breaks enroute. After Roop-
nagar the climb started as they ascended
the hills till they reached Bilaspur. Calling
it a day at Bhuntar they woke up the next
day morning and rode to Kasol, exploring
the hilly regions around that place. After
visiting the famed Manikaran Sahib Gurd-
wara the next day they rode back towards
Chandigarh. The last day saw them start
late in the day, not wanting to get back into
city life but the riders eventually rolled
back home later in the day. The riders were
thankful to South Delhi Motorcylyes who
were instrumental in keeping the bikes
trouble free so that they could enjoy their
ride to the fullest.
TIKARPADA
Ten Machines and 17 riders including the
Royal Eneld service team rode to Tikar-
pada (Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Orissa).
The permission for riding inside to forest
was acquired after much efforts from the
Royal Eneld staff. The journey started at
5o clock from kolkata and covered 600 kmto the destination. The riders did nd some
difculty at the fag end of the trip as they
could not locate the place due to heavy fog
and had to rest in the middle of Jungle in
Tiger Reserve Core area till morning,
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
24/32
24
rider profile
W
e call ourselves the Eneld
family. We hail from the
UK but our association
with Royal Eneld beganright here in India. So how did this unique
relationship begin? It began almost twenty
years ago when my daughter Zoe was the
rst person to buy a 350 cc Bullet. We all
watched and admired her condence rid-
ing around Goa, we all followed on Scooters
and small 125 bikes until three years later I
thought to myself if my daughter could do it,
so could I. Thus, I purchased a second hand
350 cc Bullet and suddenly the whole of In-
dia was opened to us. My other daughter
Tanya was next a few years later and after
that we started touring together out of the
Goa.
In 2002 we saw advertisements in the
newspapers/magazines for the newly
launched Thunderbird. And so one ne
morning my daughter Tanya, her husband
Howard, me and my husband walked into
the main Royal Eneld dealer in Margao,
Goa and announced that we wanted FOUR
Thunderbirds all in different colours in a
weeks time. You can imagine the amaze-
ment and confusion this must have caused,
no one in the history of that showroom had
just walked in like this before and said give
me one of each colour, pointing out at anybike. However, one week later, as promised,
we all got on our brand new bikes and started
touring in earnest. Two years after that my
son Warren came to India for his rst holi-
day and was immediately hooked. He too
purchased a Thunderbird and toured with
us, loving it as much as we do. I guess we re-
ally owe it all to Zoe. If she had not bought
the rst Eneld we may still have been pot-
tering around Goa on scooters.
Our association with Royal Eneld went
beyond the bikes when we attended the
Royal Eneld Rider Mania in Goa in 2009November. We saw how much fun we could
have in the company of all Eneld lovers. We
again came to Rider Mania 2010 and met
more of the people behind these machines. It
was during this that we also thought of visit-
ing the Royal Eneld factory in Chennai.
We started off on our trans-India tour
this year somewhere around February had
decided to make a visit to the Royal Eneld
factory in Chennai during our trip, travel-
ling there from Goa on our bikes of course.
Sadly Zoe was not able to join us on this trip,
but we are sure she would denitely join us
the next time we undertake another such ad-
venture. On the way to Chennai we stopped
at Hampi, where we met up with friends
who run a restaurant in the middle of the
Bazaar, we have known them for many years
and they always make us welcome. Two
days later, riding about 350 kms a day, we
reached Chennai, found a comfortable ho-
tel in the middle of the city, relaxed for the
evening with good food and a few beers ea-
gerly discussing our forthcoming trip to the
Royal Eneld Factory.We arrived at the Factory in the morning
and were welcomed by the staff from the
Marketing group and were shown around
all the workshops and were able to watch the
bikes being spray painted, assembled and
lastly tested. We enjoyed every minute of it
and left even more determined to Keep on
Riding. We left Chennai with regret as we
all fell in love with the City and the friendly,
helpful people we met and want to do the
trip again but next time with Zoe.
On the way home we stopped off at Pon-
dicherry, Mysore and Kerala, meeting up
along the way with friends we had met on
previous trips. This tour was for 16 days but
we felt that it was over far too quick. We have
now started planning several trips in 2012
but have to travel home very soon to the
U.K. So all our bikes are serviced, greased
and locked in my apartment until next No-
vember my sitting room literally looks like
the local Eneld garage. So now in the UK I
shall spend a summer season working hard
in my Ice Cream Parlour and counting the
days for my return to India.
Th eFmtext & photographs: diannesreenivas
Enroue o Agra
Rdng n he ghas
marna beach
Soehere n Karnaaka
Fan cu
A he Facory
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
25/32
wtrCrossg
riding tip
A
ll the brave adventurers
who have dared to head
out to the Himalayas,
Ladakh region in par-
ticular on their trustedsteeds have often kept
in mind 3 major perils of the region name-
ly dropping temperatures, altitude sick-
ness and water crossings. Good clothing
and diamox can get you through the rst 2
but there is no aid you can call upon to get
over the water crossing part. Each one has
to ride his own bike.
A water crossing has the ability to
shrink the scenery to itself and they al-
ways seem to look better after you have
crossed them. When travelling in a group
they bring out cameras faster than any-
thing else on the road. Even experienced
and condent riders pay more attention to
this particular aspect of the terrain.
There are many different kinds of water
crossings some owing into your path
some away from you some perpendicular
and ever other unimaginable angle. There
are some that make a huge splash and a
lot of noise and some that ow silently
without drama. Sometimes you have no
idea what lurks underneath and some-
times its visible on the surface.
Its a very simple technique really get
in at a manageable speed in a low gear
and medium revs with the clutch let out.
Before getting into the water establish
a rm stance on the bike (either sittingor standing) and look where you want to
go. (not just 2 ahead of the tyre) take the
crossing with a bit of acceleration so your
front wheel is light. This will enable you
climb easier over obstacles and give you a
bit more clearance. Honestly its as easy as
that. Always stay calm and make sure that
your actions are from your thinking and
not from a panic reaction.
Some baSic ruleS to follow
Take your time to study the crossing
and dont be lazy
Keeping your shoes dry is not the ulti-
mate aim.
Its better to wait (dry) before the cross-
ing and watch other people cross than
to wait on the other side while you dry
yourself.
When in doubt choose the lower gear.
If you do get stuck try smarter not hard-
er. Take your time dont panic
Pay special attention not to allow the
engine to stall.
Point into the ow
Dont be afraid to get wet
Have a plan but be ready to improvise
If riding in a group go one at a time
avoid
Going in too fast
Taking your feet off the footrest
Stalling the engine/motion
Panic
Slipping the clutch
Too much rpm
Holding too hard on the handle bars
In case you dont get it right the rst time,
no problem. The worst thing is that you
fall and stall. Im sure each of us will g-
ure out how to handle a fall. In case the
bike stalls when the silencer or air lter
was below the water level or we suspect
that the engine has taken in water do not
attempt to restart the engine. Once on dry
ground remove the spark plug dry it and
give the engine a few good kicks till you no
longer see it throw out water. you can use
the electric start to crank the engine as
well. You are good to go now but remem-
ber to change your oil and clean your carb
at the next earliest opportunity
Ride safe
sachin chavan
25
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
26/32
26
flash Back
With the rise in fuel prices a lot of auto-
mobile manufacturers are turning towards
diesel as an alternative fuel. This is some-
thing we had touched years ago when we
made the motorcycle with the worlds low-
est running costs. Here is a look into these
oil burners of the era gone by:
ro ed t: The Taurus waslargely regarded as the diesel version of the
legendary Bullet. It saw light of day around
the end of the 1980s and was launched into
the market early 1990 as a workhorse. Pow-
ered by a 325 cc Greaves Lombardini diesel
engine producing a measly 6.5 BHP but a
good 15 NM of Torque at just 2500 RPM,
this bike was better known for its unique
range. Claiming a mileage of 70 KMPL and
a Fuel tank containing 14 Litres upwards, a
full tank would easily take you across 1000
kms without worrying about a fuel stop. It
did end up serving as an agricultural con-
traption in many places, including perhaps
doubling up as a water pump. One of the
rare diesel motorcycles manufactured the
world over this denitely was one rare piece
of machinery. Being a versatile motorcycle
it came with a range of attachments and
luggage carrying options. Having a split
seat option also this was often operated as a
single-seater with luggage taking up space
where the pillion would sit.
Rya Enfed Dee
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
27/32
27
ro ed rob: At almost thesame time in the UK, Ernie Dorsett, who
had done private conversions of Match-
less motorcycles to diesel, got in touch
with Redbreast (Blixworth, Northamp-
tonshire), the UK importer of the Japa-
nese Fuji Robin diesel engine. A deal was
reached with Redbreast to provide en-
gines and Banavar Products (at that time
the importer of Royal Enelds) to pro-
vide a rolling chassis. The Eneld Robin
D-R 400D was powered by an all-alloy
air-cooled Fuji Robin single cylinder en-
gine of 412cc of displacement. It put out
8.5hp@3600rpm. It had a kickstarter but
was also equipped an electric starter, al-
legedly being the rst "Production Royal
Eneld" to have electric start. The Rob-
in nally went for sale in 1993 at 4,500
pounds, almost double of what the Bullet
350 retailed for at the time in the UK.
High cost, lack of performance and the
unfamiliar look of the engine have been
cited by some as reasons for low sales for
the model. Several dealers in the UK, Ger-
many and other places undertook "private
conversions" of various scales, some doing
one-off bikes per request others attempt-
ing a more regular production.
With the cost of Petrol still rising and
diesel vehicles getting popular day by day,
who knows maybe Royal Eneld shal
again come out with another of its legen-
dary diesel engine contraptions combining
fuel efciency, solid torque and the rugged
built in one easy to operate package.
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
28/32
28
29th January 1971,Four young men working with the Tatas set
out on 2 Royal Eneld Bullet Motorcycles
from Jamshedpur with just about 100 dol-
lars in their pockets but tons of grit, and a
spirit of adventure; something they credit
their motorcycles to have cultivated in them.
These gentlemen were Mr Subhash Sharma,
Mr Ashok Kher, Mr Sampuran Singh and Mr
Manmohan Singh. Their journey took them
across 52 countries and 1,60,000 Kms. In the
course of this journey they got nancial as
well as other assistance from people whom
they kept meeting and thus managed the
nances for this adventure. Their trustwor-
thy motorcycles took them across Deserts,
the Savannah, Slushy tracks, across small
streams, and including some parts of the
Grand Canyon. The riders rode through hot
blistering summers and snowy chilly win-
ters as they traversed the continents on their
thumping juggernauts. At places where they
couldnt ride they transported their bikes by
Ship, or on off road trucks or boats but never
even once turned back.
The Journey took them from Jamshedpur
to Delhi and then Mumbai, crossing over
the Arabian Sea into Iran, Turkey, Syria,
Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya,
Uganda, Congo, Cameron, Nigeria, Algeria,
Morocco, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland,
Germany, England, Canada and nally the
United States. Enroute they visited legen-
dary cities, and monuments like the Giza
pyramids, Roman coliseum, Eiffel tower,Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon. The
motorcycles had special racks welded on
the rear stays on which they piled up their
luggage and during certain legs of the run
even carried a spare tyre and tubes tied be-
hind the bike. Their epic journey ended on
the 11th of June 1972 after which they got
their motorcycles to Royal Eneld factory in
Chennai. As a good will gesture Royal En-
eld refurbished their motorcycle and gave
the bikes back to them back sparkling as new.
To mark the 40th anniversary of their epic
ride these gentlemen decided to get together;
unfortunately one of them is no more so the
3 got together and decided to come down to
the Royal Eneld factory to see how much
the birthplace of their epic motorcycles has
changed since they visited last. They met the
Management and Staff at the factory and
took a look at the modern machines being
made. They found the new Classic 500 to be
very familiar to the bikes they had ridden, not
having lost its traditional Royal Eneld style
and mark.
It is such men who set an example of ulti-
mate adventure spirit by undertaking such an
endeavour way back in the days when maps
and navigational aids were not as advanced as
they are today. Its no surprise that their trip
was called the World Odyssey, akin to Royal
Eneld tradition of naming the rides.
Ro w RouFour adventurous young men rom te steel city o Jamsedpur set out to go
round te orld in 1971 and successully completed te adventure. Tis year
tey relived te memories o tose days by getting back togeter to celebratete occasion at te Royal Enfeld Factory.
World tour
the Roya Heros
loadng ono a shp
Heavng hrough sush
Crossng he Equaor
we equpped rders
Ou o Arca
A he Facory
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
29/32
29
Yercaud in Tamil Nadu is perhaps
one of the perfect getaway des-tinations from Chennai as well
as from Bangalore. It is famous
for its peaceful surroundings, the big lake in
the center of the hamlet and the hills nearby
which also serve as perfect trekking desti-
nations. Besides the weather the other thing
Yercaud is famous for are orchids and there
is a dedicated Orchidarium run by the bo-
tanical society of India. As they say some-
times its the journey and not the destina-
tion that makes a trip worthwhile, getting
to Yercaud from Chennai or Bangalore is
also more or less same. The roads and the
scenic places with their individual speciali-
ties make this journey memorable. A mix of
national highways, state highways and me-
andering ghat roads full of twisties make
the route a perfect combination of different
driving scenarios. Riding on these roads
scores a point more than driving as there is
the added thrill of adventure.
Starting from Chennai the road towards
Yercaud goes out towards the western di-
rection on the Chennai Bangalore highway
or NH 4 towards Sriperumbudur, location
of the Madras Motorsports legendary Race
Track. After Sriperumbudur, the road wid-ens up and encourages one to check the
top speed of the motorcycle. However one
must be cautious of the fast moving Chen-
nai Bangalore buses and Big cars which
often try to exercise control on this patch.
The road then leads to the famous temple
town of Kanchipuram the bastion of Godess
Kamakshi. Cross Kanchi and the next big
place to slow down your ride is Ranipet,
once Royal Eneld had its manufacturing
plant here where it assembled/manufac-
tured the Eneld Fury, Explorer and Silver
Plus motorcycles. Once across Ranipet, the
road again beckons towards the yonder and
the journey becomes pleasant. Lined with
trees on both sides, and a medium boasting
of seasonal ora the road often is a sight to
reckon. Riding down this road one reaches
the famous town of Ambur known for itsNon-Veg Biryani and its leather industry.
Good chance of picking up a pair of decent
boots here and tank up with scrumptious
biryani and chicken dishes. Once you cross
Ambur you need to look out for a turn that
takes you off this highway into the country-
side. This place called Vaniyumbadi often
does get missed out. Many people prefer to
travel further down the highway to Salem
and then climb into Yercaud but we chose to
get off at Vaniyumbadi and move towards
Harur. The Route from Bangalore also
more or less joins here. It comes via Hosur,Krishnagiri and then into Vaniyumbadi.
Once you cross Harur the temperature
starts going down as you start seeing lush
green hills in the distance and feel the cool-
er mountain air refresh your soul. A shot
dash through some villages will take you
through a winding state highway to Kup-
panur. its here that the excitement begins
as you start ascending the ghats and since
there is hardly any trafc on this road one
wouldnt be startled by oncoming vehicles
but it always pays to be alert. Climbing into
the hills one can just take stops randomlyanytime a small clearing is spotted from
where the valley and the nearby hills make
up for an amazing sight. The forests on your
way up are also densely populated with
bamboo, which sometimes provide a great
sight contrasting with the other vegetation
growing around.
As you roll into Yercaud, the sight of
the vast lake with numerous paddle boats
bobbing up and down in the placid waters
greets you. Yercaud also literally translates
as A lake surrounded by Forests which it
indeed is. There are numerous inexpensive
places to stay around the lake which would
suit every persons budget. Alternatively
you could also camp out in the open at Yer-
caud and enjoy some treks in and around
the nearby mountains.
Know an exotic location which is just a
bike ride away from the hustle bustle of
the city and would be best enjoyed on your
faithful Royal Eneld motorcycle; write in
to [email protected] and let us
know of the exotic location and the ride.
motorcYcle roads
yrcu: escp fromBgor & ChA quick getaay rom te ustle bustle o city lie or Bangloreans and Cen-
nites is to take a trip to Yercaud, a ill station al a days ride aay
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
30/32
30
reVieWs
The XD 3 is a mix between a motocross and astreet helmet and it is a very unctional design as
I have discovered. I bought it primarily because
o its ability to be used with a goggle and a visor;
however I have been lazy and have used it primar-
ily with the visor only.
Part o buying an Arai is the education and
insight that you get into helmets. Ater getting
an Arai I realised that my other helmets are too
loose and ill tting. The Arai XD3 has the ability
to be snug and tting without being uncomort-
able. I also love the room around the ears and
the ease with which the helmet accepts
sunglasses/spectacles and speakers.
In this helmet the extra room in ront
o the mouth and chin makes it easier to have a
conversation without removing the helmet. The
Camelbak bite valve also passes easier rom under
the helmet. The XD3 has a chin spoiler that can be
pulled down to reduce noise but I havent noticed
any dierence. The extra room makes it more bear-
able in the summer but doesnt penalise you much
when its cold.
Peripheral vision is good and in spite o the
sharply raked design the visor is optically true.
You can either lock the visor shut or keep it slightly
open to reduce ogging. There is a pin lock visorand insert available and I would be trying that this
year during the Himalayan Odyssey.
The peak does a good job o taking the glare
away and there is no sun in your eyes unless its
really low on the horizon. Noise levels remain more
o less the same so its not too much o a concern.
I also ound it a bit more dicult to turn my head
at high speeds or strong winds and I suspect this
resulted rom the shape o the helmet.
The XD3 has an emergency cheek pad release
system which is basically two red tabs on the
cheek pads. When these are pulled the
pads come o making it much easier to
remove the helmet. However, it goes
without saying that only a trained paramedic
should take the call about whether to remove the
helmet or not. The Double D ring astening system
is great and I preer it over the usual buckle ar-
rangement because it's more secure, comortable
and adjustable. And yes its perectly OK to put
stickers and even repaint the helmet i you want.
Overall this is a great helmet and i you can a-
ord it then you should go or it. It is very practical
or touring in India and nothing else perhaps even
comes close. SAChIN ChAVAN
ARAi touR XD 3 / touR X hElmEt REviEw DiADoRABoulEvARD Boots:
A colleague had ordered a pair o Diadora
Boulevard boots or himsel, but they
turned out to be one size larger. I was
looking out or a pair o boots and itseemed like a good idea to try these on. I
usually wear a size 45 (Europe) and these
shoes (also size 45) did t me very well.
They were a bit o a squeeze or my wide
eet initially but a ew days o riding and
walking around with these boots sorted
this out. They do not slip o as easily as
kicking o a pair o sneakers, and require
me to gingerly take them o using my
hands. Once on they t snug and comort-
able too.
Diadora was a brand I had not heard o
earlier, but I am certainly impressed withthe levels o comort these boots oer.
I did have one niggle where I noticed a
small gap between the body o the shoes
and the sole. A spot o glue was used in
time to arrest any urther separation. I
have not had the op-
portunity to test them
in rain, but the boots
have a waterproo lining which should
hopeully keep water seeping inside.
They also have a zipper and a double
Velcro fap which should ensure that my
socks are dry during water crossings.The shoes have enough fex in them and
I have had absolutely no trouble shiting
gears, even using the toe shi ter or while
using the rear brake pedal. Having spent
a ull day riding with these boots, on
the highway, I eel these boots are very
comortable and do not induce atigue.
Denitely a good option or a buy i one
is looking out or comortable all weather
riding boots. These are available at
around $100 at most leading motorcycle
gear selling websites. Customs and
Shipping charges would also apply over
and above that including them this still is
quite a worthwhile piece o equipment.
D RAVI KIRAN
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
31/32
31
WeB World
Royal Enelds presence on social media is augmented by its presence on twitter too.The ofcial twitter feed tweets about the upcoming rides along with various interest-ing trivia around this legendary marque. It also serves as a tool for most Royal Eneld
bikers out there to communicate with the company as well as with each other and seekhelp, guidance or just an opinion. Twitter also serves as a real-time live reporting tool as
was used during some of the rides and Rider Mania. Twitter stream can be found here:
..o/od
Royal Enelds presence on Facebook is through its ofcial fan page on which RoyalEneld shares interesting videos, images and other news information for Royal En-eld acionados all over the world. Contests are often held on Facebook with someinteresting Royal Eneld merchandise up for grabs for the winners. The Facebook fanpage can be found here:
.od.o/odf
Royal Eneld Blogs are basically cate-gorised into Life at Royal Eneld andRiding topics. The senior manage-ment at Royal Eneld (CEO and MD)have their own blogs through whichthey communicate their ideas and
visions with the world but giving it apersonal viewpoint and not throughofcial communication channels.These Blogs not only have been readabundantly but each comment pro-
vides valuable feedback to the writerand to the organization indirectly.The Royal Eneld Blogs are accessi-
ble at the following url:
p://.od.o/re_bo/dx.p
8/4/2019 The Beat April 2011
32/32