Royal Enfield at the Auto Expo 2012

Royal Enfield at the Auto Expo 2012

www.royalenfield.com

G e a r C h e C k d i y k e e p r i d i n G m o t o r s h o w s

January – February 2012

tour of rajasthanrider mania 2011southern odyssey 2011

continental Gt

m a r k e t i n g n e w s l e t t e r

Thunderbird 500 ➧

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kick start

If you would like to contribute to The BeAT email us at [email protected] editorial team Shaji Koshy, Sachin Chavan, Praveen P Sathaye

Dear FrienDs,

Exactly a decade ago at the 6th Auto Expo, we had launched the Thunderbird amidst much fanfare. And even though the company was struggling to survive at that point, we still persevered and came up with a fresh new motorcycle. This was the first product from the Royal Enfield modern-day stable which was a significant departure from the Bullet style of motorcycles. The Thunderbird was received very well by the media and riders — it helped us refresh our image and gave the company a new lease of life.

The Thunderbird introduced Royal Enfield to a completely different genre of urban motorcycle enthusiasts for whom the laid back easy handlebar design and cruiser styling appealed a lot. Over the years this motorcycle has always inspired riders to break free from the humdrum of urban life and chaos and ‘escape’ into the open countryside. It inspired us to come up with the cheeky ‘Leave Home’ campaign for the new Thunderbird Twinspark in 2008; and the Thunderbird has now become the definitive large cruiser bike in India with a loyal following amongst bikers.

This year at the Auto Expo we are showcasing the new Thunderbird 500, the version this motorcycle has matured into over the past 10 years. Today, it has transformed into a completely new and much more powerful motorcycle from the very first avatar in which it was launched. However it still retains the same aura of the powerful cruiser styling and the familiarity and comfort levels it has created amongst the riders. The concept brief was to evolve the Thunderbird in such a way that a rider would enjoy riding with as few stops as possible yet at the same time retain its practical nature so you could enjoy it even in start and stop traffic, transforming even ordinary commutes into wonderful experiences.

In the coming few months as this motorcycle hits the road and starts appearing across our showrooms around the country, I would encourage you to go take a look at it and see for yourself the latest from our stable which has been created keeping in mind your passion for motorcycling and Royal Enfield.

Until then Ride Safe.

siDDhartha LaLManaging Director and CeOeicher Motors Ltd

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the royal enfield stall at Auto Expo located at Hall 18 foyer has been tastefully designed

as per global standards and depicts some of the most important aspects of the legendary marque. The biggest attraction at the stall is the much (eagerly) awaited and largely speculated Thunderbird 500. This motorcycle has a lineage that redefined cruiser motorcycles in India and has always been one of the most popular choices amongst the long distance

riders. The Thunderbird 500 is displayed on a unique Möbius strip signifying an endless road; a dream for the touring enthusiast. This display and theme highlights the unique facet of this motorcycle. With its long range, comfortable cruiser styling and seating, endless miles on the Thunderbird 500 would be a breeze. The motorcycle is also displayed in the various finish options that are available for it.

The stall showcases the Cafe Racer concept from Royal Enfield which

is under development and an interesting montage is playing in the background showcasing the extensive work going on behind the cafe racer. The ‘Making of the Cafe Racer’ montage shows the efforts put by the team behind the cafe racer and the rigorous testing routines they are putting the concept through to perfect it as per their vision.

royal enfield at the auto expo 2012 auto expo 2012

Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Royal Enfield Desert Storm in full kit

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auto expo 2012

The recently launched Desert Storm edition of the Classic 500 also shares the limelight with the other new motorcycles. The Royal Enfield Desert Storm ignites the pride and excitement of the battlefield in the hearts of anyone who rides it. When the whole world is moving towards an age where there are no differences, the Royal Enfield Desert Storm stands apart and delivers as an ‘One of Its Kind’ rebel.

The stall would have been incomplete without the presence of the legendary Bullet 350, the motorcycle which has been the driving force behind Royal Enfield’s popularity all over the world. The Bullet 350 with its unique handcrafted gold stripes is on display in its latest form with the new Unit Construction engine. This is perhaps the only motorcycle in the world to have seen such longevity, having made its first appearance way back in the early 1930’s.

Also displayed at the Royal Enfield stall is the range of merchandise including purpose-built riding gear, casual apparel as well as collectible memorabilia at the Auto Expo 2012. Various motorcycle accessories to further enhance the riding experience are also on display. A plethora of accessories for the Thunderbird 500 is shown mounted on the motorcycle for better visual understanding and the touch and feel appeal. These accessories and merchandise would soon be making their way into the dealerships and showrooms all over the world.

An interactive timeline presented through a touch screen display is one of the major attractions at the Royal Enfield stall. Being the oldest surviving motorcycle manufacturer in the world, Royal Enfield has a rich history and legacy attached to its name. Enthusiasts and other visitors could walk through the labyrinths of history of this legendary marque with a simple flip of their fingers and know more interesting facts and anecdotes about this motorcycle and its legacy over the past 110 years and more through this touch-screen interactive timeline.

The planning for the Auto Expo Stall has been going on at Royal Enfield for quite some time with the various teams and the task force involved in the conceptualizing and design as well as execution of the stall working hard through the past few months. The result of this hard work is evident from the way the stall has been put together as well as the way the crowds have responded to the display.

Siddhartha Lal, MD and CEO of Eicher Motors Ltd and Dr Venki Padmanabhan, CEO, Royal Enfield

Crowds throng the Royal Enfield stall at

the Auto Expo 2012

Royal Enfield Cafe Racer concept

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upcoming rides

Rajasthan offers an exciting mix of desolate yet smooth roads

and rustic country paths with surprise sand patches as a promise to test the grit and skills of the rider. The audience of surprised villagers watching at the thundering cavalcade of riders in amazement add to the exhilaration of The Tour of Rajasthan. Get a chance to be up close and personal with one of the most famous highway legends in the country as you pay homage to the ‘Bullet Baba’ (Om Banna) – a temple devoted to a Royal Enfield Bullet. A ride

through this land of ancient warriors would be incomplete without riding the border roads to the historic battlefields of the 1971 conflict where derelict enemy tanks bear silent witness to that famous victory.

You will get your dose of tips for riding on loose surfaces as our expert riders help you negotiate the dusty country roads and numerous tricky shifting sand patches. The hot and dry weather is bound to play some tricks so it is best to maintain good hydration levels and wear breathable riding gear.

The weather and terrain being quite demanding this ride is

recommended for riders with intermediate to expert riding skills.

For more details on the Royal Enfield Tour of Rajasthan send enquiry to [email protected] or call us on 044-42230244

Royal Enfield Tour of Rajasthan 2012

The iTinerary

F e b 6 – F e b 1 5 2 0 1 2

Jaipur • Mahansar • bi-kaner • JaMba • JaisaLMer • saM • JODhpur • kuMbhaL-

garh • aJMer • Jaipur

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upcoming rides

Royal Enfield Tour of ROK 2012

The desolate terrain stretches for miles and where the horizon seems to extend in all directions is what you see when you enter the Rann of Kutch (ROK). Even though most of the Rann is a hard-packed surface there can be

deceptive patches where soft powder is waiting to explode into a cloud of dust as you ride over it. You always need to be careful and very attentive not just for the natural hazards but also for the man made ones like ruts made by tractors when the Rann was still moist. Even though it’s flat, it’s very deceptive in terms of visibility. After a certain time of the day the shimmering heat rises over the salt flats creating mirages and plays tricks with your perception of distance.

Catch the sunset at the Kala Dungar hill overlooking the Great Rann and spend a moment in memory of brave soldiers at the Sardar Post who fought valiantly in the 1965 war. This hostile land today was also the cradle of one of the oldest civilisations in the world and you can marvel at the wonders of the 4000-year-old Harappan civilization site at Dholavira. Don’t be surprised if

you get the occasional neelgai or wild ass crossing your path. The Royal Enfield Tour of Rann of Kutch 2012 is one adventure which you shall definitely cherish in the years to come.

This is not an easy ride. Even though the roads in Gujarat are good and food is wonderful many a times we will be going off the beaten track and have to carry packed lunches. The thorny bushes along the narrow tracks can wreak havoc on your tyres with punctures galore.

For more details on the Tour of ROK please send enquiry to [email protected] or call on 044 - 42230244

The iTinerary

M a r C h 1 1 – M a r C h 1 7, 2 0 1 2

ahMeDabaD • zainabaD • LittLe rann • DhOLavira • greater rann • kaLa

Dunger • hODka • ahMeDabaD

Royal Enfield One Ride 2012

One Thought. One Feeling. One Love for the Royal Enfield. The One Ride is a ride for unity/brotherhood amongst all Royal

Enfield riders across the world. This ride takes place on the 1st Sunday of April every year to signify the commencement of the riding season in many countries of the world. On this day all over

the world the roads come alive with the distinct thump of Royal Enfield motorcycles, the signature heartbeat. For more details on the One Ride happening in your area, check our website for updates in the coming months.

For more information on finding a ONE RIDE that’s happening in your area or starting one by yourself please send a mail to [email protected] or +044-42230244

The iTinerary

a p r i L 1 , 2 0 1 2

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dealers

TOP 10Dealers

Dhone AutomobilesPune

H.S.R.ServicesBangalore

Manmohan Auto StoresChandigarh

Shahila Expositions Pvt. Ltd.Guwahati

Manmohan Sales CorporationParwanoo

Teknik MotorsBangalore

Barnala Automobilesludhiana

South Delhi MotorcyclesNew Delhi

Ess Aar MotorsNew Delhi

Lamba Enterprise Pvt. Ltd.New Delhi

OCT '11 - NOv '11

Royal EnfiEld's nEwEst dEalERsFollowing new dealerships were recently added to the ever growing Royal Enfield network.

1. NaNd ENtErprisEs, satara, Maharashtra2. aaditya raj autoMobilEs, raipur, Chattisgarh3. aditya Motors, jauNpur, uttar pradEsh4. austiN distributors , KolKata, WEst bENgal5. ClassiC Motors, Madurai, taMil Nadu6. lEgENd Motors, ChENNai, taMil Nadu7. rahul royal Motors, ChiNdWara, Madhya pradEsh8. roy brothErs, dEogarh, jharKhaNd9. shivvi Motors, salEM, taMil Nadu10. shri viNayaK auto, bEgusarai, bihar11. sri saravaNa Motors, hosur, taMil Nadu

sERvicE camp foR dElhi policEA special Service Camp for Delhi Police was organized at Balaji Automobiles, Madipur in November 2011. The service camp was arranged and monitored by Royal Enfield staff from the NCR region. A total of 43 Royal Enfield motorcycles operated by Delhi Police were attended to and attractive discounts on parts were given at this camp. Basic maintenance tips were given to the Delhi Police personnel who ride on these bikes. A total of 22 test rides were organised for the police staff present at this camp for them to experience the new range of motorcycles from Royal Enfield.

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Bhoomi Poojan at the new royal enfield factory siteRoyal Enfield had earlier announced the selection of the the site for the new plant on a 50 acre plot at Oragaddam near Chennai to cater to the increasing demand of Royal Enfield motorcycles. The plant will feature a new state-of-the-art PT and CED painting facility with robotic application of liquid paint and a vehicle assembly facility to start with. It is slated to start production in November 2012. On the 24th of November 2011, the Bhoomi Pooja was performed and the foundation stone was laid by Mr Siddhartha Lal, MD Royal Enfield.

W e had reached Leh during our stint on the Himalayan

Odyssey when we got the first call from this group of women riders called ‘The Bikernis’. They wanted to do a ride to Leh and were looking for sponsorship.

Now Royal Enfield do not sponsor individual rides but in the male dominated world of riders the idea had some merit. So we set our PR machinery in motion to speak to some channels about the idea and UTV Bindass were the first to respond. They came in with the

idea of making a reality show instead of a simple travelogue. Now this changed the equation completely and instead of a 3-member crew we were now looking at a 20-member crew (5 vehicles) + 10 riders (bikes). The only one thing remaining was for UTV Bindass to find a sponsor and finally with ITC Vivel coming on board it was a go-ahead.

We had barely a week to set up everything and it took a bit

of effort and this is where our years of experience riding in this region helped immensely. The first time this team of 36 people met was just a day before the start. At first we thought it was total chaos. The shoot was new to us and the ride was new to the crew and the riders were getting torn between the two.

We had our own set of spills as well when we realised that the trip leader, Adarsh Saxena, from Royal Enfield who was initially intended to be behind the scenes was suddenly made the lead anchor and got branded as ‘trip advisor’!

We must say it was quite a unique experience and at the end of it we were both relieved and sad.

wandering yoginisTwo yoga experts from Canada, Meghan Currie and Alyx Kottmeier who love to ride around the world on motorcycles, travelled to India in search of the traditional yoga experts who live in small villages and hamlets and practice the long lost old school way of yoga. These yoginis travelled from Goa to Chennai on two Royal Enfield Classic motorcycles and discovered a new experience during this trip. The fact that their journey was started on these legendary motorcycles is an experience they can never forget.

Bindass riders powered by royal enfield - the making of a reality show

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l ike every year, Royal Enfield decided to conduct its India

dealer conference in a grand manner and this time this event was organised in Pattaya, Thailand much to the delight of the dealer family. This event required significant effort since this was the first time Royal Enfield was hosting such a conference of this magnitude outside India. A total of 230 people including Royal Enfield dealers and staff, from different cities in India boarded their flights for Bangkok on the night of 5th December to take part in this 3-day event.

Special arrangements were made to get all the people from Bangkok to Pattaya city located 170 km away. After reaching Pattaya the dealers and staff members checked into Royal Cliff, a 5-star beach resort which stood true to its name with its breathtaking structure and the beachside view. Royal Enfield ensured that the dealers got their share of recreation at Pattaya and arranged the flamboyant cultural show ‘Alcazar’ showcasing talented dancers with colourful costumes and

beautiful stage set ups. Next day was the main

event of the conference which began with lighting of the lamp by Dr Venki Padmanabham, CEO, Royal Enfield and other top management officials along with some of the veteran dealers. Mr Shaji Koshy, Senior VP Sales & Marketing formally applauded the dealers and staff for an outstanding last year’s performance and the success of UCE in critical markets. Mr Siddhartha Lal, MD, Royal Enfield expressed his message to dealers through a video clip and emphasised that the company and the brand is on progression. The new dealers who joined the Royal Enfield family in 2011 were introduced to all present there

Mr B Govindarajan, Senior VP, Manufacturing took the stage and presented his plans of expanding the production capacity in the coming few years with the new plant coming in Chennai under strict quality norms and reviewed vendor base. Mr Sachin Chavan, DGM Marketing spoke about the riding initiatives of the company and how the company has been instrumental in bringing

together the riders across the country through various rides and events like Rider Mania.

Our dealer Mr Arun Ramdas from HSR Services, Banglore explained how customer should be treated like guests and they are the reason we exist in business. Mr Santosh Dhone from Dhone Automobiles, Pune talked about how customers and their expectations are changing and relevance of customer service in business. Mr Kanav Agarwal of Jaycee motors, Amritsar showed how he developed a world class infrastructure over time and how it helped in enhancing the customer experience.

After lunch the eminent speaker, Mr Ramesh Venkateswaran, a visiting faculty at the IIMs conducted an interactive session

detailing what it takes to be a world class brand how the difference between top brands is marginal. Subsequent to this the efforts of the twin brothers in creating a world class showroom of the new dealership ‘Legend Motors’ in Chennai was showcased. The presentation highlighted how their passion and enthusiasm for Royal Enfield motorcycles encouraged them to become a part of the dealer family and create this state of the art infrastructure. A short film about Royal Enfield’s new plant and how it would prove to be a new beginning was also featured.

The open house session where the dealers interacted

with our CEO and top officials about their queries marked the end of the day’s proceedings. The conference ended to the tunes of a DJ and made sure they danced the night away.

annual overseas dealer meets The dealers from UAE and South East Asia met the Royal Enfield management team for discussions on export avenues and opportunities specific to the Zone 2 at Bangkok in December 2011. The meeting highlighted opportunity for growth of Royal Enfield sales in these regions.

On the occasion of the NEC Birmingham motorcycle show in the UK in Nov 2011, the Royal Enfield team met up with the international dealers from Europe and discussed future plans. Subsequently, at the Progressive Auto show at Dallas, the North American dealers met up with the team and plans for the coming year were formalised.

annual dealer meets 2011

india dealers conference, pattaya-thailand

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thunderbird 500

T he Thunderbird 500 has perhaps been one of the most anticipated offering from the Royal Enfield stable considering that the Thunderbird 350 has been doing yeoman service for the last ten years. The Thunderbird has built

for itself a reputation of being a comfortable touring motorcycle and is often the first choice amongst the Royal Enfield models for touring enthusiasts.

Highway cruising is best enjoyed with a powerful motorcycle and the defining character of the new Thunderbird 500 is its powerful 499cc mill fed by an electronic fuel injection system dishing out 27bhp.

The ‘blackened’ engine is one of the first styling elements that catch your attention the moment you see the motorcycle. The seat has been completely redesigned to suit the new foot peg position and the handle bar too has received changes for better reach and ergonomics. The seat now opens using a lock mechanism, accessible through the side panel. True to its design concept as a more touring friendly motorcycle, the separately mounted pillion seat can easily be removed to accommodate luggage and bungee hooks provide the necessary points to tie down luggage. The pillion grab rail is an all new pressure die cast component and lends to the modern design of the motorcycle. Other small styling elements that a keen enthusiast will notice are the Royal Enfield logo on the all new foot-pegs, new design mirrors and the LED tail lamp.

The redesigned front end with its 41mm thick forks greatly improves handling besides adding to the muscularity of the motorcycle. The instrumentation also includes two digital trip meters, allowing riders to keep a track of total trip mileage as well as intermediate mileage between tankfuls. The speed and engine rpm are shown via tastefully designed analogue clocks, housed in all new twin pods at the front. The main ignition lock also functions as a central steering lock. The inclusion of hazard lamps in the switch gear is a first for a motorcycle manufactured in India.

Night time visibility has been the biggest challenge faced by most motorcyclists while cruising on the highway hence the new headlight with a 55w projector lamp for its low beam and a 55w halogen bulb for the high beam addresses that issue. The lighting is at its brightest with the high beam on, working in combination with the projector lamp giving ample spread and penetration on the road. The high rise handlebars, forward placed foot-pegs and a low seat height enable a rider to cover distances comfortably for longer periods of time. But what a waste it would be if the rider had to stop frequently for fuel and for exactly this reason the Thunderbird 500 features a large 20L fuel tank for an enhanced range. The tank cap is placed asymmetrically on the top right hand side of the tank, instead of the conventional central mounting; a distinctive styling element of the Thunderbird 500.

Stopping power has been aided with the addition of a disc brake at the rear. The braking system is supplied by Bybre, a fully owned subsidiary of Brembo. It is mounted on the new improved oval section swing arm. These changes will enhance the riding experience of the motorcycle on the highway. The Thunderbird 500 comes as a fresh, completely new design. The test mules have been put through intensive endurance cycles, giving the development team constant feedback. It has been a hectic last twelve months at Royal Enfield with the design, product development and other teams working on extremely tight deadlines and targets to give shape to this motorcycle .

Available with the motorcycle, will also be a range of accessories available for both rider and machine. The rider accessories include jackets, boots, clothing and eyewear. They will be on display at the Auto Expo 2012. The Thunderbird 500 will redefine the levels of performance offered by a cruiser in India, just like the first Thunderbird 350 did. It will have the ability to cover distances comfortably yet retaining its practicality for regular use. See you on the highway!

The Highway Star

Highway cruising is best enjoyed with a powerful

motorcycle and the defining character of the new

Thunderbird 500 is its powerful 499cc mill fed by an electronic fuel injection system dishing out 27bhp.

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thunderbird 500

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motor shoWs

NeC BirminghamRoyal Enfield was present at the Motorcycle Live show at NEC Birmingham which ran from the 19 November to 27 November, 2011. For most of the visitors, this show is much more than just taking a close-up look at the latest bikes, clothing and accessories – it’s an opportunity to see, touch, feel, hear, smell, ride and experience the very best that motorcycling has to offer, no matter whatever one’s riding level is. Along with the full range of motorcycles available in the UK from Royal Enfield and a few special models built for this event, the entire range of Watsonian side cars and luggage trailers was also on display.

Launched to British riders at Motorcycle Live, the Royal Enfield Desert Storm is an addition to the range of Royal Enfield Classic 500 motorcycles that pays homage to the company’s military heritage. With its bodywork and frame painted in matt sand colour and plain white badges, the Desert Storm contrasts with the high gloss finish of the majority of traditionally styled models in the Royal Enfield range. Powered by the latest fuel-injected unit engine, with 5-speed gearbox and multi-plate clutch, Desert Storm combines classic looks with modern levels of performance and reliability thanks to front disc brake, gas-filled rear suspension, Avon Road Rider tyres, hydraulic pushrods and halogen headlight.

Alongside the 2012 range from Royal Enfield some very special custom-built machines are also on show at Motorcycle Live; namely a bobber from the newcomers Chopper Squad of Evesham, a scrambler in a Metisse-style nickel-plated frame from Ridley Racing and a radical flat-tracker from the people at Sideburn magazine.

Dallas Motor ShowRoyal Enfield showcased its motorcycles at the ‘Progressive’ International Motorcycle Show in Dallas from 2 - 4 December, 2011. Besides the range of motorcycles slated for the USA, Royal Enfield also showcased a special custom bike created by legendary custom bike maker Rick Fairless at this show. This custom bike was crafted out of a Royal Enfield Classic 500 and Rick spent close to 30,000 USD worth of parts and many man-hours to create this one-off custom. Rick is a Royal Enfield dealer and his intent behind this custom design was to create the coolest looking Royal Enfield motorcycle on the planet. He affectionately calls his creation ‘Myrna’ after the legendary actress Myrna Loy.

Sideburn Magazine Flatracker

Classic Battle Green with matching Watsonian sidecar

The Chopper Squad Bobber

The Ridley Racing ‘Metisse’ Scrambler Royal Enfield Classic Chrome

Myrna: the Rick Fairless custom

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royal enfield

Rider Mania 2011TexT by Praveen P SaThaye

photogRaphs – Rutavi mEhta, shaRad vERma, chittaRanjan gogoi

rider mania 2011

Initiated in 2003 to commemorate the spirit of adventure and leisure motorcycling, the Royal Enfield Rider Mania is an event hosted by Royal Enfield in India every year. This event is the only one-of-its-kind motorcycling lifestyle event in Goa where like-minded

individuals, riders, fans of Royal Enfield- both Indian and foreign come together for three days of fun-filled motorcycling activities, good food and drinks, music and entertainment in

the party capital of the country—Goa.

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rider mania 2011 Onwards to Chitwan

18 nov, 2011 The Royal Enfield Rider Mania started off on a

thumping note in Goa as scores of Royal Enfield enthusiasts and riders poured into the venue at Vagator Hilltop, making a beeline for getting their registrations verified and entering the venue. The riders rode in from as far as Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Madurai, Cochin, Kottayam, Mumbai, Pune and a host of places all over the country. There also were some foreign nationals who rode in on the Royal Enfields they picked up in India. Throughout the day the venue entrance resounded with the sound of engines as Royal Enfield riders’ clubs rode to Rider Mania 2011 in huge groups, displaying their signature tone of throttle blips and beeping horns. The lone rangers also started trickling in on their prized possessions. The special parking lot alotted for Royal Enfield motorcycles started getting filled up as more and more riders started rolling in as the day’s proceeding went on. After exchanging the usual pleasantries with friends from the Royal Enfield community, the riders got into the rhythm of the events starting with the ‘Figure of 8’, a team event which showcased the riding skills and team spirit of a group of 4 riders in negotiating a closed course in the form of the digit ‘8’. This time special sensors were mounted on the bikes to make evaluation a rather hi-tech affair. The two home teams from Cafe Bullet Goa bagged the 3rd and 2nd place while the Bulls of Shimoga rode away with the laurels. Next was another event which tested the rider’s skill in manoeuvring the rather heavy Royal Enfield motorcycle while moving as slow as possible while keeping the feet planteded on

the footrests. Seasoned rider Ashok Naidu from Roadshakers stood 3rd while Aravind Singh from Pune bagged the 2nd place and exhibiting great clutch control and balance on his motorcycle Faizal from Cafe Bullet Goa walked away with the winner’s trophy. The third event of the day was symbolic of brute strength as well as the skill of the rider to know the hoisting points on the bike. A team of 4 guys had pick up the bike and run a fixed distance. The team which reaches first and cleanly places the bike back on the ground, not dropping it or rolling on the front or rear wheel walks away with the prize. Sinews flexed, deep breaths were taken and young men lifted their beloved machines way above their shoulders as they ran across the ground. Although different teams managed to carry the bikes across the distance, only one team could achieve a clean landing and place the bike on the ground after crossing the finish line. After sundown the band Zedde performed some rocking numbers and kept the crowd swaying for more. The DJ’s spun some mesmerising tracks late into the night as the curtains fell on the Day One proceedings.

19 nov, 2011 This was the day when the outdoor events were

the major attraction. The DJ booth moved right next to the dirt track and the live commentary of the emcee and some amped-up music had the crowd buzzing with excitement. The 350 cc Dirt Track event was the first one to start off and it saw Bullets, Electras, Machismo’s and Thunderbirds hurtling down down the hard dusty dirt patch. The track surface was definitely tricky

and it did require much skill for riders to hold their ground. The top 3 positions went to the riders who ridden in from Pune, with Tanmay from Roadshakers taking 3rd, Ashutosh from Firelords coming in second and Dhaval Toke from Roadshakers clinching the win. This was followed by the 500 cc dirt track event which saw more powerful machines and even some of our friends from the media fraternity try their dirt riding skills around the purpose built track. Dominated by LB 500’s and Classic 500’s this event also started off to the roaring half litre engines churning out oodles of torque to haul the motorcycles on the uphill section. A few spills and thrills later the riders all came off the track with Pradeep from Pune coming in 3rd, Baljeet Singh from Roadshakers (the winner from 2010) coming in second and celebrating his birthday in style was the winner Kenith Harsha from the Bulls of Shimoga. After the dirt track events the riders geared up for the trials event where they had to ride their bike over a purpose-built obstacle course. Each of the riders used a different tactic, some keeping their engines idling high, some continuously blipping the throttle while some just stood up on the footpegs to negotiate the tricky track. Big rocks, bales of hay, a sharply curved track were just a few of the obstacles on the trials course. Rohan Pimpley from Roadshakers clinched 3rd place while Kenin from Cafe Bullet Goa took 2nd and the 1st place went to Baljeet Singh Kochar who despite having had a spill in the dirt track event earlier still rode the bike skilfully with the least penalty points. The well-known rockers Thermal and a Quarter entertained the crowd in the evenings and the DJs wound

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rider mania 2011e v e n t r e s u l t s

FiguRE oF 8 1 Kenith, Shekhar, Dolphin, Rocket (Bulls of Shimoga, Shimoga)2 Vishal, Mayur, Kenny, Vijay (Café Bullet, Goa)3 Faizal, Prajyot, Albino, Sagar (Café Bullet, Goa)

Slow RAcE 1 Faizal Sheikh (Café Bullet, Goa)2 Arvind Singh (Pune)3 Ashok Naidu (Roadshakers, Pune) cARRy youR BikE 1 Pradeep, Abhishek, Amit, Abhishek (Pune) DiRt tRAck 350 cc 1 Dhaval Toke (Roadshakers, Pune)2 Ashutosh Mahadik (Firelords, Pune)3 Tanmay (Roadshakers, Pune)

DiRt tRAck - 500 cc 1 Kenith Harsha (Bulls of Shimoga, Shimoga)3 Pradeep (Pune)2 Baljeet Singh Gill (Roadshakers. Pune)

tRiAlS 1 Baljeet Singh Kochar (Roadshakers, Pune)2 Kenin (Café Bullet Goa)3 Rohan Pimpley (Roadshakers, Pune)

BikE PhotogRAPhy 1 Makarand Udavant (Nasik)2 Nagendra (Bangalore)3 Sandeep Chandra (Hoskote)

clEAnESt BikE 1 Vijay ( Café Bullet, Goa)2 Nagendra (Bangalore)3 Aravind (Hubli)

ASSEmBly wARS 1 Sagar, Kalim, Mayur, Nitin (Café Bullet, Goa)2 Baljeet Kochar, Mustansir, Dhaval, Sumit (Roadshakers, Pune)3 Mahesh, Aravind, Nachiket, Somaiya (Hubli)

BEER DRinking 1 Nishit (Ahemdabad)2 Kuku Thampi (Mumbai)

ARm wREStling - mEn 1 Sidddharth (Baroda)2 Sajin ( Cochin) ARm wREStling - womEn 1 Reshma ( Café Bullet, Goa)2 Avira (Café Bullet, Goa)

cuStom BikE 1 Black Widow by Javeen2 The Sunburn Special Edition Bike by Vardenchi3 The Reaper by Leroy

moSt PoPulAR cuStom BikE 1 Black Widow by Javeen

up the night spinning some dance numbers after that.

20 nov, 2011 The day started with the cleanest bike

competition and out came the polishes and wax to get that extra shine that would make their Royal Enfield stand out. The judges had a tough time choosing the most spic ’n’ span bike out of the many and eventually had to also consider the kilometres on the odo as one of the factors which determined how well the bike has been maintained. The cleanest bike award however went to Vijay from Cafe Bullet, Goa. The assembly wars were the next event where in teams of 4 enthusiasts, DIY experts removed 4 parts off the motorcycle, got them inspected and then put them back on the motorcycle and rode the bike across the finishing line. The 4 parts were the front wheel, the rear wheel, throttle cable and clutch cable, and the team members not only took off these parts quickly but put them back with lightning speed making the bike ride-able again. The team from Hubli came in 3rd, while Roadshakers from Pune were 2nd and local boys from Cafe Bullet Goa rode off with the first place. One major highlight of the day was the Rider Mania celebration ride where the world’s largest group of Royal Enfield motorcycles rode together through the bylanes of Goa in formation. After the celebration ride was the beer drinking contest and the arm wrestling contest saw men and women flex their

biceps and gave each other mean looks in a bid to pin the others arm down. The panel of judges then walked around the custom bikes there evaluating the impressive works of art in metal and chrome and figuring out which one had an interesting theme around it, looked the best and also appealed to their heart too. The evening had Anushka Manchanda and her band perform foot-tapping numbers to keep the crowd on its toes. The prize distribution ceremony also happened in the evening and marked the grand finale of this event. The ‘Black Widow’ put together by Javeen not only won the best custom bike award from the judges but also got the most popular custom bike award as voted by the people who came to Rider Mania.

At the Royal Enfield Rider Mania 2011, riders got an opportunity to check out motorcycling gear, apparel, utility stuff, camping and outdoor equipment and clinch attractive deals on them. The food stalls and beverage counters created an open air lounge atmosphere in the lazy afternoon. The Rider Mania Lounge showcased movies, shows and documentaries around motorcycling for a cool 8 hours a day and the library housed rare books, magazines and Royal Enfield publications. Rider Mania 2011 also had a very strong ‘online’ presence with social media initiatives like check-in, foursquare centric apps especially for Royal Enfield Rider Mania 2011and live tweets from the venue streaming across the webworld.

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rider mania Javeen Mathew’s stunning creation, ‘The Black Widow’ not only won the Best Custom Bike award from the judges but also got the most Popular Custom Bike award as voted by the people who came to Rider Mania

17

18

The Southern Odyssey took off from Chennai on 12 December, 2011 and took the riders through some of the most scenic and adventurous roads in South India

.

DAY 1 Chennai to karaikal: The first day of the ride is always

the easiest, as everyone is rested. Starting off near Chennai Central, we reached Mahabalipuram in no time. After a quick coffee at the CCD on the East Coast Road (ECR), we set off towards Pondicherry. On reaching there the other riders enjoyed coffee and pastries at Le Café by the sea while Noel and I set off towards the dealership in Pondicherry as his bike was leaking oil. The issue was a minor one and soon we were riding towards Karaikal in no time. We stuck to the back-roads and had a great time riding under dark skies that threatened to open up but thankfully did not. After reaching Karaikal by around 4 pm we spent the evening discussing the days ahead.

DAY 2 karaikal to rameshwaram: This was also to be the

day of ‘straight’ stretches of tarmac. The picturesque ECR traverses the coast and for most of the time one can view the sea. As we drew closer to Rameshwaram, the road became flanked on both sides by marshes. Just short of the Pamban bridge, we took a small detour off the highway to a beach that rarely sees people. Some of us rode through the deep sand for a while and then it was time to head into Rameshwaram town. We reached the hotel by 1 pm, and decided to

take a jeep to Dhanushkodi. The route got marshy and sandy and we felt that it would have been more fun if we had taken our bikes instead of the jeep.

DAY 3 rameshwaram to kanyakumari: This day

we were riding to the tip of the Indian landmass and the route was not really that interesting until Tuticorin. From Tuticorin we took the road to Uvari, which is a twisty road with windmills on the sides, and in no time we were riding into Kanyakumari where some of the riders decided to take the ferry to the Vivekanada memorial while some roamed around the town. Deep inside all of us knew that the best part of the ride began the next day

DAY 4 kanyakumari to kumarakom: This was

to be the first day of riding on winding roads. After Nagercoil once we crossed the border into Kerala, the traffic suddenly became unbearable. The traffic scenario

ready steady Po

Royal Enfield Southern Odyssey 2011TexT by SanThoSh viJay Kumar

southern odyssey

19

southern odyssey

made us change our planned route, and take a deviation to Adoor which then led us straight into Kumarakom, by riding mainly on the back-roads. We kept criss-crossing the National Highways to Kollam, Kochi etc, but stuck to the narrow twisty roads. The traversed distance went up by a good 100 km but no one was complaining as the roads were heavenly. The next day we rested at Kumarkom and enjoyed spending time languishing in the famous backwaters.

DAY 6 kumarakom to kumily: Today would be our first

climb into the hills. Starting early, we took a convoluted course instead of the highway to Kumily and the first amazing stretch was the climb to Vagamon. With its steep roads and tight corners, all of us were pretty much close to scraping foot pegs all the way. The traffic was almost negligible and after a quick tea at the top, we continue further to Marykulam and Kattapana. The rather long way round however seemed to be short as we reached Kumily easily by lunchtime.

DAY 7 kumily to munnar: This was a short day’s ride and

it took us through some of the best tea estates with narrow winding roads and since we had a lot of time on our hands it called for more frequent breaks for clicking photographs.

DAY 8 munnar to kodai: The route had to be altered as

the border on the Kerala side was closed; hence we had to climb up from the Palani side. Riding up the Periyakulam mountains when it is misty was one great experience we had and after stopping for some hot tea, we reached Kodai at around 3 pm.

DAY 9 kodai to Valparai: The ride to Valparai was quite

tricky. The fog was really thick and for a good 20 km we rode in a single file down the mountains, eyes peeled to watch out for other vehicles as well as the tail lamp of the rider ahead. The fog soon cleared up and after a brief stop at Pollachi, we started the climb to Valparai. This road had the best surface that we had seen so far on this ride and we were nearly half way up the mountain in less than thirty minutes. With just another 20 km to go we spent some time clicking pictures and reached Valparai by 2 pm. Valparai is a sleepy hamlet in the hills and our evening was spent relaxing.

DAY 10 Valparai to ooty: We were to climb up into

Ooty from the Mettupalayam side and since this route goes to Coonnoor and Ooty both there is always some heavy traffic on this stretch. We started early and after negotiating the traffic-choked roads reached Ooty by lunch time.

DAY 11 ooty to madikeri: This was the ride that

everyone was looking forward to with great

anticipation. The day was a little chilly and after a quick breakfast, we left Ooty and took the famous road down to Masinagudi. With 36 hairpin bends, this incredibly steep road dropped us down from a height of around 2000 meters above MSL to sea level in no time. With all the previous day’s practice of riding in the mountains we came down the ghat in no time. The ride through the Mudumalai forest was amazing, and we even spotted a couple of tuskers at a watering hole. The route then went through the beautiful Wayanad region with its smooth tarmac and sweeping curves, and before long we stopped over for lunch at Manathavady. The ride from Manathavady to Madikeri was the only off-road section as the roads on the Karnataka side were in a bad state, however we still managed to make good time and were in Madikeri by 4 pm.

DAY 12 madikeri to Bangalore: Today was the last day

in the hills and the riders were a little disappointed that the ride was getting over. After a quick breakfast, we set off and in less than half an hour we had descended from the hill into the plains. We covered a good 180 km before stopping for a coffee about 70 km from Bangalore. The next stop was at the hotel on MG Road and after close to 3200 km Southern Odyssey had come to an end, with the riders already planning their next big ride.

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dealer profile

The Gloucestershire-based Watsonian Squire Limited is one of the longest established companies of the British

Motorcycle industry and the oldest surviving dealership of Royal Enfield in the UK and is located approximately 30 miles from the original Royal Enfield factory in Redditch. Founded in 1912 by TF Watson, the company has been manufacturing sidecars ever since. In 1984, Watsonian merged with the dynam-ic young Squire Company to create the UK’s biggest sidecar operation. Today the company offers a wide choice of classic and sports side-cars and luggage trailers under Watsonian and Squire.

In 1999, Watsonian Squire took over dis-tribution of Royal Enfield motorcycles in the UK and rapidly re-established the historic brand in its spiritual home. Although Bullets had first been exported from India to the UK

way back in 1970, it was Watsonian which started bringing about the difference in how Royal Enfield motorcycles were presented in the UK. Besides offering the sidecar combo contraption, Watsonian also started modify-ing the motorcycles to create purpose-built variants under the Clubman (Cafe Racer style) and Woodsman (off-road motorcycle) names. These variants built around the stock motorcycle showcased the versatility of the Royal Enfield motorcycle.

In November 2010 Watsonian created the Royal Enfield Fury—a flat tracker powered by the 500 cc fuel injected engine. The original ‘Fury’ was introduced in 1959 by Royal En-field UK, and built exclusively for the US mar-ket. Less than 200 were built and production ceased in the early 1960’s.

Wide western style bars dominate the front end of the 2010 Fury, sitting on a spe-

cially made billet aluminium top yoke. The traditional nacelle is replaced with a chrome headlight and digital instrument panel. The design team at Watsonian also gave the rear end of the bike a radical makeover, replacing the twin saddle with a flat track style fibre-glass seat unit, incorporating a discreet tail light and chrome mini indicators.

One of the ‘stars’ of the Harry Potter block-buster, The Deathly Hallows, Part 1 was the pale blue Royal Enfield motorcycle and Wat-sonian Squire sidecar ridden by Hagrid with Harry Potter riding in the sidecar. In addi-tion, they have also created the ‘Hobglobin

Bullet’ in collaboration with the Wychwood brewery, the creators of the famous Hobgob-lin Ale. This one-off motorcycle based on the Royal Enfield Classic 500 EFI has the Hob-goblin beer brand logo as the centrepiece and has a unique blue paint job. This motorcycle was showcased at the Great British Beer Fes-tival and the NEC Bike show and later given away as a prize to one lucky beer and bike fan.

Watsonian has become the UK distribu-tor for Royal Enfield motorcycles and has a strong dealer network. Every year Royal En-field dealers from across the country hit the road for a hard day’s ride around the Cotswold Hills for their annual conference organised by Watsonian. “Rather than sitting everyone in a conference room and showing them power point presentations and graphs, we thought we should make the most of the weather and get out to ride the product instead” explains Watsonian sales director Ben Matthews.

Watsonian also regularly organizes the Open Day meets in the UK and invites the general public to experience the Royal En-field motorcycles up close and personal. Test rides are offered and interesting conversa-tions around the legendary Royal Enfield motorcycles and the British history serve as the backdrop of these meets. In 2012 Wat-sonian successfully completes a 100 years of existence and shall be celebrating the same with the grand centenary celebrations on the weekend of 18-19th August 2012.

Watsonian Squire

Harry Potter's sidecar rig

The Fury FlatrackerThe Fury Flatracker

GP Manx sidecar

Watsonian Squire Royal Enfield Dealers meet

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dealer profile

From a very young age Arun Ramdas was deeply interested in automobiles and during a stint in Nigeria he kept

that interest alive and did not let that fire dwindle. Upon returning to India in 2004 he decided to get into the automobile business and got himself a dealership of Kinetic Mo-tors, and also applied for the Royal Enfield dealership. It took a good 4 years till April 2008 when he finally opened his first Royal Enfield dealership in the heart of Bangalore with just 4 staff members. Being the first generation from his family to be an entre-preneur, he got very few inputs on how to manage and run a business and hence relied solely on the strong values and ethics taught to him by his parents and eventually build up

this business to what it is today. His mantra has always been hard work, dedication and perseverance which has seen his enterprise grow from one dealership to many over the years. As the Royal Enfield business grew he slowly shut down the Kinetic dealership, as his complete focus would now be the legend-ary marque.

The dealership started with a 600 sq. ft. showroom and a 1,200 sq ft service center in the heart of the city with 4 employees. In 2009 he added another service center and a showroom at Rajajinagar, thus catering to west Bangalore. Further in 2010 he added one more service center and a showroom at Banashankari to address the South-West Bangalore. In 2011 they moved both the City

Center showroom and the Rajajinagar show-rooms to bigger and better locations. Today they boast of having 3,000 sq.ft of showroom spaces and 5,000 sq.ft of workshop space and 1,600 sq.ft of warehousing space for storing motorcycles. From the initial staff of 4 they have now grown to 51 employees on their payroll.

Right from day one the 43-year old me-chanical engineer has believed in an open of-fice policy. His establishments have no office cabins and no proprietor/dealer/owner cab-ins segregating the management. All staff including himself are completely accessible to all customers for any issue or concern they may have. He insists that the mobile phones of sales and service staff are never switched off and are available for customers to call 24/7 for any assistance.

It is this immaculate track record which has enabled him to not only cater to his ex-isting customers but also usher in a horde in new ones. He also ensures that all the new models launched are always there available at his dealership for viewing by the custom-ers so that they can make an informed pur-chase decision. He maintains a fleet of eight test ride motorcycles for customers and is an active participant of the Keep Riding activi-ties happening out of Bangalore. For the year 2011, HSR services was awarded for their excellent work in Sales, Service as well as Spares performance.

HSR Services

The HSR Sales team

HSR service

HSR Rajajinagar

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club

It happened that fateful evening, when Gurinder Singh (Founder and General) called upon three trusted friends over to

Vinod’s garage in Kalina, Mumbai. Over a ‘bucket’ of tea and many more vada pavs and samosas, Bisons Ride Hard was formed. It was dramatic when Gurinder announced the name—a Bullet which was being worked on cranked alive and roared to show its presence! We knew this was the start to a long journey we’ve always dreamt off.

Bisons Ride Hard came out of a strong be-lief. The four who met at Vinod’s had always ridden hard and not really caring about the destination. The club would not be for the weak or faint-hearted. Like Bisons the Royal Enfield riders wouldn’t stop at nothing, ex-cept for a fellow rider. They just ride and ride hard, even when it rains, even when the roads are bad or even when there are no roads! The club is about the beast in everyone, and not just the Royal Enfield bullet that they ride and the soulful unity between the two (Rider and Royal Enfield) is what makes one a Bison!

Today Bisons Ride Hard boasts of over 60 full-time members in a short span of less than 5 months and over 300 follow-ers on Facebook. Each rider has to join up for two overnight rides before being granted membership. All riders have gone through

the rigours of a routine that can be best de-scribed as endurance riding. Pushing the bike and oneself to the limits in the ultimate test of Bison vs the elements – that’s pretty much sums up why they call themselves Bisons Ride Hard.

The first ride of the club was to seek bless-ings from Lord Ganesha and was symboli-cally flagged off from Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai and it meant every bit of our soul was in the right place. This was to bless the Bison colours and the Bisons ruled the roads for two days with over 450 km on the first day with the final pit-stop at Kumbharli Ghats and then finally 350 km on the way back. On the second ride they did the three Jyotirlingas in Maharashtra. This ride required them to cover over 1300 odd kilometres! In Mahabaleshwar the visibility was seriously impaired with thick fog descending on the riders. But owing to their penchant of riding hard, come rain or storm or even the clouds as in this case, The Bisons proceeded back on the ghats and rode up! They had almost run out of fuel on the ghats at around 1 AM but the sight of a fuel bunker and the joy in everyone’s faces at that moment is something none of them can ever forget. The next ride

was with over 1500 km across three days and was the Dashavinayak Yatra (10 Lord Gane-sha temples). Quite a few of the riders had to take a leave on a Monday but that didn’t stop them— there were 16 Royal Enfield Bullets and 23 Bisons in all.

But with serious endurance riding also come a lot of partying and a lot of fun! Next was the ride to Gujarat to conquer Dang and Saputara taming the elements right at its heels. Camping in the forest, bathing in a riv-er, barbeque and the customary cigar at night – they did it all! Vikram a proud Bison as of 12th November 2011, embarked on an epic journey to the uncharted north east of India. He would ride boldly to places where no man has tried to ride before and aptly has named his ride ‘Love Thy Neighbour’.

Amidst all the riding the Bisons also un-derstand the responsibility towards the soci-ety. For the same reason they decided that 30 per cent of all rides in a year would be towards social awareness and doing good. For this rea-son the Bisons have also partnered with the Barefoot Marathon Runners and Narmada Kidney Foundation. While one is for creat-ing awareness on better health, the other is for raising awareness on organ donation. Bi-sons also plan to visit various missions during Christmas spending time with unprivileged children reminding ourselves that we are lucky to have what we have. What the riders

spend on fuel on a single day, if donated towards children would not only bring smiles on their faces but good tidings for all the riders.

The Bisons are proud riders of the Royal Enfield Bullet, a ma-

chine that’s less mechanical and more soul! Bisons Ride Hard represents a like-minded Bulleteers group with members all over from Greater Mumbai and a single passion to Ride Hard, Ride Safe, and Ride Miles!

To join the Bisons Ride Hard visit www. bisonsridehard.com or contact Vineet on 9987559693. Ping them on Facebook or Twitter! www.facebook.com/bisonsridehard www.twitter.com/bisonsridehard

Bisons Ride Hard

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rider profile

A Winning HabitA modest rider, even though he is a winner of many events and com-petitions, Kenith hArshA from shimoga firmly believes that he is no different from the rest of the royal enfield riders

Riding for Kenith Harsha was never just a means for daily commuting. It always had a special place and

the passion grew more and more with time. He started dirt riding and rallying at a young age, getting a 100 cc two-stroke indo-jap bike in his hands. The sport soon became the driv-ing spirit of his life. Besides rallying he also got an opportunity to experience the treacherous terrain of Leh-Ladakh on his motorcycle. It was here that he saw that the Royal Enfield motorcycles were cruising across this harsh and formidable terrain in a rather cool man-ner. It was this unique capability of the Royal

Enfield motorcycle which left him awestruck and impressed. It was here that he saw many riders who had come along on Royal Enfield Bullets and that inculcated an interest in the legendary marque.

After returning back to his hometown he then purchased a 1986 Bullet 350 which eventually became a priceless possession of his life. Initially he found it slightly difficult to ride owing to its peculiarities but in a few days’ time and effort it was easy for him to ride the thumper. His first ride was to Udupi which is 150 km from his hometown, after which his passion for touring increased and he be-

came a frequent traveller. On these long rides he slowly started connecting to the thump, torque, acceleration, road grip, balance, and comfort aspects of his motorcycle. These just got tuned to his emotions and formed the bond that would last a lifetime. After getting the Bullet he began short rides with my bunch of friends, and soon formed a club (Bulls of Shimoga).

With passing time he started getting more and more involved in group rides with the other members of the club. The riding style now had changed as he was no longer just on his own but had to act more responsibly as there were some new riders who looked up to him for guidance and training. He always gives ultimate importance to the safety aspect and made it an unsaid rule to make everyone wear a full faced helmet and proper riding gear in his club while on a ride.

His latest Royal Enfield was a Machismo LB 500, the latest addition to his fleet consist-ing of the 1986 Bullet 350 and a 1968 Vintage Bullet 350. He credits the acquisition of his latest steed to a friend who advised him to check out the 500 and the power delivery and grace immediately got him hooked on to it.

He wishes to keep on riding and see his club the ‘BULLS OF SHIMOGA’ grow and be well known in the riding circles across the country. He also wants to spread awareness on safety while riding to all fellow Royal En-field riders across the world in his own way. A modest rider, winner of many events and competitions he firmly believes that he is no different from the rest of the Royal Enfield riders and feel he is still a learner and has a long way to go.

power and grace: Kenith wins the 500cc class dirt race at Rider Mania 2011

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flashback

T he Royal Enfield Continental GT was a 250cc, OHV

single, 5-speed motorcycle and came with the unique unit construction engine. This restyled version of the 5-speed Crusader was definitely a head-turner in its era with smartly positioned clip-ons handlebars, rear sets, alloy mudguards, telescopic forks, racing style seat and tank to attain a semi-racer styling. The swept-back exhaust pipe accentuated the sporty lines of the neat power unit

and the sleek glass-fibre tank in fire-engine red was adorned by the Royal Enfield name in bold, white lettering; a huge breather pipe, in clear plastic, led to the tail of the machine and two big dummy brake-cooling discs on the front hub. One of the most noticeable features of the Continental GT was the big-bore breather pipe which wasn’t just for show. Through miles of hard riding the engine unit remained completely oil-free.

Handling was well up to par and the engine could push

the bike along at nearly 80 mph, thus claiming to be the fastest 250 cc motorcycle of its era. Although the clip-on’s and rearset footrests were not everyone’s cup of tea, a lot of enthusiasts draped the GT with a bunch of bolt-on goodies making for just about the snazziest-looking sportster ever. The Continental GT goes every bit as well as it looks. This bike was never intended as a town runabout and inching forward in slow-moving trafficw at rush hours did induce wrist-ache

RoyAl EnfIEld conTInEnTAl GT

25

flashback

but once it saw open roads it would just get into its stride and become a different bike altogether. The low bars allowed the rider to tuck in the elbows neatly; crouch and watch the needle go soaring round the dial past the 80 mph mark.

To produce the very best in performance, one needed to keep an eye on the RPM meter rather than the speedometer and change up at the peak bhp point (7,500 rpm) in each cog. Much to the delight of the rider, nothing flapped, vibrated or rattled on

this bike, while the celebrated vane-type shock absorber in the rear hub played its part in keeping the power on the road. For an out-and-out sports model, the Royal Enfield Continental GT proved to be remarkably economical, returning a consumption figure of 115 mpg at a steady 30 mph and when pushed it still gave an impressive 64 mpg at a cruising speed of 70 mph. The brake and gear-change pedals mated in nicely with the rear-mounted footrests; the gear lever travel was extremely short

and the cogs meshed cleanly, without clash or any effort. Neutral was just a shade tricky to find, particularly with the model at a standstill.

This is undoubtedly the finest 250 Royal Enfield has ever made, one which can be enjoyed every mile of the way. It is sweet-natured and accommodating, built to go and built to stop. Fed by an Amal carburettor, this motorcycle had a claimed output of 21 bhp at 7500 rpm and weighing 306 lbs gave it a good power to weight ratio.

THe low bars allowed THe rider

To Tuck in THe elbows neaTly;

croucH and waTcH THe needle go

soaring round THe dial, pasT THe 80

mpH mark

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keep riding

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

Chennai To PuliCaT lakeThe Phoenix Cruisers rode out from the Chennai Brand Store to Pulicat Lake on 18 December. The riders started early and af-ter the outskirts Chennai were behind them, they ventured into broken roads and nar-row village lanes to reach the lake around mid-day. After a boat ride to the island and the beach nearby, lunch was served out in the open and was prepared by local fisher-men. In the evening the riders rode back through interior roads and finally entered Chennai via the NH 5 coming in from Nel-lore. A total of 18 riders came for this ride and all of them not only enjoyed the picnic, but also the small and challenging country roads that they encountered on the ride.

For more information on rides from Chennai, contact DU Venkata Raman on [email protected]

aMBala To DalhousieStarting on 3 September 2011, a group of 21 riders belonging to the Royal Bikerz Club from Ambala, led by the local dealer Mr Harminderjeet Singh Oberoi (Jhonny), rode out on the 21st ride of the club from Ambala to Dalhousie. The return trip was on the 5th of September and the riders covered a cool 800 km on this ride. This club has over 150 members now who all actively take part in the rides regularly organised out of Ambala.

For more information on rides from Ambala, contact Anil Goyal on [email protected]

GuRGaon To saRiskaTo bring people from the corporate world into the Royal Enfield riding experience, a ride was organised under the keep rid-ing initiative for NDS Services Pay TV Technology employees from 28-29 October 2011, from Gurgaon. The riders rode out to Sariska, a place famous for the wildlife sanctuary and Tiger Reserve in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. The riders did have a rather tough time riding on broken roads through the green dense hilly forests. They also stopped at the Hanuman Temple at

Pandu Pol famous for its reference in the epic Mahabharata. While riding on the naarow road that cut through the forests, they also came across nilgai, langurs, spot-ted dear, foxes and majestic peacocks. A total of 11 riders rode out on this thrilling ride into the lap of pristine nature and sce-nic bliss surrounded by the flora and fauna of Sariska.

GuRGaon To DhanaulTiThe ride from Gurgaon to Dhanaulti on 6 October, 2011 was for the people from Aon Hewitt and Cognilytics. Dhanaulti is lo-cated a 2300 m above sea level in the hills of Uttarakhand, 25 km beyond Mussou-rie. The 8 riders on this trip rode out early morning and rode through Haridwar, Deh-radun and Mussourie before climbing fur-ther uphill into Dhanaulti covering a little over 300 km in this ride.

GuRGaon To neeMRanaThe riders from HCL, Bharti Infratel, Ac-centure and TCS came together to ride from Gurgaon to Neemrana on 16 Oct, 2011. Neemrana is an ancient historical town in Alwar district of Rajasthan, 122 km from Delhi on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. The 11 riders started early in the morning on the

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keep riding

NH-8 and spent considerable time explor-ing the legendary Neemrana Fort and then returned the same day to Delhi.

For more information on rides from Gurgaon, contact Anil Goyal on [email protected]

luCknoW To DuDhWa naTional PaRkA ride from the Lucknow Brand Store to the Dudhwa National Park was from 10 Dec-11 December, 2011. 15 riders on 9 bikes started in the early morning and rode via Sitapur, Lakheempuri Kheri and Pallaya to reach Dudhwa National Park around 4 pm . One of the riders had his 15-year-old son along as pillion to experience the Royal Enfield lifestyle. On the way, they rode over a bridge which had both the railway track, as well as the road and at night they also rode their bikes around 50-odd km into the forest. It was a memorable evening for the riders who later sat around a bonfire and exchanged stories. The next day the group went on a jeep safari to explore the jungle after which they rode back to Lucknow.

For more information on rides from Lucknow, contact Piyush Gupta on [email protected]

ahMeDaBaD To ahMeDPuR ManDvi BeaChThe ride from Ahmedabad to Ahmedpur Mandvi beach took place from 7- 9 Dec, 2011. This quiet seaside hamlet is located just outside Diu and is one of the cleanest beaches of Gujarat. The road to Diu via Bhavnagar provided a great riding experi-ence with salt plains on both sides of the roads and beautiful views. The local au-thorities at Ahmedpur-Mandvi were kind enough to allow the riders to take the bikes on to the beach for an amazing photo-op.

ahMeDaBaD To Polo FoResTsIn ancient times Polo Forest offered a hid-ing place for rulers from enemies, citizens, angry wives and even from the sun. Tucked between sacred hills on the east and west, a lot of ancient temples and relics adorn the place and the picturesque location provides an amazing opportunity to the photogra-phers. Riders from Ahmedabad rode to Polo Forest on the 13 November, 2011. The riders were even allowed a special permis-sion to take the bikes close to a dam inside the forest. A lot of new riders came forward

on this trip to experience the passion asso-ciated with this legendary motorcycle.

ahMeDaBaD To PaRvaTi hillsRiders from Ahemedabad rode out to Par-vati Hills, a private resort spread over 516 acres— perfect for a weekend getaway from the humdrum urban life. This ride was organised on 23 October 2011, and well over 20 riders came for this trip. The re-sort boasts of a few lakes, exotic birds and

horses and besides a breathtaking view the resort also features dirt patches and small off-road sections where the riders tried out their riding skills. The Royal Enfield motor-cycles did not disappoint any of the riders as the machines took every rock, rut, obstacle and rough patch in their stride thumping over the terrain.

For more information on rides from Ahemedabad, contact Pradeep Chaur-asiya on [email protected]

GuWahaTi To TaWanG PlaTeauThe ride from Guwahati to the famed Ta-wang plateau started on 21 September, 2011. The 10 riders planned their journey across some of the trickiest terrain in the north-east region on this ride. The first day they rode to Bhalukpung via Tezpur through the plains. The real adventure started as

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datE ridE FroM ridE to KM CoNtaCt EMail08 Jan Ahmedabad Balasinor 180 Pradeep Chaurasiya [email protected]

08 Jan Pune Lonavala 120 Swapnil Shende [email protected]

08 Jan Bangalore Nagargali falls 170 T Karthikeyan [email protected]

12 Jan Kolkata Maithon 235 Rajesh Sharma [email protected]

12 Jan Aurangabad Goutad 200 Niraj Rathor [email protected]

12 Jan Pune Panshet 120 Swapnil Shende [email protected]

12 Jan Satara Mahabaleshwar 150 Swapnil Shende [email protected]

13 Jan Ahmedabad Udaipur 540 Pradeep Chaurasiya [email protected]

14 Jan Jammu Sanasar 250 Abhishek Kotwal [email protected]

14 Jan Guwahati Ranikor 600 Rajesh Sharma [email protected]

14 Jan Ahmedabad Tua Timba 250 Pradeep Chaurasiya [email protected]

14 Jan Mumbai Celebration Ride 200 Harshil Desai [email protected]

14 Jan Gulbarga Basava 200 Lijin Raj [email protected]

14 Jan Muzzarpur Vaishali 120 Ravi Asthana [email protected]

14 Jan Lucknow Agra 650 Piyush Gupta [email protected]

15 Jan Aurangabad Lonar 500 Niraj Rathor [email protected]

15 Jan Mumbai Tiger Point 110 Swapnil Shende [email protected]

15 Jan Cuttack Puri 250 P Srinivas [email protected]

15 Jan Bangalore Maheshi 170 T Karthikeyan [email protected]

15 Jan Bangalore Kalasa 300 T Karthikeyan [email protected]

15 Jan Bangalore Shole Hills 150 T Karthikeyan [email protected]

18 Jan Jaipur Udaipur 700 Nitesh Singhal [email protected]

18 Jan Hyderabad Mantralayam 600 P Srinivas [email protected]

20 Jan Cochin Wayanad 900 Binoy A Vijayan [email protected]

keep riding

Upcoming Rides: Jan to feb, 2012

they started climbing into the hills from Bhalukpung and rode to Bomdila. Roads were practically non-existent in this section owing to ongoing construction and repair work. On the second day they rode till Sela Pass, which is the highest point (13,100 ft) before reaching Tawang plateau. On the

third day they rode further from Tawang towards Bumla, the last village on the Indo-China border, about 45 km away, which is one of the highest points in the north-east at 15,230 ft. It was an experience of a life-time to ride on the Tawang-Bumla highway with plenty off-roading as well as sharp and blind turns. For more information on rides from Guwahati, contact Rajesh Sharma on [email protected]

BhoPal To DelaWaDiDelawadi is a scenic and historical place and a frequented picnic spot about 62 km from Bhopal. A group of Royal Enfield rid-ers rode out on the NH12 in the early morn-ing proceeding towards Rehti. A smooth road surface as well as the varying land-scapes with small hills all around gave the riders ample opportunity to appreciate the beauty of nature. Riders thoroughly enjoyed their one day break that took them deep

into the jungles of the Ratapani wildlife sanctuary. Although the distance was not much, it was the experience and the bond-ing with fellow Royal Enfield riders which made the ride memorable. The rough road patches also gave ample opportunity to the adventurous lot to try out their off-roading skills during the ride.For more information on rides from Bhopal, contact Puneet Singh Banga on [email protected]

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keep riding21 Jan Jaipur Rathambore 380 Nitesh Singhal [email protected]

21 Jan Indore Mandu 620 Pradeep Chaurasiya [email protected]

21 Jan Vizag Badrachalam 650 K Veera Sudhakara Rao [email protected]

21 Jan Tirupati Talakona 300 Pradeep Kumar Reddy [email protected]

21 Jan Kadapa Horsehills 300 K Venkata Dinesh [email protected]

21 Jan Chennai Elagiri 500 Venkat [email protected]

21 Jan Coimbatore Nelliyampathy 350 T Karthikeyan [email protected]

21 Jan Bangalore Chennai Plant 750 Lijin Raj [email protected]

21 Jan Bangalore Sakaleshpur 600 Abin Verghese [email protected]

21 Jan Trivandram Kanyakumari 240 Vinayagasundaram [email protected]

22 Jan Ambala Manali 500 Anil Goyal [email protected]

22 Jan Bhopal Raisin 100 Pradeep Chaurasiya [email protected]

22 Jan Ahmednagar Bhimashankar 240 Niraj Rathor [email protected]

22 Jan Nasik Bhandara Dam 120 Niraj Rathor [email protected]

22 Jan Satara Panchgani 120 Swapnil Shende [email protected]

22 Jan Jharkhand Hazirabad 320 P Srinivas [email protected]

25 Jan Bangalore Kushalanagar 500 T Karthikeyan [email protected]

26 Jan Agra Fatehpur Sikri 200 Ehraz Siddiqui/Laiq Siddiqui [email protected]

28 Jan Noida Murthal 130 K Deepak [email protected]

28 Jan Raipur Chitragut Waterfalls 650 P Srinivas [email protected]

28 Jan Chennai Pondicherry 350 T Karthikeyan [email protected]

29 Jan Chennai Vedanthangal 200 Venkat [email protected]

04 Feb Mumbai Kamshet 195 Nitin Chawla [email protected]

10 Feb Ahmedabad Little Rann 300 Puneet Singh Banga [email protected]

10 Feb Siwan Rajgir 700 Ravi Asthana [email protected]

11 Feb Jalandar Kangra fort 280 Sanjeev Thankur [email protected]

11 Feb Dharamsala Mandi 370 Abhishek Kotwal [email protected]

11 Feb Chandigarh Karsog 450 Amandeep Singh [email protected]

11 Feb Khanna Dalhousie 550 Sandeep [email protected]

11 Feb Mumbai Duke’s Nose 180 Harshil Desai [email protected]

11 Feb Hyderabad Crocodile Park 200 P Srinivas [email protected]

11 Feb Hyderabad Vikarabad 300 Vikas Gautam [email protected]

11 Feb Vizag Hasrhavelli 300 K Veera Sudhakara Rao [email protected]

12 Feb Guwahati Pobitara 150 Rajesh Sharma [email protected]

12 Feb Nagpur Navegoan Dam 270 Niraj Rathor [email protected]

12 Feb Dehradun Dhanaulti 200 Yogendra Kumar [email protected]

17 Feb Indore Pushkar 1300 Pradeep Chaurasiya [email protected]

17 Feb Lucknow Bensor 1000 Piyush Gupta [email protected]

18 Feb Hyderabad Warangal 300 P Srinivas [email protected]

18 Feb Nellore Queensland 350 Pradeep Kumar Reddy [email protected]

18 Feb Allahabad Shivgarh 220 Ravi Asthana [email protected]

19 Feb Gurgaon Sultanpur 130 Anil Goyal [email protected]

19 Feb Ahmedabad Dandi 220 Puneet Singh Banga [email protected]

19 Feb Bhopal Udaygiri Caves 160 Pradeep Chaurasiya [email protected]

19 Feb Ahmednagar Ellora 240 Niraj Rathor [email protected]

19 Feb Nasik Saputara Dam 220 Niraj Rathor [email protected]

19 Feb Kolhapur Amboli 130 Swapnil Shende [email protected]

25 Feb Sambalpur Hirakud 320 P Srinivas [email protected]

26 Feb Bharuch Jambhogoda 340 Pradeep Chaurasiya [email protected]

26 Feb Indore Narmada Sagar 180 Pradeep Chaurasiya [email protected]

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revieW

We compare two riding gauntlets – the Alpinestar SP 2 and the DSG Primal gloves. These gloves have been quite popular with many a Royal Enfield rider for their

comfort and safety, not to mention a reasonable price

alPinesTaRs sP 2I ordered size ‘large’ and the gloves fitted true to size. The gauntlet area seemed slightly larger, but this is probably so that you can tuck your jacket sleeve fully into the glove. It closes with a Velcro strap and fits tight even if when worn without a jacket. The gloves definitely take a few hours of riding to break in and fit comfortably. Alpinestars has pitched this glove as an all-rounder that can be used on the street, but can do occasional track duty if you are a beginner on it.

The glove comes with a one-piece carbon fibre knuckle protector for impact resistance and rubber inserts padding the glove at various locations for abrasion resistance. The area running around the outer edge of the palm all the way to the little finger is covered with Clarino.

The same is used for the area of the palm between the thumb and the middle finger, the part of the glove that comes most in contact with the handle bar grips and lever. Clarino is high-end synthetic leather and can be made to imitate the characteristics of suede. I couldn’t make out the difference and thought it was real till I did some research. The advantage of this material is it will not be affected by rain and sweat. But the rest of the glove, being full-grain leather, might catch fungus if not stored properly. There is a neat thermoplastic rubber (TPR) Alpinestars logo right on the upper side. This serves as an abrasion protector also in case of a fall.

The glove is well ventilated and does not ‘cook’ the hands even in temperatures above 40 degrees. I cannot comment on their cold weather usability right now, but don’t expect them to help much when the mercury drops. The gloves are priced reasonably well ($110 through most leading websites) and wearing gloves any thinner after using these does not feel as safe. Overall, I would rate this glove 4 out of 5, and would recommend buying them. – Ravi kiRan

DsG PRiMalThe DSG Primal is perhaps one of the best gloves available eas-ily in India and have become very popular on the riding scene. People who do not have access to picking up their gear from abroad or buy online usually choose these over the others available locally. The sizes are comparable to the ones available internationally and I picked up a size ‘large’ nearly 5 years back. Visually, the black and white look is quite cool and the gloves are comfortable. Later models came with a horrendous looking skin-tone coloured inside palm but the earlier

examples were a single colour tone all over. They have seen close to five monsoons, winters and even one Ladakh ride. The build quality of these gloves is definitely tough, too tough for comfort as the leather hardens up and loses its flexibility with time. The leather started off as supple and in a few weeks took the shape of the hand perfectly thus making for good riding comfort but with time they do get a little uncomfortable. In warm weather perspiration does not stick to the glove or make the hands slip inside while in the cold it definitely insu-lates the hand from the weather. Air vents on fingers provide good air flow even in summers to keep hands comfortable. Sadly the dye is not of great quality as when worn in rain they leave behind colour stains on the hands.

Over the past so many years of usage there has not been a single tear or damage despite couple of falls and minor mishaps. The gloves definitely do hold in all kinds of

weather. The Velcro has lasted so far and still grips firm. There is a double locking mechanism in the form of a thin strap around the wrist and then the large gauntlets which snap together with Velcro. This dual mechanism can get a little cumber-some if too many frequent stops re-quire you to take off and wear your gloves. Also with a jacket sleeve it’s really not the best combination. The carbon fibre inserts on the knuckle areas and extra abrasion resistant padding in the palm area provide very good protection to the hands from injury in case of a crash. The gloves use Keprotec fabric which is considered to be five times stronger than steel per gram. Priced at Rs 2,490 the DSG Primal comes at a slight premium over other gloves from the DSG stables but with the kind of durability and protection that it provides it is quite the bargain. Overall, I would rate this glove 4 out of 5, and would definitely recom-mend buying them. – PRaveen P saThaye

★ ★ ★ ★

★ ★ ★

DsG PRiMal“over the past so many

years of usage there has not been a single tear or

damage despite couple of falls and minor mishaps”.

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diy

DIY1 Place the motorcycle on the center

stand on a firm flat surface. (Preferably one which is slightly raised so that you can easily reach under the bike). Start the engine and warm up for 2 minutes.

2 Place a clean empty tray under the sump. Remove the primary drain cap to drain engine oil, suction filter and magnet.

3 Remove the secondary drain cap to drain remaining engine oil

4 Check the drained oil for any residue, metal particles etc which will indicate wear and tear in the engine.

5 Remove the oil filter cover.

6 Remove oil filter element on the right hand side of the crankcase

7 Clean the magnet and suction filter.

8 Tilt the motorcycle both sides to drain all remaining oil in the sump.

9 Clean the suction filter and drain plugs thoroughly and fit back on the crankcase after all the oil has been drained out

10 Soak the new oil filter element in oil and fit back inside the Right Hand Side of the crankcase

11 Open the oil filler cap on the crank-case

12 Fill the recommended oil (Motul 15 W 50 in case of Classic 500) .

13 The oil level should be at the ‘MAX’ level in the oil sight glass on the crankcase.

14 Put the cap back on and screw it tight.

1

4

7

11

13

2

5

8

14

3

6

10 12

9

note: Remember to change the oil filter every-time you change the Oil.caution: Filling up oil above the ‘MAX’ level may cause smoke and/or loss of power. Do not allow oil level to fall below the ‘MIN’ mark ever. Less oil will result in engine damage and malfunction. Top up as soon as you see the oil level dipping to this mark.

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