Royal Enfield The BEAT

r oya l e n f i e l d i n u k a n d u s a
gear check
keep riding
www.royalenfield.com
january 2011
Rider
Mania 2010
War-Horse:
The
Flying
Flea
+ Handcrafted in Chennai
+ Bulls of Shimoga
marketing newsletter
kick start
From the CEO's Desk!
I
Dear Friends
wish you all a prosperous, successful and fantastic ‘TRIP’ into
the new decade !
The last time I wrote the editorial on “The Beat” was way
back in June 2006. That was after one year of my assuming the
CEO’s role in August 2005, the year we celebrated 50 years of Royal
Enfield in India.
I made 3 important commitments to you.
1) To fix basic product hygiene and ‘must be quality’ - First
2) To expand the product range to attract new segment of
customers
3) To create a visible & vibrant brand identity for Royal Enfield and
respectable street presence.
I am sure you will all agree that we have struggled hard to deliver
and we finally passed the test, but not got a distinction yet. In our
Annual Dealer Convention held in Dec. 2010, I could see the signs
of success and pride in you. We have a fine mix of young and new
entrepreneurs along with our most
experienced dealers, with a clear
vision, sharper focus and achievable
suggestions and well established best
practices in meeting our customer
expectations.
Now, what next?
Royal Enfield has committed to
a) Expand capacity by investing on a
new state of the art manufacturing
plant, to be operational in 2012.
b) To launch two new bikes in 2012, to
attract again the younger, performance
seekers & leisure cruisers.
c) To raise the bar on ‘quality’ in parts,
in gloss & sheen and definitely in
‘perfecting the UCE’ to deliver ‘Top
Notch’ reliability and performance.
d) To expand reach in the domestic
market in sales, after sales support,
besides creating a ‘global foot print’ in
unrepresented markets outside India.
From our passionate and involved
dealers & distributors I once again
seek your commitment in
1) Delivering 100% “faultless” bikes
post PDI to our customers.
• Predictive & Preventive “post sales
service competence”.
• No “Vehicle off the Road”, on
account of parts not available in your
dealership, even for a day.
2) Adequate but well-maintained
3 ‘S’ facilities in your dealerships,
confirming to RE Brand standards.
3) Your personal focus to deliver
more than 95% by registering continuous improvement in all
the parameters affecting product and customer satisfaction
measures.
4) Last but not the least “keep riding” to become your “monthly
marketing activity”.
The Royal Enfield Team under the leadership of Dr. Venki, as the
CEO has more than committed to augment required support to the
marketing & sales team, in all your initiatives to sustain the lead, you
all have established in making Royal Enfield what it is today.
“Success is the difference between where you started and where you
finished”.
Thank you for all your patience & support to me as CEO in the last
5 years which I cherish a lot.
With best,
— R.L. Ravichandran
Executive Director – Eicher Motors Ltd.
If you would like to contribute to The BEAT email us at schavan@royalenfield.com editorial team Shaji Koshy, Sachin Chavan, Praveen P Sathaye
2
upcoming rides
Royal Enfield Tour
Of Rann Of Kutch
T
here are many places one can in India to have
a memorable motorcycle ride, but the Rann of
Kutch provides something more. If a ride to the
Himalayas is a more moving, spiritual experience,
then riding in the Rann of Kutch with a group
of riders, traversing sparsely populated salt flats
is a real adventure. Among other things on this ride you shall
rediscover the numerous constellations lost from the view and
memory of many in the urban smog; marvel at the wonders of
a 4000 year old Harappan civilization site at Dholavira; shoot
the wild ass of the Rann, with your camera of course, and stay at
serene countryside resorts. This ride will definitely be etched in
your memory for years to come.
•The itinerary•
M A R C H 1 2 - 1 9 , 2 0 1 1 , 8 d ay s
AHMEDABAD • Zainabad • LITTLE RANN • DHOLAVIRA • GREATER
RANN • Hodka • India Bridge • Little Rann • Ahmedabad
3
dealer NEWS
Annual Dealer
Conference
T
he Annual Dealer
Conference, 2010 was
held at Aamby Valley
city, Lonavala. This
place is about 122 kms from
Mumbai city and is a complete
delight to the eyes with its
scenic beauty resting in the laps
of Sahayadri Mountain range of
Western Ghats.
The invitees were given a
‘Royal’ reception and were
guided straight to the venue.
After the welcome note from
Mr. Shaji Koshy, Divisional GM
Sales & Marketing, and the
lightning of the inaugural lamp,
the event started with Mr. R.L
Ravichandran, CEO giving a
brief description of the agenda
of the event. He explained
how the company faced and
successfully managed, one of
the biggest challenges in 2010,
i.e. 100% transition to the new
platform of UCE engine. The
celebration of this success was
carried out with enthusiasm
and gusto by over 120 dealers at
the ADC. He marked that both
the customer and dealer base
is moving towards a younger
generation.
Dr. Venki Padmanaban,
COO, started the round of
presentations with his talk
on delivery satisfaction. He
threw some light on the future
growth plans of the company
and how the production
target of 70000 bikes in
2011 could be achieved in the
same manufacturing plant in
Chennai. Mr. Ananth from
Teknik Motorcycles , Bangalore,
explained how “service can
pay for sales” and how just
by ensuring proper systems,
service revenues can support
entire dealership's expenses.
Mr. Arun Ramadoss of HSR
Services, Bangalore talked on
4
“How to sell a long waiting
period” and the importance
of employee satisfaction. Mr.
Kaustubh Mishra of Royal
Riders Ahmedabad, elaborated
the concept of ‘Keep Riding’
which the company lives by.
He explained how dealers can
work to attract more of their
customers to participate in
rides organized by them and the
ultimate gain to dealers from
the same.
Mr. R.L. Ravichandran, CEO
gave the dealers a glimpse of
what the year 2011 holds with
the unveiling of the 2011 new
model line up . Electra 350 UCE
The proposed
Electra 500 EFI.
Open House:
Time for Q&A.
'Forest Green', Electra 500 EFI
'Riviera Red', Classic 500 Desert
Storm, and the Bullet 500 were
displayed and much appreciated
by the dealers.
In sync with Mr. R L
Ravichandran explaining the
passion for the Royal Enfield
brand by both customers
and dealers, a short film was
screened about a new dealer,
Mr. Khurram Vohra of Classic
Motorcycles , Chennai, who
started his dealership in 2010,
about how his interest and
passion for the product and the
Mr R.L Ravichandran lighting
the ceremonial lamp
brand right from his childhood
led him to become a part of the
Royal Enfield family.
Mr. Sachin Chavan, from the
Product Management Group,
one of the most experienced and
respected riders in the country
gave a glimpse in to the virtual
world of the Royal Enfield and
asked the dealers to be active
on the online social networks.
He presented the features of
the new proposed Royal Enfield
website and how it promises to
be more exciting and engaging
not only to customers but to
dealers as well.
The proposed Classic
Desert Storm.
Felicitating Kaustubh Misra
the Ahemdabad Dealer.
Not just business talk but
some pleasure too.
To show the dealers what goes
into manufacturing these bikes
and what gives Royal Enfield
motorcycles their essence, a
special film titled “Handcrafted
in Chennai” prepared by the
advertising agency W+K was
shown at the event. This film
reinforced the fact that Royal
Enfield motorcycles are still
made by hand and this is
what gives the bikes its unique
‘handmade’ value in a city like
Chennai which has kept its
tradition and culture alive, just
like the brand of Royal Enfield.
Mr. Siddartha Lal addressed
the gathering and shared the
future vision of the company
and the Royal Enfield brand
in global perspective. He
emphasized more on the global
branding of the product and
his vision of how Royal Enfield
should be pronounced together
along with ‘Riding’ in any part
of the world. He also shared the
major initiatives the company
is investing in to enhance the
production capacity.
The other event on the
agenda was the open house
session, Mr. Siddartha Lal, Dr.
Venki Padmanaban, Mr. R.L.
Ravichandran and Mr. Shaji
Koshy answered the queries
and questions of the dealers on
various issues.
The event culminated by
awarding the dealers for
outstanding performances.
These awards were presented
for top performers in Sales,
Keep Riding, Service, and
Spares on both regional and
national level. A standing
ovation was given to the
bike enthusiast and dealer
friend Mr. Javeen who rode
around 5000km during his
epic ride which also included
participation in the Himalayan
Odyssey 2010. After the formal
part of this event was over, the
people then enjoyed the dinner
and took to dancing to the tunes
played by DJ.
NEWS
A Record
feat
The Army Service Corps (ASC) Tornados Team successfully mounted 54
Persons on a single Royal Enfield
500 Motorcycle on Sunday the 28th
of Nov 2010. This record attempt
surpasses the earlier attempt of 48
people on a single motorcycle which
incidentally was also set on a Royal
Enfield motorcycle by the Corps of
Military Police, Indian Army. The
motorcycle used for this attempt did
not have any modifications in the
Engine for this feat.
The Royal Wizard
The smash hit movie Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows is said to have given Royal Enfield and
Watsonian Squire sidecars a significant popularity.
In the film, Royal Enfield 500 fitted with a Watsonian sidecar is featured with Hagrid riding the
bike and Harry Potter sitting in the sidecar whilst
they zip through London at night, dodging traffic.
In true Harry Potter magic form, the bike flies, too.
It is said that the film producers Warner Brothers bought about 9 bikes with the model finally
selected being a blue Manx sidecar. Royal Enfield is
currently attempting to retrieve one of the ‘combos’
to put on display. There has been a notable boost
in Royal Enfield motorcycle sales as a result of
all the publicity. Royal Enfield (UK) /Watsonian
spokesman Dan Sager agreed to this and said “On
the final day of the Carole Nash Motorcycle Show
in Birmingham a guy came onto the Royal Enfield
stand and bought a bike and sidecar then and
there as it looked just like one used in the film”.
Warner Brothers had asked Royal Enfield to keep
this information under wraps till the rushes of the
movie went public but the motorcycle has shot to
fame after the release and the appearance in this
blockbuster. Dan further added “There have also
been a huge number of hits on our website, as well
as on sites like Facebook, as people are realising
that you can actually buy them.”
Austrian
Eagles
The Austrian Eagles, a group
of Royal Enfield riders of the
Austrian Embassy in New Delhi
recently organised a charity ride
from New Delhi to Neemrana.
Service support was given by
Royal Enfield service team from
New Delhi
5
handcrafted
A Work of Art
A Royal Enfield is a rare breed in an age of mass-produced, user-friendly
predictability. This is a mechanical motorcycle, handcrafted with love,
engineered with purpose, and designed in a way that gives each machine its own unique character. This character is reinforced by Royal Enfield’s cultural DNA - by where it was born, and by where it is now built.
Its classic British pedigree shows in every line, while the gleaming new
engine hints at the devotion that has enabled this legendary marque to
thrive in the outskirts of Chennai. This film “handcrafted in Chennai” which will be released on the web and on select media channels in the
new year - is a tribute to the wonderful people who build, sell, ride and
maintain these beloved machines, and is a heartfelt tribute to the city
that Royal Enfield calls home. Brainchild of the legendary media wizard
Bharat Sikka the movie was shot in Chennai capturing glimpses of the
city and its unique culture and inside the Royal Enfield factory laying emphasis on the way artisans use their hands to give shape to this unique
creation of art, the Royal Enfield motorcycle. Here are a few glimpses
of the making of the film, and some stills from the film. The film can be
viewed on YouTube in the royalenfieldmedia channel or downloaded
from the Royal Enfield Website.
watch the movie: http://www.youtube.com/user/royalenfieldmedia
6
company NEWS
New Office for PD Team
Pooja celebrations to
inaugurate the new set up
The Royal Enfield Product Development team recently got a revamped new
office premises at the Thiruvottiyur factory. This used to be their earlier
office and it underwent extensive refurbishments and changes in the past
few months. Extensive work was done to create a completely new look for
this office and the PD team finally shifted back here. This was inaugurated
with an auspicious puja and celebration. The office boasts of state of the
art, ergonomically designed interiors and the entire team which sits here is
quite delighted about the same.
Panoramic view of the new floor
New Office Desks
and Furniture
Meet our New Team Members
Ravi Kiran
AKA Trooper
“Soft Skills”
Training Program
A Training program was conducted at Delhi on “Soft Skills” for R2 & R3
from 24th to 25th Nov 2010. A total number of 23 supervisors from R2 and
R3 attended the program along with 6 Royal Enfield TSMs and RSMs.
Ravi Kiran AKA ‘Trooper’ has been
riding motorcycles ever since he
managed to stand in line at the RTO
and get a learner’s license at the
age of sixteen (for sub-50cc two
wheelers). He has been riding Royal
Enfields from 2006 when the touring
bug bit him and has been active
among the many fan-clubs around
the country. He has owned two
Thunderbirds in the past and is now
in the process of acquiring a UCE
500. A true blue tourer, he has been
for a couple of Rider Mania fests
and has done a fair bit of touring
all around the country. A mechanical engineer by qualification, and a
weekend garage monkey, he lives
and breathes motorcycles. He was
earlier employed with an auto components manufacturer. He has joined
the PMG in the month of December
2010 and will coordinate product
planning and new product launches
at Royal Enfield.
Adarsh Saxena
Adarsh has been riding Royal Enfields since the day he turned 18. His
riding stint started with an Electra
4s gifted to him by his Dad, and
eventually lead to him owning the
mighty powerful Machismo LB 500.
A computer engineer from Mumbai,
Adarsh has worked in the IT industry
and then chose to pursue his passion
by tinkering around with motorcycles rather than hammer away
at keyboards. A physical fitness
freak he has represented the Indian
Junior basketball team in a couple of
tournaments and besides being the
captain of the Mumbai University
Basketball team for two straight
years. He has joined the PMG as a
senior engineer and shall be actively
involved in company rides, community events and other activities.
7
dealer news
Royal Enfield's Newest Facilities
New dealerships were recently added
to the ever growing Royal Enfield
network. Some more additions to the
service network were also in the form
of new state of the art workshops at
some of our established dealers.
1 Manmohan Auto Stores, Chandigarh
2N A Motors, Trichy
3 Royal Engineers, Hyderabad
4 Sri Velavan motors,
Chennai
5 AMPS Motors, Nellore
6 Jaycee Motors, Amritsar
TOP 10
Dealers
OCT '10 - DEC '10
Dhone Automobiles
Pune
H.S.R.Services
Bangalore
1
Soniya Motors Pvt. Limited
Mumbai
Royal Motors
Ambala
2
3
4
Manmohan Auto Stores
Chandigarh
Ess Aar Motors
New Delhi
Southern Motors,
Chennai
5
Free Service
CHECK UP
A free service check up camp was
organised at Malik Automobiles,
Sonipat on the 10th and 11th of
Nov 2010. A total of 19 motorcycles were serviced
6
Teknik Motors
Bangalore
Shahila Expositions Pvt.Ltd
Guwahati
Lamba Enterprises Pvt.Ltd
New Delhi
8
errata: Last month we wrongly carried news of the Free service conducted at Lamba Enterprices, it should read as Shree Mahadev Agency, Noida.
The service training was done in Gurgaon in an NGO named I-Lead and not in Rothak as was mentioned. We apologize for this error.
keep riding
Riding to Rider Mania Goa 2010
Story of my epic journey to The Royal Enfield Rider Mania 2010 and back!
text and photographs by Nishit Saigal
F
or me, it all began
almost a month and
a half prior to the ‘big
ride’ when my very
dear friend for years and a fellow
biker mate and enthusiast, Varun, introduced me to the concept of the event 'Royal Enfield
Rider Mania' which happens in
Goa. Even after an instant decision in mutual agreement, Varun and I had a million thoughts
of what all we would like to do
before and for the ride. Foremost
came getting our bikes in shape
and testing its limits within local surroundings to be better
versed with what could possibly go wrong or what should
we be wary about when riding
on a stretch as vast as 2600
kms to and fro. And to no surprise, our menacing bikes, my
Thunderbird 2002 and Varun’s
Classic 500 did a fabulous job of
thumping with pride all along
and taking all that came in its
stride with absolute ease. The
16th of November 2010 dawned
and the ride that was to change
our persona as riders awaited us.
Inspite of very little sleep due to
excitement of the big ride, yet,
fresh and immaculately dressed,
we assembled at the Royal Riders dealership in Ahmedabad
at 5:00 am. After a prolonged
session of ‘chai’, Pradeep Chaurasiya, our lead rider for the ride
briefed us on the do’s and don’ts
whilst on our ride. I distinctly
remember 2 pointers that he
said – 1.) This is not a race and
2.) Do not try to copy anybody.
Point taken and registered,
the first set of instructions that
would turn us from rowdies to
riders, we were off for the ride of
our lives. Next stop, at Baroda,
we had 6 more riders joining us
and adding to our team of 5.
The ride proceeded with our
average speed now being about
80kmph. As the familiarity
and understanding between
the riders and their bikes kept
growing stronger and deeper,
the average speed grew to a
whopping 100kmph and that
too in unison. The Thump had
begun to Bind so to say. Be
it on smooth or bumpy roads,
we wouldn’t stop for anything.
We must have attracted over
a million eyeballs and were
greeted with a lot of excitement
and cheers by the onlookers. The
Bharuch dealership ensured we
got a hero’s welcome, complete
with refreshments and snacks
and by the time we crossed
over Valsad and took our last
halt within Gujarat, we were
one well coordinated unit of 13
bikes eagerly awaiting the next
patch of ride. Then together
came nightfall and the least
enjoyable patch of the ride – we
had entered Mumbai to get to
our abode for the night halt.
As the next day dawned, 17th
Nov 2010, each member of
the ride woke up with a vast
hunger – the hunger to RIDE
more – everybody wanted more
that morning. Well, that’s why
they say “watch your words”. We
did a lot of riding and I mean a
LOT. After an endless wait to
have some more riders joining
in from Mumbai, we set off on
the journey of NH 17 – next
destination – GOA……!!! But
hey, not so soon! That’s not what
destiny had in store for us. I had
a puncture in my rear wheel
and was saved by a whisker as it
occurred seconds after a sharp
turn that I had taken at about
80kmph. The rear wheel fishtailed as it deflated and we spent
a good hour getting it fixed as
the rescue van with the spares
was way behind our speeding
demons! Just as beautiful
the ride was in aspect of the
locales around, the roads were
equally challenging. Continuous
stretches of bad patches of
road again were slowing us
down….were getting us tired…
were testing our patience and
limits…! Visibility got poor
and the roads got worse. We
crumbled as the excitement
faded away with daylight and
nightfall saw us hunting for a
hotel to lodge ourselves. Some
were bruised and some were
battered and as is obvious all
were deflated out of energy. But
then after one of the many chai
halts, a miraculous turnaround
happened as we just pushed the
envelope a little and reached the
night halt! Boots off, Gloves off,
Bikes parked. Riding part over.
Party begins. It definitely called
for the soda to pop and mingle
with the whiskey. “Eat, drink
and celebrate as tomorrow we
reach our goal” was the mood of
the night. We drank like fishes,
we ate like hogs and we slept like
babies. 1 room – 16 people – part
of the brotherhood…!!!
At break of dawn on the
morning of the 18th we got up
stretching after a much needed
slumber. Ready, charged,
prepared, excited – Goa!! –
here we come. By now, after
having covered over 650kms,
the remaining 160 kms felt like
stone’s throw distance away. Goa
had amassed us and before we
realized, we were all well within
it. The excitement grew even
further and after a quick lunch
session, we headed straight
for the venue hotel ‘Julie Jolly’
near the Anjuna/Vagator beach
area via the murky gullies of
a siesta-sleepy Goa. However
the venue was a total contrast.
9
keep riding
Bustling with energy and
jostling between the woods was
the ROYAL ENFIELD RIDER
MANIA 2010 event setup that
waited with a symbolic welcome
extended to us as we rode
downhill into the lap of banners,
barricades and loud speakers
19th Nov’10 – Day 1 @
RM’10 – Goa: Rajat, another
dear friend who came directly
from Pune that morning
especially for the 3 day RM
event, woke me up. At the venue,
after picking up our red Rider
Mania T-shirts and trying
them on to our best fit, a lot of
photographing followed. Pics of
the venue, the logos, the events
and the T-shirts were taken in
frenzy. As the events for the day
unfolded, we had registered
for all 3 events for the day. The
figure of 8, slow bike racing and
Towing. Infact, we did pretty
great in the ‘figure of 8’. Our
relay team had Nipun, Varun,
Rakesh and Myself and by the
end of the contest we missed
being in the top 3 by a whisker.
Hard luck but great fun! Some
stupendous music from DJ
Blackjack kept us punching the
air while we showed no signs of
stopping to gurgle those dreampriced pints.
20th Nov’10 – Day 2 @
RM’10 – Goa: With adrenaline
running at its peak now, we
jumpstarted the next morning
with a lot of plans, determined
to see all of them through. This
was to be the most eventful
day for us. The first event of the
day at the RM venue was the
very mean Dirt Track racing.
Each rider zooming in and
trying to outdo the other on
that unfriendly track was the
scene. Some crashed, some sped
and some persisted while the
onlookers made a hullabaloo
outside. The day was to go
on, with event after event. In
the evening we finally ended
up at Club IVY at Baga and
from there on, senses were
10
sent packing away. With lovely
dames around us and some
sensational and timeless tracks
from the Rap, Reggae and
House genres, we set the floor
on fire and danced till we’d drop
from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. Ah, what a
party….!!! Followed by a snack,
it was time to crash and so we
did.
21st Nov’10 – Day 3 @
RM’10 – Goa: The biggest
and most awaited ride was to
happen today. THE GROUP
RIDE! To ride across Goa with
all the participating fellow
riders was a thrilling experience.
About 200 Royal Enfields of all
shapes, sizes and colours with
about 300 participant riders and
pillions filled the Goan streets
as we made a single-file convoy
across town. The onlooker’s
eyeballs popped and sound buds
went for a toss with the roar that
our bikes cumulatively made.
Surely enough, we attracted
a lot of attention, respect and
some envy! We felt like kings
and surely enough, our day
was made. We ventured out for
some shopping after the group
ride as we had decided to keep
day 3 aside for the same. Beads,
T’s, shorts and bandanas…!
We bought them all. We came
back to the venue to watch the
scintillating rock-show at the
venue till it ended and having
the last leg of those amazingly
priced beers, we bid adieu to the
venue that gave us the time of
our lives.
The ride back home:
Monday, the 22nd of Nov.
saw us awake and ready (not
really) at 6:00 a.m. to head
back homewards. Still very
prominently sleepy, the face
of each rider showed a tinge
of resentment at leaving Goa
at that hour. But, what’s to be
done is to be done. Refueled
and loaded, we set off by 6:30
a.m. Yet again, led by Pradeep,
we chose a different route from
the one that we had endured
on the way earlier. NH 17 – no,
thank you! NH 4 – oh yeah
baby. After exiting Goa, the
change in route took us via the
very very picturesque Amboli
Ghats. We swayed at 80kmph,
turning and speeding at every
straight patch. The NH 4 was a
stretch of several kilometers of
paper smooth highway roads.
It was a fast rider’s absolute
dream coming true. A halt
before we ventured out on that
heavenly patch gave us time to
prepare for the speed and aim
at the next stop only after the
next 120 kms. After a halt taken
for lunch and after getting my
bike fixed, what we aimed at
was a perfectly comfortable
night halt at Lonavala. The
roads continued to be lovely
and occasional tunnels added
to the resonation of the thump
resounding and scaring away
the other scavenging vehicles.
We belittled them with our
revs and poked fun at their
speed with our 2 wheeled iron
demons. It gave us the much
needed boost to carry on
with beaten and tired bodies
but with massaged egos. We
took a break for the night at
Lonavla and at dinnertime a
healthy conversation about our
individual professions went
on air and we spoke for 2 good
hours while we had our drinks,
gave ourselves reasons to be
hungry and then at the end of
it went off to hog in the middle
of the night. After a heart-full
platter of various types of food,
we called out ‘good night’ to
each other back at the hotel and
crashed
Tuesday 23rd Nov, we were up
and dressed again at 6:00 am,
after a short refreshment session
of chai and all, we zipped off into
a rather eventful day, this time,
on the road. As we rode into
Mumbai the city was already
bustling at 8 a.m. in the morning
but we managed to get out of
city limits well within time and
hit the highway to Gujarat. Ah…
after 7 days, the highway to
home was just so clearly visible
at this juncture for the 1st time.
Next stop was for breakfast
where we gulped down some
food and some took a quick
nap too. Off again in about 30
minutes, we were confident
that we’d make it home today,
the farthest destination being
Ahmedabad. Finally as each
of us had swept and managed
to get to Baroda safely. That’s
where we ate, hugged and bid
good-bye and finally slept.
HOme run: 24th Nov 2010,
we woke up at leisure and Varun
and I zipped to Ahmedabad,
the last 110 kms in 1& ½ hours,
fully refreshed to narrate these
endless tales of the ride of our
lives to eagerly curious friends.
Each picture taken in the trip
(almost everyone who had
a camera has close to 350+
pictures) has a story to tell. This
camaraderie won’t die away
so soon for sure. The madness
that has bestowed us in this trip
is beyond compare and is as
precious as the most expensive
gems in world. I would like to
heartily thank Royal Enfield
for organizing such a grand
event like Rider Mania 2010 and
making my first ever trip to Goa
so very memorable.
dealer profile
Across Generations –
Serving Royal Enfield customers
J
aycee Motors Corporation - a
unit of Jaycee Group having
an annual turnover of Rs 370
crores has been an authorized
dealer of Royal Enfield motorcycles since 1964 providing sales and after
sales services The journey for Jaycee started in the year 1952 with a vision seen by
Mr. M.P. Aggarwal. They were appointed
as Distributors of NBC Bearings for the
states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal &
J&K. Then in 1953 they were appointed as
Distributors for Hind Cycles for the
states of Punjab & Haryana.
As a part of the trading activities
they have also been dealing in fertilizers since 1969 as distributors for
Chambal Fertilizers, Shriram Fertilizers and National Fertilizers. The
group today is also involved in various manufacturing activities having
facilities at Amritsar, Faridabad &
Bahadurgarh. They manufacture
Auto Parts & Tractor Parts as O.E.
suppliers to JCB, Escorts Construction, Mahindra & Mahindra, , International Tractors, and many more
manufacturers. They are also manufacturing Diesel Generators under
a JV with Eicher Engines catering
to demand of telecom and industrial
sectors etc.
Their Royal Enfield business has
seen many ups and downs during
the last 4 decades. Initially the businesses, was looked after by Mr M.P.
Aggarwal along with his brothers
and were appointed sub dealers of
Madras Motorcycle Co. Ltd. Putting
it in the words of Mr Aggarwal "I
still remember the price of the 1st
Bullet sold was Rs 4000/- approx and the
dealer margin was Rs 100. At that time
quotas were fixed for production and the
order booking was supposed to be done
almost 8 months in advance. The only
model available at that time was the Bullet
350 after which a Mini Bullet, Fury, Mofa
were launched in succession."
Mr Suresh Aggarwal started looking after the Royal Enfield business in the early
nineties right after Punjab came out of the
crisis. At that time it was again like start-
ing from scratch due to difficult situations
prevailing in the region. Not a single motorcycle had been sold for a span of about
10 years during the militancy problem. It
took a lot of effort and time to restore the
status of the bike since it had lost its fame
during that tenure. Within no time Royal
Enfield got popular with the rich farmers
of the district and soon became the status
symbol among the rich in the city.
The day to day activity of the Royal
Enfield business is being looked after by
Kanav Aggarwal now who is the 3rd generation into this family business. He says,
"I personally started looking after this
business in the year 2005 but then went
off to do my MBA from Cardiff, UK in the
year 2006 and came back in 2008 and
rejoined the business. Personally to me
Royal Enfield has a lot of sentiments attached to since it is the oldest business we
are running as of date. Secondly the motorcycle itself is a legend in itself just for
the simple fact that it is probably amongst
the few motorcycles which has sustained
all changing scenarios in the world since
1932 and this machine has been selling
with almost the same technology since
then."
Kanav further adds "I myself love the
performance of the machine and the
1st bike I ever rode in my life was the
machismo 350cc owned by one of
my friends. Even though I could only
take it a short distance as I could
not balance the monster machine I
promised myself I would own one
someday. I just have one ambition
set for myself with this dealership
i.e. to become the most customer
friendly dealership in terms of service and sales satisfaction. Thanks to
the team I have now I am optimistic
that we are progressing very fast
towards it."
He concludes - "We have recently
moved from our old showroom to a
new one, which has roughly 3000 sq
ft of showroom area and 3000 sq ft
of workshop area. Today we are in a
position to service 70 motorcycles a
day easily. I'm not a hardcore bulletier but yes I am still trying to convince my family to let me own one for
my pleasure riding. Just to fulfil this
dream we have started a small riding
club in Amritsar where we just do
short trips of up to 100 km's to just to
break out from our daily routine."
11
RIDER MANIA
Royal Enfield Rider Mania 2010
text by praveen p sathaye photographs by praveen p sathaye
18
th Nov 2010, as the sun
slowly descended over
the horizon, the quiet
surroundings of Vagator
Hill Top was broken by
the steady and loud thump of a lone Royal
Enfield motorcycle. A Well kitted rider on a
motorcycle sporting Kerala State registration plates, he had travelled nearly a 1000
kms that day just to make sure he reached
the largest biker festival in time. A few questions asked, pleasantries exchanged with
the Royal Enfield crew at the site and off
he was towards the nearby hotel to unpack
and crash out for the day and prepare for
the celebrations that would formally kick
off the next day; the Royal Enfield Rider
mania 2010.
19th Nov 2010; the bright pleasant
morning saw scores of riders trickling in
from all over the country as they rode into
the venue and were guided to an exclusive
parking lot where they parked their shiny
12
& cécile
contraptions of chrome and metal and after registrations walked into the event area.
Complete strangers, exchanging just casual
smiles at the registrations counter shared
their individual ride stories as they walked
into the venue and collected their Rider
Mania goodies, stickers for the helmet/bike
and a bright red tee shirt for the event. A lot
of them immediately changed into this new
t-shirt to show their solidarity while some
still proudly had their last year’s t shirts on.
As the day proceeded, this parking lot
became a notable collection of metal and
chrome shining brightly in the brilliant
sunlight. The riders walked inside and
after the casual look around started off by
gorging the food and beer. Yes, what perhaps caught the attention of these riders
was the beer offer, quite refreshing for the
sunny afternoon. Some of them also relaxed
around in the lounge area where motorcycling movies were screened for them and
books and magazines on Royal Enfield
cellerier
and general motorcycling were placed for
their reading pleasure. Conversations got
initiated as people saw more familiar faces
from past events and also got acquainted
with newer people from different places.
One common factor bonding them – The
Thump – and one common point of discussion – Their motorcycle and The Ride they
undertook to reach the place.
The events started off late afternoon with
the popular `figure of 8’ being the first biking skill event where a team of 4 had to do a
closed course in between the palm trees and
complete a “figure of 8”. Being the first event
it was one big mobilizer of the crowd who
immediately gathered around the events
area to witness the same. This event did attract quite a number of participants as all of
them wanted to test their biking skills and
almost all of them swore by the capability of
their bikes to undertake such a manoeuvre.
Ashok Naidu, in his late 50’s from Pune had
flown in from Pune as he couldn’t get his
Grand entrance to the venue
The Trials
bike along said “I wanted to participate in
this event so i teamed up with some of my
old friends and rode one of their bikes. Our
team did a good run and we came in 3rd.
I may not have my bike here but i am not
going to miss out on the fun!” Indeed it was
this spirit with which a lot of riders all over
the country (and world) rode into Rider
Mania 2010. A few minutes later the second
event, the `Slow Race` took place where the
riders had to ride over a short distance in
a straight line and the guy to ride in last
without stalling or keeping the feet on the
ground was the winner.
All this while the pace of the events was
maintained by the crowd tapping away to
some peppy numbers by India`s No 1 Rock
DJ “BlackJack” and the air was alive with
the sounds of strumming guitars and vociferating thumps of the Royal Enfield machines. Throughout the day the “Custom
Bikes” kept rolling in and were lined up for
display for the competition. As the sun went
Slow Race
13
14
15
The Music
Custom Machines-Works of Art
Beer guzzling
competition
Women’s Arm
wrestling
16
down on the first day`s events the crowd
gathered around the centre stage and were
treated to a mind-blowing performance by
the Bangalore based band “Thermal & a
Quarter”, whose Lead singer Bruce, himself
a self confessed Bullet rider and fan since
1996, kept the crowd dancing and screaming late into the night. The day ended on a
great note as the bikers rode back from the
venue after getting to know what was in
store for them at this event in the coming
2 days.
20th Nov 2010: the 2nd day of Royal
Enfield Rider Mania was much warmer in
terms of weather as well as the response of
the crowd. A prominent club from Bangalore rode in bikes in a staggered formation,
showing their excitement with a rhythmic
set of honks and throttle blips announcing
their arrival in style. They were greeted at
the venue entrance by old friends meeting
after a long time as well as curious onlookers who wanted to know more about them.
A customary group photograph was clicked
under the large Rider Mania banner hung
on the main gate, and the riders walked in
to join in the celebrations.
The proceedings of the day began with
the Dirt track races for the 350 cc and the
500 cc Royal Enfield motorcycles. This
outdoor event took place on a specially constructed circuit where a huge wigwam was
placed and the DJ played some good music to match with the sound of the revving
thumpers in the pits. The races started with
the roar of engines as the riders opened
throttles to negotiate the first uphill section of the course. The circuit was quite
bumpy with grass on some curves making it quite a challenge for the riders. The
event had its share of spills and thrills. The
thumping roar of the engines kept the atmosphere alive as Pravin Patil and Baljeet
Gill respectively walked away with the 1st
RIDER MANIA
The Celebration Ride Lineup
position prize in the 350 cc and the 500 cc
categories respectively as the crowd braved
the heat and stood around the track cheering for their favourites. Baljeet Gill AKA
Chotu, as he is affectionately called was extremely happy with his victory “I am feeling
simply great, awesome” he said, his trusted
mechanic Alex also joined in the celebration amidst claps and cheers.
The special guests of honour at the event
this day were Dr Venki Padmanabhan,
COO Royal Enfield and Mr Shaji Koshy,
DGM Marketing Royal Enfield who came
all the way to Rider Mania to interact with
the fans and the fanatics of the `Thumping
Machines`. They had a great time interacting with all the riders and their families
as well as the media. A short break saw
the Custom bikes being judged by the jury
panel. The bikes were judged based on the
theme behind their customization, aesthetic appeal and the prominent `sound`, of
the legendary Thump. The second session
outdoors was the Trials where the motorcyclist had to negotiate the marked course
and had to cross tyres, boulders, bales of
hay et al on their Royal Enfield Machines.
This was perhaps one of the most challenging events of all as only 9 of the 21 starters
managed to finish.
All through the day the crowd was kept
on their toes and swaying to some good
chart busting music by DJ BlackJack and
as evening descended on the venue Trance
and House music took over as DJ Ghani
set the whole venue ablaze with his best
of Contemporary/Trance Mixes. The Prize
distribution happened in the evening where
trophies and gift vouchers were presented
to the winners of the events over the 2 days
of Rider Mania. This day being a weekend
the venue was definitely bustling with a
larger crowd.
21st Nov 2010: The Last day of Royal
Enfield Rider Mania started off rather easy
on Sunday. The hot action packed races
and musical nights of earlier days had been
quite a thing for most of the Royal Enfield
riders present there. The day started off
with the Cleanest Bike competition and
out came the polished metal and shiny
chrome. A Bullet from Goa immaculately
maintained walked away with the trophy.
After that was the ‘Assembly Wars’ competition where teams of 4 had to remove
the front wheel, rear wheel, throttle cable and clutch cable from the motorcycle,
run across a short distance to get them
inspected and then put them back on the
motorcycle and ride it out. The team from
Goa with all their screaming, shouting and
heaving managed to do it in a very short
time and rode off with the trophy. A movie
‘On Any Sunday’ played for the viewing of
the motorcycling enthusiasts gathered at
the lounge as these competitions went on.
Later in the afternoon the Beer Guzzling
Biker slogans
Heart of the Matter
competition and the Arm Wrestling competition started, where even the women
did not step back and guzzled pints, flexed
their muscles to fight for the trophies. John
Smith who came in 3rd in the beer guzzling
competition took it all in Great Spirit. He
hails from the UK and with his wife Trudy,
has been in India for quite some time and
a familiar face at Royal Enfield events. “Its
fun to take part in these events, competing with fellow riders with whom I share
the bond of being a Royal Enfield Rider”,
he said.
In the afternoon, all the Royal Enfields
rode out for the Celebration Ride, as a
show of solidarity, brotherhood, pride and
spreading a message to the locals about
safe riding by donning helmets and maintaining strict discipline on the road. It was
a sight to see hundreds of Royal Enfield
machines ride one behind the other in a
single file thumping in unison and the awestruck bystanders admiring the machines
with dropped jaws or wide smiles. Cécile
Cellerier, a photographer from France was
visiting Rider Mania with her friends and
found the whole collection of motorcycles
an absolutely awesome sight. “I have always
been fascinated by the Bullet motorcycle as
many of my friends in Chennai have this. I
rode down from Mumbai to Goa with my
friends to attend the Rider Mania and what
an experience it has been.”, she added with
a pronounced French accent “I also rode a
bullet for the first time in my life and what
fun it was”
In the evening the prize distribution ceremony happened where winners of the events
of the day were handed over their trophies
and felicitated on stage. The Most popular
custom bike results were also announced and
the undisputed winner was the rather radical but awesome Royal Enfield 3 C concept
bike by Javeen Mathew from Kerala. Javeen
was ecstatic with his victory and came on
stage, along with his wife, his patient partner in this significant venture, to receive the
award. Later in the evening the rock band
‘Tidal Waves’ performed some of the most
popular rock numbers and set the evening on
fire and the bikers took to head banging with
renewed enthusiasm. As the music went soft
by the late night, the bikers all bid goodbyes
to each other promising to be back at Rider
Mania 2011 next year in November and celebrate the Thump that Binds.
Someone had rightly said, at Royal Enfield Rider Mania you meet as strangers,
ride as friends and bond as brothers.
17
rider profile
Tejas Dutta and his Black Electra
Master Mariner
H
ailing from Delhi, Tejas
Dutta a young 27 year old
Marine Engineer spends
almost half of the year out
at sea, on mighty ships.
So whatever time he gets back on land he
cherishes it in doing what he loves most.
One of his core passions is riding out on
hi Royal Enfield Electra. The motorcycle
definitely speaks volumes of the personal
attention Tejas has given in doing it up. Yes
his motorcycle has been customised and
looks like one mean black monster. Besides the customary escapes further north
from Delhi to beat the heat, Tejas undertook one of his longest rides this year,
down to Goa. He rode off form Delhi to
attend the Royal Enfield Rider Mania 2010
and after riding down through Rajasthan,
Gujrat and Mumbai eventually turned
towards the NH 17 on his way to Goa.
Relying completely on his instincts and
his trusted Black low slung Bullet (with a
noticeable loud thump, due to the custom
exhaust pipe). Riding alone for most of
this ride he teamed up with some riders
from Mumbai who were going to Goa for
the Royal Enfield Rider Mania and rode
along with them. Accompanying him on
18
Riding down to Goa
Tejas on Stage after
winning the Arm
wrestling competition
this ride is his DSLR which he uses liberally capturing every significant moment of
the ride, taking back countless memories
with him after each ride. A fitness freak,
he maintains a strict regime of pumping
iron when on board his ship and boasts
biceps to be envious of. Bagging first
place in the Arm Wrestling competition at the Rider Mania Tejas clearly
demonstrates that form follows function and proudly flexed his muscles
as he took the prize at the awards
function at the end. Soft-spoken but
with a sense of humour to match, he
did win many friends on this ride as
he has been on his earlier adventures.
Having seen the perils of sea-life he
understands that risk is something
that needs to be tackled intelligently
and exercises the same caution while
riding. He will almost always be seen
fully kitted up and negotiating highway traffic with skill, not getting into
any tight spots. He definitely looks
forward to spending more and more
time on his bike and ride out mostly
all by himself, being one with the
road and nature, clicking away with
his camera, whenever he is back on
shore. If some day you come across a big
burly matt black loud Royal Enfield Bullet Electra with a prominent red star on
its tank and the rider in navy blue overalls
and protective riding gear, be sure it’s Tejas
on one of his rides around the country.
international
Royal Enfield at International
Motorshows:
NEC Carole Nash Motorcycle Show Birmingham
R
oyal Enfield was represented at the Carole Nash
Motorcycle Live at The
NEC, Birmingham by the
UK distributer Watsonian
Squire and few officials from India. This
exhibition drew a crowd of nearly 100,000
people, who braved the rather bad November weather to make it to this fest. Starting from Nov 27th 2010, this 9 day event
almost ran packed days with prominent
manufacturers showcasing their products
and unique concepts here. The Show had 38
manufacturers and almost 200 other exhibitors’ displaying their contraptions and
ideas and showcasing special interactive
themes thus giving visitors nonstop entertainment at the show
Royal Enfield showcased the Classic range of motorcycles apart from the
Fury, a flat tracker variant customised by
Watsonian Squire in the UK and powered
by the 500 cc fuel injected
powerplant. The Fury would
appeal to a young motorcycle enthusiast owing to its
inspired design, wider handlebars; completely changed
seating unit, chrome headlight, chrome indicators
and twin exhausts. This
model also attracted quite a
number of accolades owing
to its unique paint scheme
and flat tracker design. The
other major attraction at
the Royal Enfield pavilion
was the Wizard’s ride. Yes!
Mr R.L Ravichandran
the motorcycle that Harry
(CEO, Royal Enfield) on the
motorcycle featured in the
Potter used in his latest
Harry Potter blockbuster
flick “The Deathly Hallows.”
The Watsonian Squire pavilion
with various sidecar designs
The Royal Enfield Fury
Although Royal Enfield had supplied these
motorcycles to the producer of the movie
long time back, they were tight lipped
about it till the movie was nearing completion. This motorcycle also proved a big hit
amongst young children who for a large fan
base of the teen wizard.
On display were a number of interesting
attachments/contraptions like closed side
cars, trailers etc for the motorcycle from
Watsonian Squire who are pioneer manufacturers of sidecars in the world.
Los Angeles International Motor Show
After clearing the stringent California emission norms earlier in the year Royal Enfield
appended its efforts towards this region by
participating in the Los Angeles International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach California. The booth also featured a prominent
side-car combo on a 500 cc Royal Enfield
besides the Classic 500 motorcycles. A lot of
the visitors were quite inquisitive about getting their Royal Enfields in California now,
as earlier it used to be quite a task for them.
Visitors were quite amazed to see the unique
combination of classic retro appeal and styling combined with modern technology and
emissions in a single unique package. Curious potential buyers never ran out of questions at the booth about these motorcycles
and their advent in California.
19
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Royal Enfield Motorcycle Owned:
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Other Motorcycle Owned:
1
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Other Vehicle Owned: (Besides Motorcycles)
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20
FLASH BACK
Royal Enfield
Flying Flea
The Royal Enfield Flying Flea was one of the
most exciting of all models owing to its heroic
role in World War II. Having the origin of its
design in a German built DKW, this motorcycle
was officially called the “RE” and was powered
by a 125 cc engine. This machine played a pivotal
role in the war as its most dramatic use was by
the Royal Air Force paratroopers. The motorcycle
was placed in a special Royal Enfield designed
steel tubular ‘cage’ which had a parachute attached to the same. Dropped from an aircraft this
bike would float down along with the paratroopers who then would then achieve great mobility
over the rough terrain.
This was a motorcycle which could tackle the challenges of war-torn landscapes and also
proved to be a great means of transport in civilian life as well. It was this versatility which
prompted Royal Enfield to continue production of this motorcycle even after the end of
the war in 1945. The civilian version was equipped with some more creature comforts
and painted in a utilitarian black colour. With a top speed of about 45 MPH and a fuel
efficiency of 100 MPG this soon became a very popular runabout. The subsequent variant
which appeared in 1948 had the speed increased to 47 MPH. 1950 saw a major turn in
this motorcycle as it got telescopic front forks, a larger section
tyre, deeper fuel tank and a much
needed colour change from Black
to a classy looking Silver Grey.
The following year the motorcycle got a new frame and engine
and was officially christened the
“RE2”
This motorcycle formed the
base for the development of the
next model from Royal Enfield
namely the Ensign which was
launched in 1952 powered by a
148 cc engine.
24
photographs by Andy Baillie; Royal Enfield & Imperial War Museum
25
club
Bulls of
Shimoga
(B.O.S).
O
n June 10th 2009, with
few of his friends Kennith
Harsha went to Ladakh
on some 2 stroke motorcycles. They did have quite
a successful ride but the low oxygen levels
and the need for frequent gear changing
while climbing made the ride one difficult
endeavor. It was here that he saw that the
Royal Enfield motorcycles were cruising
across this harsh and formidable terrain
in a rather easy manner. It was this unique
capability of the Royal Enfield motorcycle
which left him awestruck and impressed.
During his ride he noticed that barring
their 6 bikes almost all the other riders
around were riding on Royal Enfields. After coming back from the Leh ride he immediately purchased his first Royal
Enfield, the Bullet 350 1986 model
and got hooked on to the legendary thumper. 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.
Soon he and three of his friends
Dolphy, Karthik & Nagu started
doing long rides on their Royal Enfield motorcycles and a brotherhood
formed. They didn’t have a formal
club at that time but on many of
their rides they met and interacted
with some Bullet Club members and
got motivated to form their own club. Once
the club was formally formed they started
looking out for like-minded passionate bullet riders in and around their area. Within
a few days they were able to find five more
Royal Enfield Riders and the member
count increased. Kennith rode to Goa to
attend the Royal Enfield Rider Mania 2010
and met loads of Royal Enfield riders from
all over the country and rode back to Shimoga with very pleasant memories and a
trophy to boot. It was time to focus on the
club again but they found it quite difficult
26
to find the name for the club; and at last
settled down for a traditional name “Bulls
of Shimoga” (BOS). The club was formally
inaugurated on 11-12-2010 and a brotherhood was born.
The main helmsmen of the ‘Bulls of Shimoga’ are a bunch of enthusiastic, energetic
and vibrant riders. The foundation & backbone of the club is Kennith Harsha Kotian.
He is a very passionate rider and loves to
ride on dirt and twisties. Kennith is a proud
owner of 3 Royal Enfield motorcycles, a
1968 Bullet 350, a 1986 Bullet 350 and a
Machismo LB 500. Dolphy Pinto; affectionately known as the 'sweeper of the club' as
he often is the tailing guy on rides, is a mechanic with a sound knowledge of Royal Enfield bikes, rides a Bullet 350cc 1961 model.
Karthik Naidu is youngest rider of the club
and a very passionate bulleteer and volun-
teers to do almost all the club work. He rides
a Bullet 350 1985 model bike. Nagabhushan,
known for his jovial nature and sense of
humour almost has everyone in splits with
his wise cracks and jokes. He rides a 500 cc
Machismo. H. K. Kashifa Ahmed, the well
built bullet rider of the club and a good technician, owns the Royal Enfield showroom
in Shimoga. He rides his 350 cc 1985 model
bike. Rokesh. G better known as Rocky,
rides a 350 cc TBTS. Abhishek another
amicable fellow rides a new 350 cc Electra
Twin Spark. Suresh A S, is the senior most
rider of the club and is often looked up as
the main guiding force of the club; he rides a
Bullet 350 cc 1985 model bike.
One of the first rides after the club was
formally established was a ride to Agumbe.
They have often ridden with each other
purely as friends but the feeling of the
Thump that binds was altogether different
when riding as a club. Agumbe is famous
for being second highest rain forest in India and a popular tourist destination. The
ride started at 6 AM in the morning, and it
was very cold with a thick blanket of mist
almost covering the road. It was indeed
very difficult to ride in the cold wind and
with poor visibility it was difficult to make
out oncoming traffic. But harsh riding
conditions aren’t what stops adventure
bugs. They rode with caution and reached
Agumbe around 9 AM, but still suffered
from low visibility due to the dense
mist. This winter ride was definitely
one of the most adventurous and
exciting ones the club has had in
a while, but the icing on the cake
was the reaction of the other tourists and bystanders to this group of
thumping majestic machines. The
riders ended up being the center
of attraction of the time. A lot of
people holidaying in this region
were impressed by the thumping
machines and some even requested
to be given a short ride on the machines. Some of the bystanders were
so thrilled that they too wanted to
own a bullet. The riders left Agumbe at 12
noon and went for a small dirt ride inside
the forest. The ride was one filled with
thrill and fun, including its share of spills.
The group then proceeded for lunch to
Thirthahalli around 2 in the afternoon and
then reached Shimoga back at 5:30, just
before sundown. Being one of the first rides
this one was definitely an experience for
many to remember and cherish. With time
the club definitely is slated to grow and get
more and more ambitious in terms of rides
and other activities.
review
Fieldsheer Mach2 Mesh Jacket
The Fieldsheer Mach 2 Mesh jacket has been one of the most
popular jackets from this well-known riding gear manufacturer.
The one reviewed in this article is the 2007 model that has actually been upgraded slightly in the past 3 years into an altogether new model but older stocks are still available online for great
deals. The main advantage of this jacket (like other mesh jackets
in general) is the comfort in hot weather conditions as the mesh
allows cool air to pass through. The removable thermal liner
(that can be zipped on the inside of the jacket) makes this jacket
usable even during cold weather conditions, a fact which was
borne out during the Royal Enfield Himalayan Odyssey 2010
where I wore this jacket in the coldest conditions possible. The
only disadvantage is that the inner liner is not waterproof hence
during wet weather one would require a waterproof outer shell
to be worn over the jacket.
The CE-approved armour provided in the jacket for the elbows
(long enough to cover the forearm), shoulders and the back
have been designed for the riders comfort. One of the primary
reasons for opting for the Fieldsheer Mach 2 Mesh is that it also
features abrasion resistant “leather” patches in place of the
mesh on the shoulders, elbows, stomach, and parts of the back.
This adds another level of protection, as these are the most
common abrasion points on a riding jacket in case of a fall. The
jacket has a Velcro adjustable, micro-fleece collar with padding,
which adds to the rider’s comfort. The reflective strips on this
jacket make it highly visible at night. An 8-inch waist zip connector at the back allows the jacket to be attached to compatible
Fieldsheer pants. Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
book review
technical jargon it does define the
in west-central India all the way
experience in simple understand-
north, through Jaipur and New
photographs of the ride, the
able words. However there is a
Delhi, all the way up to Leh and
terrain or the adventures but the
slight shade of overkill because
Jammu. Humour too has found
language and usage of descrip-
even otherwise simple incidents
its place in this epic narrative of
tive vocabulary actually puts the
and occurrences have been
adventure where he makes small
image right in front of your eyes
over described at a couple of
jabs on typicality and tendencies
without straining your imagina-
occasions making it sound more
we all exhibit from time to time.
tion. The reader is often transport-
like a rather generous usage of
Highly recommended, this book
The book does not have many
ed to the hills, and dusty terrain of
vocabulary rather than a clear cut
actually makes a great surprise
Ladakh and those who have been
description of feelings, percep-
gift to busy people who would
there almost instantly get remind-
tions and experiences.
just need an excuse to skip out
ed of their past adventure. This
The unique thing about this
of their mundane lives and see
book is not just a story of an old
book is that it describes India as
the more descriptive and highly
guy riding out to the hills, some
an Indian sees and experiences.
interesting life of a motorcyclist
adventures which the author nar-
One Life to Ride written by Ajit
Somewhere when any foreign
travelling around the country
rates removes the age aspect as
Harisinghani describes in detail
author describes his journey
without actually going there.
what he feels and narrates is what
the adventurous tour almost
around India the descriptions and
Although it does not contain any
anyone of any age would have
bordering on being labelled as
words always depict his amaze-
tips or tricks on how to ride and
felt and expressed. Though not a
an expedition of the author from
ment at the warmth but in this
maintain your motorcycle nor
single long narrative this is com-
Pune to the pinnacle of motor-
case it comes across as narration
does the book suggest how to
posed of numerous short stories
cycling adventure, Ladakh. The
of expected behaviour. Ajit knows
ride over difficult terrain but still
as each one unfurls as the author
journey gets sparked off owing
what to expect from people in
does narrate interesting aspects
makes his epic journey.
to a promise to a dying friend
India and when he sees it he
of the riding lifestyle from time
and a lifelong love admiration
just affirms the same through
to time. This book makes a great
side-effect associated with read-
almost bordering on devotion
this book. Ajit Harisinghani has
read for people who ride and ride
ing this book; if you are not a
to the legendary Royal Enfield
spun a wonderful narrative of a
far but will also inspire a once
motorcycle adventure or travel
motorcycle. Although this book
journey where you almost feel as
been biker to take brush the dust
enthusiast this book just might
doesn’t highlight the intricacies of
if you are riding pillion on a 4,300
off his motorcycle and take to
make you one.
the motorcycle or load you with
kilometre adventure from Pune
the road.
Rating: ★ ★ ★
There is however a small
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