Royal Enfield the BEAT July 2010

7/27/2019 Royal Enfield the BEAT July 2010

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R O y a L E N F I E L D I N U S a G E a R C H E C K K E E P R I D I N G C a M P a I G

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

M A R K E T I N G N E W S L E T

JulY 2010


2/17

NEkick STarTkick STarT

More than ve decades of existence of Royal Eneld

has undoubtedly established its brand image in

India and abroad. The single cylinder push rod

engine thumping its unique beat is legendaryin villages and towns the world over. The Bullet

entity is very special and royal and Royal Eneld is blessed with it.

ebates on the quality of the Bullet were never in the front stage of

existence until recently. Proliferation of numerous commuter bikes

th good quality and features has awakened the Bullet customers to

mand quality and enhanced durability. The last decade witnessed

luminous eld complaint reports and demand for trouble-free

hicles, in addition to the Royal Eneld motorcycle's unique features.

In 2005, Royal Eneld identied more than one hundred eld

fects on performance and durability concerns in various systems

and components. Improvement of hygiene of

the bike has become the paramount task.

Three years of focussed attention to identify

corrective actions and implement them in

the areas of design, supplier components, in-

house machining and assembly, painting and

plating and resolving eld issues has yielded

substantial improvements and reduced eld

complaints. Perennial problems of premature

engine seizure, joint leakages, silencer rusting,

clutch and gear box related problems, starting

issues, electrical failures etc. in Bullet, Electra,

Machismo and Thunderbird were contained.

Stringent controls were introduced in t he Shop

oor for clearing the supplier c omponents for

tment and machine components for accuracy

and for scanning engines and vehicles under

PDI prior to despatch.

The development and introduction of

UCE engine in 2008 has given tremendous

opportunity to raise the design quality, processand production quality and also to improve

eld performance of the engine, many fold.

It has resulted in leak-free joints, consistent

fuel delivery performance, reliable electricals,

highly durable mechanical components that

have elevated the quality of engine to a higher

paradigm. The sales pitch achieved with UCE

engine in Thunderbird is testimony to the

quality status.

The introduction of Classic 500 and 350 and

Electra UCE and Bullet UCE have added to the

upward swing of the product quality experienced

by the customers.

There are well trained quality personnel at

Royal Eneld continuously attending to eld

quality issues, supplier quality requirements,

in house quality performance, aesthetics of the vehicle and the new

product quality in all respect. Attached to these groups is a team of

metal tuners and measurement specialists to continuously improve

the engine and vehicle performance

The better quality of our vehicles was the result of higher interactions

amongst teams, sincere efforts, intelligent directions and skillful

executions of all corrective actions. As quality has no top limit, there

are always further heights to climb, Royal Eneld has to get obsessed

and stay obsessed about it.

One of the most important factors for product acceptance,sustenance and higher demand is the quality of the product to the

customers. At Royal Eneld, it is well understood that a market is

never saturated with a good product, but it is very quickly saturated

with a bad product and the purpose of our business is to create and

keep a customer for generations.

K P Nair,

Vehicle Programme Management,

Royal Enfield

[email protected]

ou would like to contribute to THE BEAT email us at [email protected] EDITORIALTEAMShaji Koshy, Sachin Chavan, Praveen P Sathaye

gs fm ed Dsk!

Southern OdysseyI you like to ride steep gradients, catch a glimpse o exotic wild elephants,

bison and deer, get deep into jungles and eel the gentle sea breeze along the

coast, this is the ride or you. On this trip, water comes in two avours, resh

and salt. The Southern Odyssey starts with a chance to visit the birthplace o

your bike the Royal Enfeld actory and a training session on a race track

with guidance rom some o our most experienced actory riders. East Coast,

West coast and the southernmost tip o the Indian mainland all these areincluded in the itinerary o the Southern Odyssey. Apart rom this, the convoy

o Royal Enfelds will pass through picture-perect tea, coee and spice plan-

tations the very reason why the world ocked to Indian shores or centuries.

The Southern Odyssey gives you a chance to experience your Royal Enfeld

over these magical roads. Rediscover the south, rediscover yoursel.

Tour of North EastRoyal Enfeld heads out or a new adventure into the virgin lands o North

East India. We have charted out a 11 day route through dense jungles,

broken tracks, over high mountain passes, on snow-covered hills and rarely

traveled roads in the wild. The trip will be challenging and un-flled with

plenty o riding in these backyards. While the main theme is an exhilarating

experience, the underlying emphasis is on saety in every aspect o the ride.

Royal Enfeld provides service and medical back-up to provide confdence

not just to the frst time participants but also to their riends and amily. The

Tour o North East has expert and experienced pilots to guide the group in

various areas o bike riding and coping with the weather and terrain.

Tour ofRajasthanThe Tour o Rajasth

ride ar o the beat

that will test your m

and build your talen

amed deserts as w

ride on some o the

tarmac in the count

on routes that ew e

ride on, country roa

sand dunes, hills, ju

highways as good a

strips, a dry salt lake

all with little or no tr

Then theres the bo

where your Royal E

be the only vehicle

through some o th

1971 battlefelds. A

stop en route to pay

to a temple devoted

Royal Enfeld Bullet

will coincide with th

Festival at Jodhpur.

ous Rajasthani meabreathtaking monum

a treat at almost ev

Stay has been organised at heritage properties, a castle hotel, a pa

luxury dune tents. We have ound another elusive riders paradise.

can also register or an adventurous getaway.

Tour of NH 17

Take a scenic tour winding around the legendary NH 17, oten dubthe West Coast Road having inspired a couple o bollywood blockb

the lines o Bombay to Goa. While the main theme is on riding t

places around the scenic Mumbai-Goa highway, the highlight is to

the western monsoons, walking through clouds a t one moment an

on the vast beaches watching the waves create magic the next m

or gorging on strawberries one moment while sipping on a hot co

and every moment o this ride is one which will certainly give you

o discovery where the sheer bliss o riding to remote places and r

enchanting weather on your Royal Enfeld will make it seem like an

ence o a lietime. Riding in the rains has always been a romantic,

and exciting experience or many and Royal Enfeld will provide se

medical back-up to provide confdence not just to the frst time pa

but also to their riends and amily. The Tour o NH 17 has expert a

rienced pilots to guide the group in various areas o bike riding and

with the weather and terrain.


3/17

dEalEr prOfdEalEr NEWS

Javeens, the

authorized Royal

Eneld dealer at

Kottayam in Kerala,

is an exclusive Royal Eneld

dealership with specialised

service centre and spares.

Started in July 2008 by Javeen

Mathew, a Royal Eneld

enthusiast, who proudly rides

his LB 500 sporting some

great modications to make it

a special motorcycle. In a short

time Javeens has managed to

gain the condence of many

a Royal Eneld customer

and has established a name

and fame for Royal Eneld

in the region. This is also due

to Javeen himself being a

customer of Royal Eneld and

catering to all the needs of the

customer. Other attractions

at Javeens include trendy

bike accessories, Indian and

imported helmets along

with some classic motorcycle

miniature models sold as

collectibles.

Javeen also helps organize

adventurous biking, rallying

and long rides and even guides

his customers in customization

of motorcycles. He has been

involved in getting branded

merchandise to the enthusiast

and has even helped form a

local Royal Eneld riders club.

Javeens passion for restoring

old Royal Eneld motorcycles

keeps this man tinkering away

endlessly at his workshop.

His love for motorsport led

him to organize the Bullet

Mountain Challenge a

homegrown event especially

for Royal Eneld riders which

has become a big attraction

in the past few years. He has

participated in various rallies

and motor sport events since

1989 and is the main organizer

of the Rubber City Challenge

(the ultimate close circuit mud

track event), Pagal Jump, Pagal

Wheelie, Rubber City Rally and

Motor Gymkhana.

Even after participating and

conducting all these events,

his thirst to reach on the topof the world in his all-time

favourite Eneld Bullet made

him sleepless and restless.

Javeens level of enthusiasm

is evident from the fact that

in order to participate in the

Himalayan Odyssey 2010,

he started preparation way

back and even quit smoking

to maintain a high level of

physical tness for this ride.

Finally, on 19 June 2010, he

made his way to Khardung

La from Delhi. After having

completed the Himalayan

Odyssey successfully, he

continued the journey as part

of his Him-Sagar expedition

by riding from Khardungla

to Kanyakumari on his

Royal Eneld to touch the

southernmost point Indira

Point to spread awareness

about global warming.

His epic journey took

him from Delhi through

Jaipur-Gujarat-Mumbai-

Goa-Bangalore-Madurai

KanyakumariIndira Point

Kottarakkara Chengannur

Thiruvalla-Changanasserry

and nally ended on 19

July 2010 at Kottayam. The

companion for the journey

was his favourite KL05-Z690,

a single seater Royal Eneld

Bullet Machismo 500, painted

re engine red and equipped

with 20-litre fuel tank

ow exhaust, steering d

a Thunder Bird front f

assembly and a sump g

The gear and brakes w

taken back to the old p

to have the feel of an E

Tyres used were 4.25-1

and 3.25-19 (front).

Javeens ride to spre

awareness about globa

warming found him m

admirers en-route. At

he stayed for three day

visited nearby villages

sarpanch of Choutee vi

Manider Singh Yadav,

pleased and moved tha

had this to say: Hama

sal ki zindagi mein tou

hum ne bahut dekha hkabhi bhi koi itna safa

hum gaonwalon ko see

nahi aya.(I have seen

of tourists in my 57 yea

life, but no one had tra

this much to teach us)

Gujarat he stayed for f

visiting the remote vill

like Sikka, Salaya Sant

and Sidhada. The villa

Sidhada provided nigh

and organized a cultur

for their hero in his ro

red Eneld. Further do

road, warm receptions

activities were arrange

Goa, Bangalore, Kanya

Kottarakara, Thiruval

Kodimatha and Kottay

various Bullet club me

and organizstions.

The culmination of h

was marked by a cerem

19 July 2010 at Thirun

Maidanam, Kottayam

the auspicious presenc

Hon. Justice of Suprem

Court, Padma Bhushan

Thomas, which was ar

by Municipal Council,

Kottayam, Ys Mens Cl

Public Library, Kerala

Merchants Associatio

Club Kottayam, Natur

Kottayam Club, CSI Ch

Committee, Rubber Ci

Sports Club, Pala Bulle

and Kottayam Bullets.

Passion PlayRE Dealer Javeen Mathew's passion for Royal Enfield takes him on an epic ride

TOP 10DEALERS

Dhone AutomobilesPune

Royal MotorsAmbala

Manmohan Auto StoresChandigarh

Barnala AutomobilesLudhiana

Jalandhar Motors

Jalandhar

Ess Aar MotorsNew Delhi

HSR ServicesBangalore

Southern Motors

Chennai

Soniya Motors

Mumbai

South Delhi MotorcyclesNew Delhi

APRIL'10-JUNE'10

ROYAL ENFIELDS NEWEST DEALERSHIPS

New dealerships that were recently added to the

ever-growing Royal Enfeld network.

1 suVaani mOtOrsPondicherry

2 rr mOtOrsIndore, Madhya Pradesh

3 blue saffire mOtOrsBilaspur, Himachal Pradesh

4 aGarWal traCtOrsNajibabad, UP

5 rOyal ridersAhmedabad, Gujarat

6 rOyal enfield brand stOreNerul, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra

3


4/17

NEWS kEEp rid

25Royal Eneld

machines, 28

riders, smooth

open roads,

sounds exhilarating? Well I

can tell you, its Nirvana! And

that is exactly what I felt on

the ride to Mt Abu organised

by the Ahmedabad RE dealer

(Sarabhai Motors). I am

Nikhil Paul, employed with

an automobile company and a

proud owner of an Electra 5S

for the past one year. Finally Igot the chance to live with her

like a real rider on this trip.

Day 1 17th April was the day

I had been eagerly waiting for

because that was the day this

ride to Mt Abu was going to

happen. We all assembled at

6 am at a very famous garden

in Ahmedabad. As the riders

came in and as an increasing

number of Royal Eneld

motorcycles were parked, the

morning walkers were giving

us scared looks. The sight

was intimidating! Men with

the common passion riding

their Bullets had already

started to get to know one

another. After a short brieng

on riding and safety tips we

red up our Enelds and the

sound of 25 beasts let loose

must have shaken up the whole

neighbourhood.

We made our way to thehighway in single le as

instructed and regrouped at

a petrol pump. After tanking

up, helmets were strapped on,

throttles twisted and we took

off! We had rst-time riders

like myself and experienced

riders like Kaustabh Misra

(RE Ahmedabad dealer and

tour organiser) and Pradeep

Chaurasia (ASM, RE) who took

charge as lead riders.

Our rst break came

a restaurant a few kilo

before Mehsana. After

appeasing our hunger

off again and this time

trafc thinned out, all

wrists were doing the

thingfull throttle on!

sound was just magni

with 25 bikes roaring

symphony. And for me

timer it was NIRVANA

never experienced any

like this ever before anthe biggest smile on m

As there were many

-time riders, we had a

stops to regroup. After

of some really fast ridi

made our pit stop at A

just before the climb t

Abu. We freshened up

gave the bikes some re

were in for some really

uphill riding. Again w

brieng on how to ride

roads. We were divided

groups, fast, medium a

as per the riders skill.

group left rst and the

followed with a gap of

each. The ride up was

experience of a totally

kind. The twisting roa

the exhaust beat boun

the mountain were a si

superb aural experienc

all regrouped midway

nice open space were a

bikes were parked in aThis was the customar

opportunity with all th

standing besides their

with smiles on the ride

shine on the rides.

Due to some oil spill

in the road two of our

skidded off the road. T

to the slow speed they

riding at, no one was h

the bikes just suffered

minor scratches. The s

Nirvana at Mount AbuFirst-timer Nikhil Pauls account of the ride to Mt Abu organised by Sarabhai Motors, Ahmedabad

rOyal enfield Was tHe marQuee sPOnsOratthe Venice Vintage Motorcycle Rally which tookplace in Southern Caliornia. Reckoned as the worldsoldest motorcycle brand, Royal Enfeld s presencewas made signifcant by the presence o the DesignChie Singaravelu Siva Sivakumar and AndrewAnanthraj who looks ater Exports. This participa-

tion brought along with it the legacy o the brand and not just themotorcycles. The executives rom Royal Enfeld actively interactedwith the cognoscenti present at the event taking eedback rom themon their thoughts on the ideal enthusiast motorcycle. Needless to say,a lot o interesting inormation was captured which would help in theplanning o uture motorcycle designs rom the Royal Enfeld stable.The Venice Vintage Motorcycle Rally ormally started o on Sunday,July 11 at Venice, Caliornia. Besides the competitive ride event, theother attractions were the hunt or a Classic Biker Beauty and a MissVenice Vintage Pin-up contest eaturing participants decked in classyretro-style swimsuits.

Kevin Mahoney, President, Royal Enfeld USA (a division o ClassicMotorworks) was also present on the occasion and laid emphasis onshowcasing the Royal Enfeld Classic motorcycles. He said that thecreative direction or the new Royal Enfeld motorcycles has alwaysbeen inuenced heavily by the inputs collected directly rom the rid-ers and enthusiasts and this process helped Royal Enfeld understandthe exact need o the rider/enthusiast. He went on to state that theRoyal Enfeld motorcycles were built by, and or the people / riderswho loved classic bikes. He also emphasised that events like theVenice Vintage Rally provide an excellent avenue or the vintage andclassic motorcycle community to help shape the uture o the RoyalEnfeld model line.

This act was actually proven by the number o people asking whatvintage did the Royal Enfeld Classic belong to, thus creating thataura and charm o the days gone by. At the venue giant Royal Enfeldbanners were placed across walls. The new Royal Enfeld Classicmotorcycles were on display and Royal Enfeld sta were there totalk to people who expressed their curiosity about the motorcyclesand giving them more inormation about Royal Enfeld in the USA. Tosum it up in a ew words, the Venice show was defnitely an inspiringdisplay o the Royal Enfeld brand to this part o the American market

Along with the Vintage show, Royal Enfeld team also visited the a-mous Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum to see the various amedmotorcycles o yesteryears that had made a signifcant impact on themotorcycling world in general and had become legends in them-selves. A ew Royal Enfeld motorcycles also were part o this uniquedisplay o exquisite motorcycles and the team elt real proud to seeexamples o their marque earn a place in this prestigious museum.

ROYALENFIELDINUSA


5/17

NEkEEp ridiNg

der to skid off immediately

gnalled us to watch out for

e oil spill and made us stop

n the road side. After all was

ecked and assured that no

ne was hurt, we were back on

e road and by 2:30 pm we

de into our hotel. After the

eck-in and half an hours

st we were back on our

kes for a gruelling session

off-road riding. We made

ur way slowly to the outskirts

the town and soon were

n dirt winding up and down

e curvy track. We came to

halt at a completely rocky

d elevated ground which

as perfect for our off-roading

ssion. After our leaders

Kaustubh and Pradeep)oped out the terrain and

acks we were ready to go.

ith the bikes in rst gear,

ne by one we rode down to

e open path near the foot

the chosen hill. There was

cent amount of mud which

e waded through and soon

e were making our way up

e elevated ground. The

rque for which the Eneld

ur famous for was owing

abundance as we made our

ay up. We reached the spot

here it was safe for all of us

op for a breather. From there

as the real climb on totally

cky terrain which we had

ride up and boy it was one

ugh climb. I had condence

my bike but not myself so

wisely opted to stay down

ut those who had nerves of

eel didnt need to think even

nce. The sight of those riders

cketing up the path was

st jaw dropping. Neither the

ders nor the machines felt on

reign paths. It was like the

ths were made for our Bulls!

After spending a good hour

d a number of photographs

e made our way back to the

wn. We had one or two riders

uck in the mud but the locals

d the torque helped them

ut in no time. Our second stop

as Nakki Lake, a famous spot

in Mt Abu. As the machinesrode down the road to the

lake, the sounds of the bulls

were enough to clear the way

with no horns required. After

spending some time by the lake

we headed back to the hotel.

After all the riders had

freshened up, we all gathered

up for nice relaxing session

under the starry sky. Jokes,

experiences, stories and a

formal introduction followed

till the wee hours of the night.

The bed never looked so

inviting to me because the rst

day was super exhausting but it

felt perfect.

Day 2As all of the riders had

slept late in the night so it was

inevitable that all got up late.

But along with me a few other

riders had to experience the

early morning ride and so we

were up at the crack of dawn

to roar down Abus deserted

roads. We made our way to

a place called Gau Mukh

which was on a higher ground

than the city. The view of the

land below was just breath-

taking. We headed back to

the hotel and as we reached

the riders were all ready to

hit the breakfast. We had a

super group photo-session

lined up after the breakfast. 25

riders and 25 bikes parked in

a semi circle. After the photo-session we took off to explore

Sunset Point from where the

eagle-eye view of the ground

thousands of feet below us

was spectacular. Soon it was

time to head back as we had

a long and hot ride back to

Ahmedabad. After tanking up

our rides we were again back

on the winding roads of Abu

at 12 noon. Downhill riding

again is again something very

tough but all that is required

is patience and control. But we

had our second mishap and

this one was really serious.

One of the riders was pushed

into the cement railing by a

rowdy truck driver. He hit

the railing with his head and

skidded a good 8 metres on the

road on his chest. But thanks

to the helmet and the riding

jacket that he was wearing, he

escaped with just a bruise in

his leg. Even the bike did not

get too damaged and was in

riding condition. This shows

the importance of a helmet

and safety gear while riding.

Helmet is must whenever you

are on a two wheeler. After

reassuring that he and his bike

were ne we were back on the

road. And in an hours ride

we were back in Abu Road

our rst stop for lunch. The

wind seemed to be blowing

in a mildly violent way but itwas nothing to what was in

store for us. As we left Abu

Road to hit the highway the

winds picked up speed. We hit

the highway and twisted the

throttle against a strong head

wind that was so violent that

our bikes felt a little shaky.

But as a few kilometres were

chewed up , headwind felt like

an old friend and were back

to speeding our way down

the highway. We had decided

that we are going to reach

Ahmedabad without having to

switch on our headlights. The

rides and riders both needed

to cool down as the heat was

scorching and we had been

riding hard so we stopped just

outside Palanpur. One of our

rides had a breakdown and

so the bike had to be repaired

too. After the job was done

we were back on the highway

and the break had helped us

cool down so we were soon

thundering down the hignway.

The third stop was in Mehsana

at the Dudh Sagar dairy shop

where we all gulped down

avoured milk and ice cream

to cool ourselves down. The

highway between Mehsana and

Ahmedabad has a lot of trafc,

but after some fast, skilled

and orderly driving we were in

Ahmedabad at 7:30 pm.

MegaService

caMpA Mega Service Camp worganised at HSR EnterpBengaluru rom 4th Mayto 8th May, 2010 or all Enfeld owners and a tomotorcycles were attenthis camp.

Royal Enfeld conductedService Camp at Karnal 22nd July, 2010 to 24th 2010 at Monga Motors, A total o 82 bikes wereduring this mega service

FreelanceMechanicS34 reelance mechanics wereinvited to the Free Lance Mechan-ics Meet to educate them andtrain them on the UCE platorm inRohtak, Haryana.

FreeServicecaMpRoyal Enfeld organisedService Camp or its cusat their dealer Lamba Enin Delhi rom 20th Marc22nd March 2010. A Totcustomers were attendthis camp.


6/17


7/17

dESErT STOgEar chEck

An efcient way

to drink on the go,

the ever popular

Ck Hopk

s the most popular

hydration pack avail-

able in India. One o

the frst hydration

packs to be seen

n the motorcycling

scene in India, this

versatile hydration

pack is ideal or all

sorts o activities and

eatures a low profle

and a comortable

design. Although it

appears small, it can

comortably carry 1.5

itres o water. Using

the suction nozzle isalso very easy as it

easily reaches into a

helmet by opening

the visor a little bit.

The water capacity

s sufcient or 24

hours o riding.

The drinking pipe

also is long enough

to suit riders o any

height and adjustable

shoulder straps can

make this pack sit

comortably on you

back based on your

preerences. It also

does not interere

at all with the

helmet or any jacket

protrusions.

OtHer features

inClude

External zip pocket

or keys and es-

sentials

Easy, convenient

flling with external

cap access to the

water reservoir

Low-prole design

keeps pack stable

and doesn't intererewith helmet

Soft mesh harness

is comortable and

breathable

The later (2010)

models also have

reective colours and

piping to increase

low light visibility

The aGV fVs

h is perhaps

one o the most

popular helmets

used by riders in

India who regularly

tour. The AGV FVS

helmet is one o the

oldest models o

the AGV line-up and

has been around in

the Indian market

or quite some time

but people swear

by the worthinesso their AGV FVS

helmets. All the

AGV shells avail-

able in India have

more or less same

quality as they are

closely similar.

The visor on the

AGV helmet is not

prone to scratches

easily, however

tinted and black

visors are a little

extra dark making

riding in low light

conditions a bother.

Also the visors are

not anti glare hence

oncoming lights are

oten reected right

inside the helmet.

Removal and reft-

ting o the visor is a

simple process and

once the knack is

understood a visor

replacement is just

a 5-minute job. The

removable liner iswashable but warm

and humid weather

ends up making

you sweat. It's

advisable to wear a

beanie or bala-

clava beneath the

helmet. The major

aw o this helmet

is the build up o

moisture inside.

The vents provided

are not sufcient

and hence the visor

ogs up on cold and

rainy days. Luckily

the visor has adjust-

able steps and

you can ride with

the visor slightly

open. Available in

solid colours like

Matt Black, Canary

Yellow, Pearl White

and also in some

snazzy graphic

designs these

helmets are manu-

actured in Indiaby Forma Sports in

the Rs 2000 2500

band, which is quite

aordable. Some

stockists also keep

Moto GP (Rossi)

replica imported

AGV helmets which

are similar in dimen-

sions but priced

at least 10 times

higher than the

AGVs manuac-

tured in India

CAMELBAK HYDROPAK

AGV FVS HELMET

Dateline: Dubait D ry ed esss kk ds sm y k c5 m

tHe dubai rOyal enfield

enthusiasts initially started o with

ortnightly rides but with time have

started doing regular weekly rides

on Fridays. A total o 32 Royal

Enfeld motorcycles were sold in

Dubai itsel in a short time and 28

people joined in as members o the

riding group. On every Wednesday

we send ride invites to all riders by

email that has the ride route, map,

expected ride distance, time, terrain

and the lead riders name. Rajan

and I lead our rides and we always

have a support SUV with water, sotdrinks, snacks and mechanic.

We open our showroom on

Friday morning around 5.30 am. We

start rom our showroom around

6 am. (Due to ast approaching

summer, we will start at 5.30 rom

mid May onwards). The lead rider

explains the route again beore the

ride and explains group ride rules.

We stop ew places or photo stops

and coee.

The ride usually takes us through

some back country roads, mountain

roads, roads along the desert and

ew o-road mountain and wadi (dry

river bed) tracks. Our longest ride is

around 400 km and shortest ride is

around 200 km. We are planning or

ew two-day rides during next riding

season (October to March).

We ormed an online group

Royal Enfeld Owners club o

Middle East and Arica on Face-

book (www.acebook.com/#!/group.

php?gid=198654472533&re=ts)

where you can fnd some o the ride

photos. I you want I can send some

more photos.

We shall continue to ride even

during peak summer also. Perhaps

we just might start the ride earlier

and ride or a relatively shorter

distance.

nelsOn suresH Kumar

lOVe at first siGHt this is

probably an overused term when

describing a very desirable set o

wheels. But I have to

repeat this here see-

ing the Classic at the

Bike Show recently

was a case o love at

frst sight or me. The

subsequent demo ride

a couple o days later

was a mere ormality.

A couple o days, a pre-

mature ICICI retirement

plan and an overwhelm-

ing sense o nostalgia later, and I

became the proud owner o a 2010

Royal Enfeld Classic 500!

Im not (yet!) a very hands-on

technical guy. I know as much

about the insides o a motorcycle

as George W. Bush knew about

running a country. Its thereore

very reassuring or me that I can

count on the support rom the local

dealer. Nelson and his team are

stars. Knowing that my C5 is in the

saest hands with them allows me

the luxury o tinkering with bits and

bobs on the bike. As always, a bike

is never ever completely done and

thats the way it is with my C5. its

always a work-in-progress beauty.

On the road, its been less than 3

months since Ive got my

though weve ridden on m

sions, Im always looking

my next ride out with the

Ive always had a lot o un

with the Bullet boys I gu

has to do with the eort N

his team take in planning i

ing routes every week. Eq

importantly, making arrang

or rereshments and brea

sight in our rear-view mirro

now amiliar Pajero with s

mechanics and a bunch o

makes us a pampered lot

One could get used to this

I could go on, but theres s

more rides to come, so m

un to have, so many mor

eat while grinning ear-to-e

riy


8/17

hiMalayaN OdySSEy 2hiMalayaN OdySSEy 2010

he pursuit of happiness is the chase of a

fetime. The sheer pleasure of discovering

eself while surmounting the challenges

perilous terrain is a tribute to the to-

therness, the attit ude and the bond that

motorcycle can create amongst total

rangers.- SACHINCHAVAN, LEADRIDER,

MALAYANODYSSEY, 2010

It is this happiness that a bunch of

riders set out to pursue early morn-

ing on 19 June, 2010 from India

Gate, New Delhi, as the seventh

edition of the Himalayan Odyssey

as agged off by RL Ravichandran, CEO,

oyal Eneld Motorcycles. This edition ofe Himalayan Odyssey charted a slightly

fferent course and extended the def-

ition of arduous adventure rid-

g. Going beyond Khardung La

to Nubra valley and exploring

rgin territory, this annual ride

ganized by Royal Eneld deliv-

ed incomparable excitement to

its 60 participants. The addition

the new route this year meant

ditional preparation, physical

well as mental, to tackle the un-

known and undiscovered. It also required

a little extra determination and grit from

everyone to be prepared to tackle this ter-

ritory earlier not known to the Himalayan

Odyssey. Pre-ride preparations also meant

higher levels of physical tness, which was

veried by a physical tness test conducted

by Royal Eneld for all participants. Run-

ning 5 km and doing 50 push-ups certi ed

all of them to be having the basic tness to

tackle the harsh terrain and the difcult

climate. The youngest member of this en-

tourage was all of 22, while the oldest was

nearly touching 60, an open testimony to

the fact that where there is a will, there is

a way. En route, medical help forthe bikers

and mechanical help for their machines

was always on-hand 24/7 in the form of

a doctor who was also riding along and a

couple of support vehicles carrying me-

chanics and spares.

The ag-off ceremony began with the

chants of morning ragas, a rose-and-tilak

ceremony for all the bikers by children be-

fore the the riders moved out in two-by-two

formation, the thump of their bikes accom-

panied by the high notes of the classical

crescendo. After the ag-off and an escort

till the outskirts of Delhi, the group of bik-

ers stopped for their rst break at the Ra soi

Dhaba for parathas and meeting up with a

special rider who had participatedin the earlier Odyssey. They imme-

diately set off again making good

speed as they rolled into Chandi-

garh by mid-day and settled into

their hotel. The summer heat took

a toll on the riders as well as the

machines but in true Himalayan

Odyssey spirit it was all attend-

ed to and the next day everyone

was ready to hit the hills.

The 2nd day saw the riders

move from the plains to the

foothills of the Himalayas. Erratic tour-

ist trafc and haphazardly driven trucks

on the winding mountain roads couldnt

prove to be any deterrent to this bunch of

enthusiastic bikers who reached Manali in

good time. It was here in Manali that some

of the participants caught a glimpse of

snow-laden peaks for the rst time.

The 3rd day the ride up from Manali to

Keylong was a little strenuous for the new-

bies as it crossed the rst mountain pass in

the routeRohtang La, 13,051 feet high.

The ride up Rohtang was made more dif-

cult by sporadic drizzles of rain as well

as a few at ty res as the bikes encountered

rough roads for the rst time. Rohtang it-self was suffering from chock-a-bloc traf-

c due to the overow of tourists but the

Royal Eneld machines made good use of

their power and torque to coast up steep

slopes and wiggle through narrow places

before the descent i nto Khoksar for lunch

and rider registration at the police check-

post. Keylong saw half the group stay in

a hotel while the other half stayed in huts

alongside a monastery that has an exhila-

rating valley view of the conuence of the

Chandra and Bhaga rivers coming together

to form the Chenab. Keylong was the place

by which most of the riders as well as bikes

had their rst set of repairs done on them

and the terrain now onwards as well as the

climate was going to be tough. It was here,

at Tandi, that we had the last fuel pump be -

fore Leh, a long 356 km ahead.

On the 4th day we moved on from Key-

long towards Sarchu as we asce

to the notorious Barlacha La pa

altitude of 16,500 feet, which

been cleared for traf c and still h

piled up 10 to 15 feet on both sid

road. The narrow road did have

of trafc jams but for our motorc

gap was big enough to squeeze

TO GREaTER HEIGHTSThe seventh edition of the famed Himalayan Odyssey tested the mettle of 60 riders on their Royal Enfields as they battled the elements to ride to the roof of the world

BY PRAVEEN P SA


9/17

hiMalayaN OdySSEy 2hiMalayaN OdySSEy 2010


10/17


11/17

blaST frOM ThE paST

oyal Enfield Bullet G2, 346cc, OHV single1949/52 Royal Eneld Bullet G2 was one of the most versatile machines of its time. The 350cc engine was a torquey little number that

uld become famed for both its ability to plod on at low speeds and its willingness to romp along when called upon to do so. At its heart,0mm x 90mm bore and stroke was contained in an iron cylinder deeply spigotted (recessed) into a vertically split alloy crankca se. They cylinder head (also spigotted into the barrel) had its valves set at 90-degrees to each other and featured cast-in valve seats and a cast-park plug insert. It had an Amal carburetter, a Lucas magneto that red the engine and the sturdy 1-up, 3-down four speed Albionrbox bolted directly to the back of the engine giving a compact design. Stopping power came with 6-inch front and rear brakes. Sus-sion consisted of Eneld's own telescopic front fork (two-way damped) and, more controversially, Enelds own brand of swinging arm

me that signalled the demise of the rigid frame trials bike. And over the next decade, the Bullet, with its neat and compact rockinnrollinssis, was a common and consistently formidable force on the muddy weekend trials arena leaving most of the rest of the competition

uggling on with their increasingly dated and uncompetitive plunger or rigid chassis.

points for guessing which modern day Royal Eneld motorcycle has derived its inspiration from this brilliant traditional single .


12/17

WEaThEr gOWEaThEr gOdS

WeatheringThe Storm

this summer as I got back to my desk after a long time, I

could not escape the inevitable conversations that peo-ple have about the rising temperatures and how bad the

summer was going to be. It brought back memories of my

friend Surya some of you might have had the pleasurehis company. It wasnt unusual to have him butt into a weather

nversation and say there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad

othing. It generally put an end to the conversation about weather. Ispect he stole this line from the SAS survival manual that he carried

ith him with more respect than the Bible or the Gita.

For a motorcyclist, the weather in India does pose a huge challenge.s OK if you are riding between a narrow band of 10 to 15 degrees in

ot or cold conditions, but when your ride takes you from 5 to 35 then

u have a serious problem on your hands. And many a times thats justithin the same day. This phenomenon has led me to quite a few laughs

ver the years.

How many times have you seen guys with new jackets sweating it ourally bad cause they havent gured that there is a removable liner?

ve worn a jacket for 5000km, and then crashed, (and got hurt) 20km

ter I removed the jacket. Yup, I felt it was too hot!Removable liners are the best. If its hot, and you feel there are chanc-

of rain then you need to take a call; you can wear the removableaterproof liners and be hot throughout the day (yes, I have the best

the breathable ones but it doesnt work as advertised: ask me how I

now) or you can change when it starts to rain. Fine! So you get on theke and there is whole bunch of riders behind you. Its overcast and

u know it could start pouring any time. You mentally start checking

elter areas where you could stop and change. When a whole group ofders are riding the rst guy to stop at the slightest sign of rain is gen-

ally considered a wimp. And most of the times as soon as the riders

e all geared up the clouds disappear and the sun comes out to test theeathability of your gear. Its as if you are part of a larger comedy show

When you decide not to be intimidated by the light drizzle and

ait for the real downpour you cant nd any shelter like the ones youassed there is simply either no cover, or there are too many people for

u to have room enough to strip and put the waterproof liners in your

it. They become harder to put on under pressure and its denitely

ot helped by the fact that you are already slightly wet. When you -ally get your clothing right and start believing in Suryas dictum, you

eed to stop, either to eat or for attending a breakdown or just waitingr someone who got left behind. Most riding jackets dont have hoods

nd you cant take off the helmet for the fear of getting your head wet.

o there you are being comfortably rain protected, saving your headith the helmet. Not really a great feeling!

This is just the rain but both cold a nd heat also pose its unique prob-

ms! Do tell me how you guys actually deal with the weather when rid-g. Right now the ceiling fan on my head feels like its an exhaust fan

nd I am denitely on the wrong side of it. I silently wish that the guys

ho designed our ofce uniforms had spent more time with Surya.- sachinchavan

heaDline For thiSi s sy

photograph byharshman rai


13/17

ridEr prOfONliNE

EBSITE: The Royal Eneld website

ww.royaleneld.com has been in exist-

ce for quite some time and over time has

en getting richer and richer delivering a

hole new set of features and interesting

nks for the Royal Eneld enthusiast. In

ct by the time the next issue of The Beat

mes out next quarter the website would

ave undergone a sea change in terms of

ok and feel as well as functionality and

atures associated with it. One of the

ain features in terms of content are the

ogs we are writing on the website.

ogs on the Website: A lot of corporates

ave started a new trend of publishing the

oughts and experiences of key stakehold-

s as part of their corporate blogs. The

ogs on our website are cu rrently penned

Sachin Chavan, Santhosh and Dr Venki

admanabhan and give an outline of gen-

al industry trends, life at Royal Eneld

d the riding lifestyle in general. This blog,

sides being informative, also doubles up

an interesting read, humour included as

is a reection of ones individual amuse-

ent with several things in life.

Do read these blogs at the following link:

.yd.m/re_/dx.s

Feel free to put down your views as com-

ments on the blog. We look forward to

hearing what you feel about them

FACEBOOK: Royal Eneld Motorcycles

is active on Facebook and has already es-

tablished contact with over 2500 people

over the social media network. This plat-

form is currently being used to reach out to

the enthusiasts and keep them updated on

the various developments happening either

in terms of products or events. One such

instance was the regular updates on the

progress and adventures of the riders dur-

ing the Himalayan Odyssey 2010. Regular

updates not only helped family and f riends

keep track of the progress of the riders but

after the Odyssey was over it turned into

a discussion forum with nearly 50 of the

riders uploading their photographs and

sharing them on each others walls and

commenting on the same. The discussions

kept the memories alive and actually most

of the participants felt as if they never got

off the Himalayas.

The Facebook Prole can be accessed at:

.fk.m/m.?#!/.

?d=100000958202582&=f&f=s

The Facebook group from Royal Eneldis called the Royal Eneld Discoverers

where we encourage people to dene and

enjoy that one moment of discovery where

they nd new places, people, adventures, or

simply rediscover themselves while riding

on their Royal Eneld motorcycles. This

group is a platform for discussions and also

has breaking news, event notications and

image libraries (photo galleries) shared by

all the members of the group. The Royal

Eneld Discoverers also shall serve as a

platform for Royal Eneld enthusiasts ac-

tive on Facebook to receive notications

about events as well as other updates with

reference to Royal Eneld products and

services.

The Royal Eneld Discoverers on

Facebook can be accessed at: .

f k . m / m . ? # ! / .

?d=110631395635463

reS webworlD

m ry eds s d d md ss d mmy

Hey guys, my name is Mark

V Shullai and I am 29

years old. I was born and

brought up in Meghalaya

also known as the Scot-

land of the East, a part of the 7 sister states

in the North East. I was always fascinated

by the Royal Eneld Bullet. I got my rst

350 cast iron engined Royal Eneld in the

year 2000. Now I have got a Thunderbird

AVL 350, fully loaded 2007 model which

I usually take on all my rides as well as a

1975 model STD 350 CI. My relationship

with the Royal Eneld grew stronger lis-

tening to my fathers stories about this

motorcycle which he use to own. In spite

of all the problems the older model gives

those days, I still cannot think of riding

anything else. Ive always wanted to go on

long rides on my motorcycle. I had heard

a lot about a Bullet club in

my town, named RERAM

(Royal Eneld Riders As-

sociation of Meghalaya),

I have always wanted to

join the club and today I

am a proud member of

RERAM thanks guys

for the brotherhood!

The various rides that

I have ridden to are:

Rider Mania 2009 in

Ooty, which was great

fun, met most of the riders from different

places who participated. It feels so good to

have a lot of motorcyclist around.

Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, I had a

lot of fun riding there, the terrain was chal-

lenging with a lot of slush, landslides, rains

and not forgetting the cold temperature at

Sela Pass, which is at an altitude of 13700

ft ASL, where I was all drenched, ngers

numb, but it was simply awesome. Went

for a ride ahead of Tawang to a lake named

Shungetsar which is also known as Mad-

huri lake which freezes 5 to 6 inches on the

surface during the winters. While riding

to this lake, I had to cross an altitude of

14615ft ASL. It was great fun!

The club has organized a lot of social

activities like riding for AIDS Awareness,

Disaster Management, Christmas carol-

ling and other activities

in which I always take

part.

I am obsessed with off-

roading and always love to

ride just to test myself and

bond more with my mo-

torcycle, because I have to

understand how it handles

and how I should handle it.

When I take my bike t o the m

for repairing, I always like to sit

watching what he does, because I

learn how to do it myself. So, th

tinker with my bike a lot on my

cause that will help a lot when

long rides to places where ther

mechanics or a sudden breakdow

middle of nowhere, be it my bik

friends. I for one feel

since it is through m

Eneld that I hav

more friends from

India and abroad e

from the biking coand this has taught

about the other

and religion of

states and countri

in turn has give

feeling of self sat

condence, toler

it has changed

ception on how I feel about people

other parts of India and the worl

a member of a riding club I have b

to ride my bike to places in Megha

the North East where an ordina

ist would not have seen, in fact t

places in my own State which I ha

heard of and never seen, places w

so beautiful that I would have regr

seeing if not for my loyal iron steed

maraderie and the bond within t

of the biking community is so str

sometime I feel that we are broth

feeling like that will transform its

very long lasting friendship whic

hard to break. The best part of th

when I am done for the day and sit

the other riders over a drink which

the fun begins, sometimes it is pul

others legs and there are other tim

one of us strums on the gu itar and

sions begin, but the worst time i

get up the next morning and loa

bike at times I wish I c an ride wit

headache of re-loading my saddle

just RIDE ON

eaStern enthuSiaStMk S fm My s s d sy s ry eds

IF ANYONE WOULD WANT TO S

THEIR RIDING LIFE STORY THEY C

EMAIL ppsathaye@royalenfield


14/17

kEEp ridkEEp ridiNg

T

he Keep Riding Campaign

was start ed off by Royal En-

eld to ensure more and more

Royal Eneld owners actually

went out for leisure rides and

us be part of the leisure motorcyclinglture that we are strongly supporting. In

her words it was to encourage t he owners

do what the Royal Eneld was meant to

and do it on a regular basis. Be ridden

ross vast terrain and taken out. This was

imarily done to guide the enthusiasts

a regional level as many of them dont

ave access or the resources to undertake

y of the national level long rides we or-

nize. Many of these enthusiasts are not

le to get themselves accommodated on

e National rides purely due to limited

number of seats also as most of these r ides

happen far off from their hometowns thus

making it difcult for them to participate.

They would denitely be up for it had it

been somewhere close to home and it is

here where the regions play an importantroles in conceptualizing as well as organ-

izing these regional rides. Under this cam-

paign the regional riders from Royal En-

eld would organize a short ride preferably

over a weekend and would lead the owners

who join in to enjoy the ride and encourage

them to have more such rides on their own

too. These regional rides are spearheaded

by our ride champions who motivate the

customers to take up leisure riding and to

take to it seriously.

Recently in April a Riders training pro-

gram for Royal Eneld staff was also organ-

ized to support this campaign where in Rid-

ers from all regions came down to Chennai

for this program and were taught the ner

things about riding. The rst half of the day

was training time at the race track wherebasic motorcycling skills focussing on brak-

ing, acceleration and negotiating curves on

tarmac was taught to the riders through

guided sessions and practice runs around

the track. The second half at the track

helped everyone perfect the skills they had

learnt on the track earlier in the day and

demonstrate some good riding skills.

The next day it was time to put these

skills to test when all the riders set out to

Yercaud for a tour. Basic touring skills and

road riding skills in the rea l world of high-

ways, ghats, off road patches and trafc

were put to test during this ride as we all setout from Chennai on the highway towards

Yercaud. Driving through some rural parts

of Tamil Nadu through sweltering heat did

take some toll on the r iders but then it de-

nitely was an experience worth cherishing.

At the hotel in Yercaud basic bike assem-

bling as well as disassembling skills were

put to test where one team of riders was

asked to disassemble a bike while it was

the rival teams job to reassemble the bike

in the same amount of time and render it

ride-able. The ride homewards was acc om-

panied by thundershowers which tested the

all weather capability of the riders. Overalla well spent the 2-day period learning and

verifying skills for riding on the highway.

Once the riding and basic bike mainte-

nance part was done what remained was to

train these riders in rst aid and safety lest

on one of the rides something unfortunate

happened and they would have to take any

medical action. A basic rst aid and ac-

cident relief course was organised which

across 2 days taught about the various

types of hazards and injuries a s well as the

basic life saving techniques used to rescue

or treat people in such a mishap

basic rst aid and bandaging etc t

also taught CPR which in today

can make a life and death differe

injured or unconscious rider. Th

earned them a certicate in life sa

rst aid at the end of the program

After spending a good week

trained in Chennai the regional rid

back smarter and shar per and we

putting in their effort for the kee

campaign by organizing more a

rides for the Royal Eneld owner

thusiasts from their region. Today

riding campaign has become a s

movement across the country whappening every month across al

with some rides actually having a

ance of about 70-odd bikes across

ent locations converging on a sing

Raising the bar a step fu rther we

seen 3-day rides covering over 1

with a signicant number of en

turning up, thus bearing testimo

fact that we have been successful

cating the riding spirit in the Roya

owner and making him an true b

enthusiast.

riDing the roYal enFielD waYy eds K rd m sks m s my idy mms f ry eds ds d sfy, dks, my m d my s-d


15/17

ON ThE rOad dEal


16/17

brOThErhO

R

oyal Indians Eneld Own-

ers Club is a National plat-

form for all bull heads op-

erating out of Indias own

Silicon Valley Bangalore.

all started when I, Biswaroop (aka BB),mruti and Heiner all three unknown fac-

who met on Royal Eneld Rider Wants

der section, set out on an unplanned

ad trip to Ooty via Mudumalai Forest

om Bangalore and named the ride Jungle

hump. Destination was xed, road un-

nown, no xed accommodation, but one

ing in common To Ride and Explore!

he journey of 750 km led us through some

eautiful reserve forests, steep ghat sec-

ons, extreme off-road riding and tented

commodation with no basic facilities,

with on and off sighting of deer, wild el-

ephants and some spine-chilling wild calls

of animals in the dead of night, as if they

were discussing arrival of two-wheeled

intruders. The experience of 2 nights and

3 days of riding and being in the wild was

captured in the form of a Trip Log in one of

the leading motorcycle magazines of India.

This experience lead us to believe that we

want to come back to mother nature more

often and discover the wild side of riding,

and share the experience with more likeminded riders.

The next ten days at ofce after our re-

turn, were engaged in guring out a name

for the Club that had got formed on this

ride and its logo; the clear thought was to

have a very close resemblance to the Royal

Eneld heritage. Finally the name and logo

got shape in the form of Royal Indians En-

eld Owners Club, not specic to any city

since we wanted this to be a platform for

like-minded riders spread across the coun-

try to form their own city groups by the

same name and share the same passion.

A few months later we announced a ride

to Kemmangundi hills from Bangalore

on 15th Aug, 2009 and the Independence

Ride was attended by a group of 10 riders

from Bangalore. The wheels for RIEOC

started rolling and has gathered momen-

tum quite fast since then. The Facebook

community group was formed immedi-

ately after, followed by Orkut Community

group and we announced our presence on

a website, which triggered riders from dif-

ferent cities to join the club. A chain reac-

tion started and city moderators were ap-

pointed in Lucknow, Delhi, Kolkata, Chen-

nai, Mumbai, Pune, Goa and Bangalore.

Today RIEOC emerged as a serious busi-

ness albeit with no intention of generating

money, but to ensure that Club guidelines

and rules are followed by all City modera-

tors, every group ride is monitored by Road

Captains appointed by Moderators in their

City. Riding now became more like a cul-

ture and safe riding became the most im-

portant ride rule. A core team of 5 RIEOCmembers across cities kept monitoring City

activities and were also responsible for en-

couraging people to take up more rides for

fun and submit trip stories for others to do

a virtual ride.

While RIEOC members would take

up weekend rides across Cities regularly,

someone pointed to a USA-based biking

website which encourages riders to take

up the Worlds Most Challenging ride

The IBA Saddle Sore 16K. Preparations

started immediately, interested riders got

themselves busy in discussing the routes,

difculties, expenses, planning and nally

the day came when 12 RIEOC members

emerged on the most painstaking and

challenging journey to cover 1600 km in

less than 24 hours. Kanwardeep Dhali-

wal (aka KD) from Royal Eneld arranged

for necessary technical support en route,

the back-end support team from a chosen

few RIEOC members kept the thump up

by monitoring the riders location on GPS

and the continuous interaction with rid-

ers were updated on Twitter to keep the

followers informed. The event ended with

some minor technical snags but the mis-

sion was successful, and RIEOC as a group

completed saddle Sore 16K.

While the main intention of RIEOC was

always to encourage riders to hit the road

more often under safe riding conditions,

very soon a talent hunt began am

isting members in January 2010

our new home www.royalind

and the results were unbelievabl

took the initiative and with cons

genuine feedback from Shiv, Aru

and other members, our new hom

royalindians.com was launched

March, 2010. From its inception

2009 till today, RIEOC has more

members across India, many of w

enjoy being virtual members on t

book fan pages and the remaini

the smell of burning rubber on

stretched roads. The members o

are a mixed breed of newbies to

let world, pro riders, seasoned roa

and some expert bullet technician

passion remains one-the Royal En

contributedbytheroyalind

raging bullS ry ids ed os c s m -d ss ry eds, fm s s, d d x


17/17

Royal Enfield the BEAT July 2010

Documents

Transcript of Royal Enfield the BEAT July 2010