(Translation of Bala's write-up in Fast Track - Malayalam Car& Bike monthly Dec 2007)
Prologue:
Hi Bala, Translation was a bit difficult. I'm sure that this doesn't do 100% justice to the your write-up. But I have done my best not to lose the essence of the original article.
A bullet to the Himalayas
The Royal Enfield Bullet cruises at 80kph. There is a sharp turn to right. One side is a steep gorge thousands of feet deep and the other side, ice glaciers waiting to fall onto the road anytime. Keeping to the left hand side, footrest almost touching the road, taken a lean angle and what waits there after the curve is a water fall from the glaciers. It's a 50m wide water crossing. No time to get confused. In no time the gear is down from 5th to 2nd ; crossed the stream 2 feet deep , splashing water on either side...
This is one of the many adventurous moments from the bullet ride through the Himalayas. The ride was with a group of adventurous people.
Royal Enfield has been organizing this adventure bike ride called Himalayan Odyssey every year from 2004 and this year I too was a part of it. Trivandurm to Delhi by train… but not alone; my KL01 AM 245 bullet too. From Delhi to Khardungla via Chandigarh, Manali, Kaylong and Leh. From Khardungla the route taken was Manali- Mandi- Dharmashala and reached Wagah boarder in Amritsar; turned off the engine, flicked the side stand with left foot… the odometer has run 2300km in two weeks.
The Himalayan Odyssey (HO) starts every year on 24th of June. This year there were 55 participants gathered at the New Delhi International Youth Center. Kashmiri to Mallu, College students to DGP, 20 year olds to big boys in their 50s… people from different cultures, status and age group were present. Amount them were 6 mallus who speak pure mal and 3 half mallus from Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi.
Adjusting the short tight T-shirt quite often and exhibiting the balloon biceps, Hollywood star Sunil Shetty flagged off the ride from Delhi in the morning on Jun 24th.
The climate is extremely hot, we rode between the speeding trucks and buses to Chandigarh covering Karnal, Panipath, Kurukshetra and Ambala. The road is NH1 which is called as GT (Grand trunk)
Today, when I look back, I feel that the first day's ride was the most dangerous one. Chandigarh to Manali road is very beautiful. Leaving the wheat fields behind the road enters the footsteps of Himalayas- the Shivalik ranges… and nature has already transformed herself into a beautiful Himalayan Girl. Crossing Bhilaspur and Mandi, when we reach Kulu we are at the Himalayan ranges. Now we have a lady escort till Manali- the river Biyas.
Whether you like Manali or not depends on your personal taste. Further on from Manali is Rohtang pass- an average tourist ends his Himalayan journey there. They just get themselves satisfied with a walk through the narrow Manali streets, shopping from those looters there, bath at the hot streams of Vasishti, a journey till Rohteng pass to see the snow and have a ride on the yak or snow scooter. The journey ends there.
Rohtang is 1300 feet from sea level. Need to open the airscrew half a turn for the bike to breath well. Here on oxygen is less and climb is more.
It's not easy to ride through the Himalayas just because you need to be physically fit. One needs to be mentally prepared too. Also the bike too has to be in the very best condition. Need to carry spares like cables, tube, oil, bulbs etc. – parts most likely to go kaput. A good helmet that will never irritate you, a sunglass inside it, Jacket, gloves, boots etc. for protection from the cold and wind are some essential gadgets for a Himalayan rider. Also knee and shin protectors are needed. The rest of it- things what we normally take with us when go for a ride.
If you are someone like me in the 50s, better take a back support belt and some karpooradi tailam. Leave those youngsters who hesitantly ask 'Uncle, can I have a little of that oil please'.
Kaylong is 85km from Rohtang. Through the Lahaul valley and the banks or river Chandra- the barren land.
Chandra River at a distance, beautiful girl, seemingly still, unaffected by climatic changes, covered with a gray blanket, flows silent turning her face away from you.
8km before Keylong, You could see something that you may not be able to see anywhere in the workd- A board that says 'next filling station 356km ahead'. This is Thindi village. Here river Pamba joins Chandra and becomes river Penab.
Kaylong is a beautiful Himalayan girl who could probably be a victim to tourism; she could probably be ruined in the next five years or so. It's a small valley at the banks of river Bhaga, few houses here and there and step farming everywhere. Though a district headquarters, Kaylong is a small village.
Water crossings start in the Rohtang- Kaylong route. It's just a beginning; Lots to come on the way ahead… but, no issues with those other than icy cold water splashed from toe to chest.
By the time you reach Sarchu for the next day's halt, everyone would be suffering from AMS (Acute mountain sickness). Headache, giddiness and sleeplessness are the symptoms. Drink more water and reduce the usage of alcohol and cigarette; nothing much can be done until the body gets used to the lack of oxygen .
We need to cross Barachala (Known as killer pass) which is at 4892 meters from sea level to reach Sarchu. Staying at the pass for long is dangerous. Sarchu is like a wide passage. The road ahead stretches without end- mountains on either side stand like a gallery. You are the only riders of this road except few local shepherds and their sheep packs.
Stay at Sarchu is in tents. Though rent is high, there is no other alternative in this desert. Leh is approximately 250km from Sarchu. It's possible to cover this in one day, but better go slow. Only then will you be able to enjoy the beauty of Ladakh.
Sarchu - Leh road promises the most thrilling ride of this journey. Gattalups, Nakila and Lachungla stretches are like roads to heaven. By the time these are covered, both the bike and the rider would become dead tired. Next obstacle is the most challenging Moray plains. At some places the roads doesn't exist at all and we need to ride through sand for kilometers. Falling is fun and reaching the other side without a fall is super success.
It's when you think that the thrilling part is over; you reach the world's second highest pass after Khardungla– Tanglangla. Weather is too cold and it's too difficult to get breath… There 350ccs struggled to catch up with their big brother 500ccs.
World's highest airport is here crowded with foreigners who start their Himalayan expedition from there. There is one more road to reach Leh; Srinagar- Sogilo – Kargil route. That is comparatively the easiest one. But due to militant issues restrictions and risk too is high.
Good old tradition is seen challenged in Leh. Military and Tourism now rule the city.
There are many traditional monuments for visitors to see and explore in Leh and surrounding areas. Shay Palace, Lamayurugompa, Stock Palace, Alpi gompa and the Buddhist monasteries at Thikse and Hemis are the important ones. The Pangongso Lake 154km away is another attraction.
Khardungla is 42km from Leh. Not just India's, but it's the worlds peak of adventure motorcycling. Though Khardungla is the world's highest motorable road on earth, some believe that Marsmikla is higher than Khardungla. But very few are able to make it to there. The road to Khardungla is a very steep climb. But compared to the roads that've already been covered, this is fine.
It was snowing continuously in Khardungla. Being there with friends is satisfaction beyond words. Reaching here riding my own bike, spending thousands and overcoming lots of difficulties and obstacles, gave life's most precious moments.
If all the wishes and dreams come true in life, how would that be? There should be some left unfulfilled which will be the fuel for the rest of our life. There was a similar situation in this ride too. Initial plan was to return to Amritsar via the Sach pass and Champa which hasn't been attempted by anyone before. But an unexpected landslide ruined that plan. For one day we stayed at Udaipur on the banks of river Chenab, and then headed to Dharmashala via Mandi and from there to Amritsar via Pathankot. In the evening I left the Wagah boarder after 'beating the retreat' of course with my heart full of satisfaction.
What we gain from journeys is knowledge- about our mother earth who gave us birth and brings up all of us- and of course about ourselves. Love for nature and us makes our lives bright.
-Balachandran V
The author who did this adventurer ride to Himalayas is an employee of Punjab National Bank.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
A bullet to the Himalayas
Saturday, April 21, 2007
BULLET crazy BOYS
On public demand... translation of the article came published in Vanitha (April 15-30, 2007 edition) about "Silver bullets"...
Bullet Crazy Boys
Every Sunday, the growl of bullets is heard at Kavadiar Palace. This is a rare union/brotherhood.
Phut... Phut... Phut...
Every Sunday 6:00pm onwords this sound echoes at the Kavadiar Palace premises. They are reaching one by one. They are guys who deeply love the motor bike called Bullet, guys who have taken the bullet thump as their heart beat. They lined up their bikes under a tree and wished each other.
"Hay, when did you replace this tail light?" some are gathered around Anil's bike checking the new light.
Varghese George explains about the newly fitted silencer.
All eyes are on the bullets parked in a line. In between some pamper their own bikes with a glance, as though whispering the bikes, 'my dear, I haven't forgotten you'. All these guys belong to the bullet club called 'Silver Bullets'. "A club for a particular vehicle and get together like... May be this is the first of its kind in Kerala." says Jaygopan Gopinathan, moderator of Silver Bulelt who is a system administrator in Envest Net.
It was in 2002 October, Mr. Kannan Sivasankaran from Thiruvananthapurm, a bullet lover, created a yahoo group called 'Trivandrum Riders'. Kannan aimed to group the Bullet lovers of Trivandrum . In an amazing response, majestic bulleteers raced to the group. "What an excitement they all had! Everyone shared their bullet ride stories in the group. If someone says he wants to sell his bullet, even if it's a joke, others would scold him... how could you..."
Babu Thariq (Business Analyst in Nest), Anil Kumar K (V P Engineering), V S Subodh (CDAC), Varghese George (Software Specialist), C N Sreejith (Visual Graphic), Praveen Kumar (TATA Aig), Gopu Krishnan (Medical Student)...
Trivandrum Riders ride their way in the net.
New Idea in the Anniversary meet
Group's second anniversary, members gathered at the Kavadiar Palace. An idea came out from someone. Why doesn’t the group meet up every week? Why can’t we go for group rides on our beloved bullets?
They started observing the activities of foreign clubs and got in touch with clubs in Bangalore and Chennai through Internet. The yahoo group has been transformed into the bullet club 'silver bullets' within no time. The strength of the club now has reached 101. They have even started a website for the club
www.silver-bullets.org
The members range from 23 yrs old medical student Gopu Krishnan to 54 yrs old Canara bank employee G B Sharma.
Now all are passionate about the long rides on Sundays and other holidays. They ride like migratory birds. There will be one lead rider at front and one tail rider at the rear. Never count them with the crazy bikers who are always nuisance to the public. Silver bullets strictly adhere to the traffic rules. "No ride without helmet, no over speeding".
Will go Himalayas too
Bullet came to India 50 years ago. At the time of British the bike production was mainly for military purpose. Now, Bullets are being exported to different parts of the world only from the plant in Chennai.
What pleasure does this 350cc rough machine give you on rides?
"There are many who go to Himalayas on Bullets. Last October we rode to Goa", says Sreejith.
If possible they are ready to take the role of a savior on roads. Once after a ride, on reaching Eranakulam, the group spotted a car with no head lights. It is heading to Trivandrum with a patient in critical condition. Silver bullets took over the situation. Two bullets in front of the car and two at the rear, they escorted the patient safely till Trivandrum.
Almost every one at Silver bullets is a mechanic of their bikes. If a broken down bullet is found on road, help is guaranteed. Even there was an incident of money being offered by somebody after the repair, thinking that he is a company mechanic.
Sreejith, Subodh, praveen and all ride a lot on this vehicle with family. "Though my company offers vehicle for official trips, I use my bullet only", says Suboth. "After marriage my wife used to ride with me on Bullet. Now, even my son is as bullet crazy as I am. Some of my relatives exclaim- how come this kid became like this."
Considering the fact that there happen around 5-10 two wheeler accidents per hour in Kerala, is it safe to do long rides on two wheelers....
Bulleteers intervened and red signaled that remark.
"Here who respect drivers on road? When the rule says, overtaking has to be only with the consent of the driver at front, here the style is to honk, scare the drivers and overtake."
Silver bullets discusses and evaluates each accident happening in the city.
The talk has again been diverted to 'bullets'. Some say, it's an unacceptable thing RE has done by reducing the weight of the engine to make the bike more popular.
"Will ladies like the article if published in Vanitha", some one got a genuine doubt.
Sun is down. It's time for them to disperse. The 'fuel of friendship' all have tanked up with is enough for them to run another week.
---
Seena Tony Jose
Photo: Judin Barnard
Monday, April 16, 2007
A Beautiful Beast
On Two wheels
Owning a ride on two wheels has always fascinated me. RX100 was my first love. It was painful for me to sell her to one of my friends after I owned the Bullet. Again I felt the pain when I heard that the machine got stolen from him.
The real fun of ride is on two wheels and if that is an Enfield Bullet. I think this legend deserves nothing other than pure respect. People have different views on riding and different bikes; it varies from the necessity of transportation to the mere fun of feeling the bike and having a joy ride. Anyway I have my own views.
A little bit about my ride
It’s one of my friends who sowed the seed of bullet in my mind. Long live Danny :)
Though I liked the legend, I never knew that I’ll become so obsessed with it. My std 350cc Bull runs great. Ignition has been upgraded to CDI and is fitted with a thunderbird’s sleek seat and a higher handle bar. Rest is stock. She’s never let a scratch fall on me or her, never felt this 170kg beast hard to handle. Rather she is an obedient cat. Have a look at my ride. She is THE most 'beautiful beast'.
Why Enfield Bullet?
No machine is bad. There are machines built for different situations, each made to give its best in its own arena. The point is to find out which class belongs to you. That is a task that requires lots of thoughts. It took a while to find out I belong to the Bullet class. In other words it’s a result of few myth bursting.
The myths
There is a preconception that a Bulleteer sacrifice a lot to stay with Bullet.
(1)Low mileage, (2) left side break and right side gear shifts, (3) High maintenance- cost and frequency, (4) oil leaks, (5) uneasiness to handle it in traffic and city driving conditions, (6) Low initial pickup, (7) Stiff ride- might break your back borne, (8) Poor breaking, (9) kick backs, (10) highly priced…….
The list is endless. Anyway I found some time to think about the above mentioned criticisms just to burst these myths. I thought it worth spending time for that coz… Because it is obvious that without a reason this machine wouldn’t have lived in the hearts of thousands for decades.
Bursts
Thousands still ride their age old legends. No one wants to carry a burden and spend time for something which is a junk.
(1) Mileage:
A decent rider gets 35-40 km from an 18bhp powerhouse. Is that bad?
The new generation AVL engine offers much more than that, though I don’t like AVL much for some specific reasons; may be I can explain it later. I’m sure no one compares bullet with a use and throw new generation 100kpl bike. Intention is not mere transportation. If that's the case, a moped will do the job.
(2) Left side break and right side gear shifts
If one finds it hard to get used to this system, better keep away from bullet. I’ve heard a funny quote from a bulleter. “A bulleteer is not supposed to ride other bikes and vice versa, that’s the reason for left side brakes and right side gear system”…. Never mind... :)
(3) High maintenance- cost and frequency
I know people who like to spend time with the machine and mechanics with unnecessary tune ups and touch ups here and there. I’ve never felt that bullet is a frequent mechanic visitor. That is my personal experience. I’ve never done anything other that what I used to do on my old RX100- only the routine maintenance. If you ride with respect, it will never give a trouble. Give respect and take respect. I don’t believe that the so called niggling problems really exist.
Two exceptions…
(a) Hard core riders who live to ride and ride to live.
(b) Owners of very old machines. When the machine is 20 or 30 or more years old, yes, it definitely is an exception
(4) Oil leaks
This can be linked with the above mentioned points.
(5) Uneasiness to handle it in traffic and city driving conditions
Bullet is for people who know riding or atleast for those who have the heart to learn it. If you have just rode bullet once or twice and wish to ask “how the hell do u handle this in traffic”, sorry I can't answer. Believe me it is easy as a knife through butter.
(6) Low initial pickup
Bullet is not a sprinter.
No comparison between a cheetah and a horse.
No comparison between a 100m sprinter and a marathon runner.
(7) Stiff ride
You decide if you want a stiff ride or a smooth ride.
Most of the bulleters comment that the ride on bullet is more comfortable.
Anyway, honestly I’ve found the bullet a little stiff, especially the back shock absorbers. There definitely is an alternative. That is, to fix a pair of new generation gas shock absorbers. Issue solved.
(8) Poor Breaking
Not satisfied with the breaking? There is disk break available. Solid, it is.
(9) Kick backs
Hmm… The art of doing decompression is very simple if it’s a point timer system.
Anyway you will learn that it’s important to keep your feet (?!) healthy to withstand a stroke. Keep working out :)
Not satisfied? Go for electric start, there is option to upgrade to electric start.
(Can we call it kick back? Anyway you’ve got what I meant.)
(10) Highly priced
No comments…
Anyway, old ones are pretty cheap, I haven’t seen a hard core bulleteer going behind a brand new one. Most of the new models, I feel, are for pulling customers from the small bikes segment. Business side, I’m least concerned about…
Ultimately what matters is whether you get what you want or not…
It is a fact that for decades a bulleteer gets what he wants. Or else this machine would have been history like its co-riders. It survived for a long time and it will for another… I don’t even have a guess ‘for how many more years'…
Finally (if you are a bullet lover), what if someone asks you “Why Enfield Bullet?”
For most of the bullet lovers, the most complicated question to answer…
There is an interesting answer from someone...
“What if your wife asks you for a reason to love her? It’s something difficult to answer. There are things which your heart does on which your brain doesn’t have a say.”
Emotional attachment with this machine, for some people is unexplainable. One shared the emotional attachment his father has with the bullet. He wants the machine too to be buried with him when he dies. Which other machine has this privilege?
Anyway most bullet lovers stay with it because of……….
The Feeling it gives (feeling the bike/ride is something which only a bulleter has experienced)
The Thump
The power/torque it delivers
The individuality it gives you
The stability it has on high speeds
The ability to stay strong on long rides
The cool, majestic, and mind blowing looks
….. The list goes on and on…..
I like and respect this ‘machine with history’. And I’m sure that this legend is ‘not going be history’ in anywhere near future.
Bottom line- Bullet is not a machine to move a mass ‘X’ from a point ‘A’ to the point ‘B’. It is a device to move it in style…
Wish you happy Thumping…
Ride safe.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Image of a Biker/Biker group
I always had the perception that the so called bikers are wild, indecent, difficult to get along with and live far from the human culture, far away from the mainstream. I never wanted to be a part of a riding group for this one and only reason.
Lately I decided to give it to try to see if what I have heard and believed is right or wrong. Better see it with eyes and hear with own ears that keeping prejudice, I thought. Searched the net and found out RTMC, got Bamboo’s ID from the yahoo group list and contacted him for more information. I still remember the first thing I asked him… “Is this an active group?” Only later could I find out that RTMC is one of the most popular groups in
I waited for almost 3 months for the second announce ride to happen and that led my way to the prestigious Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club.
I have noticed few things at the first club meet I attended at the Value Lanes camp at Chikenhalli. Some are fond of racing, some more interested in maintaining the machine in its utmost condition, many are photographers and all are riders. Most of them come under the category ‘travelers’. One good thing about a traveler is that he/she is comfortable with any kind of situations, surroundings and they are the most comfortable ones with diversity.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Nicking
RTMC believes in baptizing the newbie before induction to the group. This process washes away all the impurities that may happen to have in a newbie’s body and soul due to the direct contact with the outside world- a world full of polluted corpuses all around. RTMC has qualified priests to do the job.
My nicking went on like this… (still not finalised though)
From: pravin prakash
To: bullet-bangalore@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Subject: [RTMC] Bingo!
Hey just got an interesting name for Jobin George...
:)
Was sitting around and wondering why the juices were
not flowing.. kinda wierd fello :) this fellow Jo,
Mallu and all... kinda nice of him to wait for the
idea's to roll and then suddenly I was thinking
JoJo... so boring.....JobinGeorge.... and
JobinGo...and BINGO!!!
That's him!
Bingo!
:)
Spot on.... :)))
Yup, You got it.....
BINGO!
;-pp
ps: What say people???? Howzzaaat???
From: muthu suruli
To: bullet-bangalore@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Subject: Re: [RTMC] Bingo!
Just proves why you are the acclaimed high priest when it comes to baptism!!
mamada
From: suban.walia@wipro.com
To: bullet-bangalore@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Subject: RE: [RTMC] Bingo!
I firmly believe that the priest has a mallu bias. How dare he offer to give respectable names?
From: Arun Jayaprakash
To: bullet-bangalore@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Subject: Re: [RTMC] Bingo!
I was about to suggest Mojo Jojo.
From: Sukesh
To: bullet-bangalore@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Subject: Re: [RTMC] Bingo!
JoBIN GEorge... Binge :)
better than bingo
From: sanwalkam2002
To: bullet-bangalore@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Subject: [RTMC] Re: Bingo!
Hehehe,
Its awesome :P! 'Bingo!' was going mad with the thoughts that he
escaped a nickname!
No wonder people call u 'the priest'!
Cheerzz
Cam
From: Mahendra Kumar
To: bullet-bangalore@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Subject: Re: [RTMC] Bingo!
Yes i too feel the same ......
Why can't it just be JG (Jigalo Gigolo)
Peas
Mahendra
From: pravin prakash
To: bullet-bangalore@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Subject: RE: [RTMC] Bingo!
Suban... don't worry.... the second most preffered
life form is Punju :))))
;-pp
--- suban.walia@wipro.com wrote:
> I firmly believe that the priest has a mallu bias.
> How dare he offer to
> give respectable names?
From: pravin prakash
To: bullet-bangalore@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Subject: [RTMC] Binge & KDY
roll today.... KDY Easha!!!
And yes, Bingo defnitely is too clean..... I like your
Binge better... more 'Biker' there than a wimp :)
Hey Jobin George.... just as you were settling into
the assumption that you might have a nice 'clean'
name.... Binge it is!!!
Welcome Binge!!!
;-pp
From: muthu suruli
To: bullet-bangalore@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
thx binge.(btw, is that his final name)
From: suban.walia@wipro.com
To: bullet-bangalore@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
No !!! "Behenji"
From: lonsomecrow
To: bullet-bangalore@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
"Joe Behenji" ...With respect my friend :-)
-:)
Abhi - List is too long - throw up your favourites
Conrad - Crank/Rod
Dev - Dick Gere
Jobin - Binge
Anyone thought about naming that bugger Sam????
;-pp
