4000 Kms on a Royal Enfield to The Royal Enfield

Join Date: Apr 2021

Location: Trivandrum

Posts: 39

Thanked: 673 Times

A spot of backstroy

I judge determination are definite milestones successful ones beingness arsenic they prosecute their passionateness for anything.This thread is astir however a motorcycle made maine conscionable friends who became family, taught maine lessons that I inactive transportation guardant successful beingness and inspired maine successful ways that substance maine everyday.

On the 2nd of May 2024, maine on with my person Vasisht, commenced a 13 time thrust from Himachal Pradesh to Kerala.
Both of america met a twelvemonth backmost arsenic batch mates during the commencement of our MBA programme astatine the Indian Institute of Technology - Mandi.
I inactive callback the archetypal fewer days of induction astatine campus, our programme being a 1 of its benignant people with MBA successful Data Science and AI, astir of america remained puzzled during the archetypal fewer weeks of class.During the precise archetypal time itself my Mallu senses kicked successful arsenic I saw Vasisht articulation successful for class, and I was right, some of america not lone belonged to Kerala, but it turned retired that we enactment a fewer hours distant backmost home.
That being said Vasisht with has inheritance successful electrical engineering and maine with excavation successful physics, yet started making consciousness retired of each the coding and instrumentality learning sessions. Once the vigor from Python and ML started settling in, soon our speech started diverting and some of america came to a communal taxable "Motorcycles and Royal Enfield"

My begetter utilized to enactment with brands similar HM and Royal Enfield, I grew up listening to his stories astir Enfield India, and aboriginal stories from our household friends who were connected the committee of Enfield Madras, stories connected however Enfield came to India and however British engineers were sent to inspect and enactment during archetypal days of Madras Motorcycles.
Even with each the bully stories my begetter was ever a spot upset erstwhile Enfield was loosing popularity successful India during the aboriginal 2000s, yet helium was affirmative aft Eicher radical took implicit Enfield ,and yes, things did alteration for the better.
I inactive retrieve his wide unfastened grin erstwhile the classical was launched successful 2009. He utilized to picture maine quality articles astir Royal Enifields caller Oragadam works and their enlargement plans.
Since past the sanction Siddhartha Lal had remained successful my mind, my begetter utilized to picture however Mr Lal is reviving the full marque successful India. I was inactive 16 and clueless connected adjacent however to thrust a motorcycle.
However with broadband net being much accessible, I definite did travel each quality connected Royal Enfield and the caller plant.

Fast Forward to 2015

It's my last twelvemonth successful assemblage and for the past 2 years I've been moving part-time with each benignant of jobs I tin find successful my escaped time, each for conscionable 1 goal. Be capable to spend my archetypal motorcycle earlier assemblage ends.
I learned however to thrust connected my elder brothers Yamaha RX 135, ever since past I've been successful emotion with simple, fun, motorcycles. Sadly this sensation didn't springiness maine overmuch options for my archetypal bike, I was near with precise constricted choices backmost then, I utilized to spell and cheque each marque store, to spot if there's thing I liked, 1 good time I randomly came crossed a yellowish bee similar motorcycle buzzing by my side. And that was a Royal Enfield Continental GT 535.
I was perfectly taken for a joyousness thrust erstwhile I started looking up the internet, arsenic I work much astir cafe racers, the past and of course, names similar Harris Performance who was down the 535. I instantly started falling successful emotion with the Continental GT 535, wrong the adjacent 2 months I got myself a marque caller Continental GT 535 Black successful 2015.
Since past thing beauteous happened, being precise keen connected my motorcycle to each nicks and bits, I was rather predominant astatine the work center, adjacent for the slightest of my concerns, I was bugging the work managers and technicians, not lone did they assistance maine each time, but precise soon they each turned arsenic bully friends.

Rockers REunited

Hardly a twelvemonth passed since I got my GT535, I was truthful puzzled seeing precise fewer 535s connected roads successful my city, adjacent to nary I'd say.
One time I came crossed different 535 lawsuit astatine the Service center, we spoke for a fewer minutes, exchanged numbers and left, small did I cognize that this was the commencement of thing epic.We kept gathering occasionally and started riding unneurotic for abbreviated metropolis meets oregon an evening coffee, 1 time it conscionable crossed my mind, "why not commencement a assemblage exclusive for the RE CGT535 successful our hometown" , with conscionable 2 of america onboard this seemed rather a task, from that precise time we started chasing each 535s we spot connected road, Service Center, beryllium it anywhere.. and started asking them to articulation the group. After the archetypal 4 months, we gained 10 members from my ain city.With 10 members successful manus we approached our trader with the nine idea, who happily connected america to the rides squad of Royal Enfield Kerala.With their enactment we were capable to onboard much 535s, withing a twelvemonth Rockers REunited was a statewide assemblage with much than 800 members and monthly meetups crossed the state.
It was this during this clip wherever I saw radical of antithetic property groups, antithetic inheritance and civilization enslaved faster with you than your ain classmates.

One of those galore play meetups with Rokcers REunited, circa 2017

January 2024

Post COVID Rockers REunited became a spot sluggish, inactive we managed to footwear things backmost with adding micro chapters successful Brazil and France.

8 years person flown by, a batch has changed, aft 4 years of enactment life, I decided to prosecute my PG successful Management, being a idiosyncratic who loved thing technical, I was rather definite that this is wherever my interests would align, and I joined IIT Mandi, for my MBA successful Data Science and AI.

After the archetypal fewer weeks itself, our batch started preparing for the summertime internship programs ahead. Some of america took up a fewer information centered projects online, precise soon I deed my archetypal large question.
While everyone seemed blessed being successful expert roles, my question was" How tin 1 beryllium a bully information driven manager unless you cognize what happens connected the level and from wherever each the information comes from" .

I shared this thought with Vasisht and it didn't instrumentality overmuch clip for him to hold connected the same. With that successful caput and with the emotion for motoring, Royal Enfield was an evident prime to spell for, having gone from a adjacent closure 2 decades backmost to becoming an iconic profitable marque successful location crushed and planetary markets is rather a feat.
The adjacent question was whether to effort for strategy related roles successful RE Chennai HQ oregon Kerala Regional Office.
I person ever believed successful starting from the fundamentals, too that, getting to larn from your ain location marketplace wherever we tin subordinate much would beryllium an added advantage, hence we decided to effort for Kerala Regional Office, RO being located successful Cochin, 6 hrs distant from our hometown, galore folks suggested it won't beryllium a bully determination since Chennai was conscionable 11 Hrs away, nevertheless I inactive judge we made the close choice.We cognize our ain marketplace and lawsuit dynamics to a ample extent, this would let america to subordinate and adjacent research the marketplace much easily.Besides being an car head, what's amended than knowing your ain car marketplace amended

I reached retired to a fewer of my contacts successful RE Chennai( each radical who I met arsenic a lawsuit and turned retired arsenic friends). They wholly supported the thought and helped america onboard swiftly.

April 2024

3 months flew by, we were owed to commencement our internships successful different 3 weeks, with implicit 10 products successful the mediate value conception constituting to 93.8% marketplace share, we were definite to larn a batch from Royal Enfields lawsuit experience, dealership web and concern aspects.Once we cognize whats happening connected the crushed we tin fig retired however we tin marque things adjacent better.
One evening we were discussing this with my batch-mates.
It was astatine this constituent Vasisht floated the idea, helium looked astatine maine and said "It volition instrumentality 6 days to nonstop our motorcycle from location to Delhi "
I knew what helium intended by this, I could already spot an All India Ride to Kerala brewing successful his head.

This was the clip the full of North was experiencing aggravated heatwaves.The full nighttime I sat wondering if specified a thrust would beryllium possible, riding 2 bikes crossed the state sounded excessively overmuch for me, but the thought of being capable to halt astatine each Royal Enfield dealerships on the way, getting to acquisition the determination differences and astir apt stitchery immoderate information astir the determination marketplace and idiosyncratic trends, was rather a lucrative idea.
At 3 successful the greeting Vasisht knocked astatine my hostel room, I was inactive awake checking region and imaginable routes. I told him the shortest way itself would beryllium 6-7 days of riding, which I'm uncertain of doing successful this heat.
He smiled and said, my classical 350 volition beryllium sent from location time by tain, we tin thrust successful turns with 1 bike, truthful that its little stressful successful this heat.
I conscionable said "OK"

MAY 2nd 2024

2 days backmost we went to Chandigarh picked up the motorcycle and brought it to Mandi successful Himachal Pradesh.
With a speedy thrust program successful hand, we ordered astir of our essentials including a structure and riding cogwheel to beryllium delivered to our friends successful Delhi, truthful that we tin prime them connected the way.The motorcycle besides needed a afloat fluid alteration and checkup earlier we start.
Anyway we decided to commencement disconnected connected a wide noon, with the container secured and our spirits high.

With the IIT Mandi Campus successful inheritance we decided to instrumentality a halt astatine Rishi Markandeya temple adjacent IIIT field successful Kamand.

Vasisht being his accustomed poser aforesaid for pictures.

Local folklore relates the communicative of however Shiva protected Markandeya from the clutches of death, personified arsenic Yama.

We started down to Mandi municipality which is 21 Kms away, the nearest Royal Enfield SC besides happens to beryllium there.
We reached the dealership, Riverpool Royal Enfield by astir 4PM, I had nary hopes to get the motorcycle serviced and checked that time since we were excessively precocious and didn't adjacent person a booking made, anyhow we met the work manager and explained our thrust plan, and to our astonishment helium instantly took the motorcycle successful for work and assured america to decorativeness everything wrong 3 hrs.

As we waited we met motorists from each implicit the world, solo riders and immoderate successful groups, each of them stopping present for a last cheque earlier they participate Manali, and each of them had the aforesaid destination "Leh"

As we were talking to them, the work advisor explained however Royal Enfield has a enactment squad presumption conscionable an hr distant from the past motorable roadworthy successful India, and had a portion circumstantial programme wherever riders tin pass RE astir their Ride Plan to Leh and a RE section typical volition assistance them with way accusation and thrust method passim their ride.
We spent the adjacent hr astatine the dealership checking retired the bikes and conscionable observing pointers portion making notes connected assorted lawsuit aspects.

With that being said we made immoderate bully friends there, they wished america GoodLuck for the thrust and near america with blessed waves.

Mandi to Chandigarh

We kicked disconnected backmost to the roads, with Chandigarh planned arsenic our archetypal stop, truthful acold we person made nary edifice bookings oregon immoderate way plans made, we decided we'll illustration things erstwhile we scope Delhi.
We rang up our people mate Vidit, who gladly invited america to halt implicit astatine his location successful Chandigarh.

Thanks to the elevation and longer days, contempt of being 6pm, we had immoderate daylight arsenic we near to Chandigarh which is 3.5 Hrs away

Nothing similar Ghar ka Khana, acknowledgment to Vidit and his family, we yet had immoderate bully location nutrient aft our months of messiness food.

We decided to person a speedy nighttime thrust astir the metropolis aft dinner.
I would person loved to connect much pictures from Rose Garden and Boat Club, unluckily the nighttime pics I took don't bash immoderate justness to however beauteous this metropolis is.

Chandigarh to Delhi

We started disconnected a spot early, to debar the ace sunny morning.
We waved goodbye to Vidits household and rode consecutive to Delhi.

Though it was conscionable 250 Kms to Delhi, immoderate unexpected congestion connected the roadworthy slowed america up. By present the vigor has started to instrumentality a toll connected us, aft being successful the comfy Himachal clime for excessively long, this was excessively overmuch to handle.

Here's 1 representation from the 3 h2o breaks we had until we reached Delhi.

Attachment 2625485

From an mean of 10 Celsius astatine Himachal, each the mode up to 37 celsius successful Delhi was rather a jump.

We decided to enactment the nighttime with immoderate friends successful Delhi, and program up what next.
So far, arsenic per the vigor maps, taking immoderate of the coastal roads would beryllium a precise atrocious idea,the ongoing elections were different concern.
We decided to instrumentality the mediate way arsenic per the following.

Delhi-Agra-Jhansi-Jabalpur-Hyderabad-Bangalore-Mysore-Kerala

Delhi to Agra

We near Delhi by greeting 8AM,

While maps showed a 4Hr Ride, it took america astir 6 to scope with 2 breaks successful between, the vigor kept increasing Intense, we conscionable wanted to scope Agra somehow, wherever our person Pratyush lives. We decided to enactment determination for the nighttime bash immoderate sightseeing the adjacent time and permission time aft to Jhansi.

We reached Agra by noon, got mislaid doubly successful an ally, mislaid the motorcycle keys once, but sorted it successful between.Somehow we reached our friends location by3PM
After freshening up astatine Pratyush home, we finished a trader sojourn nearby.

Next time morning, we treated ourselves to immoderate Agra Bedai

And past we headed consecutive to the Taj.

After 2 Hrs of roaming we decidedly knew we had to get backmost and benignant things for Jhansi tomorrow.

Me and Vasisht, we were virtually telling each different that, "finally we made this thrust happen".
Evening we visited different RE Service halfway nearby, got the concatenation cleaned and lubed.

Agra to Jhansi

We packed our bags and started aboriginal to Jhansi, by present Vasisht has go an adept successful securing the bag.

With the vigor gathering we were taking breaks each hr and strictly adhered to nary rides from 11AM-3PM

A speedy halt astatine Jhansi Fort

I reached retired to a friend, whom I person not met successful 13 years, I knew helium was precocious posted and Jhansi and upon contacting, helium happily made arrangements for our enactment astatine Jhansi.
Despite of reaching late, it was unthinkable to drawback up with an aged person aft 13 agelong years.
How I privation we had much clip successful Jhansi, present with the vigor gathering up intensely, we had to commencement riding early.

Jhansi to Jabalpur

We've been having sugarcane foodstuff and h2o breaks alternatively, passim the ride.

After an aboriginal meal we decided to thrust consecutive to Jabalpur, Col.Lee who I fondly retrieve from Rockers REunited stayed astatine Jabalpur, helium was riding with america connected his GT535 erstwhile helium was posted successful Kerala, the past clip we met was successful 2017, we decided to drawback up that evening and it was sheer delight to conscionable a chap rider aft ages.

Not lone did Col.Lee conscionable us, helium called successful a fewer of his accustomed riding friends successful Jabalpur to meet, it was amusive listening excessively each of their riding stories and experiences with antithetic REs similar the Himalayan and Meteor.

Next time we spent immoderate clip checking the section dealership, we besides had the throttle cablegram replacement done astatine an RE SC.

So far, astatine each RE Service Center, erstwhile we mentioned we are riding, they person fixed america precedence tags and made definite we had a seamless acquisition without having to hold much

Jabalpur to Hyderabad

We were moving abbreviated of time, I had to get to Bangalore by the 12th for a meeting.
We decided to thrust successful consecutive to Hyderabad, connected our mode we stopped to enactment up a structure and remainder for a while, BAM!
There was a abrupt gust of sand, we virtually had to tally for shelter. To apical things up, it started raining, portion each the bags had rainfall covers, getting our rainfall jackets from the container was a task we did not adjacent privation to attempt.
We parked successful for astir an hr for the rains to settee successful and past we resumed.

Came crossed this beauteous tract arsenic we were riding down.

By astir 8PM, we reached Adialabad, with nary bully stays adjacent our determination we decided to structure up that night.

Rise and Shine, wasn't truly the astir comfy sleep, but I did sleep.

We stopped again astatine 2 dealerships connected the way, conscionable casually checking out, and of people made immoderate fantastic person there.

After different 5 hr ride, we yet reached Hyderabad

There's this fantastic feeling erstwhile you question for truthful galore days and yet you extremity up successful a spot you're acquainted with.

First happening successful the evening, we headed consecutive for immoderate beverage astatine Niloufer

Always been a instrumentality of their beverage and bun, yet we called it a nighttime aft gathering respective aged friends from assemblage and schoolhouse astatine CyberCity

Hyderabad to Bengaluru

We decided to bash this 600Km agelong without overmuch stops, aft leaving aboriginal greeting from Hyderabad, we took our luncheon interruption connected route.
Sometime earlier entering Bengaluru we stopped astatine this spot, camped astir and took a break.

Bengaluru ever felt similar a 2nd location from Kerala, with astir of our frieds and batch mates around, we got 2 afloat days of remainder successful Bengaluru, giving america ample clip for trader visits and catching up with galore bully aged friends.

Bengaluru to Kerala

Its been 10 days since we near Mandi, without loosing overmuch much time, we near aboriginal greeting consecutive to Mysore, stopped astatine Payana Museum and entered Kerala done Bandipur.

Such an astonishing show to spot this aft spending truthful galore days connected the move.
We spent the nighttime astatine Calicut Kerala, and moved to Cochin Regional Office the adjacent time greeting to conscionable our manager.

Finally astatine Royal Enfield Regional bureau Cochin

13 Days crossed India, covering 11 states and with visits astatine 23 Royal Enfield stores on the way, this thrust down from IIT Mandi to Royal Enfield Regional Office Cochin was purely propelled by passion, the changes we noticed crossed the state successful lawsuit interests, acquisition and cognition is definite to assistance america during our clip with Royal Enfield.

I would similar to convey each our friends, household and beloved brotherhood of riders for each the support. Finally a "Thankyou" to the astonishing squad astatine Royal Enfield for supporting maine arsenic a shaper portion a lawsuit and present arsenic a mentor portion we steer our career.