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Welcome to chapter fifteen of our ‘Ready To Ride’ short stories series.

These are five quick snapshots of what we do, where we ride, the laughs had, and the general shenanigans and goings on, while riding together over the Himalayas & through South India.

I’m posting these every Friday, and they’re an easy read, a few minutes are all you need.

Enjoy!

Alex Pirie
Founder & Lead Rider

Aqua aerobics class or a well-deserved dip after a long day’s riding?

I think you know the answer.

In South India, the temperature regularly hits 30°C or more, so jumping straight into a pool once we’ve reached our destination is high on a lot of riders’ agendas.

Some riders will wait until their bags are in their room, while others will jump straight in. Quite literally. It’s one of the many things that makes this ride feel like a holiday.

Relaxing in the pool, sunshine beaming, music playing, plenty of laughter, beer in hand, and plenty more days of a motorcycle adventure to look forward to – what more could you want?

You might not know this…

But before adding the Royal Enfield 450 Himalayans to our fleet last year, we previously rode the 411 Himalayans on our Roof Of India adventure.

The 411 will always be our old faithful; however, it’s safe to say the 450s have been a game changer on these rides.

Royal Enfield made some major changes, not least with the introduction of an all-new 40bhp, 450cc single-cylinder engine.

Featuring, for the first time on an Enfield, water-cooling, ride-by-wire throttle and double overhead camshafts. A steel frame is all new, as is Showa suspension and new electronic tech such as riding modes, switchable ABS and a new TFT dash with connectivity and navigation.

None of the previous model’s robust simplicity and reliability were sacrificed in the name of progress.

It’s comfortable, simple, and easy to ride.

Perfect for Himalayas.

Those who have ridden this motorcycle will agree.

Good things come to those who wait…

There’s plenty of occasions in life where we’ll find ourselves in that state of the unknown. Waiting, waiting and waiting. It can be an uncomfortable process for some. That’s when the questions kick in.

How long will we be waiting?

What’s the hold up?

What’s going to happen next?

More often than not, we don’t have the answers.

That’s why there’s an art to waiting.

It’s a great opportunity to learn how to be comfortable with the process and accept our position, no matter what the outcome might be. Chances are, you’ll enjoy the experience much more and notice things you might have missed if you spent your time questioning the process.

In the Himalayas, we can find ourselves waiting both on and off the motorcycles, in particular on our rest day in Lhasa, where we can find ourselves waiting to visit the Potala Palace.

It’s not a long wait, and it’s made a lot more enjoyable when you sit back, relax and soak up the moment.

Selfie, selfie!

If you’ve visited India before, you’ll know that being asked for selfies isn’t uncommon.

To some, it might feel awkward or uncomfortable, but it’s worth remembering that it’s coming from a good place.

A place of interest and joy that you’re there. Some of the places we visit in South India are so remote that you might be the first Westerner they’ve ever seen.

During one of our chai stops on our February Grand Canyon India ride, we attracted a fair few people! The locals are so interested in why we’re there, what we’ve enjoyed about India so far, and despite the occasional language barrier, it’s amazing how much you can really communicate without words.

It’s moments like these where you truly connect with people.

It’s incredibly special and reminds us how we’re more similar than what we might think.

The moment everything changes…

It’s an early start on Day 5 of our Rode To Everest ride, as we cross the border from Nepal into Tibet, and finally, ascend the Tibetan Plateau.

The mountainous roads from Nepal up to the China border (and back again) are the most challenging sections of the adventure.

Then, once we’ve crossed the border – everything changes.

We’re rewarded with mostly good tarmac and cement.

Tibet’s roads have been greatly improved since it opened up to foreigners.

For most of the days, the riding is easier and more relaxed; however, maximum concentration is needed as some sections may be a mixture of mountain grade roads, forest trails, rutted tracks with potholes, mud and loose gravel.

The weather will always dictate the condition of the roads.

I’ve ridden it many times, and I don’t ever think I’ll get used to it.

It blows my mind every time.

Are you ready for the challenge?

Enjoy the ride.

I’ll see you on the next one.