Look What I Found!
Part of the India experience involves transportation, and for me that means seeing lots of motorcycles. Crowded roads and a cacophony of horns merges with a non-aggressive driver sensibility and a constant thought that an accident might happen. Drivers use the left lane, which takes some time to get used to, especially as a passenger. And drivers pass other drivers frequently, even on curves. It’s a great balletic dance.
One of the most popular motorcycles in India is a classic Royal Enfield, which began production in the United Kingdom in 1901. The parent company went out of business but the rights to production in India remain alive and well, with factories in Chennai still making these bikes. The Royal Enfield carries the honorable phrase: “the oldest global motorcycle brand in continuous production.”
One of the teachers at Jawahar Novodaya Vidyalaya owns one of these marvelous machines and allowed me to ride it. Unfortunately, the battery had run down and we couldn’t get it started. But I had a marvelous time just sitting on this bike and trying to kickstart it. Riding it will have to wait for another time. Meanwhile, I still have Royal Enfield envy whenever I see one of these works of art.
My guidebook says that Royal Enfields are available for rent and some enthusiasts use them for long-distance tours of India. The bikes come with an instruction manual and explanations about making repairs. The Enfield’s reputation for reliability comes from the toolkit that accompanies every bike and an ability to get back on the road even when the rider is away from a bike shop. I’ll have to read the manual first.
More information here about the history of the Royal Enfield and about manufacturing the Royal Enfield in India.
Here are some photos about transportation in India from our trip to Wyanad. The roads contain auto-rickshaws, buses, trucks, scooters, and motorcycles. It’s quite a symphony of mechanical inspiration. In particular, I’ve seen rickshaws carrying people, especially children to and from school, lumber and building materials.
4:36 pm
Hi Bill,
Is Matt Gonzalez aware of your trip? He might be able to incorporate some of your photos into the district’s social media.
Cheers, Matt
10:06 pm
Cool! I’ms o glad you are having so many new experiences that you can share with us upon your return.