Is it a hype or is Royal Enfield the ideal bike to be ridden on indifferent surfaces?
Going through the hurdles, fixing the issues with the bikes, riding through the trek which was not even easy to be covered on foot, our group reached the Rajmachi Point. We parked our bikes near a pond, & the sight of a water body after a hard, rough ride is always a sign of gratification to one's desires of hedonism. We went for a quick dip in the pond to relax out the fatigue from the ride & I almost drowned slipping on the slimy rocks of the pond, that was terrifying & I was scared out of my wits. But let's leave that part behind & make a promise to learn how to swim ????
The Rajmachi Ride was a test of both, the Royal Enfield bikes and the riders capabilities to ride through the unsurfaced tracks made of gravel, stones, rocks, loamy soil, wet mud & other natural terrain. I have been to a lot of places near & around Pune, but Rajmachi was never on my list, so it was about to be a new entry in my travel diary. Exciting!
Before the ride the only fact I knew about the ride was that it includes Off-Roading & that was enough to pump me up to be a part of it. Having a pretty less experience riding off-roads, I didn't want to miss this opportunity. I was both nervous & excited , as off-roading is dangerous & does involve high risk.
A day before the ride, I was not even sure if I'd be going to be a part of the Rajmachi Ride as I wasn't feeling well, but hoping for the best I slept well to be prepared for the ride.
The ride was organised by the Kings Royal Riders group, with a thought of covering & exploring new places to be ridden to , with the hope of active participation & the belief of gathering memories from the ride. 20 bikers were in for the ride, & a mechanic accompanied along this time, to fix any issues if the problem persists during the ride. The ride began from the Kings Autoriders Showroom & it was just a matter of time I felt quite fresh & was no longer feeling ill.
Our first stop was at a Toll Plaza on the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, when one of the rider had a flat tyre & needed to fix it. After a 15-20 minutes break, we headed towards Lonavala, where we had breakfast at Vitthal Kamath Restaurant. After having our breakfast, Abhishek-The Ride Leader & Organizer, briefed the riders to ride safe & not to overtake other riders as the route involved high risk. After being briefed , we continued our journey & soon we switched from a National Highway to a rough terrain & a boost of excitement went through the rider's veins.
The first sight of the road was petrifying, it was only rocks and gravel, not a very satisfying sight as concerned with the thought of riding our beloved bikes on it, also the people covering the trek on foot had wooden sticks for support which proved that the route was not at all easy to cover.
Abhishek lead from the front & his bike , Royal Enfield Himalayan is actually made to be ridden on such tracks, but the other models i.e. Classics & Thunderbirds faced a few problems. The riders followed , rode through the gravels , tyres rolled over the stones , slipping in wet mud, a few bikes fell ,one of the bike even died off & stopped, a lot slipped on the loamy soil but none of these barriers were good enough to breakdown the spirit of the riders.
Going through the hurdles, fixing the issues with the bikes, riding through the trek which was not even easy to be covered on foot, our group reached the Rajmachi Point. We parked our bikes near a pond, & the sight of a water body after a hard, rough ride is always a sign of gratification to one's desires of hedonism. We went for a quick dip in the pond to relax out the fatigue from the ride & I almost drowned slipping on the slimy rocks of the pond, that was terrifying & I was scared out of my wits. But let's leave that part behind & make a promise to learn how to swim ????
After a swim, refueling the enthusiasm, it was time to take a U-Turn & return back to Pune, but wait we had to 'track back our footsteps & follow the same route we took to reach Rajmachi, & it is always easier to ride uphill than downhill on such extremely tough tracks. So the FUN wasn't over yet!
The riders were ready to head back, syncing together, riding along enjoying the off-roading experience. The people trekking on-foot were admiring the bikers & it must've been a exciting sight to watch bullets off-roading in unison. Heading back to the Highway joining at Lonavala, the riders were all in the mood of riding, when God showered his blessings in the form of rain. It was the rhythm of the rain & the thump of the bullet engines complimenting each other & the music lifting up the spirits of the riders. After enjoying the short rain shower, we headed towards Pune on the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway. The only stop left before the dispersion of riders on their way home was to have a group lunch. So we stopped at a Dhaba named Sidhu Da Dhaba along the highway. You can always eat a nicely cooked , perfect meal at an air conditioned restaurant, but to really dive-in & to have a glimpse of India's culture & customs, these roadside eateries are always a classic choice. So that was the point of dispersion, riders heading towards their destinations, the ride organizers were thanked for such an amazing ride & it was promised to continue the riding spirit in the future.
I was not able to capture many junctures of the ride, due to the lack of cameras , but maybe some moments are just meant to be kept as memories in your heart, instead of being captured in pictures.
Have you ever been on a thrilling off-roading experience? If yes, Do share it ????
