Time to get hold of your biking shoes and ride across broken tracks, dense jungles and snow-covered hills in India's picturesque northeast. A biking expedition is set to take 30 explorers through terrain that is often out of reach.
Motorcycle brand Royal Enfield has started a new route for avid bikers - Tour of Northeast - a 12-day road trip, covering a distance of approximately 3,000 km from Sep 10 to 22.
The ride will capture the picturesque beauty of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh where unexpected rainfall and cold weather will welcome you, while bad roads will challenge your riding skills.
So you will ride along the Brahmaputra river, originating from the Mansarovar lake in Tibet, that meanders through the wooded hills and the rolling plains of Assam or meet the rising sun in Arunachal Pradesh - northeast India's remotest state also known as the 'land of the dawn-lit mountains'.
'The reason to have this road trip was that many people want to travel to these states but give up because of security reasons. So we have chalked out a safe route for our riders where they will enjoy riding in a completely different terrain,' Kanwardeep Singh Dhaliwal, assistant manager of Royal Enfield, told IANS over phone from Chennai
.
Unlike Royal Enfield's other biking expeditions -- Himalayan Odyssey, Southern Odyssey, Tour to Rajasthan -- this trip will be a bit different.
With not many luxurious accommodations around, bikers will be taking solace in the lap of nature by camping around or putting up in traditional places like a gompa - monastery or hermitage.
'Also, unlike all other places here, finding a roadside tea or coffee stall is very difficult. So one has to come prepared for all this experience,' said Dhaliwal.
In all, 30 participants - men as well as women - will be selected on a first come, first served basis. They will have to apply on the Royal Enfield website. Each biker will have to pay Rs.15,000 for facilities, including breakfast, accommodation, support crew of mechanics and doctors and a backup vehicle for luggage.
Looking at the condition of the roads and terrain, this trip will not have pillion riders, as some mountainous passes and roads might be very challenging and gruesome.
Guwahati-based Diwash Ghatraj, an event manager, is eager to participate in the trip and is hoping that he will be one of the lucky 30 participants.
'This is my native land; still when I saw the route map, I thought this would be the best way to explore it and enjoy the lush green region,' Ghatraj told IANS.
Delhi-based Gaurav Sinha, a student, is also eager to participate in the ride, as he wants to click some good pictures and enjoy local food.
'I have heard about the northeastern region, but, again, one can't think of going there alone; so while every time we friends make plans to visit that region, something or the other comes up and everything goes for a toss,' Sinha said.
'Here I have an opportunity to meet bike lovers, ride and explore - click some good pictures and, yes, I want to taste local food as well, I have heard a lot about it,' he added.
The trip will start from Guwahati in Assam and head for the Nameri wildlife sanctuary and then enter the state of Arunachal Pradesh through Tawang and then move on to the Bomdila-Sela pass, Tawang-Bumla pass, Tawang-Mandla pass, Bana-Sepa-Pasa village, Doimukh and then re-enter Assam through the Majuli islands before ending at Kaziranga close to Guwahati.
The best time to visit Arunachal Pradesh is mid-September to mid-December and mid-March to mid-June and for Assam it is October-April.
Registrations now open. Click here to download registration form.
| DATE | DAY | SECTOR |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Sep 2010 | Friday | Guwahati (Scrutiny & Briefing) |
| 11th Sep 2010 | Saturday | Guwahati - Nameri |
| 12th Sep 2010 | Sunday | Nameri - Bomdila |
| 13th Sep 2010 | Monday | Bomdila – Sela - Tawang |
| 14th Sep 2010 | Tuesday | Tawang - Bumla - Tawang |
| 15th Sep 2010 | Wednesday | Tawang – Mandla Phudung Camp |
| 16th Sep 2010 | Thursday | Mandla Camp - Bana River camp |
| 17th Sep 2010 | Friday | River camp - Sepa - Pasa village |
| 18th Sep 2010 | Saturday | Pasa - Pakke Kesang - Doimukh |
| 19th Sep 2010 | Sunday | Doimukh - Majuli islands |
| 21st Sep 2010 | Tuesday | Majuli islands - Kaziranga |
| 22nd Sep 2010 | Wednesday | Kaziranga - Guwahati |
FAQs
Pillions
This trip is for riders and owners of a Royal Enfield motorcycle. Pillions are not allowed. There are multiple reasons for this:
- Off-roading: The tour can be very rough at times, in fact most of the times.
- A pillion misses out on the riding experience and over rough terrain being a pillion is more difficult than being a rider.
- Due to the conditions and limitations of infrastructure we can create in the terrain, the tour will be passing through, we have to prioritise on riders as compared to pillions.
Size of the group
Due to the conditions and limitations of infrastructure we can create in the terrain, we will be travelling through, we will be taking a group size of 30 registered riders only.
Criterion for selection
We at Royal Enfield consider all riders equal and we would like to see that riders from all parts of the country are included in this trip. Therefore confirmation of registrations will be based on a first come first serve basis. All registrations will be treated as individual, as it is not possible for us at this stage to entertain large groups or clubs.
The registration form will be considered complete only if we receive:
1. Complete Registration Forms
All forms should be complete and signed. They will be available for download on the day registration opens. Necessary instriuctions given in the forms.
2. Demand draft of INR 15000/- drawn in the name of “Eicher Motors Ltd.”, payable at Chennai.
3. Two passport size photographs
4. Copy of Your Driving License
5. Copy of Vehicle Registration, Tax and Insurance certificate valid for the duration of the trip.
6. Copy of Medical Insurance Policy valid for the duration of the trip.
Participation in select sectors
While we can understand the constraints and desires that prompt people to want to participate only for certain select dates, places, we consider everyone on the ride as part of one team from start to finish. Only press and support staffs are exempted from this for their pre ordained duties.
Safety
This is the paramount consideration behind every action that we take towards planning and executing all Royal Enfield rides.
Cancellations / Refunds
There is a lot of advance planning that goes into this trip and based on a participant’s confirmation others might have to be turned down. Therefore we are not in a position to entertain cancellations or give refunds at any stage.
What is included and not included
The trip is operated on a twin sharing bed and breakfast basis. After breakfast you are on the road and each participant is expected to take care of his own fuel and lunch. The luggage is carried in a truck and it is each participant’s responsibility to see that their luggage is loaded in the truck within the designated time. We advise riders to carry some basic stuff with them as the truck generally takes much longer than the bikes to reach the destination. Once at the destination the riders are allotted their accommodation and in case we are camping in isolated places food arrangements are also included. This is generally a limited menu buffet. While the variety might not be much, this aspect is generally appreciated. In larger cities and towns where a wider choice is available dinner is not arranged by us and participants are free to eat at their choice and leisure.
Service support
Accompanying us will be some service staff to work on the bikes in case something goes wrong but spares will be changed to the riders as and when needed. Each rider is responsible for bringing his bike home. We will do our best to help with the bike but if the bike can’t be fixed it’s the end of the road. Therefore bike preparation is very crucial and the scrutiny will be very strict. We will guide you in both.
Equipment required
Remember you are going to use the equipment that you carry so make sure that it’s functional and reliable. Please carry the below mentioned equipment with you when you arrive for scrutiny:
1. Good quality full face helmet: that also fits right. Lose helmets will not be passed (after wearing your helmet if you move your head up and down rapidly the movement of the helmet should not be independent of your head)
2. Boots: preferably riding boots or leather ankle boots
3. Gloves: for cold weather riding
4. Jacket: preferably riding jacket or leather jacket and elbow guards
5. Pants: preferably riding pants or knee guards
6. Spare spectacle: for people who use spectacles
7. Torch
8. Toolkit
9. First aid box
Pillions
This trip is for riders and owners of a Royal Enfield motorcycle. Pillions are not allowed. There are multiple reasons for this:
- Off-roading: The tour can be very rough at times, in fact most of the times.
- A pillion misses out on the riding experience and over rough terrain being a pillion is more difficult than being a rider.
- Due to the conditions and limitations of infrastructure we can create in the terrain, the tour will be passing through, we have to prioritise on riders as compared to pillions.
Size of the group
Due to the conditions and limitations of infrastructure we can create in the terrain, we will be travelling through, we will be taking a group size of 30 registered riders only.
Criterion for selection
We at Royal Enfield consider all riders equal and we would like to see that riders from all parts of the country are included in this trip. Therefore confirmation of registrations will be based on a first come first serve basis. All registrations will be treated as individual, as it is not possible for us at this stage to entertain large groups or clubs.
The registration form will be considered complete only if we receive:
1. Complete Registration Forms
All forms should be complete and signed. They will be available for download on the day registration opens. Necessary instriuctions given in the forms.
2. Demand draft of INR 15000/- drawn in the name of “Eicher Motors Ltd.”, payable at Chennai.
3. Two passport size photographs
4. Copy of Your Driving License
5. Copy of Vehicle Registration, Tax and Insurance certificate valid for the duration of the trip.
6. Copy of Medical Insurance Policy valid for the duration of the trip.
Participation in select sectors
While we can understand the constraints and desires that prompt people to want to participate only for certain select dates, places, we consider everyone on the ride as part of one team from start to finish. Only press and support staffs are exempted from this for their pre ordained duties.
Safety
This is the paramount consideration behind every action that we take towards planning and executing all Royal Enfield rides.
Cancellations / Refunds
There is a lot of advance planning that goes into this trip and based on a participant’s confirmation others might have to be turned down. Therefore we are not in a position to entertain cancellations or give refunds at any stage.
What is included and not included
The trip is operated on a twin sharing bed and breakfast basis. After breakfast you are on the road and each participant is expected to take care of his own fuel and lunch. The luggage is carried in a truck and it is each participant’s responsibility to see that their luggage is loaded in the truck within the designated time. We advise riders to carry some basic stuff with them as the truck generally takes much longer than the bikes to reach the destination. Once at the destination the riders are allotted their accommodation and in case we are camping in isolated places food arrangements are also included. This is generally a limited menu buffet. While the variety might not be much, this aspect is generally appreciated. In larger cities and towns where a wider choice is available dinner is not arranged by us and participants are free to eat at their choice and leisure.
Service support
Accompanying us will be some service staff to work on the bikes in case something goes wrong but spares will be changed to the riders as and when needed. Each rider is responsible for bringing his bike home. We will do our best to help with the bike but if the bike can’t be fixed it’s the end of the road. Therefore bike preparation is very crucial and the scrutiny will be very strict. We will guide you in both.
Equipment required
Remember you are going to use the equipment that you carry so make sure that it’s functional and reliable. Please carry the below mentioned equipment with you when you arrive for scrutiny:
1. Good quality full face helmet: that also fits right. Lose helmets will not be passed (after wearing your helmet if you move your head up and down rapidly the movement of the helmet should not be independent of your head)
2. Boots: preferably riding boots or leather ankle boots
3. Gloves: for cold weather riding
4. Jacket: preferably riding jacket or leather jacket and elbow guards
5. Pants: preferably riding pants or knee guards
6. Spare spectacle: for people who use spectacles
7. Torch
8. Toolkit
9. First aid box
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i love re trips!!!!!!
Posted on 7:51:00 AM
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