Whenever I get the thought of sitting astride my Black Beauty (350cc AVL 2003 Royal Enfield Thunder Bird), I get the feeling of butterflies fluttering in the breadbasket and the vistas of the majestic Himalayas keeps flashing before my eyes.
Although it is too early and way too cold to be riding out into the mountains, this is the time when one should start planning for the Spiti - Lahaul - Leh ride.
Planning includes availing leaves, arranging finances to fund your expedition and start scouting for hotels along the way and gathering stuff which you would need when you head out on your trusty steed.
A list of some of the stuff which comes in handy when riding in the mountains or plains:
Spares (Atleast 2 Clutch cables,1 Throttle cable, 2 Spark Plugs, 1 Tyre Tube, 4Indicator Bulbs, 2 Tail lamp Bulbs, 1 Head Lamp Bulbs, 2 Chain Locks, Sturdy Wire Cuttings)
Engine Oil (1 Ltr minimum)
Bungee Cords and Bungee Nets (They come in handy for tying stuff on the bike and ensuring that it stays there.)
Tool Kit containing all spanners till size 30, Pliers, Nose Pliers, Screw Driver, Tyre Irons, Puncture Repair Kit, Allen Keys.
Medical Kit (Medicine for common cold, headache, Vomiting, Stomach disorder, Pain killer pills and spray/balm, Diamox for high altitude sickness if you intend to ride above 3000 Mtrs ASL, Crepe Bandages, Antiseptic liquid and creme, surgical gauze, surgical bandage, medical sticking tape, a pair of scissors and tweezers)
Apart from these, decent protective gear is also important. Riding in itself is risky business and all over the world, sensible bikers wear jackets and knee covers with protective gloves and a very very good helmet.
When it comes to jackets, my advice is to use one which has protective armor for elbows and shoulders and a protective padding for the back. Gloves are also an important part of your safety gear as they can protect your hands and fingers if they are padded/covered adequately. An often overlooked accessory is knee guards. Many people would consider them to be unneccessary, but they are very effective in protection of your precious knees and shins. Now lets come to helmets, which usually is the most overlooked aspect of riding. While selecting helmets, open face or full face, make sure it is the right size and fit for your head not your pillion or your father or brother, who by the way should have their helmets too.
To actually understand the importance of selecting the the right helmet in terms of size and fit you have to see this video:
If the helmet you have used has been involved in a crash or multiple crashes, there are chances that the structural integrity of the helmet might have been compromised. If that is the case, get your self a new helmet at the earliest. You could also have it sent back to the manufacturer who should be able to test the helmet for structural integrity and figure out whether the helmet is safe for use again or not.
OK now that you have gotten your stuff together, the next thing to figure out is about your ride.
Yes your lovely, beloved, darling, apple of your eye bike.
Imagine being stuck in a remote area where access to a mechanic is next to impossible. What would you do? The idea is to reduce the dependency for minor repairs on an unknown mechanic, who sometimes can be more of a cheat than a helping guy. Learn how to replace basic things like clutch cables, throttle cables, bulbs, tyre tubes etc. catch a hold of your trusty local mechanic who should be able to help you learn all of this and also make you enough of an expert to tackle any minor breakdowns which you might face on the road.
A couple of weeks before the D-Day of the ride, make sure you get your bike serviced and checked up. This would ensure that any major problem with the bike is caught before hand and niggles which have been left unattended to can be taken care of.
I say a couple of weeks to ensure that you have a bike which has all problems ironed out and any new ones cropping up are nipped in the bud. There is no point in using a bike which had major work done on it and was never road tested on how it would ride or perform. If there was some lousy workmanship on it, you would be stuck with a faulty motorcycle during the ride with chances of a major breakdown happening when you can least afford or want it.
Another important aspect to a memorable ride is to do some research on the route, road conditions and important way points. Also, you must source a trustworthy roadmap. Usually, the best maps are available from the local Tourism Department offices of the state you would want to visit (like HPTDC, GMVN, KMVN etc etc). They are detailed with distances, alternate routes and hotels and touristy places marked on the map.
But nothing is as reliable as information from Ground Zero. apart from using the map, pester your friends, contacts, relatives or anyone who is willing to help you to find out the latest news about the roads, weather and alternate routes which you might have to use.
Do have a ride plan in place rather than just winging it coz that would help you in covering the route in the planned timespan. Winging can be fun and adventurous but if you are on a really short time-leash, the "lets stopover when it gets dark" attitude can and will play havoc with your itinerary. 90% of the time, you would have to extend your leaves, which will not sit very well with your boss.
While preparing your ride plan, be flexible enough to allow a couple of free days to ensure that you are not just zipping through the destinations. Spend some time there, get to know the people who inhabit that place and take in the sights and sounds of the place and then move on... This ensures that you know where you have been in your heart rather than having to fish for snaps all the time. This buffer of a couple of days also allows you to plan for unplanned halts which you might have to make due to any unforseen cirumstances like landslides road blocks or breakdowns.
My most memorable rides have been the ones when I have been talking to the tea stall owners, dhaba owners and generally the local populace while I am riding through any place. You get a feel of the area and more importantly, a heads up in case something big is about to happen or has happened which could affect your ride plan (like landslides, road blocks, police checkposts etc etc).
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