ROAD NEWS
ROYAL ENFIELD VS ANTARCTICA
While we ’ re itching for those long hot summer days , Royal Enfield has a different plan on the cards to celebrate its 120th birthday by sending two Himalayans to cross the South Pole . While it might seem like the worst possible idea in the history of riding motorcycles with very little appeal to us , Royal Enfield says it wants to push the boundaries of what is possible with a motorcycle with its attempt to reach the geographic South Pole . That ’ s one way to describe the madness of riding that far south ... The expedition will see two specially prepared Royal Enfield Himalayans , which have been upgraded in-house by Royal Enfield with functional upgrades including revised gearing for more torque at the rear wheel ( 13 tooth front sprocket vs 15 tooth standard ), tubeless wheels using studded tyres and a more powerful alternator to allow the riders to run heated clothing without putting too much demand on the battery . The bikes were tested for the journey at the Langjokull glacier in Iceland , with an intention to mirror the conditions in Antarctica . Phase 1 of testing was held in September 2020 while phase 2 of testing concluded in July 2021 . The expedition itself has been dubbed “ 90 ° SOUTH - Quest for the Pole ” by the marketers and will be an ambitious attempt to go where no motorcycle has gone before . Starting from Cape Town , South Africa , on 26 November 2021 , the expedition will witness two Royal Enfield riders – Santhosh Vijay Kumar and Dean Coxson , both Royal Enfield Employees – attempting to reach the geographic South Pole , from the Ross Ice Shelf , via the Leverett Glacier , to the Amundsen-Scott Pole station . To be conducted in close partnership with Arctic Trucks , 90 ° South will be attempted on two , purpose-built Royal Enfield Himalayans . Arctic Trucks , a member of the International
Association of Antarctica Tour Operators , are renowned for their deep expertise in the field and have covered over 3,500,000 kms on the Antarctic Plateau . They have supported and serviced several scientific expeditions and activities , as well as commercial and NGO expeditions in the past . The route itself will see the bikes travel on a compacted snow track from the Ross Ice Shelf to the South Pole . Royal Enfield says this will reduce motorcycle drag and limit emissions to an absolute minimum , while also making the journey a lot easier on the riders compared to going cross country . The company is also conscious of the unique Antarctic environment despite the obvious drawbacks to taking two motorcycles to the continent . The company assures us that in line with the # LeaveEveryPlaceBetter initiative , the team will ensure all waste , including human , is brought back for appropriate disposal with only tyre tracks being left behind . Despite riding in the antarctic wastes being a hard pass from us , we look forward to seeing if the Himalayans successfully complete the journey .
18 KIWI RIDER