EDITORIAL
TRAVERSE :
It ' s A New Way Of Life ...
“
Are you both riding solo ?” asked a young woman at Namika La . She seemed impressed that she ’ d reached the summit of the 3,700-metre pass , perhaps the first India female motorcyclist to do so . Disappointment quickly swept across her face when my partner and I confirmed that we were , even more so when she discovered that our dusty Royal Enfield Himalayan ’ s had been ridden away from the majority of ‘ tourist ’ roads .
I was impressed that she was there , and riding alone , every other female was riding pillion . That didn ’ t matter . More impressive was that at the top of this mountain was a new subculture of Indian Motorcycling .
Every single bike was a Royal Enfield , and all but one a Himalayan . It seems motorcycling for pleasure was coming of age in India , the riding middle class realising that the motorcycle is no longer just a mode of transport but something that can bring huge joy . It was a privilege to witness , but why the Himalayan ?
A simple answer . It ’ s relatively
cheap , reasonably modern looking , and a capable , go anywhere bike . And it seems that the young Indian people are using the Himalayan to go anywhere . A perfect adventure bike , a new way of life .
The middle-class youth of Indian have discovered the adventure bike , now just to work on their riding gear . Most common protection comes in the form of thin cotton shirts , cheap plastic helmets , and open-toed high heel shoes . But , everyone seems to invest in shin and knees guards . Can someone please enlighten me ?
Leigh
TRAVERSE 5