Ask anyone about their dream bike journey in India, most of the people including me would say riding a Royal Enfield motorcycle to Leh-Ladakh. It’s not just the bike enthusiasts who are a fan of the Royal Enfield Classic motorcycles, our brave Indian Army loves it too. Indian Army in 1999 won the Kargil war defeating the intruders who made the mistake of stepping into our territory. Every year, on June 26, Indian Army celebrates the Kargil Vijay Diwas to commemorate Indian Army's resounding victory. In a video shared by Royal Enfield on the eve of Kargil Vijay Diwas, the Indian Army undertook a gruelling ride to the Karakoram Pass located in Northern Ladakh.
In 2019, Royal Enfield and the Indian Army joined hands to undertake one of the toughest bike rides in the world. Before the Army took an expedition to the Karakoram Pass, no one had done a successful bike ride to the pass which is located near the Indo-China border. Icy temperatures reaching to -30 degree celsius and challenging terrain can make an expert rider pause for a moment before even thinking about taking the arduous task.
Indian Army selected the Royal Enfield Himalayan for the tough ride to the Karakoram Pass. As this trip was undertaken in 2019, BS4 edition of the motorcycle was used in the expedition. But now with the advent of BS6 Emission Norms, the Royal Enfield Himalayan is powered by a BS6 compliant 411 CC air-cooled, single-cylinder engine. The bike delivers 24 bp of maximum power and 32 Nm of peak torque with the engine paired to 5-speed constant mesh gearbox. The base price of BS6 Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle begins from Rs 1.87 Lakh (ex-showroom), Delhi.
The campaign named Himalayan Heights Motorcycle Expedition begins from Karu in Leh. The high-endurance journey covered almost 1,000 kms along the line of Actual Control between 3 countries - India, Pakistan and China. The expedition took almost 10 days to reach the Karakoram Valley and covered scenic spots like Siachen Glacier, Depsang plains, and Chongash.
Riding the bike to the Karakoram valley is a tough task but our brave and powerfully skilled riders of the Indian Army did it. The Himalayan motorcycle is suited for off-road travels and became a perfect foil for the Indian Army in its stunning campaign to explore the Karakoram pass on a motorcycle. Interesting trivia for the readers, the expedition also had two woman officers and Four members of the Royal Enfield also joining the ride.
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