ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET: RIDING

SCARIEST ROADS IN INDIA

ON

ADRENALIN -

THE

EDGE

OF THE

Royal Enfield is Indian; as Indian as they come and most certainly,

there isnt a brand that is more synonymous with long rides across
the great lengths and width of this most beautiful country we call
home. Having had the privilege of growing up / living in three
different continents and stepping out of the clich of the Harley
Davidsons, I can confidently state that riding a Bullet cross
country is one of the most under-rated experiences in the world and
nothing short of a sure starrer in the bucket list of any a rider worth
their ride in salt!!
The road network in India, the second largest in the world, is over
4689,842 kms and can be quite daunting to even the most
seasoned riders in the world! In the following article we will pit the
three most dangerous roads in the northern pats of India against the
sheer grit, determination and skill that makes us the most ardent of
Riders in the country.
This is a chronicle of some of the three most pleasurable routes /
roads I rode between 1997, as a gangly teenager riding a 1993 RE
Machismo 350 to impress a father who rode a vintage RE Bullet
500 (painstakingly restored from the ground up), all they way up till
the mid 2010s as a seasoned rider on a RE Bullet 500 (Classic) and
riding just because no one deserves to miss out on the thrill! Most of
the roads mentioned below are above the 3000m sea level mark
and are only accessible due to maintenance provided by the
national armed forces.
ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET: MANALI

TO

SHIMLA

BY ROAD

This long and scenic drive, consisting mostly of the NH 2, is a riders

dream stretch of about 265 kms and connects Manali (Himachal
Pradesh) to Shimla (Himachal Pradesh). The Beas River runs along
one side of the route and is flanked on the other side by mountain
faces painstakingly curved out to connect the two tourist locations
by road. While this route is littered with numerous deadly curves
and turns, the main reason why it is featured is because of its
popularity with riders and tourists who brave the dangers it inflicts
yet so mercilessly.
ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET: LEH

TO

KHARDUNG LA

Mention Khardung La and one naturally conjures up images of

standing on top of the world. Sure, it is considered as the highest
motor-able roads in the world (attested by none other than the
Guinness Book of World Records) Khardung La is a high mountain
pass in Ladakh, India. Historically, it is the only caravan route to

Kashgar, Cental Asia, from Ladakh, India and is part of the ancient
Silk Route. While there is considerable debate on if it is really higher
than the Marsimek-La Pass (more hush-hush due to its military
importance) to its east, Khardung La is a formidable drive due to its
terrain and most of all - high altitude and respiratory issues
associated with it.
ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET: LEH

TO

CHANG LA

Native and seasoned riders humbly refer to it as the Mighty Chang

La for a specific reason the worlds highest motorable road feels
like a walk in the park on a sunny afternoon compared to it on even
the best of days!! Situated at an altitude of 5,360 m or 17,590 ft,
the Chang La is the main gateway to the Changthang Plateau
located on the eastern Himalayan region close to the Chinese
border. The ride from Leh, India to Chang La, literally meaning the
pass towards South, is guaranteed to leave even the most
experienced riders a notch or two humbled!!