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<\/p>\nIndia Part IV<\/p>\n
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The next day was the day we would pick up the Royal Enfield Himalayans.\u00a0 I was excited to show my new riding partners the bikes, having taken them out a couple days prior.\u00a0 We all met at Iqbal\u2019s motorcycle shop bright and early. As we unpacked our gear and transferred it from boxes and backpacks into the panniers and saddlebags I noticed one thing:\u00a0 They had a LOT of gear.\u00a0 This wasn\u2019t a bad thing as I was missing a lot of necessities such as tire repair kits, jump starters, and tool bags. As I looked over at my moto and the gear I had, I realized it was pretty limited, which at first glance had me concerned but then after thinking it through I thought: How many tire repair kits do you really need?<\/p>\n
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After wrapping up the final paperwork with Iqbal, we suited up and were off.\u00a0 It would be a short day with just a little over four hours of riding.\u00a0 This was perfect, as it took an hour just to navigate through Delhi, whiz through the suburbs, and eventually find our way into the country where we could relax while riding a bit.\u00a0 For me, the relaxation didn\u2019t really happen as I had no communication between the others and my phone seemed to constantly go in and out of cell coverage. This meant that I had to keep eyes on at least one of the other two to avoid drifting off and getting lost.\u00a0 If nothing else, it was a motivator and solid excuse for my aggressive riding.\u00a0 At least that\u2019s what I told myself.<\/p>\n
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Around 1500 hours (Ed Note: That’s 3:00 p.m. for you non-Airborne guys) we decided to call it a day, get a hotel, some food, and a couple beers in a tiny town called Alawar.\u00a0 I say a couple of beers because the local beers (called Kingfisher) were a crapshoot with regard to how strong they were.\u00a0 They fluctuated between 5% and 8% ABV (alcohol by volume), so until you had one you really didn\u2019t know which end of the spectrum you would end up on. \u00a0This was a nightly roulette game where we would play \u201cwho got the 8% beer?\u201d \u00a0Over the next few weeks we all had our time with the 8% beers at one point or another. This added yet another unknown into our travel equation (as if we needed any more unknowns), but it was fun nonetheless at the end of a long riding day.<\/p>\n
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Another interesting nightly game was \u201cwhich switch controls the lights?\u201d\u00a0 It seemed that every room had at least two panels with a minimum of six switches per panel.\u00a0 This made turning the lights out each evening about as doable as solving a Rubik\u2019s Cube (especially if you were the guy who had the 8% Kingfishers that evening).<\/p>\n
After dinner, the Kingfishers, and solving the light switch Rubik\u2019s Cube, I was pretty wiped out and it was time for a peaceful night\u2019s sleep.\u00a0 The next day would be our first full day of riding.\u00a0 Although my confidence was high after Delhi\u2019s chaotic roads, there surely would be more surprises. This would prove to be especially true as we went further into northern India’s countryside.<\/p>\n
India Part I<\/a><\/p>\n