The Indian motorcycle manufacturer, Royal Enfield is gearing up to take one of the toughest motorcycle expeditions ever to celebrate 120 years of the brand.
The expedition would feature two Royal Enfield Himalayan bikes and their respective riders attempting to reach the South Pole. The expedition on Antarctica is set to start from Ross Ice Shelf and reach the South Pole via Leverett Glacier.
“120 years is a long legacy for the brand, and we are very happy to have made it count. Over these years, we have created and nurtured a thriving culture of riding and exploration around the world. This pursuit of exploration has been a quintessential part of our DNA, and 90° South is another chapter in our series of extraordinary, epic motorcycling rides,” said Mr Siddhartha Lal, Managing Director of Royal Enfield.
The route to the South Pole is almost 770 km long and the expedition is scheduled to start from November 26 2021, from Cape Town, South Africa.
The two Royal Enfield Himalayan bikes will be rode by Mr Santhosh Vijay Kumar and Mr Dean Coxson.
Apart from this, Royal Enfield has conducted many such expeditions around the globe. One of the most notable expeditions was riding on the highest motorable pass in the world to reach the Base Camp of Mount Everest in Tibet.
The Tibet expedition included riding over one of the most treacherous and dangerous mountain pass at Daulat Beg Oldi, Karakoram.
The news about the South Pole expedition was announced via the brand’s official Twitter handle, and the tweet read, “In our 120th year, fuelled by the question #WhereToNext, our quest for the South Pole begins. Learn all about the expedition by tuning in to our Ride Pure podcast on Spotify.”
Speaking about the motorcycle, Royal Enfield has released few details on the modifications done to the Royal Enfield Himalayan in order to take down one of the toughest terrains on the earth coupled with harsh climatic conditions.
The modifications done to the Royal Enfield Himalayan include change of main drive sprocket from 15-teeth to 13-teeth for more torque at rear tyres, studded and tubeless tyres for more traction on ice and snow, and finally a bigger alternator to generate more electricity run the heating gear to keep the riders warmer.
While many have attempted to ride to the North Pole, only a few even dared to do the same feat on the South Pole.
Mr Shinji Kazama is the first man to reach the South Pole by riding a motorcycle. He started the Journey on December 8 1992 from Patriot Hills base camp, and reached the South Pole after 27 days on January 3,1993.
Thoughts About The Royal Enfield Himalayan Taking South Pole Expedition
While many manufacturers have taken their motorcycles to the North Pole, only a few have attempted to take on the South Pole.
Not only because of the remoteness of the continent but because of the harsher climatic conditions and more extreme terrain.
If Royal Enfield completes the South Pole Expedition as it planned, it will be one of very few bikes to reach the South Pole and the first Indian bike to do so.