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A 1200 km expedition to Zanskar in 5 days with an RE Himalayan

22nd March 2023, 15:56 by Ananth Iyer

I had a choice between the Interceptor 650 that I had recently acquired & a Himalayan

BHPian cataclysm recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Chapter 1: Getting Back On The Saddle

August 2017.

That was my last multi-day ride. I rode all the way to Chanshal Pass and back in 2 days. Those were good days because six months later I was going to be in a motorcycle crash that would leave me incapacitated for a few months.

The broken bones didn’t hurt as much as the fear of riding that followed the crash. And in September 2018, with a heavy heart, I sold my 2011 RE Classic 500. It had served me well for almost 70K kms and across the high-altitude deserts of Spiti and Ladakh.

CL500 in Chitkul. Circa 2013

And now the sad days began. Motorcycle-less and aimless, I wandered around the mean streets of my city looking with envy at every rider. I had to get over this and the only way was to buy a motorcycle.

I HAD to get back on the saddle.

So in August 2019, the search began. I rode the Dukes, the Interceptors, the Continental GTs. I loved all of them but none of them felt right.

I love ADVs, and in my budget there was only one ADV—Himalayan. So I went and I rode it. The engine felt pathetic. The brakes were spongy, but the suspension was amazing and the ergos were spot on. But it wasn’t enough to convince me to book it. I vacillated for a few days and then finally decided to go ahead with the booking. The delivery was in five days. On the fourth day I cancelled the booking. Two lakh was too much money to spend on a bike that I didn’t connect with.

Cue October 2019 and while casually browsing OLX for motorcycles, I saw this BS-4 2017 Himalayan with just 2400 kms on it. While 2 lakh something was too much money to spend on a bike I didn’t connect with, one lakh something seemed great for a bike that I still didn’t connect with.

The Himalayan came home in October 2019. I had grand plans. I had to go to Spiti, Ladakh, explore the depths of Himachal, go to J&K etc. etc. I was praying for summer.

In March 2020, spring came with Covid. All riding plans cancelled. And when the country finally opened up, work ensured that there would be no question of getting multiple leaves. So Himalayan served its duty as a commuter and for breakfast rides. While the engine was still pathetic, and brakes still spongy, I could at least show off my peak ADV riding skills by standing on the footpegs on perfectly tarred roads.

I may not be fast, but I can stand on the footpegs. Comfortably!

Fast-forward to July 2022, I switched my job and had a few days free. And what better opportunity than to ride to Zanskar and Ladakh. But not via the usual Manali or Srinagar side. I had done that multiple times. The plan was to take the adventurous route to Padum via Shinku La and then to Leh via Singe La and Sirsir La.

But the question now was, should I take my Interceptor that I had bought a month back

Or should I take my Himalayan?

One has an amazing engine, great brakes, poor ergos, and a poopy suspension. The other has amazing suspension, great ergos, average brakes, and a poopy engine.

Chapter 2: The ‘Himalayan’ Journey Begins

July 8 ‘22, Chandigarh-Sissu (334 kms)

It was supposed to be a solo ride, but fortunately, two of my friends from Jalandhar decided to join in. The plan was for us to meet at Mandi and then ride ahead.

The day started at 4 AM and I was off by 5:30. I was excited and nervous. My last multi-day ride was 5 years ago! Do I even have the mental fitness to ride long and hard for days? Only time would tell.

The ride till Mandi was uneventful. The Manali highway has always been a mix of bad and very bad. It was the same this time. The Himalayan felt at home on these broken roads. It was comfortable enough that I didn’t take a single stop till Sundernagar.

Right after Sundernagar

The guys were still 2 hours away from Mandi, so I decided to press on till Kullu and wait for them there. The views were getting better and the road was a mix of slush and tar. Beas, in all its roaring monsoon glory, was keeping me company.

Deep, nasty ‘water crossing’. It was ankle-deep.

Right after Mandi, there was this deep puddle. Traffic had stopped on both sides. People were patiently waiting (me included) for suckers to wade in so that they could gauge the depth. This local fella on a scooter asked me to follow him and that he’ll take me through a village road to the other side. No, thank you. He could well be a Himachli Ed Gein wanting to make pants from my skin.

So 15-minutes later this brave man on a Splendor had enough and shouted some expletives before diving straight in. The madness began after everyone saw him safely on the other side. I took his line and crossed the ‘water crossing’.

The road became much better after crossing the Aut tunnel. It was smooth sailing all the way to Kullu. I had stopped just a few kms short of the town and got to know that the guys were still an hour away.

Should I just press on to Sissu? Or should I wait here? My friend, Beas, who had been accompanying me all this away answered this question for me. I decided to sit back and just enjoy the river and the mountains till the guys showed up.

Chilling at Kullu

The guys showed up an hour or so later. After a quick lunch, we were off. It was 1:30 PM. Three Himalayans riding off to Lahaul. Even though time was on our side to ride till Jispa, the guys had already booked a hotel in Sissu.

We passed Manali and moved on to the Atal tunnel. This was my first time crossing it. I was filled with memories of crossing Rohtang pass on my old CI Bullet. The pain, struggle, and exhilaration of reaching the top was a different feeling.

The tunnel went by in a flash and we were in Lahaul. It was surreal and reminded me of the first time I was here. Back in 2010 it had taken me eight hours to reach Koksar from Manali. And now it took me nine hours to reach Sissu from Chandigarh.