Royal Enfield Factory Visit

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Every ride is a special ride not only because of the places i get to vist but also because of the lovely people i get to ride along with. However this ride is very special because i am taking my ARMY - Bullet to its very birth place, Royal Enfield Factory at Tiruvottiyur High Road, Tiruvottiyur, Chennai. To See where Royal Enfield motorcycles are still made the old fashioned way! Handcrafted in Chennai.

Its been a long pending ride last year (2011) we had decided to visit RE factory but the weather played a spoil sport and had to be canceled.

The factory visit communication and permission was taken care by Teknik Motors, Indiranagar, Bangalore.

Visiting RE Factory ? click here

11 bulls and 12 riders started off on 11th February, around 5:30 am on a slightly chilly saturday morning.

With early morning traffic we started to Thump, the pace was set by Vijay and all started to ride in a good cruising speed. we covered good amount of distance and reached kolar. Had tea and hot crispy masala vada. After about 45 minutes of much needed break we set the pace again.

Around 8:20 am On the curves of Palamaner ghats Som had overshot the steep curve and crash landed. I was not witness to the accident but was told that Som had tried to break the pace on the curve to which the break pedal hit the ground and tossing the bike up to take multiple somersault and hit the safety barricades and som had fallen out of the bike. I couldn't get what had happened when i reached the spot. Could see som on the other side of the road withering in pain. I went upto him and checked his condition he said he is having pain in his shoulders. By then all fellow riders arrived to the spot.

He was fully geared, His right knee pad was torn apart without which would have been an unimaginable situation.

Jai quickly looked at the bike and gave few blows to the dents and i test rode the bike and seemed that we can ride it upto chittor and then parcel the bike off.

We tied a cloth as support to som and rode him to the nearest clinic and gave him some pain killer injections where i was told to take him to the Ortho doc in Chittor. Quickly we headed to chitoor and was advised to take an X-Ray which showed he had shoulder dislocation and fracture. Doc advised that he should be treated in a larger hospital under anesthesia. A sling was put to rest his arm and we hired a taxi to drive him back to Bangalore.

We had to be in the RE factory by noon. About 2 hours time off we were racing against time to reach the factory. With no pit stops for breakfast or lunch all were cruising to reach the destination. We had to reach the RE Factory by passing through the dense city traffic of chennai the city ride was hardenous and testing the riders patience.

We finally reached the RE factory around 3:30 PM, quickly we moved to the reception where an employee escorted us around the factory.

This is my first visit to any production plant. I had seen production plants only on The Science Channel "Some Assembly Required" . I was always fascinated with the production plants, the conveyor belts moving the parts from one location to another, employees with protective gear, hard hats, pneumatic guns the whole experience of the floor being hustle bustle and lively thrilled me.

The scene inside the factory was magnanimous with hordes of front tires with disc brakes attached, huge asbestos sheds and hundreds of skilled, dedicated craftsmen doing their assigned tasks.

We were shown UCE engine being lined up at assembly, Paint job area, hand painting of the golden lines on the RE standard tank, chrome plating unit, export and domestic assembly line.

During our visit thunderbird TBTS was being assembled. we went around the test track too.

There were ocean of fully assembled RE bikes of various models parked to be moved to various locations across India and world over.
The whole experience of looking at so many spares getting assembled was mind baffling. With time constraint it was a quick visit around the factory. We thanked the official and quickly headed out around 5:00 PM to Mahabalipuram our planned night stay.

With no Breakfast or lunch and the mood of riders going nuts we stopped near a tea and Bajji shop and hand some hot cripsy Banana Bajjis, Bread Bajjis and hot tea.

Vijay wanted to visit his sister and would join us in Mahabalipuram later in the night. Naveen rode my bike to Mahabalipuram and i was his pillion. We rode along East Coast Road about 50 km ride the road passing by the sea shore.

We reached Mahabalipuram Entrance around 7:15 pm and waited for fellow riders to join us. Within 30 minutes all of them reached Mahabalipuram.

Our night stay was in sea breeze Hotel, a beach site hotel. We soon got into our designated rooms and had a nice shower and freshened up quickly. I and Naveen walked in the by lanes of the town and had some snacks and tea in a hotel.

Dinner was at The Nautilus, It was buzzing with many foreign traveler's and we found ourselves as an outsider in the restaurant. We ordered for a beer and the waiter never cared to give one. Soon we stepped out and was joined by Vijay.

We went to the beach and grabbed ourselves a beer. We sat on a parked boat and were enjoying the cool breeze, the waves, dark sky ... soon was called by Tucker enquiring where about of us and requested us to come to Nautilus to have Dinner, reluctantly we obliged to his invitation also it was getting late for us to pick up dinner else where.

We went into Nautilus to join the other members and had some starters and guzzled another beer after some chit chatting finished out dinner. All of us headed to the beach. I lied on the beach looking at the black sky, the stars, the moon, the sound of the waves, crabs being washed onto the shore, High beam of light from the light house at regular interval and occasional high waves coming almost near to us. The scene was romantic.

I and Naveen took a stroll across the beach. After some time all of us headed to the hotel and again we were lazing in the veranda and chatting. Soon every one started to doze i too retired to my bed around 1:30 AM.

I had a very sound sleep, woke up around 9 in the morning. Taking my own time freshened up and had complimentary breakfast. We headed out in the town and saw Shore Temple, Elephant and other creatures carved in granite at Mahabalipuram, Light House, Krishna's Butter Ball.

Soon we came back to the hotel saddled up and started our ride back. Our Next stop was to Ambur for the lunch. We reached Ambur around 3:30 PM. All had World famous Ambur Biryani at the Ambur STAR Biryani.

After heartful meal we started our journey back to bangalore around 4:45 PM ... We would have covered just a kilometer Shoumik had a rear flat tyre. We stopped and got his flat tyre fixed an hour break again. Cruising along we reached Krishnagiri coffee day for a coffee break. I had a Latthe.

Now starts Interesting turn of events. I almost went to Start my bike when Vijay told to give my bike to Naveen as he had a sore butt sitting all the while. I gladly obliged and sat pillion to vijay we cruised at high speed to

which vijay is always used to and i had no fear in his riding skills so i was calm. We were almost reaching hosur city and traffic was dense. we stopped near a traffic signal and we were in the front line as soon as the lights turned green we picked up the pace almost reaching 60km speed (Classic 500 touches 100 km/hr speed in 10 sec). I could see a man crossing the road recklessly and hitting a slow moving bike and i was looking behind at the collision.

Suddenly there was another collision with our bike (I was not witness to this accident as i was looking behind) i was told a moped guy took a blind U turn from other side of the road to our lane and there was no time for vijay to react and we had a head on collision on hitting the moped the bike skidded off and first contact to the road was my head and vijay was tucked inside . we were fully geared with the best helmets and armored jackets and without helmet the crash would have been fatal.

After sliding a few meters the bike came to halt and the bike was over us and barricades were on top of it, we were stuck inside the bike. Soon naveen, Tucker and Jai who were following us came to our rescue removed the bike and i came out first. I looked at vijay and he was in pain too. My first reaction was vijay might have had a bad accident and when he too came out I was relieved ... I opened the helmet and checked if i have blood flowing out of my nostrils or ears. because i knew i had a good impact on my head. When i touched my ears and nose i saw blood on my fingers i quickly asked some one near by to check if the blood is from ears or somewhere else. He looked in and said i have a cut near the chin and the blood is oozing from there. On the other side i saw Vasan eye Care and Srinivas Speciality hospital behind it. I walked to the hospital and informed the doctor about the accident. I was told to lie down in the bed.

My thoughts in the bed were how events turn up within seconds and i was more philosophical than cursing any. I always thought life is short and i should be living every moment to its fullest and the crash reiterated the thought. Life is truly an unpredictable affair and you have no idea about how it can change at any point of time (Good or Bad ... however you like to look at it ). Soon another doctor checked me and said i had to have stitches to the cut on my chin. I was given TT and three staples to my cut chin. I lied down in the bed for sometime and everything seemed OK. I looked under my pant for bruises and it was minor ones. Vijay too had TT injection and he had bruises more in the knees and a silencer kiss on his leg.

The bike was OK to ride back with head lights crashed, fork bend. Tucker rode the damaged bike home. Ironically Vijay rode the bike again and i was pillion to Naveen and the thumping Continues.

Soon the message had spread to all friends before we reached adda and all friends were there to receive us. I would have narrated about the accident for some 10 people. After spending some time with my friends i bid adieu and reached home.

I uploaded the ride pictures to FB and I could not sleep for some time and i retired to bed thereafter.

I am happy that high speed collision like this was not fatal or we did not have any broken bones as it should have been.

This ride would be an unforgettable ride for me.

As always Ride Safe with Proper gear, In towns and when lights are out be extra careful and keep thumping !!!

Cheers
Durai Selvam
Royal Knights Motorcycle Club Memeber