I could easily write about the excellent views and the amazing riding we had on our trip. But – if you have already been – then you have your great videos and pics from your trip.
If you are going, you have already been enticed by images from RTH marketing. I will instead tell you about the exceptional staff and the support team that made my adventure just so amazing.
I passed my motorcycle license in Sept of 2020, two years before my trip. In effect, that actually means 12 months because I live in Northern Sweden, so our roads are covered in ice and snow for six months of the year.
I had done some off-roading and been on some training courses, so I felt prepared. But compared with most of the other people on my tour, I was a newbie. But first … I wish to share a formula with you. Wait, what? Yes. Please bear with me for a few sentences.
I have lived by a formula since the age of 21. It originates from a book called the ‘Inner game of tennis’, if I recall. I have applied this formula in my life, my profession, my relationships, my squash playing, my snowboarding, and in other hundreds of other situations too. Here goes:
Performance = Potential – Interference
If this was math, then
10 = 14 – 4 or 8 = 14 – 6
I try to make myself conscious of interferences in my life; for example, when I speak in front of a few hundred people at a conference. What interferences can get in the way for me to NOT perform to my potential?
If I can reduce stress (interference), then I can perform as best as I can. You know what I am talking about, right? Remember the first time you had sex? Did you have performance anxiety? I know I did.
So, how does this relate to my motorcycle adventure trip with RTH? Of course, the RTH team could not reduce the high levels of anxiety caused by the chaotic driving on some Indian roads.
But they were magnificent at removing all the other possible interference. They were GIANTS at providing all the support you could wish for … and then some!
I want to lavish praise and glory on the incredible RTH support team. For example, we had a mechanic who could fix pretty much anything on the Royal Enfield Himalayan.
It was needed too. This fixing occurred on the side of the road, in the middle of a path … pretty much anywhere.
Most mornings, when we came to our bikes, they were newly washed and rinsed, and the chains were cleaned and oiled. It was just great to know that we had bikes that would work. Ease of mind. Complete ease of mind!
Then when we were riding, we didn’t have to carry anything except personal stuff. So a backpack or a tank bag with extra gloves or water (there was always plenty of water made available to us).
The support staff would load our suitcases/bags when we departed from point A, and then when we arrived at point B (the next overnight), the follow-up vehicle would arrive, and then the same support staff would unload all our suitcases and bags.
We just needed to carry them to our rooms, and even then, sometimes, we received help from the hotel staff.
On a few occasions, we stayed in tents. Did we have to put up our tents? Hell no! Instead, there was a forward team that would drive out the day before, and they got everything ready.
So when we arrived tired and fatigued from a great day of riding, everything was ready for rest and relaxation. How amazing is that?
We also had a cook with us – at least during the first week. So when we stayed in remote places or overnighted in tents, we had freshly made food for us: in places of remarkable beauty but far away from anything or anybody else.
Every morning, we would receive a briefing about the coming day’s ride: about how far we were to ride or some of the difficulties that we might be facing, and some of the roads that we might be experiencing. We received a practical mental blueprint.
While riding, we had a lead rider, a sweeper behind the last rider, and one or two riders in between as well.
So there was always a comfortable sense of security. Despite being the last rider (which I often was), I would not be left behind.
I always knew where to turn when there was a fork in the road because the middle rider had stopped and had an outstretched pointing at the path/road I should take.
If I stopped to pee or to take a photo, then the sweeper would stop just behind me and wait patiently until I mounted up again.
The support team was more than excellent; they were outstanding. They made my adventure more than wonderful; they made it outstanding for me. Not once did I feel pressured or stressed. Instead, I felt reassured. Every day! Rahul did not join us for the trip itself. But I congratulate him on selecting such a fine crew! With his team, I could perform (ride) to my potential without worry (interference).
My RTH motorbike adventure was a fantastic experience. If you plan to embark on a Himalayan motorbike adventure, RTH is undoubtedly the company to go with. They rock. Big time!
Satish Strömberg