Kathmandu:

The Capital city has a lot to offer — ancient beautiful temples and the durbar squares to enjoy the winter’s warm sun, fantansic climate — not too cold that you freeze, nor so hot that you sweat gallons and gallons (just the right combination to make to enjoy the warmth of a fire in winter or a glass of chilled water on a summer’s day), its streets alive with humans and gods, its love for old things (Volkswagon Beetle to name one) and its craze for the devil that most of us call ‘motorbikes’.

Ask the young men of the city and most would say that their ultimate dream would be to ride his Bullet into the sunset. Well, if you own a Bullet (or some other bike) this dream of yours to ride into the sunset can actually come true.

On March 12, the Himalayan Enfielders are flagging off ‘Ride Nepal 2006 — Ride for Peace’ from the Capital.

The Enfielders will ride over 600 km and stop at Narayanghat, then move on Pokhara and finally returning to Kathmandu on March 15.

The peace ride will be flagged off from the Himalayan Java by the reigning Miss Nepal Sugarika KC.

“We expect over 100 Enfielders to participate in this year’s event,” says Sabindra of the Royal Enfield Club, the only authorised workshop in the country. Apart from the participation from the members of the Royal Enfield club, other participants are also expected to chip in.

The proceeds from the event will be donated to Panlang School at Tapopani, which has been imparting free education and medical facilities to over 80 students.

Apart from the Enfielders Club, the Belgian Embassy also supports the event.

What’s a Royal Enfield?

Royal Enfield has a long and interesting history. It was a company incorporated in 1891 by supplying parts to Royal Small Arms Company in Enfield, the UK. The company started manufacturing bicycles and in 1899, the first mechanical tricycle and quadracycle powered by a De-Dim 1.5 HP engine was manufactured.

In 1955, Enfield India Limited was established in India as a public limited company and started assembling work with CKD Kits imported from UK. Enfield India then became the country’s first four-stroke motorcycle manufacturer. In 1993, Royal Enfield introduced the first diesel motorcycle of the world and it was called the ‘World’s most economical motorcycle’ with a mileage of 70 km/hr. It was finally in 1994 that Eicher Group acquired Enfield India Ltd and renamed it Royal Enfield Motors Limited.

The name ‘Royal’ came from the company Royal Small Arms with the trademark ‘Made like a Gun’ and ‘Enfield’ is the name of a place in UK. The most famous motorcycle of Royal Enfield was launched in 1931 where a four valve, single-cylinder motorcycle was introduced and christened ‘Bullet’ in 1932. The sale of the Bullet is approximately 40,000 units per year and is made in Chennai, India, and exported throughout the world.

Join in:

Participation fee

• Rs 3,500 per person (for Club members)

• Rs 4,000 per person (for others)

• Rs 4,000 per person (for pillions)

(Ticket includes open highway lunch, Malekhu fried fish, accommodation, live concert and Holi celbration in Pokhara, Fewa lake activities, bike games and a cool tee-shirt. Further details, call 4440462)