A LEGENDARY CONQUEST: RX-100 TAMES LADAKH!

Long-time xBhpian Mandar Kulkarni brings forth his tale of conquering Leh-Ladakh astride the legendary- Yamaha RX-100

- MANDAR KULKARNI

PREDICTABLY, a lot of people were not thrilled with the idea of me going to Ladakh on my RX-100. To me, though, it wasn’t merely about riding to Leh-Ladakh, it was about a longing to do it on my RX-100. And so I did!

My RX took me through some of the highest-altitude passes in the world - Khardung La, Rohtang, BaraLacha, Tanglang La, Chang La - in style! Among the zillion Royal Enfields, riding the RX was fun. No other motorcycle got as much attention, cheering, and thumbs up as my beloved RX did throughout the journey.

Day 1: Getting to Manali

I had to transport the bike from Pune to Manali because I didn’t want to burn the rubber on the boring highways from Pune to Manali during the monsoon. Thankfully, I could send it to Delhi on a train. I flew from Pune to Delhi and from there I got it to Manali in the luggage area underneath the Volvo bus I was travelling in.

Day 1 was about relaxing after the tiring journey in preparation for the expedition ahead. But the delightful Manali didn’t make me feel tired at all, and I ended up spending the majority of the day on local sightseeing.

Day 2: Manali to Jispa (142 Kms, 4.5 Hours)

I started from Manali and in a little less than three hours, reached the first pass in the expedition – the Rohtang Pass, 13,000 feet above MSL. Bikers needed to get a permit to ride the Rohtang Pass. As I approached the counter, the officer on the other side saw my bike and walked outside. His face lit up on seeing my RX-100 and asked me if I could sell it to him. I have been asked this question countless times, and I have become conditioned to giving a polite “no” for an answer.