Samvado Gunnar Kossatz: 2002 - A Bike Odyssey. From India to Italy by Enfield
How long does your Yamahonsaki last before it needs a severe surgical intervention, like, say, a new piston? Would you go nine thousand miles with it knowing the engine only lasts, maybe, eight?
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How long does your Yamahonsaki last before it needs a severe surgical intervention, like, say, a new piston? Would you go nine thousand miles with it knowing the engine only lasts, maybe, eight?
On the other hand, when did you last have a brand new 500 single of remarkable classic beauty pressed onto you by a really slick salesman -one that looked like he came right out of a 60's movie- for $1,600.- flat? Put a life-long (the bike's, not yours!) insurance on top for all of fifteen bucks and you are ready to roll. Who could resist such an offer? - I couldn't!
11th December 2001 I bought my first new Royal Enfield Bullet 500 from what must have been one of the oldest dealerships in all of India. "Perfect Motor Company - established 1964" was hand painted on top of a board that also had the prices artfully hand-written on it. A piece of much over painted wood dangling from the wall in a surprisingly unobtrusive corner. Those prices didn't have to fear any competition or did they?
They did as I found out not much later. A middle class Indian has the average income of a European of around 1900, but gas prices are the same as in Germany today. 125cc minibikes of Asian origin are the feat of the day; saving a liter on a hundred km means more than showing off. Much like Europe of the 50's, bikes are the normal transportation for entire families, mother, father plus 2-3 children at the same time, stacked neatly where they fit, between parents, onto carriers, tanks and on top of the front fork.
In any case, the sales person in charge was overjoyed to find out I would pay cash, and all of it, right out of my pocket. I didn't even try to strike a deal when he told me how much the shop made on the transaction. It's ridiculously little and explains why still today they use a set of tools originating from the founder of the company. The bike I wanted wasn't in stock, it was a Friday, so how long? It would be available in less than 3 days I was told - and amazingly, on Monday afternoon it was there!
The factory ships the bikes, half taken apart, in wooden boxes. So while one of the two mechanics were busy putting it together I grabbed the other one and off we went in a motor-rikshaw to look for more stuff I required. The bike-shops only sell you the naked bike and the faintest idea of aftermarket items, like a crash bar (selection of one) and carriers (sorry, we're out at the moment but they should be coming in any time now). Any time in India means between now and next year. We took off to biker-Eldorado in "Laxmi Road", a few miles further downtown.
Shacks for everything there, hand-crafted seats, welded-to-whim boxes, carriers of all types, big horns (I got one in bright red that sounded like a Volvo truck), high handlebars (the easy-rider type). I got a solid carrier with pull-out option (you unscrewed the part that extended to the back and pulled it out, that way you could double its length), two H4 beams and foamy plastic handlebar-end-covers. The crowd was wild all around these places, as if the shops would throw out bargains, yelling and wild gesticulations everywhere - it was just the normal trading habits I was told. Had to elbow my way up to the counter each time I returned from trying to fit a part I was going to get. Did I mention 40 C? The humidity didn't help either. In the end I let the little Indian who had come with me do the haggling and we got off with everything only about an hour later. I had brought electronic ignition and a DIN 12V plug for my GPS from Germany. So the conversion to long-distance-extra-reliable Enfield was about to begin that same day.
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Space for sharing
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n0by: Samvado Gunnar Kossatz: 2002 | Feb 17, 2003 |
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hiram: lifeunlimited | Sep 13, 2003 |
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hiram: sorry | Sep 13, 2003 |
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Dirk: tank | Mar 6, 2004 |
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stefani: toulouse contact | Sep 30, 2004 |
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Fawad: RE:2002 - A Bike Odyssey. From India to Italy by Enfield | Apr 10, 2005 |
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samvado: RE:Samvado Gunnar Kossatz: 2002 | Aug 29, 2003 |
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