My association with xBhp has been like that of a family and I have done many rides with them and for them. So when another #CEATxPlorer project came my way, there was no way I was going to miss it. For this one, I got to ride the new TVS Ronin shod with CEAT Zoom XL F 110/70-17 and CEAT Zoom XL 130/70-17.
As such, this ride allowed me to test the TVS Ronin and CEAT Zoom XL tyres. About the ride, the destination was not very hard to pick as I am a resident of Siliguri and as soon as summer kicks in, an escape to the mountains is inevitable. So, all that was left to do was to pack.
The initial plan for this roadtrip was to explore North Sikkim as it had recently opened up after winter and I was really excited because my last trip to Gurudongmar was a life-changing experience. But fate had some other plans.
All my planning went for a toss because a day before I was to start the ride, my elder brother called to inform me that North Sikkim was closed again due to snowfall. Stuff like this is one of the biggest heartbreaks a motorcyclist can suffer and I am sure that all of you can relate to that. But the show must go on, so I chalked out a new plan and this one consisted of me exploring some untraced parts of the North Bengal Himalayas.
Day 1: Siliguri to Bijanbari
We got all the necessary work done on the bike; changing the tyres, service, checkup etc. But despite our best attempts to save some time, we were running almost 3 hours behind schedule. We started for Bijanbari from Siliguri at 2 PM. That was the planned destination for the day.
Initially, hustling through the traffic and dealing with the pollution was getting on my nerves but it did not take us long to reach Bengdubi and from there on, it was cleanliness and greenery all around. It had been raining on and off in Siliguri so the weather was really pleasant too.
Riding through the forest, we stopped at Dudhiya for some photos and started the climb towards Mirik. It was around 3 PM and it was already starting to get dark and cold. We found a beautiful Pine forest and this is where my favourite photos and content from the entire ride were taken. After quite a few photo breaks, we reached Pashupati. It was freezing cold and pitch dark.
Moving on, we were on our way to Bijanbari and I was really starting to fall in love with this ride. The bike was going well, the tyres were phenomenal and the mix of cold and fog was a joy albeit a little tricky. We finally reached our destination for the day, Bijanbari, at around 7 PM. It was cold but it dawned on me only after getting off the bike. After having dinner, we retired to our beautiful homestay hoping for clearer weather the next day.
Day 2: Bijanbari – Relling – Mane – Bhanjang – Sukhia Pokhari
Our hopes were quickly dashed as the weather was even foggier. Moreover, it was a long day for us too as we had to go to Relling and cover Mane Bhanjang & Sukhia Pokhari. So we had to start early. The mood was grumpy but I was willing to push a bit to try to enjoy the ride. As such, I took a left turn towards a tea estate on a whim and I was presented with a view of a lifetime.
This is where I decided to try some light offroading as well despite being a little sceptical. But right after my first brush, I had much more confidence. The tyres worked wonderfully on the tarmac but they surprised me with their ability to handle some light offroading as well. I was really happy that I did not have to miss out on some beautiful photos of the tea estate and quite a bit of the credit goes to the tyres.
With all the fun I was having, I kind of lost track of time so we decided to hit the road. I wanted to push on and make some time to reach our designated destination for the day. But only after a few kilometres, I saw another beautiful pine forest. So I decided to halt for a little and get some more photos. It was noon already so our plan for the day had to be improvised. The choice was between Mane Bhanjang and Gurdung.
We decided to skip Gurdung and headed towards Dowhill directly and that was a choice that we did not regret. By the time we reached Sukia, it was already dark… the perfect time for some photos especially since it consistently makes the list of the most haunted places in India. We took some photos in the famous pine forest which was dense and predictably scary. It was getting dark and cold so we decided to move quickly. After a long ride braving the cold, we reached Gurdung around 5 PM. We stayed at another wonderful homestay where some delicious home-cooked meal was followed by some much-needed rest.
Day 3: Gurdung – Siliguri – Lataguri – Bindu – Siliguri
Day 3 of this road trip was supposed to be an industrious one. We had to cover a lot of kilometres and at the same time, get a lot of good photos and footage to bring to you guys. Again, we planned to start early and again, the plan failed because I overslept. But we were able to start around 9 AM and rushed to Sukna and Rongtong.
Being a local, I knew just the place to end this ride with. There’s this river bed near the Gorumara Peacock Point and it also serves as my ‘biker hideout’. As always, the place did not disappoint. A river with a stunning sunset as the backdrop… things rarely get better than this for a biker.
Despite quite a few plans falling on their face, despite the cold, and despite the oddities I faced, I was satisfied. See, all of those things are part and parcel of being a biker. As always, I would like to thank xBhp and CEAT for this opportunity and also, to the readers. As you enjoy this travelogue and the photos, I am going to get to work on figuring out where to go and what to bring you next.
Tyre Review: CEAT Zoom XL
While I enjoyed riding the Ronin a lot, I couldn’t be more satisfied with the performance of the tyres. CEAT Zoom XL proved to be a great set of tyres despite the riding conditions and terrain. On the tarmac, they offer great braking stability in the straights and confidence-inspiring grip in the corners. Due to the profile and the compound used, these tyres are a genuinely great choice for sports touring. Then there’s the wet grip. Due to the tread pattern that is very efficient at dispelling water from under the tyres, the tyres prevent aquaplaning. That’s why CEAT Zoom XL tyres offer fantastic wet grip on top of the phenomenal dry drip. So if you like to ride out on a whim without a care about the weather, these are the tyres for you. And there’s more. Despite not being proper offroading tyres, the CEAT Zoom XL tyres can handle themselves off the road as well. Light trails, broken roads, and spontaneous forest excursions; the tyres held their own no matter what I threw at them. I can say with utmost confidence that if you ride a Ronin, this is one of the best sets of tyres you can get and offers a wonderful blend of performance, versatility and affordability. Again, a big thanks to CEAT Tyres for providing me with this wonderful set of tyres.
