2023 was a tough year for me, to say the least. I had a massive crash and broke both of my legs. During my long stint in the hospital, I kept thinking if I was ever going to be able to ride a motorcycle again. Then, I got discharged from the hospital bed, only to be bedridden at home. My favourite pastime during that time was watching my old vlogs. It made me happy and hopeful. But you can all tell that after an incident like that, you question yourself more and more. So, I asked myself if this was it, if I was going to have to give up the one thing that makes me happy- travelling on motorcycles. The answer from within that I got was… No!

Motorcycling is what has kept me going through all the ups and downs in my life and I was not going to let this particular down be any different. So I mentally prepared myself to get riding as soon as I was healed. After a while, I finally had enough strength in my legs to ride a motorcycle. I recalled my short and sweet CEAT xPlorer rides from the past and decided to start from here. With the thought of never stopping myself from riding motorcycles and exploring the world, I was ready.

For the motorcycle of choice, I wanted to go with something comfortable as it was my very first ride after a long time and I did not want to push myself too much. So I went with the tried and tested Royal Enfield Himalayan. Along with that, I also needed a new set of tyres. I went with CEAT Gripp XL Plus as I had used Gripp XL tyres in many of my past rides and was thoroughly impressed. And CEAT Gripp XL Plus tyres are touted to be even better! So to make my 2023 a bit more memorable and end it on a high, I was ready to go and my destination was Rajasthan!

Day 1: Delhi to Jaipur

Despite my best efforts, we got late and our plans to start early in the morning went out of the window. We had to face the Delhi traffic but despite this little blip, we found ourselves in the clear. I wanted to ride on the new Delhi-Mumbai Expressway but that plan was thwarted too as motorcycles are not allowed on that expressway. So we had to go back to the good old Delhi-Jaipur expressway.

It was a little disheartening because I have ridden on this road a fair few times so it was a tad bit boring. But I was excited to reach Jaipur and have some fun there so the ride went on. In the initial stretch, the road is a little broken up in places. But thanks to CEAT Gripp XL Plus tyres, I was able to sail over those patches till we hit the smooth highway. The tyres impressed on the highway as well offering excellent grip and stability throughout.

I was being a little cautious and riding well below my usual limits but despite that, we were able to keep a decent pace and I found myself in Jaipur not long after. Being able to safely complete nearly 300 km was a confidence booster and the experience was further accentuated by the famous Pyaz-Kachori and Chai of Jaipur. With plans to ride to Jodhpur the next day, we headed back to our stay and decided to get some sleep.

Day 2: Jaipur to Jodhpur

We woke up early and started our ride because I had plans to explore a bit of Jaipur before heading out to Jodhpur. The only place I could think of was Nahargarh Fort and the beautiful sunrise one can catch there along with the almost aerial view of Jaipur. Soon after, we found ourselves on the Jaipur-Jodhpur highway. Now this piece of tarmac is one of the best I have ridden on. The blacktop is as smooth as they come and with the confidence inspired by the CEAT Gripp XL Plus tyres, we dealt with the distance at a fair clip.

The day was nice and sunny too so it was that much easier to ride. We reached Jodhpur fairly quickly and checked into our hotel. To top off the day, we went to a nice rooftop cafe for dinner that was served with a delightful view of the Jodhpur Fort looming in the distance. Post that, it was time to call it a day and get ready to ride to Jaisalmer.

Day 3: Jodhpur to Jaisalmer

Since we went to bed early the previous day, we were up early and therefore, had some time on hand to explore a bit of Jodhpur. We went to the Jodhpur Fort but not expressly for that. We want to ride a little on the sinuous roads that lead to the fort with a view of the Blue City on offer as an add-on. Also, this allowed me to test CEAT Gripp XL Plus tyres in some corners and I came away impressed. In addition to stability and grip in a straight line, these tyres have really good edge grip that makes cornering a breeze.

After that amazing experience, we headed out to Jaisalmer. After covering around 100 km or so, we stopped for a chai-paratha break and then continued the ride to Jaisalmer. Overall, it was smooth sailing for us and we reached Jaisalmer before the light left the day. In the Golden City, we decided to treat ourselves royally and got a place to stay in from the Jaisalmer Fort. After a scrumptious dinner with the view of the fort standing tall against a clear sky, we decided to call it a day.

Day 4: Exploring Jaisalmer and Jaisalmer to Delhi

We were supposed to leave for Delhi on this day but another early start meant that we had some time on hand. We went to the Tanot Mata Mandir which presented us with a beautiful sunrise topped by windmills and dunes.

We also got to know that BSF was celebrating Vijay Diwas so the air in Jaisalmer had a patriotic tinge to it. So we got permission from BSF to ride almost up to the India-Pakistan border.

From there, it was dunes where we had some fun, again, putting the CEAT Gripp XL Plus tyres to the test in the sand. The tyres performed wonderfully and I was overjoyed to be able to have a lot of fun on a motorcycle again. I had another surgery planned so that was the extent of our adventure and after almost a non-stop ride, we made it back to Delhi safely.

Albeit short, this was a ride that I am going to remember for a while. After all, months on a bed with doubts looming about whether I’d be able to ever ride again had me worried. But with this ride, all my inhibitions evaporated into thin air and I am well and charged for my next adventure as I keep recovering.

Tyre Review: CEAT Gripp XL Plus

I’d just like to say that CEAT Gripp XL Plus tyres are one of the best you can get for a Royal Enfield Himalayan. I believed that based on my experience but this ride made my faith in these tyres even stronger. The main reason why I say that is because of the versatility that CEAT Gripp XL Plus tyres offer. On the tarmac, the stability and straight-line grip is commendable. Regardless of the pace, the tyres never miss a beat. Then in the corners, they surprise you with the room they provide you to play with. There is tons of edge grip and you can exploit the motorcycle’s potential without worrying about the tyres. You can also lean on (wordplay) these tyres to offer you a lot of confidence even on sub-par roads. Broken patches, gravel, dust, or dirt- the tyres are equipped to deal with almost everything you can throw at them. Even if you decide to do some light trails, you can trust the tyres to be communicative and provide excellent grip in varying terrain. This ride was an important one for me and the fact that it went safely can be attributed, to some degree, to the tyres as well. With all that, if you ride a Royal Enfield Himalayan, you ought to give these tyres a try and you’ll know!