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I know I've harped on about transport and the modes employed in various countries before but I feel I need to mention something that I have found relatively unique to the sub-continent (Nepal and India in this case). Before I had even left for this trip I had been told stories of the fabled much loved and loathed motor bike produced in India to a British design the Enfield Bullet. The Bullet has been in production to basically the same specifications since the 1950's and to a novice its very difficult to tell the age of some of these machines because they all look like they were made in the 1950's. They are big and heavy and low to the ground, they have chunky forks , a huge petrol tank and old fashioned saddle for the rider and a square type pad on the rear mud guard for a passenger. Those who know what they are talking about have informed me that the engine and gearing is what sets the Bullet apart from other bikes, it has a 1 cylinder engine that makes a sound like somebody trying to smash their way out of a 44 gallon drum with a couple of 12lb hammers while maintaining a steady beat and its other outstanding feature being the gearing, the Bullet has the foot leaver to change gears on the right hand side and its foot brake on the left in comparison the
modern motorcycle has its gear shifting leaver on the left and the brake on the right. Every Bullet rider has a story about how they forgot they were riding a Bullet and automatically either went to change gears from the wrong side and locked up the back wheel or worse mistook the gear leaver for the brake and sent the bike into all sorts of convulsions. These bikes do have an attractive ugliness, a bit like a demented grandfather and from what I gather much like a demented grandfather they also need a fair bit of intervention, how to maintain leaks, know what to do in the event of a blown gasket and how to adjust the steering from time to time. We did come across these bikes in India but most people got about on a scooter, much cheaper and you can carry a family of 5 plus a goat on a scooter, the Bullets were usually ridden by flashy young men, expats or tourists. It seems to be a universal attraction for foreigners to come to the sub-continent and buy a cheap Bullet (the missing link of motorcycles) and ride it from India to Nepal or the other way around on roads that resemble the surface of Mars. When you look at these bikes they are obviously made for long distance touring but I hazard a guess that the highly qualified British designers in their wildest dreams never imagined roads as they exist in India and Nepal. It is however a credit to them that the general construction of the bike in India hasn't altered a great deal in 60 years, but this may also say more about the manufacturers than the actual durability of the design. One of the benefits of any machine that is produced steadily for a period of time is that parts are thick on the ground and it doesn't matter if your bike is 30 or 8 years old and requires a replacement something or other you can hook into one of the many bike mechanic workshops plunder a Bullet from the obligatory pile of Bullets that have had better days, do a bit of DIY and you're on your way, no matter what it is chances are that the part is interchangeable. The Bullet attracts a wide variety of riders everyone from motorcycle enthusiasts to novices looking for the ultimate freeform adventure. The Bullet has a legion of people traversing some of the most motorist unfriendly roads on the planet, many riders spending months getting from one place to another, making full use of the freedom that comes with true independent travel and the fact that covering large distances in a reasonable time frame is out of the question. Im sure that every Bullet rider dreams of the day when they get a long stretch of straight open road in front of them and they can kick the bike into top gear open the throttle and cruise in the finest way possible. Unfortunately in the sub-continent this would always remain a dream, roads are very rarely straight and unless you plan on riding in the dead of night they probably wont be empty either. I can only imagine that riding a Bullet on say the road from Gatlang to Kathmandu (a distance of 120km that takes 10 hours to cover) must be the equivalent taking ten hours to wrestle a bear to the ground. On smooth bitumen roads Im sure the Bullet would fill you with olde worlde nostalgia as the thumping engine hurtled you along with the wind pushing so hard against your face that your cheeks are in your ears and your eyes are streaming tears of joy, but alas its not to be. The Bullet is condemned to spend its days lumbering along camel tracks, up and down mountains, across continents carrying those who still have a sense of adventure, working more like mules than thorough breads. I cant help but be reminded of a caged animal when I look at a Bullet, its just not in its proper environment and as a result nobody, including it, will ever know its full potential. Although I have ridden motorcycles in many of the countries I have visited I still haven't summoned up enough gumption to tackle the Bullet on Nepali roads, its enough for me to deal with the complete absence of traffic regulations, dogs, chickens, cows and buffalos meandering all over the place, pot holes the size of moon craters and large vehicles on very narrow roads to throw in the idea of being on a machine whose design was abandoned some 50 years ago in the pursuit of common sense.
I envy those who have mastered the machine and the required techniques and now embrace the difference; it's a brave person who puts their life in the hands of a Bullet made in India.
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Andrew MERCHANT
non-member comment
I think I will stick with my Suzuki GS500 on the roads around Cairns, at least I can drive in a 100km/h zone for part of my journey to work each day and "fang"it through the roundabouts, but I am by no means any Casey STONER. Another amus
ing and interesting entry in your adventure.