As you have consciously landed on this page, it is apparent that either you pet love for Ladakh, or Royal Enfield motorcycles. Ladakh, the barren beauty of Kashmir Valley has become the dream destination for motorcyclists since the last decade. The challenging altitude of the plateau coupled with its rugged terrain beguiles travellers from all around the globe. As the winter sets in Ladakh gets temporarily isolated from the rest of the subcontinent for good six months, except through the aerial route. Only after the winter recedes and Border Roads Organisation reconstructs the snow-eaten roads, two prominent land routes to Ladakh are opened for tourists. Hold on buddy, this article is of little use to you if you belong to any of these groups: happy Royal Enfield (RE) owners, riders who have explored the Himalayas on a Royal Enfield motorcycle in the past, and diehard RE fans. You may still read this blog, but do not shout at me for writing what you already know.
To be specific, today's target audience is any traveller who is aspiring to ride to Ladakh and wondering if a rented Royal Enfield model would be the perfect choice for taming the wildness of Ladakhi landscapes. It is not just the call of enigmatic Tibetan Plateau, but the breathtaking road journey from Manali (2,050 m), or Srinagar (1,585 m) to Leh (3,500 m), which traverses through few of the world's highest passes (highest point being Taglang La at 5,328 m), countless kilometres of dirt roads, deadly turns and multiple water-crossings is the reason why every traveller prioritises a road trip to Ladakh in his top ten bucket list. Once you start planning for your dream Ladakh ride you'll certainly come across a pushy school of thought- only a Royal Enfield bike can endure the roughness of the high Himalayan terrain. I've been there, done that, gathered the necessary experience to share with you on how good do rented Royal Enfields behave in a Ladakh ride. In another 4 months the "ride to Ladakh" season shall begin and countless motorcyclists will board the bandwagon. After reading this post I believe you'll be able to take an informed decision whether to opt for a RE bike in your upcoming Ladakh trip.