90 South - The Most Epic Motorcycle Ride | Royal Enfied

From 1901 to 90° South

Ever since our wheels began turning in 1901, we’ve been an ally for exploration to thousands of riders who’ve made the maps reveal new routes to uncharted places. In our 120th year, this journey has put us on a path to the Last Continent, as our two riders carry the spirit of the motorcycling community across Antarctica - through the coldest, loneliest, harshest and driest desert on Earth - all the way to the South Pole.

90 South - The Game

THE ROUTE

Phase 1: Across the Icy Continent. The expedition begins, as the team embarks from Novo on a 12-day drive across Antarctica to the Indian Research Station on the Ross Ice Shelf.

Phase 2: Destination: South Pole! The team takes off on their epic 770 km journey to the Amundsen-Scott Pole Station at the Earth’s geographic South Pole.

Phase 3: The Way Back Home. Our heroes drive west to Union Glacier, where a flight will be waiting to take them back to civilization.

THE MEN, MACHINES AND MISSION

#90South | Flying The Community Flag

As we ride to the South Pole in our 120th year, we celebrate the motorcycling community that fuels us, carrying the riding club badges they sent us in the form of a flag that will be planted on the Antarctic ice.

#90South | A Himalayan for Ice

Off-road capabilities proven on towering mountains in white-out conditions made the #RoyalEnfieldHimalayan perfectly suited for 90 South.

#90South | Ice Cold Hell

Sub-zero temperatures, icy winds and a frozen landscape that’s just waiting for you to slip up. Perfectly hostile conditions for an epic attempt!

#90South | Thriving South of the Freezing Point

With -40℃ summers, and terrain that’s entirely ice and snow, our team certainly isn’t expecting a warm welcome. Luckily, these are exactly the kind of conditions that polar expedition experts Arctic Trucks have proved themselves upon.

#90South | Team Rider Santhosh

On expeditions, sometimes you have to traverse terrifying landscapes. But those are also the moments when you feel most alive, as Santhosh Vijay will tell you.

#90South | Team Rider Dean

Only 1 in 7.9 billion people - the total population of Earth - have suddenly been told by their boss that they’ll be riding to the South Pole. That one person is Dean Coxson.

THE MOTORCYCLE

An Antarctic Himalayan

In order to make the already capable Royal Enfield Himalayan absolutely mission-ready, it was put through extensive “real world testing” on the Langjokull Glacier in Iceland in September 2020 and July 2021. Based on the feedback of the testing team, it was given an Antarctic upgrade.

Adaptive Tyre Set Up

A tubeless wheel setup with studded tyres allows tyres to run at low pressures, increasing floatation on soft snow, while providing traction on hard ice.

Torque Boosting Sprocketing

For greater torque at the rear wheel, the main drive sprocket has been changed from a 15-tooth to a 13-tooth unit.

Enhanced Electricals

For safety, all electricals have been waterproofed with silicone grease and shrink sealed with heat. A stronger alternator with rare earth magnets has been introduced to produce more current to enable the team to run heated gear off the motorcycle.

Ergonomic Details

To shed excess weight, the centre stand and headlamp unit (Antarctica has 24-hour sunlight in summers) of the motorcycle have been taken off. The side stand has been fitted with a large ‘foot’ to avoid it sinking in the snow, while the rear brake pedal has been moved back to allow easier access with heavy off-road boots.

Adjustable Ski

Sometimes the best wheels on snow are skis. Our motorcycle has been fitted with an adjustable ski that can be bolted onto the front forks, where required.

ABOUT THE RIDERS

Santhosh Vijay Kumar

Lead Rides & Community, Royal Enfield

Born in Bengaluru, India, Santhosh is an avid motorcyclist and history buff, who quit his IT job to follow his passion for riding. A pursuit that has seen him grow the motorcycling community while leading rides across many challenging terrains.

Dean Coxson

Senior Engineer Product Development, Royal Enfield

Santhosh’s partner on this one-of-a-kind motorcycling expedition, Dean is a mechanical wizard possessing an enviable collection of motorcycles and the ability to fix anything in a jiffy - a valuable skill on a journey to the middle of nowhere.

THE EXPEDITIONS THAT INSPIRE US

#90South | 2021 The Youngest Person to Ride Around The World

In 2019, 21-year-old Jack Groves mounted his secondhand Royal Enfield Himalayan and commenced a journey that would make him the youngest motorcyclist to circumnavigate the world.

#90South | 1933 Overland Pioneer

In 1933, KS Jones set off for London from Pretoria in South Africa on his 225cc Royal Enfield Model A.

#120 Helmets | 1920s decade helmet inspiration - Across the Sahara

In 1929, Bertil Hult set off on a journey from Stockholm to Cape Town, across the Sahara desert.

#90South | 2019 Himalayan Heights

In 2019, eleven riders, all mounted on Royal Enfield Himalayans, set out to reach the Karakoram Pass, situated 5540 meters above sea level.

#90South | 1997 Pan American Bullet

In 1997, Greg Staves completed a historic journey that took him from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle, a 22000-mile ride, in just 6 months.

Announcing 90 South: Our Quest for the South Pole

Royal Enfield has endured the test of time and purposeful longevity of not only our motorcycles but also our spirit to keep riding pure.

#WhereToNext | Everest Base Camp - The Top of the World

Our constant search for the next epic journey led us all the way to the North Face of Mount Everest, colloquially known as ‘Chomolungma Lam Thu’.

#WhereToNext | Lo Manthang - An Ancient City in the Clouds

In 2019, we rode up through the Annapurna Mountains in Nepal. And travelled back in time to the ancient city of Lo Manthang.

#WhereToNext | Lake Khövsgöl - Gliding on a Frozen Lake

With sidecars in tow, we danced across the glassy surface of the frozen Lake Khövsgöl.

#WhereToNext | Mount Bromo - Dancing on a Volcano

Beyond Jakarta and halfway across Indonesia, we found a new path where the road ended - a playground on the slopes of the active volcano, Mount Bromo.

#WhereToNext | Khardung La - Making The Himalayas Home

In 1997, we embarked on the ride that earned us the right of passage in the Himalayas, one that took us all the way to Khardung La, the highest motorable pass at the time.

WALLPAPERS

SOCIAL FEED

EXPEDITION PODCAST

Sit down with our expedition team as they discuss the journey and the challenges that lie ahead.

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JOURNEY & UPDATES

Mapping Out the Mission

Meticulous planning is key to the success of an expedition. Especially if it's passing through a desolate continent.

Landing on The Last Continent

Team 90 South lands on the blue ice runway in Novo. Before they embark on the ride towards the South Pole, they must acclimatize for 3 days.

Incoming Messages

There is no cellphone signal on the isolated continent of Antarctica. Our riders update us via a satellite phone. See what they said.

Gearing Up for Survival

There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. Protection, insulation and electrical heating are the key elements of Team 90 South’s riding gear.

Snow-Ready Steed

The Royal Enfield Himalayan is no stranger to punishing terrains. So all it needed to feel one with Antarctica’s terrain were a few snow-friendly modifications.

Cool Heads, Steady Hands

What makes a perfect riding team for an expedition as epic as 90 South! A mix of riding chops and mechanical capabilities. Which is what Santhosh and Dean bring.

The Coolest #TripStory Ever

On our way to fulfill our quest, we made some dreams come true as well! We met some scientists who really wanted to ride in Antarctica. So we let them take our motorcycles for a spin.

Contact From an Alien Planet

As a thank you for letting them ride our motorcycles, scientists at Novo let us use their satellite network to send back some audio messages.

Your Package Has Been Delivered

En route to the South Pole, our team received some much needed fuel, airdropped safely to FD 83 Fuel Depot Camp, an environment friendly refuelling facility.

Texts From the Road

As the expedition continues, Team 90 South has kept us updated on their progress - their movements and activities, and the sights on the way.

Our Quest for the Pole is Finally Complete!

From the humble start of a dream a few years ago to the accomplishment of an audacious goal, it’s been an upward journey marked with unbelievable moments leading to our riders finally reaching the Admundsen Scott South Pole Station.

The Only “Night” in Days

At the edge of the world, the sun doesn’t rise and set every 24 hours, but once every 6 months! Imagine how disorienting it would be for the team to ride and sleep.