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.
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.
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.
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.
For greater torque at the rear wheel, the main drive sprocket has been changed from a 15-tooth to a 13-tooth unit.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sit down with our expedition team as they discuss the journey and the challenges that lie ahead.
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