A well-repeated observation made by us over the years is the fact that most people tend to overlook one of the most important components of a motorcycle. The one thing that is in constant contact (not to mention, the only point of contact) with Mother Earth is tyres. By people, I mean both vehicle manufacturers as well as consumers alike.
The former usually doesn’t bother to offer top-quality tyres as standard on their motorcycles; the latter often just doesn’t seem to care. Tyre manufacturers, like TVS Eurogrip, on the other hand, seem to be working double-time to design and engineer tyres that are capable of undergoing extreme duress and still perform extremely well. The last time we visited their facility in Madurai, we got to observe the process that goes into making their world-class tyres, especially the Roadhound range of zero-degree steel-belted radial tyres. We also got to test the same on the track at Kari Motor Speedway.
This time around, the subject of our evaluation was the Terrabite, as well as the Duratrail range of adventure tyres, with a promise of good on-road as well as off[1]road performance. The means of testing them were different this time around, though, as we were to embark on a journey from the TVS Srichakra facility in Madurai all the way to Thekkady, in Kerala, and back. A bunch of 12 auto journos, a fleet of 13 motorcycles, and a support crew set off from the premises around mid-afternoon, at a reasonable pace and as gentrified as can be (a decent effort was made). The fleet consisted of three RE Classic 350s, shod with the Terrabite DB+, and three RE Himalayan 411s, shod with the Duratrail EB+. There were also three Yamaha FZs, two Suzuki Gixxer 150s, a Hero Xtreme 160, and a TVS Apache RTR, all wearing Beamers on the front and Protorq Extremes on the rear. With pitstops along the route at around every 50 km, we shuffled the bikes among ourselves so that everyone got to experience all tyres equally. More often than not, there was a scramble for the keys to the three Himalayans.
Anyway, it wasn’t long before we came upon a spot with a private road where we could try and have some fun with the tyres. Various manoeuvres were implemented: hard braking, speeding up, whacking the throttle open, breaking traction, finding traction, and so on. Both the Terrabite and the Duratrail tyres fared pretty well, and we weren’t disappointed in the least. Carrying on, we crossed vast expanses of paddy fields to either side of the highway, right around dusk, and it was such a picturesque setting, riding off into the sunset.
As we reached Thekkady, the sun had already set, and the cold was just about to set in. We each retired to our respective rooms for a much-needed hot shower, after which we reconvened for dinner. After a hearty meal, a few of us decided to explore the nearby shops and handicraft stores, which were surprisingly kept open well into the night. Another intriguing thing I realised was that the bulk of all these merchants were from Kashmir, having made this little hill station in Kerala their home.
The next morning started pretty early, as we wanted to avoid peak traffic on those narrow roadways. The descent saw to it that we got to enjoy a decent amount of curvies where we could test out the levels of grip on offer by the tyres. Soon we were back in Tamilnadu, keeping pace at the upper limit of the speed restrictions for as long as we could maintain it. I for one wanted to slow down a tad and savor the route, considering that it is rare for us to see such well maintained roads elsewhere.
I’ve always loved the highways in and around suburban and rural Tamil Nadu. Granted, they can be narrow when compared to the bustling multi-laned ‘express’ highways found elsewhere, but they still feel more welcoming. Dotted on either side by large tamarind trees, their branches coming together to form a canopy of sorts over the simple two-lane road, our convoy passed through in a rhythmic line, much like an army of ants.
The ride soon concluded, as we found ourselves back at the TVS Srichakra facility, slightly weary, but pretty content. As seamless as the journey seemed, a lot rode on how good the tyres were, with well-deserved appreciation from each and every one of us. Now I wait eagerly to wear out the tyres on our long-term motorcycles so that I can replace them with a pair of brand new ones from TVS Eurogrip and set out on new adventures.
