It’s history in the making as Royal Enfield successfully completes its 90-degree South Pole expedition. What a stellar way to celebrate 120 years of motorcycling. This 90-degree South quest was a tribute to all the riders and explorers who made history with their motorcycling journeys.
Of course, the expedition wasn’t going to be a cakewalk considering the treacherous atmosphere. The team arrived at Novo in Antarctica from Cape Town for four days of acclimatization, loading of supplies, checking equipment and the motorcycles. From Novo, the team covered an overland distance of 3200 km over the next nine days, braving extreme climatic conditions with temperatures between -30 to -25 degree and wind speed of 60 kph, towards Ross Ice Shelf. Located in the extreme south of the continent, Ross Ice Shelf was the designated starting point for the riders (Santhosh Vijay Kumar and Dean Coxson). But, an unexpected blizzard forced the team to alter the course. Instead of starting the ride from 86-degree South, the team started the ride from 87-degree South. Despite these roadblocks and a short detour, the expedition team completed the quest on the 16th of December, 2021.
Two modified Himalayans were used for this expedition and they were fitted with various functional upgrades to help them navigate. Also, keeping the emissions in mind, these motorcycles were ridden on a compacted snow track to the South Pole. Moreover, RE also ensured that all the waste including human waste is brought back for appropriate disposal. This was part of RE’s initiative of #LeaveEveryPlaceBetter.
