The metal bars on the small train-windows left me wondering about another form of transportation... and when I arrived in Goa, and was walking along the road, the answer chugged by, with a deep-throated "chug-chug-chug". A motorcycle.

One of the British Raj's more charming legacies in India is the presence of the of the Royal Enfield motorcycle. When the British left, Indian entrepreneurs bought the license to keep making the lovely single-cylinder 350cc and 500cc retro-style bikes, which have today become a cult industry, with new bikes being produced and sold, years after the English company stopped making them. In fact, India now exports Enfields to the UK.

Enfields are also very popular among longer-term travellers in India, and can often be seen kitted-out with enormous baggage racks and a large 20-litre petrol tank, necessary for the more remote areas in the Himalayas, where gas stations are few and far between.

This was the obvious choice: they cost under US$2000 new, and used ones can be found for around $500 for a good bike. Parts are available very cheaply all over India, and due to the Enfield's relatively simple and primitive engineering,
every little back-street garage knows how to fix them.

Although I have owned a number of motorcycles, I've never been interested in Harleys or other retro bikes. The Japanese have taken motorcycle engineering into the future, and are more functional in every way. Obvious difgerences are features like having an electric starter; disc brakes, fuel injection, swing-arm suspension, etc., etc. Enfield riders scoff and say. "Japanese bikes have no character!"
Enfields simply ooze character, (read: "idiosynchrasies"), in that they add to their originality by having their gear lever where all other bikes have the rear brake, and vice-versa. This means riding one requires a few days of getting used to, especially when confronted with sudden obstacles, as is ALWAYS the case on Indian roads. to drive and stay alive here -- apart from the mayhem of moving traffic and pedestrians -- one must ASSUME that there will be cows and/or dogs standing in the middle of the road, around the next bend!

The beauty of a motorcycle for me, tends to lie in its functionality, and I liked the idea of disc brakes (they work), and of always knowing WHERE the brakes are, so I started looking around for a Japanese bike. Unfortunately the largest engines here are only around 150cc, which is hardly a touring machine (my last bike was a Triumph 900cc). HAving said that, India's little roads and many obstacles make smaller engines a safer bet. I tired several bikes, but they were all too damn small to be comfortable over long distances, and they were twice as expensive.

At the same time, I was trying out various friends' Enfields, secretly hoping to start liking them. They do have some advantages: ease of repair, being heavier, they are more stable and less jerky, they have larger engines (better for big loads and mountains), and they are physically big enough to be comfortable for a tall Englishman with loads of gear, even carrying a friend, or two...

In out-of-the-way Palolem, I was unable to find the bike I needed, so I finally set off for Anjuna, where there are loads of bikes, mainly being sold by Israelis who are getting ready to return home. On the second day, I came across the perfect bike, and it had a "For Sale" sign.

Rolf is now the proud -- and I am quite suprised just HOW proud -- owner of "Jony". (pictured here with the old and new owners) View image

Jony is a lovely '92 Royal Enfield 350cc, in a really nice blue with gold pinstipes, all decked out for long-distance travel; with a big tank, gear racks, and a very good front brake. As soon as I test-rode it, all my concerns and skepticism about Enfields were wiped away. It is in excellent condition, but I have since taken it to a garage, View image had it checked out, and added a comfortable NEW seat, new suspension, and a few other bits and bobs to make it extra wonderful. The bike only cost $500, which I will probably get back when I sell it -- if I don't fall in love and ship it home.

Everything feels different now. I am in my element, and I love cruising the Goan
roads and avoiding obstacles like in a video game. Pulling up at a restaurant or bar has a new deep engine-sound to it, and lends me a renewed feeling of confidence when I walk in. It's like having a good friend at your back, especially when you venture to ask to join a group of people at their table.

I feel like I have arrived. I have found the physical context of my movement through India, and a wonderful partner for my travels.

I was thinking about going back to Palolem, but all the friends I met there have gone now, and it would be like going to a new place I already know. Think I will head further north to Arambol for a few days, which everyone says is lovely, before embarking on the nearly thousand-mile drive to Pushkar, Rajastan, for the camel fair, which begins November 18th.