Few days back Manik and I had the esteemed privilege of meeting world’s best tourer and it happened out of the blue when we least expected it.

Location: Bagga Link (Authorized Bajaj Service Center) Karol Bagh, New Delhi

Time: Sunny afternoon

Date: 1^st of December, 2006

Characters:

Manik Mittal: 1 time ladakh veteran

Yogesh Sarkar: 2 time ladakh veteran

Guest appearance: Worlds Best Tourer

Setting: Manik and Yogesh are waiting for Manik’s bike to arrive after service.

Manik: Did you get a call from Hitanshu?

Yogesh: Nope

Manik: DJ spoke with him last night, he is in Manali and he saw lots of snow en-route to Rohtang pass.

Yogesh: hmm…

World’s best tourer enters…

World’s best tourer: Sorry to disturb you all, but no matter when you go to Rohtang you will always find snow there, even in the month of September.

Yogesh: but I was there this September I didn’t see even an ounce of snow

World’s best tourer: this year there was no snow, last year there was tons of snow on Rohtang.

Yogesh: that’s strange I was there last year in September as well and there was no snow even then.

World’s best tourer: well you were unlucky in that case, I live near Manali and there is always snow at Rohtang.

World’s best tourer proves why he deserves this title.

World’s best tourer: In fact I am coming right now from Leh on my Bajaj Discover 125cc motorcycle.

Manik: isn’t the Manali – Leh route closed?

World’s best tourer: I came from the “other route”

Manik: Leh – Srinagar?

World’s best tourer: yes

Manik: isn’t Zoji La closed due to snow?

World’s best tourer: only for public and cars, motorcycle can easily ride through it.

Yogesh: hmm…

Manik: I saw in news that there is a lot of snow there

World’s best tourer: yes there is a lot of snow and it is quite tough to make it through but I did. All one can do is give the throttle and pray that your bike wont die when you are riding through soft snow.

Yogesh: what about other passes, is there snow on them as well?

World’s best tourer: other passes? (seems confused) Yes there is a lot of snow ever thing is buried in it.

Manik: how long did it take for you to reach here?

World’s best tourer: three days

Manik: where did you spend your first night after Leh?

World’s best tourer: around 60-70 odd kms after Leh don’t know that places name. But there was just too much snow and because of that I had to sleep on the road side! Next day I made it to Srinagar and day after that I reached Jammu. In fact I did Jammu – Delhi in less than 10 hours

After waiting for a response and not getting it World’s best tourer continues…

World’s best tourer: I get fantastic mileage as well, I did Jaipur – Delhi in under 3 hours and my bike consumed only 5 liters of petrol (Jaipur Delhi = 260kms, which means an average speed of 86.6kmph and a mileage of 52kmpl)

Manik: hmm…

Bajaj mechanic calls World’s best tourer and he says good bye to us and leaves.

Manik and Yogesh look at each other and start laughing

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