Mahindra Desert Trail
The Mojo Tribesmen ride to the Thar desert for Christmas
THAS BEEN A
month and a half since I started working for Bike
India and this was my first assignment. Obviously, I lost a lot of sleep on account of pure excitement. I was going to traverse the desert on Mahindra’s largest capacity production motorcycle, the Mojo, on the Desert Trail.
The Desert Trail was flagged off with more than 30 bikes, one among them being ridden by yours truly. I quickly got used to the dimensions of the bike and figured out a comfortable way to perch on it without being tired out by the winds. The lead (Hemant Singh Bisht) and the sweep (Sarath Shenoy) co-ordinated well to make sure that no one was left behind: something they always took care of throughout the ride. Soon the road passed through villages and long stretches of wasteland. Without too many hard corners or bumpy terrain, the conditions were ideal for the Mojo. Its 295-cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, single-cylinder engine and five-speed gearbox made sure that the ride was effortless. The last 10-odd kilometres for the day had poor roads that severely restricted our speed. The front end remained indifferent and would go into potholes with a sickening clunk. I am sure Mahindra are going to work out this detail in the next iteration.
The second day of the trail had us cover a considerable distance; approximately 400 kilometres. Three bikes doing 100+ km/h went through a pothole. A couple of bikes broke a rim apiece while the third rider had to replace both the rims and tyres. We made up for lost time by catching up with the rest of the convoy at the Jaisalmer War Museum. It was already dark when we reached our last stop for the day, Kuldhara village. It was abandoned in the early 19th century by the resident Paliwal brahmins.
Apparently, the village is cursed because a royal personage harassed the brahmins over a girl he fell in love with. After vigorous research, that was the least plausible explanation I could find. At the end of the day, we settled down in the desert camp. They put up a wonderful cultural show for us complete with folk dances and ghazals. Following which, we danced around the fire... umm...did our best to dance.
The next day, the first stop was at the Jaisalmer fort. Known popularly as the Sonar Quila or Golden Fort, this massive fort draws its name from the way its walls change colour at sunset, camouflaging it perfectly with the desert. The ride to Tanot temple was fantastic because the roads ranthrough the sand dunes, providing us with brilliant scenery. However, it was treacherous because the wind would occasionally sweep some sand on to the roads. This proved particularly dangerous when exiting a fast corner to find sand at the exit. A couple of riders lost control and fell but, fortunately, there wasn’t much damage to them or the bikes. Our last stop for the day was Laungewala, the site of the historic battle.
Most of the convoy woke up with the sun and got ready to embark on the desert safari. We were picked up by SUVs and driven into the deserts where we got a chance to participate in camel rides. Some of us watched as the more enthusiastic folk indulged in a spot of camel racing following which
The long stretches of open roads meant that I could open up the Mojo to my heart’s content. I managed to clock 157 km/h
we headed to Sanchore. The route was full of opportunities for off-roading in the dunes which we exploited to the hilt. Expert riders drifted their bikes in the sand while amateurs like me tried our hand at riding in the sand. Fortunately, I didn’t get stuck. Riding on the sand was a wonderful experience; it realigned my entire perspective on the steering dynamics of a motorcycle. The Mojo’s bottom and mid-range torque ensured that I had ample torque on demand.
This was my last day on the ride and most of our riding was restricted to national highways until we crossed the border into Gujarat. There we took the bikes off road again; this time on to a salt flat. We spent a significant amount of time attempting stunts and having fun with our machines. The Mojo handled well off the tarmac, especially the bikes shod with off-road tyres. The long stretches of open roads meant that I could open up the Mojo to my heart’s content. I managed to clock 157 km/h. After the turn-off from NH 27, it was a short ride to Bhuj where we settled for the night, having spent some quality time round a campfire.
It was with a heavy heart that I bid goodbye to the convoy. The Mahindra team was courteous and well-organised. They were prompt in resolving issues with the bike and quick in tackling unpredictable obstacles. It was a ride I attended as an automotive journalist but it will always be an experience I will never forget.