The twin-hearted Italian's redline-howl pierced through the narrow gorge of Sutlej near Spillow on a short lived respite from the deep burr generated in the vicinity of idle rpm. For too long it had been praying on the ceaseless dirt and stone paths, and the same diet would continue till Rohtang La. Reaching the highest settlements of the Middle Land, the barren desert valley separating India from Tibet, is somewhat demanding for the motorcycle. Yet the tribal triangle offers an exceptional high-altitude adventure riding experience.
Astromotograph at Nako
From the busy mountain routes of Shimla, the Indo-Tibet Highway further progresses up into the uniqueness of Kinnaur, sharp massifs adorned by the lush green, inexorably leading through the canyonlands into the desert town of Kaza. It sits bang in the middle of the river valley, encompassed by naked orange and red towers of rock. From the busy mountain routes of Shimla, the Indo-Tibet Highway further progresses up into the uniqueness of Kinnaur, sharp massifs adorned by the lush green, inexorably leading through the canyonlands into the desert town of Kaza. It sits bang in the middle of the river valley, encompassed by naked orange and red towers of rock.Nako is a petite little village surrounding a lake, just after the incredible Kazigs Loops, and can be seen below the mikyway. Kibber and Komic, arguably the highest motorable human settlements of the world, lie perched further up. Essentially similar yet different in terms of position inside the landscape, both these villages sit on fertile narrow valleys and are inhabited year round, despite the harsh arctic-like weather of the winter months. The road advancing towards Lahaul maintains a "closed" status for the better part of the year, but for the summer. Kunzum La, a Himalayan pass as tall as the highest peak of the Europe, seperates the two valleys. The stretches of serpentine dust paths cut through wide open plateaus and narrow gorges alike, before going up to the high pass on the bottom of which lies the moon lake wilderness. Its a 14km trail full of thrills and watercrossings, a delight for two-tracking enthusiasts and offroad lovers, followed by a 2km hike to the pristine blue.
However the Batal to Gramphu stretch is more exciting still, perhaps one of the most difficult to negotiate high-himalayan expanses of road, well guarded by the mouth of Chenub – the Bara Shigri Glacier. The Khoksar mountains represent the transition in altitude extremely well, and the Graphu region is unlike any other. The opposite side of Rohtang showcases the alpine essence of the himalayas with all the glories of green pines and orchards, before finding its end in the hustle and bustle of Manali.
The Benelli 300, pumping out 37 horsepower through its parallel twin motor, performed the daunting task of finishing up the 1700km trianlge with effortless ease. The tracktability and refinement of the little Italian is perhaps it's crown jewel, while 27nm of torque nesting high up at 10,000rpm, is definitely the achilis heel. The kerb weight is a massive 196kgs and that combined with low oxygen levels 12,000 feet above mean sea level easily renders the bike out of breath. The pulling power till 3000-4000rpms seems almost non-existent and it struggles to climb the ascends these terrains have to offer. But then again, it wasn't built to handle such roads. Put it on tarmac, show it a few corners and twist the right, and the Italian will exhibit its prowess and present the rider with the gift of automotive aural bliss at the same time.
The suspension is plush enough to handle off-road or broken tarmac for hours without tiring the homo sapiens astride, yet exudes the confidence of a true sports-bike while corner-carving, craping the exhaust on tighter rights. While irregularities in the vicinity of apex might discomfort the machine a little, the feedback from front 41mm inverted forkset remains exceptional throughout, aided by the fat rubber and the fantastic chasis.
These traits make this motorcycle suitable for triple-digit thrashing on the highways as well. Roll-on acceleration and stability are the key-players here, turning the little Italian into a proper mile-munching machine.
The seat to handlebar geometry is upright and spot-on for a naked sports-tourer, but the ergonomics on the bottom part are a different story altogether, specially for those taller than the average Indian. Being one of them at 6'1, it definitely felt cramped for me and the discomfort augmented as the hours passed by each day on the saddle. But then again, it's a matter of getting used to, as is with any machine.
Dual-discs up front perform exceptionally well in bringing this heavy motorcycle to a halt. The seat is spacious enough for the long-hours and the headlight promotes acceptable speeds on the highways at night. However I'd strongly reccomend welding the exhaust pipe below the RHS footpeg area before attempting high altitude roads, It can't take a bash and will come off, adding nightmares to your solitude. But the aural note is perhaps the strongest suit of the baby Italian, the depth of the tone at which this machine sings is spectacular, and is good music to any motorist. From the idle rpm hum of a thousand humongous bees to the profound howl that sharpens in a linear fashion from power-band to red line, adds nicely to the character of the motorcycle. And it looks the part too; it's elegant yet aggressive in its stance, reminiscent of the original Italian naked aka the Monster, with a hint of Asian lineage, thanks to form and position of the swing-arm and rear suspension.
It doesn't look like a jet-ski and fortunately, there are riders out there who appreciate that about a motorcycle. But the question remains, where does one get the most fun out of this parallel-twin 300cc Italian. Sure, it'd take off-road for days, climb high passes and wade through water and slush with ease and then turn into a cornering machine or a highway ranger with effortless ease, but the best tarmac to ride this machine on, hides beneath rocks and cement. A tunnel, that is!
Chenab's Mouth
Rohtang
1800kms in 10 days, ex Delhi. Published in 5th Anniversary Issue, xBhp Magazine. Established in 1911, Benelli is one of the oldest Italian motorcycle manufacturers.
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I will post another set of photos from this ride when I can. I recently made a page on Social Media: www.facebook.com/inwilderness.in