Royal Enfield recently embarked on an extraordinary journey to the South Pole in celebration of 120 years of pure motorcycling.
Royal Enfield successfully completed 90° South – A first-of-its-kind motorcycle expedition to reach the Geographic South Pole. This was a 28-day journey travelling through Antarctica for over 400 km from 87 Degree South to the South Pole, on expedition-ready Royal Enfield Himalayans. The ride was organized in celebration of the 120-year journey of Royal Enfield and a tribute to all expeditions and riders across the world.
On December 16, 2021, Santhosh Vijay Kumar and Dean Coxson were the two riders who reached the geographic South Pole in 15 days, making this highly ambitious attempt a reality. 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 9 days, braving extreme climatic conditions with temperatures between -30 to -25 degrees and wind speed of 60 km/h, towards Ross Ice Shelf.
Located in the extreme south of the continent, Ross Ice Shelf was the designated starting point for the riders. However, an unexpected blizzard forced the team to alter the course. Instead of starting the ride from 86 South, the team started the ride from 87 degree South. Despite a few initial roadblocks and a slight detour, the expedition team completed the quest on December 16, 2021, creating history.
For this expedition, two Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycles were modified in-house, with functional upgrades to be able to navigate through the extreme weather conditions in Antarctica. The motorcycles were ridden on a compacted snow track to the South Pole, to reduce motorcycle drag and limit emissions to an absolute minimum. The team ended the journey by heading towards Union Glacier, the western part of Antarctica, from where they flew out to Punta Arenas, Chile.
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