I’d overshot the first scheduled service by a bit, but since nobody seemed to mind, I made it happen at 1260 km. An oil (and oil filter) change, a tightened and lubed chain, and a software update (nothing noteworthy), among other small checks, set me up perfectly for a weekend ride from Mumbai to Pune and back. The Enduro has rekindled my love for riding in the rain to the point that I now gladly leave my rain gear at home, and so, with my Viaterra Elements tail bag strapped to the pillion seat, along with a few clever compact luggage prototypes from Bombay Custom Works strapped on, I set off, uncomfortably close to sunset.
I had an hour of daylight (and rain) before I discovered just how pathetic the Enduro’s headlight is on the highway. Okay, it’s significantly better than the flashlight on my iPhone, but honestly, I don’t think I’ll road trip into the night on that unit. Somehow, with the road (and my mesh gear) drying up as I inched closer to Pune, I was still able to keep up a brisk-enough pace. It was also the first time I went 150+ km without a hint of discomfort from the seat. It beds in after a while, eh? I also figured I’m ready for a slightly taller handlebar (or risers); a little more leverage will help me ride the Enduro better, now that we’re getting familiar.
This also means I’m now having a lot more fun with it than earlier, proof of which was produced on the ride back to Mumbai. With a tank up at the source (same on the first leg, too), the 156-km ride warranted no breaks, and with light traffic over a Sunday afternoon, I simply rode as smoothly as I could. The Enduro’s engine and quickshifter-equipped gearbox is such a tasty combination, and with its sublime suspension letting you carry cruising speeds over even the worst kind of surfaces, it makes for a properly fun travel motorcycle. The downside? Didn’t even stop for photographs! Perhaps on that promised ride to Goa, then…
