My Royal Enfield Story

 

Pleased to share my Royal Enfield Story (touching or not so touching🤪).

 I started my career in 1967 and bought my first two wheeler in 1970---150cc Royal Enfield Sherpa - Registered as APS 2150 (Andhra Pradesh Srikakulam)- Visakhapatnam ShowRoom Price Rs 5500 - loan from Central Bank of India  (Silver lining: interest on loan borne by my co.+ 2w monthly allowance as per co policy.) 

A strong point for decision to buy- Petrol Rs. 1+ per ltr or so. Delivery taken excitement on: petrol price enhanced to Rs. 1.50 + per ltr. Routine use- no  GF to carry on pillion- till we got married in 1971. Naturally, I had to impress Raj and after settling down for a month or so, decided on an adventure- Raj as pillion rider and myself on command & control, a 60+ miles long drive to Visakhapatnam (Vizag in short) - on a  hot & sultry Sunday straight to Kwality at Vizag Beach, the only outlet in town to prepare fresh and delicious North Indian "Chole Pathore". Then some shopping a movie and dinner of delicious chicken biryani at Chikori (Popular Punjabi Restaurant- with hefty Bank loans in pocket one fine night the owner disappeared with no trace). We now on return 60 mile journey reaching our industrial township Shreeramnagar by midnight. This ritual continued every Alternate Sunday for a few months, till we decided that Raj would learn driving Motorcycle. As usual on our last long trip to Vizag after filling the tummy with yummy chole pathe I ventured to Teach Raj to drive the Sherpa. Unmindful of sandy beach, on the very first throttle the wheels slipped and Sherpa from Hot silence side falling on Raj giving her leg mild burns....decided no more teaching .... no shopping or movie or dinner at Vizag that day.... return home safely before Sunset. The maroon and chrome shade Sherpa served me well till I had to say farewell(don't  tell any one I was short of money for the car) to it when I bought my first car , a very well kept 1971 model Ambassador in 1974, which gave my trouble free service for 17 long years, giving it a royal treatment  by bringing it in a specially designed Railway wagon from South to North in 1980.

Those were the days .....and now these are the days....today if some one offers me a lakh of Rupees to drive a 2 Wheeler for 60 mtrs. (return 120 mtrs.) I will say a polite NO !