In recent years, there has been no shortage of pictures of bikers making it up to Leh on the strangest of motorcycles. Everything from the tiny little Navi to classic two-stroke Jawas and RD 350s, to even low-slung Harley-Davidsons have all made their way up to some of the highest motor able roads in the world. That said, this is the first time we’ve heard that a Busa has completed the Delhi-Srinagar-Leh-Manali-Delhi circuit.
YouTuber and rider of the Busa, Jasminder Singh, took on this 12-day road trip with four of his friends who were astride much smaller capacity motorcycles. As per the ride experience shared by Singh, none of the riders suffered a crash or a breakdown during the challenging ride and the entire road trip was concluded without any support vehicle. We spoke to Jasminder about this mighty road trip that he finished few weeks ago. Here are some of the highlights he had to share:
Best moments
“The best thing was reaching Khardung La top, years back it was just a dream. Particularly this year, I just thought about the season of Leh-Ladakh and then again to do something different. Reaching there was a moment of joy. Secondly, we enjoyed a lot at Agham Shyok Road, which goes from Nubra to Pangong, because it was very challenging. This stretch had the maximum number of river crossings and scenic views.”
Most challenging part
“The same stretch of Agham Shyok was the most challenging, even though it was my third time to Leh, I have never faced a river crossing with such strong flow. The river crossing was only 80-90 feet in length but took us one hour to cross. This was because we were waiting to take cover and ride alongside two SUVs that would help reduce the current.”
Biggest surprises
“Honestly, I don’t remember any major surprises. Everything was clear in my mind and that is why I got no surprises at all.”
Any doubts about completion?
“No! Not at all. We were prepared and we knew we could even be dropping our motorcycles. Luckily, we managed to keep the tank side up, even though four members of our group were riding to Leh for the first time.”
Bike preparations
“Nothing, except for paint protection film to some surfaces, so that I could attach bags without scratching the paint. Oh yes, and some stickers to the fairing. The bike was completely stock.”
Any damage?
“No. Not even a scratch!”
Advice to others trying something similar
“First of all, I don’t advise it, but there are some daredevils out there. So, I advise them to carry spares because it is very easy to fall on a trip like this. In fact, I saw a few accidents myself. This is why it’s a must to carry spares as it won’t be available there. A regular mechanic should manage to change components you would end up breaking. Also, fuel was important. Luckily, the Busa has a large, 21-litre fuel tank, with which I could manage 350km without the need for refuelling. Other superbike owners may require quicker fuel stops because of much smaller tanks. Carrying extra fuel is recommended. However, I did carry octane boosters because the quality of fuel up there is much lower than that of Delhi.”
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