Fast forward to March 2020 and the very beautiful town of Manali in the lap of the Indian Himalayas received news of a total lockdown in India too. At the time, the first thing that came to mind, was how much I’d miss great coffee, since all the coffee shops would be closed, but very soon other matters became all too apparent, like for instance, food supply for all the stray dogs in our valley who were dependent on dhabas(roadside eateries or foodstalls) for their food(scraps). Local government who were aware of the work that our newly found(28 September 2019) NGO, Manali Strays, was doing for stray and other animals, soon called a meeting with two of our founders and some other interested and caring parties. A group was initiated to feed all the stray dogs in our valley who lived along the main roads and depended totally on dhabas and tourism for food. Two members of this newly formed group, sponsored buckets of special chapatis(Indian flat breads) which included eggs and butter, for daily distribution. As a result, in a time when all the wise Kullu valley elders were digging up their lawns to replace them with vegetable gardens, we had permission to do a daily feeding round by vehicle. In no time, the dogs on our route recognised the sound of our camper(jeep) and my whistle and would rush to meet us for their much-anticipated treats. Many animal loving residents also recognised our logo and would stop the car to ask for assistance with their sick pets and other strays they looked after. What started as a small whatsapp group of caring feeders grew to a vast community along the Beas river valley, all feeding and keeping an eye on the health of the stray dogs and cows. This is the power of networking among the good people on the streets of India, especially in a time where nothing else was moving. People here love to engage with goodwill.

Daily we encountered so many wonderful animals. What a blessing to get to know all these special souls, whom we normally would just drive past, hardly noticing their unique and humorous characteristics. Each and every dog had preferred feeding habits. Many wanted to be hand fed, while others preferred the chapatis broken into manageable bits for them to pick up when ready and nearly all of them wanted a good helping of cuddles on the side. Never did we imagine that the gross population of stray animals would be so approachable and friendly! Getting to know all the animals in the valley, meant that all the carers were aware of every health issue, so the Manali Strays mobile clinic got extra busy with all the calls coming in for treatments. These consisted mostly of wounds, mange treatments and some unfortunate rabid dogs, but as you can well imagine, there were a myriad of different cases. While the world turned inward into silence, Kullu valley was buzzing with animal care and of course new-found friendships among the carers.

As the locked down months drew on, so our vehicles on my particular feeding route transformed from a camper/jeep sponsored by Himalayan Frontiers, to a Suzuki Alto, the best car to drive in this valley(my humble and of course, “completely unbiased” opinion), to a Royal Enfield Himalayan (YAY!!) sponsored by Motorcycle Expeditions to a Honda scooty on which the bucket of chapatis fitted so snugly between my feet. Feeding and treating strays on two wheels had the added benefit of wind in the face while riding around the magnificent Himalayas, since long trips were off the cards.

On the flip side, we’d go online in the afternoons and discuss the incomparable motorcycle adventures across Asia, or rather the fact that these had to be postponed to a later and safer date with riders who had planned for and dreamt about these. The quiet time at the office, made space for concocting some more and fantastically exhilarating new rides for when the world opens up her borders, so please keep watching the Motorcycle Expeditions space for fresh fantasies to be turned into reality!

Slowly but surely, more and more local businesses opened their doors as lockdown was lifted within India and relieved the pressure on us for being the animal’s only source of nutrition. This presented Manali Strays with time to go after our next goal, a building of our own, to set up a class animal hospital for more intricate and longer duration medical treatments, of which sterilisations are a high priority, and which require animals to be resident with us for some days or weeks. From our founding event on World Rabies Day 2019 when we vaccinated nearly 100 stray dogs against rabies between Old and New Manali and our sterilisation campaign in October/November 2019 when 110 dogs in New Manali were sterilised and in between innumerable mobile clinic and pet treatments, we finally found a perfect property and are setting up. As a sidenote, we celebrated our first anniversary, starting on 28 September 2020, with another anti-rabies vaccination camp this year by vaccinating 300 dogs.

This led to the next phase of cleaning out, painting and organising required equipment to be able to function as a hospital. We’ve had tonnes of fun and laughs, covering the walls and ourselves in paint and wood dust and building fences around the property to keep our inpatients close to the house/hospital. During sterilization surgeries at the moment, we can bop along to the 80’s classics Bollywood film songs played at full volume on AmaJi’s phone outside, while she and her team are building much needed kennels, so we can finally keep more inpatients safely until they are healed and ready to face their usual hubbub again.

If you’d like to be a part of this fantastic journey to improve the lives of our beautiful Manali stray animal population, please see our Global Giving link.

Special thanks goes to the following people

by Irma Wouters

The post Manali Lockdown Diversions first appeared on Motorcycle Expeditions.

I am living my dreams of traveling with my camera, that allows me to capture the hidden and the most astonishing beauty of the world. With my grown up age I realized that my life is meant for traveling and with passage of time I mixed it up with my photography passion. My life is now presented in terms of composition, saturation, lenses, colors and travelogue.

I believe in sharing my travel experiences and explorations through my photos. For me, in every photo there is a story to narrate. It must convey a strong message to the viewers. I click to define my all travelogues and promote conservation of Nature and Culture Heritage. All these pictures are about variety of cultures, places and people coexisting in one BIG WORLD. I love to encourage the young generation to travel and live beyond their dreams. I always try to bring a vista of nature and culture through my lens.

I believe the only Difference between a photographer and common man is a way to see the world, an eye to see the beauty beyond normal things and expand the belief of what is possible. For me, travel and photography simplify Freedom, like stripping down to just MYSELF.

“Happiness is only real when shared” ~ by Christopher McCandless. #intothewild
He also maintained that anyone can explore and experience the beauty of the world through someone else’s eye.
His work is widely known and featured on websites and he has won a number of photo contests in the last few years.

Achievements

Follow my works at

The post Nakul Sharma Photography first appeared on Motorcycle Expeditions.

Bike Specs

Building the dream

In 2010, at a steal, I bought a frame without registration. Well this meant that I wouldn’t be able to ride the bike legally on the road here in Europe…

The primary idea was to take an original tank and rear frame and build on that.

We are talking about dreams, pictures inside my head, pictures that kept me up at night and inspirations gathered from Streetfighters, custom bikes and Cafe Racers. There were a few elements I always wanted to play with like a peanut tank with a sexy, slim ass reduced to the max and some brass parts, elegant but still some Mad Max inside.

A friend started playing around with the frame. He bought a Ducati swingarm, one of the sexiest standard bike swingarms in my opinion. The fork from one of my race bikes, was lying around and the rolling chassis had been gathering dust for almost 4 years.

A decision was made. I wanted to build my dream, no compromises! I would have to build the tank and cut the rear frame off, to match up to my mental picture.

I brought the frame to my garage and the first task would be to cut off the rear frame. Nobody has ever done that to such a frame. Why would you perform such an act to a frame like that?! Just because… Fuck it!

It was quite a long process to find the right proportions for the tank and the tail section. In the end I built 4 rear frames, of which the last one was the frame of my dreams.

For the tank logo, I built a 3D model from a jpg printed on my 3D printer. I’ve never cast aluminium but according me, it’s the only way to get 3D with detail out of metal. I built a furnace and melted the aluminium and it worked out great.

Drinking beers does not always end up well… “OK, hold my beer” is what started the supercharger idea Ebay happened to have a new Rotrex C15 and the idea was set into action!

Technically it was very demanding for me to get this whole bunch of technology running together. The idea is to do it yourself, BUILT NOT BOUGHT!

My Social Media Links

Instagram – @rocketsprocketcustoms
Website – rscustoms.ch

The post Rocketeer by Rocket Sprocket Customs first appeared on Motorcycle Expeditions.

Motorcycle ride in MONGOLIA!!! is a fantastic adventure weaving through spectacular valleys, crossing beautiful rivers and camping in remote areas. You will see ground squirrels, vultures, herds of yak, try your hand at fishing and these are just a few of the activities on this awe inspiring trip.

This is an exotic and esoteric land so if you are expecting to get whatever you desire you may be disappointed. It is a good idea to check and see if your travel insurance covers these motorcycle tours. Some insurance companies may prefer tours with guides rather than self-driving which is risky in such harsh terrains.

If you don’t know the language, request for a translator to join you on tour. Translators can travel with the tour guide and cook in the service car. If exotic foods are not your ‘cup of tea’, then ensure that the cook knows how to cook continental or simple American dishes. Trust me, you don’t want an upset tummy in the middle of the desert.

Some tour operators include the price of hotels in the package. But if you want to save money then do some research and book them yourself. Just make sure that the hotels are located close to each halt so that you don’t waste time going up and down.

Motorcycle tours in Mongolia are very different from the rest of the world. They need more expertise, riding skill, comfortable and functional riding gear, and experience with different off-road terrains to make them a success. It is a good idea to opt for a professional company with an outstanding reputation. They will not only offer well planned tours but also ensure excellent rider safety and security.
Guided motorcycle tours ensure hassle-free-motorcycle-holidays . All our motorcycle trips around Mongolia are fully guided motorcycle trips, including back-up vehicle(s), experienced motorcycle mechanics and a professional guide to visit places you may get lost trying to find.

What to pack for a Mongolian adventure?

• Large, flexible bag

  It’s usually better to have a large, flexible bag instead of a hard suitcase to keep your main luggage in, because you will likely load it from luggage compartments to cars and so forth multiple times. You won’t be carrying it around with you every day however, so it depends on the specificity of your trip. If you have pack animals (usually horses, or camels in some cases) carrying your luggage, soft bags are recommended.

• Backpack or small bag

  Backpack and small bag (belt pouch/ hip bag/ bum bag/etc): Besides putting your daily items in a backpack, having a small bag with your valuables (e.g. wallet and travel documents) is handy. As far as dimensions go, it should be small enough to carry around at nearly all times and big enough to fit ALL your valuable items.

• Headlamp

  This is extremely useful at night and while tenting. Headlamps are priceless when reading at night as electricity is nearly unavailable in the countryside except in soum (town or administrative district) centers, where coverage is still somewhat unpredictable.

• Rubber slippers

  These are a must, especially when using showers in most ger camps.

• Binoculars, camera, and camera accessories

  Abundant wildlife spotting requires active searching in many cases, so if you really want to make the most of your time, binoculars are irreplaceable. If you take photos and/or use special camera accessories, be sure not to forget them as it might not be easy to find the right materials. Ulaanbaatar is the first and last resort for photo equipment and binoculars.

• Personal medication

  Although we provide first aid kits with basic supplies, it is forbidden to dispense medication of any kind by law. Make sure to bring your own medications, based on your traveling experiences and personal knowledge of your current health.

• Warm coat/jacket and layers

  The weather in Mongolia is unpredictable, and nights have been known to dip below freezing even in the summer in some regions. Therefore multiple layers are always recommended. You can always take layers off or put them back on. Raincoats and ponchos are not only a must for occasional rainy weather, but they can be good insulators when placed outside your sleeping bag.

• Trekking shoes

  These are very important in all regions of the countryside. From the Altai mountain range to the Gobi Desert, all terrains are truly wild and present their own challenges and diverse fauna and flora. It is crucial to keep these(trekking shoes) on hand at all times as you traverse each region.

• Riding boots for horse trekking

  Unless you’re wearing chaps, tall riding boots are invaluable to protect your legs from chafing.

• Ziploc bags

  Besides their usual function, putting valuables (documents, phone, etc) in Ziploc bags is a good idea to protect them from damaging rain and dust.

What is the weather like in Mongolia?

The average temperature in January ranges from around -32 °C (-26 °F) in the coldest areas of the north, to around -15 °C (5 °F) in the south. The temperature does not necessarily decrease with altitude, on the contrary, owing to the phenomenon of the temperature inversion, it can even increase with altitude. In fact, the coldest areas of the country are the valleys between the mountains of the north, at least in winter. Conversely, the temperature in summer is higher in the south and at low altitude. At 1,500m (5,000ft) above sea level, the daily average in July is around 13 °C (55.5 °F) in the far north, around 15 °C (59 °F) in the center-north, and 20 °C (68 °F) in the south. At 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), the daily average ranges from 16 °C (61 °F) in the north to 23 °C (73 °F) in the south. So, only at the lowest altitudes and in the south, the summer can be considered hot. The areas located at low altitudes, around a thousand meters or less, are not very large, so the summer nights in most of Mongolia are generally cool (sometimes even cold) and the days are pleasant. However, in the whole country, heat waves with peaks of 35/37 °C (95/99 °F) can occur, at least below 1,500 meters (5,000 feet).
The northern part of Mongolia lies in the permafrost area (the southern limit is more or less at the latitude of the capital), where the ground below a certain depth, remains frozen throughout the year, and makes it difficult to build houses and infrastructure as well as to dig for extraction of raw materials.



The post Mongolia Motorcycle Adventure first appeared on Motorcycle Expeditions.

]]> https://www.motorcycleexpeditions.com/2019/09/25/mongolia-motorcycle-adventure/feed/ 0 https://www.motorcycleexpeditions.com/2019/09/25/jd-custom-jay-patels-535-gt-royal-enfield/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jd-custom-jay-patels-535-gt-royal-enfield https://www.motorcycleexpeditions.com/2019/09/25/jd-custom-jay-patels-535-gt-royal-enfield/#respond Wed, 25 Sep 2019 08:57:39 +0000 https://www.motorcycleexpeditions.com/?p=8502 Jay Patel’s Royal Enfield GT 535, Metal Jacket project. Build Name – Metal Jacket Donor Motorcycle – Royal Enfield Continental GT535 2014 Build Duration – 4 Months The Royal Enfield Continental Gt 535 is the motorcycle very close to my […]

The post J&D CUSTOM- JAY PATEL’S 535 GT ROYAL ENFIELD first appeared on Motorcycle Expeditions.

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Jay Patel’s Royal Enfield GT 535, Metal Jacket project.

Build Name – Metal Jacket
Donor Motorcycle – Royal Enfield Continental GT535 2014
Build Duration – 4 Months

The Royal Enfield Continental Gt 535 is the motorcycle very close to my heart and there are few reasons behind it

1. First it’s a highest capacity motorcycle I have ever worked on,
2. Second this is my 3rd project based on GT535,
3. Third reason is, I have introduced a bolt on kit fairing for GT535 for the very first time in India few years back.

So I am kind of very connected with this motorcycle and I always thought to do a build out of it which can hit the apex with its shape and stance using & enhancing all its performance capabilities.
So Overall idea behind the build was to build a motorcycle with sharp lines & shapes with aggressive & lightweight aluminum bodywork. Thinking of something futuristic as well as reflecting the era of retro racing motorcycles.

As I do everything on my own, it was my first experience to Shape major parts of this build out of aluminum. I’ve made aluminum tanks before but not the complete bodywork of motorcycle & it was learning experience for sure which enhanced my capabilities to work with aluminum.
I have begun the build sorting out the stock frame first. The frame is cut down from rear and only piece used of stock frame is the one holding the engine. Before heading to creating other half of frame I started creating wire-frame of tank first along with rear cowl & seat lines to decide overall stance of the bike and start shaping actual parts As I really wanted to focus only on shapes and stance of the motorcycle.



I tried to create kind of a 3d type shape with the tank and rear cowl which you can observe at the bottom line of tank continuing to cowl. The tank is made out of 1.5mm aluminum & can hold around 14liters of fuel. You can see sight glass as a gauge on both the sides of tank to check the fuel level. I got that idea from air compressor oil level sight glass & managed to make it possible for the fuel tank. Fuel cap is also made out of aluminum with the threads and no lock or key to keep it simple with the J&D logo engraved.

Before building rear swing arm and shock absorbent setup I shortened front forks by 2 inches to achieve the perfect lines of retro racing motorcycles. The rear swing arm is hand built by me out of mild steel pipes with the change in length as well as design to enhance overall design. Though rear shock absorbent are the stock ones and many suggested during the build that I should switch to mono-shock but I was just in love with overall design using those stock ones and I thought everyone is using mono-shock these days and its very common setup so I decided to keep it this way creating new rear section of the frame with shock absorbent mounts, and as I did not wanted to show any of the rear frame pipes, the shape of seat pan and rear cowl help that out hiding the pipes. Rear cowl is actually detachable and seat is extended to end of the frame so anyone can sit as a pillion.



Coming to the most attractive part of build which is Fairing, its made out of 1.5mm aluminum sheet. I’ve made it in three pieces, two sides and one front and now all the three welded together and its one piece fairing now. I wanted to add some old school charm to the fairing so you can see aluminum riveting on edge of side panels as well as louvers done on both the sides. The top of the fairing is equipped with all the handlebar switches using toggle and push button switch which surly looks like salt racer bike cockpit. The small windscreen you can see is actually a Royal Enfield Helmet Visor I used as windscreen which I thought going pretty good while looking at the aerodynamics of design. All the electric components of motorcycle are relocated underneath the fairing and in front of engine. Have made Stainless steel pipes setup for the sensor cables of throttle body going underneath the tank to give the overall design a very raw look.
Handlebars and levers are stock but throttle assembly, hand-grips, footrests are made out of aluminum with knurling pattern.
Exhaust is completely made in-house out of 304 stainless steel tubing and elbows. Kept that in very raw form to enhance overall silver paint of bike. High performance K&N air filter is used to improve engine performance.

Both the wheel assemblies are stock. Hubs, rims & spokes are polished in matte finish.
Seat is very simple form of single layer of Dunlap using plain black leather. As I really don’t wanted to do any patterns and break the simplicity of the build.
The name of the build is Metal Jacket, as it’s a combination of materials like Aluminum, Mild steel and stainless steel and the front fairing referred to the Jacket of the bike putting out strong statement of macho personality.
So this build may or may not in the interest area of everyone but as a bike builder it was my dream to create the GT535 in these shapes and lines & I am really glad I got the client who gave me an opportunity to build it as per my vision and results are quite satisfying for me at least.



Courtesy to my colleagues to make my work even better!

Photography Courtesy 1) Indoor Shoot – Fanil Pandya ( http://www.fanilpandya.com/ )

2) Outdoor Shoot – Harshil Majmudar ( https://www.harshilmajmudar.com/ )

My Social Media Links – 1) Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jdcustomco/
2) Website – www.jdcustomco.com

The post J&D CUSTOM- JAY PATEL’S 535 GT ROYAL ENFIELD first appeared on Motorcycle Expeditions.

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