Royal Enfield Successfully Completes Quest for the South Pole
Commemorating "120 years of adventure and exploration on motorcycles," Royal Enfield has succeeded with its 90° South - Quest for the Pole on the Royal Enfield Himalayan.
On December 16, 2021, two riders, Santhosh Vijay Kumar and Dean Coxson, reached the geographic South Pole in 15 days. Departing from Cape Town, South Africa, the team arrived at Novo in Antarctica for four days of acclimatization, loading of supplies, checking equipment and the motorcycles.
From Novo, the team covered an overland distance of 3,200 km (1,988 miles) over the next nine days, braving extreme weather conditions with temperatures between -30° to -25°C (-22° to -13°F) and wind speed of 60 km/h (37 mph) towards the Ross Ice Shelf.
The Ross Ice Shelf was the designated start point for the riders, however, an unexpected blizzard forced the team to alter their course. Instead of starting the ride from 86 degrees South, the team started the 400 km (250 mile) ride from 87 degrees South, completing the ride at the South Pole on December 16, 2021.
Two Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycles were modified in-house with functional upgrades to be able to navigate snow and ice and function under the extreme conditions of Antarctica. The motorcycles were ridden on a compacted snow track from the Ross Ice Shelf to the South Pole, to reduce motorcycle drag and limit emissions to an absolute minimum. Royal Enfield is consciously ensuring no footprint is left behind by the expedition team, except wheel tracks that will be quickly lost to snow drift. In line with its #LeaveEveryPlaceBetter initiative, the team is ensuring all waste is brought back for appropriate disposal.
From the South Pole, the team headed towards the western part of Antarctica, Union Glacier, from where they flew out to Punta Arenas, Chile.
