Chennai: at the Factory

www.london-motorcycle-museum.org 

Royal Enfield Factory Visit.

After leaving Cochin and the Lemmon Tree resort there was a stop off in Trivandrum at the Fortune Hotel. Just a little way up the road was a Royal Enfield showroom. This needed a visit and on the morning before we left for a day trip I walked around to see them. Sadly to say there was a language barrier and after a short conversation I left a few fliers, took some photos and went on my way. I did get to see the local beaches and a trip up the coast to Verkala where I did see a few European faces riding Enfields.

 Mamallapuram beach.

Heading towards the east coast we stayed for a few days at the Sea Breeze Resort Hotel  in Mamallampuram where one afternoon a few guys who were sitting on the table next to us were talking about boots and jeans. I was eaves dropping, I wanted to know more! The more they talked the more the story unfolded. There a question from one about riding techniques and of “life savers” and using mirrors. It has to be a motorcycling experience! There were nerve racking traffic encounters coming from Chennai that did not want to be repeated. A question was asked about what the rules are. The response was a little different from mine but I was hooked and avidly listening while sipping at a beer. The response was interesting, there are no rules!  Keep your eyes on the road ahead and let those behind avoid you; don’t bother with mirrors or “life savers”. Go at a steady pace and ride predictably. No sudden manoeuvres. Big has right of way and use your horn! Good advice I thought but there was no real answer to what you do at junctions. The conversation moved on and a request to avoid towns where possible. I didn’t introduce myself but if you guys do read this then you will have survived India on an Enfield.

 
 Ram presenting.

Chennai is an amazing place with a beach that would do justice to any speed record as long as you avoided all the discarded Durex. It gives a new meaning to rubber side down! Taxi organised and heading on Saturday 10^th January for the factory visit. Unfortunately traffic and our taxi driver conspired against us. I phoned the reception to say we were late, it was OK provide we were not too late. We had been requested to be at the factory at 09:00 prompt. It was closer to 09:30 by the time we had signed in. The receptionist assured me it was still alright. We were taken to the boardroom entering it was full! Everyone was sitting around talking, waiting for the tour to start. Sitting next to me were a couple of guys from the Netherlands and as it happens they were in Verkala at the same time I was. Coincidence or what? It was not long before our tour guide, Ram, came in and we all introduced ourselves and where we came from.

 Some of the visitors and the Royal Enfield history.

Good start but I was now the historian and called about to confirm information and add to it. Ram was good at coaxing information from people and the whole group was quite cordial. I even managed a pigeon English with signing conversation with a guy from Sweden. It was a very international group with people from France and America too. The guy from America started out his working life in Acton and knew Greenford well. Our tour progressed with going around the machine shop then the engine assembly room with an engine coming off the production line every 4.5 minutes.

 

Production line.

This was followed by the paint shop, line painting and assembly line. There were so many people doing jobs there was only just enough room for us visitors to squeeze by within our path between yellow lines. Parts being delivered to the assembly point used this as well. I didn’t hear a great deal of what was said by Ram but to me it was obvious about what was being done. The noise and smells of a factory producing something is so different from what you would do in your workshop when you work on a bike.

 Hand painting the lines.

 At the end of the line the bikes are checked and tested, first on a rolling road, then around the car park. What a job riding the same route hundreds of times a day! You are doing it in 25C sunshine though! I could think of worse jobs. All too quickly the tour comes to an end and with few questions to answer Ram has time to spend with me. I have my laptop with me and I show him some pictures of the bikes in the Museum. He doesn’t have a memory stick available so I promise to pass on all the pictures through Google. I hand over a picture of the Enfield and a copy of Greg Staves diary of his fund rising Arctic to Antarctic adventure. We discussed what was selling in the UK and the image Royal Enfield has.

 Roling road before a whizz around the car park.

They are changing their image building on their name and setting up shops like most other large manufacturers with big shops that you can buy into the motorcycling experience as you want. Ram was busy and I was aware that Gita was waiting for me we bade our farewells and promised to keep in touch. I enjoyed the experience and appreciated the culture of the people who make India’s biggest bike and the old motorcycling name in the world.