(Alam and I before I set out on the trip)

Profile - MD Alam Khan (Alam), Chief Mechanic, InderMotors

Alam is the guy that gets it all done, overseeing the mechanics and the work in the InderMotors shop in Delhi. With more then 26 years experience on motorcycles, most of it on Enfield's, he knows the bikes like the back of his hand.

One of the things that really impressed me about working with Lalli and Alam is their willingness to teach and answer questions. As standard practice when selling a bike, Lalli asks the buyer to spend a couple of days in the shop with Alam working on the bike, practicing how to do common repairs and basically getting an education in the mechanics of the Enfield which is quite different from any bike I've come across.

Following are some of the questions I asked Alam on his experiences and hints on riding in India.

Q: You have joined a lot of tours with foreign rides as the group mechanic, where have you been?

A: I generally join in 3-4 tours a year which over the last 11 years that I've been going on them had added up to more then 200,000km of travel with these groups. There have been a lot of groups coming to India to ride and I've joined groups from Australia, New Zealand, Holland, the United States, etc. Over the course of the rides I think I've been to all the major spots and many of the lesser known places. I've been to all the hot spots in North India - Shimla, Manali, Spiti Valley, and Kashmir. I've traveled around all of India, down to the southern tip down in Kerela and back again. Getting further out of the way, I've been to Nepal, Tibet, China, Russia, Bhutan. Pretty much every where in the region I've been at one time or the other, all on Enfield 500s.

Q: What mistakes do you see the foreigners make in regards to their bikes?

A: The major one is running them too fast. These bikes are big slow bikes, not Japanese high revolution bikes. They just aren't designed to go fast. The Enfield 350cc for example should be run at 65-75 km/hr max, and the 500cc at 75-85 km/hr. I've seen a lot of people trying to take them up to 100-110 km/hr and that will quickly reduces the life of the bike.

Q: What are some of the best rides you'd recommend?

A: North India is filled with wonderful rides. Getting up into the Himalayas you are really up high and the mountain views are incredible. The road up to Leh for example is really beautiful. You get past Manali, from there to about 70-80km before Leh, the road is simply stunning. Now, there is snow and ice and it is really cold, but the views are wonderful.

I enjoyed the flat good roads of Bhutan and Nepal is just wonderful. Tibet and China wasn't as fun as there were too many trucks.

Q: What is the hardest part of maintaining the Enfield?

A: I don't have any problems with the Enfield. Its a great bike, and they don't give me any trouble. I can fixed most problems with my eyes closed [ smiling ]. The bike is good for India as the roads can be bad and the Enfield can take them where other bikes would have a lot of problems. The bikes do take some getting used to though as they are designed different from most bikes with the gear shift on the right and brake on the left. This is hard for a lot of foreigners.

If you do business with InderMotors, you'll certainly come across Alam. He's a great guy and his advice and teaching helped me feel considerably more comfortable taking the bike out.

(Alam leading the prayers for a safe ride)