Quest for Tigers with Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Of all the animals found in the jungles of our country, somehow witnessing a tiger is considered the most evocative experience of them all. Every year hundreds and thousands of tourists travel around several wildlife sanctuaries across India to bask in the glory of this magnificent creature. Our team at CarDekho.com prepared to embark on a 3,300 kilometre journey through the jungles of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to meet this maestro of aggression, panache and beauty.

Our objective is to visit four wildlife sanctuaries, namely Ranthambore National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park, Pench National Park and finally Kanha National Park. The seven day trip will take us through long straight highways, sweeping roads of the Deccan plateau, rough daunting roads through villages and dark intimidating sections across jungles. The road surface will comprise of smooth tarmac, rutted roads and sometimes no roads. We will experience extremely hot temperatures with the mercury hitting 48 degree Celsius and demandingly hot crosswinds on open roads. Our companion will be the Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 combined with Shell lubricants to give us an edge for the long ride.

Day 1

Delhi to Ranthambore- 420 km

We got up early morning to avoid getting stuck in the infamous Gurgaon morning rush hour. Our efforts paid dividends and we arrived at our breakfast stop at Haldiram’s about 130 km from Delhi. It is time to have some ‘chole bhature’ and ‘lassi’ and then push off towards Jaipur. It is always better to start a long ride early before the heat of the sun builds up. Back on the saddle, the roads are long and straight with occasional diversion patches along unconstructed flyovers. We clocked a good 120-130 kmph on long straights on the Thunderbird 500. The smooth running engine can be attributed to the Shell Advance 4T that we are running on this motorcycle. Top end performance is brilliant with speedometer occasionally noting 140 kmph. There is a sense of security towards the engine, that despite us revving it so high all the vital components will be safe.

We reach Jaipur at lunch time. The city is full of good restaurants catering authentic Rajasthani cuisine. The sun was exactly at the top of our head, so we just quickly ran in a random joint to grab some grub. Refreshed we moved on towards Ranthambore. After a long straight the roads start getting curvy and you enjoy them even more. The setting evening marks our arrival in the city of Sawai Madhopur. We quickly dump our luggage at our hotel called Ankur Resort, and rush to enter Ranthambore National Park. To our luck, we were the last one’s to enter the Park gate for the day.

Ranthambore is an ancient town, which happened to be the capital city of famous King Hameer. You will still find the fort and Trinetra Ganesh temple within the park boundaries. In 1955, Indian Government first declared it a wildlife sanctuary and then later included the park in project tiger and announced it a national park.

The fauna within the Park includes Tigers, Leopards, Striped Hyenas, Sambar deer, Spotted deer, Nilgai, Common or Hanuman langurs, Macaques, Jackals, Jungle cats, Caracals, Sloth bears, Black buck, Rufoustailed Hare, Indian Wild Boar, Chinkara, Common Palm Civets or Toddy cat, Coomon Yellow Bats, Desert Cats, Fivestriped Palm Squirels, Indian False Vampires, Indian Flying Foxes, Indian Foxes, Indian Gerbilles, Indian Mole Rats, Indian Porcupines, Longeared Hedgehogs, Ratels, Small Indian Mongoose, Small Indian Civets and Common mongoose.

The amphibian species only consist of the Common India Toad and the Common Frog. The park also has a large number of marsh crocs Reptiles: Snub Nosed Marsh Crocodiles, Desert Monitor Lizards, Tortoise, Banded Kraits, Cobras, Common Kraits, Ganga Soft Shelled Turtles, Indian Pythons, North Indian Flap Shelled Turtles, Rat Snakes, Russel's Vipers, Saw-scaled Vipers and the Indian Chamaeleon.

The chances of seeing our tiger has become quiet bleak as the Park is nearing closing time and the sun had set. All we saw were Sambar deers and spotted deers. We went back to lounge beside the pool and have some dinner. The rooms are decent and cost about Rs 2800 for a double bed room which comes with a breakfast.

Tiger population: 40 above

Safari Timings: 0630 hours and 1430 hours

Pricing: Rs 1250 per person, guide and Gypsy cost extra

Day 2

Ranthambore (Sawai Madhopur) to BandhavGarh (Umaria) 675 km

We get up early morning for the long ride. It is a good 675 km in total and it will take us about 17-18 hours to reach Bandhavgarh from Sawai Madhopur. The morning stint involves snaking roads through beautiful jungles. You ride through the cool breeze of the fresh forest towards Jhansi. The entire 270 km stretch till Jhansi is a wonderful mix of small jungle roads, snaking highways through large farms and long 4-lane highway straights. Past noon we arrive in Jhansi for lunch. There are numerous small joints to have basic no nonsense vegetarian food. We find one called hotel haveli in the centre of town that served only ‘thalis’, a combination of tasty vegetarian delights like kadi, dal, paneer with a choice of missi and tawa rotis. These relatively cheap thalis cost about Rs 150 to 180 and come coupled with ‘jal jeera’ to ward off the summer heat.

Refreshed we tank up the motorcycle and move towards katni, which is about 360 km away. The entire route is picturesque with forts and beautiful streams with narrow bridges. Temperatures were high with the mercury hitting 46 degree Celsius. The Thunderbird 500 was absolutely stable and kept on going without any signs of tiredness. Our sincere advice would be to wear a mesh riding jacket for the powerful crosswinds on these open roads. It might seem that a jacket in this weather does not make much sense, but trust us it is very much a basic requirement for safety. Modern textile riding jackets are designed to give enough ventilation while riding through heat.

Also through these extreme temperatures, the companionship of Shell Advance 4T made the ride even more joyous. The oil viscosity is absolutely right, not too thick that it does not reach every nook and cranny of the engine, and not too thin that is unable to save frictional wear. Engine oil is the life blood of an engine and needs to perform very well in extreme conditions. Here we are revving the Thunderbird 500 to its limits and yet the engine responds immediately, thanks to Shell.

After reaching Katni it is a mere 100 km from our destination, Bhandavgarh National Park. The ghat section roads get thoroughly enjoyable once the sun sets. The temperature lowers and you can enjoy these long sweeping roads. We also got carried away near the last 50 km mark and went on a different road for a good 40 km till we joined back to the main road. However, because of the joyous roads, it was not a waste at all. Midnight we reached our hotel at Bandhavgarh called Goyals Inn. We paid a total of Rs 3500 for a double bedroom with an air cooler and breakfast.

Day 3

Next morning we woke up, had breakfast, and went inside Bandhavgarh National Park to find our tiger. Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the earliest National Parks announced under the tiger project. The park got the status of National park in 1968. The conservation work was already on by Maharaj of Rewa, who captured the first white tiger ‘Mohan’ in the area. The four main zones of the national park are Tala, Magdhi, Khitauli, and Panpatta.

Tala is the richest zone in terms of biodiversity, mainly tigers. Together, these four ranges comprise the 'Core' of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve constituting a total area of 694 sq km. The buffer zone is spread over the forest divisions of Umaria and Katni and totals another 437 sq km. The legal status as a national park dates back to 1968, but was limited only to the present Tala range for a considerable length of time. In 1993 the present scheme of things was put in place.

There are more than 22 species of mammals and 250 species of birds. Common Langurs and Rhesus Macaque represent the primate group. Carnivores include the Asiatic Jackal, Bengal Fox, Sloth Bear, Ratel, Gray Mongoose, Striped Hyena, Jungle Cat, Leopard and Tiger. 

The artiodactyls frequently sighted are Wild Pigs, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Chausingha, Nilgai, Chinkara and Gaur. Mammals such as Dhole, the small Indian Civet, Palm Squirrel and Lesser Bandicoot Rat are seen occasionally. Among the herbivores, Gaur is the only coarse feeder.

The vegetation along streams and marshes is rich in bird life. The common ones are Little Grebe, Egret, lesser Adjutant, Sarus Crane, Black Ibis, Lesser Whistling Teal, White-eyed Buzzard, Black Kite, Crested Serpent Eagle, Black Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Common Peafowl, Red Jungle Fowl, Dove, Parakeets, Kingfishers and Indian Rollers. Reptilian Fauna include Cobxzra, Krait, Viper, Rat-snake, Python, Turtle and a number of lizard varieties, including Varanus.

Tiger population: 80 above

Safari timings: 0530 hours and 1600 hours

Pricing: Rs 1250 per person, guide and Gypsy cost extra

Chief waypoints: Jhansi, Katni, Umaria

Apart from such a rich fauna, we could not see much than sambar and spotted deer. But just before we thought we will see no more, a group of wild boars (pigs) crossed the road in front of us. It was an entire pack with little babies and their mothers, with the big male pack leader ensuring everyone of them cross the road safely. With time pressing on us and a drive of 450 km waiting for us, we left Bandhavgarh National Park towards Pench National Park.

Bandhavgarh to Pench National Park: 450 km

The drive from Bandhavgarh to Pench is by far one of the best riding patches in our country. The road surface is perfect for exercising your machine. There are straights, sweeping curves, long banking S-curves and smooth crests and troughs. The Thunderbird 500 got to do the most amount of work on this patch. There are limitations to the angles this motorcycle can lean, but they are more than enough for most riders. The transmission is accurate with no false shifts. The Shell Advance engine oil ensured that despite our strenuous downshifting, the engine components worked at their best providing us power and torque wherever we required.

At the 200 km mark, we reached Jabalpur where we decided to have lunch. We found a small diner and had our food. The final push is mostly on straight four lane highways. Mind you the roads and highways across the state are unlit. Be prepared to ride for a few hours in the dark. The projector headlamp of the Thunderbird 500 has good spread and the full beam is quiet strong. The combination enormously helped us while riding in the dark. Round about midnight we reach our overnight stay at United 21 in Pench. After a long tiring ride, the comfort of an air conditioned room is absolute bliss. The double bedroom is priced at Rs 3600 with breakfast.

Day 4

After gorging on a breakfast of omelettes and paranthas, we went to explore Pench National Park. We were greeted by a group of langurs frolicking about. Spotted deers and sambars is a normal sighting. Better known as birth place of the famous ‘Jungle Book’ by Rudyard Kipling, Pench Tiger Reserve is alternatively named as Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park. The Park nestles in the Southern slopes of the Satpura ranges of Central India. It was first named after the river Pench, which splits the National Park into two parts, and forms the lifeline of the area. Later it was named on the first lady Prime Minister after her death to give a tribute to her determination towards saving the wildlife of the country.

In the year 1977 an area of 449.39 sq km was declared Pench Sanctuary. Out of this, an area of 292.85 sq km was declared Pench National Park in the year 1983 and 118.31 sq km remained as Pench Sanctuary. In 1992 Government of India declared 757.89 sq km area including the National Park and the sanctuary as the 19th Tiger Reserve of the country.

Pench has a diversified wildlife. Mostly seen animals include tiger, spotted deer, sambar deer, nilgai, wild boar and jackal. Other wild animals found are leopard, sloth bear, wild dog, porcupine, jungle cat, fox, striped hyena, gaur, chowsingha and barking deer. There are more than 170 species of birds including several migratory ones. Some of them are peafowl, junglefowl, crow pheasant, crimson-breasted barbet, red-vented bulbul, racket-tailed drongo, magpie robin, lesser whistling teal, pintail, shoveler, egret and herons.

Few peacocks were dancing in order to attract their female counterparts, best leave them alone. A couple of foxes also ran across the road when we went past. But still we kept observing in the dark shadows to get a glimpse of our tiger, but still no luck. All our hopes now rest on Kanha.

Safari timings: 0530 hours and 1600 hours

Pricing: Rs 1250 per person, guide and Gypsy cost extra

Chief waypoints: Jabalpur, Seoni

Tiger population: 60 above

Pench National Park to Kanha 200 km

We leg it towards Kanha, which is a comparatively short ride, 200 km, from Pench. From Pench till Seoni is a straight highway, after which you are greeted with yet another fantastic patch of tarmac. Snaking curves of smooth tarmac mesmerise you. The Thunderbird 500 is working extensively again. Our support car, Ford EcoSport blasted away on highways past the bike. But now on these twisting ghat roads had a really hard time keeping up with the Thunderbird 500. However, there is no doubt these is a brilliant machine, we would have loved the Continental GT on these sections.

As evening set in, we arrived at our hotel, Kanha Village Eco Resort. We got our own cottage, with a double bed and a small personal pool to lounge in. The price for one night is Rs 4250 for an air conditioned cottage and food included in it. The place is beautifully appointed with LED lit ‘matkas’ around the entire area and mud houses. The food needs to be specially mentioned, as it was brilliantly made and served by friendly people.

Day 5

Next morning we got up high spirits, hoping this be the day when we meet our tiger. Kanha was a wildlife sanctuary ever since British rule. First it was divided into two different sanctuaries called Hallon and Banjar, which were established in 1930. By a special statute in 1955, Kanha National Park came into existence. Later the locals and conservators ran various stringent conservation programmes for the protection of the park's flora and fauna, which has given Kanha its deserved reputation for being one of the finest and best administered National Parks in Asia.

Kanha's sal and bamboo forests, rolling grasslands and meandering streams stretch over 940 sq km in dramatic natural splendour which form the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve created in 1974 under Project Tiger. Kanha has some 22 species of mammals. Those most easily spotted are the Striped Palm Squirrel, Common Langur, Jackal, Wild Pig, Chital or Spotted Deer, Barasingha or Swamp Deer, Sambar and Black Buck. The park is the only habitat of the rare hardground Barasingha (Cervus Duvaceli Branderi).

Just as we entered, a large herd of Bison crossed the road in front of us. The male of the herd was an epitome of strength and intimidation. Standing tall he greeted us and went away as he understood we pose no threat. Further in a herd of Indian Barahsingha sat in the massive grasslands under the cool shadow of the trees.

Our guide kept reassuring us that tigers are usually found near water bodies at this time of the day, and that we will surely see one there. We were then taken to a little lake, where herds of spotted deer and sambar were quenching their thirst. Our Gypsy driver stopped and turned off the engine. We sat at that spot for an entire hour waiting for our shy creature to make his presence. Saddening for us, he did not show up.

With shattered hopes we started the drive back towards the Park gate as there are strict regulations for tourist vehicles to get out before 1100 hours. There was a hilly section that we had to cross after the lake. And then just around the corner, as our gypsy turned up the hill, there he was in all his glory.

This beautiful creature had us awestruck with his magnificent aura. The sheer sight of this creature reminds us as to how important it is to save tigers across the country.  Tigers today face huge threats from poachers who capture and kill them for skin and bones. A tiger looks good in the wild, not on somebody trophy wall. Our quest had been successful. We had found what we came for. 

This big cat had graced his presence and we stood there for the 15 minutes it stood there and finally walked away in the depths of the forest. Triumphant we returned back to the gates of the Park, feeling just a bit better than the rest of the people who did not see him that day.

Safari timings: 0530 hours and 1600 hours

Pricing: Rs 1250 per person, guide and Gypsy cost extra

Tiger population: 90 above

Day 6

Kanha to Kota 750 km

Chief waypoints- Sagar, Vidisha, Jhalawar

We are on the return leg now, towards Delhi. Our route would take us via Kota, however you my simply go via Gwalior and then take the Yamuna Expressway back. This straight route is about 950 km from Kanha. For complicated reasons we are first going to Kota, then Jaipur and then back Delhi which will set us back about 1300 km. We broke the journey down to Kota, and then Delhi. Our ride from Kanha to Kota was back on state highways. 

We advise you not to take short-cuts to save time and money, as smaller roads in the state of Madhya Pradesh are not yet built properly. One such detour took us on a 70 km stretch of road which was absolutely rutted and mostly non tarmac. With weary bones we entered Kota for a night halt at Leisure Inn. We got a room for Rs 2600 with and air conditioner in it. Rooms were compact and the room service stops serving at 2230 hours. So if you by chance arrive later than that, it is very likely you will not get dinner. We freshened up and went to bed as the next day is another 500 km run.

Day 7

Kota to Delhi 510 km

Chief waypoints: Jaipur

We checked out before the sun came above the horizon. Next stop is Jaipur where we will grab some breakfast and drop off one of our colleagues. Kota and Jaipur is connected by a straight smooth highway. We could sustain triple digit speeds for longer and made good use of the morning hours. We entered Jaipur, dropped off our man, grabbed a quick breakfast at McDonald’s and tanked up for the final leg towards Delhi. The Jaipur Delhi highway is another fine piece of road.

We quickly ate up the miles and straight got stuck in the Manesar toll gate traffic jam. Yet again we are impressed by the performance of the Thunderbird 500 which bought us through 47 degree of heat and still stands strong to go for more. The engine oil has performed exceptionally well, with absolutely zero clutch slippage.

The combination of the Thunderbird 500 and Shell Advance 4T is unfathomable. The engine had to experience extreme heat, numerous gear changes and high rpm, and it did not even bat and eyelid. The bike just kept on going on hungry for more. And as for our quest, apart from the fact that we were absolutely broken and tired, we felt accomplished that we had got what we set out for. And hopefully will be back soon on the road clocking hundreds of such joyous miles.