shashank govand 
The winding roads of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra Valley are known for testing even the most robust machines, be it motorcycles or cars. With their steep switchbacks, unpredictable gradients, and panoramic drop-offs, the roads here make for a spectacular proving ground for any kind of vehicle. And that’s exactly where I took the Can-Am Spyder F3-S,a … Read more
There’s something wildly poetic about taking a motorcycle named “Himalayan” to the very terrains it was born to conquer. But rather than the Himalayas this time, I pointed the compass west towards the monsoon-draped cliffs of Malshej Ghat. This winding ribbon of tarmac, draped in mist and framed by roaring waterfalls, offered the perfect proving … Read more
There are motorcycles you ride, and then there are motorcycles you feel something for. In the heart of the Leh-Ladakh range, where the road feels like it was carved by the gods, and the wind whispers stories of centuries past, my daughter Klara found that something. And it wasn’t in a powerhouse sportbike or an … Read more
The Kumaon region of Uttarakhand is one of India’s best-kept secrets for motorcyclists. Towering deodars, mist rolling off the mountain ridges, and roads that twist like ancient riverbeds, this is not a place where you ride for speed. It’s where the bike becomes part of your breath, where leaning into a corner feels like you’re … Read more
The morning mist in the Himalayan air lingered like a dream. Manali was waking up slowly, with the sleepy-eyed sun spilling over snow-dusted peaks, pine-lined curves, and valleys that looked like pages from a fantasy novel. There I was, coffee half-sipped, gloves already on, eyes tracing the silhouette of what would be my dance partner … Read more
The Garhwal Himalayas aren’t the easiest proving ground for a mid-weight streetfighter. Between the relentless hairpins, altitude swings, and tarmac that seems to dissolve into gravel without warning, the mountains test a motorcycle’s character more than any dyno or track day ever could. So when I saddled up on the all-new Suzuki GSX-8S,Suzuki’s most ambitious … Read more
Electric motorcycles don’t roar. They whisper. And as I discovered on a crisp morning ride through Sikkim’s twisting mountain roads and mist-covered valleys, that whisper can speak volumes. Kawasaki’s new Z e-1 is one of the quietest bikes I’ve ever ridden, vand one of the most surprising. This bike wasn’t built to conquer Ladakh. It’s … Read more
It’s cold. Not the kind of cold that nudges your senses awake, this is bone-deep, lung-chilling Himalayan air. We’re 13,000 feet above sea level, at Thangu Valley in North Sikkim. It’s a place most people wouldn’t associate with a retro-themed street bike inspired by 1980s Grand Prix legends. But that’s exactly where I took Yamaha’s … Read more
There’s something about Bomdila that draws in motorcyclists like moths to flame. The crisp mountain air, the pine-lined serpentines, and the quiet drama of Arunachal Pradesh’s high-altitude passes, this place turns even the most sensible rides into emotional escapades. It was against this backdrop that I saddled up on the new Peugeot PM-01, the 125cc … Read more
There’s something about Gokarna at sunrise that messes with your expectations. You arrive thinking you’re just here for some twisties and coastal air, but end up meeting yourself halfway up a hairpin bend. That’s where I found myself last weekend, throwing around Yamaha’s oddball beast, the Niken GT. Now, “oddball” might sound unfair. But let’s … Read more