Our New 1999 Enfield Machismo

machismo
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My first motorcycle ever ! Glad it’s an Enfield, the quintessential Indian two-wheeler.

There is a whole mythology that surrounds Enfields in India. In the classic expat-outlaw-on-the-lam-in-India novel, “Shantaram,” the protagonist buys himself a beat up old Enfield Bullet and cruises the countryside like Dennis Hopper in “Easy Rider,” or Michael Parks in “Then Came Bronson.” There are cinderblock Enfield repair shops everywhere, with grease all over the walls and mechanics who look like they bathe in motor oil.

And one of our friends, it was either Alex or Andrew, said if you are going to ride a bike in India, it’s just rude not to ride an Enfield.

Pam is worried that it may be dangerous for me to drive it here in Bangalore, and I fully agree. But for now, I have no idea how to even start the thing.

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