After a comprehensive briefing about the brand and its product, we were handed the keys to the Himalayan. We were then directed towards a dirt track which had a tight and technical layout but was relatively more fun and safer than the trail we went on later. This track majorly comprised of hard-packed dirt on the straights with some loose sand thrown in around corners to add to the excitement.
I started slowly flowing through the track and getting the feel of the tyres. It was around the sandy tight turns that I realised the tyres were gripping the surface quite commendably and did not lose traction even through scarily loose sections. And every time I spotted a clean surface with some slippery gravel, I gassed my way through, only to learn that the rear wasn’t sliding and coming out uncontrollably, thereby assuring the tyres were digging in really well. I kept on going around the track multiple times and my confidence in the rubbers only soared with each consecutive lap.

Now, it was time for the second phase of testing comprising a treacherous trail which started with a steep descent marred with huge stones. The only way to tackle this section was to put the bike in the first gear and let it roll down at its own pace, without using the rear brake but feathering the front. While going downhill, there were times when I grabbed the front brake out of panic but the tyre didn’t slip or wash away. Moreover, due to the great feedback from the rubber, even the ABS wasn’t kicking in too early.

The succeeding section of the trail offered a lot of twisty elevation changes with most of it filled with gravel and stones. Now, due to the profoundly slippery nature of the surface, I could sense the front losing traction at times which was hampering my confidence through some sections. However, trusting the tyres, I kept on gunning my way through the trail and reached the starting point. Here, I narrated my predicament of losing confidence to one of the technical personnel of Reise who recommended I deflate the tyres by 3-4PSI as they were running road pressures. I took his suggestion, lowered the pressure, and went back on the trail only to learn that it worked wonders. Not only did I roll down the stony downhill section faster but the proceeding slippery sections were also dealt with a lot of grip and feel.