NZ Himalayan Owners Club Launched on Oct 1st 2026
.jpg)
NewClub Has All Bases Covered
The NZ Himalayan Owners Club officially launched today on Oct 1st at Guyton Street, Wanganui’s heritage motorcycle street where Percy Coleman opened his first motorcycle shop in 1925 as the Australasian Mile Grass-Track recordholder and champion. Percy’s humble little Harley Davidson dealership went onto become NZ’s leading family-based motorcycle distribution business by the1970s.
Thenew club caters to Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 & 450 owners, plus future440 and 750cc owners. The club has strong ties to India & the Himalayanregion with the club logo designer Sahil Patel having ridden in the Leh &Ladakh regions and is one person in the seven person media team for a sevenhundred Royal Enfield Rider Club. Sahil reached out after viewing the NZ RoyalEnfield Riders Club website built by Jeff Croot of Inferno Design, afterrealising we were a ‘pure Royal Enfield only club’ says Robert Cochrane. ‘As we shared ride experiences and ideas, I asked if he could help us with some designwork, and this was before the big NZ-India trade deal was signed’ says Robert.
Andanother company also made contact, Motorcycle Escapades from Bangalore who run leadingRoyal Enfield motorcycle tours in India, the Himalayas, Bhutan, Tibet and SriLanka. Principle Deepak Chandrashekhar wanted to become a partner with the NZ RoyalEnfield Riders Club but I initially I fobbed him off as I was terribly busy at the time. But when I looked around, we had a local 450 Mana Black rider headingto India with three other Wanganui riders in September for a three-week Royal Enfield riding trip, plus a friend from Feilding had spent three weeks last November on an Indian trip with his friends.
So, to help launch the NZ Himalayan Owners Club Deepak has signed up to a two-year partner/sponsorship with the NZ Himalayan Owners Club & NZ Royal Enfield Riders Clubs to develop mutual media and event opportunities. Kiwi Ridermagazine has come on board as Media Partner and 1901 Rentals in Wellington are our NZ Royal Enfield Rental partner.
TheClub concept of covering all bases covers ‘basic skills’ rider training, practice rides, gravel events, NZ Adventure Rides plus the ultimate ride experiences in Leh and the Ladakh (Himalayan Rides). ‘Off-Road Basic Skills training gives a road rider or novice ‘the basics’ as prescribed by European Trials Champion who came to Wanganui in 2011 running training skills, the opportunity to practice at Social Saturday events run by NZVMX, club gravel rides in the regions plus entry to KR350 Adventure Riders run by Kiwi Rider magazine who started NZ’s first ADV ride in 1989.
‘Bringing all the events together may seem like a big project but Royal Enfields are my lifestyle says Robert and the team are all leaders in their fields, Pete at Kiwi Rider, Lloyd ‘Macca’ Patron of NZVMX, Carl at 1901 Rentals are all experienced off-road riders with sound industry knowledge, plus Jeff at Inferno plus our Indian partners Sahil & Deepak. The concept of learner to the ultimate Himalayan Experience has had input from all the partners but the original Himmy Club idea came from a senior 450 Himalayan rider in Auckland two years ago who wanted a forum to share ride ideas, routes, and tips. So, in recent months the ideas just morphed out of my experiences riding with two local RE riders who sadly passed this year, Harry Sircombe of Taihape and especially local surfer Dion Chadfield on his Himalayan 411. Over the next two years I will host some tribute rides for them both.’
Forfurther info on member benefits including a club discount offer from MotorcycleEscapades, and to receive The Ladek newsletter contact the club at nzhimalayanowners@gmail.com