Monsoon Protocol

The first question every prospective owner in Gujarat asks, in some form: what happens when it floods?

The honest answer has two halves. The vehicle is built to be rained on, ridden through wet roads and parked outside in a downpour. It is not a boat, and neither is anything else with wheels.

What the design already handles

The pack and its electronics are sealed units. The lighting is fully LED and sealed. On the DLX GOLD, drum brakes at both ends are entirely enclosed — no water sitting on a disc face, no first-squeeze delay when you pull the lever after a puddle. It is one of the quiet advantages of that choice.

Riding through standing water is not the risk. Not knowing how deep it is, is the risk.

The protocol

• Do not ride into water you cannot see the bottom of. Depth is the only variable that matters.
• If you must cross, go slow and steady and do not stop mid-way. A bow wave in front of the wheel is your friend.
• After a deep crossing, dry the brakes with two or three gentle drags before you need them properly.
• Never charge a wet vehicle. Wipe the charging port and the surrounding panel and let it stand before plugging in.
• Park facing out and on the centre stand where you can. Standing water at the rear is worse than at the front.

After the season

Rinse the underside with low-pressure water — a bucket, not a jet. High-pressure washing forces water past seals that were designed for rain falling on them, not for a lance held six inches away. Check the tyres: 90/90-12 tubeless will pick up debris that monsoon roads bring to the surface, and a slow leak is easier to catch in a service bay than on a highway.