TVS Fiero FX - Out There Adventurers World Record Challenge"
To Touch World's Highest Motorable Pass At Marsimik La

Hyderabad, July, 2004:For the first time in the history of world motorbiking, Indian Two Wheeler major TVS Motor Company & Out There Adventurers comprising a 7 member team will attempt a world record challenge on their Fiero FX, the 150 CC four stroke power bike. The "TVS Fiero FX - OutThere Adventurers World Record Challenge", a never before Mobike Expedition of seven bike enthusiasts will cover world's five highest motorable passes in 24 hrs, an attempt unchallenged until now. The expedition will be formally flagged off from New Delhi on July 21st, 2004 and the real ascend to the Greater Himalayas will kickstart in the wee hours of the morning on 31st July in the freezing winds of Leh & will complete the 600 kilometers plus distance between Leh and Pang, crossing the five passes in a 24-hour period. If achieved, this Expedition will mark their entry into the Guinness World Records - 'the highest point on Earth that a motorcycle has ever been ridden.' The Indian Army will extend full support to the Expedition.

The five passes to be covered are: Marsimik La (18,652 feet), Khardung La (18,380 feet), Tanglang La (17,582 feet), Chang La (17,350 feet) and Wari La (17,300 feet). Each of these five passes being crossed by the Expedition are world's highest motorable roads. An altitude of almost 18,000 feet is considered the beginning of the Death Zone. Lack of oxygen, rugged terrain, melting snow, raging rivers, landslides and avalanches, are some of the challenges the bike and the team will face. In addition to these five highest motorable roads the journey will also take them across three other 15,000 ft+ passes i.e. Lachulung La (16,616 feet), Baralacha La (16,500 feet) and Nakeela (15,547 feet).

On choosing TVS Fiero FX Motorbikes for this expedition, Mr Chandan Lahiri says, "I needed one that could pass the immense challenge posed by the grueling, non-stop riding that the motorbike would be exposed to. And since this was a time-based Challenge, I could not afford to experiment. The TVS Fiero FX fitted the bill perfectly as its power, good handling for maneuverability, weight and balance were just the right combination required to do this job successfully.
To complement the Fiero FX, there are the specially designed & developed Snow Tyres by TVS Tyres. The patterns provide excellent drivability and maneuverability for both front and rear. The casing has been strengthened to withstand the rigor of the challenging terrain. The compounds have been selected to have good grip, lower wear , tear cuts etc. The ATT 100 pattern can afford more a open configuration, excellent for roads that are not highway type. It provides better bite and traction on unmade and slipping terrain. These types have been capped with a special compound for this journey, to have better climb ability and withstand the extreme cold and possibly snowy condition.

The TVS Fiero FX with the proven 150cc, 12 BHP 4 stroke engine & digital ignition combined with the intelligent carburetor delivers superb performance and mileage. The core essence of the Fiero FX includes its 'Great looks', 'excellent pickup', 'good handling' and 'superior technology'. These attributes are expected to enhance its strong association as the only bike with good performance and the best engine in its category. Breaking the general perception, this expedition will also establish the fact that this new technologically advanced city bike can also scale such heights"

Mr. Chandan Lahiri of OutThere Adventurers, who is the current world record holder of traveling across the three highest motorable roads in the world in 14 hours and 44 minutes will lead the team. Other members of the expedition are Patrick Kerr, Michael Williams, Burgess Cooper, Sarosh Cooper, Indar Mohan Singh and Saurav Gupta.

The Indian Army support includes a liaison officer who will travel with the support team. The support team will be led by Ashok Mehta while the technical support will be spearheaded by Victor Obed of TVS Motors.

Chandan is also putting together a book - Himalayan Journeys: Tips on Travelling in the Himalayas - which provides useful tips for travelers embarking on a journey into the awesome mountains. The book will contain chapters on first aid, high altitude illness, how to be a responsible tourist, how to find water in the wild, and a chapter on the history of the mighty mountain range. The book is expected to hit the stands in August.

"People call me crazy, but that should not stop a pioneer," says Chandan. "I believe in my Company's passion statement - Only those willing to risk going too far can possibly know how far they can go. I want to push the limits and show people that if the spirit is willing, anything is possible."