New Delhi, June 7 -- London has a habit of holding on to its past. Even now, as newer buildings rise into the skyline, the streets below remain largely unchanged. Sometimes three centuries sit quietly at eye level, in brick and stone, shaping the way the city feels long before it reveals what it is. I've often wondered what it might be like to ride through these streets before the city wakes, without the blur of tourists or the urgency of commuters.

So, I rolled the Royal Enfield Classic 650 out of the driveway in Ealing at 6:30 on a Sunday morning and thumbed the starter. Plus, I'd added a new tool to my travel writing kit and wanted to test it-a pair of Ray Ban Meta smart glasses. They would let me capture what I saw without stopping, ...