I had planned to ride home for Diwali on my Honda Unicorn. I had done the trip once before in the heat of the summer, in April, but I wanted to do it again in better weather. As usual I had informed my parents that I was taking the train. My father had not brought this completely and when I told him that the ticket was in Wait List and not moving he got my uncle, a senior official in the railways, to flex his bureaucratic muscle and get the ticket confirmed. Now we all know that the building muscle takes time and so does acquiring a ticket no matter how gifted or powerful an individual is. So on Friday night after I had packed for the train journey, I got the call confirming that my ticket could move up only to WL02 and no further.
I was elated. I told my parents that I would try my best that get a seat on a bus to Bangalore. I tanked up, brought a new pair of shoes, repacked, prayed and slept soundly. Me and bikey were going to spend a lot of quality time together.
Day 1 (Saturday 10/10/09) : I told my landlord that I was on my way to Mumbai to catch a flight and left at 6.15am. This time I wore the heavier jacket, which I had worn during the trip to Nagpur a few weeks back. I also carried my lighter demin jacket, a raincoat and a large plastic bag to cover my luggage in case it rained. The weather was pleasant and I was cruising comfortable at 80-90kph, stopping every 60-70kms to stretch and walk around.
The roads were as they were the last time. The only major difference in the trip from last time besides the lack of extreme heat was that there was a lot of greenery around. There were also lots small ponds and rivers, full and almost overflowing, which added to the visual delight. Another major difference was that this time I had a dark visor fixed to the helmet. That made a world of a difference in riding comfort. I did not have to squint if the sun was in my eyes and even otherwise my eyes were always at ease. I would strongly advise all to ride with a dark visor while the sun is up and then switch to a normal visor when it gets dark. Lunch was at a small town called Hirebagewadi. The middle aged couple running the hotel was very courteous and friendly.
The last time I rode to Coimbatore the roads between Hubli and Chitradurga were shot. I was expecting the same this time also but I was completely wrong. There were almost no roads. In the patch starting a little before Ranibennur and continuing a few kilometers past Chitradurga it was all gravel with a few patches of tar left. The lighter side of the situation was that there were no bad roads to ride on. No roads means no bad roads. At times the dust was so much that I was soon covered in it and had to actually stop to dust it off me.
Amidst all the off-roading, a roughish sound from the engine caught my attention. I tried to ignore it at first but when it refused to subside I got worried. At Ranibennur, I had a mechanic check the bike. He said something about the timing chain being loose but assured me that there was nothing to worry and that I could ride on. He also checked the breaks and the drive chain and after some oiling I was on my way again. I reached Chitradurga by 6.30pm and decided to call it a day. I had planned to reach Tumkur if not Bangalore but the bad patch slowed me down a lot. Also, I had forgotten to carry the plain visor at the last moment and it was difficult riding in the twilight but thankfully I had almost reached Chitradurga. Tirumala lodge was not cheap at Rs.200 per night and neither were the people friendly but it was safe and very clean. and only about 50 meters from the highway. I had a dinner of assortments like cake, chocolate, fried gobi, masala bread, mangola and slept soundly.
Day 2 (Sunday 11/10/09): Started at 6.30 when the dawn was just breaking. It was a good decision that I had not started earlier otherwise I might've run into some rain. Breakfast was at 8.30 or so when I also called up my parents to inform them that I would be in Bangalore by 9.30am. On the outskirts of Bangalore there was a jam and there was a very long line of vehicles bumper to bumper and none of them were moving. I was at the end of the line which turned out to be a blessing. An Ambassador driver offered to help me and asked me to follow him. We took a detour thru town Nilamangala. I was in Bangalore at 9.30am and decided to take the Mysore bypass like I had done the last time minus the "riding into an unknown village" part. But there was some kind of cycling event going on and the bypass was blocked. I had to ride thru the town to exit it and it took me more than 2 hours to ride out and reach Hosur.
The city was not particularly crowed but traffic was slow because of the construction of the largest and biggest and longest flyover that I've seen. I lost my way a couple of times but was guided back by the friendly locals. All of them took an interest probably because of the way I looked. I stopped for snacks and fuel a little after Hosur and called my father to inform him that I was on a connecting bus to Coimbatore. At this point he was sure that I was riding and the entire bus thing was a hoax. There was no way I could have got a connecting bus so soon. Nevertheless he probably decided to play along.
As per fellow BMCT'er Dheeraj's advice I had decided to ride via Salem this time, but had to take the Bhavani route since it was raining after I crossed Dharmapuri and the clouds were heading away from Bhavani and towards Salem. I was correct in guessing that there would be no rain over Bhavani. I broke for lunch at Mettur. The rest of the ride was uneventful but there was a major difference between the last times ride and this one.
The last time I rode in April, it was my first 800+ km solo ride. I had been telling myself that if I crossed 800km it would be greater than the ride to Nagpur and thus I would have achieved my goal. That worked until I crossed my mark but then every 100kms after the mark was a pain. Since I was not mentally prepared to make the rest of the journey and had been satisfied with the success of having crossed 800kms. That had taxed me a lot because I was expecting to reach home any moment after the 800km mark, but was actually more than 400km from getting even close to it. The real deal as riding is, one can see the distance covered 100 meters at a time and feel it as much as one wants to. I guess all this is compounded when one is riding solo. There is no escape. This time I had was prepared completely for the fact that I've not reached untill I've reached. There was no "almost there" or "just another 150kms" kinda stuff this time. I was in control and knew exactly what was in store for me.
I reached the Coimbatore bye-pass by 4.30pm and it took me another half hour to reach home. My parents were delighted to see me and so was I. It was evident that my father knew all along I was riding and this time I had been had. It rained for the next 2 days that I was in Coimbatore and I must say I was really lucky that none of it happened when I rode.
Trip Stats :
Distance - 1225 kms.
Average Speed - 58kmph.
Top Speed - 90kph
Cruise Speed - 80kph
Mileage - around 45 kmpl i think)
The picture are here.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Pune Nagpur - Honda Unicorn - II
The title of this post leaves nothing to the imagination and thus I feel compelled to explain to the readers: why the titles of some of my posts are so unimaginative. I brought my Unicorn last year. You can read about that adventure here. Soon after I had the bike the "keeda" started growing and I wanted to ride long distances. There was no one I knew personally who had done such insane things, and that left me with only one option to look for guidance - the internet. My searches were always worded like the title of this post. Back then I could not have imagined the kind of rides people do and still have difficulty digesting the Saddle Sore stories from BCMTouring. Thus my first post on BCMTouring was titled "Pune - Nagpur Honda Unicorn". Since this is essentially a similar ride, the title is also similar.
The last time I rode, the ride was powered by nothing more than petrol for the bike and adrenalin to keep me going thru the night. I was under dressed, did not carry necessary documents, had not informed anyone about the ride and most importantly did not have a plan. Fortunately, I lived to tell the tale. I say so, because the kind of reports I keep getting about the route have made me a very grateful person. Now I also know that God is indeed kind and takes care of the stupidest of people.
Anyways, if you've managed to read this further I'm sure you'll have enough left to read the about the actual ride which by itself was not eventful. I was on bench in the company and wanted a break from the daily routine of not doing anything for 8 hours straight. I decided to ride to Nagpur to visit my sister.
Saturday (19/09/09): The road was clear and the air was chilly when I started at 5.45am. No sooner than I thought I had hit the highway I toyed around with the idea that this ride is going to be like meeting that special someone whom you've seen in your dreams, and have only a vague idea about, I took the wrong turn and reached Lohegaon Airport. Popat!!! Embarrassed, I saved my romantic thoughts for later and was back on the right track soon. The sunrise as usual was pretty but the chill remained long into the day. I had a near miss sometime after Pune when a guy with three kids on a bike crossed the four lane divider and stopped dead in my path. I wonder if he was thinking that this was Laxmi road, a very busy street in Pune, and that I would simply go around him. I was at 90kph when he decided that I had probably done enough tapasya and that I now deserved to behold his form mounted on a bike. “Vats, hum tumhari tapasya se kush hue. Hum tuhme hospital me rehene ka vardan dete hain!” I braked hard and literally skidded the last 20 meters or so before my right leg hit his tire and I stopped. All he did was grin. I thanked him and was on my way again. I rode thro Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Jalna when I decided to take the route via Buldhana, Akola, and Amravati to Nagpur.
That would mean the date would be off since this was not the route I had taken (unknowingly) when I rode thru the night the last time. But fate had other plans and after a series of wrong turns I was back on the old route!! I almost cursed myself for having taken the lonely route but then as time passed the relationship deepened and old memories became fresh again. I could make out the places I had stopped at night the last time and could not help wondering if I would've done this had I known, so thoroughly, what lay in store.
The route was indeed very lonely even during day and had very few sign boards and petrol bunks. Food was thus becoming a problem. The hotels, already so few, were unimaginably filthy and I had to go hungry for some time. The best part of the journey was that the weather was pleasant all along and I was in constant touch with my sister who would look up a detailed map and instruct me on the route. I rode thro towns or passed by towns like Mehekar, Sultanpur, Risode, Washim, Yavatmal etc.
By late afternoon I needed fuel and I was still a long distance from Pulgaon - the town that had fuel for me the last time. Two petrol bunks went by that had no fuel and soon I was left with no choice but to head to Amravati, a large town, rather than risk riding into a small town and still end up with no fuel. This detour would've cost me a lot of time and I was also unaware then that the route from Amravati to Nagpur was shot for the last 60kms. My backup plan was to head to my mothers village, Chandur Bazar, in case it got dark sooner. Fortunately, I found a petrol bunk en route, tanked up and came back to where I had left the highway. Then detour cost me an additional 20-25kms. Now that this problem was solved, something else cropped up. Every time I hit a bump or a pothole, I could hear a the tinkling of a bell. Now, I had removed my studs a long time ago and so the possibility that they were banging against my head and making the sound was ruled out. I stopped several times and tried to find out what it is but could not zero in on anything. This continued up to Nagpur. I prayed that nothing should fall off the bike or something like that. I reached home in Nagpur at 7.30pm and was glad to finally take the butt of the seat for at least a few days.
Learning - Distance up to 500kms is comfortably doable. Up to 600kms is ok. Up to 700km is a pain and this - about 750kms, accounting for detours and lost ways, is a serious pain. And most importantly, if the final stretches are bad, you're toast. It’s like the the devil and the deep sea just that you’re sailing in the deep sea with the the devil is in the boat with you.
I spent a week with my sister and her daughter and had a very nice time. I also had the bike checked up at the Honda Service center. The guy was also not able to locate the source of the tinkling sound. I have a doubt that he checked my ears as well. My morbid sense of humor kicked in and I could picture The Undertaker and his assistant Pall Bearer making their entrance for a wrestling match - with me leading the way on my Unicorn all dressed in black. “For whom the bells toll”. The mechanic said that he would have to take the entire bike apart to locate the source but in either case it was a minor issue.
Sunday (27/09/09): I now had had enough of my date with loneliness and wanted to ride thro civilization. So, I started at 6.00am and took the route to Amravati. The first 60kms or so were under construction and so progress was slow. But the next 50kms were simply awesome and it was like riding on NH7 from Bangalore to Salem. I took the bypass to Akola and the route was good. Soon, the landscape changed and most importantly the traffic became sparse. This was becoming an indecent proposal. I had missed the turn to Akola and was heading back towards my old route. .........And the award for the Stupidest Rider goes to ... "Sachin K". When I told my sister of this all I heard was a click and the line went dead. No wonder people avoid me! So here I was desperately locked into the holy institution of matrimony with a route I had decided to avoid at all costs.
The remainder of the ride was uneventful as such and I reached Ahmednagar at 6.00pm. The sun was beginning to set by the time I was on my way again and I had a tough time riding the last 100kms because the visibility was poor and the roads were dug up. I reached home in Pune at 8.00pm. The last 30-40 minutes spent negotiating the Sunday traffic and ordering dinner.
All in all, it was a memorable week.
The pictures are here.
The last time I rode, the ride was powered by nothing more than petrol for the bike and adrenalin to keep me going thru the night. I was under dressed, did not carry necessary documents, had not informed anyone about the ride and most importantly did not have a plan. Fortunately, I lived to tell the tale. I say so, because the kind of reports I keep getting about the route have made me a very grateful person. Now I also know that God is indeed kind and takes care of the stupidest of people.
Anyways, if you've managed to read this further I'm sure you'll have enough left to read the about the actual ride which by itself was not eventful. I was on bench in the company and wanted a break from the daily routine of not doing anything for 8 hours straight. I decided to ride to Nagpur to visit my sister.
Saturday (19/09/09): The road was clear and the air was chilly when I started at 5.45am. No sooner than I thought I had hit the highway I toyed around with the idea that this ride is going to be like meeting that special someone whom you've seen in your dreams, and have only a vague idea about, I took the wrong turn and reached Lohegaon Airport. Popat!!! Embarrassed, I saved my romantic thoughts for later and was back on the right track soon. The sunrise as usual was pretty but the chill remained long into the day. I had a near miss sometime after Pune when a guy with three kids on a bike crossed the four lane divider and stopped dead in my path. I wonder if he was thinking that this was Laxmi road, a very busy street in Pune, and that I would simply go around him. I was at 90kph when he decided that I had probably done enough tapasya and that I now deserved to behold his form mounted on a bike. “Vats, hum tumhari tapasya se kush hue. Hum tuhme hospital me rehene ka vardan dete hain!” I braked hard and literally skidded the last 20 meters or so before my right leg hit his tire and I stopped. All he did was grin. I thanked him and was on my way again. I rode thro Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Jalna when I decided to take the route via Buldhana, Akola, and Amravati to Nagpur.
That would mean the date would be off since this was not the route I had taken (unknowingly) when I rode thru the night the last time. But fate had other plans and after a series of wrong turns I was back on the old route!! I almost cursed myself for having taken the lonely route but then as time passed the relationship deepened and old memories became fresh again. I could make out the places I had stopped at night the last time and could not help wondering if I would've done this had I known, so thoroughly, what lay in store.
The route was indeed very lonely even during day and had very few sign boards and petrol bunks. Food was thus becoming a problem. The hotels, already so few, were unimaginably filthy and I had to go hungry for some time. The best part of the journey was that the weather was pleasant all along and I was in constant touch with my sister who would look up a detailed map and instruct me on the route. I rode thro towns or passed by towns like Mehekar, Sultanpur, Risode, Washim, Yavatmal etc.
By late afternoon I needed fuel and I was still a long distance from Pulgaon - the town that had fuel for me the last time. Two petrol bunks went by that had no fuel and soon I was left with no choice but to head to Amravati, a large town, rather than risk riding into a small town and still end up with no fuel. This detour would've cost me a lot of time and I was also unaware then that the route from Amravati to Nagpur was shot for the last 60kms. My backup plan was to head to my mothers village, Chandur Bazar, in case it got dark sooner. Fortunately, I found a petrol bunk en route, tanked up and came back to where I had left the highway. Then detour cost me an additional 20-25kms. Now that this problem was solved, something else cropped up. Every time I hit a bump or a pothole, I could hear a the tinkling of a bell. Now, I had removed my studs a long time ago and so the possibility that they were banging against my head and making the sound was ruled out. I stopped several times and tried to find out what it is but could not zero in on anything. This continued up to Nagpur. I prayed that nothing should fall off the bike or something like that. I reached home in Nagpur at 7.30pm and was glad to finally take the butt of the seat for at least a few days.
Learning - Distance up to 500kms is comfortably doable. Up to 600kms is ok. Up to 700km is a pain and this - about 750kms, accounting for detours and lost ways, is a serious pain. And most importantly, if the final stretches are bad, you're toast. It’s like the the devil and the deep sea just that you’re sailing in the deep sea with the the devil is in the boat with you.
I spent a week with my sister and her daughter and had a very nice time. I also had the bike checked up at the Honda Service center. The guy was also not able to locate the source of the tinkling sound. I have a doubt that he checked my ears as well. My morbid sense of humor kicked in and I could picture The Undertaker and his assistant Pall Bearer making their entrance for a wrestling match - with me leading the way on my Unicorn all dressed in black. “For whom the bells toll”. The mechanic said that he would have to take the entire bike apart to locate the source but in either case it was a minor issue.
Sunday (27/09/09): I now had had enough of my date with loneliness and wanted to ride thro civilization. So, I started at 6.00am and took the route to Amravati. The first 60kms or so were under construction and so progress was slow. But the next 50kms were simply awesome and it was like riding on NH7 from Bangalore to Salem. I took the bypass to Akola and the route was good. Soon, the landscape changed and most importantly the traffic became sparse. This was becoming an indecent proposal. I had missed the turn to Akola and was heading back towards my old route. .........And the award for the Stupidest Rider goes to ... "Sachin K". When I told my sister of this all I heard was a click and the line went dead. No wonder people avoid me! So here I was desperately locked into the holy institution of matrimony with a route I had decided to avoid at all costs.
The remainder of the ride was uneventful as such and I reached Ahmednagar at 6.00pm. The sun was beginning to set by the time I was on my way again and I had a tough time riding the last 100kms because the visibility was poor and the roads were dug up. I reached home in Pune at 8.00pm. The last 30-40 minutes spent negotiating the Sunday traffic and ordering dinner.
All in all, it was a memorable week.
The pictures are here.
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