NERM 2011 - Babies head start

NERM 2011
24th, 25th and 26th of Nov 2011 and ofcourse the ride around North East...

Bikes have been packed and sent.

What a beautiful feeling... The point of no return....

The bikes have already gone to the other end of the country.

I like to trap myself like that.

Now the only prayer to GOD is, not to let KF cancel our rescheduled flights.

Macha Malya, please concentrate. Don't sink so fast. Please...

Devarayanadurga Ride

Oct 2011

Devarayana Durga Ride

Nice to have a ride after a long time!

Though a short one, had a nice time raving up on the Tumkur road and climbing the small hill at Devarayanadurga.

I expected it to rain and have a cloudy day, but it turned out to be just opposite.

I don't like sunny days though...

Thanks to Meppa and vijay for the company.
Meppa had a good time with his new possession 550D and Vijay sure will remember his first "Ride*" experience for a long time.

*Ride means riding to somewhere else other than office/glossary shop/wine shop

Goa Ride

08.07.2011, I’m on my way to Goa.

On NH4, somewhere between Tumkur and Chitradurga, it happened again! Fuel is over. This Jan, while on the way from Pune to Bangalore, I had to buy less than 200ml fuel for Rs.50 from a local when it got over. There is that long stretch without any bunk, I hate it. I knew it, but this time the bike proved to be a real drunked. Thanks to the heaviest of cross winds I have experienced and speed.

Due to circumstance the reserve could not fetch me till the next bunk. Engine is dead and the bike is rolling to a standstill.  I saw someone on bike coming from behind on the rear view. Just to try my luck I waved my hand and he stopped. I said petrol is over, will I be able to find fuel anywhere around... To my surprise he said “let me go and get some fuel. let me hurry up, else I’ll be late to office”. Before I could dig in for my valet, he’s taken a U turn and is gone. In another 10 min he is back with a bottle (1ltr) of petrol. I took out 100 bucks and gave it to him. He said its 78 (since black). I said, don't have to search for change. He said NO. He gave me Rs. 20 back. He couldn’t fine 2 rupees coin. Or else he would have given that too back.

I am speechless. He is rare breed- almost extinct in today’s world! Lucky to meet that gentleman...

Started at around 6 in the morning from Bangalore, had a 12hr ride through heavy and moderate rains...

Hit and finished a dog after Tumkur (thankfully it was quick, no suffering involved)

Luckily I stayed steady- Thank god. Thanks to the new front shock absorbers.

I haven't seen this kind of weird rain before. It starts heavily and by the time I have the rain gear on, it stops. As a precaution if decide to keep them on, it wouldn't rain again until I remove it out of suffocation. This drama continued till reaching Goa.
In the confusion, one turn was missed and the route had to be altered and ended up doing another 90km more making it 700km total.

Thanks to Jaising Bhandari and Guru for the planing and company at Goa.
Who thought in Goa I'm going to meet Dominic who lives in Chennai. World is so small.

Did spend nice time roaming around in Goa, unlike the last time. Good to meet the local boy Dominic.

Return at night proved to be the most straining ride. God knows how i got rid of sleep - splashing water into eyes and on head, taking tea breaks every now and then... Made it by around 6:30 morning at Bangalore.

Memorable 3 days...

Kodai - Munnar Monsoon Ride

Unexpectedly the idea of going home via Kodai and Munnar got developed all of a sudden.

Visiting Bobby’s place is a long due. Now is the time- when that kick to ride is irresistible. By the time I hit Kerala, monsoon will start. Scope for a wonderfull experience too...

Through the moderate temperature of KA, hot planes of TN, chill of Kodai and Munnar and the rains of KL.
It all happened as expected.
Welcome rain drenched me at Kodai itself, did not even get time to put on the rain gear. Thanks to Bobbychayan for hosting me at his home. Cooking and having food with Bobby is always homely.

Riding through the misty Munnar was as the most blissful ride as usual.

Return ride from Tdpa to Bangalore via Selam...

Fish curry and rice Lunch at somewhere between krishnagiri and Dharmapuri, wish I remember the name of that fish. Only thing I remember is that I tripped on the taste of that fish curry.

Started at 5:00, hit home in Blr at 2:20
Odo read 571km
Two stops- breakfast and lunch.
Another butt breaker...

And back to office in the evening after a nap... What an irony... Life is like that!

My encounter with stray dogs!

JP Nagar, 5th phase. The very next signal after the telephone exchange building on the right side. There is a small restaurant next to the exchange building. I'm riding towards home. It's around 1 pm , last Monday. I was hungry. I took a U turn at the signal and headed towards the restaurant. There there are... Three stray dogs... tongs outside, waiting for their prey's approach on the roadside... The prey was asked to pull over.
One dog : There is no right turn here
Me : Yes I know, I did not take the right, I took a U.

The dogs made other preys pull over too. One on a Maruti 800 started shouting at them. They barked at him back even louder. 800 stopped yelling out his point. That is useless anyway.

The dogs were not hungry, they were greedy. This is how they operate. (I can't say that is how they make their living, coz its not about making a living. Beggars on roadsides and at signals make their living very decently. There is nothing for comparison at all.)

They checked and verified all the originals of my vehicle documents.
One who looks around 50 yrs old saw my KL no. plate and became so happy. He saw my office Id hanging on my jeans' clip too. These two things attract the blood suckers... He opened up his pan rich mouth and started spitting out something like this "People like you enjoy in so and so big companies and make huge money...." (And these "poor" ones struggle hard on the road side to "serve" the country.)

I checked my wallet. There was only 130 bucks and some coins. I said this is what I have, I'm going for food, but you take it. I need to go and sleep atleast, coz I have to go to work at night. Another older looking one said, NO, the fine for non KA vehicle is 600. He is raising the bar. (God, have mercy on this *******)
Alright, then I will sit here with you guys dreaming about that 600 bucks.
 

Meanwhile the strays were busy gathering more and more preys. Some escaped, some got caught up in the trap.

I didn't have time to waste. So, that was it.... 130....
I didn't have lunch that day. I went home and slept. I did not feel hungry at all...!

PS: 

I respect the ones who do their job faithfully, they are less in numbers though

Pune - Bangalore Ride

Pune - Bangalore

Relocation from Pune to Bangalore and a ride to make it memorable... I did it my way.

Started at 7:30 in the morning, I saw sun rising up on my left side and saw it going up slowly and finally setting on my right side. I knew that is when I'm going to hit Blr. I saw the progress looking at my shadow. I enjoyed the shadow dancing on the road with the background music of engine. I've never noticed that combination before!

Thankfully the road hardly had any bad patches. Long stretches without turns were boring. Did I feel sleepy... I doubt so...

926km including ride inside both cities took more than 12 hrs of continuous riding.
Three full tanks of fuel completely emptied, the lady proved to be a drunker this time. Can't expect anything better at high cruising speed anyway. Had to manage an empty tank situation as well. One very "generous" villager sold me 250ml petrol from his bike for Rs. 50 to reach the next bunk 2 km away from where I got stranded and proved to be the most "helpful".

At 100+ consistent cruising speed bike behaved simply awesome. Slightly weak oil rings did not fail, half dead battery did not die, The Lady proved to be trustworthy again.

Photos