This pic was published on the Indian Express, Pune Newsline, 26 Feb 2007
Stripped down to the bone ready to swim in the river Krishna, Alamatti Dam, Karnataka.
2007/02/22
2007/02/21
SOLO RIDE PUNE TO HAMPI: PART I
I started from Pune on 15th Feb, at 07:15 hrs.
I had planned to take a night halt at Belgaum, distance some 350 kms from Pune. The NH4 was a dream run, aided by some good speed by the ipod in my ears. All the way, 4/6 laner smooth highway. The bike cruised to 100 with great ease, on her own, with little throttle.
I got to 30 kms from Belgaum at about 13:30 hrs, averaging some 54 kms to the hour.
During the lunch break at a dhaba, I called Hitanshu, who advised me to press on to Hubli, better still Hampi. Loaded words, the full import of which I was too foolish to realise.
The IOC petrol pump was great place for a tank full of gas and I met some pretty pretty girls, who called me their "Fren"! Relax, said the pump man, let me take a pic..
Cleared Hubli at around 5:30 pm and stopped on the highway near some obscure village for some directions and a pan vala told me just 100 kms to Hospet. Suddenly out of nowhere, some 30 odd kids surrounded my bike. I amused them by taking pics and showing them the results on the LCD screen. I took off one earplug and put it in kid’s ear, played a rocking song “Keep the Faith” at full volume. They were thrilled, some started to dance too. Bringing cheers and smiles to kids did wonders to refresh me and the tiredness vanished.
I asked a paan vala distance to Hospet. He misguided me and said just a 100 kms to go. Actually Hospet was way out some 150 kms and a 22 kms to Hampi. This I had to ride on a two-laner highway, trafficky with zillions of trucks both ways.
Averaging some 30 kms to the hour, I was dog gone tired after 40 minutes of riding. Looked at the watch read 20:00 hrs…. stopped for tea. Made conversation with a local man who mistook my Avenger for a Harley soft tail. Believe me on the rural outbacks, the Avenger attracts people by the dozen. He asked me “You from America?” I replied, “Yes, if Pune is an America!”. He smiled. And offered to pay for my soda, lime and tea. Looked at the odo, read some 498 kms. God…498??????? Never been there, never done that. Trust Hitanshu and maybe he can push a rider another 500. After all I was on the road, he was chilling watching TV/hitting keys on his laptop. When the odo read 560 kms, I wanted to just…die…free my soul from my body…soar to heavens. Hail Hitanshu!! Actually, I wanted to kill him, shoot him.
I started getting sms’s from Suyash, Sathey and lots of BikeNomads. Navendu said, “Group is on fire." Sathey sms "500 kms, great going Captain! Beers on me.” With that kind of encouragement, man becomes invincible.
Dismounted, did some wild callisthenic exercises, plugged the ipod, played “Lord You Got To Keep The Faith!” full blast. Bon Jovie, man you is great! You is good people. Then, as the Lord is my Sheppard, found a truck doing an easy 30/40/50 kmph, who guided me to Hospet. Called Vibhu, (CEO, BikeNomads), told him all is well, 4 kms from Hospet…. 580 kms on odo…. asked a man for directions to Ranjana Hotel. “Saaar, Ranjana not here, Hampi, 30 kms more!” My hear sank…I was dead.
In the dark night, zero traffic, ipod for company, started seeing wild rocks, ruins, on the starlit twilight horizon. Entered an ancient rock like gate, atop a hill. Saw city lights. Stopped bike, dismounted, hit a fist in the air! Time check 22:30 hrs.
I knew…. I knew I had arrived HAMPI!
Looked at odo, 603 kms. 15 hrs on the road.
Post Script
I wrote Hitanshu's testimonial on Orkut this morning, it goes with this ride. It goes like this
I started from Pune on 15th Feb, at 07:15 hrs.
I had planned to take a night halt at Belgaum, distance some 350 kms from Pune. The NH4 was a dream run, aided by some good speed by the ipod in my ears. All the way, 4/6 laner smooth highway. The bike cruised to 100 with great ease, on her own, with little throttle.
I got to 30 kms from Belgaum at about 13:30 hrs, averaging some 54 kms to the hour.
During the lunch break at a dhaba, I called Hitanshu, who advised me to press on to Hubli, better still Hampi. Loaded words, the full import of which I was too foolish to realise.
The IOC petrol pump was great place for a tank full of gas and I met some pretty pretty girls, who called me their "Fren"! Relax, said the pump man, let me take a pic..
Cleared Hubli at around 5:30 pm and stopped on the highway near some obscure village for some directions and a pan vala told me just 100 kms to Hospet. Suddenly out of nowhere, some 30 odd kids surrounded my bike. I amused them by taking pics and showing them the results on the LCD screen. I took off one earplug and put it in kid’s ear, played a rocking song “Keep the Faith” at full volume. They were thrilled, some started to dance too. Bringing cheers and smiles to kids did wonders to refresh me and the tiredness vanished.
I asked a paan vala distance to Hospet. He misguided me and said just a 100 kms to go. Actually Hospet was way out some 150 kms and a 22 kms to Hampi. This I had to ride on a two-laner highway, trafficky with zillions of trucks both ways.
Averaging some 30 kms to the hour, I was dog gone tired after 40 minutes of riding. Looked at the watch read 20:00 hrs…. stopped for tea. Made conversation with a local man who mistook my Avenger for a Harley soft tail. Believe me on the rural outbacks, the Avenger attracts people by the dozen. He asked me “You from America?” I replied, “Yes, if Pune is an America!”. He smiled. And offered to pay for my soda, lime and tea. Looked at the odo, read some 498 kms. God…498??????? Never been there, never done that. Trust Hitanshu and maybe he can push a rider another 500. After all I was on the road, he was chilling watching TV/hitting keys on his laptop. When the odo read 560 kms, I wanted to just…die…free my soul from my body…soar to heavens. Hail Hitanshu!! Actually, I wanted to kill him, shoot him.
I started getting sms’s from Suyash, Sathey and lots of BikeNomads. Navendu said, “Group is on fire." Sathey sms "500 kms, great going Captain! Beers on me.” With that kind of encouragement, man becomes invincible.
Dismounted, did some wild callisthenic exercises, plugged the ipod, played “Lord You Got To Keep The Faith!” full blast. Bon Jovie, man you is great! You is good people. Then, as the Lord is my Sheppard, found a truck doing an easy 30/40/50 kmph, who guided me to Hospet. Called Vibhu, (CEO, BikeNomads), told him all is well, 4 kms from Hospet…. 580 kms on odo…. asked a man for directions to Ranjana Hotel. “Saaar, Ranjana not here, Hampi, 30 kms more!” My hear sank…I was dead.
In the dark night, zero traffic, ipod for company, started seeing wild rocks, ruins, on the starlit twilight horizon. Entered an ancient rock like gate, atop a hill. Saw city lights. Stopped bike, dismounted, hit a fist in the air! Time check 22:30 hrs.
I knew…. I knew I had arrived HAMPI!
Looked at odo, 603 kms. 15 hrs on the road.
Post Script
I wrote Hitanshu's testimonial on Orkut this morning, it goes with this ride. It goes like this
"How do I define Hitanshu…. a hard core biking freak, a good team mate, a brilliant professional with sound academic background, a mentor, a good friend (notwithstanding an age gap of almost 30 years).
How do I define Hitanshu…. the man who kicked me hard to get on my bike and ride out solo, a distance of 603 kms from Pune to Hampi, a man who helped me redefine my riding, physical and mental endurance, riding 15 hrs a day and night on roads unknown.
Hitanshu helped an Old Man of the Sea to realise the spiritual highs of motor biking, to ride like a winning horse on fire.
He taught me much more.
Pranaam Dronacharya."
Captain Nandu Chitnis
BikeNomads
Headlights On
2007/02/12
2007/02/07
RIDE ON
I wrote this on Mouthshut.com some 18 months back after buying the Avenger.
THE BAJAJ AVENGER:
Finally after a long wait, visiting showrooms endlessly, I got the bike I wanted…that bike is the powerhouse of a Beast they call, THE AVENGER.
I will not trouble you with tech details, you can get them on: www.bajajavenger.com
The D-DAY
Wife and I got the call 01 Oct. We went to the showroom. The red Beast was there waiting to take me off on a ride. Formalities over, I mounted the Beast, started and took off on a busy road. Mind you, I was driving a bike of my own after 31 years! The ride home was wobbly, awkward, the heavy traffic and the bad roads did not help.
02 October, early morning I told my woman to get ready for a highway test-drive, a stretch of 40 kms, close to my home.
The FEEL the TOUCH the RIDE
The ignition start was a breeze. Getting to the highway, I stopped the Beast. Gear one, revved up the RPM, shot off quite quick off the blocks. I was cruising comfortably at 50 kmph down to the fifth gear. That is the limit for first 500 kms.
The Feel: Great feel. Everything worked fine, the gears, clutch, and the throttle. The exhaust 4 stroke revs sounded fine. Not too loud just the right rhythm.
The Sound: Amazing soft sound of the 4 stroke engine, sending up super vibrations right up the spinal cord to the nerve centers of the brain, ending up with a feeling of pure ecstasy.
The Touch: The powerhouse of the Beast, the 180 DTSi, reacts swiftly to gear changes synchronized with the throttle. Surprisingly quick for a heavy cruiser bike.
.
The Ride: Amazing stuff. The comfort of driving this Avenging cruiser is phenomenal. Overtaking is swift, just push up to 4th gear, open the throttle and everything moves behind the bike at the speed of light. The road grip is good, thanks to broad rear tires. The front brakes are very efficient. The foot brakes are a problem for me. The headlights are powerful. Banking is a breeze. All iAll in all, I love this Beast!
You are pushing 54, why bike now?
This is a question my friends and family ask and my answers drives them crazy. Here are a few answers.
1. The Beast is primarily for highway rides, say Pune to Bangalore type of rides with spinouts to jungles, sanctuary, lakes, forts and whatever else enroute. A car is a utility device, a machine that takes me from point A to B. Period. A bike on the other hand, the Cruiser kinds, is a Beast of PASSION.
2. A car is relatively safe, comfortable with an a/c, music, protects you from pollutants. The Beast exposes me to elements of nature, especially the wind. The danger adds a bit to the spirit of adventure. The sheer delight of hearing the revs of a 4-stroke bike engine, the quick response to the throttle makes the car look like a lumbering elephant.
3. Driving a car say 5000 kms on a vacation is a pleasure. Driving the Beast 5000 kms will be an adventure of the highest order, especially in company of biking club members. The physical and mental wear and tear is a must to be endured to get the max out of biking adventures. Most Royal Enfield bikers who ride away on long drives are over 40 yrs. In the USA I saw so many bikers over 60 yrs. They are all big beefy men and women.
4. Bikes are cheap for the riding pleasure. The same excitement can perhaps be matched by sports cars and they cost a bomb. In a car you drive, on a bike you ride. There is a world of a difference tween the two.
This list of Q and A’s goes on and on.
MY RECCOMENDATIONS
The Avenger is very cost effective cruiser at Rs. 67 k on the road. The VFM (value for money) is great. The power to price ratio is fine. The low chassis makes for a low center of gravity, stabilizing the bike on rides. The shockers are first rate. Can take the bumps pretty good. Max cruising speed after engine run in should be 80 kmph, though 60 kmph is fine for the cruiser rides. The kpl is abot 50 kms to a liter of fuel. The Beast looks beautiful. Most car n bikes look great in show rooms and advertisements; few look good when you see them on the roads. The Beast looks better on the road.
Make no mistakes; the Beast is a KILLER APPLICATION.
A DREAM FANTASY RIDE:
Your AVENGING RIDE, your DESTINY, your SPIRIT, your SOUL, and your Point of no RETURN
Mount the Beast. Start the power plant. Rev up the engine fast and furious down to the fifth gear smartly. Then, open the throttle max and BLAST down the valley of Death with all the God given power and fury at your disposal. Have no fears, the Avenging Angels will pull you up the steep slopes and awaken you to a new dawn. Remember, cowards die many deaths, the brave die just once. Your Avenger has begun to avenge your inner demons. Ride on…..
You have begun to learn from the winds, you learn from the mountains, you fly with the devil, you learn from the wisdom of nature and life.
You ride at night sleep by day, your back hurts. The Odo shows 550 kms. Ride on. Your music is the throbbing stereophonic sounds of the macho exhaust, the air, and the fury of speed. Your protections are the Gods in heaven. You feel the God within you urging you to open up the throttle further. Push beyond the limits known and unknown. There is no destination. The road of life never ends never begins. You are the destiny’s child; the Avenger is God’s gift for you to learn, to ride, you are on a new voyage. A voyage that takes you to the point of no return, till you have awakened the soaring spirits within you. Nothing else matters. This is the essence of biking, to begin with. The Odo shows 2543 kms. Ride on…….
On the road of enlightment, the future is what you see ahead of you, the present is you and your Avenger, the past is what you see in the rear view mirror. You have begun to come back to life, to soar, to get the highs and the lows. The Avenger is your silent broadband, let the music play on. Ride on….
Odo says 3521 kms. You have begun to discover yourself. The demons have gone. A part of you has died, giving birth to a new you. You are sore, tired. The horizon changes, the road ahead is there to be traversed. The pent up fury within you has eased. Ride on…….
Remember you and I were born to live. You are riding, down 6589 kms on the Odo. The biker and his machine join in unison. The Avenger slowly becomes a part of your biological body. The man machine interface is your new matrix . You have a whole new philosophy. A whole new thought process. You are still learning. You want to Avenge your self against yourself, your killer dreams.You die. Happy birthday to the new you. Hang on. I need you to live a wee bit longer. To stay wild, it’s déjà vu time . Ride on. ……..
Hell fire and burning souls. The devils have gone. You open throttle max, speedo reads 120. The roar of the energies let loose, silencers all gone. It’s the magic that never ends. You have forgiven all else, be they mortals, your fate, your wretched horoscope. Your past has been erased. You are fully reconfigured. Ride on….
Odo reads 22,569 kms. You have scorched the earth, have burned the CD of life like never before ……..your way to your ultimate destination, a destination you never want to reach.
You are riding. The Odo says 48,623 kms. You have understood ecstasy, fulfillment, and desire. You are celebrating LIFE. Eventually, you will have mastered your fate. Ride on…..
The Avenging Angels fly away. It’s the end of the road. You have learned everything. The Odo reads 98989. Who cares? Your ride into infinity has just begun. The Avenger is you, YOU are the AVENGER. Ride on…..
You rest your tired broken body and shattered bones against the Avenger’s tank. The body dies but your spirit lives. Ride on……
Now you hear your inner voice say:
“I FEEL LIKE GOD. I AM GOD.”
Your soul is liberated forever. Ride on……….
Somewhere in the space, in the dak starlit twilight zone, we meet and walk the talk of life, and pass judgment on the Avenger.
We can do that coz we be the GODS . We shake hands and what do we say? We say...............
“ RIDE ON…..”
LAST LINE
I have often said “ What better way to die than in the pursuit of a PASSION.”
I wrote this on Mouthshut.com some 18 months back after buying the Avenger.
THE BAJAJ AVENGER:
Finally after a long wait, visiting showrooms endlessly, I got the bike I wanted…that bike is the powerhouse of a Beast they call, THE AVENGER.
I will not trouble you with tech details, you can get them on: www.bajajavenger.com
The D-DAY
Wife and I got the call 01 Oct. We went to the showroom. The red Beast was there waiting to take me off on a ride. Formalities over, I mounted the Beast, started and took off on a busy road. Mind you, I was driving a bike of my own after 31 years! The ride home was wobbly, awkward, the heavy traffic and the bad roads did not help.
02 October, early morning I told my woman to get ready for a highway test-drive, a stretch of 40 kms, close to my home.
The FEEL the TOUCH the RIDE
The ignition start was a breeze. Getting to the highway, I stopped the Beast. Gear one, revved up the RPM, shot off quite quick off the blocks. I was cruising comfortably at 50 kmph down to the fifth gear. That is the limit for first 500 kms.
The Feel: Great feel. Everything worked fine, the gears, clutch, and the throttle. The exhaust 4 stroke revs sounded fine. Not too loud just the right rhythm.
The Sound: Amazing soft sound of the 4 stroke engine, sending up super vibrations right up the spinal cord to the nerve centers of the brain, ending up with a feeling of pure ecstasy.
The Touch: The powerhouse of the Beast, the 180 DTSi, reacts swiftly to gear changes synchronized with the throttle. Surprisingly quick for a heavy cruiser bike.
.
The Ride: Amazing stuff. The comfort of driving this Avenging cruiser is phenomenal. Overtaking is swift, just push up to 4th gear, open the throttle and everything moves behind the bike at the speed of light. The road grip is good, thanks to broad rear tires. The front brakes are very efficient. The foot brakes are a problem for me. The headlights are powerful. Banking is a breeze. All iAll in all, I love this Beast!
You are pushing 54, why bike now?
This is a question my friends and family ask and my answers drives them crazy. Here are a few answers.
1. The Beast is primarily for highway rides, say Pune to Bangalore type of rides with spinouts to jungles, sanctuary, lakes, forts and whatever else enroute. A car is a utility device, a machine that takes me from point A to B. Period. A bike on the other hand, the Cruiser kinds, is a Beast of PASSION.
2. A car is relatively safe, comfortable with an a/c, music, protects you from pollutants. The Beast exposes me to elements of nature, especially the wind. The danger adds a bit to the spirit of adventure. The sheer delight of hearing the revs of a 4-stroke bike engine, the quick response to the throttle makes the car look like a lumbering elephant.
3. Driving a car say 5000 kms on a vacation is a pleasure. Driving the Beast 5000 kms will be an adventure of the highest order, especially in company of biking club members. The physical and mental wear and tear is a must to be endured to get the max out of biking adventures. Most Royal Enfield bikers who ride away on long drives are over 40 yrs. In the USA I saw so many bikers over 60 yrs. They are all big beefy men and women.
4. Bikes are cheap for the riding pleasure. The same excitement can perhaps be matched by sports cars and they cost a bomb. In a car you drive, on a bike you ride. There is a world of a difference tween the two.
This list of Q and A’s goes on and on.
MY RECCOMENDATIONS
The Avenger is very cost effective cruiser at Rs. 67 k on the road. The VFM (value for money) is great. The power to price ratio is fine. The low chassis makes for a low center of gravity, stabilizing the bike on rides. The shockers are first rate. Can take the bumps pretty good. Max cruising speed after engine run in should be 80 kmph, though 60 kmph is fine for the cruiser rides. The kpl is abot 50 kms to a liter of fuel. The Beast looks beautiful. Most car n bikes look great in show rooms and advertisements; few look good when you see them on the roads. The Beast looks better on the road.
Make no mistakes; the Beast is a KILLER APPLICATION.
A DREAM FANTASY RIDE:
Your AVENGING RIDE, your DESTINY, your SPIRIT, your SOUL, and your Point of no RETURN
Mount the Beast. Start the power plant. Rev up the engine fast and furious down to the fifth gear smartly. Then, open the throttle max and BLAST down the valley of Death with all the God given power and fury at your disposal. Have no fears, the Avenging Angels will pull you up the steep slopes and awaken you to a new dawn. Remember, cowards die many deaths, the brave die just once. Your Avenger has begun to avenge your inner demons. Ride on…..
You have begun to learn from the winds, you learn from the mountains, you fly with the devil, you learn from the wisdom of nature and life.
You ride at night sleep by day, your back hurts. The Odo shows 550 kms. Ride on. Your music is the throbbing stereophonic sounds of the macho exhaust, the air, and the fury of speed. Your protections are the Gods in heaven. You feel the God within you urging you to open up the throttle further. Push beyond the limits known and unknown. There is no destination. The road of life never ends never begins. You are the destiny’s child; the Avenger is God’s gift for you to learn, to ride, you are on a new voyage. A voyage that takes you to the point of no return, till you have awakened the soaring spirits within you. Nothing else matters. This is the essence of biking, to begin with. The Odo shows 2543 kms. Ride on…….
On the road of enlightment, the future is what you see ahead of you, the present is you and your Avenger, the past is what you see in the rear view mirror. You have begun to come back to life, to soar, to get the highs and the lows. The Avenger is your silent broadband, let the music play on. Ride on….
Odo says 3521 kms. You have begun to discover yourself. The demons have gone. A part of you has died, giving birth to a new you. You are sore, tired. The horizon changes, the road ahead is there to be traversed. The pent up fury within you has eased. Ride on…….
Remember you and I were born to live. You are riding, down 6589 kms on the Odo. The biker and his machine join in unison. The Avenger slowly becomes a part of your biological body. The man machine interface is your new matrix . You have a whole new philosophy. A whole new thought process. You are still learning. You want to Avenge your self against yourself, your killer dreams.You die. Happy birthday to the new you. Hang on. I need you to live a wee bit longer. To stay wild, it’s déjà vu time . Ride on. ……..
Hell fire and burning souls. The devils have gone. You open throttle max, speedo reads 120. The roar of the energies let loose, silencers all gone. It’s the magic that never ends. You have forgiven all else, be they mortals, your fate, your wretched horoscope. Your past has been erased. You are fully reconfigured. Ride on….
Odo reads 22,569 kms. You have scorched the earth, have burned the CD of life like never before ……..your way to your ultimate destination, a destination you never want to reach.
You are riding. The Odo says 48,623 kms. You have understood ecstasy, fulfillment, and desire. You are celebrating LIFE. Eventually, you will have mastered your fate. Ride on…..
The Avenging Angels fly away. It’s the end of the road. You have learned everything. The Odo reads 98989. Who cares? Your ride into infinity has just begun. The Avenger is you, YOU are the AVENGER. Ride on…..
You rest your tired broken body and shattered bones against the Avenger’s tank. The body dies but your spirit lives. Ride on……
Now you hear your inner voice say:
“I FEEL LIKE GOD. I AM GOD.”
Your soul is liberated forever. Ride on……….
Somewhere in the space, in the dak starlit twilight zone, we meet and walk the talk of life, and pass judgment on the Avenger.
We can do that coz we be the GODS . We shake hands and what do we say? We say...............
“ RIDE ON…..”
LAST LINE
I have often said “ What better way to die than in the pursuit of a PASSION.”
2007/02/04
THE RIDE FROM PUNE TO GANAPATIFULE
27 January 2006: The plan to ride to Ganapatifule finally fell through thanks to repeated posts on Bikenomads.
Biswa Bandyopadhyay, Avanish, me and my wife Medini decided to ride out early morning 27th Jan. We met at Chandani Chowk at about 0800 hrs.
Navendu Singh (the living legend of Bikenomads?) and his riding partner Arpan met us briefly before peeling off to the Pune Kolhapur highway. Arpan is a wiz kid with anything on wheels. Our group of three Riders proceeded to Mulshi.
Chandani Chowk to Mulshi
The ride from Chandani Chowk to Mulshi was pretty bumpy a distance of some 25 kms. The road is under repairs and should be a dream to ride on, a few months from now. Stopped for breakfast halt at Mulshi, overlooking the great lake.
Tamhini Ghat
Downhill to Bhor, the road steadily deteriorates. We stopped by the Dam to take in the sheer delights of the surrounding hills, lakes and rivers. Just see the pictures of Biswa against the backdrop of the Sahyadris.
Road conditions notwithstanding, do the Varunda Ghat. This stretch is a good practice ride for riders wanting to do Leh-Ladakh.
Bhor to Pune: The Katraj Ghat traffic and road conditions are the pits of the earth. The turn off to NH4 to Pune was a relief. We arrived Pune safe and sound after some 12 hrs of riding.
Acknowledgements
Bikes: Avenger, Pulsar 150, Bullet Electra.
Medini and I are new to the sport of Highway riding and age wise pretty much over the hill. Thanks to Bikenomads, Bajaj-Kawasaki-Avenger Group, Cramster Club and the Bajaj Pulsar Group, we have been able to kick start our highway rides.
Our special thanks to: Biswa, Avnish, Navendu and Arpan who took great care of our needs during this ride.
27 January 2006: The plan to ride to Ganapatifule finally fell through thanks to repeated posts on Bikenomads.
Biswa Bandyopadhyay, Avanish, me and my wife Medini decided to ride out early morning 27th Jan. We met at Chandani Chowk at about 0800 hrs.
Navendu Singh (the living legend of Bikenomads?) and his riding partner Arpan met us briefly before peeling off to the Pune Kolhapur highway. Arpan is a wiz kid with anything on wheels. Our group of three Riders proceeded to Mulshi.
Chandani Chowk to Mulshi
The ride from Chandani Chowk to Mulshi was pretty bumpy a distance of some 25 kms. The road is under repairs and should be a dream to ride on, a few months from now. Stopped for breakfast halt at Mulshi, overlooking the great lake.
Tamhini Ghat
This section of some 35 odd kms is a Riders dream. The surrounding areas are breathtaking and very popular with Pune riders. Biswa and Avnish went ga ga over this stretch. The road to Mahad is pretty fine though one may take a longer route via Kolad to NH 17.
NH 17: Mahad to Ratnagiri
NH 17 continues to improve with time. This is one highway, bikers never tire to repeat, thanks to continuous ghat like roads and breath taking view of mountains, rivers, dams and forests all along the route to perhaps Goa and beyond. We took plenty of pit stops, for photography and butt-blood recirculation. The Avenger is a great bike but they damn cared bout pillion riders.
Short of Ratnagiri at Sangameshwar, there is a turn off to Ganapatifule. This 20 kms road stretch is beautiful to ride on. Just short of the town is a breataking view of the sea from atop a cliff. I missed taking snaps here.
Arrival Ganapatifule
We arrived same day, Friday evening at about 1900 hrs. The odo read 333 kms from Pune to Ganapatifule.
MTDC RESORT
The MTDC resort is very fairly priced but was overbooked. A tent costs just Rs 400/- and a cottage about Rs 1,000/- per night. The resort is a class act!
We had to make do at a small neat and clean hotel, where rooms were available for Rs 400/- per day. It will be wise to book in advance at MTDC, especially during the winter season, November to January. The weather at the seaside resort was great. Cool breeze throughout the day and chilly early morning and evening breeze.
The resort has a nice restaurant open to air and the sea, moderately priced. The bar serves only beer, no hard liquor.
The Beach
The highlight of Ganapatifule is the lovely stretch of beach some 5 kms long. A small part of the beach has a Juhu Beach sort of contaminated look, with Camel rides, Nariyal Pani walas around. Most of the beach stretch is pristine white and a swimmers delight.
The Temple
Ganapati temple is well maintained and a must see for darshan.
Private Beach
A few kms near the town is a motor able road leading to a private resort where tariffs start at Rs 1900/- per night. The beach here is along stretch and the view from the cliff is breathtaking.
Food
Check out the Malvani food joints for some great seafood. We had a great time eating out in these small homely joints.
In and around Ganapatifule
Should you have a day in hand it is worth visiting some points in and around Ratnagiri some 40 to 60 kms from Ganapatifule. Forts, bridges, hill side rides may well make your day.
We had a great time the evening of 27 Jan, and the entire day of 28 Jan at Ganapatifule.
The Return Journey
Navendu and Arpan joined us on 28th Nov at Ganapatifule. We started back to Pune
29 January. This time we decided to take the route via Varunda ghat to Bhor and Pune.
The Varunda Ghat: A Killer Application for Riders
The road to the top of the mountain from Mahad is pretty fine for rides. The Ghat section is very steep and challenging and at times crazy. The S bends are a continuous affair. Arpan had a great time scraping his knees against the road while banking. Navendu flies off at the speed of light on his Bullet, no matter what the road conditions.
Atop the highest point at Varunda, the scenery is akin to the Grand Canyon. To enjoy the sheer majesty of the Sahyadris, the ride up the Varunda Ghat is a MUST MUST for all riders.
Downhill to Bhor, the road steadily deteriorates. We stopped by the Dam to take in the sheer delights of the surrounding hills, lakes and rivers. Just see the pictures of Biswa against the backdrop of the Sahyadris.
Road conditions notwithstanding, do the Varunda Ghat. This stretch is a good practice ride for riders wanting to do Leh-Ladakh.
Bhor to Pune: The Katraj Ghat traffic and road conditions are the pits of the earth. The turn off to NH4 to Pune was a relief. We arrived Pune safe and sound after some 12 hrs of riding.
Acknowledgements
Bikes: Avenger, Pulsar 150, Bullet Electra.
Medini and I are new to the sport of Highway riding and age wise pretty much over the hill. Thanks to Bikenomads, Bajaj-Kawasaki-Avenger Group, Cramster Club and the Bajaj Pulsar Group, we have been able to kick start our highway rides.
Our special thanks to: Biswa, Avnish, Navendu and Arpan who took great care of our needs during this ride.
THOSGAD WINDMILL FARMS AND WATERFALLS AND
SAJJANGARH FORT RIDE: 01 FEB 2007
Full marks to fellow BN rider Ashvin Nadiq for recommending Thosgarh Windmill Farms ride to us.
Got a call from Parikshit late evening and on the spur of the moment I said, “Let’s ride to Thosghar Windmill Farms!” . Parikshit Vaidya works a Tata Motors, gets a Thursday off.
We started 07:30 hrs on NH 4 to Satara. 01 Feb 07. The new Katraj bypass tunnel is a six laner and a boon for all. The road to Satara is a dream 4 laner. From Satara, we took the road to the Thosghar Windmill Farms. The twisting mountain roads are fabulous. Some Satara man recommended that we ride to Sajjangad, close to Thosghar. Sajjangad is a small fort where Guru Ramdev, the spiritual leader of the Mahratta Warrior Shivaji, lived.
Full marks to fellow BN rider Ashvin Nadiq for recommending Thosgarh Windmill Farms ride to us.
Got a call from Parikshit late evening and on the spur of the moment I said, “Let’s ride to Thosghar Windmill Farms!” . Parikshit Vaidya works a Tata Motors, gets a Thursday off.
We started 07:30 hrs on NH 4 to Satara. 01 Feb 07. The new Katraj bypass tunnel is a six laner and a boon for all. The road to Satara is a dream 4 laner. From Satara, we took the road to the Thosghar Windmill Farms. The twisting mountain roads are fabulous. Some Satara man recommended that we ride to Sajjangad, close to Thosghar. Sajjangad is a small fort where Guru Ramdev, the spiritual leader of the Mahratta Warrior Shivaji, lived.
SAJJANGAD
After Sajjangad, the real ride started right upto the Thosgarh Windmill farms. From miles away we got to see hundreds and hundreds of windmills. The total count is close to 2,000. Some 40 kms of riding, and finally we got there at 1:30 pm. At that time, the weather was cool. Spent a few hours there taking photographs and gasping at the Windmills and the awesome scenery right round.
WINDMILL FARMS
Next rode down to Thosgarh waterfalls. Surprised to see water flowing at great speed at this time of the year. Many picnickers have died here bathing in the rapids. We Nomads survived. I found a safe spot to enjoy the rapids. I was not going to leave this opportunity to get wet and wild. Parikshit was tentative but followed me to the waterfalls. I was down to my undes quick time and under the rapids. The flow of water did wonders to refresh my tired muscles.
Plenty of pics later, we rode down to the highway and rode back to Pune arriving home 6:30 pm.
The mountain countryside view on both sides of the road is raw, hard and breathtaking.
I think this place will be awesome during the monsoons too.
Statistics : Distance from Pune 146 kms.
Roads : Excellent
What to see : Windmill farms, waterfalls, the Dam (view).
Carry : Swimming trunks n towels. Camera n BN Tee.
Do not : Miss riding out here, any time is good. If possible arrive here at break of
Dawn.
Links to pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/httpwwwmouthshutcomusermariner2html/sets/72157594512227650/
2007/02/03
TRIP LOG : NOMADS RIDE TO AJANTA CAVES
Come 26th Jan, we trio Nomads Priyank, Suyash and me rode off Pune –Aurangabad – Ajanta-Aurangabad-Pune. Total some 730 kms. Started off at 07:30 hrs.
Riders: Nandu n Suyash (Avengers), Priyank (Yamaha Libero). This was a first ride out for Priyank. He stayed at speeds well within his limits and enjoyed his ride. Very very sensible.
Come 26th Jan, we trio Nomads Priyank, Suyash and me rode off Pune –Aurangabad – Ajanta-Aurangabad-Pune. Total some 730 kms. Started off at 07:30 hrs.
Riders: Nandu n Suyash (Avengers), Priyank (Yamaha Libero). This was a first ride out for Priyank. He stayed at speeds well within his limits and enjoyed his ride. Very very sensible.
Roads: Pune to Ahmednagar (120 kms) was a dream ride. Four laner almost all the way, beautiful roads, awesome I say! Ahmednagar to Aurangabad (120 kms), 2 laner traffic, beware….ride slow. Ahmednagar to Ajanta, 120 kms, awesome road, beautiful. Ripped the bike 100 kph……..haaaaaa. Burst a tyre hitting a rock in the center of the road. Some crazy dude did not remove the rocks on the road after repairing his vehicle.
Stops: Just short of Nagar, there is a beautiful resort, SMILESTONES. Great place to take a butt break and eat.
Met plenty of RE guys who were returning from Nagpur RE meet. Big fellows, big riders, making so much of exhaust noise, earthshaking, I dare say….but they shook our hands, talked a lot to us and paid respect to BikeNomads. Humility….Bhai log either you a Bullet Rider or you are NOTHING is how I felt in their company. Even Suyash felt like that. Big Bull rider, big man, Mr Bruce (owns 16 bykes, incl Harley) was gracious enough to come to our bikes and see us off, wishing us “Ride Safe.”
Stop 2 for lunch was at a nice place “24x7”.
At Ahmednagar: Took us some 6 hrs to get into the city, at 2:30 pm. Plenty of hotels along the main highway that goes through the city. For the rich Software Enggs Riders , there is the awesome Hotel Rennaissance (Welcome Group), for the rest of us riding on the poverty line, there are plenty of budget Rs 500-750/- a day rooms. We lived like pigs in one such hotel.with attached Restau n bar. 26th Jan ,dry day so told the Manager, “Room mein 3 bottle King Fisher bhejnaa.” Manager said, “Saab, 26 January hai, dry day hai, mushkil hai.” I replied “Mushkil hai, lekin NAMUMKIN to nahi?” He was impressed with my Don like dialogue n we got our beers!
Biwi ka Makbara: That evening we saw “Biwi Ka Makbara”, mini Taj. Built 370 years ago by the son of Aurnagzeb for his mother. Nice place. I told Priyank “Bhai, 370 years from now, who will remember us? There will be no evidence that we lived on earth! Even our BN Hall Of Fame will be forgotten…..let’s build a BN Hall of Fame makbara.”
Stop 2 for lunch was at a nice place “24x7”.
At Ahmednagar: Took us some 6 hrs to get into the city, at 2:30 pm. Plenty of hotels along the main highway that goes through the city. For the rich Software Enggs Riders , there is the awesome Hotel Rennaissance (Welcome Group), for the rest of us riding on the poverty line, there are plenty of budget Rs 500-750/- a day rooms. We lived like pigs in one such hotel.with attached Restau n bar. 26th Jan ,dry day so told the Manager, “Room mein 3 bottle King Fisher bhejnaa.” Manager said, “Saab, 26 January hai, dry day hai, mushkil hai.” I replied “Mushkil hai, lekin NAMUMKIN to nahi?” He was impressed with my Don like dialogue n we got our beers!
Biwi ka Makbara: That evening we saw “Biwi Ka Makbara”, mini Taj. Built 370 years ago by the son of Aurnagzeb for his mother. Nice place. I told Priyank “Bhai, 370 years from now, who will remember us? There will be no evidence that we lived on earth! Even our BN Hall Of Fame will be forgotten…..let’s build a BN Hall of Fame makbara.”
Ajanta Caves: Next morning, 27th Jan, we rode out to see Ajanta Caves, distance 120 kms. Full marks to MTDC for creating a wonderful world class infrastructure for tourists out there. Guides come for Rs 450/- worth it. We spent some 5 hours out there. Awesome the way these caves were chisseled out of stone some 1250 years ago, to perpetuate the memory of Lord Buddha. Thousands of foreign n desi tourists. Majaa ayaa.
There is a resort of MTDC 30 kms short of Ajanta. Instead of riding out n staying put at Aurangabad, better to stay here. We were exhausted riding out 120+120 kms and walking 5 hrs to see the caves.
That evening we drank Wiskey without fear of dry day. I asked Suyash n Priyank if they get bored riding with old fogie like me. They said their fathers allowed them this ride out coz there was a senior citizen riding out with them! Their dad’s are younger than me….lol.
28th Jan: Started back for Pune. Could not see Daulatabad Fort and Ellora. Better to plan a 4 day trip, minimum, to do all of Aurangabad, Daulatabad, Ajanta and Ellora. Ellora is closer at 16 kms from Aurangabad.
Reccos:
1. Plan ride one way Pune-Aurangabad. Return ride Aurangabad-Nashik road to Samgamner to Pune. Extra distance is 120 kms, but you get to see a different road.
2. Remember Aurangabad-Ajanta is 120 kms. Better stay at MTDC resort first night 30 kms short of Ajanta caves. That way you will save exhausation. Check out after doing Ajanta go to Ahmednagar, next day aaram se do, Ellora, Daulatabad.
28th Jan: Started back for Pune. Could not see Daulatabad Fort and Ellora. Better to plan a 4 day trip, minimum, to do all of Aurangabad, Daulatabad, Ajanta and Ellora. Ellora is closer at 16 kms from Aurangabad.
Reccos:
1. Plan ride one way Pune-Aurangabad. Return ride Aurangabad-Nashik road to Samgamner to Pune. Extra distance is 120 kms, but you get to see a different road.
2. Remember Aurangabad-Ajanta is 120 kms. Better stay at MTDC resort first night 30 kms short of Ajanta caves. That way you will save exhausation. Check out after doing Ajanta go to Ahmednagar, next day aaram se do, Ellora, Daulatabad.
3. Ahmednagar to Aurangabad: Traffic is dense, road average. Please be very cautious here. Watch for stray dogs, cattle, crazy overtaking vehicles on your side of the road.
Stops: Smilestones and 24x7. See the windmills in the background.
Captain Nandu Chitnis
BikeNomads
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