Chapter I - Coorg
This was something long deferred, an idea that we should have come out with earlier. But like they say “Better late than never”! And once the idea was born, courtesy Roshan Kamath, together Brian and Amrit from the BJYMC (Bangalore Jawa & Yezdi Motorcycle Club), there was no turning back.
You want it in short? – 26 Jawa & Yezdi Motorcycles – Night rides – pleasantly cold temperatures – Coorg hills and forests – excellent resort with great food – BEERS! – group rides – off-roading – injuries – treasure hunt - mementos and trophies – place visits – Coorg coffee – early morning ride – Republic Day Flag hoisting – GREAT Riders & team spirit – Excellent host (Bopanna & his friends)
Now you want to know in which crazy way, we combined all this together? Read on at your own risk!!
And so on 24th evening, the 4 riders from Mangalore – Roshan, Reynold, Jayshanker and me, waited for our additional installments, Rajesh and Raveesh to come in from Udupi and hit the trail. Our designated departure time of 3 pm was therefore stretched to 4.30 pm and I was not happy about it, considering the treacherous road ahead from Sullia to Sampage and then the unknown forests’ roads at Coorg.
![]()
From the time we left Nantoor, our small team had already split up into 2 groups, with only Jayshanker and me sweeping! It was only after Puttur, around 53 kms away, where we all grouped up together with Joyal, who had just completed the fitness check on his 1971 Jawa at the RTO there and then joined us. We decided that we had to ride in a group. And we did, quickly crossing Sullia and then on towards Sampage, where we discovered what people meant when they said “The roads were horrible!” The ongoing road widening process stretched for over 18 kms, and riders and bikes were subjected to mud, stones, and mad dust that got through our helmets. Stopping for a quick break at a small tea stall, we gave vent to our utter discontent of the road conditions while allowing our damaged backsides to regain consciousness. By that time, calls from the Bangalore team had come in to check on our progress, as I had very naively said that we would be in Coorg by 8 pm. And it was nearly 7.30 already.
While all our bikes were behaving fine, my 1984 D250 Classic was misfiring at times and I found that keeping it in high revs was the only way to keep the engine running smoothly, in spite of tweaking the air screw. So after mounting up again, it was time to start up the ghats and we managed to keep a good pace with the rest of the traffic. By 8.45 we had touched Madikeri city, where we stopped to cool down the bikes and wait for the Udupi riders to catch up! After having confirmed the directions to the resort where we all were booked into, we found that we had to go back 3 kms, to head off towards Talu Kaveri and then Kakkabe. A pit stop to pick up a few beers and then on the way again, only to stop on one of the twisties, when we realized that the Udupi riders were not with us, instead deciding to guzzle down a couple of pegs, to fortify them for the additional 31 kms, ahead.
Once we had all regrouped, we set off deeper into the dark unlit roads, bordered by trees wherever we could see. While the roads became worse and the dense forests seemed to encroach upon us, we have expected to see wild elephants cross straight into our paths or maybe with luck some wild boar. Thankfully, the sound of our engines seemed to keep all at bay, including all human population and if it wasn’t for Google Navigation, we might have as well headed directly into Kerala! And shortly after 10.30, through the pitch blackness, we could just barely make out the lights of the resort looming up and then we were climbing up the mud strewn driveway, to the cheers, whistles and claps of all the other riders already present there! Talk about a rousing welcome!
It was great to be back in Yezdi land again! With everybody joining us at once, asking us about the trip, urging us to freshen up in our rooms or at least grab a drink immediately, the feeling of togetherness among the riders, even among those whom we have not met at all was heart warming! A quick wash and change and in half an hour, we were back among the others, warming up our hands with the campfire, that the solo Coorg rider, Bopanna, had put together, along with the mouthwatering grilled chicken and wild boar that he had so kindly got to the resort! There was a quick introduction of all the riders, and the printed number plate mementos, very thoughtfully done up by Roshan, were handed to everyone! The night was getting cold, but the spirits were pretty high considering the empty bottles left all around! The antics of PC Yezdi and Sridhar Kacchu had everybody in splits and nobody wanted to go for dinner as yet. But soon it was time and then off to bed, ready for the next day!
Breakfast was ready the following day sharp at 9.30 and it was the amazing Coorg coffee that brought us all to our senses, so much so that most us had a couple of extra cups! By 10 am, we were all ready to ride as one to Kakkabe town, where the local members of the press were waiting for us, all in awe to know why 26 Jawa / Yezdis were thundering together waking up everybody, even after 16 years when the marque had shut the doors and production! And then it was time to do what we do best! Ride on! Led by Ponnama and Bopanna and their friends who knew the terrain like the back of their hands, they took us through the forested roads and plantation estates, over the small bridges and dusty lanes, round and up the curves of the hills, into the valleys and then again plunging into through no man’s land. By this time when we all stopped at a small clearing with grassy hills surrounding on all sides, we knew there was something suspicious as we had mostly been climbing and the roads were becoming more narrower. Then to our amazement, our two local guides, took their souped up Fiero and RX on a dusty path, around some boulders and started to climb up a path that we thought was accessible only on foot or if one was a goat! Up and up they climbed, stopping a couple of times to tease us and then carrying on, finally reaching the summit!
We were pretty much relieved when we were told that we too would have to climb that summit, except that we could do it through another easier road. So we all took off, pumped up and ready for the climb! The ‘easier road’, turned out to be boulders and mud thrown together, which our bikes had no problem climbing up, but as the slope became more steep and engines started missing up, while wheels kept spinning, we realized that, our bikes mostly used decently on city roads, would have a problem out here! 2 Roadkings were out of commission, one that fell down on seeing the hill up ahead, and the other (with rider) that fell down while bravely attacking the hill. Sadly both lost their clutch levers! One by one, the riders had to dismount, while some bikes had to be pushed up.
But there were a few Roadkings that went all the way to the top! For some of us, sense prevailed, considering the fact that we had to reach back home safely and so we parked our bikes halfway through and climbed up the treacherous slope. And just in front of us, the back up Mahindra Pick up, slowly plodded on, showing us all just how tough the Coorg riders / drivers are!
At the summit, the view was just lovely and serene. With no proper words to describe the feelings, we all soaked up our surroundings and had pictures taken all through out. And then it was time to head back for lunch and get ready for the next event! Split in teams of twos, it was now Treasure Hunt time. We were all given a list of things to procure, plus 3 check points where we had to report to, all within a 3 km radius vicinity of the resort. Thoroughly enjoying the entire event, zipping up and down searching for the check points, passing by the other teams and procuring the list of items required, it turned out that our team of Roshan and me, together had come in last. And so the winners of the Treasure Hunt with the coveted trophies of stickered standard size pistons were Jose Martin Franklin & Vinayak Kini in the 1st Place and Mahesh Singh and Krishna Narasipura in the 2nd place. Bharath Venkatesh was awarded a trophy as an early birthday gift to him and I, luckily got one for being the most disciplined rider! Following this, we quickly decided to give one of the 3rd check points a visit – the elusive King’s Residence, which had quite a few of us hunting around for the right place! The Nalaknad Palace, as it is originally known as was built by Dodda Veerarajendra in 1792, and served as a safe haven from invading armies. Maintained by the State Archeology department, the old 2 storied structure offered quite an insight on how life was in the olden days.
Time for another campfire and meet as the evening drew in. And so out came the beers (and wine for Jayshanker) Everybody was asked to speak briefly about themselves and then followed some serious talks about encouraging more Yezdi riders to join in for these inter city rides. Roshan and Brian went on to talk about their experiences of their independent rides to Leh / Ladakh, which was very interesting to understand and absorb. With everybody listening in rapt attention, the topics of what to watch out for and how to prepare the bikes for the trips made everybody sit up and take note! It definitely looked like Leh was calling quite a few riders this time, depending on the size of the pocket and the time of leave that can be availed!
![]()
As decided the previous night, those who would have liked to check out a lovely sunrise experience were supposed to be ready by 6 am, and so we were – up and about in spite of the biting cold! The back roads, led by our local guides, took us to a few steep climbs that were not as bad as the previous day, but still on the edge towards Tadiandamol Peak, which rests at 1,748 meters above sea level, the highest in Coorg district and second highest in Karnataka! We found the place, a serene view point of the majestic peak, just as the sun was beginning to rise and the view that was beautiful and just epic had us captured in silence!
![]()
En route back to our resort and a quick stop for group pics of the bikes then another stop to savor the local coffee and finally time to pack up, have breakfast and hit the road! But not before the final culmination of this adventurous 2 day trip to Coorg! Because the day was 26th January, and on this special Republic Day, we were all invited to ba a part of the flag hoisting at Kakotuparambu Higher Secondary School at Kakotuparambu Village, Nalkeri, which was around 20 km away.
![]()
During our Treasure Hunt the previous day,when we had to source or purchase certain items, the books and pencils that we got were going to be contributed, along with sweets and more books, sketch pens and ball pens to the students of this school. And so it was at 11 a.m. when all the students of the school stood alongside with the riders and sang the National Anthem proudly, while our very own Mr. Amit Dutta hoisted the National Tri Colour! A real proud moment that choked up quite a few people, when they realized it was a back-to-school days experience, standing at attention and proudly singing after a good number of years! The Headmistress and teachers of the school, could not express their gratitude and instead treated us all to a round of snacks and tea. Then it was time to say goodbye, not just to the school children and authorities, but to each of the club members as we now had to leave for our respective cities! It was a grand treat for the children to see all the riders gear up and get astride their metal machines and then hear the roar of the bikes as they fired as one. This would remain etched in all our memories as they waved and held out their hands to touch our palms, as we slowly rode out of the gates to a fond farewell from them!
![]()
And we were on our own now. The ride back to Mangalore city was uneventful, but enjoyable, especially when we took the detour after Sampage through the Aranthodu forests to link up with the Subramanya stretch near Jalsoor and then on to Puttur. Curvy roads, just like how we like them, rubber plantations, betel nut estates, less traffic – a beautiful ride back home, where we touched down shortly after 6 pm. We were informed by the other clubs that they all reached safely just after that in their own cities.
![]()
A very heart warming experience that had its own thrills and chills, this was especially dramatic for me for 2 reasons – one, my first real off-roading experience and two, my 1984 Classic that made it through up and down without a hitch, a motorcycle that was originally condemned to go to the junkyard, after being a part of the ground for 7 years, with a seized piston, crank and gearbox, all done up back to working condition without changing any major parts! This shows with a litle TLC, what our bikes are capable off, like Brian Ammanna said as he rode up the hill – ‘These bikes were meant for this’!
So, guys are we ready for the next Chapter of Malnad Diaries?
This was something long deferred, an idea that we should have come out with earlier. But like they say “Better late than never”! And once the idea was born, courtesy Roshan Kamath, together Brian and Amrit from the BJYMC (Bangalore Jawa & Yezdi Motorcycle Club), there was no turning back.
You want it in short? – 26 Jawa & Yezdi Motorcycles – Night rides – pleasantly cold temperatures – Coorg hills and forests – excellent resort with great food – BEERS! – group rides – off-roading – injuries – treasure hunt - mementos and trophies – place visits – Coorg coffee – early morning ride – Republic Day Flag hoisting – GREAT Riders & team spirit – Excellent host (Bopanna & his friends)
Now you want to know in which crazy way, we combined all this together? Read on at your own risk!!
And so on 24th evening, the 4 riders from Mangalore – Roshan, Reynold, Jayshanker and me, waited for our additional installments, Rajesh and Raveesh to come in from Udupi and hit the trail. Our designated departure time of 3 pm was therefore stretched to 4.30 pm and I was not happy about it, considering the treacherous road ahead from Sullia to Sampage and then the unknown forests’ roads at Coorg.
From the time we left Nantoor, our small team had already split up into 2 groups, with only Jayshanker and me sweeping! It was only after Puttur, around 53 kms away, where we all grouped up together with Joyal, who had just completed the fitness check on his 1971 Jawa at the RTO there and then joined us. We decided that we had to ride in a group. And we did, quickly crossing Sullia and then on towards Sampage, where we discovered what people meant when they said “The roads were horrible!” The ongoing road widening process stretched for over 18 kms, and riders and bikes were subjected to mud, stones, and mad dust that got through our helmets. Stopping for a quick break at a small tea stall, we gave vent to our utter discontent of the road conditions while allowing our damaged backsides to regain consciousness. By that time, calls from the Bangalore team had come in to check on our progress, as I had very naively said that we would be in Coorg by 8 pm. And it was nearly 7.30 already.
While all our bikes were behaving fine, my 1984 D250 Classic was misfiring at times and I found that keeping it in high revs was the only way to keep the engine running smoothly, in spite of tweaking the air screw. So after mounting up again, it was time to start up the ghats and we managed to keep a good pace with the rest of the traffic. By 8.45 we had touched Madikeri city, where we stopped to cool down the bikes and wait for the Udupi riders to catch up! After having confirmed the directions to the resort where we all were booked into, we found that we had to go back 3 kms, to head off towards Talu Kaveri and then Kakkabe. A pit stop to pick up a few beers and then on the way again, only to stop on one of the twisties, when we realized that the Udupi riders were not with us, instead deciding to guzzle down a couple of pegs, to fortify them for the additional 31 kms, ahead.
Once we had all regrouped, we set off deeper into the dark unlit roads, bordered by trees wherever we could see. While the roads became worse and the dense forests seemed to encroach upon us, we have expected to see wild elephants cross straight into our paths or maybe with luck some wild boar. Thankfully, the sound of our engines seemed to keep all at bay, including all human population and if it wasn’t for Google Navigation, we might have as well headed directly into Kerala! And shortly after 10.30, through the pitch blackness, we could just barely make out the lights of the resort looming up and then we were climbing up the mud strewn driveway, to the cheers, whistles and claps of all the other riders already present there! Talk about a rousing welcome!
It was great to be back in Yezdi land again! With everybody joining us at once, asking us about the trip, urging us to freshen up in our rooms or at least grab a drink immediately, the feeling of togetherness among the riders, even among those whom we have not met at all was heart warming! A quick wash and change and in half an hour, we were back among the others, warming up our hands with the campfire, that the solo Coorg rider, Bopanna, had put together, along with the mouthwatering grilled chicken and wild boar that he had so kindly got to the resort! There was a quick introduction of all the riders, and the printed number plate mementos, very thoughtfully done up by Roshan, were handed to everyone! The night was getting cold, but the spirits were pretty high considering the empty bottles left all around! The antics of PC Yezdi and Sridhar Kacchu had everybody in splits and nobody wanted to go for dinner as yet. But soon it was time and then off to bed, ready for the next day!
Breakfast was ready the following day sharp at 9.30 and it was the amazing Coorg coffee that brought us all to our senses, so much so that most us had a couple of extra cups! By 10 am, we were all ready to ride as one to Kakkabe town, where the local members of the press were waiting for us, all in awe to know why 26 Jawa / Yezdis were thundering together waking up everybody, even after 16 years when the marque had shut the doors and production! And then it was time to do what we do best! Ride on! Led by Ponnama and Bopanna and their friends who knew the terrain like the back of their hands, they took us through the forested roads and plantation estates, over the small bridges and dusty lanes, round and up the curves of the hills, into the valleys and then again plunging into through no man’s land. By this time when we all stopped at a small clearing with grassy hills surrounding on all sides, we knew there was something suspicious as we had mostly been climbing and the roads were becoming more narrower. Then to our amazement, our two local guides, took their souped up Fiero and RX on a dusty path, around some boulders and started to climb up a path that we thought was accessible only on foot or if one was a goat! Up and up they climbed, stopping a couple of times to tease us and then carrying on, finally reaching the summit!
We were pretty much relieved when we were told that we too would have to climb that summit, except that we could do it through another easier road. So we all took off, pumped up and ready for the climb! The ‘easier road’, turned out to be boulders and mud thrown together, which our bikes had no problem climbing up, but as the slope became more steep and engines started missing up, while wheels kept spinning, we realized that, our bikes mostly used decently on city roads, would have a problem out here! 2 Roadkings were out of commission, one that fell down on seeing the hill up ahead, and the other (with rider) that fell down while bravely attacking the hill. Sadly both lost their clutch levers! One by one, the riders had to dismount, while some bikes had to be pushed up.
But there were a few Roadkings that went all the way to the top! For some of us, sense prevailed, considering the fact that we had to reach back home safely and so we parked our bikes halfway through and climbed up the treacherous slope. And just in front of us, the back up Mahindra Pick up, slowly plodded on, showing us all just how tough the Coorg riders / drivers are!
At the summit, the view was just lovely and serene. With no proper words to describe the feelings, we all soaked up our surroundings and had pictures taken all through out. And then it was time to head back for lunch and get ready for the next event! Split in teams of twos, it was now Treasure Hunt time. We were all given a list of things to procure, plus 3 check points where we had to report to, all within a 3 km radius vicinity of the resort. Thoroughly enjoying the entire event, zipping up and down searching for the check points, passing by the other teams and procuring the list of items required, it turned out that our team of Roshan and me, together had come in last. And so the winners of the Treasure Hunt with the coveted trophies of stickered standard size pistons were Jose Martin Franklin & Vinayak Kini in the 1st Place and Mahesh Singh and Krishna Narasipura in the 2nd place. Bharath Venkatesh was awarded a trophy as an early birthday gift to him and I, luckily got one for being the most disciplined rider! Following this, we quickly decided to give one of the 3rd check points a visit – the elusive King’s Residence, which had quite a few of us hunting around for the right place! The Nalaknad Palace, as it is originally known as was built by Dodda Veerarajendra in 1792, and served as a safe haven from invading armies. Maintained by the State Archeology department, the old 2 storied structure offered quite an insight on how life was in the olden days.
Time for another campfire and meet as the evening drew in. And so out came the beers (and wine for Jayshanker) Everybody was asked to speak briefly about themselves and then followed some serious talks about encouraging more Yezdi riders to join in for these inter city rides. Roshan and Brian went on to talk about their experiences of their independent rides to Leh / Ladakh, which was very interesting to understand and absorb. With everybody listening in rapt attention, the topics of what to watch out for and how to prepare the bikes for the trips made everybody sit up and take note! It definitely looked like Leh was calling quite a few riders this time, depending on the size of the pocket and the time of leave that can be availed!
As decided the previous night, those who would have liked to check out a lovely sunrise experience were supposed to be ready by 6 am, and so we were – up and about in spite of the biting cold! The back roads, led by our local guides, took us to a few steep climbs that were not as bad as the previous day, but still on the edge towards Tadiandamol Peak, which rests at 1,748 meters above sea level, the highest in Coorg district and second highest in Karnataka! We found the place, a serene view point of the majestic peak, just as the sun was beginning to rise and the view that was beautiful and just epic had us captured in silence!
En route back to our resort and a quick stop for group pics of the bikes then another stop to savor the local coffee and finally time to pack up, have breakfast and hit the road! But not before the final culmination of this adventurous 2 day trip to Coorg! Because the day was 26th January, and on this special Republic Day, we were all invited to ba a part of the flag hoisting at Kakotuparambu Higher Secondary School at Kakotuparambu Village, Nalkeri, which was around 20 km away.
During our Treasure Hunt the previous day,when we had to source or purchase certain items, the books and pencils that we got were going to be contributed, along with sweets and more books, sketch pens and ball pens to the students of this school. And so it was at 11 a.m. when all the students of the school stood alongside with the riders and sang the National Anthem proudly, while our very own Mr. Amit Dutta hoisted the National Tri Colour! A real proud moment that choked up quite a few people, when they realized it was a back-to-school days experience, standing at attention and proudly singing after a good number of years! The Headmistress and teachers of the school, could not express their gratitude and instead treated us all to a round of snacks and tea. Then it was time to say goodbye, not just to the school children and authorities, but to each of the club members as we now had to leave for our respective cities! It was a grand treat for the children to see all the riders gear up and get astride their metal machines and then hear the roar of the bikes as they fired as one. This would remain etched in all our memories as they waved and held out their hands to touch our palms, as we slowly rode out of the gates to a fond farewell from them!
And we were on our own now. The ride back to Mangalore city was uneventful, but enjoyable, especially when we took the detour after Sampage through the Aranthodu forests to link up with the Subramanya stretch near Jalsoor and then on to Puttur. Curvy roads, just like how we like them, rubber plantations, betel nut estates, less traffic – a beautiful ride back home, where we touched down shortly after 6 pm. We were informed by the other clubs that they all reached safely just after that in their own cities.
A very heart warming experience that had its own thrills and chills, this was especially dramatic for me for 2 reasons – one, my first real off-roading experience and two, my 1984 Classic that made it through up and down without a hitch, a motorcycle that was originally condemned to go to the junkyard, after being a part of the ground for 7 years, with a seized piston, crank and gearbox, all done up back to working condition without changing any major parts! This shows with a litle TLC, what our bikes are capable off, like Brian Ammanna said as he rode up the hill – ‘These bikes were meant for this’!
So, guys are we ready for the next Chapter of Malnad Diaries?