Part 1 of 3
January is the month of the year in which my dreams were shattered. After preparing for almost a year for higher education without going home on holidays and festivals, results delivered exactly opposite of what I expected.
I spent the next few days thinking, what happened?, what went wrong?. Then a thought passed by. Why should I worry about these things? What happened has happened. This was the right MUHURTHAM for this ignored and suppressed dream to turn into reality. A solo ride from Pune (where I work) to my native Shimoga (Shivamogga), from here to Bangalore (where my parents stay) and then back to Pune.
The best memories of riding in Shimoga are with my dad on his RX 100. I bet nothing is more melodious than an engine that roars when you ride on a road covered on both sides by greenery, not even Madam Lata Mangeshkars track can match this (At least for bike lovers). This memory rejuvenated the passion of completing this long unexplored road of my life along with my mate KTM DUKE 200.
I applied for leave of 20 days + 2 Sundays on both the sides making it 22 days. Wow!!! To my surprise it was approved without any bargain. So now I had to set the stage for this show. BABY DUKE 200 serviced and ready. My only worry was rear tyre which had completed 15k odd kms but had not even single puncture as on date.
I spent 4 days recollecting the things to be carried and this was the final list.
1. Helmet & balaclava
2. DSG riding jacket
3. DSG riding gloves
4. Knee guard
5. Puncture repair kit
6. Camera
7. Samsung TAB 2
8. Bike documents ( RC card , Insurance copy, DL card)
9. A pair of clothes ( I had few at home, so there was no need to carry much)
10. 2 Novels ( Which I did had not touched from last 1 year )
11. Most importantly CASH & ATM card.
My initial plan was to ride to Kolhapur on Saturday after starting as 1.30 PM (I hate half working days on Saturdays) and continue it on Sunday. As planned I started on 25th Jan 2014 at 1.30 PM from Talegaon, Pune. I stopped near Shell petrol pump near Wakad and told my usual dialogue, Namaste, Super unleaded, full tank and card after which I hit the road towards Shimoga leaving behind all the thoughts of failure.
As I had started my journey in the afternoon it was sunny and moderately hot. DSG jacket and glove did its job perfectly with its ventilation ports keeping the body temperature moderately cool. I was cruising at a constant speed of 90-95kmph and maintained an average speed of 80km/hr. After crossing around 60km on odometer I had to climb the ghats. OOH LA LA , ghats are bikers paradise. I went uphill through the curvy road keeping an eye on all trucks climbing uphill as one doesnt know when will they start coming towards you in reverse direction. There were few cars (yellow board) who tried racing but I kept my head onto my shoulders and rode without losing my concentration.
While moving towards Satara one has to be careful with roads as it is highly unpredictable when the highways takes a turn because of construction work going on. By the time I reached Satara I had kept up good pace and had taken one and half hours or so. On the way I saw a camouflaged Pulsar 200SS or 400SS testing on the highway. I slowed down to check the bike. I really appreciate the efforts put on the looks of this bike. I gestured the rider thumbs up and continued. By the time clock ticked 5 PM I had reached Kolhapur. My bum was on fire. When you feel that bum is paining, dont move sit there for another 15 mins and this pain will slowly deteriorate. I have coined a new term for this BUM NUMB. This is how you beat the pain.
I stopped by CCD and I got down.. Once I was on foot and removed my helmets I started feeling strange, everything had slowed down. With this dizzy feeling I went in, ordered for cold coffee and started messaging my friends that I had reached Kolhapur. After sipping cold coffee I started feeling better and my senses were back into action. As the sun was still bright I decided to go to Belgaum which is 110Km from here. I stopped near a petrol pump and was lucky enough to find speed petrol. So I fed my BABY with this and continued towards Belgaum. Once you enter Karnataka you will be welcomed with broad, open, superb roads. The sun was sinking and it was getting darker. I slowed down my pace as I noticed few tribals jumping out of bushes planted on the dividers. I call them tribals because they remind me of the movie Apocalypto where people used to jump out of nowhere. I reached Belgaum; it was 6.45 PM and decided to pack for the day.
I went to a lodge which was recommended to me by a friend who hails from the same city. The manager of this lodge said Rs 1400 and my jaw dropped. I told him that I riding a bike and will be starting early in the morning so I cant afford so much for few hrs. After few minutes of silence he said there is one room, no A/C Rs 450 which is booked from tomorrow noon and smiled. I said to myself, "Which biker needs an AC in January????"
DEAL DONE AND DAY CLOSED (After watching Comedy Nights on TV)
26th Jan 2014 Republic day. I always felt all bad things happen on good days. All of a sudden I got out of bed, checked by phone, it was 3.15 AM. I went out to check if my bike was safe. The recent incident of bike theft from a biker who was on trip through different countries which was on news has really scared me. I know that the bike thieves of India are not so much technologically advanced to start the engine of Duke without keys but still as it is my bike, I was worried about its safety. As I went out I saw it posing its tail lamp onto me. I went back to sleep only to get up at 5 AM. I freshened up, tied the luggage onto the pillion seat, wore all the accessories and ignited the engine at 6 AM. WOOHHOO!!!!! The monster roared. Pocket rocket launched with thunderous sound. I apologize to all those people of Belgaum staying near this lodge who had to get up early on Sunday not because their alarm rang but because this devil roared.
It was dark as Sun had not peeped out of the hills. The roads were empty so I ripped through the highway. I was able to see Mini Vidhan Soudha near Dharwad and it somehow reminded me of Mysore palace (I dont know how). By 6.45AM I had crossed Dharwad junction and was shocked to see the single lane. I was confused, how could I miss the NH 4 when I was already riding on it. I have travelled a lot of times on this highway in bus I had never seen a single lane. Later realized I was on right track which I saw the board saying Hubbali-20 kms. How will I see a single lane sleeping in bus. I stopped before Hubli a to click few pics and moved on to reach Ranebennur at 8.30 AM.
I stopped infront of a hotel where usually KSRTC buses stop and finished by breakfast. Filled petrol in a nearby pump where I was surrounded by lots of people bombarding me with a lots of questions. I somehow managed to escape (only after answering their doubts).
Now I had two options.
1. Go to Harihara, from there go to Shimoga and from here to my native which is 70 kms adding it to 190 odd kms.
2. Take a right turn go to villages which you had never visited and reach my native 123 Kms
I chose the second option and took a right turn. I went in roads which my bike had never seen, lot of pot holes, lot of muddy road and lot of unexpected turns. Only thing my bike had expected was attention. The villagers were staring at me. I wonder what they would have been thinking of this man riding a bike they had never seen, covered top to bottom with clothing and accessories. Whatever they would have thought, I am happy they thought. 3 hrs 10 mins riding through Shikaripura Anandapura Hosanagara I reached Karanagiri my native.
I stopped near Ganapathi temple as usual which happens to be right infront of our areca nut plantation. Prayed to god for helping me through this journey making it safe, pinged my friends telling them that I reached, switched off my mobile for next 7 days ( My home standing in the middle western ghats has never seen mobile signals in its life).
Rest 7 days was spent helping my uncle in plantation, playing with my cousins, clicking photos, eating lots of homemade food and not to forget riding my ex-ride, 1993 model Yamaha RX 100.
To be continued
January is the month of the year in which my dreams were shattered. After preparing for almost a year for higher education without going home on holidays and festivals, results delivered exactly opposite of what I expected.
I spent the next few days thinking, what happened?, what went wrong?. Then a thought passed by. Why should I worry about these things? What happened has happened. This was the right MUHURTHAM for this ignored and suppressed dream to turn into reality. A solo ride from Pune (where I work) to my native Shimoga (Shivamogga), from here to Bangalore (where my parents stay) and then back to Pune.
The best memories of riding in Shimoga are with my dad on his RX 100. I bet nothing is more melodious than an engine that roars when you ride on a road covered on both sides by greenery, not even Madam Lata Mangeshkars track can match this (At least for bike lovers). This memory rejuvenated the passion of completing this long unexplored road of my life along with my mate KTM DUKE 200.
I applied for leave of 20 days + 2 Sundays on both the sides making it 22 days. Wow!!! To my surprise it was approved without any bargain. So now I had to set the stage for this show. BABY DUKE 200 serviced and ready. My only worry was rear tyre which had completed 15k odd kms but had not even single puncture as on date.
I spent 4 days recollecting the things to be carried and this was the final list.
1. Helmet & balaclava
2. DSG riding jacket
3. DSG riding gloves
4. Knee guard
5. Puncture repair kit
6. Camera
7. Samsung TAB 2
8. Bike documents ( RC card , Insurance copy, DL card)
9. A pair of clothes ( I had few at home, so there was no need to carry much)
10. 2 Novels ( Which I did had not touched from last 1 year )
11. Most importantly CASH & ATM card.
My initial plan was to ride to Kolhapur on Saturday after starting as 1.30 PM (I hate half working days on Saturdays) and continue it on Sunday. As planned I started on 25th Jan 2014 at 1.30 PM from Talegaon, Pune. I stopped near Shell petrol pump near Wakad and told my usual dialogue, Namaste, Super unleaded, full tank and card after which I hit the road towards Shimoga leaving behind all the thoughts of failure.
As I had started my journey in the afternoon it was sunny and moderately hot. DSG jacket and glove did its job perfectly with its ventilation ports keeping the body temperature moderately cool. I was cruising at a constant speed of 90-95kmph and maintained an average speed of 80km/hr. After crossing around 60km on odometer I had to climb the ghats. OOH LA LA , ghats are bikers paradise. I went uphill through the curvy road keeping an eye on all trucks climbing uphill as one doesnt know when will they start coming towards you in reverse direction. There were few cars (yellow board) who tried racing but I kept my head onto my shoulders and rode without losing my concentration.
While moving towards Satara one has to be careful with roads as it is highly unpredictable when the highways takes a turn because of construction work going on. By the time I reached Satara I had kept up good pace and had taken one and half hours or so. On the way I saw a camouflaged Pulsar 200SS or 400SS testing on the highway. I slowed down to check the bike. I really appreciate the efforts put on the looks of this bike. I gestured the rider thumbs up and continued. By the time clock ticked 5 PM I had reached Kolhapur. My bum was on fire. When you feel that bum is paining, dont move sit there for another 15 mins and this pain will slowly deteriorate. I have coined a new term for this BUM NUMB. This is how you beat the pain.
I stopped by CCD and I got down.. Once I was on foot and removed my helmets I started feeling strange, everything had slowed down. With this dizzy feeling I went in, ordered for cold coffee and started messaging my friends that I had reached Kolhapur. After sipping cold coffee I started feeling better and my senses were back into action. As the sun was still bright I decided to go to Belgaum which is 110Km from here. I stopped near a petrol pump and was lucky enough to find speed petrol. So I fed my BABY with this and continued towards Belgaum. Once you enter Karnataka you will be welcomed with broad, open, superb roads. The sun was sinking and it was getting darker. I slowed down my pace as I noticed few tribals jumping out of bushes planted on the dividers. I call them tribals because they remind me of the movie Apocalypto where people used to jump out of nowhere. I reached Belgaum; it was 6.45 PM and decided to pack for the day.
I went to a lodge which was recommended to me by a friend who hails from the same city. The manager of this lodge said Rs 1400 and my jaw dropped. I told him that I riding a bike and will be starting early in the morning so I cant afford so much for few hrs. After few minutes of silence he said there is one room, no A/C Rs 450 which is booked from tomorrow noon and smiled. I said to myself, "Which biker needs an AC in January????"
DEAL DONE AND DAY CLOSED (After watching Comedy Nights on TV)
26th Jan 2014 Republic day. I always felt all bad things happen on good days. All of a sudden I got out of bed, checked by phone, it was 3.15 AM. I went out to check if my bike was safe. The recent incident of bike theft from a biker who was on trip through different countries which was on news has really scared me. I know that the bike thieves of India are not so much technologically advanced to start the engine of Duke without keys but still as it is my bike, I was worried about its safety. As I went out I saw it posing its tail lamp onto me. I went back to sleep only to get up at 5 AM. I freshened up, tied the luggage onto the pillion seat, wore all the accessories and ignited the engine at 6 AM. WOOHHOO!!!!! The monster roared. Pocket rocket launched with thunderous sound. I apologize to all those people of Belgaum staying near this lodge who had to get up early on Sunday not because their alarm rang but because this devil roared.
It was dark as Sun had not peeped out of the hills. The roads were empty so I ripped through the highway. I was able to see Mini Vidhan Soudha near Dharwad and it somehow reminded me of Mysore palace (I dont know how). By 6.45AM I had crossed Dharwad junction and was shocked to see the single lane. I was confused, how could I miss the NH 4 when I was already riding on it. I have travelled a lot of times on this highway in bus I had never seen a single lane. Later realized I was on right track which I saw the board saying Hubbali-20 kms. How will I see a single lane sleeping in bus. I stopped before Hubli a to click few pics and moved on to reach Ranebennur at 8.30 AM.
I stopped infront of a hotel where usually KSRTC buses stop and finished by breakfast. Filled petrol in a nearby pump where I was surrounded by lots of people bombarding me with a lots of questions. I somehow managed to escape (only after answering their doubts).
Now I had two options.
1. Go to Harihara, from there go to Shimoga and from here to my native which is 70 kms adding it to 190 odd kms.
2. Take a right turn go to villages which you had never visited and reach my native 123 Kms
I chose the second option and took a right turn. I went in roads which my bike had never seen, lot of pot holes, lot of muddy road and lot of unexpected turns. Only thing my bike had expected was attention. The villagers were staring at me. I wonder what they would have been thinking of this man riding a bike they had never seen, covered top to bottom with clothing and accessories. Whatever they would have thought, I am happy they thought. 3 hrs 10 mins riding through Shikaripura Anandapura Hosanagara I reached Karanagiri my native.
I stopped near Ganapathi temple as usual which happens to be right infront of our areca nut plantation. Prayed to god for helping me through this journey making it safe, pinged my friends telling them that I reached, switched off my mobile for next 7 days ( My home standing in the middle western ghats has never seen mobile signals in its life).
Rest 7 days was spent helping my uncle in plantation, playing with my cousins, clicking photos, eating lots of homemade food and not to forget riding my ex-ride, 1993 model Yamaha RX 100.
To be continued