I have always wanted to do something for those riders who were not 'tourers', so to speak. Suddenly, one day, this idea clicked that why don't we, at xBhp, do something whereby the newbies get an opportunity to ride somewhere - and what better than the hills! Plans were chalked out, riders were asked to apply for the same and ultimately, after heavy scrutiny five (5) newbie riders were selected for this ride, namely:
1. PetrO
2. Zayn
3. thechamp
4. Sikhbiker
5. Psycho Mc.Crazy
The newbie group of riders:
(From L to R: Zayn, Sikhbiker, thechamp, PetrO, Psycho Mc.Crazy)
A couple of pre-ride meets were arranged whereby we had disucssions regarding the ride, and different aspects of a long ride. Everyone was very excited about this, since it was their first time riding so long and overnight, at that! All things planned, machines serviced, plans decided, the group (in-total seven of us) headed towards the destination - Shimla. While the guys were riding, we (me and Ken da) were reviewing their each and every move minutely and wherever/ whenever they did some mistake(s), we tried and corrected them in whatever way we possibly could. Overall, I would say these guys rode wonderfully well, provided they were riding on the highways and the hills for the FIRST time. I would even go on to say they rode BETTER than a few of us who like to call themselves 'seasoned tourers'.
Anyhow, there is nothing much to share about the journey as such. More or less, it was 'boring', as in there is no specific incident worth sharing. Don't take the term 'boring' in literal sense here. I was ENJOYING my ride like I have never enjoyed it before; I was enjoying NH-1 and later NH-22 like I have never-ever enjoyed it before, and ofcourse I was absolutely enjoying every ounce of attention that I (or rather the Superbike) was getting - right from a Skoda Superb all the way from an Audi Q7!
However, in the context of 'boring', I like such "boring" rides as compared to "eventful" ones. I dislike having any "event" while on the move, while on the highway, riding, if you know what I mean. Once we hit the hills at Panchkula, the group was stopped, we re-grouped and we discussed for a little while the strategy that each one needed to follow in the hills. Riding on the curvy roads require a different attitude altogether than riding on straight highways. Even here, they showed that they might be newbies as far as their riding experience is concerned, but they are mature enough to understand the risks involved while riding/ driving on the road.
Taking a few breaks en-route, soaking in the wonderful, chilly atmosphere, we all reached Shimla late afternoon, post which the group went walking to the usual spot in Shimla - 'Mall Road', where we had our lunch, soaked in the beauties (both the views and the damsels!). Before we could realize, it was already dusk! We all sat there and reviewed our ride so far - what we did right, what we did wrong, what could've been better, what we could do tomorrow while riding back, and the likes. The newbies also poured in their suggestions and experiences which helped a lot. It was really heartening to see them speak their minds out about every aspect of the ride they just had.
Tired and hungry, we had our dinner at this wonderful Tibetan restaurant before going back to our hotel rooms, whereby we had a few rounds of 'quiz', after which we all crashed onto our cozy beds. The next morning they were to get a few surprises. One more thing which I would like to mention here is, every guy who went for this ride didn't complain at all when we asked them to wake up early morning because we had "something extra to do" before we left back for Delhi. Punctuality is something that I value a lot, and it was lovely to see the lads up and running at the scheduled time! It takes a lot of headache off of you when everything goes according to time.
Next, we took them to some off-roading trails, somewhere around Fagu, Ken da took all of us through this small diversion which led to an off-road trail, which finally led to Mashobra. It was 18.5kms. of off-road (with some patches of tarmac in between), where each one of us (including me!) got their share of off-road fun. Ofcourse, the R1 was not ridden on those tarmac for obvious reasons, but the off-roading session had it's own experience. Off-roading done, we all went back to the HPTDC Hotel, picked up the R1and left for Delhi at about 12 in the afternoon, following which we reached home between 9:30pm and 10:30pm, each.
I am keeping this triplog short and precise, and not much "interesting" because I want the newbies to pour in their experiences of this ride. I am sure, each one of them MUST have something worth sharing. First long ride is always special...
A few pictures, from my end:
Old World
Old House lying in ruins
The town of Shimla
The Christ Church, Shimla
Dusk
Eerily Beautiful
Framed!
Vantage Point - the Mall Road, as seen from a high point
Christ Church, at dusk!
In shades of black & white
Colors of Nature
Early morning sun-rays filter through lush green trees. (This is the road to Fagu)
Shady!
Fagu Village
The off-roading trails...
Blue!
Bloody Poser! 
(Photograph: Ken da)
I and the Yamaha YZF-R1, completed 770 kms. (Delhi - Shimla - Delhi) (Photograph: Ken da)
Finally, with their certificates, the newbies and the mods (PetrO is missing in the following picture):
