നമസ്കാരം (Namaskaram), வணக்கம் (Vanakkam), ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ (Namaskara)!

Welcome to the spirit of biking brotherhood!

Welcome to xBhp's South India Tri-State Mega get-together. Bikers from Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Kottayam, and Thiruvananthapuram will converge at Yercaud carrying the message of safe riding, with the same spirit.

1. Itinerary

1.1. Chennai/Bangalore

Bangalore: 19th June 2010
Saturday, 05:00: Meet up at Silk Board; paper check!
Saturday, 06:30: Leave Silk Board junction
Saturday, 08:30: Reach A2B, Chinnar; breakfast
Saturday, 09:15: Leave for Krishnagiri
Saturday, 10:30: Meet up with Chennai team at Krishnagiri

Chennai:19th June 2010
Saturday, 03:45: Meet up at CTC, Nandambakkam; paper check!
Saturday, 04:15: Leave CTC for NH4; two brief halts at Saveetha Engg College and Kanchipuram
Saturday, 07:00: Reach HSB, Vellore; breakfast
Saturday, 07:45: Leave for Krishnagiri
Saturday, 10:30: Meet up with Bangalore team at Krishnagiri

Bangalore-Chennai Combined19th June 2010
Saturday, 11:00: Leave for Salem (via. Dharmapuri)
Saturday, 12:30: Reach Thoppur AAB for lunch
Saturday, 13:30: Leave for Salem
Saturday, 14:15: Reach Yercaud-Salem junction; one team leaves for Yercaud, other waits for Kerala-Coimbatore teams

1.2. Trivandrum/Cochin/Coimbatore

Trivandrum 18th June 2010
Friday, 15:00: Start from Trivandrum
Friday, 16:30: Refreshment break at Kayamkulam
Friday, 17:30: Refreshment break at Alapuzha
Friday, 20:00: Reach Cochin; meet Cochin members; rest!

Cochin-Trivandrum Combined 19th June 2010
Saturday, 04:00: Meet at BP Petrol Pump, Edappally; paper check!
Saturday, 04:30: Leave for Valpara
Saturday, 06:00: Refreshment break at Athirpally
Saturday, 08:10: Reach Valpara; breakfast
Saturday, 08:45: Leave for Pollachi
Saturday, 10:45: Reach Pollachi; fuel break
Saturday, 11:00: Leave for Tiruppur
Saturday, 12:15: Meet with Coimbatore team

Coimbatore 19th June 2010
Saturday, 10:00: Meet up at Nilgiris Nest; paper check!
Saturday, 10:30: Leave for Thiruppur
Saturday, 11:30: Reach Thiruppur; meet with Thriuppur team and wait for Kerala teams
Saturday, 12:15: Meet with Kerala team; refreshment break


Cochin-Trivandrum-Coimbatore combined 19th June 2010
Saturday, 12:30: Leave for Salem
Saturday, 14:00: Reach Salem out-skirts; lunch;
Saturday, 14:30: Leave for Salem-Yercaud junction; meet with rest of teams

1.3 All States Combined

Saturday, 14:15: First team of Chennai-Bangalore leaves for Yercaud
Saturday, 15:00: Second team of Chennai-Bangalore leave for Yercaud along with Kerala-Coimbatore teams

2. Accommodation

* Hotel 1 - MM Holiday Inn
* Hotel 2 - Aishwaryam Inn (near to lake; 1.5 kms from MM Holiday Inn)


3. Costs

* Trip cost: Rs. 900 (includes food, accommodation & facilities)
* T-shirt cost: Rs. 115 (for those who have ordered)


Note: Fuel costs and other pit-stop expenses not included.

4. Group riding etiquettes

Do's

* Communicate the hazards on the road to the people following you through hand signals.
* Enact the hand signals that the preceding rider displays.
* Ensure that the rider following you is visible on your RVM.
If the rider following you disappears from your RVM, slow down. If he still does not appear, pull over. Chances are that he would have stopped.
* Maintain a decent distance between your bike and the bike you are following.
There should be at least a 2-second gap. The one-second gap mentioned in many online tutorials and sites are suitable only for US highways and the likes. Back on our roads, we have everything - animals, humans, vehicles (small and large ones, many of them), potholes, speed-breakers, and what not. Probability of hard braking is higher on our roads.
* First time riders must ride up front and, preferably, follow an experienced rider.
* Spread out a little around corners. Most will need a little extra space.
* On four-laned, median separated National Highway, the default formation is staggered, unless a single file is called for.


Don'ts

* DO NOT use the right-most lane. Leave them for the speeding cars and Volvo buses.
* DO NOT cross the yellow/white lines and venture in to other lanes.
* DO NOT go past your lead or go behind the sweeper.
* DO NOT ride too close with the preceding bike. Make sure there is enough distance and you are visible on his RVM.
* DO NOT slow your way down, and then zoom back up to the group.
While it may be fun to goof around with your bike when you’re alone, it can create problems with the safety of the group.
* DO NOT stop midway to attend a phone call.
This would slow down the entire team and there by delay the schedule. You can call back the missed call numbers when ever the team takes a break. All people who are close to you would know that you will be riding at that point.


Overtaking in staggered formation
If there is a slow-moving vehicle (truck, for example) in the lane the group is riding, go for a single-file formation. Ensure that you have enough space between you and the preceding bike, and that you maintain your position (slot) in the formation. Move to the overtaking lane. Overtake the truck one at a time, and only from the right side. If the road ahead is clear, you can move back to your lane and continue in staggered formation.

Hill riding

* Leave way for vehicles coming uphill.
* Honk the horn and watch out for oncoming traffic at every curve and hairpin bend.
* Be extra cautious while overtaking slow moving vehicles. Trucks and buses can render you with no road space.
* If you stop at a hairpin-bend, make sure that your bike does not obstruct the path of a bus or truck that is taking the bend.


To conclude, common sense and presence of mind helps a lot!

Courtesy:

* Group riding - Art of Safe Riding
* Riding etiquette

Click the above links and read the contents.

Other Pointers

* DO NOT litter any place. Dispose the waste in the dustbin.
* DO NOT smoke at places where smoking is restricted.
* DO NOT carry plastics where ever it is banned.
* DO NOT stop on the ghat section where there are monkeys. You will have to regret if they snatch something valuable from you/your bag.


5. What to carry?

Service your bike - Get your bike throughly serviced before the ride (engine oil, brakes, electricals).

For your bike:

* Bike papers (RC, Insurance, PUC, Road tax, DL) - all in original (for Non-TN bikes) and a xerox copy.
* Spare key - put that spare key of your bike in your bag! If you do not have a spare key, get a duplicate one.
* Control cables (clutch and accelerator), fuses, chain lube, waste cloth.
* Tools - Carry basic tools, puncture repair kit (one set per group).


For you:

* Cash for petrol/trip payments/emergencies.
* Travel light! Apart from what you are wearing, a spare t-shirt, walkers/slippers, shorts/bermudas, undergarments, towel, toiletries.
* Rain suits (just in case it rains).
* Warm jacket / thermals (if you are susceptible to cold weather).
* Extra cash to be on the safer side (emergencies).
* First-aid kit.


ATTENTION:
You will be turned back on the ride day if you fail on any the following pointers:

* Any invalid or missing bike papers.
-Non-TN bikes must have original documents.
-TN-registered bikes coming from other states too must have original documents.
* Mandatory riding gears - Helmet, shoes, jacket (if not armoured, at least a wind-resisting thick one, or denim jacket), and gloves. If you do not have any of these, do procure it.


Other Important pointers:

* No stunts, over-speeding, or rash-driving.
* Each participating bike must have both the rear view mirros (RVMs).
* Pillion rider must be equally be geared as the rider (exception gloves).
* Fill up your bike's tank and check your bike's tyre pressure on the eve of the ride day. Fuel/Air stops take away a lot of the riding time.


Final list of participants will be posted soon.