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I was in plan to get my bike joelled from two months and I had options to ship the kits back home or get there and done it. And after thorough homework through our forums for almost one month, A week ago before the journey date, I was keeping an eye on weather updates (as it was raining here and also on journey points to bangalore like salem, hosur, etc) so that I don't encounter any rains and delay my reaching time and after thorough calcuations, I decided to start the journey on Thursday 18th October 2012.
And about Route maps when I searched the googe maps by inserting cochin to bangalore, I found the national highway but I heard that the road from thrissur to Walayar is very bad and I had options to take the pollachi route or reach walayar by ottapalam diverting from Thrissur. I was in lot of confusion to choose between these routes and my friend suggested my to take the national highway route at any cost and I thought I would decide this on the way.
I had few self pre-operational checkups the day before the journey and when I was cleaning and lubing the chain, I found out that side-stand bracket was loose and there was no bolt on the left side. Went to Yamaha SVC and stupid guys couldn't keep that simple thing and had to look for it all over the city and couldn't find one and now I was getting crazy but fixed that by buying a bolt and nut and done it and also tighted the other bolt and after lubing the chain, I checked the engine oil level and also got the tire psi to front 31 and back 36.
Couldn't sleep the day before the journey as bit of packing and I was bit tensed because it was my first time journey which was around 550kms. I was discouraged by my friends stating that it's not that easy, you'll get stranded, your wrists will pain, back will pain but I had always a hope from our fellow xbhp members, they way did thousands of kms and even few women too.
Got up at 3 am and was starting to get ready and s I was thinking about the gear, I was trying to wear a jacket which was bit loose and long and after wearing it, I was feeling sweat and uncomfortable, so I removed the jacket and started off with out any riding gear. Was planning to start by 4 am but it was already late, I had just hardly 4 hours of sleep the previous night.
Started off at 4.36 am but the bike could be taken only at 4.47 pm as I forgot to take few things.
ODO Reading: 2841
The Route
Kept the RPM @4k for 2-3 kms so that the engine gets warmed up and after that opened the throttle kept the speed from 70-85 km/hr throughout the journey and also reached high speed of 110 km/hr for overtaking and also not to disrupt high-speed traffic. Now when I reached Aluva, was feeling very cold, there was mist all over and I was shivering and now I started miss the gear. A thought came into my mind whether to return after reaching from Thrissur and I was thinking to myself whether it is possible to finish such a long journey but when came the morning, I was feeling very fresh and all those ill thoughts disappeared as the low beam was shutted and the parking light was started, I was feeling like something in different world. The feeling was very nice.
Planning was to give break between every 100 km or two hours.
After reaching Thrissur, the road to palakkad was worst as predicted by some people. It was like riding on a single road village and I wondered how this road is still considered as National Highway.
Coffee break at Vadakanchey
First halt at Vadakancherry.
Reached at 6.40 a.m.
ODO Reading: 2937
Distance Travelled: 96 km (With a butt break)
Average Speed: 48.4 km/hr
Break-time: 14 mins
Again started at 0654 am from vadakanchery and the road was still bad way till palakkad and after palakkad to the kerala border the road was getting better. Had a butt break after reaching Walayar and sadly had to pay roaming charges, these network guys are very advanced few yards you put outside kerala border and lo you are in roaming.
The road after Kerala border is awesome with few flyover still being on construction and there is some traffic there.
Butt break somewhere after 50 kms
Reached Palladam and had breakfast
Second Halt at Palladam
Reached at 8.40 a.m.
ODO Reading: 3025
Distance Travelled: 88 km (With a butt break)
Average Speed: 44 km/hr
Break-time: 12 mins
Again started at 0852 am from palladam and the road was superb kept the speeds varying from 70-85km/hr and had a great ride in this interval. Reached Sankahari for a coffee break again.
Third Halt at Sankahari
Reached at 11.02 a.m.
ODO Reading: 3142
Distance Travelled: 117 km
Average Speed: 49.57 km/hr
Break-time: 18 mins
The National Highway is superb with few toll plazas in between. If you are in a car you will have heavy time busting your pocket. Couldn't see one single sports bike on the way (maybe my bad luck). There were curious lookers and there were few cars along me all the way to bangalore. (some disappeared during my breaks but found one from salem till bangalore)
Fourth Halt at Salem (Lunch Break)
Reached at 12.36 p.m
ODO Reading: 3184
Distance Travelled: 42 km (With a butt break)
Average Speed: 47.7 km/hr
Break-time: 41 mins
Went inside salem town to find a nice restaurant and went all the way to the Railway station and couldn't find one and finally at the junction where I diverted, on the opposite side, I found a A/C restaurant and had a chicken biryani for lunch. It was ok.
Had few chances of accidents on the way. One was a trailer carrying over filled empty coconut husks and I couldn't figure out so many coconut husks on the road and finally was behind him and a husk fell infront of my tyre and had given a sudden break. the bike skidded a bit but I managed. Thanked God for saving me and I showed him my hand twisting, what in the world is this. Carrying husks without covering.
Second one was a monkey crossing the road at rocket speed and lo I couldn't hit and I would surely it would have been the end of me.
Accident scenes somewhere after Salem
Fifth Halt at Dharmapuri (Coffee Break)
Reached at 01.37 p.m.
ODO Reading: 3246
Distance Travelled: 62 km
Average Speed: 61.38 km/hr
Break-time: 13 mins
Saw few modified polos and a lot many swifts. This polo was cruising at somewhere near 170-180 km/hr was flying like a rocket.
Scenes somewhere near Krishnagiri
Sixth Halt at Krishnagiri (Coffee Break)
Reached at 02.45 p.m.
ODO Reading: 3303
Distance Travelled: 57km
Average Speed: 62.63 km/hr
Break-time: 08 mins
After Krishnagiri Didn't stop till Hosur for checking with friend that he would meet me somewhere before the electronic city flyover
Reached outskirts of Bangalore by 5 p.m. sharp and from there the traffic began. Was with my friend and there weren't any calculations further
So this is was my journey.
The bike was in great condition and it didn't show any signs of tiring till the end.
In city conditions I used to get between 36-38 km/l with sane riding and ripping
And during this journey keeping the speed limit between 70-80 km/hr, I got 43 km/l which was pretty decent and satifactory for me
Thanks for reading.
Cheers
And about Route maps when I searched the googe maps by inserting cochin to bangalore, I found the national highway but I heard that the road from thrissur to Walayar is very bad and I had options to take the pollachi route or reach walayar by ottapalam diverting from Thrissur. I was in lot of confusion to choose between these routes and my friend suggested my to take the national highway route at any cost and I thought I would decide this on the way.
I had few self pre-operational checkups the day before the journey and when I was cleaning and lubing the chain, I found out that side-stand bracket was loose and there was no bolt on the left side. Went to Yamaha SVC and stupid guys couldn't keep that simple thing and had to look for it all over the city and couldn't find one and now I was getting crazy but fixed that by buying a bolt and nut and done it and also tighted the other bolt and after lubing the chain, I checked the engine oil level and also got the tire psi to front 31 and back 36.
Couldn't sleep the day before the journey as bit of packing and I was bit tensed because it was my first time journey which was around 550kms. I was discouraged by my friends stating that it's not that easy, you'll get stranded, your wrists will pain, back will pain but I had always a hope from our fellow xbhp members, they way did thousands of kms and even few women too.
Got up at 3 am and was starting to get ready and s I was thinking about the gear, I was trying to wear a jacket which was bit loose and long and after wearing it, I was feeling sweat and uncomfortable, so I removed the jacket and started off with out any riding gear. Was planning to start by 4 am but it was already late, I had just hardly 4 hours of sleep the previous night.
Started off at 4.36 am but the bike could be taken only at 4.47 pm as I forgot to take few things.
ODO Reading: 2841
The Route
Kept the RPM @4k for 2-3 kms so that the engine gets warmed up and after that opened the throttle kept the speed from 70-85 km/hr throughout the journey and also reached high speed of 110 km/hr for overtaking and also not to disrupt high-speed traffic. Now when I reached Aluva, was feeling very cold, there was mist all over and I was shivering and now I started miss the gear. A thought came into my mind whether to return after reaching from Thrissur and I was thinking to myself whether it is possible to finish such a long journey but when came the morning, I was feeling very fresh and all those ill thoughts disappeared as the low beam was shutted and the parking light was started, I was feeling like something in different world. The feeling was very nice.
Planning was to give break between every 100 km or two hours.
After reaching Thrissur, the road to palakkad was worst as predicted by some people. It was like riding on a single road village and I wondered how this road is still considered as National Highway.
Coffee break at Vadakanchey
First halt at Vadakancherry.
Reached at 6.40 a.m.
ODO Reading: 2937
Distance Travelled: 96 km (With a butt break)
Average Speed: 48.4 km/hr
Break-time: 14 mins
Again started at 0654 am from vadakanchery and the road was still bad way till palakkad and after palakkad to the kerala border the road was getting better. Had a butt break after reaching Walayar and sadly had to pay roaming charges, these network guys are very advanced few yards you put outside kerala border and lo you are in roaming.
The road after Kerala border is awesome with few flyover still being on construction and there is some traffic there.
Butt break somewhere after 50 kms
Reached Palladam and had breakfast
Second Halt at Palladam
Reached at 8.40 a.m.
ODO Reading: 3025
Distance Travelled: 88 km (With a butt break)
Average Speed: 44 km/hr
Break-time: 12 mins
Again started at 0852 am from palladam and the road was superb kept the speeds varying from 70-85km/hr and had a great ride in this interval. Reached Sankahari for a coffee break again.
Third Halt at Sankahari
Reached at 11.02 a.m.
ODO Reading: 3142
Distance Travelled: 117 km
Average Speed: 49.57 km/hr
Break-time: 18 mins
The National Highway is superb with few toll plazas in between. If you are in a car you will have heavy time busting your pocket. Couldn't see one single sports bike on the way (maybe my bad luck). There were curious lookers and there were few cars along me all the way to bangalore. (some disappeared during my breaks but found one from salem till bangalore)
Fourth Halt at Salem (Lunch Break)
Reached at 12.36 p.m
ODO Reading: 3184
Distance Travelled: 42 km (With a butt break)
Average Speed: 47.7 km/hr
Break-time: 41 mins
Went inside salem town to find a nice restaurant and went all the way to the Railway station and couldn't find one and finally at the junction where I diverted, on the opposite side, I found a A/C restaurant and had a chicken biryani for lunch. It was ok.
Had few chances of accidents on the way. One was a trailer carrying over filled empty coconut husks and I couldn't figure out so many coconut husks on the road and finally was behind him and a husk fell infront of my tyre and had given a sudden break. the bike skidded a bit but I managed. Thanked God for saving me and I showed him my hand twisting, what in the world is this. Carrying husks without covering.
Second one was a monkey crossing the road at rocket speed and lo I couldn't hit and I would surely it would have been the end of me.
Accident scenes somewhere after Salem
Fifth Halt at Dharmapuri (Coffee Break)
Reached at 01.37 p.m.
ODO Reading: 3246
Distance Travelled: 62 km
Average Speed: 61.38 km/hr
Break-time: 13 mins
Saw few modified polos and a lot many swifts. This polo was cruising at somewhere near 170-180 km/hr was flying like a rocket.
Scenes somewhere near Krishnagiri
Sixth Halt at Krishnagiri (Coffee Break)
Reached at 02.45 p.m.
ODO Reading: 3303
Distance Travelled: 57km
Average Speed: 62.63 km/hr
Break-time: 08 mins
After Krishnagiri Didn't stop till Hosur for checking with friend that he would meet me somewhere before the electronic city flyover
Reached outskirts of Bangalore by 5 p.m. sharp and from there the traffic began. Was with my friend and there weren't any calculations further
So this is was my journey.
The bike was in great condition and it didn't show any signs of tiring till the end.
In city conditions I used to get between 36-38 km/l with sane riding and ripping
And during this journey keeping the speed limit between 70-80 km/hr, I got 43 km/l which was pretty decent and satifactory for me
Thanks for reading.
Cheers
.. Like we have had many chats over it.. FZ is a brilliant machine and she doesn't bother you with any niggles unless you don't maintain her right.. I guess you are indeed going for the biggie heart operation. A heads up, Joel is down with dengue i just came to know through FB today.
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