Castrol Power1 Passion Hunt Day-1 Travelogue Approved.

The Passion Hunt India Roadtrip : Day 3: 3rd Feb 2nd 2009: Jaipur to Udaipur

Day 3: Feb 3rd 2009: Jaipur to Udaipur

Text: Sandeep Goswami

Photos: As per credits

Web-site! Web-site! Web-site! Poor Mr. Gajjar works on it till about mid-night and starts on again before the sun breaks though. The need to work on the site delayed our departure from jaipur and we were finally on way to Udaipur a little past noon. Jaipur has grown in size and getting out of its urban crowding takes a while. But once we hit the six-lane NH-8 the throttles rolled. Even the R15 could sense the freedom and its little heart propelled the R6/R1 miniature to well past 125kph, its pilot Shailay really enjoying in the bargain.

The R1’s performed faultlessly with nary a hiccup or a missed beat. There are two possible routes to Udaipur from Jaipur. One goes via Ajmer while the other via Bhilwara and Chittorgarh. We opted for the latter as it is supposed to be less crowded and the 4-lane surface good throughout. Stopped for a while just after the second tollgate after Jaipur and as is usually the case when riding on sbk’s, we were mobbed. And the photographer in Sunny couldn’t resist the bright ‘pagri’ of a local villager. He just had to have his own picture taken wearing the pagri while the dazed man was made to stand holding the helmet. A couple of families stopped by in their cars and for the next ten minutes or so, we were forgotten as most clicked away furiously with their phone cameras, the two sbk’s being prime time attraction.

We R1 walaas were requested to make a blistering getaway and needless to say we were only too happy to oblige. So it was 0-100 in a little more than 3 seconds, our helmets and balaclavas hiding that huge grin inside. About 4 kms from this second toll gate, a road turns left towards Bhilwara. A long sweeping bend it is which is fun when taken at highway speeds. The road thereon was great and we made good time. Stopped to re-fuel the R1’s and Shailay continued as we expected to catch up with him. But it was to be a little more than a hour when we finally sighted the mini-missile. An easy lunch-stop at a burly sardarji’s dhaba and we were on our way again.

This time of the year is mustard harvest time. So what? Well, mustard plants have a tiny insect that loves to suck its sap. But when the plants are harvested, the insects have nowhere to go and so they just loiter around on fast 4-lane expressways. And get stuck on the helmet visors of fast moving two-wheeled objects. It was actually terrible. By late afternoon, we had to stop every 10kms or so to scrub about a thousand of them off our visors. Couldn’t see a thing through them, so thick was the layer of the bugs sticking to it. Our bikes, jackets, pants, gloves and shoes were all covered with a thick layer of dead bugs by the time we got to Udaipur.

Ken was good enough to allow us to use his reference to get rooms at a very nice hotel in Udaipur, Hotel Hill Top, near Fateh Sagar lake. That’s where we are right now. Will leave for Surat early tomorrow morning. 510 kms of the heavily trafficked NH8 lies ahead. Surat will put us into comfortable striking distance to Mumbai for the day after. Its about midnight now and time to turn in. More from Surat tomorrow. Till then….ride safe.

Photos:

Castrol Power1 Passion Hunt Day-3 Travelogue Approved.

The Passion Hunt India Roadtrip : Day 4 : Feb 4: Udaipur – vadodara

DAY 4 : FEB 4: UDAIPUR – VADODARA
Text : Sandeep Goswami

Photos: Sundeep Gajjar and as per credits

Udaipur is a beautiful place but sadly we lacked time to look around. Could just manage a short night-time photo session beside the Fateh Sagar Lake while coming in from Jaipur yesterday. We planned to set out for Vadodara early, primarily to give us time to stop for pictures on the way and to avoid riding after dark. The three bikes are branded i.e. custom painted and dropping one, even if at stand-still would mean visible damage to the precious and irreplaceable paint job. With the official launch yet to happen, we were in no mood to stick out our necks even this much.
The road out of Udaipur towards Gujarat is great. Wide, smooth, 4 laner with twisties for some 60-odd kms. The three bikes were a sight to be seen on this fast sweeping stretch. Though one had to really keep a sharp eye out for stray goats and sheep that seemed to have an affinity for the greenery growing on the road-divider. We did manage a good pace with a couple of stops for pictures. Were also stopped once by the police at the Rajasthan – Gujarat border. They were more curious than anything else about the bright n sleek bikes with their iders in that out-landish attire.
The farmers on this side of Rajasthan don’t seem very interested in mustard farming and so we would get just an occasional bug-splat on the visors. A real relief.
The road till Ahmedabad is a four-lane affair. Beyond that to Vadodara, the 4 laner is a proper express-way and two-wheelers are NOT allowed on it. We tried talking the toll-officials into letting us go, saying these were no ordinary bikes but two-wheels being two-wheels, we had no option but to turn back and head for Vadodara by the single lane old highway. This road, though smooth, is narrow, single lane and very heavily trafficked. Required all the focus and energy on the big Yamahas. Though it would have been no less stressful on the smaller one too. The 92-odd kms between Ahmedabad and Vadodara were more taxing that the 350 kms we’d already done since morning.
Vadodara is a big bustling city and the hotel that Sunny’s cousin had arranged for us lay right within its congested heart. No option but to resignedly weave through the mess we call urban traffic. The hotel was next to the Dairy Den Circle. An interesting pattern had emerged since Jaipur. Whenever we asked any biker the way to some place, usually he would ask us to follow him and would escort us pretty close to where we wanted to go. The same happened in Vadodara. Only that both Sunny and I happened to ask two different people the way and they both guided us individually to the general location of the hotel. Trying to keep up with each other within cities during rush hour is not only very difficult but also unsafe. And so we had decided to go solo if we lost sight of each other.
The support van driver, Kamal, is a seasoned traveler, usually knowing way through most cities and so we don’t have to bother about him getting to the destination. Sure enough, he was there at the hotel within 5 minutes of our arrival, no mean feat in that traffic. A quick dinner and we were propped up in bed with our lap-tops. The daily blogs, the e-mails and processing the day’s photography need to be dealt with on a daily basis to avoid a debilating back-log that would be troublesome later.
An early departure for Mumbai, some 510 kms from Vadodara, is planned for tomorrow morning. We have been warned to expect troublesome road conditions till Surat, about 140 kms further up, primarily because of the six-lane work going on this NH-8. Hope this ‘troublesome’ does not turn out to be an understatement.
Catch you on the NH8 at 0800hrs tomorrow morning.

Photos:

Castrol Power1 Passion Hunt Day-4 Travelogue Approved.

The Passion Hunt India Roadtrip : Day 5 :feb 5: Vadodara – mumbai

DAY 5 :FEB 5: VADODARA – MUMBAI
Text: Sandeep Goswami

An early start after working till well past mid-night means being on the road by 0800 hrs. We did manage that today, and that too with our bellies full of a good breakfast. Took us almost 30mins to reach the NH8 and then the real test began. The road is mostly under construction with usually one side of the dual carriageway available to traffic. And the traffic is astounding, both in volume and variety. I have almost two decades of riding on our highways under my belt but I could barely visualize that so many trucks, of all possible shapes and sizes, could be found on a single stretch of the highway. This NH8 section is a real lifeline for Mumbai and it shows.
Soon enough we hit a big jam. Trucks, buses, jeeps, cars etc etc all lined up as far as we could see. The R1’s have a very wide turning circle and weaving them through vehicles is very difficult. And the only way of making some progress through the jam was to ride on the loose shoulder. The rear wheels spin on the gravel and mud, making the bikes more than a handful. Also, it was hot, the Cordura riding suits that seemed so cosy up north were now making us sweat like pigs. This was not riding. It was more of a struggle but then that’s all a part of the game, especially in our country. Past one jam and barely had our sweat dried in the wind that we hit another bigger one. Hell. More full-lock left-right, more loose gravel and wheel-spins, litres of sweat and a dictionary of silently-mouthed expletives later the traffic opened up again.
Time for a break and to allow the back-up van to catch up a bit. We stop a couple of kms after crossing the Narmada bridge, close to Baruch, and wipe out a couple of cold-drinks before answering the thousand queries a bunch of curious on-lookers had about our bikes, our suits, our route and even our purpose in life. Whew!
On the road again and its back to the treadmill wound up to full resistance. The remaining distance to Surat is a continuing nightmare, with truckers ruling the road and the day. But they never bullied us. On the contrary, most would wave us past and others would give a salutary ‘toot’ of their horns as we growled past them. We stopped for a drink of water past Surat and a trucker wooshed past us, stopped and came back running. “Hello! I truck driver. I like your bike”. He thought we were some foreigners out riding in India. I took off my helmet and said “ Dessi hain, bhai!”. The tobacco-stained smile widened by another mile and the co-pilot was told to take pictures on the captain’s mobile. The reach of the mobile phone cams is amazing. Anyone can take back memories and even send them anywhere in a jiffy. And by a thousand plus miles on the road from Delhi, we had been snapped by these phone cams more than a thousand times.
Past Surat, the road was fine though the traffic still as dense. A four-lane tarmac with the road divider a glistening bright strip of colourful bougainvilleas stretching into the distance would have been great with less traffic but we were thankful anyway of a predictable road surface ahead. A lunch break at a great road-side eatery ‘Shubhi’ (nice air-conditioned restaurant and good parking) some 5 kms from Nanded allowed the van to catch up with us. The journey there on was a typical transport ride, the intent just being getting to the destination. Vapi is surprisingly big now but the highway is insulated from city traffic. We stopped some 90 odd kms from Mumbai for a coffee-break and got our bikes washed there. The launch is scheduled early tomorrow and dirty bikes would be a sore sight, what with the expected media coverage.
Mumbai is huge, no colossal as a city and it shows most when you enter it by road. Bumper to bumper traffic for the last 50 kms. Amazing. And it is also the city without a night. The expressway into Mumbai weaves its way through a brightly lit city flanking it right and left. The low fuel warning lights lit up on the panels of both the R1’s but there was no fuel bunk on the expressway. We finally managed to find one close to Juhu, holding our breath as both bikes had run almost 40kms in reserve. And they are not expected to run more than 35. We were somehow spared the nightmare of pushing superbikes through the Mumbai jams. Reached our hotel, Kings International on Juhu-Tara Road a little past 2200hrs. Sunil gupta was on the way, flying into Mumbai and his flight was late by about a hour. He reached the hotel a little after 2300hrs. By that time we just had enough strength left for a hurried dinner and some high priority work on the net before hitting the sack.
Catch you at the launch tomorrow. Venue: Blue Sea, Worli Sea Face, Worli, Mumbai. 12 noon onwards though we need to be there by 0900hrs.

Photos:

Castrol Power1 Passion Hunt Day-5 Travelogue Approved.

The Passion Hunt India Roadtrip : Day6 : Feb6th : Mumbai :The Official Launch Day

Day 6 : Feb 6th : Mumbai :The Official Launch Day/Event

Text: Sandeep Goswami

So the D-day was finally there for us. We were supposed to reach the venue for the launch (Blue Sea, Worli Sea Face) by 0900hrs. Sunny had been desperately searching for a 24hr barber (yes, you’ve read that right) service as he had a 5 day stubble that he so wanted to get rid of before the launch ceremony. Failing to find one at around mid-night yesterday, he was a relieved man when Noor helped him find one close to the hotel. And returned with not just a shaved beard but also close-cropped hair for good measure.

Early that morning, Shailay had received a call from back home and he was up after that, a very perturbed man. Some personal emergency had cropped up for him back in Noida for which he would have to fly back. We could see the acute dilemma on the young man’s face. He had been so enthused about the ride all the way to Mumbai. And having to leave on the very day we had all been waiting for must have been excruciating for him. It was for us. We arranged tickets for him to catch the earliest flight for Delhi. He will be joining us as soon as possible for him, in all probability from Ahmadabad onwards.

Anyways, we fought and raved and ranted our way through Mumbai’s rush-hour traffic to Worli, sweating like pigs again under our riding suits. All the Castrol people and those from the event management company (Encompass) were there already. My bike was parked on the podium in the open courtyard while the other R1 and the R15 stood proud in front of a couple of Castrol Power 1 backdrops flanking the main entrance.

The press meet had been arranged inside a large hall adjoining the courtyard, a stage with audio/visual screens on either side. We were standing around talking to some of the media-persons already there when John Abraham arrived in a flurry of activity, cameras whirring and flashing, as his security people escorted him inside the premises. Quite a few of the xBhp members from Mumbai also turned up. It was great to meet them and know the faces behind the user ID’s we all are so familiar with.

The launch ceremony began with Mr. Rohit Talwar ( Castrol ) welcoming the media and the assembled guests followed by a formal address by Mr. Ramakrishnan. Rohit Talwar followed up with a pre-view of the Passion Hunt nitty-gritty and invited John on stage. The man walked into loud applause and appreciated the efforts Castrol India were making in propagating a positive image of motorcycling while adding excitement to the biking scene in the country through this Passion Hunt. The official ‘Most Passionate Biker of the Country’ trophy was also unveiled by him. This was followed by a short question answer session, for which all the Castrol top honchos were invited on stage along with John and Sunny.

John Abraham is a huge celebrity by any standards but meeting him is like meeting someone next door. He is humble, pretty down to earth and very evidently a motorcyclist at heart. He took initiative in answering most of the questions put up by the media and the audience that had a direct bearing on motorcycling. And his replies were relevant, mostly from personal experience. It was great meeting him up close.

The flag-off was actually symbolic as we were to stay in Mumbai for another 2-3 days after it. Sunny, riding the R1 parked on the podium, was flagged off by John. And pandemonium by the press followed the bike’s departure. Each one with a camera or a mike was gunning for John and both he and I were virtually squeezed into a corner. His security people whisked him away to the relative safety of the hall, much to our relief, and the entire buzzing hub of media-people followed him in. Whew!

Having had enough of John Abraham, a section of the press wanted some media-bites from us and the next half hour was spent answering their questions. Gradually the gathering petered off, their appetite for John Abraham, good food and hopefully, fast bikes too, satiated. We, along with the Encompass people were probably the last ones to leave. The ride back was not as bad, traffic wise, as that earlier in the day. Getting back to the hotel was a relief.

With the ride officially on now, quite a few things needed to be done pertaining to freezing plans for the days ahead, branding of the support vehicle, providing inputs for the publicity build-up for the events ahead. But forr now, looking for a well deserved nights rest.

Photos:

Castrol Power1 Passion Hunt Day-6 Travelogue Approved.

The Passion Hunt India Roadtrip : Day 7 - in mumbai

DAY 7 - In MumbaiPhotos:

The Passion Hunt India Roadtrip ay 8,9 and 10 :Feb 8th to 10th: In & Around Mumbai

Day 8,9 and 10 :Feb 8th to 10th: In & Around Mumbai
Text: Sandeep Goswami

We’ve been in Mumbai since the 5th night. The launch was a whirl of activity, so much in sync with what the entire city is like. I visited Mumbai last some 7 years ago. And was amazed at what such a relatively short time can do to a city in these times of rapid growth.

We had entered the city from Dhaisar side and travelled on the expressway till descending in towards Juhu area. Continuos traffic, an endless sea of structures and lights and people everywhere. It is so overwhelming even for someone from another metro city. I remember the city as somewhat less imposing and cluttered but now it seems to be bursting at its seams. And is truly a city that almost never sleeps. Our hotel was on Juhu-Tara road which had vehicular movement throughout the night. Someone or the other was always on the move.

Mumbai is also the city of purpose. Every person on the road seems to be moving with resolve, moving to the commands of the clock, bound within their individual bubble of time and space dictated either by the need to earn or to spend. It is a very ‘resource centered’ city. And that very focus gives it a culture that seems so very mature compared to cities up north. Girls and women move around with a sense of confidence and assurance that is just not there in Delhi. Those hard stares are absent. Couples walk the streets or the beaches and rarely does someone give them a second look. Public transport aka the taxi’s and autos are just that – public transport. Refusal to go someplace since it is too close-by for profitable fares or a low probability of a return fare being found is apparently not heard of. Charging is by the meter, at least it was whenever we travelled, and fleecing non-existent, this feature being the one common point between the Mumbai I had seen 8 years ago and now.

Juhu beach is a microcosm in its own right. It is a smooth endless track for those who want to jog, wonderful for those who want to picnic, a source of livelihood for the vendors and kiosks, great time-pass for the idle, the vast sea an inspiration for the thinker and facing west so very handy for watching beautiful sunsets. No wonder real estate is so expensive in the Juhu area. Noor and I had a couple of evenings out there on the beach, in time for beautiful sunsets. We lingered long after the sunset and ended up having a good beach-side dinner at one of the koisks. It was high-tide, the sea roaring in, coupled with a brisk wind and for someone like me from Delhi, the ambience was just amazing.

We shall be moving to Pune tomorrow morning. The first Passion Hunt mega-event is scheduled for the coming Sunday. And it shall be an acid test for all our pre-planning and the event content generation. But we are really looking forward to it. Mumbai – Pune is about 160 odd kms and shouldn’t take long to cover. But leaving Mumbai with its inherent congestion will sure take some effort. Anyways, it will be good to be back on the open road, with a chance to roll that addictive throttle on the R1 again.

Catch you from Pune.

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Castrol Power1 Passion Hunt Day-7 Travelogue Approved.

Castrol Power1 Passion Hunt Day-8,9 and 10 Travelogue Approved.

[QUOTE=ananth;188352]Just got back home, was there at the Passion hunt for some time, if not for some official commitmen


Few more updates from chennai!
A grp of 18 Jawa's and Yezdi's ( ROARING RIDERS ) were heading to Vedanthangal on sunday morning, we stopped for Tea after Chengalpet and suddenl;y heard the music of some big bike coming. It was sunny and sunil. Stopped them and had a quick chat and few pics.
SUnil also took my ROADKING for a small spin!
Check out the pics:

Picasa Web Albums - Srini - VEDANTHANGAL ...

Good to see that you guys managed to get decent rates at the Hilltop Palace in Udaipur. I also notice that you guys put in some nice photos of that hotel which has quite a beautiful view of the Fateh Sagar Lake. They keep talking about you guys and your beautiful machines each time I go there. They tell me, "Those celebrities with their awesome machines graced our humble hotel!"