aisa lag raha hai ki Surojit ko zabardasti ticket laane bheja gaya ho

@hyperian: nice log,esp liked the orange flower pic

Thanks SP. I am trying to do this as fast as possible unfortunately work keeps me busy.

Thanks. No Surojit was more than willing to run down.

Part 3: The Road to Lonar

The alarms rang as programmed. However, it was too cold around us with the rains all night and we had the ceiling fan running (to help dry the clothes). After hitting the snooze button a few times, we finally started getting out of bed one by one. We brushed, ordered tea and hot water for bathing. By the time, we were done with everything it was 8 AM. We packed up everything, geared up and checked out of the room. We ordered some Aloo parantha and chai for breakfast. We finished that and were ready to leave. Took a few pictures to start of the day,










By the time we left it was 9 AM. We started off on the way back. It was not raining and the roads had dried up. Still it was overcast and could rain anytime. This was a really nice stretch of the trip. The roads were dry and the traffic was low. We were really able to do good speeds. This was the same road that we had taken yesterday upto Sillod. We had to go straight from Sillod. When we arrived at Sillod, we conciously went through the town. The roads inside were bad and the traffic was chaotic. But it was a small town and didn’t take us long to get through. After exiting Sillod there came a sort angled Y in the road. We took the right branch, since according to the map we had to go straight.
However, after going another 5-6 km, Anant noticed that we are still seeing milestones for Aurangabad. So he caught up with me and pulled over the the side. After checking his map, it seemed we should have taken the left road. Back we went the way we came again. After taking the other road from Sillod, we were on our way to Lonar.


The road was really narrow now but it was smooth with occasional potholes here and there. This went on for another 30-40 kms or so. I was really enjoying this part. There were green fields on either side of us that stretched into the horizon and the road super-super smooth. There was hardly any traffic. And then things came crashing down. All of a sudden the smooth tarmac metamorphosed into a pothole party.
We played along for another 10 or so kms, passing through a few villages on the way. Finally, we pulled over. If the road was going to be like this, we wont be able to do any good speeds along the way. We stopped and checked the GPS, my GPS showed that we were on the planned road. There were couple of locals passing by on a bike. We asked them about the condition of the road up ahead. They said the road is bad upto Rajur and after that is the state highway. We thought state highway, hmmm, how bad can it be? We soon found out just how bad it could be. Anyway, we went on for another 9 kms, when we finally reached Rajur. It is a small town. We passed through it and near the end we saw the road that went left with SH180 written on a signboard. The road was literally littered with small potholes.

We had no choice but to take this route as planned. However, after going about 2 kms on it, we stopped again. We discussed the possibility of turning back to Rajur and going to Lonar through Jalna. However, since that would cost us an extra 50 kms, we ditched the plan and continued our bumpy sojourn. This road went on for some 10-15 kms. The road was scenic, I will give it that. There were farms and green plains stretching either side of us. We tried to forget the road beneath us and enjoy the scenery around.

There was a small incident here. Surojit was leading the pack when in the middle of the road there were a couple of dogs playing. At the same time, we could see a tempo coming from the opposite side. I was right behind Surojit. The tempo and Surojit were about to cross each other with the dogs in the middle. The dog got confused and tried to cross to the left side when I was passing, hitting my right leg. Fortunately, that didn’t knock the Ninja off balance but the poor dog ran across to the other side whimpering with pain.

The bad SH soon ended with a T in the road. We took a right towards a town called Deulgaon Raja, from where we had to turn left which would lead to Lonar. The road after the T was much better. We made up some time with better average speeds and soon came to Deulgaon Raja. We asked around the town about the road to be taken for going to Lonar. Following directions provided by the locals we took left a BP petrol pump. After taking the left, we pulled over once again just to check with GPS if we were indeed on the right track. GPS confirmed. We moved on from Deulgaon Raja. The road was still a bit narrow but very smooth. After all the bad roads we had been through in the morning, this was a welcome change. This went on for another 12 kms or so when we hit Sindkhed. All of a sudden at Sindkhed the road transformed into biking paradise with a smooth tarmac and dotted white in the middle. This pleasantly reminded me of the NH17. We really let loose on this road and enjoyed each and every corner of this road. However, a word of caution, this road passes through a lot of farming communities that let their cattle run wild. We always slowed down when we saw cattle even from a distance. At one point, the road was covered a canopy of trees on either side. Anant had gone ahead. Surojit beckoned me to stop for photographs. We pulled over for a photo session. It had been the first time since morning to take out the camera.









We moved on after the photo session. Anant himself had stopped for us further down the road. He too had not wasted any time waiting for us. He also snapped a few shots.








After we regrouped we moved on towards Lonar. I was surprised that the Ninja's low fuel light hadn’t come on yet. But I was nevertheless on the lookout for a fuel station. After going ahead for a few kilometres, Anant stopped over for some fuel. He soon caught up with us. Were about 15 kms from Sultanpur, when Anant mentioned that we have missed the right turn which was a shortcut to Lonar. We asked a few locals who were passing by on a bike. They said there was a turn about a kilometre back (which all of us had noticed as well), that went to Lonar, however, according to them the road was partially bad. Instead of explaining to them our definition of bad roads, we just smiled and thanked them on their way. We turned around took the turn we had missed. It was a nice little road. The road was initially very good and very very narrow. All of a sudden on one of the slopes the road passed over a small over-bridge which was submerged in water due to recent rains. We passed through it. This repeated another 2-3 times. When all of a sudden the road ended and was replaced by a muddy path fit only for tractors and bullock carts. We passed through some more water holes, each one deeper and longer than previous one. This was an awesome off-roading experience. Most of the road the Ninja brushed aside without so much as a minor complaint. So you can lay to rest the myth that the Ninja is a terrible off-roader (its nowhere close to the best but given no option it can do it). We passed through a village we asked a local how far to Lonar. He said another 2 km of this bad road and then its a good road for another 5 km to Lonar. He wanted a ride to Lonar but after looking at our gear and the Ninja’s rear seat decided against it. Surely enough, the bad road ended in another couple of kms and replaced by a decent tarmac.



















After about 3-4 km, the plain to the side gave way to a small hill that fell sharply.
The hill was part of the ring of the Lonar crater. And were riding along side it. It was awesome to behold, even from this distance. One can sense the ancientness of the place. Here, where millenia back an asteroid had struck and changed the face of earth forever.

Next Part (Final Part) : Lonar and the long road home

no my tourer buddy... they didnt force me at all.. they did never say ki "hamare pass camera hai... hum pics lenge.. tu leke aa" n all./.. they didnt give an evil grin after saying this also.....

@Hyperion n Antz.Bin-- reading through the log is making me remember all those moments n i have to admit i really enjoyed it...

@ HYperion- nice descriptive log (atleast for me..)

I am enjoying this & I do miss riding mates over here.

Awesome ride u guys had. U can make a short TV series now "Maharashtra Discovered - On 2 Wheels" if u have some vids.

this has alwayz been our topic of discussion
A:"yaar har ride ka ek 10-20 mins ka video toh hona cahiyea"
B: "seriously yaar... we need a camera mount on our bikes... "

this season we r enjoying the rain like anything !!!! good going guys !!!

I just have no words to express my feelings when i woke up (thanks to your call) and saw that the time was just 0320 hrs

Hyperion this is the last and final warning... IF u do this again I am never gonna ride withe you..

You are corect...SELF OBSESSION --------->



so I guess ppl understood who the POSER is..

That is the eventual plan!

ok done no more rides with you till this saturday...

Part 4 (Final Part) : Lonar and the long road home

The breathtaking landscape soon fell away and was replaced by the hustle and bustle of a town.We werent sure how we would enter the crater or go to a strategic location that provided nice view. After asking around, we finally arrived at the PWD guest house. The road passed through the guest house to the side of the crater. Inside the way to get as close as possible to the craters side was guarded by a deep gap in the ground. Surojit and Anant had already parked their bike to the right. I wanted to take the bike as close as possible to the crater. So I climbed onto the side of deep gap in the ground,



I just applied a little throttle and I had crossed the hole effortlessly. Although, while coming back up the bottom fairing did kiss the mud.Soon Anant and Surojit followed. The place offered are very nice view of the crater. We could see the lake. At the banks of the lake there were a few fields. The sides of the crater were thickly forested. The wind was really strong. The place had a marking stone providing information about the place. As with a lot of other places in India, former visitors to this place had left their marks. The protective barb wire at the side was bent at a lot of places.

Overall, the place looked like it had been left to its own devices by the authorities.Which is a shame, given the significance of this place. The place wasnt very crowded at the time we arrived.





















We spent a lot of time here, not just clicking pictures but also just sitting down and feeling the place. It was really a great experience. Anyway, it was almost 2 pm now and we had to still have lunch and leave for Pune.So we packed up and prepared to leave. By this time a larger crowd had arrived at the place. We moved towards the MTDC resort, which is a little farther up the road from the PWD guest house.

If you continue on this road , you will cross in to the forest sanctuary at Lonar. Due to time constraints we could explore this, but it is certainly on a list of things to see. There were a lot of things at Lonar we didnt see.There's a famous temple , also a famous waterfall. Lonar too, like Ajantha, deserves a ride dedicated just to itself.

The MTDC resort itself is fantastically situated, offering panoramic vistas on all four sides. We parked our bikes in the parking and went up to the restaurant. We ordered some lunch. Unfortunately, the food wasnt good, neither was the service, which is disappointing given the resort is great on all other counts. We enquired about the rent for a room there, for future reference. Its about Rs.700 for a two bed A/C room, with Rs.200 extra for an extra bed. Not bad at all.The lunch took bit of time to arrive. I spent the time taking a few pictures of the surrounding landscape.








By the time we finished lunch and settled the bill it was past 3 pm. It had rained for a bit and had started spitting. This was going to be a little boring, post lunch, the ride back home. We started off.
We were going to take the Sultanpur route on the way back (not the road we came in on). Surojit had to fill up and me too (although the low fuel light still hadnt gone on).


The road back to Sultan was decent, with little or no traffic crossing us. Soon we arrived at Sultan and turned left to hit the highway. Anant took the lead and went ahead. I was riding with Surojit for some time.
Soon, we saw Anant had pulled over to the side.He signalled for us to go ahead.So I did. After a few kms, I looked in the RVM and there was no sign of Surojit. I assumed he had stopped along with Anant.

It had started raining so I decided to move on and to stop when I saw a decent fuel station.I went ahead, after about 20-30 kms,I slowed down and rode for another 5 kms and there was still no sign of either Anant or Surojit.I was a little concerned, however, since no-one had called me, I supposed things were okay.I moved on and reached Sindkhed.From here we had to turn left for Jalna/Aurangabad, so I stopped to the side.In no time, I was surrounded by a mob of curious on-lookers with their pesky questions.I was really wishing the others would turn up and we could move on. After about 10 mins, no one had turned up, I tried calling Anant and Surojit, both were not reachable. Another 5 mins later, I saw the black P-220 roll in.I asked him about Surojit, he surprised me by saying he thought SUrojit was riding with me.Nevertheless, after waiting for another 10 mins or so, Surojit finally turned up. He had stopped fuel at one of the fuel stations.It was about 4:15 PM now. Without further ado, we moved on towards Jalna. The road from here was fantastic, still 2 lane though.We arrived at Jalna in no time. Went around the bypass and were on the road to Aurangabad. Just after Jalna, the good road suddenly, gave way to an absolutely pathetic pot-holed stretch. This lasted for another 2-3 kms.Thankfully, just after the bad stretch, we hit finally hit the 4 lane highway to Aurangabad.AUrangabad was another 70 or so kms. The Ninja's fuel light was still not on. It had been 390 kms since my last tankup. I was afraid that the fuel light had somehow stopped working. Nevertheless, I saw the HP petrol pump another about 15kms later. When I slowed down, I could see that the fuel light had gone on. I was relieved.But unfortunately, the fuel station did not have any petrol. We moved forward, after some time we soon saw BP petrol pump. We wanted to save our cash reserves, so we asked if they accepted card payments. Turns out they did. So all of us filled up. I filled in about Rs. 500 worth of petrol. I had done about 405 kms on a full tank to low fuel indication. This is a fuel efficiency of 30+, which is quite surprising.Now that we had filled up and I was ready to go. It was about 5:15 pm, we still had 55 kms to Aurangabad. We wanted to have some tea. We decided we will cover as much distance as possible and stop for tea at twilight.Me and Anant really started ripping now. Soon Surojit disappeared in the RVM.We passed town afer town. After some time I slowed down for Surojit, Anant went ahead.
After riding slow for sometime, I saw the CBZ finally closing in. After Surojit caught up , we started moving steadily forward and joined Anant as well.

Around 12 kms from Aurangabad, I crossed a chowk, I was in rythm and road was straight, I didnt bother to stop. I soon a hit a town and had slowed down, when Surojit caught up with me and said that, I had missed a turn to the AUrangabad bypass, at the chowk.I checked my cell, Anant had called multiple times. So I turned around with Surojit and we rode to the same chowk. From here we took the bypass. Along the way we saw some shining examples of highly "disciplined" Indian traffic. Top award goes to the rickshaw wala crossing the highway, with absolutely zero regard for the oncoming traffic.After "congratulating" him using the choicest of words, we moved on.We soon hit Aurangabad. We crossed the pathetic traffic and even worse roads and were happy to finally leave Aurangabad behind. We were on our way to Pune. The sun was now setting
down we got some beautiful views of the sunset. The light was absolutely beautiful.Me and Anant were ripping now as there was only a little time left for twilight. I dont know what speed I was doing (according to Anant who was right on my tail, he was doing 130-odd), when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a head with two horns on the divider.In a matter of seconds , the head moved along with the large body of a buffalo and ran onto the road. I was on a collision course with this confused buffalo. I instinctively pushed the left handle bar and ran wide of the buffalo (There was no time to break). I was concerned about Anant who was right behind me. Fortunately, he too avoided the buffalo and was back with me.

Around about 7 pm, the light started to fail, we stopped over at the next decent hotel we found. We ordered some chai and bhaji. Both of which I must were fantastic.Without spending too much time here, we left for Pune, around 7:30 pm. Pune was still 180 kms away.The plan was to cover another 120-130 kms by 9:30 and have dinner when near Pune.It was dark now. The traffic wasnt heavy but it was trickling. With the oncoming glare of large vehicles made things a little difficult. But the road was good and we were able to do good speeds.We soon arrived at Nagar and after a little frustrating ride through the town (not without its own adventure with a pulsar "rider",which Anant and Surojit can better recount, as I was not part of it). We left Nagar and continued on this sweet four laned tarmac. With Ninja and P-220 for company Surojit had ample lighting and was doing really good speeds. I soon found a Xylo and tagged onto its back. The Xylo was really ripping at 120-130 kph. I was more than happy to just follow his tail lights (at a safe distance) and let him do the hard work. I noticed in the RVM that I had lost both Anant and Surojit. So I stopped immediately after crossing a toll booth. Surojit and Anant soon turned up and we moved on. Around 8:30, Anant signalled for a stop. The night was clear and we could see the stars. ANant wanted to capture some starry skies. So I too deployed the tripod and settle down to a photoshoot under starry sky.







After about 15 mins of break. We left for Pune. Around 9:30 pm, we saw a nice hotel and stopped over for dinner. Pune was still 75 kms away. 108 kms in two hours including the photo break was not bad at all.
The food was good. After dinner, we made a final march for Pune. Around 50 kms from Pune, I saw my low fuel light come on. Fortunately, I saw an open HP petrol pump and immediately pulled over. I asked him
if they accepted card again. TUrns out they did. So I put the Ninja on the side stand and went in to punch in the card PIN. I had knowingly left the key in the ingition as both Surojit and Anant were around. However,
when I went in, Anant went to the SBI ATM there to draw some cash. After coming back, Surojit told me what had happened. After I went in, one of the attendants sat on the Ninja, removed the side stand and was
turning on the ignition. At which point SUrojit got down and removed the key and blasted the attendant. The horror of the situation struck me. I never do that. I am not sure why I left the key when I left but I did.
It wasnt a case of forgetfulness either. If the Attendant had ran off, there was going to be no stopping him. Even the 220 would have been no match.

Anyway, we came back on the road to Pune. Soon , we reached Wagholi and then Nagar road.We had finally reached Pune at around 11:30.
I didnt want to end such an epic ride on a tame , anti-climatic "ok-goodbye-nice-riding-with-you" routine. So I suggested we go to Pune Station and have coffee at Comesum. Unfortunately, on reaching there
we found the outside entrance to Comesum closed. we would need to buy platform tickets and enter from the Platform side. There was a long queue for platform tickets. So we dropped the coffee idea and looked
around for a tea stall. We finally found one of the adjacent platform. We sneaked in, got some tea and sneaked back out. To commemorate the successful ride, we raised a toast (albeit with Tea).

After the tea (which was pretty tasteless), we moved and finally arrived at point where we must part ways. At the COEP chowk, Surojit went right to Kasarwadi and me and Anant would go straight.

Phew, what an epic ride(and an equally long account in the form of this log) this was. Two days experiencing and exploring the different flavours of Maharashtra. Unfortunately, we could neither fully explore Ajantha nor Lonar. But there will be time for a ride to each of these separately.For now, I am going to savour this ride for some time to come.

nice teaser hyperion

The manker of Ninja would have not though the place it was to go awesome stuff....some really nice clicks...

thanks Hyperion for giving us the opportunity to enlighten on this interesting part of the ride back home....

We were doing decent speed when suddenly we saw this "RIDER" + PILLION (fully gearless..). Hyperion was leading us and me n Anant were riding side by side.... suddenly the "RIDER" came to Hyperions side... and was oogling at the bike and somewhat trying to challenge him. Hyperion downshiftedand slowed down... but we couldnt get rid of him.... he was waiting for us a few hundred metres ahead.... then Hyperion went ahead and we did the same... now the RIDER was behind us... and i was jus thinking "I just Wish Anant blocks him on the righr lane...then I'll take care of the left lane.." and so it happened... Anant didnt let the RIDER pass him and I did the same. After a few trials the RIDER gave up the thought of riding alongside the NINJA.... me and Anant had an Evil grin across our faces....