Even before I bought my Ninja, I had already decided how to cover the 1600 km distance required to complete the run-in. I figured two trips to Chennai and back would do the trick, and I completed the first phase of run-in (800 kms) within four days of buying it. But for the past two weeks, the odo was hovering at 1000 kms so I decided to take care of the second run-in phase by doing a short Bangalore-Chennai-Pondicherry trip. And this trip would also serve as a good trial run before I left for my 'big one' next month, so the timing was perfect too. I checked the Bangalore and Pondi weather forecast online and it showed up sunny, so this weekend was the perfect opportunity for this fun ride!

I had initially planned to leave Sunday morning to Chennai and come back on Tuesday after taking day off from work on Monday, but there was some urgent meeting in office on Monday so I decided to leave on Saturday and come back today after spending a night in Pondicherry. That kind of rushed things a bit, because I wanted to test fit my new saddle and tail bags, and I had some minor stitching DIY to do on my tail bag fitting so that it fits properly. So I ended up doing that late on Friday night - once I was satisfied, I packed my things and got under the covers, hoping for a six hour sleep.

Woke up at 5am on Saturday, and after taking a quick shower, fixed some breakfast. I absolutely have to eat breakfast in the morning, however small - kind of a ritual for me. I was going on a 500km+ ride, so need some nutrition too! Finally left home by 06:30 am and after filling the bike up on a Shell station on the way, headed towards Chennai. On the way to Koramangla, the roads were closed due to some festival, so I had to take some narrow lanes to get back on the main road - had to spend an extra 10 mins or so.

I was lucky to have planned this trip just a day after the elevated expressway from the silk board junction to electronic city opened - normally I dread the stretch since it takes around 30 mins to cross this. But today was a different; the freshly laid, smooth tar beckoned me and I obliged by wringing the throttle till it was 6-7 k RPM - the 9.5 km long stretch was done only in a few minutes, just as I started enjoying it. But I knew I would cross the road again on the way back, so the fun had only began!



By 9am, I am long past Krishnagiri and well on my way to Chennai and I stopped for a small drink break. This was my third trip on this highway in the last three weeks, but I felt much better. Last year, due to frequent traveling and a lot of late night dinners, I had put on weight and struggled to get into my leather riding pants, so I decided to work hard to get rid of the extra kilos. The last two weeks were spent eating low fat (but healthy) food and running 5k's every alternate day. It seemed to work! This morning the pants fit great without a protest and that improved my riding comfort immensely. During my first trip on the Ninja, I had complained of wrist pain, so I changed my riding position - grip tank tight with legs, slouch, and bend elbows generously and grip the bars lightly. I also did some wrist and forearm exercises in the gym over the past couple of weeks, so that must helped too. But I need to become far more fitter for my upcoming big one in the next three weeks - the workouts and sauted Broccoli-Tofu continues!





I also wanted to test ride my newly acquired saddle and tail bags (pictures above) and this proved the perfect opportunity to do so. I bought these bags in Melbourne last month, and did not have a chance to try them on. I was not even sure they fit. But my fears were unfounded as they fit perfectly on the Ninja. I had tried on the tail bag during the first trip before but the base fitting which wraps around the pillion bag was a bit loose so I had to cut the stitching open and perform a minor DIY on Friday night - now it fits like a glove! I trial tested the saddle bags the night before and tried to figure out which part goes where. There are so many provisions for securing attaching the bags, I still haven't figured out what the four extra straps on the inside of the bag do or where they go. But the bags still fit great and it did not budge at all during the whole trip. When I started off, there was only a gap of 1cm (seriously) between the bottom of the right bag and the exhaust pipe and I thought that the bag will sag during the trip and touch the hot silencer, spreading molten goo all over. But nothing of that sort happened, and after 510 kms, the 1cm gap stayed 1cm! That's how tight these bags fit - these are of an Australian make called R-Jays. Cost me around Rs.8000 rupees - the tail bag was for around Rs.3000. Space is at a premium, so remember the Spanish proverb, ' On a long journey, even a straw weighs heavy.' So before packing anything on a long trip, think of two things - 'do I need this?' and 'If I need this, is there something lighter I can replace this with?' So a big toothpaste becomes small, two jeans becomes one, and you can live without a pair of slippers. Junk your deo spray for a deo stick or roll-on, and carry energy bars instead of aloo parantha's which your folks will insist on taking along



Just before entering Chennai, I saw a road which went up straight over a flyover and said Poonamallee and a road on the left which said Chennai. I was at a high speed so I went up on the flyover and then took a U-turn to get back on the other road, a decision I would regret. So with this simple mistake, I ended up taking the Poonamallee high road instead of the Mount Poonamallee which would taken me straight to the ECR via the Raj Bhavan. So I spent the next two hours in the sweltering deadlocked traffic in Chennai, clothed in my full leathers. I was not amused at all - and to make things worse, no one would give me proper directions. The first guy I asked was an auto rickshaw driver and told him that I wanted to go to Pondicherry. He looked at me in a strange way and then slowly mumbled something about going up straight and stuff. The traffic cop I met next was more specific, and got me more on less the right track. But then I got misled by some people up ahead and I ended up on the OLD road instead of the new ECR. By this time, my low fuel light had come up, and I kept on looking desperately for a Shell fuel station till I got fed up and ultimately filled the Ninja with Speed. And guess what? I see a Shell bunk 30 secs after that. Aarghh!





By now, it was clear that I had missed the entry to the new ECR so I decided to keep on going straight till I hit the ECR near Mahabalipuram. The road was not bad at all, though a little patchy so I kept my speed under check. I eventually hit ECR after riding for 45 kilometers or so and then it was smooth riding all the way to Pondicherry. The ECR road remains my favorite road - I was here a few years ago on my Royal Enfield, and it was very enjoyable. I enjoyed it even a bit more yesterday; a perfect day with cool winds hitting you at 80-100 clicks an hour, and the trees on either sides invite you to get off your bike and stretch your limbs for a while. That's what I did - the Chennai traffic had tired me a bit, so I spent a few minutes recharging my batteries. Besides the scenery, the quality of the road is great too. The lanes are clearly marked and are reflective (I found that out early this morning) and the curves are perfect for throwing the Ninja around a bit. I reached Pondicherry in the afternoon and checked myself into Ginger hotel - I chose this hotel because it seemed to have a closed parking inside the hotel premises. Most of the other hotels in the French quarters are great, but they do not have parking inside. When I pulled into the hotel premises, there was a bus load of French tourists. There was this Indian girl with a French guy and as soon as she saw me in my full gear and bike, she loudly exclaims, 'F***!'
The Ninja did get some interesting reactions during this trip - at intersection before the Poonamallee and Chennai fork, a boy of five looks at my bike, comes running and places his hand on the tank, while yelling to his other friend across the street, 'Hayabusa!' 'Hayabusa!'. I guess all fast looking bikes are Hayabusas to little children. On another occasion, I stopped at one of the fuel pumps near Krishnagiri and the attendant was a 14 year boy. I told him to fill my tank with Rs.200 worth of petrol, but I don't think he even heard me. He kept looking at the bike, then at my boots and gear. He even poked my knee section with his finger and then slowly touched the bike and the dash. It took a noogie on his head from one of the other guys in the pump for him to regain his senses. A guy in a full riding gear on a green Ninja is an uncommon sight - not something a 14 year old in a highway bunk would come across every day. Here's a picture of me in my full gear below, though not from this trip...



After freshening up, I got to the seaside and take a stroll before hitting a Pizzeria in the French quarters and ordering the biggest size they had. It wasn't enough, so I went to Pizza hut after that and ordered a soup and a pasta too! Full with good food, I go back to my room and call it an early night at 8pm, setting my alarm for 4.30am.







Candy floss man on the Pondicherry seafront - his cart is a clever DIY kind...


Pineapple express - he is wondering why no one eats healthy stuff anymore.


This morning, I woke up at 04:30 am, take a shower and pack my bags. I can't leave without eating breakfast, so I head down to the 24 hour coffee shop in the hotel lobby (run by CCD ) and ask for a sandwich and a glass of milk. The guy there mumbles something about the coffee machine not working, so I ask him to microwave the cup of milk. After the hot meal, I go outside to my bike and check the tyre pressure etc. The night watchman comes running towards me and hands me a clean cloth to wipe the dust and morning dew with! (I had tipped him the last night) Satisfied that everything was in place, I go back to my room and get my bags. Take me another 10 mins to securely get the bags on the bags. It is 06:00 am by now.

Soon, the city of Pondicherry is behind me, and it is still dark. There were a lot of bugs and they started splattering my helmet visor in wholesale. I soon find a fast moving Innova ahead of me, and I follow the van in its slipstream. Around 7am, there is enough light on the road, so I park to the side and replace my transparent visor with my tinted ones, after having wiped the bike and the helmet with wet tissue papers. Bug remains are generally acidic, so it is wise to clean the muck off the paint before it causes any damage.

The ECR is a favorite haunt for local superbikers, and sure enough, I see around 7-8 bikes heading towards Pondicherry. A Busa, R1, Gixxers and the like. After sometime, I also see another bike (maybe a Honda) followed by a green Ninja 250R. The guy on the Ninja waves to me - green brothers! Not sure who he was...

Soon I enter Chennai and it is still 07:30 - 07:45, so I am spared the traffic. This time I find the correct way to reach NH7, helped with perfect directions by a private cab driver. I see the low fuel light come up, so I fill up with Speed without even waiting for a Shell station to show up. And guess what happens next? I see not one, but TWO Shell pumps soon! I am past the tearing-my-hair-off stage by now, so I simply shake my head and move on.



Today was a Sunday, the traffic was sparse, and the open NH4 was my playground. By this time, I was well past the 1600 km on my odo, so I opened the throttle up. And it was then I realized that I was riding a different bike till today. Till the 6k RPM, the Ninja is just a cool looking bike. And between 7,000-11,000 rpm, when you rest your chest on the tank, tuck in your elbows and grip the tank with your thighs, you will feel every rupee spent on that bike worth its weight in gold. Many bikes can go fast; but this baby can handle. And how it does! Even at triple digit speeds, you can tackle defined curves on the highways without breaking a sweat. Just point it where you want to go, and the Ninja will do that for you. It is better to be behind the windscreen when you are at a high speed, or the wind resistance will be too much. After today's experience, I think investing in a bubble windscreen with a higher lip will make a significant different on aerodynamics, at least to the rider. This bike gather speed rather quickly and if you do not watch it, you will be doing 100 clicks when you think you are doing 60. But the engine does a good job of braking, and to reduce speed gradually simply decelerate and the engine braking will reduce the speed rapidly, even in the 6th gear.

After riding for more than 1,000 kms over yesterday and today, I will say that the Ninja will take touring duties happily without causing any discomfort to the rider except saddle sores. The seat, as I pointed out, around two weeks ago, is uncomfortable and you have to move a bit at times to ease off the pressure. An aftermarket padded seat should be a good investment for anyone wanting to use the Ninja as a touring bike. The handle bar position is near neutral so it does not bother your bike or shoulders. I had been working out my upper body in the gym, so that came in handy too.







Even before I knew it, I had crossed Krishnagiri and took a right towards Bangalore. After crossing Hosur, I see a sight which has me in splits -an elephant on a truck! Somehow it looked so funny that I burst out laughing inside my helmet. I overtook him and stopped a kilometer ahead and wait for him to pass so that I could take a few pictures... see!

I get on the new elevated expressway soon which would take me right to Koramangala. When you are approaching Bangalore, one has to take a left and then take a U-Turn to get on the expressway. Not many people knew that, so during the whole 9.5 km stretch, I came across ONLY 3 cars and 2 motorcycles. I zipped through it in a flash and then sedately merged into the Sunday traffic after the expressway. On my way home, went to the Shell station and had the girl's tank filled up - 14 liters of the finest. Reached home just in time for a hot meal. I thought I will take a 20 min nap and then work on chain lubrication, but that 20 min turned into four hours. Anyway...

The best thing about today's trip is that I did not feel the 510 kilometers at all . Six and half hours from Pondicherry to Bangalore VIA Chennai city - not bad, eh? Along with other great touring bikes like the ZMA, P220, Avenger and the RE, add one more to the list - the fuel injected Kawasaki Ninja 250R!

More travels on the Ninja coming up next month! What better way to introduce India to the Japanese girl than taking her out for a spin across India?