Announcement

**ridermax** · 11-18-2010, 03:35 PM

Originally posted by Incubus View Post

Saddlesore?

In the world of biking one would find the word saddlesore know for biker's who would complete long distances at a stretch. Biker enthusiasts have wrtten inspirational logs on their saddlesore attempts and most of them have been success stories. A saddlesore is not only about your passion for biking but is also a potent test of your stamina, mental strength and demands medical fitness!
Please don't try this if you are not ready!

The thought behind the decision:

I had read a lot of articles on saddlesore rides and came across the Iron Butt Association (IBA) which recognizes the hardcore riders.
From my searches on the net I had not found any biker who had even tried to complete 1700Kms on a 100CC

Combining both the above along with my passion for riding I decided to set ablaze the route selected.

The Prep plans:

Riding long hours will drain a lot from you. One needs time to rest in order to recharge and recuperate from the body ache that would be experienced. In my case it was a ride on a 23 year old bike that had absolutely no comfort to offer.
I had given the bike to my trusted mechanic (Ravi) who is the only one to work on her from the time I got the bike. After he heard what I was planning I could feel he was not comfortable with the idea of me travelling 1600+kms alone with the odds against me. The engine was in prime condition we decided to only give her an oil change and feed her with better combustion oil. After browsing through my options I picked up Motul 800 2T Road racer fully synth racing oil.
My mech had put in Yamaha Lube for lubrication, changed the clutch plates and break liners and cleaned the chain and wheel bearings in diesel. He had taken a day off from work to ensure everything was in order.
Maps were printed out. It would be a straight forward route from Pune to Bangalore via NH4.
Being a member of 2 biking groups (Bladerunnerzzz and XBHP) I was rather shy of putting my thoughts across on these forum's and held it back till the very last couple of days before the ride. Many thanks for the advice and thoughts shared with me from all members from these forums.
I was aware that riding for such a long distance will cause batter both man and machine so I planned it on a long weekend. The initial date was the 5th however the excitement was so much that I could not help doing the ride on the 4th of November itself..

Checklist:
Bottle of 2Ltrs spare fuel
Water 3Ltrs
Bike papers
License
Hand towel
First aid kit
Relispray
Spare cloth for Helmet visor
3 packets of Glactorate
2 biscuit packets
4 granola bars
Print of the road Maps
Notebook and pen to log stops
Small box of Dry fruits
1 Spare T shirt
Tool Kit lent by Ravi
Smokes

I Pod Nano

Gear

Cross Helmet
Fox Knee pads
Alpinestar gloves
Orazo Ibis boots
T-Shirt and Tracks

Stage 1

A friend of mine had gone out of town and had requested me to take care of his place. He had a fish tank with pretty fishes who needed to be fed

so I went by his place before the ride and found that a couple of fishes had died. Saddened by the loss I informed my friend the same.

IBA guidelines are stringent and witnesses are required with complete logs, Maps and details of pit stops for fuel. So I began to rally my friends around me. Special thanks to Sandeep Barge and Ravi (my Mech) from Pune and Gautam Bhat from Bangalore for their support. I had requested Ravi to help me purchase a Tool kit but the sweet chap lent me his tool kit citing he would not need it for the next few days and I could borrow it

Sandeep had come all the way with his brother to greet me and encourage me for the ride.
My parents were unaware of my plans, though they knew that I usually go for rides I did not want to leave them in a worried state. So I bid adieu and carried on.
Sandeep and I had planned to meet at Brehaman circle near Aundh and I landed there a bit early. People passing by gave me some weird stares at my outfit and smirked when they saw the Rx100. Of course I seemed overdressed to ride it. Sandeep seemed to be more excited upon seeing me in full gear and we clicked some snaps. He gifted me a Peacock feather quoting it as a good luck charm for a safe trip.
Heading to The HP Pump near Sayajji hotel on NH4 I realized that I am an hour early so instead of wasting time I started the journey at 11PM on the 4th.

The bike seemed to be amazingly smooth, thanks to the hard work put in by Ravi. Many a times it felt even better than the Fazer. It gave me more confidence and soothed out the negative thoughts I had initially.
The start was good and I had covered 80Kms in the first hour itself, however later on I realized that I was falling back. As the journey had begun in darkness it was expected that I would face difficulties with insects and the lights of oncoming traffic. Then came the mini ghat which was clogged with stupid overloaded tucks trying to overtake each other and I was in caution mode with speeds not above 60KMPH. There was a Ford Fusion with a MH06 number attempting to squeeze on the outer line and suddenly ripped to the left, caught by surprise I was almost pushed off the road. The driver probably realized his error and reduced his speed for me to pass. That minor incident made me aware that I need to make a lot of noise so that people know that there is a vehicle behind them. The ghats were eaten in no time and I was tripping on the scream from the exhaust, a note so distinguished that even a kid and his grandpa can identify the make just by the sound. People in buses literally opened their window to get a glimpse of a maniac trying to overtake buses on turns, in the straight lines, over flyovers and even between trucks! Within 3 hours I reached Karad I began to feel dejected as it did not look good, covering that distance was at a poor average of 60KMPH. Pushing the bike even further I hurriedly crossed Kolhapur and proceeded towards Belgaum. I had already begun to feel the fatigue creep in so near Belgaum I took a 15 min stop. While I chewed on a bar I began to rethink my strategy, it was becoming more difficult, and though I was hitting a speed of 100 very frequently time seemed to be running faster than my bike. The approach was to cut down on stops and keep moving. My eyes were becoming heavy and there was a funny taste in my mouth. I realized it had become dry, not compromising on stops I even lit a smoke while in motion and sipped on some water. There was not much of an option for me. I had tied the bag to the bike with a bungee cord so as to avoid the strain of carrying the heavy bag loaded with 3Ltr of drinking water, 1Ltr of combustion oil and 2Ltr of spare fuel for emergency.

Incident at Stage 1

Stage 2

One thing about the RX, at high revs the bike vibrates a lot and relays the same to the rider. My joints bore most of the brunt but I guess visiting the gym for 3months made me fit enough to hang in there.

Stage 3

The Belgaum stretch was so beautiful; this was my second trip on this highway on 2 wheels, the first being with Bladerunnerzzz group on the way to Jog falls. The road is so smooth and clean that you could actually sleep on it

I reached Hubli and moved on. There was not much of luxury of stopping when you are riding a machine that is 100CC, you would find it rather hard to maintain top revs of 100+, secondly it has a smaller fuel tank of 10.5Ltrs! So fuel stops would be more than expected. Sacrificing my breaks to accommodate more fuel stops I crossed Hubli and headed towards the notorious stretch of Haveri and Chitradurga. There was fog ahead and I could not see anything in front of me. To negotiate this I let a Volvo pass by and chased its flashing tail lights for navigation.
My fellow biker on XBHP, Hyperion warned me about the Chitradurga-HAveri stretch and I had changed my start time to ensure I cover this stretch only in daylight.
Stage 3 also went without any incident.

Stage 4

The Chitradurga-HAveri stretch : It was a nightmare in broad daylight! I had reached this stretch about 9AM and there was enough traffic for one to be forced to slow down as dust was all over my visor, it was coated with red mud and I was appalled by the way people ride/drive in Karnataka. No offence meant to anyone. There was no use of indicators, overtaking buses in slow motion, sitting on a saddle in their half lungi with their legs on crash guard! Too add to that the miserable stretch filled with diversions, uneven roads and speed breakers that you would least expect. The speed breakers were huge and it felt like the biggest ones I had come across, fearing for the wheels of the bike I slowed my pace at this stretch. Post a fueling pit stop, I continuously rode uptill Tumkur which is around 70kms from Bangalore. The roads were amazing and I was wishing for these kinds of roads in Pune city.yeah! I know.."If wishes were horses beggars would ride" Upon stopping for a quick bio break while returning slowly to my bike I happened to glance at the level indicator and was in for a shock. The Motul 800 2T oil for which I had paid a premium of Rs750 was almost spent with the needle pointing in the red zone. How could a full liter of oil vanish so quickly? Normal side box oil lasts for more than 1000 KMS. No point in wasting time I quickly removed the spare Shell 2T oil and filled it up, time was running faster and frustration seemed to be getting the better of me. A quick calculation and I realized that if I travel another 45Kms to Electronic city on the other end of Bangalore I would miss my 24hr timeline as that stretch would need to be covered again on my return journey. I would have to be ripping hard at an average of 90+. The bike was holding up better than expected. No other problems besides the light issue. I called my friend Gautam, after explaining the situation we agreed that I would head back to Pune.

Stage 5

It was past 11 am when I turned back from Bangalore and started the return journey. My mind started calculating the distance, average speed to be maintained, estimated stops, etc. I pulled over to speak to a friend and let her know that I had made it to Bangalore. Surprisingly my actions did not make any sense to her, realizing that I am wasting my time I picked up the pace. It was a delight to rip on those roads, I was wishing I had a superbike to do this ride, it would have been sensational to burn rubber at 200+KMPH

but my piece of machinery was pure desi stuff. In another 10 years she will probably get entry into the vintage category. LOL.
I had been overcome by fatigue; there was a throbbing pain in my right wrist which was squeezing on to the throttle for over 12 hrs now. I stopped over and pulled out the Relispray to tend to the pain in my back, neck, shoulders and wrists. The burning sensation began to act against me as it made me feel drowsy. There was no incident when I had begun my return journey. I was happy that I made it to Bangalore via road on two wheels with no companion for company.

Stage 6

Incident at Stage 6

As if the bees were not enough, I noticed some kind of weird insects flying around the highway as if they intended to intimidate all the vehicles passing by. It did not take me long to have one of them stuck in my helmet. It was a swarm of dragonflies, the biggest I have ever seen and messy as well!

Stage 7

Enough with the insects it was high time I stepped up the pace before the end of daylight I had to cover as much as possible to reduce my distance to be travelled in the dark. It happened too sooner, it got dark and my high beam came on. It was around 7 PM and I had been riding for almost 18+hrs, fatigue and pain began to flow in rather quickly. I was fighting to keep myself awake and was beginning to fall on the losing side. During the entire trip I had consumed 3 lts of water, 3 Granola bars, some dry fruits. I did not have any proper food as I tend to feel a bit laid back after having a decent meal. The intention was to have protein rich stuff to keep me going and I am not sure if that worked against me. Many a times I had dozed off while riding the bike and had even strayed on the right side of the highway. As usual a horn happy trucker will greet me with a blast to wake me up from my slumber. I stopped a couple of times and tried to message a friend, just to make a conversation to get some sanity in me. But it proved to be a futile attempt as the conversation seemed to be heading in a wrong direction.

Incident at Stage 7

Post my messaging stint I saddled up and lit up a smoke to keep me warm. It seemed terribly cold and I had sacrificed my liner in the very beginning of the ride to accommodate the extra fuel and water. While riding I suddenly lost balance but I did not fall. I felt something fall but was not sure. After a couple of Kms I realized what had fallen..it was one of my Alpinestar gloves. No way I was gonna leave that behind, I had paid 5.5K for a pair and it was something that I was proud of owning. I turned back, riding in the wrong side at a snail's pace. I was losing valuable time and it was only adding to the delay. Finally I found the glove, wearing it I took off furious with myself for being so careless.

Stage 8

This was the worst phase for me in the entire ride. I was already 75% unconscious, the only thing keeping me going was determination. I had begun to hallucinate...not even sure if it was someone talking to me. It was like a dream, a person saying I will take you to my place; you rest over there and then leave in the morning. I asked myself "Is this a joke?" No ways, I was wide awake now and realized that the bike was still in motion. What was that? Who was talking to me? I did not have any answers, my butt was numb with pain, my back hurt every time I went into a rough patch on the road and I was screaming in pain with the jerks that I was experiencing. I was close to Kolhapur and it was still a long way from home.

Incident at Stage 8

Stage 9

I reached Kolhapur, it had stopped raining. But nature can sometimes be really cruel. I had almost dried up from pelting I received when I was struck by another shower. This happened thrice, the worst part is there was a strong chilly wind as well which was not helping at all. There were a couple of volo's ahead of me and I decided to give chase. I had almost lost control of my senses and it turning out to be really risky. The Iron Butt Certificate seemed to be going further away from me; my emotions were going to an all time low when I felt I am being pulled. I dont know what it was but it certainly did help me push myself.
I had reached Shriwal past midnight Shirwal is 50 kms from Pune and that was a slight relief for me. Not wanting to stop again I went ahead in full throttle and reached the new Katraj bypass tunnel. From there it was easy. My mind was alert again as it was important to take the correct turn. I towards Chandani chowk. There was no point in taking down the reading as I had already lost the race against time. Not bothering to stop anywhere I thundered down Pashan road, towards university and headed to my place in camp.

It actually took a lot of effort to get off the bike as if the bike was not letting go of me. I remembered a line from the movie " Pirates of the Caribbean"..."Part of the ship..part of the crew"..so it was like my butt was part of the bike!

When I reached home I found I had forgotten my house keys and had to ring the bell. My mom opened the door and I just rushed into my room to get out of my wet gear and clothes. I stood in the balcony, looked up to the sky and thanked my maker for bringing me home safe.

I saw a message on my cell asking me if I had completed the ride and I did not know who it was as I had changed my cell, my brain was numb with the chill and I replied saying that I had completed the ride in 27hrs. Later I discovered it was Antz from XBHP

@Incubus.Really great ride man ! The RX 100 is a cool bike if maintained well, especially ones with the Japanese Engine.
We (wife and I) are doing a trip next month on the same model bike (1986 RX 100). Our route is Bangalore/Mysore/Calicut/Trivandrum/Kanyakumari (approximately 900 K.m ). and return to Bangalore. we of course are making a couple of stopovers en-route and will be returning after a few days.
We did a trip some years ago on the same bike. The route was -Bangalore/Mysore/Calicut/Trissur/Angamally/Perumbavoor/Trissur/Palaghat/Coimbatore/Salem/Dharmapuri/Hosur/Bangalore.
The onward route was lovely while the return allowed faster speeds.
Saddlesore, yes, but hats off to the good ole RX 100 uh ?

Take Care
Cheers

**Incubus** · 11-30-2010, 06:46 PM

Originally posted by ridermax View Post

@Incubus.Really great ride man ! The RX 100 is a cool bike if maintained well, especially ones with the Japanese Engine.
We (wife and I) are doing a trip next month on the same model bike (1986 RX 100). Our route is Bangalore/Mysore/Calicut/Trivandrum/Kanyakumari (approximately 900 K.m ). and return to Bangalore. we of course are making a couple of stopovers en-route and will be returning after a few days.
We did a trip some years ago on the same bike. The route was -Bangalore/Mysore/Calicut/Trissur/Angamally/Perumbavoor/Trissur/Palaghat/Coimbatore/Salem/Dharmapuri/Hosur/Bangalore.
The onward route was lovely while the return allowed faster speeds.
Saddlesore, yes, but hats off to the good ole RX 100 uh ?

Take Care
Cheers

WOW! Hats off to both of you

. It is rare to find couples sharing a passion for biking.
A suggestion if I may, please avoid riding in the night and hope both of you will be having protective gear. Have a safe trip mate

and keep me posted.

Take Care

Cheers!

**NitinGirish** · 11-30-2010, 10:43 PM

I have no idea how the fluck I missed this thread

I don't know what to call the your attempt at IB with an RX100, but its certainly outrageous

I really wouldn't advise you to attempt this second time on RX100. Its got lousy suspension. Terrible in crosswinds too. More than Iron Butt, you need iron back to be able to pull this off. On my occassional 400kms round trip my back goes for a toss when I encounter bad roads for 20-30kms.

But if you do decide to do this again on RX, get that vibration thing sorted. It doesn't really transfer vibes to your body even at 90-100kms/hr.

Wish you all the luck man. God bless.

P.S: Don't become a man with no back in the process of getting an Iron Butt. Back first, butt later

**awesomeo** · 12-07-2010, 09:15 PM

Hats off to you for the very fact that you attempted Saddlesore on aging RX100! You don't need a certificate saying your the world's toughest rider.. You know it for yourself!

Read everybit of the log. Looks like I'm not the only one who forgot my gloves and dropped it on the road. It can be a painstaking effort to find it.

Last week, I dropped mine near Taswade Toll at 1.30AM.. 10kms later, I realized, I didn't have my gloves. Had to go 15 kms ahead to find a median in the diver, and 25 kms back to find it in a bad shape..

Good luck on your next attempt!

**ridermax** · 12-11-2010, 09:49 PM

Originally posted by Incubus View Post

WOW! Hats off to both of you

. It is rare to find couples sharing a passion for biking.
A suggestion if I may, please avoid riding in the night and hope both of you will be having protective gear. Have a safe trip mate

and keep me posted.

Take Care

Cheers!

Thanks Royd, Yes both of us love the bike rides, though we are not so young any more, the passion is the same. We just love to ride. Did you read my write on our ride to Coorg on our Kiney in October ? Uploaded some pics too.
We really appreciate your suggestions and thank you for your concern. We always avoid riding at night and wear the best protective gear available.
Thanks again buddy,

Good Luck, Ride Safe
Cheers

**nin** · 02-17-2011, 05:03 AM

congratulations man !

the feat you've performed is far better appreciated by itself than just a mere IBA certificate...i myself own another 100c and know and would never even think of doing this on it...what you have done is truly commendable ! *bows down with respect*

P.S.: will be back with a post here again !

**melroyal** · 02-19-2011, 02:00 AM

Hats off !! for such an attempt that too on a 100cc motorcycle.It took you 27hrs on the first attempt is good,definately with a 150cc bike you will do it in 24hrs.

**nin** · 02-19-2011, 09:09 PM

Originally posted by nin View Post

congratulations man !

the feat you've performed is far better appreciated by itself than just a mere IBA certificate...i myself own another 100c and know and would never even think of doing this on it...what you have done is truly commendable ! *bows down with respect*

P.S.: will be back with a post here again !

^^^^

and i am BACK !! (with a saddlesore1600k completed successfully on a P135LS yeah...135cc in these two days..17-18feb

)

your the first one here to be informed about this just because you boosted up my confidence and determination by attempting one on a 100cc...thanks a lot !

will be back with a trip log soon...

**drifter** · 02-19-2011, 09:22 PM

Originally posted by nin View Post

^^^^

and i am BACK !! (with a saddlesore1600k completed successfully on a P135LS yeah...135cc in these two days..17-18feb

)

your the first one here to be informed about this just because you boosted up my confidence and determination by attempting one on a 100cc...thanks a lot !

will be back with a trip log soon...

Congratulations

**nin** · 02-20-2011, 01:09 AM

Originally posted by drifter View Post

Congratulations

thanks ashwin

**melroyal** · 02-20-2011, 02:49 AM

Originally posted by nin View Post

and i am BACK !! (with a saddlesore1600k completed successfully on a P135LS yeah...135cc in these two days..17-18feb

)

Congrats nin.Saddlesore1600k that to on a Pulsar 135.Hats off!!

**nin** · 02-20-2011, 03:07 AM

Originally posted by melroyal View Post

Congrats nin.Saddlesore1600k that to on a Pulsar 135.Hats off!!

thanks man...ofcourse you were also amongst the few to add to my inspiration and confidence...so thank you again !

**shreyassave** · 08-26-2011, 10:35 PM

Wow man! It was so good reading it! Didn't miss a word!
So brave of you..
Kudos to you.!
GOD Bless!

**avhad sitaram** · 10-01-2014, 04:05 AM

Re: Saddlesore attempt on a 1986 RX 100

Originally posted by Incubus View Post

Saddlesore?

In the world of biking one would find the word saddlesore know for biker's who would complete long distances at a stretch. Biker enthusiasts have wrtten inspirational logs on their saddlesore attempts and most of them have been success stories. A saddlesore is not only about your passion for biking but is also a potent test of your stamina, mental strength and demands medical fitness!
Please don't try this if you are not ready!

The thought behind the decision:

I had read a lot of articles on saddlesore rides and came across the Iron Butt Association (IBA) which recognizes the hardcore riders.
From my searches on the net I had not found any biker who had even tried to complete 1700Kms on a 100CC

Combining both the above along with my passion for riding I decided to set ablaze the route selected.

The Prep plans:

Riding long hours will drain a lot from you. One needs time to rest in order to recharge and recuperate from the body ache that would be experienced. In my case it was a ride on a 23 year old bike that had absolutely no comfort to offer.
I had given the bike to my trusted mechanic (Ravi) who is the only one to work on her from the time I got the bike. After he heard what I was planning I could feel he was not comfortable with the idea of me travelling 1600+kms alone with the odds against me. The engine was in prime condition we decided to only give her an oil change and feed her with better combustion oil. After browsing through my options I picked up Motul 800 2T Road racer fully synth racing oil.
My mech had put in Yamaha Lube for lubrication, changed the clutch plates and break liners and cleaned the chain and wheel bearings in diesel. He had taken a day off from work to ensure everything was in order.
Maps were printed out. It would be a straight forward route from Pune to Bangalore via NH4.
Being a member of 2 biking groups (Bladerunnerzzz and XBHP) I was rather shy of putting my thoughts across on these forum's and held it back till the very last couple of days before the ride. Many thanks for the advice and thoughts shared with me from all members from these forums.
I was aware that riding for such a long distance will cause batter both man and machine so I planned it on a long weekend. The initial date was the 5th however the excitement was so much that I could not help doing the ride on the 4th of November itself..

Checklist:
Bottle of 2Ltrs spare fuel
Water 3Ltrs
Bike papers
License
Hand towel
First aid kit
Relispray
Spare cloth for Helmet visor
3 packets of Glactorate
2 biscuit packets
4 granola bars
Print of the road Maps
Notebook and pen to log stops
Small box of Dry fruits
1 Spare T shirt
Tool Kit lent by Ravi
Smokes

I Pod Nano

Gear

Cross Helmet
Fox Knee pads
Alpinestar gloves
Orazo Ibis boots
T-Shirt and Tracks

Stage 1

A friend of mine had gone out of town and had requested me to take care of his place. He had a fish tank with pretty fishes who needed to be fed

so I went by his place before the ride and found that a couple of fishes had died. Saddened by the loss I informed my friend the same.

IBA guidelines are stringent and witnesses are required with complete logs, Maps and details of pit stops for fuel. So I began to rally my friends around me. Special thanks to Sandeep Barge and Ravi (my Mech) from Pune and Gautam Bhat from Bangalore for their support. I had requested Ravi to help me purchase a Tool kit but the sweet chap lent me his tool kit citing he would not need it for the next few days and I could borrow it

Sandeep had come all the way with his brother to greet me and encourage me for the ride.
My parents were unaware of my plans, though they knew that I usually go for rides I did not want to leave them in a worried state. So I bid adieu and carried on.
Sandeep and I had planned to meet at Brehaman circle near Aundh and I landed there a bit early. People passing by gave me some weird stares at my outfit and smirked when they saw the Rx100. Of course I seemed overdressed to ride it. Sandeep seemed to be more excited upon seeing me in full gear and we clicked some snaps. He gifted me a Peacock feather quoting it as a good luck charm for a safe trip.
Heading to The HP Pump near Sayajji hotel on NH4 I realized that I am an hour early so instead of wasting time I started the journey at 11PM on the 4th.

The bike seemed to be amazingly smooth, thanks to the hard work put in by Ravi. Many a times it felt even better than the Fazer. It gave me more confidence and soothed out the negative thoughts I had initially.
The start was good and I had covered 80Kms in the first hour itself, however later on I realized that I was falling back. As the journey had begun in darkness it was expected that I would face difficulties with insects and the lights of oncoming traffic. Then came the mini ghat which was clogged with stupid overloaded tucks trying to overtake each other and I was in caution mode with speeds not above 60KMPH. There was a Ford Fusion with a MH06 number attempting to squeeze on the outer line and suddenly ripped to the left, caught by surprise I was almost pushed off the road. The driver probably realized his error and reduced his speed for me to pass. That minor incident made me aware that I need to make a lot of noise so that people know that there is a vehicle behind them. The ghats were eaten in no time and I was tripping on the scream from the exhaust, a note so distinguished that even a kid and his grandpa can identify the make just by the sound. People in buses literally opened their window to get a glimpse of a maniac trying to overtake buses on turns, in the straight lines, over flyovers and even between trucks! Within 3 hours I reached Karad I began to feel dejected as it did not look good, covering that distance was at a poor average of 60KMPH. Pushing the bike even further I hurriedly crossed Kolhapur and proceeded towards Belgaum. I had already begun to feel the fatigue creep in so near Belgaum I took a 15 min stop. While I chewed on a bar I began to rethink my strategy, it was becoming more difficult, and though I was hitting a speed of 100 very frequently time seemed to be running faster than my bike. The approach was to cut down on stops and keep moving. My eyes were becoming heavy and there was a funny taste in my mouth. I realized it had become dry, not compromising on stops I even lit a smoke while in motion and sipped on some water. There was not much of an option for me. I had tied the bag to the bike with a bungee cord so as to avoid the strain of carrying the heavy bag loaded with 3Ltr of drinking water, 1Ltr of combustion oil and 2Ltr of spare fuel for emergency.

Incident at Stage 1

Stage 2

One thing about the RX, at high revs the bike vibrates a lot and relays the same to the rider. My joints bore most of the brunt but I guess visiting the gym for 3months made me fit enough to hang in there.

Stage 3

The Belgaum stretch was so beautiful; this was my second trip on this highway on 2 wheels, the first being with Bladerunnerzzz group on the way to Jog falls. The road is so smooth and clean that you could actually sleep on it

I reached Hubli and moved on. There was not much of luxury of stopping when you are riding a machine that is 100CC, you would find it rather hard to maintain top revs of 100+, secondly it has a smaller fuel tank of 10.5Ltrs! So fuel stops would be more than expected. Sacrificing my breaks to accommodate more fuel stops I crossed Hubli and headed towards the notorious stretch of Haveri and Chitradurga. There was fog ahead and I could not see anything in front of me. To negotiate this I let a Volvo pass by and chased its flashing tail lights for navigation.
My fellow biker on XBHP, Hyperion warned me about the Chitradurga-HAveri stretch and I had changed my start time to ensure I cover this stretch only in daylight.
Stage 3 also went without any incident.

Stage 4

The Chitradurga-HAveri stretch : It was a nightmare in broad daylight! I had reached this stretch about 9AM and there was enough traffic for one to be forced to slow down as dust was all over my visor, it was coated with red mud and I was appalled by the way people ride/drive in Karnataka. No offence meant to anyone. There was no use of indicators, overtaking buses in slow motion, sitting on a saddle in their half lungi with their legs on crash guard! Too add to that the miserable stretch filled with diversions, uneven roads and speed breakers that you would least expect. The speed breakers were huge and it felt like the biggest ones I had come across, fearing for the wheels of the bike I slowed my pace at this stretch. Post a fueling pit stop, I continuously rode uptill Tumkur which is around 70kms from Bangalore. The roads were amazing and I was wishing for these kinds of roads in Pune city.yeah! I know.."If wishes were horses beggars would ride" Upon stopping for a quick break while returning slowly to my bike I happened to glance at the level indicator and was in for a shock. The Motul 800 2T oil for which I had paid a premium of Rs750 was almost spent with the needle pointing in the red zone. How could a full liter of oil vanish so quickly? Normal side box oil lasts for more than 1000 KMS. No point in wasting time I quickly removed the spare Shell 2T oil and filled it up, time was running faster and frustration seemed to be getting the better of me. A quick calculation and I realized that if I travel another 45Kms to Electronic city on the other end of Bangalore I would miss my 24hr timeline as that stretch would need to be covered again on my return journey. I would have to be ripping hard at an average of 90+. The bike was holding up better than expected. No other problems besides the light issue. I called my friend Gautam, after explaining the situation we agreed that I would head back to Pune.

Stage 5

It was past 11 am when I turned back from Bangalore and started the return journey. My mind started calculating the distance, average speed to be maintained, estimated stops, etc. I pulled over to speak to a friend and let her know that I had made it to Bangalore. Surprisingly my actions did not make any sense to her, realizing that I am wasting my time I picked up the pace. It was a delight to rip on those roads, I was wishing I had a superbike to do this ride, it would have been sensational to burn rubber at 200+KMPH

but my piece of machinery was pure desi stuff. In another 10 years she will probably get entry into the vintage category. LOL.
I had been overcome by fatigue; there was a throbbing pain in my right wrist which was squeezing on to the throttle for over 12 hrs now. I stopped over and pulled out the Relispray to tend to the pain in my back, neck, shoulders and wrists. The burning sensation began to act against me as it made me feel drowsy. There was no incident when I had begun my return journey. I was happy that I made it to Bangalore via road on two wheels with no companion for company.

Stage 6

Incident at Stage 6

As if the bees were not enough, I noticed some kind of weird insects flying around the highway as if they intended to intimidate all the vehicles passing by. It did not take me long to have one of them stuck in my helmet. It was a swarm of dragonflies, the biggest I have ever seen and messy as well!

Stage 7

Enough with the insects it was high time I stepped up the pace before the end of daylight I had to cover as much as possible to reduce my distance to be travelled in the dark. It happened too sooner, it got dark and my high beam came on. It was around 7 PM and I had been riding for almost 18+hrs, fatigue and pain began to flow in rather quickly. I was fighting to keep myself awake and was beginning to fall on the losing side. During the entire trip I had consumed 3 lts of water, 3 Granola bars, some dry fruits. I did not have any proper food as I tend to feel a bit laid back after having a decent meal. The intention was to have protein rich stuff to keep me going and I am not sure if that worked against me. Many a times I had dozed off while riding the bike and had even strayed on the right side of the highway. As usual a horn happy trucker will greet me with a blast to wake me up from my slumber. I stopped a couple of times and tried to message a friend, just to make a conversation to get some sanity in me. But it proved to be a futile attempt as the conversation seemed to be heading in a wrong direction.

Incident at Stage 7

Post my messaging stint I saddled up and lit up a smoke to keep me warm. It seemed terribly cold and I had sacrificed my liner in the very beginning of the ride to accommodate the extra fuel and water. While riding I suddenly lost balance but I did not fall. I felt something fall but was not sure. After a couple of Kms I realized what had fallen..it was one of my Alpinestar gloves. No way I was gonna leave that behind, I had paid 5.5K for a pair and it was something that I was proud of owning. I turned back, riding in the wrong side at a snail's pace. I was losing valuable time and it was only adding to the delay. Finally I found the glove, wearing it I took off furious with myself for being so careless.

Stage 8

This was the worst phase for me in the entire ride. I was already 75% unconscious, the only thing keeping me going was determination. I had begun to see things differently...not even sure if it was someone talking to me. It was like a dream, a person saying I will take you to my place; you rest over there and then leave in the morning. I asked myself "Is this a joke?" No ways, I was wide awake now and realized that the bike was still in motion. What was that? Who was talking to me? I did not have any answers, my butt was numb with pain, my back hurt every time I went into a rough patch on the road and I was screaming in pain with the jerks that I was experiencing. I was close to Kolhapur and it was still a long way from home.

Incident at Stage 8

Stage 9

I reached Kolhapur, it had stopped raining. But nature can sometimes be really cruel. I had almost dried up from pelting I received when I was struck by another shower. This happened thrice, the worst part is there was a strong chilly wind as well which was not helping at all. There were a couple of volo's ahead of me and I decided to give chase. I had almost lost control of my senses and it turning out to be really risky. The Iron Butt Certificate seemed to be going further away from me; my emotions were going to an all time low when I felt I am being pulled. I dont know what it was but it certainly did help me push myself.
I had reached Shriwal past midnight Shirwal is 50 kms from Pune and that was a slight relief for me. Not wanting to stop again I went ahead in full throttle and reached the new Katraj bypass tunnel. From there it was easy. My mind was alert again as it was important to take the correct turn. I towards Chandani chowk. There was no point in taking down the reading as I had already lost the race against time. Not bothering to stop anywhere I thundered down Pashan road, towards university and headed to my place in camp.

It actually took a lot of effort to get off the bike as if the bike was not letting go of me. I remembered a line from the movie " Pirates of the Caribbean"..."Part of the ship..part of the crew"..so it was like my butt was part of the bike!

When I reached home I found I had forgotten my house keys and had to ring the bell. My mom opened the door and I just rushed into my room to get out of my wet gear and clothes. I stood in the balcony, looked up to the sky and thanked my maker for bringing me home safe.

I saw a message on my cell asking me if I had completed the ride and I did not know who it was as I had changed my cell, my brain was numb with the chill and I replied saying that I had completed the ride in 27hrs. Later I discovered it was Antz from XBHP

Mind blowing buddy mind blowing

**rahulksk** · 02-14-2015, 01:29 AM

Re: Saddlesore attempt on a 1986 RX 100

I believe in every word what you have written and experienced.

I did a solo trip on my TVS Victor 110 cc from Bangalore to Trivandrum . I'm a native of kerala but brought up and settled in Mumbai. My bike was 2003 model which i was using during college days in Mumbai till I completed. Later on in 2008 I moved to Bangalore due to job. I brought my bike to Bangalore by train.

I love to do long drives and doing one in Mumbai was impossible as my parents won't allow. It was August 15th 2008 ( Friday ) , long weekend and so it was impossible to get tickets . I needed urgent ticket to visit Trivandrum and no way i was able to get one, even if I could get one it was priced insanely.

I decided why not my bike. As she was 5 yrs old and never taken for drives more than 100 kms , I took to a mechanic, replaced engine oil and rear brakes did a service. With this excitement in background, i just didn't think of changing my tires as they were old and completed around 37000 kms , nor some good oil , nothing. I forgot everything. I was always afraid to take my bike out on streets of bangalore as it was a MH registred one . Was thinking what will happen across the state border

August 15th , morning 2 am , I left out from Hennur Bangalore for my trip to Trivandrum. I wrote down the junction names in a piece of paper , and carried very less stuff . If i remember just a bottle of water and chocolates. I wore 2 jeans as a precaution.

I took krishnagiri , mettur dam route to reach palakad and then NH to reach Trivandrum. I reached Mettur dam very early in morning . Went for a small Pit stop around 8 am , filled full tank petrol and cleaned my helmet Visor , and headlamp . It was full of insect marks. Throttle was always full, Power mode indicator on the speedometer was always lit. I was always above 65 km /hr and top speed reached was around 85 . I was still worried what will happen if some traffic fellow catches me , prior to this i never drove this long in my bike and moreover solo. As I just moved to Bangalore , i was not able to understand Kananda that much.

By 11 am i reached near to Coimbatore Bypass and did my first halt. Drank coconut water and then again started my journey.

It was Tamilnadu Kerala border, I was cruising at around 80 kms and then i could see a Kerala police jeep parked on the road may be 300 m away . I reduced my speed to 55 and as i was closing in , the police fellow started waking across the street towards the middle of the road. My heart lost some beats as i didn't want to argue with them on why I travelled so long and all those questions ( Remember it was August 15th and security will be tight everywhere) . Suddenly he just waved to me and indicated that my headlight was ON and as soon as I passed by him . I was thinking "WHAT.. W**" and i just could n't stop laughing .

Crossed Palakkad, when I was near Alapuzha ,I topped up petrol once again and then it started raining. I experienced my first skid , rear brakes got locked as i tried to avoid hitting a cow . I could have reached Trivandrum by 4:30 pm but everything went out of control as it started raining very heavily . Couldn't see more than 100 ft . The rains didn't stop and then I was feeling as if my energy was draining a lot faster driving through rains. once my jeans got wet fully, it was really difficult to drive . My butt started paining. Was cursing myself why did i take this stupid decision should have listened to parents , and was thing about my return journey back to bangalore. I decided to transport my bike by train for my return trip. Praying to GOD , somehow help me reach Trivandrum . It rained for the whole stretch till I reached my cousins place i The only person whom i informed was my cousin sister where I had to park my bike. She is like 10 yrs elder to me and always supports my adventures .

I reached by 8 pm and I was driving through the rains for about 4 hours now . As soon as I reached cousins house , I realized that my lower portion was numb. i was not able to feel anything on my legs. I just wanted to sleep , not at all hungry . She prepared many things but i just wanted to lie down . didn't have dinner . my skin was peeling off form my fingers. Total trip distance was 780 kms one way.

Next day August 16th i woke up at 4 am , had good food , somehow gained back all my lost energy. Completed my work in Kerala, back home by evening 7. I was again full of energy and started planning about my return trip.

Left Trivandrum early morning 2 am on Sunday 17th August 2008. It was very difficult to drive on kerala roads at high speed due to mist and moreover the roads were not that good , it was rougher with bumps .took bypass road and panned to take the same route a before. After 5-6 hrs , i started feeling sleepy, Literally once i just slept for 2 secs while driving . then i stopped took a nap for 30 mins and again started my journey back to Bangalore . Total distance covered around 1600 kms ( to and fro and while coming back had an extra 50 kms as I took a wrong road)

this road trip was my first and never i will forget . I will say GOD exists so i reached safely. It was my dumbest decision to travel on a bike which had 5 yr old tires . After few days i started thinking what would have happened if the tyre would have got punctured or my engine got seized . The only issue i had was my front suspension oil started leaking as the oil seals were worn out.

This adventure didn't stop me from doing more , but whenever i think of doing again I will prepare myself very well starting with the weather report for the whole route, good hotels and some service centre numbers

This was not my last trip on Victor, later on i did a few Bangalore Mookambika trips via shimoga . These trips were done along with my friend and Victor was not good for long drives with pillion rider as power delivery was very poor, overtaking required good calculations . I sold my bike in 2010 finally as I had an onsite assignment . It was a very painful moment for me , but as no one was using , it would have got spoilt.

Some of my other road trips
Once i came back in 2011, i brought a Ritz diesel in september and a TVS Wego as I got married
Did many long distance driving on my ritz vdi , around 8 times Bangalore trivandrum ( via nagercoil)
2 trips to Mumbai , 2 trips to Mookambika, 1 time to Kalahasti temple . I completed 45000 kms in a year and 4 months ( 80% highway ) and again I got a onsite oppurtunity in 2013 Jan. As it was long term i sold both my vehicles once again. I covered around 11000 kms in my Wego.

Dec 2014, i came back, took transfer to Mumbai, Now i'm a father of one kid and turned 30 this year. Already My brother has Ritz vxi here, he does not like to drive ,exact opposite to my nature, and his car has just crossed 10000kms recently in 3 yrs. Most of the time its lying idle . 2 more cars belonging to Dad, ( corolla and Audi A4 ) but I don't know, in city driving a Bike is a boon . It takes just 20 mins for me to reach office while take an hr in my car.

Booked Wego with Disc brakes initially but dealer couldn't confirm how long it will take for them to deliver in Mumbai as demand is very less here. Enquired with Honda dealer for Aviator and they had a white deluxe disc version in stock 2015 model. I just asked TVS fellow to cancel my booking , surprisingly they give me back my Rs.1000 initial advance . I have never seen a good dealer like them , Really recommend Innovative TVS .

I booked Aviator on 7th Feb, still waiting for RTO stuff . My heart still says Wego but i wanted a disc version only . I was craving for a good braking system on my previous Wego when i was using it. Hopefully Aviator is as fun and nimble to drive as Wego.

in Dec 2014 i did another long drive with my brother took his Ritz vxi to Mookambika , it was a 1700 kms to and fro trip and he barely drove 50 kms

. I miss driving my Ritz vdi for sure. Nothing can match the power delivery of Fiat diesel engine in hatchback segment.

Sorry for hijacking your thread, but i just couldn't resist writing my experience after reading yours

Take care, drive carefully

Originally posted by Incubus View Post

Saddlesore?

In the world of biking one would find the word saddlesore know for biker's who would complete long distances at a stretch. Biker enthusiasts have wrtten inspirational logs on their saddlesore attempts and most of them have been success stories. A saddlesore is not only about your passion for biking but is also a potent test of your stamina, mental strength and demands medical fitness!
Please don't try this if you are not ready!

The thought behind the decision:

I had read a lot of articles on saddlesore rides and came across the Iron Butt Association (IBA) which recognizes the hardcore riders.
From my searches on the net I had not found any biker who had even tried to complete 1700Kms on a 100CC

Combining both the above along with my passion for riding I decided to set ablaze the route selected.

The Prep plans:

Riding long hours will drain a lot from you. One needs time to rest in order to recharge and recuperate from the body ache that would be experienced. In my case it was a ride on a 23 year old bike that had absolutely no comfort to offer.
I had given the bike to my trusted mechanic (Ravi) who is the only one to work on her from the time I got the bike. After he heard what I was planning I could feel he was not comfortable with the idea of me travelling 1600+kms alone with the odds against me. The engine was in prime condition we decided to only give her an oil change and feed her with better combustion oil. After browsing through my options I picked up Motul 800 2T Road racer fully synth racing oil.
My mech had put in Yamaha Lube for lubrication, changed the clutch plates and break liners and cleaned the chain and wheel bearings in diesel. He had taken a day off from work to ensure everything was in order.
Maps were printed out. It would be a straight forward route from Pune to Bangalore via NH4.
Being a member of 2 biking groups (Bladerunnerzzz and XBHP) I was rather shy of putting my thoughts across on these forum's and held it back till the very last couple of days before the ride. Many thanks for the advice and thoughts shared with me from all members from these forums.
I was aware that riding for such a long distance will cause batter both man and machine so I planned it on a long weekend. The initial date was the 5th however the excitement was so much that I could not help doing the ride on the 4th of November itself..

Checklist:
Bottle of 2Ltrs spare fuel
Water 3Ltrs
Bike papers
License
Hand towel
First aid kit
Relispray
Spare cloth for Helmet visor
3 packets of Glactorate
2 biscuit packets
4 granola bars
Print of the road Maps
Notebook and pen to log stops
Small box of Dry fruits
1 Spare T shirt
Tool Kit lent by Ravi
Smokes

I Pod Nano

Gear

Cross Helmet
Fox Knee pads
Alpinestar gloves
Orazo Ibis boots
T-Shirt and Tracks

Stage 1

A friend of mine had gone out of town and had requested me to take care of his place. He had a fish tank with pretty fishes who needed to be fed

so I went by his place before the ride and found that a couple of fishes had died. Saddened by the loss I informed my friend the same.

IBA guidelines are stringent and witnesses are required with complete logs, Maps and details of pit stops for fuel. So I began to rally my friends around me. Special thanks to Sandeep Barge and Ravi (my Mech) from Pune and Gautam Bhat from Bangalore for their support. I had requested Ravi to help me purchase a Tool kit but the sweet chap lent me his tool kit citing he would not need it for the next few days and I could borrow it

Sandeep had come all the way with his brother to greet me and encourage me for the ride.
My parents were unaware of my plans, though they knew that I usually go for rides I did not want to leave them in a worried state. So I bid adieu and carried on.
Sandeep and I had planned to meet at Brehaman circle near Aundh and I landed there a bit early. People passing by gave me some weird stares at my outfit and smirked when they saw the Rx100. Of course I seemed overdressed to ride it. Sandeep seemed to be more excited upon seeing me in full gear and we clicked some snaps. He gifted me a Peacock feather quoting it as a good luck charm for a safe trip.
Heading to The HP Pump near Sayajji hotel on NH4 I realized that I am an hour early so instead of wasting time I started the journey at 11PM on the 4th.

The bike seemed to be amazingly smooth, thanks to the hard work put in by Ravi. Many a times it felt even better than the Fazer. It gave me more confidence and soothed out the negative thoughts I had initially.
The start was good and I had covered 80Kms in the first hour itself, however later on I realized that I was falling back. As the journey had begun in darkness it was expected that I would face difficulties with insects and the lights of oncoming traffic. Then came the mini ghat which was clogged with stupid overloaded tucks trying to overtake each other and I was in caution mode with speeds not above 60KMPH. There was a Ford Fusion with a MH06 number attempting to squeeze on the outer line and suddenly ripped to the left, caught by surprise I was almost pushed off the road. The driver probably realized his error and reduced his speed for me to pass. That minor incident made me aware that I need to make a lot of noise so that people know that there is a vehicle behind them. The ghats were eaten in no time and I was tripping on the scream from the exhaust, a note so distinguished that even a kid and his grandpa can identify the make just by the sound. People in buses literally opened their window to get a glimpse of a maniac trying to overtake buses on turns, in the straight lines, over flyovers and even between trucks! Within 3 hours I reached Karad I began to feel dejected as it did not look good, covering that distance was at a poor average of 60KMPH. Pushing the bike even further I hurriedly crossed Kolhapur and proceeded towards Belgaum. I had already begun to feel the fatigue creep in so near Belgaum I took a 15 min stop. While I chewed on a bar I began to rethink my strategy, it was becoming more difficult, and though I was hitting a speed of 100 very frequently time seemed to be running faster than my bike. The approach was to cut down on stops and keep moving. My eyes were becoming heavy and there was a funny taste in my mouth. I realized it had become dry, not compromising on stops I even lit a smoke while in motion and sipped on some water. There was not much of an option for me. I had tied the bag to the bike with a bungee cord so as to avoid the strain of carrying the heavy bag loaded with 3Ltr of drinking water, 1Ltr of combustion oil and 2Ltr of spare fuel for emergency.

Incident at Stage 1

Stage 2

One thing about the RX, at high revs the bike vibrates a lot and relays the same to the rider. My joints bore most of the brunt but I guess visiting the gym for 3months made me fit enough to hang in there.

Stage 3

The Belgaum stretch was so beautiful; this was my second trip on this highway on 2 wheels, the first being with Bladerunnerzzz group on the way to Jog falls. The road is so smooth and clean that you could actually sleep on it

I reached Hubli and moved on. There was not much of luxury of stopping when you are riding a machine that is 100CC, you would find it rather hard to maintain top revs of 100+, secondly it has a smaller fuel tank of 10.5Ltrs! So fuel stops would be more than expected. Sacrificing my breaks to accommodate more fuel stops I crossed Hubli and headed towards the notorious stretch of Haveri and Chitradurga. There was fog ahead and I could not see anything in front of me. To negotiate this I let a Volvo pass by and chased its flashing tail lights for navigation.
My fellow biker on XBHP, Hyperion warned me about the Chitradurga-HAveri stretch and I had changed my start time to ensure I cover this stretch only in daylight.
Stage 3 also went without any incident.

Stage 4

The Chitradurga-HAveri stretch : It was a nightmare in broad daylight! I had reached this stretch about 9AM and there was enough traffic for one to be forced to slow down as dust was all over my visor, it was coated with red mud and I was appalled by the way people ride/drive in Karnataka. No offence meant to anyone. There was no use of indicators, overtaking buses in slow motion, sitting on a saddle in their half lungi with their legs on crash guard! Too add to that the miserable stretch filled with diversions, uneven roads and speed breakers that you would least expect. The speed breakers were huge and it felt like the biggest ones I had come across, fearing for the wheels of the bike I slowed my pace at this stretch. Post a fueling pit stop, I continuously rode uptill Tumkur which is around 70kms from Bangalore. The roads were amazing and I was wishing for these kinds of roads in Pune city.yeah! I know.."If wishes were horses beggars would ride" Upon stopping for a quick break while returning slowly to my bike I happened to glance at the level indicator and was in for a shock. The Motul 800 2T oil for which I had paid a premium of Rs750 was almost spent with the needle pointing in the red zone. How could a full liter of oil vanish so quickly? Normal side box oil lasts for more than 1000 KMS. No point in wasting time I quickly removed the spare Shell 2T oil and filled it up, time was running faster and frustration seemed to be getting the better of me. A quick calculation and I realized that if I travel another 45Kms to Electronic city on the other end of Bangalore I would miss my 24hr timeline as that stretch would need to be covered again on my return journey. I would have to be ripping hard at an average of 90+. The bike was holding up better than expected. No other problems besides the light issue. I called my friend Gautam, after explaining the situation we agreed that I would head back to Pune.

Stage 5

It was past 11 am when I turned back from Bangalore and started the return journey. My mind started calculating the distance, average speed to be maintained, estimated stops, etc. I pulled over to speak to a friend and let her know that I had made it to Bangalore. Surprisingly my actions did not make any sense to her, realizing that I am wasting my time I picked up the pace. It was a delight to rip on those roads, I was wishing I had a superbike to do this ride, it would have been sensational to burn rubber at 200+KMPH

but my piece of machinery was pure desi stuff. In another 10 years she will probably get entry into the vintage category. LOL.
I had been overcome by fatigue; there was a throbbing pain in my right wrist which was squeezing on to the throttle for over 12 hrs now. I stopped over and pulled out the Relispray to tend to the pain in my back, neck, shoulders and wrists. The burning sensation began to act against me as it made me feel drowsy. There was no incident when I had begun my return journey. I was happy that I made it to Bangalore via road on two wheels with no companion for company.

Stage 6

Incident at Stage 6

As if the bees were not enough, I noticed some kind of weird insects flying around the highway as if they intended to intimidate all the vehicles passing by. It did not take me long to have one of them stuck in my helmet. It was a swarm of dragonflies, the biggest I have ever seen and messy as well!

Stage 7

Enough with the insects it was high time I stepped up the pace before the end of daylight I had to cover as much as possible to reduce my distance to be travelled in the dark. It happened too sooner, it got dark and my high beam came on. It was around 7 PM and I had been riding for almost 18+hrs, fatigue and pain began to flow in rather quickly. I was fighting to keep myself awake and was beginning to fall on the losing side. During the entire trip I had consumed 3 lts of water, 3 Granola bars, some dry fruits. I did not have any proper food as I tend to feel a bit laid back after having a decent meal. The intention was to have protein rich stuff to keep me going and I am not sure if that worked against me. Many a times I had dozed off while riding the bike and had even strayed on the right side of the highway. As usual a horn happy trucker will greet me with a blast to wake me up from my slumber. I stopped a couple of times and tried to message a friend, just to make a conversation to get some sanity in me. But it proved to be a futile attempt as the conversation seemed to be heading in a wrong direction.

Incident at Stage 7

Post my messaging stint I saddled up and lit up a smoke to keep me warm. It seemed terribly cold and I had sacrificed my liner in the very beginning of the ride to accommodate the extra fuel and water. While riding I suddenly lost balance but I did not fall. I felt something fall but was not sure. After a couple of Kms I realized what had fallen..it was one of my Alpinestar gloves. No way I was gonna leave that behind, I had paid 5.5K for a pair and it was something that I was proud of owning. I turned back, riding in the wrong side at a snail's pace. I was losing valuable time and it was only adding to the delay. Finally I found the glove, wearing it I took off furious with myself for being so careless.

Stage 8

This was the worst phase for me in the entire ride. I was already 75% unconscious, the only thing keeping me going was determination. I had begun to see things differently...not even sure if it was someone talking to me. It was like a dream, a person saying I will take you to my place; you rest over there and then leave in the morning. I asked myself "Is this a joke?" No ways, I was wide awake now and realized that the bike was still in motion. What was that? Who was talking to me? I did not have any answers, my butt was numb with pain, my back hurt every time I went into a rough patch on the road and I was screaming in pain with the jerks that I was experiencing. I was close to Kolhapur and it was still a long way from home.

Incident at Stage 8

Stage 9

I reached Kolhapur, it had stopped raining. But nature can sometimes be really cruel. I had almost dried up from pelting I received when I was struck by another shower. This happened thrice, the worst part is there was a strong chilly wind as well which was not helping at all. There were a couple of volo's ahead of me and I decided to give chase. I had almost lost control of my senses and it turning out to be really risky. The Iron Butt Certificate seemed to be going further away from me; my emotions were going to an all time low when I felt I am being pulled. I dont know what it was but it certainly did help me push myself.
I had reached Shriwal past midnight Shirwal is 50 kms from Pune and that was a slight relief for me. Not wanting to stop again I went ahead in full throttle and reached the new Katraj bypass tunnel. From there it was easy. My mind was alert again as it was important to take the correct turn. I towards Chandani chowk. There was no point in taking down the reading as I had already lost the race against time. Not bothering to stop anywhere I thundered down Pashan road, towards university and headed to my place in camp.

It actually took a lot of effort to get off the bike as if the bike was not letting go of me. I remembered a line from the movie " Pirates of the Caribbean"..."Part of the ship..part of the crew"..so it was like my butt was part of the bike!

When I reached home I found I had forgotten my house keys and had to ring the bell. My mom opened the door and I just rushed into my room to get out of my wet gear and clothes. I stood in the balcony, looked up to the sky and thanked my maker for bringing me home safe.

I saw a message on my cell asking me if I had completed the ride and I did not know who it was as I had changed my cell, my brain was numb with the chill and I replied saying that I had completed the ride in 27hrs. Later I discovered it was Antz from XBHP

Announcement

Saddlesore attempt on a 1986 RX 100

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment