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Lansdowne being our all time favourite destination was hovering on our minds since the last time we went there which was 3 years ago. It’s a small & beautiful non commercial hill station at a distance of 270kms from Delhi having the headquarters of Garhwal Rifles army regiment & that’s the main reason why it’s so clean & well maintained. The roads are perfect for superbikes too & this summer when the idea was floated in the group nobody said no. 22 riders were ready plus 3 families, taking the total to 30 which was by far the largest outstation ride of GODS- group of delhis superbikers, ever.
Deutsche Motoren the importer for BMW Bikes & Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd was kind enough to give us some of their superbikes for their trip & in fact Deutsche Motoren BMW took care of all the expenses for the trip. On the morning of 30th March 2012 at 5.30am 22 GOD’S riders were flagged off from India Gate with 3 families following in 3 cars. It was sight & early morning joggers stopped dead in their tracks to see such an amazing collection of superbikes, from Ducatis to Suzukis to Kawasakis, we had it all. The route was pretty simple, Meerut bypass-Bijnor-Najibabad-Kotdwar-Lansdowne but being a single lane, we had to be very careful. The newly constructed Meerut bypass was a treat & we let it rip. We took our first halt after covering 80 kms & we moved along comfortably on the smooth roads. The BMW S100RR was the star performer here, it had phenomenal braking & its handling was simply outstanding. You thought about turning & it turned as if it was reading your mind, one of the best handling bikes in the world- that was the opinion of every rider who rode it. The BMW 1200 R was a different animal altogether, oodles of torque at low rpm coupled with great off roading capabilities made it a favourite with many riders plus the addiction of a boxer twin as a bonus.
The BMW K 1300 S was truly a locomotive, awesome pulling power with a silky smooth engine & very comfortable ergonomics, it was the most sought after bike on this trip.
The 2 Suzukis – the Bandit & the M800 Intruder, were also good fun, the Bandit being the more powerful out of the two, whereas the M800 had its own charm, loping around comfortably with no urgency.
Had a breakfast cum lunch stop near Najibabad at a dhaba which had some amazing green fields as its backdrop & within a jiffy we attacked the fields with the Ducati Multistrada & the BMW1200R, both being very fabulous dual purpose bikes which was immediately apparent. Clicked some lovely pics & moved on & finally reached Lansdowne by late afternoon entering the army’s cantonment area. Our jungle resort was 3kms further & we already knew the condition of the road but still we were very cautious as the rocks & leaves made it very slippery & finally we checked into the beautiful resort –The Jungle Resort, situated amongst the tall deodhar trees on one side of a mountain, this resort was picture perfect; 3 swimming pools, fabulous cottages, & our bikes parked right in front of us amongst the trees- pure heaven.
After checking in we immediately dozed off & woke up very fresh for a piping hot cup of tea & the mild evening chill just made us smile. The kids had a blast playing on the swings & dipping in the pool, for them also it was super exciting. We had a very relaxed first day & just ventured till the local market for some odd things & to savour the local bakery shop. Lansdowne was a very very small town with just the basic shops & that also confined within 100 meters. The night dinner was fantastic, totally a home cooked feel & the setting was simply outstanding. The night chill countered by the bonfire, with drinks n dinner with the bikes all around-what more could one ask for. We all said good night around 1am & retired to our rooms, tired mentally but not physically.
Next morning after breakfast we headed for some sightseeing around Lansdowne & it was great doing the hills on superbikes. We visited two beautiful churches, the St John’s Catholic Church & the St Mary’s church, & got actual nirvana in their inner sanctums. Next was the highest point of Lansdowne which had a splendid view of the distant snow covered peaks; clicked some great photographs there. The last place was the Garwhal Rifles regiment’s parade ground & their weapons museum which were amazing, the sheer neatness & maintenance gave a very good feel & that’s the best part about our defence services- a method in everything, wish the whole country would learn a thing or two from them. Reached back to the resort at tea time where we were joined by 4 of our riders who had started from Delhi on that morning but couldn’t start with us a day earlier due to work commitments. Some us were great cooks, which we knew we were waiting eagerly for their dishes & sure enough the guys had procured raw chicken in the afternoon for the grand 2nd night dinner & not surprisingly they had carried frozen kababs & special herbs from Delhi itself for the trip! What an amazing combo of passions- biking & cooking.
Had one of the most memorable evenings in our lives, lip smacking homemade kebabs & one of the best chicken curries ever made on a hill station or maybe on a sea level. Strobe lights were placed in the centre & the music was turned on loud, the bonfire crackled, the drinks got gulped like our bikes gulp fuel & the bikes looked their sexiest best in the glow of the bonfire. We were truly on some other planet. We danced the night away & many of us slept in the morning.
As expected everybody got up late the next morning & team Deutsche Motoren BMW which was with us, had beautifully decorated the area with their bikes posters & we had a good photography session with the bikes & no doubt they looked more stunning in the natural background. After the final breakfast & with a heavy heart we headed back for Delhi saying good bye to one of our favorite destinations- Lansdowne.
On the ride back everybody kept exchanging the bikes & the BMW S1000R came out on tops in terms of power, handling & braking. It was a unanimous opinion that it was the best handling bike in the world, its traction control & braking, by far being the best on any production bike till date. The 2nd favorite was the BMW K 1300S, ultra fast & silky smooth with great ergonomics, it was the ideal long distance mile muncher & with looks to die for; last but not the least was the BMW 1200R, the maniacal boxer twin, tons of torque at low rpm & fantastic off road capabilities plus the characteristic boxer sway made this bike a hot favourite for the dirt & the rugged mountains.
We made short work of the highway on the way back home & came back to Delhi in record time of 6hrs with stoppages. Overall the trip went smoothly & every bike performed very well but the BMW’s were a class apart which became all the more apparent when 2 of our members picked up the K 1300S,red color,& the S1000R,blue & white, respectively within a month after coming back from the trip - a fitting testament to BMW.
Deutsche Motoren the importer for BMW Bikes & Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd was kind enough to give us some of their superbikes for their trip & in fact Deutsche Motoren BMW took care of all the expenses for the trip. On the morning of 30th March 2012 at 5.30am 22 GOD’S riders were flagged off from India Gate with 3 families following in 3 cars. It was sight & early morning joggers stopped dead in their tracks to see such an amazing collection of superbikes, from Ducatis to Suzukis to Kawasakis, we had it all. The route was pretty simple, Meerut bypass-Bijnor-Najibabad-Kotdwar-Lansdowne but being a single lane, we had to be very careful. The newly constructed Meerut bypass was a treat & we let it rip. We took our first halt after covering 80 kms & we moved along comfortably on the smooth roads. The BMW S100RR was the star performer here, it had phenomenal braking & its handling was simply outstanding. You thought about turning & it turned as if it was reading your mind, one of the best handling bikes in the world- that was the opinion of every rider who rode it. The BMW 1200 R was a different animal altogether, oodles of torque at low rpm coupled with great off roading capabilities made it a favourite with many riders plus the addiction of a boxer twin as a bonus.
The BMW K 1300 S was truly a locomotive, awesome pulling power with a silky smooth engine & very comfortable ergonomics, it was the most sought after bike on this trip.
The 2 Suzukis – the Bandit & the M800 Intruder, were also good fun, the Bandit being the more powerful out of the two, whereas the M800 had its own charm, loping around comfortably with no urgency.
Had a breakfast cum lunch stop near Najibabad at a dhaba which had some amazing green fields as its backdrop & within a jiffy we attacked the fields with the Ducati Multistrada & the BMW1200R, both being very fabulous dual purpose bikes which was immediately apparent. Clicked some lovely pics & moved on & finally reached Lansdowne by late afternoon entering the army’s cantonment area. Our jungle resort was 3kms further & we already knew the condition of the road but still we were very cautious as the rocks & leaves made it very slippery & finally we checked into the beautiful resort –The Jungle Resort, situated amongst the tall deodhar trees on one side of a mountain, this resort was picture perfect; 3 swimming pools, fabulous cottages, & our bikes parked right in front of us amongst the trees- pure heaven.
After checking in we immediately dozed off & woke up very fresh for a piping hot cup of tea & the mild evening chill just made us smile. The kids had a blast playing on the swings & dipping in the pool, for them also it was super exciting. We had a very relaxed first day & just ventured till the local market for some odd things & to savour the local bakery shop. Lansdowne was a very very small town with just the basic shops & that also confined within 100 meters. The night dinner was fantastic, totally a home cooked feel & the setting was simply outstanding. The night chill countered by the bonfire, with drinks n dinner with the bikes all around-what more could one ask for. We all said good night around 1am & retired to our rooms, tired mentally but not physically.
Next morning after breakfast we headed for some sightseeing around Lansdowne & it was great doing the hills on superbikes. We visited two beautiful churches, the St John’s Catholic Church & the St Mary’s church, & got actual nirvana in their inner sanctums. Next was the highest point of Lansdowne which had a splendid view of the distant snow covered peaks; clicked some great photographs there. The last place was the Garwhal Rifles regiment’s parade ground & their weapons museum which were amazing, the sheer neatness & maintenance gave a very good feel & that’s the best part about our defence services- a method in everything, wish the whole country would learn a thing or two from them. Reached back to the resort at tea time where we were joined by 4 of our riders who had started from Delhi on that morning but couldn’t start with us a day earlier due to work commitments. Some us were great cooks, which we knew we were waiting eagerly for their dishes & sure enough the guys had procured raw chicken in the afternoon for the grand 2nd night dinner & not surprisingly they had carried frozen kababs & special herbs from Delhi itself for the trip! What an amazing combo of passions- biking & cooking.
Had one of the most memorable evenings in our lives, lip smacking homemade kebabs & one of the best chicken curries ever made on a hill station or maybe on a sea level. Strobe lights were placed in the centre & the music was turned on loud, the bonfire crackled, the drinks got gulped like our bikes gulp fuel & the bikes looked their sexiest best in the glow of the bonfire. We were truly on some other planet. We danced the night away & many of us slept in the morning.
As expected everybody got up late the next morning & team Deutsche Motoren BMW which was with us, had beautifully decorated the area with their bikes posters & we had a good photography session with the bikes & no doubt they looked more stunning in the natural background. After the final breakfast & with a heavy heart we headed back for Delhi saying good bye to one of our favorite destinations- Lansdowne.
On the ride back everybody kept exchanging the bikes & the BMW S1000R came out on tops in terms of power, handling & braking. It was a unanimous opinion that it was the best handling bike in the world, its traction control & braking, by far being the best on any production bike till date. The 2nd favorite was the BMW K 1300S, ultra fast & silky smooth with great ergonomics, it was the ideal long distance mile muncher & with looks to die for; last but not the least was the BMW 1200R, the maniacal boxer twin, tons of torque at low rpm & fantastic off road capabilities plus the characteristic boxer sway made this bike a hot favourite for the dirt & the rugged mountains.
We made short work of the highway on the way back home & came back to Delhi in record time of 6hrs with stoppages. Overall the trip went smoothly & every bike performed very well but the BMW’s were a class apart which became all the more apparent when 2 of our members picked up the K 1300S,red color,& the S1000R,blue & white, respectively within a month after coming back from the trip - a fitting testament to BMW.
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