I just read the 1st post of yours. You never really fail to amaze me, bro! 135 LS was never produced with aim to do undertake such journey's but you have just blasted a big hole in it. It's the Biker, not the bike - The statement stands true wrt you. Happy & congrats for your maiden journey to the land of dreams. Will read the rest of the log.

7500kms????

Man ur's seems to be the longest leh ride......wow..congrats.......

Thank you so much guys !

abe zandu balm aage badhega ya nahi

btw... our log is also up. See the link in signature

hahah thats what I was just going to do..Internet connection was down..but here you go..

Day 1 & 2 - Mumbai-Indore-Ranthambhor

Day 1 Mumbai-Indore

Clock striking 12 sound effect - YouTube

12:00midnight and the clock strikes..oh wait a minute I got a digital one...but nevermind..
10th June 2012 so the day finally arrives and I'm still wide awake when I should be sleeping. But thats what happens before every ride and this one wasnt much different.

I had packed everything and was all set to leave within a few hours. But sleep was important before setting out which unfortunately I just was not able to get! After a few phonecalls to friends and things I shouldnt have been doing. I went to sleep may be at around 3:15am and 4am my alarm clock( who is so jealous of the relationship I have with my bed) went on. For the 1st time ever I didnt mind and didnt even hit the snooze button.

The first thing I did,no not brush my teeth, but called Tushar dada. I always had the fear of him not turning up for the ride as he had done for a few last ones! Namingly,Our trip to Korlaigad -Pictures here - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...3803381&type=3

and The ride to Rann of Kutch - Travelogue here- http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/tourer/2...h-calling.html

and Pictures here - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...3803381&type=3







Before that too he had ditched us and we were quite used to it !

The phone kept ringing and Tower dada didnt answer ! :@ Automatically out of fear I had to rush to the loo! I called up Nilesh who immediately answered and sounded as fresh as a daisy (and why not -had slept for more than 8hours!) Nilesh also had tried calling Tower dada but to no avail. He tells me he knew that Tower dada was already at a friends place celebrating "Pre-ride party" ! Nilesh tells me to get ready meanwhile he would make a few calls to his other friends. But surprisingly after 5-10mins I get a call from Tower dada himself who also sounds as fresh as a daisy and tells me he was having a bath!

4:30am Sunil calls saying he is ready and would come under my building in a few minutes. Avinash also calls confirming Vivek was also coming and would meet us enroute.

My mom and dad both also wake up and come down to bade me good-bye. My mom told me that my dad wanted to come to eternity(our 1st meeting point) to meet all of us but thought that I would feel shy! I tell my dad that I knew I wasnt in school but I really wouldnt feel shy!

I sneak a pillow from the sofa put it in a plastic bag and go down in the car parking with the saddlebags before my parents come down with my helmet and other stuff. Sunil was already waiting down. Arrange all the bags on the bike,a small 'pooja' and we leave with mom-dad's blessings.





We meet Avinash and Vivek on the highway. Vivek who was just back from trip to shirdi and still comes just to meet us! Thanks man!

We reach eternity only to see a horde of bikers already there. All of it was a good suprise for me and made me feel really good!







Saurabh,Abhilabh,Mandar,George uncle,Kishore,Miitra,Puneet,Viraj,Veeral,Joel,Abha y,Husain,Joyprince,Sunil,Mayur,Avinash and Vivek, thank you so much for coming!

Tushar dada and Nilesh also arrive on time. I borrow a few memory cards keep them safe in my tank bag and get ready leave.



Avinash takes all these pics while Viraj comes up to us and says "Kuch acha karne se pehle kuch meetha ho jaye!"















6:15-6:30am We leave thane and I tank up again on the out-skirts somewhere ahead of Kalwa where I also reset my trip-meter to zero. Odometer reading - 21100

No rains,cool climate and we head towards Kasara-Igatpuri-Nashik. Tushar dada leads the way not doing more than 90kmph (sensible but boring on a straight wide open stretch with no traffic--especially to others who were out for a sunday morning ride) I ask a few to go ahead but all of them still prefer to ride in the disciplined formation together. Something I have always liked and appreciated about Mumbai xbhpians !

7:30-8:00am 21186 Trip 86kms We wait at a dhaba just before Kasara and have our breakfast--some bhajiyas,vadapav(the last vadapav I had after which I didnt even get a glimpse of it for 25days) and hot tea ! From here we three were on our own and some chose to ride further and some ride back.

We all had done Mumbai-Nashik Highway indefinite number of times and there was nothing new for us to click to visit so we kept riding towards Dhule. I was tailing and I saw something hanging from Shinde's bike. It couldnt be Shinde's shoe-laces as it was shiny,bungee cords ? Nah ! I came closer only to be shocked and overtook both of them asking them to pull over !



10:20am 21286 Trip just 200kms and we face our 1st challenge! But the kind of jugaadu people that we are...we move ahead after doing this..



Get that fixed from a local mechaninc a few kms ahead and keep riding till noon.

11:55am 21401 Trip 300kms Take a fuel stop at dhule.

I enter the petrol pump only to notice a pretty girl in a white SX4 looking at me and smiling at me. I smile back and try to get off the bike in style (forgetting a pillow was there under me and saddlebags behind my back) My leg gets stuck in the saddlebags,bike still goes on leaning onto one side and I go down with the bike (in ultra slow-motion!) I lay on the ground for a while laughing loudly at myself while the petrol-pump attendants worrying and wondering what happened !

So I start off with the first fall of the ride! I get up,pick up the bike,put it on stand and refuel-200bucks and the tank full again! Oh also to mention that I dont remove the helmet still giggling in embarassment till the white sx4 leaves!

It was afternoon,the sun was right above our head and it had got even more hot. We see khatiyas placed under the shade of a tree at the pump. I remove all the riding gear and jump onto the khatiya with my pillow. A short nap was necessary especially after having a sleepless night ! Some facebook status updates and pic uploads. The 'short' nap extended upto 1:15pm and then we move ahead.







My chaddi-buddy friend Arun who had shifted to Bhopal got to know that I was heading to Indore and told me he would come to Indore just to meet me. I appreciated that gesture but told him that it wasnt sensible for him to come all the way after all we didnt know when we would reach Indore. We had a concall with another friend of ours Neha who stays at Indore. She had a good laugh when she heard that I was leaving from Mumbai on my bike in the morning and planning to reach Indore by evening. She told me to give me a call after 2days when I reached there !

After the so called 'short' nap and remembering what Neha said we were totally determined that we were going to reach Indore by evening whatever might happen. We seriously thought of covering a good distance as we had been taking all our lovely time everywhere. We kept riding on the ever straight pothole free roads at good but safe speeds for a hour and just waited to drink some water at a village at around 2:15pm. The CBR had started making some squeaking noise from the front,even I rode it to check what it was but just couldnt figure out what it was. It wasnt creating any problem but it was irritating tower dada a lot. No matter what the looks of the CBR were enough to gather all the kids of the village while we were drinking bottles and bottles of water in that heat!

Pic (will be uploaded when tower dada gives it to me )

I dont even realize whether we have or have not crossed Maharashtra border when the climate gets dull and it starts drizzling. We dont stop thinking its just a patch and continue riding. It actually gets sunny again and even more hot ! :/

3:40pm 21540 Trip 440kms We waited at a small chai tapri. I didnt even feel like having tea in that heat. But within minutes the climate changed and it started raining heavily. By the time we could wear our raincoats we were half drenched. I had to drink tea..2!





The rains stopped again but the roads were wet which meant we had to ride slowly and carefully. The cars and trucks still drove mercilessly and this happened for quite sometime atleast till the roads became dry again.

5pm 21591 Trip 491kms We reach this bridge over the Narmada river.













6pm 21635 Trip 535kms We tank up again. Tank full again in 200rs. We reach the outer ring road where Tushar's friend had told he would meet him and make arrangements. Tushar calls him up and he says he would be there in sometime. I have a mild headache by this time. Probably because we hadnt had lunch or even some light snacks. I search for something to eat in the meanwhile not being able to find even a parle-G anywhere !

From the other side of the road I see a tri-colour CBR coming with a handsome dude with glares obviously without a helmet. He comes and greets Tushar dada not even saying a 'hi' to Nilesh. I cross the road come and stand next to him thinking of starting a conversation but he continues talking with Tushar dada. Probably he hated me and I love people who hate me. My headache wasnt the only one irritating me now! After a while Tushar dada realizes and introduces us to him. Digvijay Singh says he would have made arrangements for us but he had some guests coming over to his place. I hint Tushar dada that lets just stay in some hotel and not trouble anyone.

Digvijay "oh toh pakka aap hotel mein rahoge..matlab hamein market mein jaana padega..bas 2min mere ghar ke niche rukiye main change karke aata hun" I look at Nilesh with amusement only to see Nilesh looking at me with his eyes popping out and giggling.

Ok enough I cant pull his leg even more. Afterall he was the one who helped us a lot later on. No offence Digvijay!

He took us within the city which im really sorry if I offend anyone but was the most pathetic,disorganised,dirty place I had ever been to. The people were careless too. Forget helmets for bikers,no one cared for anyone on the road. My headache became even more severe as I tried saving myself from the ones who were trying to kill me. We try searching for decent hotels which all turn out to be like the "dessant" hotels shown in the film 'jab we met'. If I somehow survived the mad riding in the city,my headache thinks of killing me. We just take up a room in a hotel,whose name I dont even remember,on the 3rd floor for about 600rs. "No A/C sir only cooler."

The cooler was a rectangular box with a big fan at the centre and water pouring over it. Tushar dada smiles at me and says "Welcome to Madhya Pradesh...its always like this here" He had been there several times before and tells me that lets just have food and go to sleep.I quickly take a bath and then we go down in a restaurant to have dinner.I gulp down something,I guess bhurji while Tushar dada and Nilesh have their medicine. The bhurji makes me feel good and I order for Dal-khichdi. It didnt take me few minutes to gulp down the khichdi as well. We return to the hotel after dinner and ask at the reception if our bikes would be safe there and after being assured go back to our room.





After this all I can remember is I slept like a dead man.

Day 2 Indore-Ranthambhor

5:30am We wake up get ready,take our luggage and come down.

6:00am !!





Someone had dropped the CBR(I guess purposely). I myself get so pissed(dont know how tushar might have felt) but still dont say a word to the Hotelier as I had decided I wouldnt be fighting with anyone ever on this trip.

We straightened the number plate on our own,wipe the bike and check the coolant level. The coolant had leaked and the level was quite low. I go in search of a mechanic or spare parts shop despite knowing all shops would open only after 9am. No luck,dont find anyone. In the mean while Tushar dada had called up Digvijay and got to know that he had a coolant bottle with him and was ready to come all the way to the hotel. He stayed quite far from the hotel but got up so early in the morning and travelled all that distance just to help someone in need. I really appreciate the effort Digvijay ! Thank you so much!

We fill coolant upto the required level and then think of filling our stomachs. Poha,chai and jalebi ! Digvijay accompanies us till the outer limits of the city. We thank him and bade him goodbye. Digvijay you rock,especially with the glares on! But please do wear a helmet ! Thank you!



7:10am We leave the hotel and keep riding the straight smooth roads again witnessing idiots still all over,someone dropped his tractor into the neighbouring field,someone's tractor dropped him into the neighbouring field and all kinds of stupid but not so serious kind of stuff.

8:00am SNAP ! Shinde's bungee cord breaks. We Stop, fix it move ahead thinking its going to be a long long day which has already had a bad start.



8:30am 21732 Trip 632kms Wait at a petrol pump and tank up. This time 750rs of petrol !

9am 21745 Trip 645kms We wait at a mechanic on the way and get the CBR's puncture removed. I drain the engine oil from my bike and put in new oil. Im glad,bike gets new oil which means I would be tension-free for atleast 2000kms now and also had shed some of the weight off the bags as one can of the three cans of spare engine oil was over! But the sight of the CBR getting screwed was sad. The mechanic wasnt sure of how to fix a tubeless puncture and was actually screwing the tyre. We somehow fix it and move ahead.



11:30am The butt hurts and we take a break,small nap under the tree. Some photos,FB status updates,calls,msgs and again keep riding.











12:30pm 21866 Trip 765kms The heat was irritating and wait at a village named Susner for water. Have some delicious Kachori and chilled Lassi.



1:20pm 21910 Trip810kms Leaving MP and entering Rajasthan.





You guys must have noticed I was writing down the time and kms everywhere. No big robotic scientific reason behind this! What else could I do ? I had nothing else to do apart from just riding,nothing interesting to click!





Now the patch of road heading towards Kota turns out to be hell.Rim-bending potholes. I almost bent my rims quite a few times.Felt bad for the bike.It starts drizzling here.



Further we observed the villages alongside the road. Each house was constructed by piling flat stones(Tushar dada says marble) one over the other and roofs of dry twigs and branches.

Most of them were coloured blue. This place is called Suket.







3:25pm 21984 trip 884kms We take a break at Dara village where we see this Railway bridge.













A little further this is "Abli Mini ka Mahal" whose huge doors were closed.:/ Still reminds us of being in Rajasthan.







4:15pm Rains ! It starts pouring cats and dogs ! We wait at a petrol pump thinking the rains will stop. But they dont seem to so wear our raincoats and decide to move. As we leave the pump it stops raining ! %@^#&@*@(%& happens all the time ! :/

5pm 22027 Trip927kms We reach Kota. The group of policemen see us,come upto us and ask where we are heading to. We tell them Ranthambore not mentioning anything else about the trip.They give us few more tips about places to visit there when we tell them about our actual plan. Being amazed and giving us looks of "you guys are nuts!" they wish us good luck saying "ghumo ghumo abhi hi toh time hai ghumneka"







We finish Chai,farsan and probably whatever was available at the kid's shop and leave by 5:30pm.City traffic riding with major diversions, again irritating!

6:30pm 22058 Trip958kms Kota Road Tank up 250rs of petrol. The roads open up.













It gets dark,we keep riding until we reach this railway crossing.



Sorry I missed that train badly!


9-9:15pm We reach Sawai Madhopur station and try finding a hotel next to it. All "dessant" type of hotels again.Hotel Asha - bargain a room to 350rs but still arent sure about the parking.

Ask Nilesh to wait there and I and Tushar dada go towards Ranthambore to find a better hotel.

Hotel Ganesha -0091-07462,220230,224124 Amit Bansal-9413921059
A.C.(Air-cooled)Room 700rs/day=1400rs for 2days + 1400rs for food and drinks

Expensive but with a palace feel to it with parking right in front of our room. Check in,go back to collect our bikes and Nilesh. Order for some egg curry and rice at the hotel itself and go in search of tushar dada's medicine again

All the shops and restaurants had closed with darkness everywhere. This was the only poster dimly lit up kept me wondering about the place



I still didnt judge anything !

Had dinner while doing bakar,watching tv and discussing about what all to be done the next day.



We got to know that tickets need to be booked early in the morning for the 1st safari which starts at 6:30am. The next one is directly in the afternoon at 3pm. We assure ourselves to get up early in the morning irrespective of whatever time we get up while giggling to ourselves.

Coming up - Day3 Ranthambhor Fort and Wildlife Safari Part1

massst... Tower dada, lavkar fotos dya ki aata rao

Nice to see parents coming to see off their son...Tushar please update the pics... this trips seems to get more & more interesting

Waah Ninad log is wonderful... I am glued....

Btw hope till last tu tya (Sx4) mulila tujha chehra dakhvla nahis ?

Waiting for ur Log....

thank you !

Dakhavla..beshram sarkha haslo pan

Hahahahaha......Amazing log so far...loved the pics...keep going mate...glued to this log now..

Good Ride Logs & pics....

Gathered at Eternity, Cool ... Where do u stay ?

Abusing that idiot who dropped beautiful CBR..

Waiting for more ...

Thanks arun! Its people like you who will keep on inspiring to complete me the log !

Thanks! I stay at Vikhroli..see you soon at some Mumbai g2g

Day3 Ranthambhor Fort and Wildlife Safari Part1









We still get up at 6am and rush to get the bookings done. 6:30am we see the counter deserted and think that we are the 1st ones to arrive! Get to know we are actually the last and the booking starts well before 5am and the 1st safari had already started at 6:30am We try convincing a few gypsy owners to take us there but we get to know they are the reserved ones just in case of an emergency or breakdown of other gypsies/canters. The guy at the counter assures us that we would be able to get tickets for the 3pm safari but we had to be there at around 2pm. He wasnt ready to give us tickets then and there and said nothing before 2pm. Agents charge a lum-sum amount but Govt rates per head are 335rs for the petrol canter,435rsfor the diesel canter and 535rs for the gypsy.We learn that most of the tickets get booked by the hotels and there is no chance of getting a ticket at the counter. We leave from there dejected but see a board while returning mentioning booking of gypsies and canters.We meet this gentleman Faim Khan who assures us he will do the booking for us.





Some people suggest us to go to the Ranthambhor fort till then which was right into the jungle but private vehicles were allowed till that point.We again have Poha,chai and biscuits,stock up some water bottles and head to the Ranthambhor fort.





Whenever I saw water I felt like getting into it and having a swim.



But it was a waterfront in the middle of a jungle and didnt want to take a chance. (Which was probably a good decision!)



Only a small board mentioned here "Saavdhan paani mein magarmach hai"









My wish of bird-watching (not the one we do back in cities) actually was fulfilled here!

The Black-rumped Flameback or what we call the Wood-pecker.


The Rufus Tree-pie


All these names ive learnt from my friend Siddharth.

Towards the fort.


This was a pretty common sight later on.


Panoramic view of the jungle from the fort


The entrance of the fort


The romantic pose without our female model at the entrance of the fort came out to be something like that!


















Wikipedia says Ranthambore Fort (Hindi:रणथम्भोर) is a formidable fort and has been a focal point of historical developments of Rajasthan. It is situated near Sawai Madhopur town in Rajasthan. This fort is known for the glory and valor of brave Hammir dev of Chauhan dynasty.





Inside Ranthambore fort there are three Hindu temples dedicated to Ganesh, Shiva and Ramlalaji constructed in 12th and 13th centuries from red Karauli stone. There is also a Jain temple of Lord Sumatinath (5th Jain Tirthankar) and Lord Sambhavanath.









Salute these men who still carry stones up to the top all by themselves!





Took this last pic at the fort and came back down.






Day3 Ranthambhor Fort and Wildlife Safari Part2 Comin up....

Lavkar yeu de aata