Felt like a protagonist of an ongoing movie, traveling through different landscapes non stop for 2 nights and 1 day(Hyderabad-Bangalore-Kanyakumari-Bangalore-Hyderabad)... The serene green lush of countryside,the stretches of Coconut trees,Misty Mountains along super smooth NH7 and a chain of gigantic Wind mills were treat to my eyes...
Touched Southern most tip of India(Kanyakumari) and came back in 36 hrs....
Successfully completed couple of the World toughest endurance rides- IBA(IBA - World's Toughest Motorcycle Riders) Saddlesore 1000(covered 1700+ kms in 24 hrs) and IBA Bun Burner 1500(covered 2400+ kms in 36 hours)....

Here's a photo log of my recent successful attempt of IBA Saddlesore 1000 and BunBurner 1500. Three months of planning and one failed attempt, were perfect ingredients for this successful recipe. The ride went as planned(more or less) with least hiccups. I would like to emphasize the importance of planning. There's no substitute to proper planning. For everything else you can safely assume that things were not in your control.

Here is the list of stuffs, which I did/carried for the ride.
1) Sorted Safe route with abundant Petrol bunks with E Receipts,
2) GPS , paper maps(just in case) and monster battery(5000 mAH) to keep me on track for entire route,
3) Planned the ride on full moon for clear visibility at night,
4) Monitored the weather in the route to avoid unnecessary delay due to fog and rain,
5) Spares(clutch lever, brake lever, gear lever, rear brake lever, acc. cable, clutch cable, bulbs), puncture repair kit, allen key set and tool kit,
6) Engine oil, Chain lube , Coolant, funnel and tools to change engine oil,
7) 2 litres of fuel,2 litres of water, getorade and glucose, snickers, mars, dry fruits, Red bulls,Cup noodles
8) First aid kit with medicines for all common issues,
9) 2 copies of Bike papers, RC, PUC and Insurance,
10) Torch,Extra Key kept safely,
11) Radium stickers on bike, jacket and helmet to enhance visibility on highways at night,
13) Face Wipes and lens cleaner for visor,
14) Lenses(I wear spectacles. Just in case my specs get damaged),
15) Proper servicing of bike (plus slime in tyres to avoid punctures),
Etc.

I zeroed in all the pit stops (Petrol bunks, U turn point) in my GPS device before the ride and strictly followed it throughout the ride. Because of the extra luggage, I had a tank bag and a bag on pillion seat(served as good back support for the ride).

Failed Attempt-
With all of the preparation, Me(Joeled R15) and my fellow rider Tanumoy(XBhp Id-AkaLogan on stock R15), attempted this on 10th Nov, 2011. However, due to engine warning light popping up(coolant temp. sensor going kaput) after initial 600 Kms in 8 hrs, I had to pull over and end the ride. It was disheartening, considering I did my homework pretty well but still some problem popped up. It was disheartening for my XBhp friends as well,who came to wish me for the ride.Hyderabad's Veteran Rider Captain M A Kaleem had supervised the ride and extremely talented rider Vinu Viswanathan(MadMax) mentored me with simplest of the details. We were flagged off by APTDC Director. The failure was completely unexpected but again completely out of our controls. I started planning my next attempt.



After, this failed attempt, I wanted to stick to bone stock bike. Once I got the bike, I changed the stock Coolant with Engine Ice coolant(to ensure the engine runs cooler and safer in the entire ride). Also, I ordered Monster battery to ensure GPS keeps me on the track. Got the bike serviced and waited for next full moon. Finally, things worked out as per plan and I started on 10th December, 2011. I was able to complete SS1000 without any hassle. However, I intended to take 2 hours of rest post Saddle Sore to rejuvenate myself for Bun burner.


Successful attempt -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Route Map

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My starting point- Hyderabad, Distance covered- 0 km

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First pit Stop- Anantapur, Distance Covered- 341 Kms


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My GPS hung in Bangalore and lost good 45 minutes figuring out way out of the city via Electronic City fly overs. No wonder, speed breakers (or launch pads, with length equal to that of a grown man... ) , pot holes and infinite diversions spoilt the mood and speed.
Second Pitstop- Krishnagiri, Distance Covered- 635 kms


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Third Pit stop- Dindigul ,Distance Covered- 944 kms


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I ve never been to Kanyakumari and the U Turn point was right in front of Vivekanandapuram Junction. Wish I had liberty to explore Kanyakumari.
Also, after tiring 15 hours of non stop ride, I had work on my bike for 30-40 minutes to change engine oil, lube the chain and top up coolant. Wish I had planned for some support here, I would ve been better off with 1 hour and some quality rest.

U Turn point- Kanyakumari, Distance Covered- 1241 kms


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Fifth PitStop - Dindigul, Distance Covered- 1533 kms


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Saddlesore 1000 completed at Salem, Distance covered - 1701 kms

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Seventh PitStop- Krishnagiri , Distance Covered- 1814 kms


Though I had just enough time to complete Bun Burner(600-700 Kms in 11 hours), I decided to pull over and take some rest for couple of hours. Since, I was riding alone, it was very important for me to stay sharp and stay focused. Also, the traffic situation from Krishnagiri to Bangalore at 8 PM was worse. I stayed in Krishnagiri till 11 PM and started again. Equation was 8 hours and 600-700 kms.
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I wasted around 20 minutes at this Pit stop. First, MG Brothers petrol bunk was open but no attendants were present. Couldn't trace anyone and I started looking for another bunk. Close by, another COCO bunk was available that gives printed receipt. But to my bad luck, the printed receipt had wrong timings. Since I already had wasted some quality time, I took whatever receipt was available and moved on. Equation - 3.5 hours more and 300-350 Kms to be covered.

Pen Ultimate PitStop- Anantapur, Distance Covered- 2131 Kms


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Finally, crossed the 1500 miles mark with 15 minutes remaining. Though, I wanted to cover another 50 miles to be on safe side but that wasn't possible. Pulled over for fuel in very next available Petrol Bunk with Electronic Receipt.

Final Stop- Hyderabad, Distance Covered- 2418 Kms


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Me, after 36 hours of non stop ride.



I am highly grateful to Kaleem Sir for inspiration, enthusiasm and his supervision. I have high regards for my mentor Vinu V. (Madmax) and I am extremely thankful to him for his complete support and help in preparation for this ride.
I really appreciate XBhp Hyd friends for the support they showed in the failed attempt and kept supporting me even after the failure.