Ever since landing upon my first job after college, a few months ago, I’ve been dreaming on getting Leh'd. I started rummaging through all of XBHp ,( I have to confess I have been more of a leecher on the forums, and always benefitted and seldom contributed anything), trying to get every single detail on making my dream into a reality. I already had my best friend Nicky lined up to tag along on the trip. And through my leeching adventures on Xbhp, I happened to find this awesome guy called Ankit Mishra who was very well aligned to my thoughts. After some initial contacts on the internet I just decided to go and meet ANKIT who was at a distance of some 20 km from my place. I went one day evening, we had coffee and biking gossips and blah blah blah and yes much talk about our Leh trip. Ankit was the kind of guy who had in mind exactly what he was gonna do, how he was gonna do and stuff unlike me who never ever planned a thing in my life (ironically, I work for the product planning dept of my company :P). What actually happened after meeting ANKIT was that everything started falling into place. Getting Leh'd was getting serious. We finalized we will be starting off as soon as one week after the road to Leh via Srinagar opens up. But me and Nicky had one big PROBLEM :P Our bikes were still back in Kerala :P....And with the 20 day Leh trip that was being planned, I had no way to get more leave approved to start all the way from Kerala.
So we started brainstorming on what can be done to get the bikes to Mumbai.... train? ehmmm I have no idea how good they'll handle our babies......bus??? again no idea....That’s exactly when Ankit called me up and told me he was embarking on a solo Mumbai to Delhi and Back trip on his duke. Well, what more inspiration do you need? Called up Boss and raised request for a week's leave, to which he agreed, even though it would mean increased workload on the team! So after a week, I flew to my native place in Kerala uhmm well, Cannannore exactly. Now was the Next big hassle!!! MOM!!!!. I used to do a lot of 300km sprints as my college was in Cochin, 300 km away from my hometown. But not even once did mom allow me to ride all the way and always it was a lie of sending the bike by train. [I just hate this process of lying to MOM …really!!]. So called up dad and he was also taken aback when he came to know of my intentions in going home. But in the end he devised up this idea of telling mom that i'll be going by a bus with the bike in its boot. Well, so I just enjoyed at home for some three days


The trip was planned to start on Friday morning - hit GOA by evening - roam about in Goa on Saturday - hit Mumbai the next day. [Experienced tourers will definitely be laughing at my awesome planing]


The bike had been given for a full service as I didn't want any issues to pop up on the way. Took delivery of the bike on Thursday and saw that the chain was not adjusted thanks to the awesome yamaha Service centre in kannur. Took it back, passed on some sarcastic comments to the service guy and asked him to correct it. In 15 minutes I was handed the bike back. I don’t know why but I didn’t bother to check, maybe because of the trust in Yamaha service that was lying in my subconscious partly due to the good service I used to get at Cochin service centre PSN Yamaha. I reached home and took little time to figure out that the chain was still as it was and that the front brake pads were almost like it was not there. F**K!!!!! Went straight to the shitty kannur service centre....yelled at them and they took the bike in. Got the bike in the evening and I went so far as to check the oil too :P

On Thursday Nicky calls up n says we'll start journey at Friday afternoon as he had some commitments at home.... Duh!!! How the hell am I gonna convince mom that my bus starts 6 hours late :P:P. I played with words and somehow successfully patched up the analogy. Just then, a wave of doubt passed on her again and she started to cry Oh lord....Once again restarted the process and convinced her I won’t be riding at all.

As per plan, packed everything and got on the bike....started it....left the clutch....Snap!!!! Oh here comes the clutch cable :@:@:@ Arggghhhh!! Then what is it that these guys call a service? Water service? duh!! Took the car...went to the SS....service closed!! GOOD Friday !!! Called up the guy....(he was aware I was to go on a trip ). Luckily, he got me a spare clutch cable which obviously, I had to change myself. Went home took up all the tools, got my hand dirty and managed to do it in about half an hour. After all the hassles were completed, bid mom bye and set about to Nicky’s home.

As planned, reached at Nicky's Place at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. There was no sign of the pecky bugger:@. rang him up.....well, as usual quite a few times, before the reply came in as a text message!! "We've got an issue. I'll come and tell you".........well, typical of Nicky.....i knew he was dropping out ...oh god why couldn’t this happen before I put up a full truck load of lies to my dear mom
He came racing in a few minutes and said he had some urgent things happening at home and his family can’t afford his absence so we had to postpone the trip two days. I was caught up in a real fix I wanted to ride along with him even if it meant a two day delay but getting a two day leave extension would screw up my leave plans for Leh! After some Silence I just Blurted out: "I'm gonna go alone !!!" Nicky started getting worried and started asking me not to go alone and stuff but I told him there was no other option, I had to do this. So I put on all my gear, and left his house to take on whatever that came my way! This was my first 300+ km ride and I was alone but I was confident enough. Thoughts started piling up as to what all has happened to prevent me from going :O......did GOD want me not to go? ehhmmmm errrrr uhmmmm......no way.....didn't he just clear up all issues with my bike just before I started off? That must a Strong Go from his part right? Hell yeah!!

Well, so off I went into uncharted waters. It was already 3 o clock and I had already cancelled any hopes on Goa. My next logical destination was the city of Mangalore, about 200 km from my place. Had to encounter some traffic for the initial 10-15 km but after then it was cool. Even though I always crib about Indian politics, the good roads that I started to encounter made me feel good about every single one of them :P. The roads were awesome and I was enjoying the beautiful greenery of my state all way long.


Crossing long bridges over rivers somehow made me proud about the beauty of my country. I knew I had plenty of time so I was all the time riding so very leisurely. At about 6 o clock I reached Mangalore border and all of a sudden roads started turning shitty.......well, will all of Karnataka be like this? I'm doomed if it is . My whole point here is that the roads in and around Mangalore was kinda very bad. Reached Mangalore city by 6.30. I had a few of my school friends out there. Just as I setup my foot in Mangalore, called up Niel Conrad Mendonza [uhm well, you read it right ]. His college was about 26 km from the city but fortunately, he was roaming about in Mangalore city. He came racing down in about 15 minutes along with a swift load of friends, out of which one was a common friend. He had just dropped off the bikes, for transport at railway station, of India's best stunting team - the GRZ, who have been stunting as part of his college fest----More n more adrenaline: D. Well, have to mention he had just completed a 600km dash on the swift ---more inspiration . Niel had 5 classy hotel rooms that had been booked for the GRZ, left with him so decided to crash there. Tagged along with them, went to their college and enjoyed the last remaining chaos that was going on as part of the tech fest. At night we had a booze party,
Niel's College on their techfest night

well, I din drink much as I had a journey to start in the morning. Thus had an awesome time with good old friends and just dozed off ......

Got up early in the morning, [well I call 6 o’clock very early ]. Woke up every wasted one for some goodbyes and left off vroooommm.....the roads were twisty enough for an exhilarating morning ride.........roads became less pathetic as I raced ahead off Mangalore. Was able to hit Udupi by breakfast time and decided to fill up myself there as a lot of hotels at my place which boasted to be Udupi hotels.....well, so what will OG eee udupi be :P .....
Stopped at a good looking restaurant and ordered some food but felt the udupi hotels at my place were a lot tastier than the ones at udupi (#ironic or maybe something wrong with my tongue ....Filled up air and fuel and set off again.......target Bhatkal.........
by now, the roads were awesome except for Work in progress sections which, in my opinion, one shouldn't complain considering you’re in a Democratic country. Maybe it’s the heat that I don’t remember much, except for some nice coastal roads on the way where I’ve clicked some pics too, till reaching Goa.



I took 6 hours to cover the 400kms and I was at GOA by 12 noon. I planned to stay in Goa and cover some beaches, as I’ve never been there, and continue the next day morning and reach Mumbai by night [Again my awesome planning skills]. So headed to panaji as I remembered it from elementary social science books.....

On the way, stopped for some sugarcane juice, as heat was unbearable even in Goa. All the time I’ve been calling up mom and updating her about my awesome Bus trip :P. After calling mom, decided to call up Ankit bhai just for a chat. Rang him up [Ankit Bhai-XBhp as in contacts ], [the poor guy was sleeping and I put an abrupt fullstop to it]. Had some chat about the trip and I told him I’d be riding till Mumbai tomorrow #trollface .. The advice was " mere bhai mumbai tak kal nahi kar payega " :O "Jaldi nikal aur Kolhapur tak aaja" He quickly fired up his Google Maps and gave me rough idea about the route plan and also mentioned the road was awesome from Belgaum onwards. I too, fired up my Sygic ....262 km.....okay , well and good...
……………GOA , not now, next time.....................

Left immediately, had to do a 15 km return and enter a new route to Belgaum. The roads were kinda OK at first and after some 50km, I was presented with kilometers of straight stretched roads with almost no living being to be seen.


It was like the road was passing sarcastic comments at me......#imagination [no weed for sure] "Pathetic buoy!!! this is the fastest you can manage??? real pathetic!!!!" Well, that's about the road .

Was able to really crunch miles on that road, all the time being able to do above a 100kmph. The roads had more in store more me as i entered a forest area with some real nice curvy roads.........

As they say, good things don’t last long

For a while it was all too good and then and duh!! the road was laid with potholes again. Still tried and pushed on keeping an average speed of 60 to70. By the time I entered out of the forest into better roads my ankles, neck and back were pretty much disassembled. Stopped in the middle of nowhere and took a ten minute rest to get enough tolerance to move forward. Started afresh and somehow crunched the remaining 30 km to Belgaum and stopped at a small coffee shop. Rested for some 20 minutes as per Ankit's direction and I was as good as new but I was still skeptical about the remaining odd 150 km that lie ahead till Kolhapur. Anyway set about on my mission Kolhapur. But within 15 km I was greeted with the most beautiful sight I could’ve seen at that time----A flawlessly constructed 4lane expressway !!!



My joy knew no bounds. I stopped and confirmed it stretched till pune could be no more happier I went on to it and started my Heavenly cruise on the highway.....If there was a heaven for bikers,(well, speaking of only what I’ve seen till now) it was this this and this . The road was sooo good that I was having the best touring experience in my life. The sun was slowly falling down....the landscape was awesome....everything was heavenly.......by the time I reached Kolhapur, my spirits were so elevated that I called up Ankit and asked his permission to move ahead to pune.


It was already nightfall, and he politely refused and asked me to stay at Kolhapur....I too felt I was being overconfident as my helmet visor was not suitable for night vision. Searched for a hotel and crashed straight onto the bed!!! On the way I had called up some friends in pune and told them i'll be there with them at night :P so called them up and told them i'll be able to make it only in the morning. After calling mom, dad and my better half I dozzedddd offffffuuuphh......

Usually I miss the alarm or thrash the phone every single time....but not today oh buoy !! not with this wonderful road ahead.......so got up at 5.30 got fresh put on all kits and hit the road by 6 am. As informed by ankit it was chillingly cold in the morning even with the jackets on. Yesterdays's heavenly ride just repeated itself today. But today I was in no hurry and started really enjoying the beautiful landscape, the twisting marvellous roads and the sheer pleasure of enjoying good infrastructure.
Had breakfast from a highway hotel and continued on......


Ankit mentioned that the riding while the sun just comes is an extraordinarily exhilarating experience and on hell of an experience it definitely was….The morning around Mahabaleswar deviation was also unforgettable…

Reached pune at around 11 am and went to my friend Sharath's house.

Was greeted by him and his mom. I coudn't escape without receiving full hospitality including food and a pressure to stay back. At about 12.30 I left from there making excuses about some classes and started on my journey to mumbai, only to find that bikes weren’t allowed on the high speed expressway . Chalo its okay, had my fair share of fun till now anyway, so I moved on to the old mumbai highway and started cruising on.

The heat waves were too strong that I could feel it on me. Reached lonavla area but still there was no sign of the temperature going down. After exiting from lonavla I absolutely donno how but I found myself on the expressway :P. I couldn't find a way out even......it was kinda weird that I was the only biker on that road.....continued on and on and on until I reached a toll way from where they 'politely' showed me the way out :P......
Something else happened on my way ahead....I was riding at moderate speeds when I saw a puppy crossing the road. I just pulled up the brakes as I saw it before hand but somehow even before my bike reached near it, it collapsed on the road . Pulled my bike over and I went to inspect and I found that it was the heat and the puppy was too exhausted that it couldn’t get up by itself. I just moved it to the side of the road, collected my water bottle and fed it some water. In 5 mins it was able to get up by itself. Found a small bowl like stuff nearby, filled it up with water, wetted the pup a little and left it to face life on its own.......

By the way this one's mine back at home..........

.......Left from there, with a kind of satisfaction any dog lover would cherish: D.

Till panvel it was a not so busy kinda road but after that the regular bombay traffic started and it was hell. At that point of time it was like I just wanted to reach home ASAP. After about an hour I reached my house at Marol, Andheri to see dad waiting for me below the flat. Was kind of too happy to see him....parked the bike gave mom and friends a call and went on to eat some nice stuff that dad had kept ready......:


Thats all about an epic period in my riding life.....my first true long drive.....it was a wonderful experience indeed.....thanks to everyone....especially, dad- for all the ever flowing support and love, boss -for the leave , Ankit Mishra- for all the guidance and care, Nicky - donno y duh!!, Neil and friends - for that awesome party , Sharath - again for being the care, someone special for everything and all others whom I missed out....thanks


Grand Tourer nd touring Wikipedia- Ankit Mishra














Mr Epic Troll - Nicky :P

The next ride is what I’m really looking forward to------GETTING LEH'D------Hell yeah!!!! Hope to put up a LEH travelogue soon hena….Ankit
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