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Pune to Hampi diaries: Live to ride and ride to eat….. :P
Life’s gotten busy, work….eat….sleep….(think of a ride)…..work….. and the cycle repeated in an unending loop, and the plans for a ride never seemed to work out amidst the various different Covid pandemic lockdowns.
Then some friends come to your rescue by letting you know their plans of getting a new bike and starting some rides across town. Sounds just great to step out of your daily routine and do what you love to, just ride on those two wheels.
Bang on fast forward, there you go, two friends have got their brand new RE BS VI Himalayans, and they eagerly doing their almost daily runs to Lonavala to complete their run-in periods of 1000kms. Not to mention they achieve it in couple of weeks and then start planning longer rides.
We also did a warm-up ride to Nagaon Beach a week prior to our so called ‘Iron butt’ ride to Hampi.
The preparations we did were no less than the ones riders do for maybe Ladakh, name it, SMK Helmets, Rynox jackets, Rynox riding pants, Decathlon inners/tights, Jockey thermals, gloves and balaclavas, luggage bags(Invictus)/top box(Shad SH42), tyres & tubes(Ceat) with puncture solutions(Tyre tube guard/Formula X), chain lubes(Motul), maddog aux lights(scout X), mobile holders(bobo) and the list never ended even until a day prior to our journey. The bikes were all loaded now just awaiting a long run.
D-day, the trip was all planned for 25-Dec to 28-Dec.
Route: Pune-Satara-Karad-Kolhapur-Belgaum-Dharwad-Hubli-Hospet-Hampi.
25-Dec: 4pm start from Pune and ride to Belgaum/Belagavi. (350kms)
26-Dec: 8am start from Belgaum/Belagavi and ride to Hospet. (250kms)
26-Dec, 27-Dec: Site seeing at Hampi.
28-Dec: 8am start from Hospet and ride to Pune. (602kms on odo done).
Ride started from Pune and we met post the Katraj tunnel, let the pictures describe.
https://www.xbhp.com/talkies/core/im...EAAAICRAEAOw==
Safety first, the riding gear does provide an added confidence in riding that far.
Our planned pit stop at Karad for dinner, Hotel Gandharv Palace.
https://www.xbhp.com/talkies/core/im...EAAAICRAEAOw==
We reached Belgaum around 11.30pm, there was less traffic throughout, just ok roads from Pune to Satara (patched up roads to dodge your way through), but amazing roads further from Karad to Belgaum. Karnataka roads with divider plantations and scenic views are just amazing to ride upon. 350kms done without any hiccups, just amazing comfort on the RE Himalayan cruising at constant 80-90kmph. Parked the bikes in the hotel parking and hit the beds snoring to glory.
26-Dec, an early breakfast and we were back loading our luggage onto the bikes, we started for Hampi again at 8am just to be welcomed by morning fog on the Belgaum Hubli road. Again amazing roads to ride upon.
Reached Hubli with a big smile on our faces, just to be welcomed by another jaw dropping superb roads and scenic views on the Hubli Hospet highway, just wow, never experienced such superbly laid roads earlier, that stretch of the road was just butter smooth and scenic.
We reached Hospet around 12.30 in the noon, checked in into the hotel and freshened up to get to lunch at Hotel Shanbagh Non-Veg. Donne biryani was ordered and gulped in no time
Then post some rest we headed to Hampi site seeing and taking pictures of the RE Himalayans.
Tungabhadra Dam
28-Dec: Ride back to Pune from Hospet.
Started from Hospet post good breakfast, the so called Tiffin meals.
Was great to be back on the amazing tarmac of Hospet-Hubli highway.
Headed towards Belgaum and another planned lunch pitstop at Niyaaz Belgaum for the biryani :P
Headed towards Kolhapur and took a coffee break at McD Kolhapur.
Another stop for tea somewhere ahead of Satara.
After having ridden on those amazing roads it was back to dodging the patched up roads on Satara-Pune stretch amidst traffic, and it got just so tiring.
With literally iron butts we made it to Pune and back to our homes around 10pm.
All we needed is some air cushion seats on the bikes for our future rides now. Coorg/Udaipur on our to-do list……..
Though the Himalayan was great, we did speak all through the journey about a bigger engine on it, a RE Himalayan 650 would have been awesome, a much awaited upgrade..........
Ride safe, wear helmets and safety gear, ride responsibly!!!!!!!!
Earlier ride Ratnagiri blog: https://www.xbhp.com/talkies/tourer/...deandridetoeat
Life’s gotten busy, work….eat….sleep….(think of a ride)…..work….. and the cycle repeated in an unending loop, and the plans for a ride never seemed to work out amidst the various different Covid pandemic lockdowns.
Then some friends come to your rescue by letting you know their plans of getting a new bike and starting some rides across town. Sounds just great to step out of your daily routine and do what you love to, just ride on those two wheels.
Bang on fast forward, there you go, two friends have got their brand new RE BS VI Himalayans, and they eagerly doing their almost daily runs to Lonavala to complete their run-in periods of 1000kms. Not to mention they achieve it in couple of weeks and then start planning longer rides.
We also did a warm-up ride to Nagaon Beach a week prior to our so called ‘Iron butt’ ride to Hampi.
The preparations we did were no less than the ones riders do for maybe Ladakh, name it, SMK Helmets, Rynox jackets, Rynox riding pants, Decathlon inners/tights, Jockey thermals, gloves and balaclavas, luggage bags(Invictus)/top box(Shad SH42), tyres & tubes(Ceat) with puncture solutions(Tyre tube guard/Formula X), chain lubes(Motul), maddog aux lights(scout X), mobile holders(bobo) and the list never ended even until a day prior to our journey. The bikes were all loaded now just awaiting a long run.
D-day, the trip was all planned for 25-Dec to 28-Dec.
Route: Pune-Satara-Karad-Kolhapur-Belgaum-Dharwad-Hubli-Hospet-Hampi.
25-Dec: 4pm start from Pune and ride to Belgaum/Belagavi. (350kms)
26-Dec: 8am start from Belgaum/Belagavi and ride to Hospet. (250kms)
26-Dec, 27-Dec: Site seeing at Hampi.
28-Dec: 8am start from Hospet and ride to Pune. (602kms on odo done).
Ride started from Pune and we met post the Katraj tunnel, let the pictures describe.
Safety first, the riding gear does provide an added confidence in riding that far.
Our planned pit stop at Karad for dinner, Hotel Gandharv Palace.
We reached Belgaum around 11.30pm, there was less traffic throughout, just ok roads from Pune to Satara (patched up roads to dodge your way through), but amazing roads further from Karad to Belgaum. Karnataka roads with divider plantations and scenic views are just amazing to ride upon. 350kms done without any hiccups, just amazing comfort on the RE Himalayan cruising at constant 80-90kmph. Parked the bikes in the hotel parking and hit the beds snoring to glory.
26-Dec, an early breakfast and we were back loading our luggage onto the bikes, we started for Hampi again at 8am just to be welcomed by morning fog on the Belgaum Hubli road. Again amazing roads to ride upon.
Reached Hubli with a big smile on our faces, just to be welcomed by another jaw dropping superb roads and scenic views on the Hubli Hospet highway, just wow, never experienced such superbly laid roads earlier, that stretch of the road was just butter smooth and scenic.
We reached Hospet around 12.30 in the noon, checked in into the hotel and freshened up to get to lunch at Hotel Shanbagh Non-Veg. Donne biryani was ordered and gulped in no time
Then post some rest we headed to Hampi site seeing and taking pictures of the RE Himalayans.
Tungabhadra Dam
28-Dec: Ride back to Pune from Hospet.
Started from Hospet post good breakfast, the so called Tiffin meals.
Was great to be back on the amazing tarmac of Hospet-Hubli highway.
Headed towards Belgaum and another planned lunch pitstop at Niyaaz Belgaum for the biryani :P
Headed towards Kolhapur and took a coffee break at McD Kolhapur.
Another stop for tea somewhere ahead of Satara.
After having ridden on those amazing roads it was back to dodging the patched up roads on Satara-Pune stretch amidst traffic, and it got just so tiring.
With literally iron butts we made it to Pune and back to our homes around 10pm.
All we needed is some air cushion seats on the bikes for our future rides now. Coorg/Udaipur on our to-do list……..
Though the Himalayan was great, we did speak all through the journey about a bigger engine on it, a RE Himalayan 650 would have been awesome, a much awaited upgrade..........
Ride safe, wear helmets and safety gear, ride responsibly!!!!!!!!
Earlier ride Ratnagiri blog: https://www.xbhp.com/talkies/tourer/...deandridetoeat
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