re: My Motorcycle Diaries

Wow, Ravi Sir ! You are back, and what a way to be - Dalhousie !! Can't wait to live the trip. Please don't delay.

re: My Motorcycle Diaries

Thanks for the appreciation, dichkaun.

Thank you so much for the compliments, Ritabroto.

Yeah, coming up. Thanks a lot, amods.

Ride Across India: Hussainiwala Border

After reaching Dalhousie at 1 am on 10 Sep 2016 [Saturday], I took complete rest and didn't visit any places nearby as I had visited them twice a coupla year ago. In the evening, I came down, visited the parking lot at the nearby Dalhousie Club, where my Thunderbird 500 was parked, checked its health and found to be okay. Then, walked to the bus stand in front and enquired with a driver of a HPRTC bus about the running of Killar-Chamba bus service. He replied in negative and informed me that due to bad road conditions, the bus service was stopped since a few days. Only some two-wheelers, LMV and LCV were going on that road. That was the first negative news I received. My tiredness and fatigue did not go away even after a day's complete rest. So, I asked at the hotel reception, whether I could extend my stay by one more day for Sunday. But, I was told that due to weekend rush, they were full. The Kashmir situation also did not improve. With all the negatives surrounding me, I decided to play safe by cancelling any further ride beyond Dalhousie. So, Sach Pass, Cliffhanger Road, Srinagar and Leh were cancelled.



After sumptuous and delicious buffet breakfast on 11 Sep 2016 [Sunday], I left Dalhousie at 10:45 am to Jaipur via Hussainiwala Border near Ferozepur, PB. The ghat road was bad and rough until I reached Pathankot, after which, it was an excellent 4-lane NH upto Amritsar bypass, then onwards, good 2-lane NH with heavy traffic with works in progress on many stretches until I reached Ferozepur.





The heat was unbearable after Pathankot. My lunch comprised 2 glasses of sweet lassi only! When I reached Hussainiwala Border, it was almost 6 pm in the evening after riding 335 km. I parked Thunderbird 500 at the dedicated parking lot, slightly away from the security gate. The parking attendants became curious after seeing the registration number plate of my bird. They volunteered and suggested that I leave all the luggage on the bike itself and they would take care of them since it was already late. With half mind, I left the place after paying the parking fee of ₹ 10, collected the ticket, went to the security gate, entered my personal details on a register, collected a chit bearing the serial number of my personal details in the register, which I had to hand over when returning and started walking towards the viewers gallery, which was about 1 km from the security gate.













I did not avail of the battery-operated vehicle that transported the needy persons to and fro the viewers gallery. When I arrived at the viewers gallery, the parade just then started. In the confusion, I left my Sony Cybershot camera in the tank bag, which was kept on my bird at the parking lot! So, I clicked the photographs using my phone only.

The Indian viewers gallery was full and jam-packed contrary to the Pakistani side. The India Army personnel controlled the crowd and the over-enthusiastic persons. Any anti-Pak slogan-shouting was immediately put down. An Indian soldier lowered our Tricolour by standing on the Pakistan soil and the Pakistan soldier lowered their national flag by standing on Indian soil!







When I walked back to the parking lot after handing over the chit at the security gate, the attendants came to me and asked to check my belongings kept inside the luggage, which I didn't. I thanked them all and left the place by 7 pm for Jaipur, which was still 500+ km away! I could not visit the nearby National Martyrs Memorial, which marks the location where Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were cremated on 23 March 1931 as it was closed.

Ride Across India: Jaipur

I left the parking lot of Hussainiwala Border at 7 pm on 11 Sep 2016 [Sunday]. I had originally planned to stay at Ferozepur, but changed my plans at the parking lot and started riding to Jaipur. My phone-navigator suggested to take the route via GT Road and Rohtak in HR. But, I overruled it and decided to go via Hanumangarh>Sardarshahar>Ratangarh>Sikar. I had driven on the beautiful RIDCOR 2-lane highway earlier from Kishangarh to Hanumangarh. But this time, I will take left turn at Ratangarh and ride via Sikar to Jaipur. The Ratangarh>Sikar>Jaipur section was an excellent 4-lane highway maintained by NHAI. So, I set my phone-navigator with Hanumangarh as the destination and started riding.



At Muktsar, PB, although bypass was available, my phone-navigator guided me through the town for the reasons best known to itself. It was a blessing in disguise. I had my dinner inside the town consisting of plain dosa washed down by masala tea from a road-side vendor and continued my ride. After exiting Muktsar, my bird had a tankful from a Reliance Petro outlet on the the highway. There, I felt sleepy. I told the pump attendants that I would sleep for an hour or so and continue my ride. They suggested that I sleep inside their office, where they had a cot. But, I declined. I parked the bird near their office, spread newspapers on the smooth floor and slept for an hour or so. When I woke up, it was around 10 pm and I was feeling fresh for another stretch of ride.

I rode via Abohar bypass and crossed Hanumangarh, RJ by midnight. From there, the beautiful RIDCOR highway started. Blue Bird had a tankful at Rawatsar, RJ at 1 am, after which, I had a glass of sweet lassi at a dhaba, where some TN truck drivers came to me and started chatting in Tamil after seeing the registration number of my bird! One curious PB LCV driver evinced keen interest on my phone-navigator and asked me to give a demo, which I did by explaining the route as guided by my phone-navigator to Hotel Kalyan, Jaipur from there. He was very happy.

At Ratangarh, I took left turn and rode on the excellent NHAI 4-lane highway to Jaipur. At the early hours of the day, my bird had another tankful at Reliance Petro, Laxmangarh, where I completed my morning ablution in their clean toilet. I was in front of Hotel Kalyan, Jaipur at 7 am. After completing the checking in formalities, unpacking and a shower, I had my breakfast in the hotel and crashed to the bed only to get up in the evening! In the evening, walked to the railway station junction and dined at a bhojanalaya.















On 13 Sep 2016 [Tuesday], I had to check out at 12 noon. I was in dilemma: how to use the half-day I had before checking out? Servicing the bird or riding to Old City? I decided in favour of the latter and rode out of the hotel by 9 am in the morning to the Old City. I had poori, bhaji costing just ₹ 20 and a glass of lassi for ₹ 20 and visited Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal under scorching sun.









I returned to the hotel, checked out and started my ride to Nagpur at 12:45 pm via Tonk>Kota>Shivpuri>Jhansi>Sagar>Narsinghpur>Chhind wara. I selected this route as it is fully 4-laned NH and I wanted to avoid the notorious Gwalior-Jhansi stretch. En route, I had two glasses of lassi for my lunch. before Tonk, had tea at Kota, got recognized by the petrol pump attendants at BP COCOO, Lalitpur, UP, where the bird had tankful in the up journey, had marie biscuits and nuts for the dinner, rode throughout the night and reached Haldiram's, Shankar Nagar square, Nagpur at 9:45 am. As I reached Nagpur too early to check in, I decided to have my breakfast first and then go to the hotel. I ate idlies and dosa, washed down by sweet lassi and reached The Nagpur Ashok, where I had stayed during my up journey too, at 11 am. This time, I did not remove the luggage from the bird. I took out my tank bag only, which had my undergarments set. I checked in without any problem and after a hot shower, crashed to the bed. In the evening, rode to the same Haldiram's and had my favourite chole bhature and sweet lassi.

On 15 Sep 2016 [Thursday], after a sumptuous and delicious buffet breakfast, started riding out of the hotel at 10:35 am to Bangalore. Rain accompanied us from Adilabad with varying intensity. I passed through Hyderabad between 6:30 and 7:30 pm without any rain directly under the PV Narasimha Rao Expressway as two-wheelers were neither allowed on it nor on the ORR. At Kurnool, it rained cats and dogs for more than an hour. From Anantapur, biting cold greeted us. The attendants at Adilabad Reliance Petroleum outlet recognized me and my bird and enquired about the trip. :thumbs up Blue Bird brought me safely and comfortably to Bangalore Basaveswara Nagar home at 4:25 am on 16 Sep 2016 [Friday].

Ride Across India: Dalhousie

I reached Grand View Hotel at Dalhousie at 1 am on 10 Sep 2016 [Saturday]. When I called them from Ludhiana in the previous evening to inform of my arriving after midnight, I was told that my dinner would be kept in my room! When I entered my suite after checking in, I found a 10-course meal, comprising many rotis, parathas, naans, paneer butter masala, peas, kheer, rice, dal, kadi, etc. waiting for me! That was the first time - and perhaps, the last time too - that I had my dinner at 2 am! My suite comprised a lavishly furnished and decorated big living room, a king-size bed room with a room-heater with an attached bath having a bathtub. There was a big TV in the living room and a smaller TV in the bed room. I got up late, ate a buffet breakfast and slept again. In the evening, went out for a stroll.











This was how I and my bird reached Dalhousie:











Drizzle accompanied me at many places upto Gutti. My dinner comprised piping hot idlieschole bhature, sweet lassi and ras malais for brunch, returned to the hotel, slept through the evening and night, skipping my dinner!



After a filling buffet breakfast, I left The Nagpur Ashok at 9:30 am on 8 Sep 2016 [Thursday] and rode via Chhindwara bypass to Narsinghpur>Agra. It rained cats and dogs, when I was at 86 km from Sagar including hailstorm, which continued for the next 2 km. I was the lone rider on the deserted highway! I was afraid that hailstorm might break the instrument cluster glass cover of my bird, which was already replaced once under warranty! My Wildcraft raincoat saved me from getting drenched totally!







The Jhansi-Gwalior stretch was still in the same pathetic condition. Add to that the evening peak hour traffic, cattle on the road, it was a total mess one would like to avoid. Thankfully, I did not return on that stretch again! I reached Bansi Homestay, Agra at 11:30 pm after riding 833 km in 14 hours.



The next day morning at the breakfast table, my host at Bansi Home Stay, Agra insisted on my having more puris. So, I overate, felt like sleeping again, but left at 9 am with half mind. By the way, did anybody stay at Agra and leave without visiting Taj Mahal and/or the Fort? Yes, I did on 9 Sep 2016 [Friday]!







The heat was unbearable when I was riding on Yamuna Expressway and through Delhi. My exposed wrists became darker due to sun-burn, necessitating removal of my jacket. At 2 pm, I could not ride any more due to the scorching heat. So, I halted at Pahalwan Dhaba, Murthal, had sweet lassi, slept for an hour on a rope cot, had tea and left at 3 pm only.

All along my ride, many people enquired about my Thunderbird 500/phone-navigator/LED lights at petrol pumps, signals, while waiting in queue in traffic jams, regarding the price, kitna deti hai, where from, where to, etc.

There was a big evening peak hour traffic jam near the Ludhiana bypass, so I rode through the city. Had sweet lassi from sweet stall at Dasuya after Jalandhar and reached Grand View Hotel, Dalhousie at 1 am on 10 Sep 2016 [Saturday].

I am thankful and grateful to my Blue Bird for this ride across India of 6,524 km in 123 hours over 13 days through TN>KA>AP>TS>MH>MP>UP>RJ>DL>HR>PB>HP without any problems like puncture/breakdown/accident/falling down/harassment from cops/RTO, etc. This time, I didn't do any servicing other than one oil top-up and three chain lubrication during the ride.

Thank you very much for going through this ride report and expressing appreciation and good wishes.

re: My Motorcycle Diaries

Ravi Sir,

Which saddlebags do you use for touring? I was using Cramster colt saddlebag but it touched the rear tyre and got abraded.
Do you use any protection to keep saddlebag from touching the rear tyre?

Best Regards,
Nitesh

re: My Motorcycle Diaries

Cramster Stallion for straight exhaust. It does not touch the rear wheel.

I load my laptop and other heavy items on the saree-guard [LHS] side and dresses on the other side. Apart from packing in individual plastic bags, no other protection I use.

re: My Motorcycle Diaries

Sir,

Can a pillion sit on top of this bag? Recommended for long rides?

Best Regards,
Nitesh

re: My Motorcycle Diaries

Yes. During my recent ride, one attendant at Anantapur Reliance Petro in AP wanted a ride to his village, a few km away from the petrol pump. He was my pillion for a few km.
Yes. I used them for my last two rides, GQ and Chennai>Dalhousie>Chennai, both 6,500 km each.

re: My Motorcycle Diaries

Ravi Sir, great picture these. But why do I feel disconnected in the flow of the trip, I could read some final logs before the logs of reaching dalhousie. Is there a problem with xBHP ?

re: My Motorcycle Diaries

Thanks, amods.

Nothing wrong with xBhp. I wrote this ride report in a flashback mode starting from the latest and going back to the places of importance.

re: My Motorcycle Diaries

Hi [MENTION=45312]J.Ravi[/MENTION] Sir,

I have no words to say except a BIG THANKS for sharing your great travelogues.

I am in my early thirties now, and i see myself travelling virtually with you along all the places you have mentioned in your logs. It was that precise, and the post processing of the images you took clearly says you really enjoy doing what ever you do.

Usually in such long travelogues, i find that there will be a sense of urgency in riding but yours look much more relaxed in the way you have narrated. And the way you plan and track things for your trip says a lot about the care you take.

Its a dream for me, hope one day it will be fulfilled within my life time. I would really go on and on and on, but it will dilute your otherwise pure thread.

So i leave with a big Bow to you from me.

Ram

re: My Motorcycle Diaries

Thank you so much for your appreciation, nice words and compliments, [MENTION=71959]Iam_Hoodi_CBR[/MENTION].

re: My Motorcycle Diaries

Salute to Ravi Sir's spirit which encouraged me to plan a trip from Noida to Bhopal (and back).

Got 3rd free service of my Thunderbird 500 done at Shree Mahadev Agency Noida on Monday (24th Oct 16). Mr Guha, the service manager there is a nice person and very customer-centric in his approach. I had faced leakage issues from rocker head a day before. All these issues were carefully addressed and leakage was arrested.

Then comes the D Day (Driving day )

I started from Noida at 3:00 pm on Saturday and reached Agra by 6:30 pm. Had already booked an accommodation through stayzilla but on reaching the venue, found that there were no parking arrangements for my bike. So booked a room in a nearby hotel for night stay.
Next day (Diwali) I started from Agra at around 7:00 am. Topped up fuel at Indian Oil petrol station. (I use Xtra-premium. I hope it is clean enough and would not clog EFI fuel injector nozzle in the longer run.)

Road till Agra was perfect smooth. I could maintain 100kmph+ speeds for long hours. From Agra till Gwalior, there was risk of cattle, dogs, people and motorcycles jumping on the highway so did not dare to go beyond 80kmph. Reached Gwalior by 9:00 AM. Did not stop at Gwalior and headed towards Jhansi. Roads till Jhansi were single lane (two way traffic). So speeds were limited to 40-60 kph. Reached Jhansi by 11:00 am. From Jhansi onward roads are good. Took NH26 from Jhansi to Malthone. Highway is in good condition and one can easily cruise at 80kmph.

Noticed some weird effect on my bike as if I were riding on small bumps. Stopped and checked the oil level and to my surprise there was no oil in the engine!!!
Fearing I could have parked my bike on a slope, I turned her 180 degrees and still found oil level to be below acceptable mark. Called up RSA and asked them to send mechanic with oil for topping up. They said they could only get my bike towed to the nearest service station and connected me to their technical person. Technical person also asked for the vehicle to be towed. I explained to him that I was in the middle of a highway and had to ride 400 kms more to reach home to see my family on Diwali so towing away the bike was ou of question. While I was in discussion with the technical person, the engine cooled down a bit and the oil level rose a little (though still below the acceptable mark). So I decided to move on . I was cruising at 80 kmh and the bike did not complain. Reached Malthone (MP) and took detour to Bina. From Bina I headed to Vidisha. Reached Vidisha by 5:00 pm. State highways in MP are two lane without medians, so you need to be wary of oncoming traffic. Cant cruise at more than 60kph on such roads. This being Diwali evening, there was jam in the city markets. So crossing cities became even more time consuming. Reached Sanchi and from there to Bhopal by 7:00 pm.

Decided to visit the authorized RE service centre this morning for oil topup but today being next day to Diwali, all service centres are closed. Found some local shops that were selling engine oil. I asked them for 15W50 grade oil but only 20W50 and 15W40 oils were available. Called up RE customer support to check if any of the available grades of oil could be used. The guy at the other end of the phone was not technical so told me to use any other grade at my own risk. (My bike is still under warranty so did not want to take any risk.)

I had to go to Pachmarhi tomorrow in the morning but because of this drop in oil level, I would not be able to drive my TB500 any further. Had to cancel my hotel booking at Pachmarhi today.
Will visit the Authorised Service centre (Ananya motors) again tomorrow.

I am still surprised why did the oil level drop so much. I got the bike serviced at 6044 kms, oil was topped to the full level and the bike has barely clocked 7000+ kms.
Bike wa parked on centrestand for the whole night yesternight and I could not find a single drop of oil on the floor. Although I noticed heavy seepage from the right side of the engine. I am attaching the pics here.

re: My Motorcycle Diaries

Thanks, [MENTION=49900]niteshshrivastav[/MENTION].

Sorry to hear the oil level going down. Please carry 1 litre of spare engine oil during all long rides along with WD-40 and a chain lubricant spray.