Hi.
What follows is how I prepared myself for a 800 km almost non stop ride from Pune to Bhopal and back. Right before the time I owned the beast aka Pulsar 220F by Apr,2014, I had a vision of doing endurance drives. For me, endurance drive is a tour where I just try to reach a particular destination in a given time rather than exploring intermediate locations. These endurance drives helped challenge my physical and mental abilities governing conservation of strength, consumption of fuel(your's as well as your bike's) and biobreaks. I long ago calculated that the time taken to cover a certain long distance can be shortened if the breaks in between are planned well and properly timed. Reading endless experiences in XBHP forums helped me a lot.

This one specially helped a lot http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/tourer/3...ooth-ride.html.

This endurance drive to Bhopal was a part of preparation for getting LEH'ed soon.

I started building endurance by doing non-stop rides from Pune(my home) to Lavasa, Mumbai, and Mahabaleshwar; each varying between 70 to 180 kms.

Feeling all OK with me and my bike, I did Pune-Goa-Pune(630 kms with 7.5 hrs of drive time one way, 2 halts(petrol and mini breaks)).

Conclusion so far: Pulsar 220F returned an average of 550 kms in about 16 litres of single refuel with speeds of 120+ kmph on highways and aggressive revving. That's 35 kmpl in touring. Usually, I get 40-44 kmpl in mixed driving in city with no agressive revving.
NOTE: Though the official petrol tank capacity is 15 litres(about 14 Litres usable), one can put as high as 19 litres(about 18 litres usable) in one refuel leaving only about 1/4 inch gap between petrol level and lid. The vapor lock problem can be solved by opening and closing the lid after 50-100 kms. I got no issues so far. Also, I do this only when touring.
Legs start to become restless, but no pain.
Back needs periodic relaxation while riding after 1 to 1.5 hours.


By September 2015, I was already thinking about going to my friend's home in Bhopal at the time of Diwali holidays(spanning over a week from 10th Nov to 16th Nov). My plan was to go on 10th Nov, 2015 and return on 12th Nov, 2015 after sight seeing on 11th Nov, 2015. My friend was very thrilled and excited to know that I would be motorbiking all the way to his home in Bhopal. With endless research on routes and road quality in the XBHP forums, I finalized my ride. My excitement was short lived when my brother-in-law called by the end of Sept,2015 stating that we had to go to Goa in Diwali vacations. The hope of light was that he was planning to come on 11th Nov, 2015. So I went like if I had to do this Bhopal tour, I needed to leave on 10th and come back on 11th Nov, 2015 so that we could leave on 12th Nov,2015 for Goa. Mission Impossible? May be...May be not....


For now, it was a no from my side. And above that when came the month of Oct,2015, I saw the film "Bhopal, a prayer for rain", which led me to do a research on water quality of Bhopal and I was freaked out at what came to light. But my friend ensured that Bhopal has changed since then and there is absolutely no need to worry about water quality. Came November, 2015 and the Bhopal tour became a BIG YES after I did a Google on "Places to visit in Bhopal". If I were to go to Bhopal, I would witness first hand the biggest Mosque in Asia and the biggest man made lake in Asia. Hell yes.....


Ok, the preparation for the ride are as follows:
1) I already had the complete gear(Kranos Helmet, Spartan Spida Jacket with Spine guard, elbow guard, shoulder guard; knee guard, Full length SPIDA leather gloves, Full length PGS racing boots).


2) I had estimated that by 10th Nov, 2015, the bike will complete 1500 kms after its service. Took a chance of not servicing which would also warrant the already tested endurance level of the bike. Just as precaution, I went to my service guy in Krishna Bajaj, Wanorie, Pune and told him to check whether the bike will do another 3000 kms or not. The mechanic gave it quick check in front of me(he checked the brakes and when I say checked means he bought some tool to check the free play, cable tension, brake fluid level and pad wear. He also checked clutch wire quality, Throttle wire quality, spark plugs, chain slack, etc..) while the manager promptly told that the bike is designed to endure 5000 kms between each service, so on paper it was a yes. It took the mechanic a quick 15 minutes and he gave a green signal. Obviously, any unforeseen problems was my problem and not his.


3) I had already put Motul 300V 1500 kms before and knowing for sure the oil lasts about 4k kms, did not change it as well.



4) Gave the bike for a wash. Applied the chain lube after that.


5) Checked the Nitrogen Level in Tyres opposite Modibaug, Pune on 9th Nov, 2015. By observation, the rear tyre pressure remains more or less the same after 3 months. The front tyre pressure decreases considerably(I believe weight transfer to front when braking is the cause)



6) On 9th Nov, 2015, put 16 litres of Shell V-Power petrol, the fuel that I always use, from the kasarwadi petrol pump on my way to Kalyan, Mumbai(why mumbai?, read on). After reaching Kalyan, I filled up about 5 litres HP power again to get a tank full(No Shell in Mumbai). I already knew that I would need only one petrol refuel halt by no sooner than 450 kms, which was almost more than half the distance. By experience, I knew that there was about more than 17 litres of petrol in hand.


7) Luggage included 1 nighty pyjamma, thin towel, sweater, one extra T-shirt, what Superman wears outside his pants, tooth brush with colgate already applied, dental floss, magnetic compass, portable Namaaz mat, small towel.


8) Food and drinks: I made 4 small plastic bags of 5-8 Amla Candy(Easy to eat, Rich in Vit C), 2 ParleG Biscuits(Everyone knows why), 2 Salted Cashews, 2 Almonds, 4 Pistachios, 2 Raisins, 1 walnut, 1 tiny chewable sugar candy. This was my only snack. No halting at Hotels or tapris whatsoever. I had planned 4 breaks to consume these every 150-200 kms. I took a 300 ml slightly higher than normal concentrated Electral water to solve the dehydration problem. I had planned to take 10 ml sips every 30 mins to keep me going regardless of I was thirsty or not.


9) I also wanted to experience first hand, what will I do if something happens to the bike or me and I have nothing with me; no spare parts, no tools, no first-aid. So did not bother taking anything. Having complete trust in the Almighty, I thought to myself when the Almighty is with me, what do I have to worry about. Faith can move mountains, you know. Nothing happened.


The Journey:




9th Nov, 2015:
Sometime before leaving home for office in morning.


My office(near Pune University) ends at 6 pm. I thought that if I leave for Kalyan, Mumbai and stay overnight at my friend's home, I could leave fromm Kalyan right where NH3 starts and would also save 80 kms the next day. So rather than heading for Bhopal from Pune via Nashik on 10th Nov, 2015, I went to Kalyan on 9th Nov, 2015.
Left office by 5 pm. Reached Mumbai(Ghatkopar) by 8 pm where I and my friend rendezvous at his office, did Ghatkopar Khao Gali and Band Stand before coming to his home in Kalyan. All set.

10th Nov, 2015: There were butterflies in my stomach all night. Had an intermittent sleep, but to my satisfaction. Woke up at 5 am. Offered my Morning Namaaz by 5:30 am.Target was to leave by 5:45am so that I could hit NH3 by 6 am.
I had these stickers made for checkpoints on the way.



I had almost memorized the route from Kalyan to Bhopal using Google maps as I did not wanted to waste time in navigation(remember, this is endurance drive, not stopping for minor reasons). The only navigation support I wanted to have were these stickers. I had overlapped them so that when I reach a certain checkpoint, I could peel the top layer and continue with the remainder checkpoints. I had concluded that stopping for GPS navigation takes almost 15 minutes in a 6 hour drive. I put these stickers on the my tank and referred to them as and by.

My math was simple. By the research I did on road quality and traffic density, my target was to average 90 kmph between every check point. Many of my colleagues said its not practical. They said Bus walas themeselves take about 17 hours and the best time I could see on XBHP forum was 12 hours. But a man gotta do what a man gotta do.This has to do something with the goals we set at work place in those meetings where the boss gives us a target to achieve for a month. I knew that setting a goal of 90 kmph will actually give me 75 to 85 kmph. But a target is a target. This would also allow me to challenge myself with regards to bio breaks, food and petrol refuels.

As proof, I took screenshots from my Lumia 1020 with date and Time set to automatic.
I was ready by 5:40 am. But left at 5:45 am sharp. Touched the highway at 6 am sharp.



KALYAN-NASHIK: Distance: 145 Kms
Reached at: 7:50 am
Time Taken: 1 hour 50 mins
Road Quality: 4/5. Watch out for speed breakers. Watch out for on coming traffic in the One-way kasara Ghat. Do not take Nashik Freeway if on motorbike(I mean why take the risk).
Avg Speed: 74 kmph. The avg speed was hampered by the Kasara Ghat. Never Mind.
Top Speed: 140 kmph
Total distance: 145 kms
Total Drive time: About 1 hour 50 minutes.



Somewhere before Nashik.


NASHIK-DHULE: Distance: 170 Kms
Reached at: 10:15 am
Time Taken: 2 hours 25 minutes
Road Quality: 4/5. Watch out for speed breakers. Many diversions as 4 lane road under construction.
Avg Speed: 70 kmph. Thanks to lots of speed breakers. If I was at my job, I would be behind my target. Still...never mind. FYI: Observing the amount of speed breakers and diversions, frustration level was higher than the Burj Khalifa. Never Mind.
Top Speed: 145 kmph
Total distance: 315 kms
Total Drive time: About 4 hours 15 minutes.



By now, I was averaging at about 70 kmph, way behind my target. So I thought, lets halt, eat the power snack, take a sip or two of electral and redo the maths as to how much time more will I take at this average speed. My calculations came to about 8-10 hours. I was wrong. I did the remainder in less than 6 hours.
Within 4-5 minutes, resumed the ride by 10:20 am.

DHULE-INDORE(MHOW district): Distance: 230 kms
Reached at: 1:30 pm
Time Taken: 3 hours 10 minutes
Road Quality: Maharashtra 4/5, Madhya Pradesh 5/5. It was only somewhere 50 kms before Madhya Pradesh Border, the speed breakers disappeared and road quality became WOW. It looked like the MP government had made these roads specially for bikers. Post MP border, you can do continuous 130+kmph. The ghats are so wide, I could do 110+ kmph on the turns. Believe it or not, I clocked a whole 53 seconds of the NH3 in MP at 145-155 kmph. The MAH-MP integrated Checkpost Toll station is so huge, that it is constructed off NH3.
Avg Speed: 65 kmph in Maharashtra, 85 kmph in Madhaya Pradesh.
Top Speed: 155 kmph. I believe the clutch plate must be worn a little as I was unable to go more than 155 kmph @ about tad short of 10000 rpm, otherwise on road s like these, I should have done 160 kmph, the way I did it on the expressway like road on MAH-GOA border.
Total distance:545 kms
Total Drive time: About 7 hours 25 minutes.



In between, a little before Indore(I think between Khal Khurd and Manpur.. Referring to google maps right now), I had already got a solid urge for nature call. Also sometime back, I had to switch to reserve. The fuel indicator had no bars now. I quickly looked for a petrol pump. It was HP. I used their washroom to empty my tank . Filled up my Bike's tank to full(Almost 17 litres of it). Resumed the ride by 1:40 pm after quick snack and gulping remainder of electral.





Indore-Bhopal(Lal Ghati Chowk): Distance: 220 kms
Reached at: 3:50 pm
Time Taken: 2 hours 10 minutes
Road Quality: 5/5. The road from Indore to Bhopal Exit is a 6 lane cement road. Try to ride on the fast lane to avoid villagers. Need to watch out for Bhopal Exit on NH3 to join NH86. I kept a KM reading on trip meter and the stickers helped me as to after how many kilometers I should be alert to watch out for it. The beginning of NH86(1-2 kms) is a let down. I mean I had thought for a minute that now I would take more 3-4 hours. But then magically the 4 lane divided tarmac hit and I was like ...This is awesome. i was able to cruise at 130+ most of the time and hardly going less than 90 kmph non stop.
Avg Speed: 101 kmph.Now we are talking. exceeding my target for the first time.
Top Speed: 155 kmph
Total distance:765 kms
Total Drive time: About 9 hours 35 minutes.




I took another 15 minutes to reach my friends home from Lal Ghati.
As mentioned earlier, I avoided the use of GPS despite being new to the city. I used these stickers instead to guide me to his home.

Also I had almost memorised the route from Lal Ghati to his home using Google maps. Lucky for me, my calculations, maths and imagination/visualization were bang on. I only had to ask once to a local as to where was Main Road 3. Rest of the route was piece of cake. I called up my friend after reaching last checkpoint. As there was no landmark near his home, he called me to a nearby petrol pump 300 metres from my location.

A quick hot water shower got me relaxed and charged me up for the remainder of the day. I always make it a point to take a hot water shower after my travel. This removes all fatigues and aches and recharges you like anything. A cup of strong coffee/cappuccino is a cherry on the cake.

NOTE: When in touring, I never hesitate to take a pill of advanced crocin and combiflam a day. They keep unnecessary and unwanted aches at bay. Also, my medical practioner said that taking these pills for 3-4 days(one each daily) doesnt have any known side effects. I take them 2-3 hours before, for them to take effect. However, you must consult your medical practioner before consuming any medicine. Do not take any medicine without medical consultation.

Places visited in Bhopal: Upper Lake(I rather call it sea 8 km x 3 km huge), Van Vihar(Missed tiger sighting as it was late night), Police HQ, Moti Masjid(Sheer architechtural beauty), Gauhar Mahal, Taj-ul-Masajid(It is really huge as in gigantic. You have to see it to believe its size. Can hold upto 1 lac people for prayers.), Old bhopal tour(150+ years old houses, monuments,etc..), Chatori Gali(Eatting stuff.. but most of the shops were closed as it was late night), drive on VIP road at night(You get a feeling of marine drive), Raja Bhoj Memorial statue in Upper lake(The person who discovered Bhojpaal..later renamed to Bhopal).

Chilling out at Bhopal @ 12 am.


Odometer Reading at Bhopal


FEEDBACK ABOUT THE BIKE: Pulsar 220F, for me, is a built-for-endurance/performance/etc.. bike. I have already started to live with the vibrations(Highly reduced with use of Motul 300v, Shell V-Power petrol and 3500 kms service period) so no complaints here. Never gave any trouble whatsoever. 21 horses were available at demand. Overtaking cars was a breeze. And the awesome part for me was that even after so much of high revving(thanks to Motul 300V), when I came back to Pune and gave it for servicing at Krishna bajaj, the guy was like "Abhi aur chalengi, phir bhi ab aap laye ho to kar deta hoon" (Translation: It can go more, but that you have brought it here for servicing, I will do it). Yeah..remembered.. One problem was that when I reached Chakan, the right hand RVM had become loose due to vibrations, so had to close it and take support of windshield to keep it tight till I reached home.


11th Nov, 2015:
My plan was to leave by 6 am. But my friend suggested that I was not a robot and shud take a good sleep before return. I slept straight till 8 am in morning and hustled for my namaaz first. I was all set to leave by 9:30 am. Left my friends home at 9:55 am. I reached Laal Ghati at 10:05 am.

My way back was pretty simple. Come till Nashik and take the SH50. The SH50 is considerably completed from the last time I had been here a year ago. Took about 3.5 hours for 210 kms of night driving to reach home. There were plenty of flies that hit the visor all the way till Chakan. Total drive time was about 10 hours 45 minutes.

Also note that some portions of SH50 are 2 lane up/down traffic roads and suddenly converts into 4 lane highway and keeps repeating several times. Then sometimes you are on the left hand side service road as 4 lane is in under construction and sometimes you are on the right hand side service road. And then you are in the centre of the 4 lane highway.

WATCH OUT FOR SPEED BREAKERS on service roads and diversions on the SH50. Thanks to kundanghanekar , I was well alert for speed breakers between Rajgurunagar and Alephata. There are well placed sign boards. Look out for them and respect them.

I usually follow some good paced car in front of me to avoid extra driving efforts. If some carwala's pace is below my expectation, I overtake him until I catch up well paced vehicle. Now worth mentioning is this Swift Desire Permit Tourist car who I believe well understood that I was tailing him and co-operated a lot with signalling left/right whenever there were diversions, giving hazard light whenever there were speed breakers. I had to bid him bye-bye after alephata. God Bless him. Usually carwalas feel offended if tailed by a motorbike and start their wind shield wiper water spray to discourage tailing. Little do they know why motorbikes tail cars at night.

Some on-coming traffic on SH50 were co-operative in turning to low beam while some were adamant to keep hi beam as they passed.

Lal Ghati, Bhopal to Nashik is about 605 kms and was done in about 7 hours, 15 minutes averaging at 84 kmph. GPS locations with date/time stamp attached below. [MENTION=84380]bhopal[/MENTION].....

@NashIK...


Meanwhile my bike also completed its 20K+ in a period of 19 months. Thats awesome for me. Took the photo after coming back from Goa.


The Pune-Bhopal-Pune ride was a successful endurance drive.