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**Praful** · 04-05-2009, 05:50 PM

Originally posted by DarthVeda View Post

You are near the coast.. and who knows how many beaches are there along NH17!! this might as well be some unknown beach, I am correct in saying Udupi. I want reval

I never said the quiz was going to be easy...

Originally posted by motormania View Post

OMG OMG OMG..i dont know how i missed your log

...i was so eagerly waiting for it....am so sorry i missed it..

.......

but kya bolun sir jee,fantastic ride n trip log...sorry couldnt join you this time...but as agreed,as soon as i get my next bike,i am doing the running-in with you at kodachadri or anywhere you want.....

Sure thing dude....thanks yet again for the invaluable inputs!

Originally posted by sidhusmart View Post

Great ride Praful! It feels like you conquered the Leh of the south. Nice log too...keep it coming.

Nah, K-Top of the south aint as tough as people make it out to be.....

Originally posted by steveburnside2001 View Post

finally the K top conquered.I am not sure if you will agree but the experience would be completely different and amazing in the monsoons. more pics expected..what happened to the poser pic?

Yes I am definitely going back in the monsoons, and once in moonlight!

Which poser pic bro?

Originally posted by chicane1879 View Post

Great 2nd day log and pics.You are too good at remembering the places you visit, do you take note of it?

Keep rocking!!

Thanks buddy.....not yet taking notes but plan to do in the future, just can't remember everything that I see!

**winzeee** · 04-06-2009, 02:26 AM

That is one Epic journey bro .And verry good log

W

**happybiking** · 04-06-2009, 06:17 PM

Gr8 going praful...nice pics...didn't read the log yet as PM's round the corner

...will read it once back home...

Cheers!!!

**Praful** · 04-06-2009, 09:59 PM

Day 3 - 29th March

No schedule, no commitments, nothing....That's how I had planned on doing today's ride. I'll get up when I want, ride when I want to. Although the destination for today was 'Home', I couldn't end this ride just like that. So I had a via point to take en route back to home.

Eyes opened at 7, but I didn't get out of bed for at least the next 2 hours. I just lazed around, saw some TV. Finally dragged myself out of bed and managed to pack up the mini-mess that I created in my room by unpacking all my stuff.

10AM suited and booted I was ready to roll. After loading the saddlebags I realized that I was yet to have breakfast. I decided that I'll have it en route now that I have saddled up. Started from my hotel, and headed on NH17 to Udupi town. My first stop was a ATM and then I had multiple options to reach the town of Karkala. Had spoken to Meghan from Mangalore who said that the route that deviates from Padubudri on NH17 towards Karkala would be my best bet. I was not really low on fuel, had done about 80kms since the last refuel yesterday. But Meghan had informed bout the lack of fuel availability in the area that I was headed, so I was looking for decent bunk to fuel up. Along the entire stretch of about 40 odd kms from Brahmawara to Padubudri I did not find a single fuel bunk where I could gather the courage to tank up.

Finally the turn off for Padubudri came, now either I had to continue my quest for the 'decent' bunk or take the the turn into the small SH.I took the turn and the road narrowed down and surface went from OK to not so Ok

. By now I was weighing my options of fuel, I knew that I would pass through the hills and reach the other side where fuel bunks would be plenty. So I started ripping again, totally forgetting about fuel for both the bike and me!

I passed by a BP pure for sure bunk, pulled in here and tanked up. Finally at least one of the 'beasts' had a full belly. The roads were narrow but the surface had improved quite a bit, and so had the heat. The lower speeds on these road were killing the ventilation quite a bit.

All the riding in the past two days all 900 kms of it had taken a toll on my backside the most. Every single pothole would be pain in the you know where. No back/wrist/neck pain though. With so many things to think about I had forgotten to absorb the scenery around me and that's when I looked up and saw it in the distance ....

My via point of the day....the rolling hills of Kudremukh!

I saw a checkpost coming up in the distance, as usual I thought 2 wheelers had it free. Well they did, but the guard blew his whistle to stop me. So kindda confused I headed back to the checkpost, where the policeman asked my where I was heading and what is my vehicle number. I spotted a board that had mentioned that I was entering Kudremukh National parik, I had two hours to reach the next checkpost, I was not to stop anywhere, etc etc....

I thought I would have to pay here, but it was free

. From here on the forest got thicker and roads just got better. Even the temperature was falling as ventured deeper into the hills. There's only one thing I can say about this piece of road...BLOODY FANTASTIC. After a few kms I just had to stop to capture the road and dense vegetation surrounding it.

There was little or no traffic along the entire stretch, and the vegetation was so dense at places that I would have stopped only if I wanted to spook my self. Anything I write here cannot do justice to what I saw and felt there, it would just dilute the beauty of the place if I dare to put it into words. You have to experience it to really see it. Did not find many places to stop but I did not want to miss out places that just cannot be left uncaptured.

The forest cleared up a little and I could clearly see the rolling mountains surrounding me, I so badly want to capture it all with some really ultra wide angle lens.

Since I did not want to loose time and end up paying the 100 bux per hour fine. I was riding fast on these roads, did stop here and there....

And then I reached this place which had this BEAUTIFUL view.....

Riding through Kudremukh National Park is definitely a Biker must do route in this country. Here are a few more pics as I stopped at a few places along the entire route passing Lakhya Dam, Kudremukh town and a small waterfall who's name I don't recollect.

Finally I reached the other checkpost, well luckily for me I had seen as much as my heart desired (Well Almost!) and completed the entire stretch in little over a hour. Don't remember but I think checkpost to checkpost it must have been about 50Kms. Next was to pass by the town of Kalasa. Took a small break where I got this awesome view of the the sprawling tea gardens!

Roads were still pretty good I was happy to be riding on such smooth roads with such a beautiful landscape surrounding me...I guess I got a bit too happy! A U-turn somewhere post Kalasa and the road just suddenly 'screwed' up....So bad and sudden was the change that I actually stopped to click the roads now.

From Kalasa I was to head to Kotigehara which was about 40+ kms from there and I had this bad feeling that roads will be like that only for some time to come. Oh! How painfully true that gut feeling was. Every undulation, every pothole that I would run over would be painful. Thanks to that and winding hilly roads I could not do anything more than 30 on the straights and about 15 on the curves.

Stopped at a few places in between, more rest the 'pained backside' than actually click some pics.

Finally tired and weary I reached Kotigehara. It took me about an hour and half to cover the entire stretch of 40 kms.

Since the moment I had entered the Kudremukh region there would be time where I would feel that I would head straight into rain. It was raining around the region and I could see that happening in the distance, but just when it would start getting all cloudy I my route would take a turn that would take me away from the rain.

From Kotigehara I was to reach Mudigere and roads where alternating between okayish and painful. I wasn't stopping anywhere! Finally passed Mudigere, from here onwards the hilly twisty roads had ceased and I was back to the plains. The road condition was just about ok, but the loss of time and the late start in the morning made want to ride like a mad man. And thats precisely what I did. Was riding over the ton mark at most places. Finally took a break somewhere off Belur

Took another break to capture the plains that were clearly visible for miles now...

Soon Belur came went, took the turn towards Hassan. Hassan to Belur is a another super stretch of road with long winding turns with plenty of space for traffic. but there were certain buggers who still want to come towards me in the the wrong lane. Took a few pics between Belur and Hassan.

I don't remember the times now as it over a week back that I did this trip. But average speeds for the distance I was covering was close to the 75kmph mark. Hassan came, confused me a little but still managed to take the correct turn for NH48. Traffic had increased a little on this stretch. But Bangalore was now just short of 200 kms away. Took a small break outside of Hassan to check on the bike if everything was in place.

I did not stop for quite some time now, I just wanted to reach home and sit on a pillow. Did not slow down for Innova's or anything thing...was riding hard and fast for all of the way. Again the raw power on the 220 was helping me all along. Finally took a longish break some 50 kms before Bangalore.

I realised here that I was yet to have breakfast and it was 5PM now.

Wasn't feeling hungry and did not want to slow down much. So was back to ripping my way back to Bangalore. Luckily for me I reached Neelamangala in daylight and did not find as much traffic as I had seen when I was there on a sunday a few weeks back. But the volume of traffic was still pretty high to slow me down by a bit. NICE road turn off came I was glad to escape the pockmarked NH4 at the entry to Bangalore. Took another break here on the bridge over the Tumkur road.

NICE road is a rippers heaven, but I was doing only 70 here. Showed some mercy to my poor bike finally. Took another break in between to capture the sunset.

Got off at the Mysore road intersection to be greeted by all the weekend traffic returning back from all touristy places. Crawling through traffic towards the end of a painful ride just kindda doubles up the pain!

And finally I was home by 7.30PM. Had covered 497 Kms in the last 9.5 hours on two bottles of glucose water!

Kms covered from Hotel to Home - 497 Kms

Route taken - Brahmawara(NH17)-Padubudri(NH17)-Karkala(SH)-Kudremukh-Kalasa-Kotigehara-Mudigere-Gonibedu-Belur-Hassan(NH48)-Channarayapatna-Kunigal-Neelamangala(NH4)-Bangalore

Total Trip Kms - 1397 Kms

~The End!~

**inder.cool** · 04-06-2009, 10:12 PM

@ Praful : Fantabulous trip log..!!

You cud have removed the stand na atleast.. !!

**insanebiker** · 04-06-2009, 10:32 PM

i loved this pic

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_0ZEJry9zAL0/SdGyWelqWkI/AAAAAAAAHag/AYEPP81iD5Y/s800/DSC07845.JPG

**beruoist** · 04-06-2009, 11:05 PM

Fundooo ride mann...nd awsome pics

**chetanpulsar** · 04-06-2009, 11:55 PM

This has to be one of the best ride logs I have ever read. I literally stopped watching this crap movie (Straight)... and started reading your ride log. Its nothing short of fantabulous as Inder mentioned. I finished reading in approximately 1hr .... my packet of lays and tiger biscuits is also over, going to sleep... dreaming about a similar ride in the future

. Keep it up dude.

**Praful** · 04-07-2009, 09:28 AM

Originally posted by winzeee View Post

That is one Epic journey bro .And verry good log

W

Thanks dude!

Originally posted by happybiking View Post

Gr8 going praful...nice pics...didn't read the log yet as PM's round the corner

...will read it once back home...

Cheers!!!

Dude forget the log....where da f**k have you been? Don't tell me infy denied you access to xBhp/Gtalk/etc etc....

Originally posted by inder.cool View Post

@ Praful : Fantabulous trip log..!!

You cud have removed the stand na atleast.. !!

Thanks dude!

Din't have time to remove the stand....10 seconds to click, run, sit, pose.....I'm just glad that I din't fall!

Originally posted by insanebiker View Post

i loved this pic

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_0ZEJry9zAL0/SdGyWelqWkI/AAAAAAAAHag/AYEPP81iD5Y/s800/DSC07845.JPG

Thanks man!

Originally posted by beruoist View Post

Fundooo ride mann...nd awsome pics

Thanks a ton dude!

Originally posted by chetanpulsar View Post

This has to be one of the best ride logs I have ever read. I literally stopped watching this crap movie (Straight)... and started reading your ride log. Its nothing short of fantabulous as Inder mentioned. I finished reading in approximately 1hr .... my packet of lays and tiger biscuits is also over, going to sleep... dreaming about a similar ride in the future

. Keep it up dude.

Whoaa.....thats a HUGE compliment man! Thanks

Stop dreaming.....just ride!

Hope you haven't forgotten about the little PM I sent you a few days back!

**praneshvittal** · 04-07-2009, 03:32 PM

Hey Praful,

Amazing write-up / pics dude !!! Am really feeling very bad for not having made for this

, but couldn't help, had some commitments during then and home ministry didn't permit

Cheers,
Pranesh

**Praful** · 04-07-2009, 05:07 PM

Originally posted by praneshvittal View Post

Hey Praful,

Amazing write-up / pics dude !!! Am really feeling very bad for not having made for this

, but couldn't help, had some commitments during then and home ministry didn't permit

Cheers,
Pranesh

Thanks dude!

Don't worry there's always a next time!

**ravi@17bhp** · 04-07-2009, 05:39 PM

That is a big and nice trip Praful.

The Kudremukh stretch was paradise. When we rode, we were there on this stretch for almost 4 hours. At the out checkpost the police asked us to pay 100 per each extra hour and demanded 1000 bucks for three bikes. Ravikiran finally managed to pay just 300 bucks and we were out.

This is the same spot you have take a pic

**Praful** · 04-07-2009, 05:40 PM

^^ I guess Ravikiran knowing the lingo helped a lot.

Next time I'm there I will explore this place bit by bit, getting the time extension from Kudremukh town though!

**M@n()J** · 04-07-2009, 07:17 PM

Loved the last day pics man......

**DarthVeda** · 04-07-2009, 10:55 PM

damn.. should have guessed kudremukh correctly..

By the way, from Kalasa to Kotige hara there are two roads, one is 4 km later but consists very good roads, guess you took the shorter but crappier road

You should eat neer dosa in kotige hara man.. they are heavenly and should have had gadbud in Kalasa as well

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