Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride

Travelogue Approved

Waiting for the entire fiasco to unfold!

Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride

That's a long route. Waiting eagerly.

Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride

Wow, Green bike in Green rainy days !!!

Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride

After lot of speculation and brain storming “Awaji” decided to buy Benelli TNT 300 motorcycle, he was happy and he was eager to take it to places.
Well Awaji is very fond of riding, but he doesn’t like going alone every time, he thinks that real fun is to go places with a partner, with whom he can share the beauty or harshness of places, share the feelings and listen to someone else too. He decided to take his buddy baapi with him this time, baapi was very happy and excited for new bike and new destination, they both have done ladakh together on a Bullet Electra 350 and some big rides on Himalayan in past. Awaji decided first to check the comfortability of pillion seat before taking his better half on new bike.
They both started their journey on 12Aug-Saturday morning sharp 5.30AM towards Mahabaleshwar from Hyderabad, this was basic plan, go to Mahabaleshwar and then go to towards Goa via Konkan coast.

Hyderabad to Humanabad roads were excellent-four lanes, after that road condition were very bad till Solapur, in between they halted at Naldurg Fort to take pictures, both were very happy with performance of new bike, which was butter smooth-Makkhan.By the time they reached Solapur it was lunch time, they took lunch just before Solapur and started towards Mahabaleshwar.
Good four lanes till Tembhurni, then they took left to Akluj-Malshiras-Phaltan-Wai, State highway roads were bad but not so bad, they enjoyed the journey till they reach a point in evening where bangalore-Pune highways goes from above, they took evening snack and tea and started final journey towards Mahabaleshwar, to their horror, low beam was high beam and high beam was pointing towards sky and ghat road awaiting in front. Baapi somehow managed with low beam and parking lights, they both decided not to push more and halt at Panchgani.
Got a good hotel in 1000 rs with closed parking beside road, took dinner and slept tight.

13 Aug- they woke up fresh and started towards Mahabaleshwar, they went to some points but nothing was visible due to fog and mist, but they enjoyed a lot in cold and drizzling weather, they took lot of photographs and started journey towards sea by 12 PM. Roads in Mahabaleshwar used to be good in past but now they are not so good, just after a curve you will get big potholes-very dangerous for ghat road riding.
They rode till poladpur-khed(Mahabaleshwar-pratapgadh-poladpur road is worst-gave them feeling of spiti) and took their lunch there, the hotel guy was very knowledgeable, he told if you want real beauty go via dapoli and forward, both the riders were game for that, after lunch they took right from NH66 towards Dapoli-Dabhhol-Jetty point. This was new experience for both to put their bike in jetty and then cross the river. Last jetty was at 5.15 and they both just in time by 5.05 to catch it.From veldur side they reached Guhagar before dawn(remember light problem, next Benelli center@Goa), they took and small hotel with parking near Guahagar Beach, there was a nice chap named Pandit Ji, who arranged rooms in his hotel(Shri Puja Resort), this was less crowded even on long weekend.

14 Aug-Since roads were very bad inside villages, they both decided not to take SHs and headed towards chiplun very early morning and from there they took NH66 again towards Goa, this road is a good two lane, scenic (with some patches of bad roads).Guhagar-Dahivali-Sawarde-Rajapur-Kankavali-Sawantwadi. They took breakfast at Sawarde-ShivSagar-very tasty food. After that ride was uneventful , with intermittent rain in between. They just before Sawantwadi they took lunch in Happy Singh Punjabi Dhaba, the owner gave good news that four lanes are there from Sawantwadi,the yboth enjoyed four lane for some time after Sawantwadi, they tested spped of bike on straight empty roads and reached just in time at Benelli Service Center( it is on main Mumbai-Goa road), after 2k Kms- chain was cleaned-lubed and Light was adjusted. They both met Madras motorhead/Shashank there, they were very happy to meet him (his video also helped Awaji to decide on Benelli 300). They went to their fixed place at Anjuna Beach-Gypsy’s Hostel. Took Dinner at Bagha main market, spent some time near beach and retired for the day.

15 Aug-They both woke up late as this was return day and known road, full four lanes till Bangalore, so they both decided to cover Amboli too on this day, they both again went back on Goa-Mumbai Highway till Banda and took right towards Amboli (roads were hell, very difficult to ride in those roads), but good weather at Amboli again put smile on their face, post lunch they started from Amboli towards Bangalore.
Amboli-Belgaum (again bad roads), Belgaum to Dharwad-4lane, Dharwad-Hubli-Good-2-lane roads, after Hubli they got stuck in such a heavy down pour, which they have never seen in their life, impossible to ride in that heavy-heavy rain, but they continued slowly -even after jacket rain liner and raincoats they were drenched from everywhere, hazard lights-ON and ride ON. Rain god finally showed mercy around Chitradurga and they could do some good speed. At around 1.30 AM-near Tumkuru they both halted for final rest and tank fill up, HP petrol bunk was on opposite direction so they took U-turn, filled full tank and took some rest. After that due to tiredness and eagerness to reach home quickly (Baapi leaves in Bangalore), they forgot to take U-turn again and sped towards Pune again. After half an hour alarmed Awaji (who saw sign board of Pune distance) asked baapi to stop and then both realized that they forgot to take U-turn towards Bangalore and they rode about 30 mins towards Pune.
With heavy heart, they again took U-turn-towards Bangalore and reached Baapi’s house at 5 in the morning, they both rode for around 20 Hrs on that day. After taking rest for 3 Hrs Awaji started back to Hyderabad from Bangalore and reached home sweet home by evening.

Wheather it is Ladakh or Goa, nature always wins and whatever you do, you are always under prepared for a motorcycle ride.
Ride Safe, Ride long, Ride hard, cheers!!!

Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride



@xfiasco ji

Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride

This is awesome. Great going.

Happy to meet you all there at the service center.

It is indeed a very small word

- Shanky the MadrasMotorHead

Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride

Good ride. Thanks for the road updates between Hyderabad and Sholapur, Mahabaleshwar and Poladpur. Should you do another ride via Goa in the future, go via Chorla from Goa to rejoin the Pune Bangalore highway.

Sent from my MI PAD using xBhp.com mobile app

Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride

Are you back to Chennai, or still on road??

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yup , sure will take that, there are few roads like from Molem to catch Pune-Bangalore road which we have taken in past, but thanks to recent viral video of two youths jumping cliff at Amboli-my partner was very much curious to see Amboli Ghats..

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Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride

Back home bud. It was nice meeting y'all

Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride

Patch u guys did between Chiplun to Goa was the part of Mumbai​ Goa highway which is one of the science highway of our country

Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride

yes indeed one of the best scenic route I have traveled, road condition are little bit off in some patches, ghat road-when you come out of corner and suddenly you see big pot holes in front of you - becomes tiresome to ride.

Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride

Yes the SH & NH conditions in Maharashtra is not so great and on every corner of ghat section you should be ready for a pothole

Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride

Hii nice to see yur blog it is really good
I want to know how is yur bike performing.
As i have heard that service of benelli is expensive and the service intervals is aslo less.
I'm asking this question because im in search for bike which is good in touring.
Hope yu will rply and help me out on this one (benelli 300).

Sent from my X9009 using xBhp.com mobile app

Re: 4 Days-2600Kms-Independence Day-Konkan Ride

Great read...amazing picturesque. Thanks for sharing

ATGATT !!!

Cheers,
WindPacer