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My TWISTSCOOT journey.
As I had successfully completed my 14,000 kms twistscoot ride, here is a short itinerary on account of my Indian trip.
This idea popped into my head as I had a conversation with my friends regarding a ride from Bangalore to Kottayam on a scooter. They all said that it is very tiring and it won’t be smooth. I did a little research to get some motivation but all I got to know is the very same thing again ie, It’s kind of impossible, and the maximum distance you can peacefully cover in a scooter is 200 - 300kms. Bangalore to Kottayam was 650kms apart. I took this as a challenge and rode to fulfil it with my Honda Dio. 650kms in 13hrs... After that, this idea of an all India trip strikes me and meanwhile my former super bike company Aprilia launched their new scooter Aprilia sr150.
So I made up my mind, and I chose Tawang, the biker’s paradise as my destination. And my friends Gibin, Akshay and Archana too were convinced to ride with me.
For our journey we needed a luggage carrier. With my past modification experiences, I designed a single wheeled trailer for our scooters. And my ideas were put into work by Praveen and finally we had India’s first scooter trailer..! One was completely for luggage and another was partially modified to accommodate our dogs (Duma & Normen).
With the support and love of my family and friends especially my riding group GORS, I started my journey with Akshay from Kottayam on 5th January 2017.
The next day we reached Bangalore and from there Gibin and Archana joined us. One of my friends, Nived got inspired by our ride and decided to join us with his Honda Activa. Thus, we 5 started our journey. Me and gibin rode Aprilia whereas Akshay and Archana was in Dio.
Our first halt was in Hampi. Being once a historical land, Hampi welcomed us well with its authentic beauty. We camped there for the night. The native people made sure that we were safe and secure. A big salute to all those kind hearted people. The next destination was Hyderabad, as the hyderabadil people say the diamond land. We did our 2nd service from there, first was done in Thrissur, Kerala. We had a great stay there, enjoyed the special hyderabadi biriyani.
And from there it was a straight shoot to Delhi, which took us a couple days. We stayed back in between, and OYO rooms app helped us to get the best service in all towns and cities. In other rural areas, we camped and had our adventurous nights. From Delhi, we rode to Manali, our first main destination. Aprilia SR150 did its best in the snow and its performance has to be appreciated. Even the people over there supported and encouraged our ride.
From Manali we rode back to Delhi, did Aprilia’s 3rd service and continued our journey to Lucknow. Our trip plan was to complete this journey within 45 days, but it was a bit tiring for others to keep up with that plan. So, we decided that me and Gibin will go ahead and the rest will follow our lead. So, we (me and Gibin) reached Patna, Bihar.We bought new tyres and from there we travelled to Siliguri, West Bengal. We really had a great time camping there.
Our journey then was to Arunchal Pradesh and it was one hell of a ride. The roads were completely destroyed due to rain. It took us 3 hrs to cover 40 kms. But we were really lucky to meet a Malayali Indian Army officer Fijeesh Palakkal who offered us accommodation in the Indian Army Camp. The head official Jitendra Singh Kushwah was really kind and supportive. We were really privileged to spend our time with them. It was a lifetime experience. One will need a special pass called ILP (Inner Limit permit ) to enter Arunchal Pradesh due to security reasons. Permit will be for 7-15 days.
It took us 4 days to reach Tawang due to rain and rough roads. As we explored Tawang, i literally fell in love with her. Her beauty is truly unmatched. There is this feeling that makes you believe that you have finally reached paradise. From there, we came to know about the Bum La Pass, located in the Indo-China border. It is 15,200 ft above sea level. There is no permit for scooters, due to safety and security reasons. We requested them for a chance, and after long discussions and waiting, we were granted permission. Once again Indian Army helped us to achieve our dream, we rode through it and become the first ever to ride a scooter to Bum La Pass. The army supported us very well and its because of them we achieved it.
And from there, we began our return journey. On the way back we stayed back in Tawang and visited its monastery which is the largest in india and 2nd largest in the world. Filled in with peace and all good vibes we rode back to Guwahati, Assam within 2 days; where we did our 4th service. Assam bought back a lot of childhood memories, I lived there till i turned 3. After a night's camp, we did a straight ride to Kolkata. And from there to Nagpur. By this time, we had covered more than 10,000 kms. We were welcomed in Aprilia Nagpur and had a grand celebration there. The staff and crew filled our hearts with love and support, we did our 5th service there.
Our initial idea was to cover Pune, then we had a change of plans and traveled straight to Hyderabad. Spent a great day there, enjoyed that special biriyani once again. While we sat back and enjoyed our coffee, one thought strikes. Why leave a place when once you had your mind on it ? A riders theory i guess. We headed for Pune. We covered Hyderabad - Pune 550 kms in just 10hrs. Aprilia India once again surprised us and we celebrated there too. I had loads of memories with Aprilia Pune, as i used to visit there often for my former bike Aprilia RSV4.
From Pune it was a direct ride to Bangalore. We did it in less than 17 hrs covering 830 kms; in which we rode continuously for 195 kms. It was full fuel ride, which took 2hrs and 15min. Finally we reached Bangalore. I was welcomed back by my group GORS and i had a great night with them. We all continued together to Kottayam the next day. But things got spiced up when on the way back my scooter’s belt broke and i got stuck in the outskirts of Salem. Special thanks to Jeff Joyan & Kevin Joy. They helped me there. I called up Gibin and he reached with the manual parts with which i did the works so that we could reach till the showroom there. They fixed it partially because they didn't have the spare parts. We had to ride slowly 30-40 kms/hr, it took us 20 hrs to reach Kochi, from where we fixed things up. And then reached Kottayam covering 14,000 kms in 50 days on my twistscoot.
Top Speed - 115km/h
Fuel Economy - 29km/L (speed range 80-100km/h) with full load (406kg).
Trailer with full load - 128kg.
Total Weight - 406kg.(scooter,trailer and us).
Fuel Expense - Rs.35000/-
Total expense per person without fuel expense - Rs.40000/-
By the end of this journey, I learnt on thing:
Always believe in that spark that makes you do all random things and there is nothing that is impossible.
I take this opportunity to thank each and everyone for their love and support. From my co-riders to all those good hearts who provided us with the best all through our journey, thanks a lot for making my dream come true. I also thank The Indian Police Force for being such a stronghold in our venture. And Indian Army for all the love and support, we couldn't ask for anything better.
And i must say, I'm really so lucky to have such a wonderful family who supported me: my dad,mom,sis Florin Ipe and my sweet wifey Dr'Merlin Darin. I know its your prayers that kept me safe all the way. I can't express how much you people mean to me. And to all my friends, my riding group GORS and to all well-wishers and supporters. And to my Aprilia team, who had our backs with their services and support. According to my personal experience, I state that Aprilia SR150 is the best scooter in its class available in India right now. Its performance was really outstanding in all terrains.
Everything is possible once you made your mind up for it. Fight for your dreams.
Dreams do come true. !!!
As I had successfully completed my 14,000 kms twistscoot ride, here is a short itinerary on account of my Indian trip.
This idea popped into my head as I had a conversation with my friends regarding a ride from Bangalore to Kottayam on a scooter. They all said that it is very tiring and it won’t be smooth. I did a little research to get some motivation but all I got to know is the very same thing again ie, It’s kind of impossible, and the maximum distance you can peacefully cover in a scooter is 200 - 300kms. Bangalore to Kottayam was 650kms apart. I took this as a challenge and rode to fulfil it with my Honda Dio. 650kms in 13hrs... After that, this idea of an all India trip strikes me and meanwhile my former super bike company Aprilia launched their new scooter Aprilia sr150.
So I made up my mind, and I chose Tawang, the biker’s paradise as my destination. And my friends Gibin, Akshay and Archana too were convinced to ride with me.
For our journey we needed a luggage carrier. With my past modification experiences, I designed a single wheeled trailer for our scooters. And my ideas were put into work by Praveen and finally we had India’s first scooter trailer..! One was completely for luggage and another was partially modified to accommodate our dogs (Duma & Normen).
With the support and love of my family and friends especially my riding group GORS, I started my journey with Akshay from Kottayam on 5th January 2017.
The next day we reached Bangalore and from there Gibin and Archana joined us. One of my friends, Nived got inspired by our ride and decided to join us with his Honda Activa. Thus, we 5 started our journey. Me and gibin rode Aprilia whereas Akshay and Archana was in Dio.
Our first halt was in Hampi. Being once a historical land, Hampi welcomed us well with its authentic beauty. We camped there for the night. The native people made sure that we were safe and secure. A big salute to all those kind hearted people. The next destination was Hyderabad, as the hyderabadil people say the diamond land. We did our 2nd service from there, first was done in Thrissur, Kerala. We had a great stay there, enjoyed the special hyderabadi biriyani.
And from there it was a straight shoot to Delhi, which took us a couple days. We stayed back in between, and OYO rooms app helped us to get the best service in all towns and cities. In other rural areas, we camped and had our adventurous nights. From Delhi, we rode to Manali, our first main destination. Aprilia SR150 did its best in the snow and its performance has to be appreciated. Even the people over there supported and encouraged our ride.
From Manali we rode back to Delhi, did Aprilia’s 3rd service and continued our journey to Lucknow. Our trip plan was to complete this journey within 45 days, but it was a bit tiring for others to keep up with that plan. So, we decided that me and Gibin will go ahead and the rest will follow our lead. So, we (me and Gibin) reached Patna, Bihar.We bought new tyres and from there we travelled to Siliguri, West Bengal. We really had a great time camping there.
Our journey then was to Arunchal Pradesh and it was one hell of a ride. The roads were completely destroyed due to rain. It took us 3 hrs to cover 40 kms. But we were really lucky to meet a Malayali Indian Army officer Fijeesh Palakkal who offered us accommodation in the Indian Army Camp. The head official Jitendra Singh Kushwah was really kind and supportive. We were really privileged to spend our time with them. It was a lifetime experience. One will need a special pass called ILP (Inner Limit permit ) to enter Arunchal Pradesh due to security reasons. Permit will be for 7-15 days.
It took us 4 days to reach Tawang due to rain and rough roads. As we explored Tawang, i literally fell in love with her. Her beauty is truly unmatched. There is this feeling that makes you believe that you have finally reached paradise. From there, we came to know about the Bum La Pass, located in the Indo-China border. It is 15,200 ft above sea level. There is no permit for scooters, due to safety and security reasons. We requested them for a chance, and after long discussions and waiting, we were granted permission. Once again Indian Army helped us to achieve our dream, we rode through it and become the first ever to ride a scooter to Bum La Pass. The army supported us very well and its because of them we achieved it.
And from there, we began our return journey. On the way back we stayed back in Tawang and visited its monastery which is the largest in india and 2nd largest in the world. Filled in with peace and all good vibes we rode back to Guwahati, Assam within 2 days; where we did our 4th service. Assam bought back a lot of childhood memories, I lived there till i turned 3. After a night's camp, we did a straight ride to Kolkata. And from there to Nagpur. By this time, we had covered more than 10,000 kms. We were welcomed in Aprilia Nagpur and had a grand celebration there. The staff and crew filled our hearts with love and support, we did our 5th service there.
Our initial idea was to cover Pune, then we had a change of plans and traveled straight to Hyderabad. Spent a great day there, enjoyed that special biriyani once again. While we sat back and enjoyed our coffee, one thought strikes. Why leave a place when once you had your mind on it ? A riders theory i guess. We headed for Pune. We covered Hyderabad - Pune 550 kms in just 10hrs. Aprilia India once again surprised us and we celebrated there too. I had loads of memories with Aprilia Pune, as i used to visit there often for my former bike Aprilia RSV4.
From Pune it was a direct ride to Bangalore. We did it in less than 17 hrs covering 830 kms; in which we rode continuously for 195 kms. It was full fuel ride, which took 2hrs and 15min. Finally we reached Bangalore. I was welcomed back by my group GORS and i had a great night with them. We all continued together to Kottayam the next day. But things got spiced up when on the way back my scooter’s belt broke and i got stuck in the outskirts of Salem. Special thanks to Jeff Joyan & Kevin Joy. They helped me there. I called up Gibin and he reached with the manual parts with which i did the works so that we could reach till the showroom there. They fixed it partially because they didn't have the spare parts. We had to ride slowly 30-40 kms/hr, it took us 20 hrs to reach Kochi, from where we fixed things up. And then reached Kottayam covering 14,000 kms in 50 days on my twistscoot.
Top Speed - 115km/h
Fuel Economy - 29km/L (speed range 80-100km/h) with full load (406kg).
Trailer with full load - 128kg.
Total Weight - 406kg.(scooter,trailer and us).
Fuel Expense - Rs.35000/-
Total expense per person without fuel expense - Rs.40000/-
By the end of this journey, I learnt on thing:
Always believe in that spark that makes you do all random things and there is nothing that is impossible.
I take this opportunity to thank each and everyone for their love and support. From my co-riders to all those good hearts who provided us with the best all through our journey, thanks a lot for making my dream come true. I also thank The Indian Police Force for being such a stronghold in our venture. And Indian Army for all the love and support, we couldn't ask for anything better.
And i must say, I'm really so lucky to have such a wonderful family who supported me: my dad,mom,sis Florin Ipe and my sweet wifey Dr'Merlin Darin. I know its your prayers that kept me safe all the way. I can't express how much you people mean to me. And to all my friends, my riding group GORS and to all well-wishers and supporters. And to my Aprilia team, who had our backs with their services and support. According to my personal experience, I state that Aprilia SR150 is the best scooter in its class available in India right now. Its performance was really outstanding in all terrains.
Everything is possible once you made your mind up for it. Fight for your dreams.
Dreams do come true. !!!
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