Ken sir i thought you will be around 40 when i read this yesterday. But you look very young.. Log is good and Apparently we need more pictures.

bang on...

MG: You are absolutely right...it's a Canon 400D.

Ken: Nice start...waiting for more!

Manan: Was a pleasure riding with you...

Will try posting some pictures that Manan and I took...

Nice trip...
this three day weekend was an exceptional chance for an outing/riding.... and I see that you have made the most of it....

Pleasure was all mine brother...

Please go ahead and post those pics soon

Man!!! I think this is the first log after Kencool was moderated (correct me if I'm wrong)
Had been waiting for some action from you and your one after the last log.. So here it is.. Now waiting for more TM'ed Pics

wow ken on tour...belated birthday wishes...now please post the pictures that everybody wants to see THE R1

Not really. Too much rain. Could not really take the camera out.

I just turned 20 last weekend!

I think you are right. First log!

Thanks for the wishes.

Day1, Part IIBreak at Dharampur





I cropped out the CCD logo, added noise etc.

Waiting for the wicked brownies and the ride after that!


We got going again. Nitin is a good rider too and he is good around corners as well. But he was riding in the hills for the first time since doing Ladakh last year and he was a trifle rusty. As for Manan, I really had to push myself to keep myself at the tail of Manan to be able to keep him in the screen’s vision. Thankfully Accuweather went totally wrong here. There were menacing heavy low lying dark clouds, threatening to burst forth, there was fog, or low clouds if you please, but the roads were bone dry and we had no fear of the bikes loosing grip on the tarmac. This went on for a good 40 kilometres. It was really an incredible ride.

A short break




View of the roads




Steeds with their riders




Comparative Rear Tyre Wear


R1 vs RTR180


When we were a few kilometres short of Shimla the clouds could not hold back any more. We stopped at a shelter and I took off the camera from the tank mount. This time I decided to don my raincoat. And Manan decided to put on his contact lenses! And Nitin ruing the fact that he had left his raincoat back home out of sheer laziness.

Rain break


Rain shelter

"Left my raincoat back home! Phew. If only I were less lazy!"

Another rain break at yet another rain shelter


With rain abetting a bit, we made our way once again. Vivek was way ahead and the WagonR was way behind. Wet roads were tougher to negotiate. Shimla came and went. Nothing to write home about. More rains, more wet roads. Till Theog, where we had a pakora cum tea stop. Both the tea and pakoras were HORRID! They said that the pakoras were freshly made, barely 10 hours ago!

It was getting colder with the rains and my raincoat saved the day for me. I remained warmer than the others. But my soggy fingers and toes were beginning to get colder.

At Theog we turned right for Kharapathar. And that was virtually the end of tarmac. Tarmac was available as an optional item from time to time, mostly covered in slippery sludge. That was when my One started sliding from side to side. I could not accelerate, I could not brake, at times I was struggling to climb up on such tracks and at times I was hurtling down a steep incline hoping there were no vehicles coming from front. If I ever fell on such muddy slush, it would have been practically impossible to lift up the R1.

Manan raced ahead with his RTR only he knows how, twisting and sliding around. I struggled with the One which suddenly seemed huge and heavy like a Victory Vision and impossible to handle. My shoulders and wrists and back began to ache from the jerks on non existent roads and the effort needed to keep the bike under control when it was swaying around on slippery mud. Nitin and I decided to take a break at Chailla, where I consumed the only can of carbonated drink available in the whole village. Nitin wanted to fill air in his tyres. The puncture guys told him there was not enough pressure. They were too lazy to move and fill his tyres!

Right from Theog, an interesting shot taken by Ms Moon Das


Another on the way


A Non Rain break between Theog and Chhaila


A pose of Nitin that made him famous during his trip to Ladakh, printed in Bike India


Nitin Immortalised


He couldn't stop nearly threatening a landslide




R1 staring at a cave garage!




Break at Chhaila to Rehydrate (Despite being drenched!)


Hero Heeralal!


And His bike!


The Only DSLR pix that I took




A tiny example of the kind of roads that we traversed


In the meanwhile the WagonR caught up with us. We set off on our way. The next 25 kilometres took a full hour. I rode through utter darkness, through the same offroad, broken, slushy road at an average speed of 25Kmph. At times thick fog enveloped me and all that I could see was the light emanating from my headlights illuminating the mist in front of me. I had virtually no idea of where I was going. I rode purely on guesswork. When I finally reached Kharapathar, it was so dark and foggy I could not see the hotel in front of which I had stopped.

When I arrived, it was so foggy that I could not see the hotel in front of which I was standing. I called up Vivek who came out of the hotel and could not see me. I was a few feet from him. I switched on my R1 and he and Manan came sauntering towards me hearing the sound and seeing the headlights of the One!

The last 50 kilometres was so tough on body and machine that I could not even park my own bike. End of the day: 468 kms from home to hotel!

Evening at the hotel was an exciting affair too. Firstly there was no electricity. The staff told me, “Did you not see a fallen tree on the road that has broken the lines and cut off the electricity?” Consumed in my haste to get to the hotel in the dark and fog and mist, I seemed to have ridden through a fallen tree that I did not somehow notice! Hence no lights or hot water. I thought that this was exotic. But I badly needed a hot shower. No such luck. Exotic turned to romantic when all of us friends sat down for a session of drinks in Vivek’s room in multiple candle lights! Rossi boy Manan does not drink. So we gave him Pepsi instead!

Now here was a big surprise waiting for me. At the stroke of midnight, when India became independent, 62 years later, Ms Moon, the girl from Shillong walked into the room with a huge cake in hand written Happy Birthday on it and a bottle of Champagne to go with it. Arti and Nitin came up with a lovely wine. This embarrassing yet happy birthday session went along deep into the night. A HUGE thanks to Moon for organizing such a lovely surprise having a cake and champagne with close intimate friends at an altitude of 2700 metres, in the back of beyond surrounded by candles, it was indeed a memorable and touching moment of my life.

Happy Proceedings later in the night, gift from Ms Moon.


Gift from Nitin and Arti, very good French red wine!


Uncorking the Sparkling Wine!


The Champagne goes around

The Champagne was really good and went well with the cake!

The discussion of the evening varied from my (BMI)Body Mass Index which has little or no relevance on the handling of the R1 while leaning to the preparations of a Gypsy (of the Maruti kinds!) for the Raid de Himalaya to the highhandedness and the lack of professionalism of certain film actors and actresses during an organised events to the choice of motorcycles for a trip to Kharapathar to modern classical dances, ballets and Bolshoi! We were quite eclectic in our topics I must say. We also got to know that Vivek knows this place like the back of his palm since it is part of the Raid de Himalaya.

At 0300 hours, tired but happy, we decided to call it a day and retired to our respective rooms. It was a great day of riding I must say. One word of advice however; do not take a bike with clip-ons or any sport-bike to Kharapathar.

To give an idea of where we went, click on the link below and you will see Theog on the top left hand corner. Then follow SH10. You will come to a place called Kotkhai. 21Kms from Kotkhai is situated Kharapathar.



...to be contd a little more!

Nice Ride there Ken! The pine groves enroute Kharapathhar are really amazing!

Thanks!

Agreed. But in retrospect, (and during the ride) I wish I had another bike... like my RX for example! Or anything with higher handle bars, not clip-ons, more suspension travel and I would be fine. Till Theog it is fine with the One. I have been on that route 4th time with the One, 8th overall. But as I said, Theog onwards is a bit of an ordeal with Sbks. Strictly not recommended!

As always an excellent log there Ken Da and equally gud pics...

P.S : Gud to see the RTR giving the biggies a run for their money on the hills...Reading this I love my bike even more now

@Ken da: You are right. Manan is amazing on the hills On our trips to Auli and Kumaon all i could see was Manan's tail light. Infact once he hit 100 on the gentle curves on the road from almora to nainital.. in the rain !!!

@Manan: Expect a call from me next week. How about Chandrataal I am itching to tour.

You have reason to love your bike. I have tried the 180 over a small stretch. Very light feel, easy to manoeuvre, quick to flick, overall a great bike and this one carries good speed as well.

Now do not make me jealous.

Yes Manan is really good. I have not yet finished my log. You will see what is coming on the way back. And there are some videos too, if I manage to upload them. But yes... But if you gave me an RTR or even an R15, I will not be able to go and catch Manan.

Ah! Damn! Missed it...again.
No, not just the trip. But watching the R1 doing multiple 'inadvertent' slaloms through slush .

Ken: you did call in time but I couldn't make it. And except for the 'holiday' crowds, would have loved each bit.
Great trip log there as usual. You have the knack of taking the reader on a pillion ride.

Nitinjit: Missed riding with you once again. But good to see Ken as the eternal catalyst managing to lure you away from your busy life. Or was it the other way round this time you see.

Manan: So you were your 'usual' again. And on a better bike this time. Dhanaulti is not all that misty in time.

Vivek: I would have missed this ride all the more had you been riding too. But never mind...all in good time.

Good to see you Old Fox. Yes, dearly wished you to be around for the ride. And you could have also been around for the round of cocktails! I have just edited the links and added Map links to facilitate comprehension of where we went.

Yes, the R1 slushing around in mud was fun too!