BullAdi

T.W.O. Throttle Wide Open

2009-11-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

Announcing India's first Motorcycle Racing School : T.W.O. Throttle Wide Open

Venue: KARI Motor Speedway

Dates : Dec 5th/6th 2009

Limited Seats

Cost : INR3900/rider

Includes : Two full days of track time, Instruction by experienced racers, Learn Theory and get a chance to put that learning on the track, Medical, Marshals and a chance to hang out with your crowd!

Visit www.indimotard.com/two_racing

Call 9980829440

Caman the RAID!!

2008-09-11T23:19:00.000-07:00

It is true ...Dreams do come true. Or at least they will!!! .... in a weeks time. My wish to take part in motor sports and my dream to ride in the mighty Himalayas are going to be fulfilled during the 10^th international RAID DE HIMALAYA.

Hailed as the third toughest rally in the world under extreme weather conditions, the Raid is sure going to be an experience like no other.

Much effort has gone into this project over the past year - from collecting the bike, choosing the riding gear to deciding on the spare parts to be carried. So vested was I in getting necessary changes done to the bike and procuring the required equipment that the last six months have been lost in isolation from the rest of the world.

As Murphy’s law would dictate, my work load at office nearly doubled with added responsibilities right when I was needed the most at the mech’s workshop. All the wake hours were spent either hunting for spare parts / getting the bike modifications done or having a telephone receiver glued to the ear on a con-call with the client discussing when the next release to the production system is likely to happen. Who ever said Sap Consultancy is easy...and everybody says Raid is tough.

Considering it has been a while since I last updated this space, here are a list of events that missed the log books

Club rides with the boy to nearby places.
Photography trips with people who like to shoot small things with large things from far off distances
A very thrilling and confidence boosting track day at the Sriperambuddur race track in Chennai (finished 6^th overall with a best lap time of 1:25 on the short loop)
Had a clumsy but nasty fall in my office parking lot while doing 30kmph and managed to loose skin form most of my left knee. The first time I dropped a bike. Damn those MRF Zappers.
Took part in a very exiting two day Rally De Bengaluru – which included my first ever dirt event under lights in a super special stage.

One of my best mates Rohan, who was leading in his class, had a bad fall at one of the slippery jumps and suffered a head injury. He is out of danger now and recovering fast – get well soon bruv!!

ProSports JK Tyre King of the Hills – Chamundi Hills

2008-02-20T01:55:00.000-08:00

Today while one talks of R15’s and Ninja250’s, where the lap timings are getting shorter and when reliability is an assumed must - of all the Indian made machines Royal Enfield ceases to be a choice for high speed sport.
In spite of outstanding achievements by a few stalwarts like Sachin, Prashi, Nitin and the likes, on RE machines and all the “electrical gadgetry” that the new RE’s sport, the average RE enthusiast is still weary of competing at professional events other than an occasional track day. After all, at the core, the RE is still a machine from the 50’s which is as unpredictable as a bull on steroids.

In continuation to the effort to revive the Royal Enfield motorcycles in the Indian motor sports, a few of us, especially Rohan convinced the authorities and succeeded in participating in what could be a foray for RE in the modern day motorcycle racing.

PROSPORTS JK TYRE – KING OF THE HILLS

The organizers ProSports were kind enough to entertain our request and include RE as a separate class for this hill climb event. The event was later accredited with a sponsorship by JK tyre - a much needed publicity. The event though was faced with challenges was only delayed by a couple of weeks and finally took off on the 16th Feb 2008.

Not all who registered were able to take part, but 6 Bullets headed to Chamundi Hills that morning – some to win, some just happy to take part.

Kalkat and I were the first to reach the venue to find the arrangements well in progress. A trial run down the track confirmed my fears – debris strewn across the path at every corner. Those monster four-wheelers were let loose the day before for practice runs and the boys did their best to unearth every rock and stone on the way.
We were soon joined by Sachin, Rohan, Mamada, Dipesh, Monica and Snigda. Dipesh’s Endeavor was soon converted into a make shift paddock and the first to go were the Royal Enfield’s.

The sprint is an uphill climb of 2.8Km with jagged rock hill on the left and the concrete rampart on the right. The crowd had gathered all along the course on either side as they would in a rally.

Though we were given a practice run, all of us queued at the start line with the thought of having to go at our flat out best on a relatively unfamiliar turf.
Sachin was the first to go followed by Rohan. The wait had my pulse going but as I lined up all the noise and scuffling around muffled itself into silence. As they say - when the clutch drops, the bullshit stops! Had a good start and rode to the best of my abilities only to have my chain guard snap at one of the sweeping lefthanders. The unsettling experience had me straighten and slow down to cross the finish line rattling like a string of tin cans on a Bellandur tractor.
I was soon joined at the finish line by Muthu, Anand and finally by Kalkat.

pic by Dipesh

The timings are as follows

Sachin --- LB 500 --- 2.08
Rohan --- LB 500 --- 2.11
Kalkat --- LB 500 --- 2.19.85
Aditya --- CI 500 --- 2.27
Anand --- LB 500 --- 2.29.22
Muthu --- LB 500 --- 2.29.85

The winners were presented with ice hockey style towering trophies by the much respected rally guru Mr. C K Chinnappa
(The trophies are worth the win if not for any thing else :-) as Ukridge would say “by Scott they are huge!! a sure thing to impress them ladies”)

It was unanimously decided to celebrate the victory in Gudalore near Ooty. What followed was a beautiful ride through the Bandipur/Mudumalai forest range and a happy banter with friends on top of a hill among tea plantations.

More pictures - courtsey Dipesh

YOU CAN FORGET WHAT YOU DO FOR A LIVING WHEN YOUR KNEES ARE IN THE BREEZE – a wise guy

Alipnestars GP PLUS GLOVE: RACING – ROAD

2007-07-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

The GP Plus gloves are from the A’stars premier collection shelf, suitable for track and serious road use. Aesthetically the gloves look very sharp with their generous use of carbon fiber over knuckle and fingers, the stylish gauntlet and the eye catching logo design. The double line stitching is done on the out side in a contrasting color reassuring the sturdiness of the build. The outside stitching also leaves a seamless finish which avoids the painful welts, from the otherwise bunched up leather that jams the already restricted fingers, from the inside.

The first thing I noticed when I tired one on was the comfort and the ergonomic ease with which it molded over my hand. The pre-curved fingers adhere to the natural posture forcing a relaxed claw. The gloves feel natural while gripping the handle bar – the small double strap on the inside of the wrist ensures a snug fit. The fact that this strap is hooded by a small protruding flap of leather can only be attributed to the aerodynamics of the gloves.

But unlike the claims, this glove too needs breaking in. The knuckle on my right hand little finger was sore for days after a seven-hour stint in these gloves.
My bone structure was definitely not to blame as, I soon after came to know that, Alpinestars have modified this problem in their later versions - “The carbon pieces on the pinky and ring finger were removed to reduce the discomfort and stiffness created by the carbon pieces positioned in a small area – Aplinestars”
Well, mine does have that little piece of carbon fiber on the last two fingers and am eagerly waiting for the leather around to adapt for the torture to end.

Also worth writing about is the patented concept of Alpinestars that unite the ring finger and the small finger by a piece of leather. This makes the two fingers inseparable, which apparently helps one in counting to ten after a crash. Strangely though, this restriction is not so much of a bother as it would seem. Surprisingly, I noticed, I use the last two fingers together or not at all.

The appeal of the glove is the soft yet sturdy kangaroo leather that gives a protective feel to the glove. The gauntlet, also of the same material, wraps its self sleekly over the wrist and forearm with Velcro. It is however, due to this tight fit, worth noting that many (like me) would find it difficult to wear it over the cuff of a riding jacket. I content my self by sliding my jacket sleeve over covering the gauntlet.

Thought the glove does not have any vents, the sweat absorbing material on the inside of the palm keeps the glove dry. In hot conditions however, it is advisable to leave the sodden leather to dry itself before the next use.
This is one of the best gloves in the market, worth for their brand value as much as for the excellent quality – at a steep price though.

Manufacturers Specifications

Carbon fiber knuckle and finger protection
Patented “Finger Bridge” for maximum 3rd and 4th finger protection
External seams on palm and lateral side provide a seamless feel on the sensitive areas of the hand
Palm protected with KEVLAR (brand fiber) and second layer of leather
Pre-curved fingers provide secure and relaxed grip
Dual wrist closures for personalized fit and greater protection
Internal SCHOELLER KEPROTEC lining
Reflective appliqué logos for increased visibility

The Cloud Valley - Coorg district

2007-05-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Second ride with the RTMC boys to the Cloud valley on the 12th and 13th.
750km round trip
Amazing ghats, lush forests, beautiful roads, comfortable accommodation, delicious food, meticulous planning, new places, and unfortunate accidents - overall a learning experience.

Made a rain drenched pilgrimage ride to Talacauvery and "Triveni Sangam" in Bhagamandala.

Pictures

MBMC 5a @Elagiri

2007-05-04T01:44:00.000-07:00

MadrasBulls are five years old and growing. The club has done some good rides this year and has seen some admirable new affiliates. Be it the England ride, Rider Mania or the solo Kerala rides – the members have a lot to celebrate with our fellow riders from the southern squadron. There could not have been a better place to celebrate this year than at our Bala's Foghorn Adventures in Elagiri.
Riding with a worn out clutch might not be the safest thing to do and it is definitely risky if the problem list includes a dysfunctional front brake, loose con-rod and a worn out swing armbush. So decided to ride as the bike's condition demanded – I may aswell go on to say that the bike took me through the ride safely and saw me home with no complications. I have loved my bike since the day I bought it but my respect and affection towards it grows after every such display of resilience.

Friday
Bangalore weather finally caught up with me and I was running the customary change-in-location fever. Not wanting to miss the ride,had decided to tuck in early, but the absence of electricity and drytaps forced me go knocking at my friends apartment to spend the night. Finally managed to crash at 1AM with a Crocin.

Saturday5.30AM
Rode to the Domlour flyover to meet Prateek who guided through thecity roads to the Shell bunk on the Hosur highway. DeadDog and Sonali joined us soon afterwards. Stopped at the HP bunk after crossing the stare border for some breakfast and cheaper petrol. Now joined by Salai and his wife we made steady progress @60kph. Prateek likes to ride slow, Sonali doesn't want to ride fast and I cannot ride fast – DeadDog was bound by the obligation of tailing me :-) and Salai was itching to break free. The temperature was rising and much to Salai's relief the first of the hotrods overtook us – Sam and Dutta on their superior BMWs. Theywere soon followed buy the patraaaan junta – Rohan, Mahendra,Poo....it is always a pleasure being overtaken by faster machines. Sam and Dutta - thanks to their frequent ciggi breaks were a treat many a times.

Owing to my limping slow machine, I could not afford to stop longerwith the gang on our breaks, I would continue riding treating myselfto another of their flybys. Finally reached the foot hills where the boys had stopped for yet another of their breaks. Not wanting to hold anyone back and being a part of the welcoming committee, I continued up the ghats after getting directions from Mahindra.
As always, climbing the ghats is feeling like no other and Elagiri uphill climb is a treat with frequent hairpins and long `s' bends. Temporarily forgot the problems that I had with the bike, openingthe throttle probably more than I should have. But the bike behaved beautifully with a healthy beat (the hilly climate sure agreed with the bike).
Reached the venue to be greeted by fellow MadBulls. Was pr-registered with a room already allotted, so could take off to the "site" immediately where my services were urgently required. Naren wanted help in lugging some furniture and music system to the camp site on the notorious 207 TATA mobile. It was one rollercoaster ride on the back of that pickup truck holding on to the tables and the rolling water cans through the Elagiri bends.Bala was architecting the dirt track around the site. He had us decorate it with gravel, sand and granite chips to discomfort the rider leaving no grip and unpredictable slides. Planted the beer cans around the track and helped Dosai set up the moozik.
Sim offered a ride back to the dorms to escort the rest. Sitting on a steel carrier that he has for a rear seat was my dumb idea, but ripping through the sand littered bends and flying (literally) over the humps was his idea of scaring the big J outta me...my bum stillhurts....thanks bro...

its An?l’s turn

The events started with the beer picking competition (ended with it being the only event really....). With Dosai demonstrating the artof picking stuff from ground...few of us managed to snag the cans and the rest were content with riding around the track as fast asthey could.
Post lunch, a quick drizzle settled the dust and the wet ground and the sudden fall in temperature were a pleasant contrast to the scorching heat we had through the day.

After every one had left for their afternoon siesta, few of us stayed back to pack. There were Ajith, Arul, Dosai, Vijay, Bra,Balaji and Aravindan – a bright young local lad who can speak immaculate English and had good GK. It was a privilege to have met this kid in such a remote place studying in a local convent to articulate himself so well. I truly hope that he goes places and does well for himself. Spent jolly good hour laughing at Vijay's antics and Ajiths funny retorts.

Negotiating the track on Bala’s bike

On a challenge we all had another go at the track. The ride back was another exhilarating rush – particularly at one of the crests where the road suddenly drops low – where almost every one was airborne.

After a short rest the party had started in the evening with DJDosai "belting" out crappy dinchak rave muzik...taking DJing a bit too far m'mon....he soon came back to senses and did what he does thebest - selecting some praaapor tamil numbers mixed with heavy metalrock – we are like that wonlee!!
Heavy drinking, cake cutting/smearing, brilliant presentation byDeadDawg, mindless pelvic thrusts, mob dancing, head banging,screaming, dinner "sapad"ing, dancing around the bon-fire, some more headbanging later...the crowd started to dissipate.
Late into the night Muthu took over the DJ console churning some classic rock while the rest gathered around the hot ambers. Few of us were up till early hours of the morning -Manish, Simmi, Arul, Tabby, David, Bra, Aditi_2 (Muthu's colleague),Sylvia, VKA, Dosai, Deepa and Soup.

Pic courtsey - Tushtang

At about three in the morning, Mr.Souperman develops a craving for `chai' and infects others with a need for one. He went about waking up the irate cook – our in-house-at-your-service-chef who rudely refused the request. While Dosai, Aditi_2 and self were playing sentinel outside, Soup and Deepa broke into the kitchen and ransacked the place for some sugar,tea powder and a pot. Brewed the tea on hot ambers and the guys enjoyed their charcoal flavored, ash speckled tea – I don't drinktea :-)
The group retired about 7 in the morning. I take this opportunity towelcome the new joiners Manish, Bra, Tabby and Aditi_2 to the lastman standing club :-) what say Dosai?

Sunday
Woke up late to find most of the bike missing. Geared up quickly to join the last batch leaving.

The Ninja turtles

Dosai had managed to burn all his petrol trying to pick beer (rather teaching others how to pick) and was towed down the hill by Ajith.

Had delicious biryani at Vaniambadi and went shoe shopping in Ambur (picked up a nice pair of riding boots). Bid adios to my Chennai buds and headed back to join DD andSonali. Sonali had a mild heat stroke and was nursing on a bottle of electrol. The ride back to B'lore was quick and uneventful.

Special thanks to DD for sticking in my rearview mirror through outthe ride. Thanks bro...I guess we are even now :-)

Some more pictures

Riding into the New Horizon

2007-04-26T03:50:00.000-07:00

With just three free days between jobs, my endless list of errands,packing a whole house was an exhausting experience...the amount ofstuff that I had for a single guy is appalling...and the decision topack it all by myself was certainly stupid (the packers were askingfor too much....or so I thought).
With all this halaboo I never quiet realized, until Arul put up hisnostalgic post, that I would be "shifting" out of Chennai soon.

Friday
Met with the boys at the beach for a three hour Cozee banter (forone last time) and then the gang headed for dinner to the localSubway (for one last time). Arul decided that we go for one of ourmid-night-rides on the ECR (for one last time). Solo, Arul, Dosai,Ajith, Vijay, Ravi and self rode to the Casuarina chai shop . It isalways a thrill to ride on the ECR at night...the road and therider...cool breeze from the ocean ...the thump from the machineinfront.....just peaceful(for one last time). Had jolly good timewith Vijay, Dosai, Ajith and Arul tripping on one another. ..laughedmad till late hours...for one last time.

Saturday
Went to my mechanic to get a few kirrukkus fixed to find morelurking inside. In total the following were diagnosed.
1.The front disc pads are completely worn out and there arestriations on the rotor.
2.The clutch plates are completely worn out (knew this but not howbad)
3.con-rod noise...apparently there is some lateral movement (oh!! @#$% thisone is a blimer)
4.the swing arm bush is worn out (and I thought the rim was bent)

Splendid...I am to ride the next day with a full load on a slowlimping horse.The ride had been least of my troubles but with the current shape ofmy bike and DeadDawg backing out from riding along, I had a seriousproblem.
After some gyan from Master Solo and Jedi Arul...decided to stick tothe plan and go easy on the bike.

Sunday
On the day...all I was left with was my bike and my personal things stuffed into borrowed cramsters (my other possessions having alreadybeen transported).
Left my empty apartment and started loading the crammers and thebags onto the bike – a process which surprisingly took nearly anhour. Reached the shell bunk to find Arul, Dosai, Ajith, David,Vijay, Bra, Bhrath, Raj, ArulMohan and Santosh already waiting forme. Being late on my own ride when the boys were already at the flagoff waiting for me was bad enough, but it was really humbling to seethat every one of them were riding 100Km till Kanchipuram to see meoff.

Started the ride with Dosai leading on a borrowed LB500. Pulled overat the Relaince A1 plaza ....10K before Kanchi for breakfast. Haltedfor more than an hour eating and waiting for the hot rods (Ajith,Arul and Dave) to return from their over shot.

The sun had been up for awhile and it had started to get hot, sofinally decided to leave. The boys formed a circle and sprung upwith a farewell gift – a hard cover on Classic Motorcycles. Loved itguys..thanks. And David presented me a madbull tee on behalf of theclub, which I must say was a very apt and a well thought of gift (asmuch as I hate that tee) thanks bro...

I am writing this to express my sincere appreciation and gratitudeto all those who were involved in planning this.To ride out of that A1 plaza with all of you waving me off was avery sentimentally satisfying feeling.Thank you guys. Till we meet again.

Adi

Pictures

PS: stopped only once enroute for a drink and reached B'lore in 6.5hours flat.
PPS: thanks to Dosai & Karthik for the directions...bang on target.Did not have to ask anyone.

Fieldsheer Mach2 Mesh Jacket

2007-02-26T10:28:00.000-08:00

The first thing that attracted me to this jacket was the sale price it was available at. On consulting with fellow experienced riders and in comparison with the company of JoeRockets and FirsGears, the Mach2 from Fieldsheer boasted of all the features that an enthusiast would look for.

Manufacturers Specifications
• Ultra-breathable, abrasion resistant, leather and polyester mesh outer.
• Anatomically fitted for the riding position.
• Polyester mesh non-allergenic lining.
• Removable CE armour equipped in the shoulders, elbows and back.
• Reflective Phoslite(r).
• SP memory foam over the back, collar bone, shoulder and arms for comfort and protection.
• Velcro adjustable micro fleece collar with padding.
• Volume adjustments for upper and lower sleeves.
• Velcro adjustable waist.
• Gusseted Velcro adjustable wrist cuff.
• Zipped poachers pocket in back.
• 8" waist zip connector (attaches to Fieldsheer pants).

On delivery, thanks to the detailed sizing charts on the Fieldsheer website, the jacket not only fit perfectly, it was strangely comfortable compared to the other jackets I had worn before.
The horrid green color was an eyesore though (the dealer had confirmed that this color was slow moving and hence the sale), but very practical, as I later realized it was a very visible color and could be spotted from far away – by friends and rash four wheelers alike.

It has CE armor at the elbows (long enough to cover the forearm), shoulders and the back. These impact areas are roofed on the outside by perforated leather stuffed with SP foam padding for better force absorption.
Another conceptive design on this jacket is the SP memory foam packets on the collar bone. Though the effectiveness if this feature is left to speculation. I would have preferred (since its there!!) for it to span the entire collarbone area rather than the current button like protrusions.

The design of the jacket incorporates the leather and the mesh is a trendy cut. The mesh fabric is tightly woven and moulds well according to the shape of the wearer while the perforated leather is soft and allows for better ventilation keeping up with the mesh around.

The main advantage of this jacket (and other mesh jackets in general) is the comfort in hot weather conditions like ours. I have, in my rides, used it in temperatures as high as 42 degrees without actually feeling the heat. The removable thermal liner (that can be zipped on the inside) allows for lower temperatures use aswell – comfortable even at 18 degrees of Ooty.

The jacket also has provision to secure riding pants with its 8” zipper at the back. The two pockets in the front and the one on the inside of left lapel provide enough space for chocolates, loose coins and mobile phone.

The only disadvantage is in wet weather, which can be overcome by a size bigger rain gear – one cannot have it all.

Though I haven’t had the chance to crash test the jacket, having seen the construction and the online reviews, this jacket is as safe as the more expensive premier brands available in the market – at a third of their price.

Horsley Hills Dejavu - 10 & 11 Feb 2007

2007-02-20T03:54:00.000-08:00

A MadBull initiated ride to Horsley saw over 70 bullets from Chennai and Bangalore.
Perfect weather conditions, beautiful roads, long ‘S’ curves, sweeping bends, parade of bullets, late night party and reunions.

me on one of the bends

530Km trip over the weekend.

Jimbly lovely

¾ England and all Wales on a Ninja 636

2006-10-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

29.09.2006 to 2.10.2006

My road trip of 4 days and three nights…around England and Wales on a Kawasaki Ninja 636. Top speed - 129mph
Total distance - 763 miles

Detailed write up soon.....

in the mean time take a look at the pictures.

GT bike

2006-09-19T02:21:00.000-07:00

Drive to Blackpool and Lake District

2006-08-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

I think I have found a new passion for driving. My last long drive was from Pondicherry to Chennai in Eric’s car. It was always a chore to drive a car and never much enjoyed driving before – at least not as much as riding a bike. All that was to change.

I RENTED A CAR AND WENT ON A TWO DAY DRIVE.

It all started with a colleague of mine wanting to rent a car for his family and ended in nine of us (including two toddlers) heading north in two cars. Their plan was to visit Blackpool and the Lake District, since we had none, we decided to do the same.
Since I was the one with a valid license and had necessary papers (and knew how to drive!!) I rented the brand new Toyota Yaris.

12.08.2006, 10AM: Having collected the car, loaded the trunk, we all regrouped at Ritesh’s place. Jitender was to drive the Nissan Micra while I got behind the wheel of Toyota Yaris with Arun and Guru (mates from work).

Within minutes we were out of Chesterfield surrounded by the country side in search of A623 and further on to A6 (motorway). Passes through some scenic landscape of the Peak District en-route. Thick pines covering both bank, lush fern, long sweeping curves – I already got my moneys worth and we JUST started. Missed an exit to M60 near Stockport and almost ended up on the Southbound M60 instead of North. Struggled with the roundabouts and service lanes for an hour before we could climb up the ramp on to the M60 to a crawling traffic. Arun had taken over the wheel by then and we cruised towards Preston – our first halt of the day. Had lunch at a friend of friends place. Feasted on the rotis and the sandwiches thanks to the ladies.

Blackpool to UK is what Florida is to the US. It has a beach, it has an smaller version of the Eiffel tower, the biggest rollercoaster ride – ideal summer destination. Only, it was freezing when we got there. The tide was low and the receding water uncovered more than half a mile of sand. With the setting sun on the horizon the sight was picturesque at twilight. We started our excursion with the tower @£7 per head.The tower itself sits on top of a five storied building which also houses a circus and a ball room. Standing at 158m the tower is the smallest in its class, but it definitely did not look like it once we climbed to the top. As in the Eiffel tower (I am told), the very top level has a glass floor – nearly 130m above the ground called the “walk of faith”. Though not scary, it was indeed jittery to trust a couple of inches of glass. Thus completing this daredevil act, we proceeded to the Pleasure beach at the other ends of the road. Had to take a tram to reach this amusement park that boasts of the biggest rollercoaster ride in Europe, a casino, Ripley’s Believe it or not and loads of rides. The very sight of this mammoth structure is intimidating enough; the mile long queue was not motivating either. So we were content with watching others scream their guts out and left the place just in time to catch the sunset. If it were possible, the sight was the best of the lot we saw that day. I am glad to have caught it on my camera for the moment lasted all but a minute. I saw the sun disappear in to the sea…literally…the movement was so swift.
Ritesh and co had decided to go back to Preston while we were contemplating weather to continue ahead to Lake district or spend the night. After many futile attempts in getting a room, we decided to head for Lake district taken on advise from an elderly B&B owner. It was 2130 already while we made our way to Kendal – the first of our towns in Lake District. Only after two hours of searching through the town did we realize that the old man was WRONG – there definitely were not many B&B’s in Kendal and also there is nothing worth seeing in the town. We finally had to give up and decided to sleep in the car. Found a nook among cars parked in a residential block and nestled ourselves in for the night.
For all the goodness of the car, the Yaris is not very spacious. After a lot of shuffling around we finally crashed – the giant Arun and the long boned Guru in the front seats and me in back with limbs bent at odd angles. I don’t think any of us actually slept but no one spoke till 5 in the morning.
Arun decided to drive in no direction in particular and the road took us through some scenic English countryside before we decided to turn back and head towards our next destination – Windermere (but not before a stop over in the woods to brush our teeth).

Windermere is famous for its lake (more like a river) with a small yachts and boats docked in its quayside. At six in the morning we were the only souls crazy enough stroll in the bone chilling cold wind. Again the sheer beauty and the tranquillity of the scenery was worth the trouble. On a challenge Arun and I strode in to the icy cold water - barefoot. Now that is an experience I will remember for a long time. Having refreshed ourselves at the public restrooms there, we made way on the final leg of the trip – Keswick.

I would definitely rate the drive from Windermere to Keswick the best of the trip and the best I have driven in my life. Even the pictures cannot justify the beauty of the place. We decided to take a diversion in to the woods that took us next to a beautiful lake at the foothills. Parked the car and went trekking into the woods to the lake…well yet again…it was the most beautiful scene. Having taken in the greenery and the fresh cold air, we proceeded towards Keswick for some much needed food.
Had scrumptious English breakfast at a local Inn. Apart for the beautiful lakes, Keswick is also famous for the “Castlerigg’s Stone Circle” – huge boulders in a circle from the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Can’t miss that having come this far!! So in spite of getting lost a couple of times, we successfully took our pictures next to this amazing structure. To think that these rocks were placed there thousands of years ago was a near religious experience. Since it was not yet noon, we decided to squeeze in one more halt before heading back home – Dave cottage, home of the much renowned poet William Wordsworth (I still remember “Daffodils” from my sixth standard English text and insisted on visiting the place).

Dave Cottage is a beautiful little house in the middle of English countryside that one would associate with a poet. The motorway and the commercial neighbourhood could not tamper the tranquillity of the dwelling. They also had the Wordsworht’s museum next door. I bought some souvenirs including a copy of Daffodils and an ink quill.

Arun took the wheel next while I caught up on some much needed sleep. We changed places halfway through to reach Chesterfield safely by 5 O’clock on Sunday evening.

Pictures --> click on the next pictures to view all

The only way the trip could have been better would have been were I on a bike (or with a blonde chick).

Tow thy self - Bolsover Castle

2006-06-07T01:59:00.000-07:00

Further to my frantic and over enthu attempts at owning a SBK (well any goddam ‘BK’), my bike hunt lasted all of 3 weeks before sensibility came and hit me in the face.
Too many reasons to pitt against :
a) Bikes (any) are too expensive in UK (10 year old bike costs £2500)
b) Insurance costs as much as the bike
c) Riding gear is a must which also costs as much as the bike
So not only does it take more than £5000 to own an nth hand 600cc bike you also have to go through the agony of cars being sold for less than £500 (a second hand Mondeo/Octavia sells for £600). IF only cars were an option.

“Reality continues to ruin my life” – Calvin.

Having thus made peace with the devils – settled for a down graded version of two wheels. Decided to by a bike (read bicycle). The Brits are very particular about such things – it is always a bike and a Moutah-bike not just a cycle and a bike.
While rummaging through the garage of my rented place - found two bikes collecting dust and lota rust. The landlady had no further use for them and wanted me to throw them out. Any sane guy would have done it!!…why try fixing them when you could buy a new one for just the same (£70-100). But mentals like us (read bulls, jets…) would want to do just that !!.
So I went about buying spares (started off with a pump, then tubes, brake pads, pedal bearings….). Finally!! the bike was in a condition to be ridden on.
Started commuting to the office on it and then the “keeda” (bug) in my head started squirming.
Downloaded all the historic places (I am more interested in forts, castles, cathedrals…) in the 20mile radius and planned a ride to my first destination – Bolsover Castle.

Managed to convince an unsuspecting fool (Magesh from work) into thinking that it would be pleasant to go on a bike ride. Thanks to a very efficient library – got all the necessary maps and info. Little did we know that the area we were set to explore was once a mining land – very hilly and steep. So steep were the roads that we stopped for our first (of countless) break a mile outside the town. The bike has seven gears and even in the lowest it was very tough. The alternate downhill glide was a relief (which also bought along with it the depressing though of climbing it on the way back).
I must have “given a leg” to the odd broken down bike (read moutahbike) and towed it to the nearest repair station but towing myself up those slopes was definitely the first.

Being a member of the iron butt clan (read long distance Royal Enfield riders) I would have imagined saddle soreness is a thing of the past. But NOOO!! This long, hard, thin bike saddle that I have got, which might as well been medieval torture device, mustve been designed by a sadist to cause excruciating pain and agony to who so ever decides to rest their arse on it.
And to think that I inflicted a 15-mile ride on the dammed thing to myself. Now!! I know what is worse than watching "Big Brother Live".
No guesses as to what my next buy at the local cycle store would be.

After a lot of struggle, reached the castle which itself sits atop a hill. Bought the tickets and went around snapping away with my new camera.
A little about the castle itself :-
Bolsolver is a 17C house built on the site of a Norman fortress. The 'Little Castle' is famous for its charming and spectacular interiors, some of which have been recently restored. The magnificent indoor riding house is one of the oldest in Europe. The views from the Terrace Range of state room looks across the Vale of Scarsdale.

As with any other ride…I do not remember much of the ride back except for the head-down-peddaling, knotted up thing muscles and the beautiful scenary.

I always find clouds mesmerising and could not resist stopping over every few minutes to click at the exceptionally clear skies. Captured some good snaps of the light filtering through the clouds.

Reached back home after what was an amazing ride and as Magesh would put it “Balls-over” ride. I still can’t sit straight….

Pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bulladi/sets/72157594156518855/

Rider Mania ‘06

2006-02-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

Every year, riders from across the country meet at one place to celebrate the Rider Mania (which was initially started by a bunch of like minded “Bulleteers”) for two days of games, events, competitions and of course non-stop muzik n booze.
This year ultimate riders’ showdown happened on the 20 & 21st of Jan in Chennai – aptly named “thinder down under” or “south calling”. Riding clubs and individuals alike rode down from all over the country to take part.
Madras Bulls Motorcycling Club were the hosts with Royal Enfield and United Beverages sponsoring the event. More than 300 bikes were registered at the event. Being one of the “organ-raisers” I was responsible for various tasks including parking, security and escorting the inbound riders from the city out-skirts to the venue – Casuarina Bay – a beach resort on the East Coast Road.

The fun started no sooner the first of the bikes rolled in. Below is the list of the clubs who participated in strong numbers
Madras Bulls Motorcycling Club – Chenai
Road Survivors – Chandigarh
Rolling Thunder Motorcycling Club – Bangalore
The Wanderers – Hyderabad
Indie Thumppers – Bombay
Road Shakers – Pune
Royal Beasts – Delhi

The main event was the custom bike competition, which saw no less than 8 entries. These gorgeous machines were hand crafted by their owners and were what you call “absolute droooooool maaal”.

"Sexy Babe" the winner

The 2 lac Harley look alike from Baroda

Prashi on his Cafe` racer

Leon's Beast

Karn's ride

Edifice - the granite bike

The two days saw the riders rocking with the music, reunions with old pals, making new friends, lazing on the beach with Bay of Bengal lapping at their feat and do what comes naturally – bike talk.

Royal Enfield gave out the prizes (designer leather saddle bags, tool kits and GP1 helmets) for the different competitions that were conducted.

Karn was awarded the Varun memorial trophy. This 19 year old kid has done a mammoth ride by riding through all the 29 states of India in 39 days.

Karn receiving the Varun trophy from Dodo

For the first time ever, the RM was extended to the third day to accommodate the Track event. Spent a very memorable day at the track. Kept lapping till the fuel ran into reserve. Took some knee scrapping bends leaning way farther into the turns than I ever did. I was only one running on a cast-iron engine but managed to put up the tenth fastest lap. It was all the more special considering the fact that the rest were all AVL machines (the first was an AVL500cc). RE is going to post up the result on their website shortly.

Me on the track. Pics courtsey: Freya (thanks a )

Track day results (Courtsey: Abhi-RTMC)

I’ll let the pictures tell the story which went on for 3 days

The security incharge

The parking incharge

The mega ride on the ECR

The MadBulls

The RTMC'ers

Anukaran casting his spell

RTMC 4 Anniversary Blast @Yercaud

2005-10-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

Tour: Chennai – Yercaud – Chennai
Dates: 1 & 2 of Oct 2005
Calculated distance: 350 Km (one way)
Proposed route: Chengalpattu – Maduranthakam – Tindivanam – Villipuram - Kiranur – kallakurichi - Attur – Salem – Yercaud.
Occasion: RTMC 4th Aniversary
The pack: Sarangan, Ranga, Solo, Jai, Saru, Sebin, Dosai & Bobby, Sachin, Rohan (Roadshakers), Abizer, Vijay, Ajith, Dominic, Antony, Ganesh, Sailor Bala, Zuriel, Venky, Arun, Praveen, Harish, Ramith&Sylvia, Nouffel, Sharat, Sabin, Deepak, Karthik, Gaurang, Brijesh and I
Flag off party: Haridas, HariPrasad, Vinod, Bala and Raghu.
Starting point: Royal Meridian, Chennai
Odo reading: 8498

Prologue: Twice every year, the petrol heads meet to celebrate the anniversaries of RTMC and MBMC. It has always been a tradition to celebrate the occasion at different locations with the hosts taking care of the accommodations and the guests presenting the hosts with a surprise gift. Where ever it is, the place is rocked. History proves how great it is when these two clubs meet, and it keeps getting bigger and better every year making it a must attend on everyone’s list. Most of the people don’t know many of the people, but what makes this get-to-gather so special is the bonding and respect that we have for one another.

Having worked late the previous night, could only hit the sack by midnight. Not trusting myself to wake up early, I SMS’ed Dosai with the responsibility. The bugger obviously did not call. Hence, reached the starting point late by ten minutes. Every one was ready to take off. Haridas, HariPrasad, Vinod, Bala and Raghu had come to see us off. Ranga divided the lot into smaller groups. Our group was lead by Venky followed by Arun, Ramith&Sylvia, Sebin, Gaurang, Abizer with me sweeping in the back. Not wanting to miss out on the fun Raghu decided to ride along with us till Chengalpet.
It was one mad caravan of Bullets on the highway that morning. Ours being the slowest groups was overtaken by others. If Anthony and Dominic were a blur, Sachin and Rohan could only be heard.

Just before Chengalpet, Sebin had a flat tyre, further down the road Abizer had problems with his clutch. The bikes were towed to the nearest puncture shed (luckily it was just a few meters ahead). The halt lasted for more than an hour during which Sebin had to fix his tyre twice (bad rim and a worn out tube) and Sachin & Rohan fixed Abizer’s gearbox. The clutch cable was not playing freely and the high tension kicker spring had come loose. It was Rohan& Sarangan who finally muscled the spring back into place. Back on the road, we made some progress before hailed down by Gaurang. Muthu’s 500 was behaving, and he was trying to get the tappet to align with the push rod which was out of reach.
Odo reading: 8650 (Villupuram)
By then the Ranga, Sarangan and Dosai had also joined us. Sarangan took one look at the tappets and immediately ordered us to dismount the tank and open the rocker head. The tappet had clearly jumped the rocker and was wedged tightly. While the wise heads settled down to fix it, Ranga wanted some of the bikes to move on as Abizer was still “running in” his bike. With me tailgating, Gaurang, Abizer and I were isolated from others and we made steady progress. The roads from Attur to Selam were the worst of the ride. The potholes were filed with uneven patches of tar making it horrible for even for those with gas shocks.
The original plan was to regroup at Selam for lunch, but since we were running late, we decided to make it directly to Yercaud. After some refreshments at Selam the three of us started the up hill climb to Yercaud. At the toll gate, we met Chaitra (RTMC) on a gleaming blue Java 350 twin. Recognised him from Ranga’s Leh trip photographs. Immediately after the toll post we rode into a cloud of colourful butterflies, just like that, we were surrounded by butterflies. Millions and millions of them. It was one of the most beautiful sights that I have seen. My appreciation of this fluttering spectacle could only match with the sorrow of these creatures colliding into my visor.

If ever was there a selfish act of abandoning your fellow riders, I committed it then with no apologies. The beautiful curves and the hairpin bends were the treat after the punishing roads we had so far. At times the climb was so steep that I could engage no higher than the second gear. I scrapped my foot pegs and the stand on almost every turn. The sheer pleasure of leaning into a bend only to shift to the other side for the next one was indescribable. The immediate ‘S’ curves were taken at the maximum speed that my comfort permitted. The change in climate only enhanced my state of exuberance. We stopped for the occasional photograph. Met some more RTMC’ers enroute. Finally reached the hill top to be greeted by Jai with his camcorder, Harish, Sarangan, Venky and Arul who rode down from Bangalore. Arul was hopping mad to see us all. He literally crushed the wind out of me in a bear hug. With out further ado we headed for the final destination: Hotel Shervoys.
Odo reading : 8857 (Yercaud)

The bikes were all lined up and we were immediately directed to the registration counter where Biju handed me my name tag and the keys to a very plush room. All the rooms were labelled after different engine parts. Our room was titled “Air Filter”. Wonder who occupied “Crank case”. After some much needed rest and a chilling bath headed for the paaaardyyyyyyy.

The cake…The gift…&…The PAARDY
Like every year, this party also bore the Prashi ishtyle. He rode a Bullet up the stairs right into the hall and there stood the bike in the middle of the dance floor. And there was the cake – a huge one. Anil did the honours and soon after got smeared. Brijesh and Ranga stepped up and gifted the “RTMC 4A ” caps as the special gift from the MBMC. The crowd accepted it with a roar of applauds. Muthu and Small Moe meticulously went around distributing the caps to everyone. The party started almost immediately.
Booze & music, chilly climate outside & hot atmosphere inside, RTMC & MBMC and finally beautify girls – all the ingredients for a superduper ekdum mast bole to jhakaas paaardy.

The MUZIK and the GRIND
Zuriel was the DJ for the night and man!! did he rock the place. The dance floor was crowded from 8PM to 2 AM. People danced through the night. Some of the best dances were to the raunchy Tamil songs. The lungi dance by Ranga, Solo, Dosai and Vijay was the most whistled at performance. Not to be out done Dosai and Sylvia out did the rest with a typical Tamil “mass” number. There was also some close quarter dancing by the couples to the slow romantic stuff. Few of us danced no matter what song. Past midnight the when most of the folks called it a day, the last few standing turned out to be all out rock n’ roll fans. We had a good two hour session of pure high volume, air drumming and head banging rock. Finally, I retired at 2 O’clock in the morning leaving Dosai and few RTMC’ers still at it. The final count of the bikes was at a staggering 89.

The Ride Back
Was woken up early the next day (thanks to Arul, I will have my revenge buddy!!) with the pretext of riding early, only to find all others still in bed. Anil arranged for the breakfast to be served early for us. Had sumptuous open air breakfast. Biding goodbye to our RTMC buddies, we started from Yercaud at 9.30AM. Muthu’s bike still needed fixing so Sachin and Rohan stayed back. Venky, Harish, Brijesh and Arun had started early at 8 AM.
The down hill ride very bit fun as the ride up. Took some knee scrapping bends. My ride down was done solo and enjoyed every bit of it. It was only when we all reached Salem and joined others that we came to know that Jai had a small skid. The group again divided into smaller batches of similar speed range with Surya, myself, Arul and Dosai as the tailgating party. Solo took off to Cochin and Saru to Coimbatore. Jai had stopped at Salem to get his bike fixed.

We did some good speeds with Surya leading and Dosai in the back, Arul and myself juggling in between. After covering nearly 150Km, we decided to halt and wait for Jai to catch up. So there we were under the shade of a huge tree, on the highway, in the middle of nowhere doing what we do the best – bike banter. The grass and the cool breeze were so invigorating that before anyone realized it was almost 90 minutes since we stopped. As we started off from that place Arul dropped one of his gloves and I raced back to retrieve it for him. In the mean time the rest pulled over and Surya started spinning his rear wheel. On our encouragement he locked his front wheel and revved the rubber off the rear tyre. In less than 20 seconds he was completely engulfed in smoke. The 500cc was roaring heartily as the rear wheel started throwing small pebble sized melted rubber (I got covered in it). All that remained of the road was a gaping hole of molten tar where the tyre has obviously sunk in – Now that is leaving your mark on the road.
Hoping Jai to catch up further down the road, we made it to the next halt some 100km away. Here, as we were having lunch, we saw Jai and promptly flagged him down. It was here that we received the news of Arun’s accident and Ganesh’s run in into a Qualis (getting his license confiscated). Not wasting any time, Jai and Surya immediately took off to join the others ahead.

With just the four of us (on three bikes), we took out time with the lousy food that was served and started for Chennai – a ride what can be defined as “belting down the road”. I took the lead and we rode is perfect synchronization. We reached Thindivanm sooner than we expected and stopped over for some chai (Dosai had two mug fills). We were to hit the toll road L&T highway and it was getting dark, so Arul took the lead (he has powerful head lamps) and we followed. The ride from here was a treat to watch. Arul sliced through the traffic with calculated judgment and precision. Proper indicators and hand signals made it easier for us to shadow him. Doing all this at 100kmph on a crowded highway was not an every day experience. The traffic got thicker as we reached the city and finally regrouped at the Katthipara junction. A call to Brijesh confirmed that Arun is doing well and might need an orthopaedist, Ganesh is happy back in the city with a spare licence that he had.

Not wanting to go home (just yet) Bobby, Dosai and I decided to head for Amethyst – a retro coffee pub and then to the beach. Met Anthony, Domnic and Ganesh at the beach and spent good time recapping the day’s events. At around 11PM just as we were about to leave, Sachin and Rohan roared in. They were the last to leave form Yercaud after fixing Muthu’s bike.
Finally after a very exiting two days, reached home to my welcoming bed. Sore muscles and deprived sleep made it easier to banish the thought of going to office the next day.

Odo reading: 9248 (Chennai)
Total distance covered – 750 Km

Belum Caves

2005-08-04T17:24:00.000-07:00

Tour: Chennai – Belum – Chennai
Dates: 30 & 31 of July 2005
Calculated distance – 350 Km (one way)
Proposed route: Chennai – TADA – SriKalahasti – Reniginta – Rajampet – Cuddapah – Erraguntla – Tadpatri – Belum.
Occasion: do not need one
The pack: Ranga, Srikanth, Shridhar (Pulsar), Arun, Loinel, Shaggy (Ram), Vijay, Raghu, Arul and I.
Flag off party: Solo, Jai, Sarangan, Anthony.
Starting point: Koembedu Bus Terminal, Chennai

The past couple of weeks have been really hectic and the anticipation of riding over the weekend was the only motivating factor. Left the bike at the RE workshop to fix the rubber fork covers and also to get it lubed up for the ride ahead. Went and bought the bungee chords with Dosai. Arul had warned us all to tank up the previous night and not cause any delay in the flag off. So teamed up with Vijay and Shaggy to visit the Shell bunk in Vadapalani, the previous evening.

30.08.2005
Shaggy, Lionel and I started off form the Velachery check post at 4.20AM and caught up with Arul on the way to the Ariharan Towers, Keombedu by 4.45 AM. The rest of the gang was already there and so were Jai, Solo, Sarangan (on his sexy RD350 might I add) and Anthony who came to see us off. Shridhar (Rocky’s friend) on his Pulsar was also there to ride with us. Ranga distributed the route maps to us and explained the proposed halts and regrouping points. It was decided that Arul and I were to lead while Ranga would be taking care of the sweeping. Solo, Jai and Sarangan decided to see us off till TADA. Thus decided, we started off with Ranga leading the pack with Jai and Solo in the back.
Take off time: 0500 hours

It was still dark and the bikes rolled out of the city gates. Rangs was wearing a reflector jacket and the duty of the rest was to keep up with the green and white stripes in the dark. There was no formation so to speak of, but then the roads were empty and the bikes were spread all over. The speed was set to 60kmph and we comfortably cruised through the breaking dawn. Jai would occassionaly race ahead for Solo to take snaps. This one time, every one was surprised to see Jai sitting backwards hanging on to the stay rods while Solo rode the bike. I am sure Jai must have captured some amazing snaps with his vantage position. Every time Solo accelerated, the inertia would make Jai kiss the number plate:-) We stopped over for a tea break; I guess every one was still too comfortable having just gotten out of bed and needed the morning chai. We started off immediately for we had a long distance to cover while the weather is still pleasant. Biding goodbye to our brothers who rode 70 odd km to see us of, we turned left towards TADA. The roads from TADA to Kalahasti were not particularly good but the scenic beauty was awesome. Stopped over to take some more snaps enroute.

The fun begins
Because of the bad roads and the unplanned stops, we lost sight of one another and got divided into groups. The leading pack had stopped over for the rest to catch up. We were all waiting for Arul and Raghu, and made up the time by lining the bikes and taking snaps against the hilly background. It was indeed a surprise to see the two bikes moving very slowly towards us, Raghu’s bike being towed by Arul. Try as we might, Raghu’s bike refused to start. After trying for about 20 minutes, we decided to let a mechanic look into it. Hence, started towards Kalahasti hoping to find a mechanic who can help us. Shridhar and Srkanth took off ahead of us as the scouting party, Ranga was legging Raghu’s bike, while Arul was leading our pack. Since we were already in Andhra and I can speak Telugu, I was the official translator for the ride. We managed to track down a Bullet mech named Gauz (You have to take a left from the main round about on the Kalahasti main road). People were very helpful in directing us to the mechanic’s shop, but the mechanic himself was not to be found. After about half hour the gentleman came back and with the knack of professional he is, rectified the problem in 10 minutes flat. Well, the problem itself was very minor – the connector to the ignition coils came loose and a gentle squeeze of the pliers did the trick – one kick start. Arul found some carrots from a nearby vegetable vendor and we munched on them like hungry rabbits.

The Lone wolf
Amidst all this hungama, we managed to loose Shaggy (aka Ramkumar S). He was running on a re-bored engine and was restricted to do no more than 60kmph. Either he was left behind or he overtook us at Kalahsati while we were hunting for Gauz bhai, but there he was waiting for us at the Renigunta crossing. It might sound simple but when one is riding alone the risk factor multiplies and it needs iron resolve to push ahead. He could very well have turned back home as we were still close to Chennai, but the true rider that he was, managed to coax his stubborn Bull till the next regroup point.
From experience, I have learnt to hydrate my self at every given chance. After refreshing ourselves we started on, hoping to make up for the lost time, but not before taking some snaps of Arul and Ranga in their camouflage outfits.
Hit some beautiful ghat section on the way with beautiful roads snaking through the green hills. Riding through the huge granite quarries felt like being in the movie “Captain Skywalker and the world of tomorrow” - every thing was huge and extraordinary, the hill, the pit, the machinery.
Then the railway track joined us next to the highway for about 20 odd km and the road would weave left and right intercepting the rails at the frequent crossings. Every now and then a train would pass by – some we overtook, others wizzed past us. But alas, as nostalgic as the site was, there was no “Sapnoon ki raaani” to blow my mouth organ at – all of them were goods trains. We again regrouped at the Rajampet and Cuddapah junctions.

Caman the enjaiment
After taking off form Cuddapah, we made nice progress doing good speeds. Then some thing caught my eye – the milestone said 150KM to Nellore (they were all written in Telegu – Yes, I can read too) and also none of the villages we had crossed were on our proposed route plan. We immediately pulled over and locals of Khajipeta informed us that we had taken the wrong turn at Cuddapah. We had two choices – either go back the 30Km or cut across to Kamlapuram.
Go back the same way –naah, we like obstacles (the literal ones) and adventure is what we are here for. A quote from F.R.I.E.N.D.S – “look down the barrel of a gun, pee into the wind”. That’s exactly what we did. Took the next left as instructed and cut through this small village – it resembled more like the place where RamGopal Verma would shoot his gangster chases. The lanes were wide enough to accommodate one bike at a time and a wrong turn would land the bike in someone’s living room (or a stinking stable). Then came the dirt track, fields, more mud, some rocks and dirt again. After making it throught the fields for about an hour, the sight of a tar road ahead was a much needed consolation. We soon joined the highway between Kamalapuram and Erraguntla. Raghu and I were running in reserve so we tanked up at the next bunk.

The Naxals
The road though good was a narrow strip of tar surrounded by the forest of thorn bushes occasionally replaced by sunflower fields. It was a nuisance where the locals took over half of the road to dry the sunflower seeds or manure. We were cruising not so comfortably because of the tiredness and fatigue. Then pops in this police inspector who was single handedly stopping all the vehicles and was doing his "routine" checkup. He wanted to know who we were and why we bothered to ride all the way from Chennai. Shridher and I tried to talk him into letting us go, when Ranga joined us. The cop almost stammered asking Ranga as to why he was wearing the camouflage overalls that are usually donned by naxals in these parts. We again spent good time explaining to him that it was a merely a riding outfit – then walks in a very irritated Arul with his tight kakhee tee and army cargos, his black ninja mask half open. If not a ghost, Arul sure put a fright into that cop. If any of us had pulled out a gun he’d have sure fainted :-D. He wanted us to come to the police station and get our ID’s submitted, but after a lot of cajoling he let us go by himself taking our names, addresses, numberplates and contact details.

Bring it on enjaiment
What follows next is probably the tale every one was told about. We had already covered nearly 400km so far and only three bikes were recently filled (Raghu, Shridhar and I). The rest were all running low on fuel and started to fall into reserve one after the other. To our dismay and disbelief, of the seven petrol bunks in that 70Km odd stretch, not a single one had petrol. I was in the front and was unaware of the situation at the back until Arul came up and informed us that 3 bikes went completely dry. Not knowing how far the next bunk is, Shridhar volunteered to scout for one, while I returned to Ranga and others. Raghu was towing Vijay, while I towed Ranga. Luckily for us, Tadpatri was just a couple of kilometers away and we all managed to fill our tanks.
Belum caves was further 30Km from Tadpatri and the instructions were simple – take a left from Tadpatri and another left at the cement factory. The roads were bad but that did not stop us from ripping.
As we approached, the cement factory got bigger and bigger and at its gates it was one of the biggest and sinister looking structures that I have ever seen. Some compared it to the Saron’s fort in the”Lord of the Rings”, I thought it looked more like the setup in the movie “Guns of Navarone” (1961) or Dr. Who’s hideout. Few more Km up the hill and the sight of BELUM CAVES written on the hill (more like HOLLYWOOD) was visible. We soon rolled into the Punnami guest house to be greeted by the RTMCer’s, the Pulsar gang from B’lore and sadda MadBull boys – Dosai and Bala.
Since it was already 5.30PM and the caves would be closed for the day. We immediately rushed off to see what we were there for.

The Belum caves
Originally discovered in 1854 by H.B.Foote, these subterranean passages were explored by the Department of archeology and Museums, followed by team of European speleologist led by Mr Gebaner, Belum Caves are the second largest natural caves in Indian subcontinent after Meghalaya Caves.
These underground caves are located on a flat agricultural field, have 3 well like cavities with the central one being the main entrance to the caves. The cave is entered by a staircase down a sinkhole to a level about 20m below ground. Most of the cave system is developed at this level, and the tour path is rather level from now on, following the main passage. A guide accompanied us through the tunnels and passages of this massive underground rocky cavity. Hundreds of years ago, an underground river used to flow through these caves – that explains the smooth and polished texture of the walls inside.

We were lead further down a narrow spiral stairway to what is believed to be ManasaSarover (one of the guided also called it PatalaGanga). Since it is neither, I can only explain it as the place where the path abruptly ends in a hole with water trickling from the over handing rocks. What lies beneath, how deep the water is and how far does it go is known to none. According to the guide it is more than 30 feet deep and the tunnel continue under water for some kilometers. No one dared to challenge him on that (even if we had scuba gear). This point forward can be better enjoyed on the Discovery channel.

After our cave visit, it was time to paardy with our cousins from RTMC. Every one had good time. The food was very good and at some time in the night we all hit the bed.

31.08.2005
5.30AM.
Borrowed the camera from Vijay P and took some early morning snaps of the bikes and the gaint Buddha. Not wanting delay any further, we started almost immediately stopping in Tadpatri for breakfast and fuel. It was ripping time and every one of us (including Shaggy) was doing 85-100kmph constantly. Ranga was leading and Dosai was tailing most of the time. It was indeed odd of Dosai to ask me to be the second sweep as he usually does a good job of it himself. Later I came to know that his bike was choking badly and was lugging. After hundred KM or so we all stopped for him to clean his air filter. Things were still bad for him, so he asked me to take over.
We had to stop at a railway crossing (not every train makes way for the bullet) and after taking some snaps, I took Vijay’s camera and slung it in my jacket. Sweeping is fun – there is no better a sight than to see your pack in a perfect formation. And I tried my best to capture the moments using the digicam. As a sweeper I would occasionally race ahead to inform the leader to slow down for pictures or like this one instance where a car was trying to over take us for a long time and none of the guys noticed it. Another incident where a kid on his bike with 3 pillions decided to join us on a joy ride, he almost got tangled with us when Dosai went after him and he finally moved over.
Stopped at Renigunta for lunch. Ranga, the ever adventurous soul suggested that why not we take a different route back home. Every one agreed, so instead of going back via Kalahasti we decided to take the Puttur – Tiruttani – Tiruvellore – Chennai. And what a good decision it proved to be. We had the best ride hence forth. Pleasant climate, Long curves, smooth bends and good roads - all the ingredients to display your biking talents. The undersides of my foot pegs speak for me. We went flat out, doing well above 90kmph through out. We only stopped once to hydrate ourselves during the 120Km. Reached Chennai by 4.45PM.

Post ride analysis:
Actual distance covered – 930 Km (up and down)
Route taken:
UP: Chennai – TADA – SriKalahasti – Reniginta – Rajampet – Cuddapah – Erraguntla – Tadpatri – Belum.
DOWN: Belum – Tadpatri - Erraguntla - Cuddapah – Rajampet – Renigunta - Puttur – Tiruttani – Tiruvellore – Chennai
The pack: Ranga, Srikanth, Arun, Loinel, Shaggy (Ram), Raghu, Vijay, Bala, Dosai and Aditya.

Tadi in TADA

2005-07-13T18:50:00.000-07:00

Hadn’t been on a ride in a long time now (almost a month to come of think of it). And it was looming over everyone. The last MadBull meeting saw many points being discussed, T-shirts, RM 06, the new forum, ride formations, mandatory helmet rule and the induction of the newbies, to name a few.
Then Dosai jumped in to announce the ride to TADA falls the next day morning. It was assumed that I will go, hence was already counted in!! . It was decided that we all meet up at some building in Keompet (my insufficient knowledge of Chennai landscape continues...). But a small regrouping was arranged for the clueless like me and the point of congregation was to be in front of Royal Meridian at 0600 hours on Sunday morning (10.07.2005).

My request for an early morning wake up call is laughed at, by my own family, so I will make no bones about the fact that I overslept (that I actually woke up to switch off the alarm and went back to my beautiful sleep was the reality). Then Dosai called me!! It was past 6 O’clock and I had just gotten up. He said they would wait and I had 15 minutes to get there. One good thing about Sunday rides with the gang is that no toiletries are required. Got on the bike (stuffed my bag with a pair of shorts and a tee - couldn’t find my swimming trunks in the rush) and met up with the guys.

The pack
Dosai, Arul, Jai & Maggie, Surya, Raja and I. We were soon joined by Vijay, Arun, Anir and his father.

Take off: 6.45 AM

Jai was leading the pack and Dosai was sweeping. Few of us stopped at a bunk to tankup. Surya was the hotwheels zooming past on his rickety but formidable 500. Arun was the slowest. Anir was running-in his bike but kept up well with Jai.

This ride was an initiation ride for Anir, Arun and Vijay. To strike a balance Anir and Vijay were put behind Jai, followed by me, Arun, Raja, Arul and finally Dosai. Surya was the occasional blurr, who would either be in the front or in the back.
Every one was asked to stick to staggered formation and maintain steady speeds (set by the leader).
We had a jumbled up formation for a while, none the less everyone in the pack was within eyesight - what if in a confused mix-up formation. To start with Anir and Vijay had a tough time sticking to their positions with respect to Jai – I reckon they were thinking too much and were too rigid in switching places when required. This disturbed those behind them. Arun was not able to keep up with pack in front withholding those behind him.
We had crossed the city out skirts by then and open roads lay before us.
Not wanting to continue the irritating formation we were in, I backed up to Raja and asked him to join me behind Jai. Having done that, we were able to form two distinct rows that resembled a staggered formation. The guys behind took the que and every one gradually fell in place. From then on it was a dream ride.
We rode on till Sun was shining brightly (too brightly for my taste) and my odo had run older by 70 odd Km. It had been nearly two hours since we started and welts had started forming on my posterior imprinting the seams on the seat. The initial pangs of hunger did not help either. As if by reading my mind, Dosai thumped past the pack and signaled “food” to Jai. This might not sound comical on paper but, Dosai trying to hail down Jai by gesturing his puckered fingers towards his mouth was quiet hilarious. There was no decent settlement on the highway and hence Jai kept going in search for a decent halt. But Dosai would occasionally climb up the pack on the right side, explain his (our) plight to Jai and drop back from the left.
Finally we hit upon a small town (this is after deviating form the highway by taking a left under a flyover intersection). We had just crossed the TN border and were in Andhra. It was a pleasant sight to see the boarding and the movie posters in Telugu. The best Tiffin center we could find was a house whose front porch was the serving area. They had idllys and wadas readily available and Dosa’s on order. The ground nut chutney (which is typical of Andhra) was delicious (especially after getting used to the bland coconut chutney that every single restaurant in Chennai has a fetish for). The red chilli chutney was a bonus and was nicknamed “Bazooka” by dudes with less tolerant tongues. Not to mention we devoured all the idllys they had to serve.

We had a smooth ride doing sane speeds, satisfied and content. I was told that ride to TADA would be hard on the bikes…little did I know that my internally organs would turn jelly by the end of it. It started with the road turning into a muddy track, then the mud turned into sand (it might as well been quicksand for the wheels were eager to sink in), then came the rocks, followed by boulders. All these were laid over the entire length of 2KM or so. Doing 40kmph or less and staying on the track would be considered an achievement and most of us achieved it. One particular fellow rider would better explain the technicalities of getting into and out of a ditch. We also had to wade through a stream to finally park the bikes in the shade. Surya’s bike did not have a lock so we had carefully parked all our bikes around it – rest assured it was safe.

The trek and the swim
Since the sun was already on our heads and we planned to leave early, it was decided that we will not go to the waterfalls (which is a two hour trek – one way). Instead we took a ten minute trek to the “lagoon”. The flowing water which other wise is clear was murky and unsettled, thanks to the carnival of hundred odd “sarkari babus” who were to share the lake with us. Not much time was wasted in getting into the water making sure the helmets and bags are safe. The water was four to five feet deep and we all sat comfortable on the boulders below submerged neck deep. We had a secluded section of the lake to ourselves and we pretty much marked out perimeter from the zillion other “hippos” splashing around. The place WAS CROWDED.

The INCIDENT
Amidst all this hungama, few of us started swimming and I managed to float across the lake. Now! my swimming skills are next to none and within 10 meters of floating, paddling, stroking, kicking, I was completely out of breath and decided to stop. Little did I know that this innocent looking, shallow lake also had a ten feet pit on the farther end, and it was here that I decided to stop for some air. Expecting the rock bottom, down I went. It is easy to tell others not to panic in a situation like this…but that’s exactly what I did and with the immediate realization that I was drowning I started to struggle to surface. My head bobbed above the water a couple of time allowing myself the much needed air and also to realize that the nearest help was some distance away. My lungs were already pushed to their maximum capacity. My head had cleared by then and I did the smartest thing (if ever there was one) by kicking towards the crowd. With good five or six strokes I had covered the gap before Dosai (God bless him) got a good grip under my arms and pushed me ashore. That sure kept me quiet for the rest of my stay in the water. We spent the better part of three hours in the water and had a jolly good time. Arul, Anir and his father went a little further upstream what they later told us to be a bigger water body but much deeper. They had enjoyed their swim in the peaceful tranquility for the place was deserted.

The trip back (12.45 PM)
On Jai’s word we all reassembled at the bikes and started on our way back. The ride back was more fun and tougher to navigate. Couple of the guys fell in the sand, few slipped in the waters, in all it was an enjoyable ride. After hydrating ourselves at the first inhabited place, we started off for Chennai only to stop for Arun’s photo sessions. The ride back was uneventful. Jai and Surya decided to pull off in superior speeds that are not natural to the rest. After the through workout in the water, the rest of the gang was content with sticking to the 80kmph range. I took the lead and with Dosai on the tail, we all made in (most of the time in perfect formation might I add) to the out skirts of the city. Hydrated ourselves again with some drinks and snacks for we had skipped our lunch. Once back in the city every one dispersed to their respective settlements.

End of the ride
Reached back home at 4.00PM
Distance covered: 230 KM approx

Sunday riders

2005-06-05T21:51:00.000-07:00

“Wake up machan, its time to ride wonleee” I wonder how many would actually wake up to this on a Sunday morning. It was Dosai on the phone inviting me to a ride to Mahabs (Mahabalipuram). I had gotten back home very late last night after hanging around the beach with the guys. Dosai was there and we were discussing about the ride by RE on Sunday morning at 6 AM. I was very keen to catch up on my sleep, for tomorrow (the bloody Monday) I have to go back to work. As much as I wanted to, I had opted out of the ride. Dosai said that would be riding on Sunday but his girlfriend would be with him, hence will start late. He promised me that he would call me when he did; assuring me that it would not be before 11 am.
Little did I know that the devil would wake me out of my sweet sleep at 9.30 it self (glad that he did). He wanted me to come down to the ECR in 15 min. I tried to reason with him that I was in my night clothes and it actually takes more than that to travel from Velachery to RTO on the ECR. Hurry I did, threw some clothes on and jumped on my bike, but not before brushing my teeth (which seemed to be a waste of time to Doasi).

Raja and Dosai were waiting for me at the RTO, and we all took off almost immediately. There was very little traffic on the ECR that morning (it was almost 10 now) and very soon we were crossing the toll gate. There is nothing much to explain about the ride as it was just pure good ol’ridin. Nothing to care for, empty ECR, 350cc beast between our legs and its still Sunday – the feeling is of pure joy.
The plan was to catch up with various groups those had started out in the morning.
The RE troop who left early in the morning.
The Chennai jets on their RD’s
Bobby and the girls in the car.
And the small groups of Madbulls / Jets like us.

As usual we were ripping down the ECR with our customary headlights switched on, which the caught the attention of Bobby who was on his way back. He later told us that he and his friend (for the other girls chickened out) tried to hail us down but none of us paid attention. We had reached the sunrise point on the ECR and decided to take a small break.
It turned out to be a 40 minute break (who cares) with all of us – Dosai, Raja, Bobby and his friend (forgot her name) chatting and having good fun. Dosai called Bharani and informed him of our whereabouts who joined us in less than 30 minutes. He must have been flying most of the time on his mean machine.

It was here that we saw the troop of the RE riders on their way back to the city. Could only manage to spot Sherin and Venky (who was leading the pack) among the 20 odd bikers. We tried to hail them down with no luck - too bad we had our agenda set and were least bothered to tag back with them.
Bobby too decided to head back to the city while our destination was set to Moonrakers @ Mahabalipuram. I was craving for some well cooked prawns and the guys for a chilled beer.

I had just received my bike back from the RE, Adayar after some fine tuning and a carburetor change. My odo was at 3600 + km and I was still running it in (Gurunandan’s preaching). I had run it in to do 80 – 90 kmph on the Horsley ride. I had tried doing 100 on my last ride on the ECR and was hopelessly disappointed to find my bike struggling to touch 95 Kmph. Also the pick up in my 4th gear was disappointing. This was the reason why my baby was at the tech shop for three days. I suspected it was the carb and after all the tests were carried out they changed the carb.
I wanted to see how fast my bike would go. Finding an empty streach of road, opened the throttle gradually maxing out on each gear (MadbullRam’s advice). To my utter joy and delight the needle crossed over 100 and slowly but gradually moved on to 110, then 120 and finally it got stagnant at a little over 124kmph. This may not be the exact speed but I was rest assured that my bike crossed the 100 kmph mark. That was clearly the highlight of the day (05.06.2005).

For the first time I did not pay the toll guys at he entrance to the Mahabs – thanks to Dosai who yelled ARMY at them and they stood aside for the Bullets to get in (no one can blame tham for most of us were darning camouflage cargos). Enjoyed myself at the Moonrakers with a delicious chicken sandwich and some masala prawns. It was the usually bike banter and had a informative chat with Bharani who updated me with the history of RD350 in India. The very fact that these machines (or rather their predecessors) were first built to produce 39BHP of brute power was an interesting bit of information which not many know about.
Then Dosai disagreed upon what Bharani had to say about white chicks sun bathing at temple bay. To prove each other wrong they took us to Temple bay where Bharni’s uncle (and landlord) is on staff. After pleasantries were exchanged we were led by Bharani to the resort’s secluded private beach. Hmmmmm it was 2 in the noon and much to Bharani’s disappointment (and mine) there was not one to be seen. After a stroll in the premises took leave of our host and were back on our way to the city. Did some good speeds with me being the slowest (still not ready to push my bike yet).
We all dispersed at Tiruvanmayur and had planned to meet in the evening at the Amethyst.
Went home and hit the bed – time for some good afternoon siesta.

Guess who calls up and says “Wake up maaan, its time ride again”

Getting dirty in the moonlight

2005-04-26T01:45:00.000-07:00

Another weekend – no good movies to watch, not in the mood for “visitings” – something has to be done to make it different from the other five days of the week. What could be more fun than cleaning my Bull? !! (I have been postponing it for a while now). So, off I went with my toolkit and the pail full of “bike-cosmetics”. After getting done with the water wash, it was time for the “cosmetics” – shampoo for the paint, liquid cleaner concentrate for the chrome, Brite-O for the rust, Autosol to buff the aluminum and finally the wax to polish the Bull (not to mention the grease and the oil for the moving parts). Hmmmmm time well spent. Its 6 O’clock in the evening and its time to take my shining Bull out for a ride.
I was hoping to catch the guys at out regular hangout. Beasent Nagar beach has always been the unofficial meet-up place for the MadBulls (aka MadrasBulls). And sure enough, from around the corner I could see the other Bulls (also shining) lazing by the beach side. The next 3 hours were spent catching up with every one and reliving the trip to Horsley hills where we all rode to, last week.

Just when we thought we’d disperse for the day, some one remembered an invitation to a party that was given to the entire group. Pone calls were made for the whereabouts and directions. Sure enough we were all expected at this ranch/farmhouse outside the city some 30Km away.

Finally 10 of us took off on our bikes. Only one guy knew the way and the rest followed him on the ECR (East Coast Road) dodging the heavy traffic. As we crossed the city out skirts the traffic had dwindled leaving the open roads for us. We had to stop for a few of the Bulls to tank up. I got my air pressure checked. Just as we were about to take off we heard three other MadBulls roll into the bunk. They were also heading for the same party. Thus the entire pack got on to the road in a single file and drove steadily. The beauty of the ECR is that it is laid along the shore line for its entire length. Once in a while you get to cross a bridge over the sea water. The sound of water lashing onto the pillars and the sight of the open sea on that dark night was a eerie but exiting feeling. We rode on till the pack leader decided to cut right into what was a dirt track.

This silly excuse of a road (a path actually) weaved left and right into the dark (what lay beyond could not be seen as our head lights were the only source of light). The guy riding in the front was the only one who could see the road ahead the rest were driving into a cloud of dust thrown by the bike infront (and I just cleaned my bike :-( . The turnings were tricky as loose gravel lay scattered and it was very easy to loose control (very easy, it turned out to be). From afar one could see the dancing lights of out bikes on this bumpy rough terrain which lead us into the gates of the farm house. We were greeted by our good friend who invited us, sitting on his 535. We were directed to take our bikes along the dirt track (which has changed to soft sand by the way) into the open grounds of the property. Here I was surprised to find a proper obstacle course setup for the horses. On enquiring I came to know that the owners of the place not only rear horses but also coach horse riding. This was complimented by the thorough breds standing in the stables.

The Paaardy *
We were among the first ones and got the DJ to play the songs of our own choice. We were told that a couple of rock bands are due to perform later in the evening and with the guests filling in slowly, tings were looking promising. The first of the bands was an all girl band who did a very good job of imitating Nelly Furtado. The second band took half hour to tune their equipment and then went on to bore the audience by singing their “own” compositions. By then most of the guests have gotten comfortably high (me on orange juice) and solo who was a bit more irritated than the others by the racket going on, decided to show the punks on stage what the real music was. On his que, we all started our bikes gradually revving them to peak. Every time the band decided to sing another of their “own” compositions, they were greeted by the thump of 13 bullets. The fun went on for a while and then we called it quits before some one got offended. By mid night it had gotten scruffy in there and we all exulted at the idea of a small ride. Fresh air and apparently for some food (getting out of a party for food is probably the lamest excuse ever for a ride) is what we rode back 7Km for. Riding at midnight on a highway (one as ECR) is a different fun altogether. Ride we did, to this restaurant called ECR Dhaba which was about to be closed. Got the chef to rekindle the stoves and probably for the first time the waiter decided the order (depending on what was available), not us. Had a surprisingly good meal considering the make-do arrangements. While dining we received a call from another MadBull who was lost on his way to the party. Apparently he and his friends (a car full of people) were at some other boring party and decided to chance their luck with this one. We asked them to rendezvous at a landmark (a tea stall on the road side) and tagged them all to the party. Things looked better by the time we got back, the band playing some recognizable tunes and more people had joined in. We all parked our bikes and got ourselves comfortable on our respective bikes. Under the clear sky with thick air and pleasant breeze from the seaside, with a live band performing - the weekend has just started.

Everyone bites the dust
Unknown to us, Solo (who was comfortably high by then) decided to take his bike out for a spin. When he came back, he looked as if he was in a 10 round boxing match. He had bad scratches and bruises all over him with a badly cut upper lip. I later came to know that it was at the same treacherous turning where the loose gravel lay scattered that Solo lost control over his bike and hit the ground hard. Solo is one of the best riders I have met and is known for his control over the beasts we ride. One can understand how bad this dirt track was, in spite of Solo’s excuse fro his “slow reactions”. We immediately left the party (t’was boring anyways) with Solo riding pillion with Jai and Yakub decided to hitch a ride back on my bike. The plan was to get Solo cleaned up and be taken to a hospital. Once we ere back on the ECR, we all locked our throttles at 60kmph and cruised back to the city. Even with the knowledge of your fellow riders accident just minutes ago, you cannot but help enjoy the ride on the ECR. It is the combination of the well laid roads and the cool breeze from the sea that has a bewitching effect on a rider. I dropped Yakub at his place and called Antony to check on Solo’s condition. After confirming that all is well, I headed off to end my day (it was almost 3.30 in the morning).

It is always fun to ride alone in the night, through the otherwise busy junctions with open roads. With the plan to hit the bed in a short while, I was all set to get comfortable. Just as I was turning to Velachery, the cop at the check post decided to stop me. I have just done 70 KM odd ride out side the city and I get stopped meteres away from my house. As dictated by the guy with the lathi, I parked my bike (making sure I pocketed the key before he snatched it) and went to the main guy. He already had a small group of people in front of him. He gave me a nod and I ever politely asked him for the reason why I was stopped. I produced every document he asked for, I was not speeding, and to his dismay neither was I drunk. With no other choice but to let me go, he quoted me as an example to shout at the other poor imbeciles – who, I am sure, still must be cursing me for parading with “more than necessary” documents.

Thus the day ended definitely being different from the other five days of the week.

Lessons learnt:
Do NOT drink and drive – no matter how good a rider you are
Carry all the necessary papers all the time.
Do get on to the ERC when ever you can.

* Vocabulary courtesy : Dosai

MadrasBulls 3rd Anniversary Bash @ Horsley Hills

2005-04-18T15:45:00.000-07:00

Occasion: MadrasBulls 3rd Anniversary Bash
Location : Horsley Hills, Andhra Pradesh.
Dates: 16 & 17th April 2005

Before even going on to gloat about how much fun we had, I would like to thank all the organizers who took time out to make this happen. Especially Ranga – great work man. Thank you all guys.

Now to those who could not make it, have every reason to feel bad because they really did miss out on what was an wonderful ride (beautiful roads – I’ll come to that later), great party (more later), some of the most hilarious moments (thanks to Sherin) and the highlight of the trip – the very delicious walnut topped chocolate cake (had helped my selves with two very big slices :-)Could some one tell me where it was bought from.

Flag off
We started at 5.30 am with Venky leading the pack. We soon dwindled into smaller groups of similar speed range. The sun had caught u with us by the time we hit the highway. It was a beautiful sight to see the early rays hitting the empty tarmac with a scenic background. The empty strech of this beautiful highway is a temptation very few could resist. For the few of the guys the needle touched an all time high. Brijesh who was anchoring did a good job of collecting us back markers.

We all reached Ranipet in time for breakfast. Here was a surprise that one would have never expected. Tucked in a small mechanics workshop were two antique bikes ready for restoration. A Matchless and a Sunbeam. After a good half hour of taking in on these bikes and an informative chat with the mechanic we took off.

Ride from Ranipet to Chittor was un-happening with us burping to the heavy breakfast. After we crossed Chittor the fun began. First- the scenery had changed form lush green to barren lands and dry hillocks. One could really feel the isolation here. And then the road disappears – due to some construction work (a flyover and a tunnel) the tar is replaced with granite and white dust. These 100 meters of offroading did not do any good to my already sore back muscles, but FUN it was. Immediately after this the road sweeps into a long curve with a sheer drop of 60ft on one side and a ragged rock cliff on the other. From here the riders had to make do with 60-70kmph due to the frequent check posts and regular settlements and villages. We reached Palamner before noon.

I am sure every one will agree with me when I say that the ride from Palamner to Madanapalli was the best. The roads were well laid and the heat made the tyre grip the road better. The rubbery texture of the road encouraged the rider to confidently lean into a bend. The long ‘S’ curves were easily taken at 80-90kmphby the novice of the riders. The beauty of it was the mile ahead was visible most of the time giving us a longer reaction time window. A truly biking stretch of tar.

The actual climb up the Horsley hills lasted less than 20 minutes but an adrenalin rush none the less.
Reached the destination by 2pm and were greated by a breath taking view of 50 odd bikes parked in the grounds (only to be joined by more later).

The receiving committee made sure that all of us were given the ID tags, the food coupons and the memorable MB anniversary poster. Riders kept rolling in both from MB and RTMC. Every now and then we could hear the rolling thunder coming up the hills and were greeted with loud cheers. The fun started almost immediately with a Frisbee and volleyball (courtesy: Brijesh) and non-stop music (courtesy: Bala). More of the RTMC guys and Wanderers from Hyderabad joined us by evening making the party even better.

Brijesh addressed the gathering and cut the cake (a picture would better explain this). Some “jugadu” DJ’ing with the limited equipment (including a laptop and an i-pod, thanks to the tech’ies from B’lore) set the stage for the dance floor. The dinner was relished and the day ended with all of us lazing around the bonfire.
A good nights sleep and we were ready to ride. Started there at 9.30 the return trip was safe and reached Chennai by 5.30.

PS: My special thanks to Ashwin, MadBull Ram, Shilesh, Vijay & Ganesh for their company enroute.
And to Mani for his rib tickling sense of humor. His jokes shared around the bonfire will be remembered for a long time.

MB Logo

2005-02-28T23:26:00.000-08:00

The Initiation Of Many Things

2005-02-26T04:21:00.000-08:00

The prelude:

I am a bike fanatic.
Will not waste time trying to express my passion and love for Bullets – I am sure you all can relate with the same.
Now that I have gotten myself a decent job, the first thing I want to do with my earnings is to buy MY bike (no dad’s money) - much to my mom’s annoyance (who wanted to see me safe in a car).
Have a 2005 Bullet Electra ES.

Initiation to the Bullet

My initiation to the two-wheeled machines started when I was a little over 9 years, my all time favourites being the RD350, Yezdi 250/350, KB100 and of course the BULLET. I never missed a chance to rob a ride from my friends and cousins who chanced to visit my place. My liking for a Bullet turned into a passion when I was in my graduation back in Delhi. My friend used to bring his brothers Bullet to the Univ. and it was on this machine that I spent most of my bunked afternoons. The ‘ulta’ gear was irritating at first but you cannot help fall in love with this machine.
To possess some thing so close to your heart it was only apt that I buy one with my own earnings. My work demanded me to shift to Chennai – the birth place of my sweetheart. Pleasant it was- the feeling of finally owning a motorcycle with an indomitable history – a Royal Enfield 350cc Bullet Electra ES.

Initiation of the ownership

On the day of the delivery, I reached the RE showroom to be greeted by the magnificent sight of my Bull shining in all its chromed glory under the afternoon sun. I knew it was mine even before they told me it was (well!! There was no other Electra ES with disc in Magic black).
The very first ride on my Bullet was from the showroom to the MadhyaKailash temple in Adayar to get the ‘Pooja’ done. During that short ride of 10 minutes I could feel the bystanders admiring and looking at us in awe (If a bike dressed up with flowers and a garland across the handle bar and a guy wearing a jacket and gloves in hot Chennai weather could not draw attention then what will??) Every stop at the signals drew gasps and enquires from the mortals around (how much did it cost?, Milage?), also got the congratulatory nods from fellow Bulleteers did no good to bring down my already inflated pride and ego. After the ‘Pooja’ took the Bull to the nearest petrol bunk to quench its thirst. Not wanting to go back to my empty apartment, took the Bull on an aimless but an enthusiastic ride across the city. That night saw me cleaning my already clean bike.

Initiation to the MadrasBulls

Even before my transfer to Chennai I was aware of the existing of this very eccentric BULLET club in Chennai who call them selves “MadBulls”. The popularity of this club was evident from the conversation I had with Mr. Krishnan of the Royal Enfield brand showroom in Adayar, Chennai. The anticipation of waiting for the delivery could only be matched with the eagerness to meet the MadrasBulls – because it is mandatory to ride a Royal Enfield Bullet, Thunderbird, 500, Machismo, A350 or Lightning to become a member of this elite club. The very evening I was handed over the keys, I registered my self at the Yahoo groups called “Newbie- MadrasBull” (Jan 28, 2005). This is a screening process put in place to gauge the passion and commitment of the potential new member. The MadBulls congregate every second Saturday of the month to meet the “Newbie” registered in the past 30 days. The satisfactory ones are accespected into the group and made a member of the main MadrasBull group hosted at the Yahoo groups. This is the only media through which the members communicate. The first meeting was at the WoodLands Drive Inn (has always been), I met with the group for the first time. I was asked to introduce myself to join the brotherhood. I was thus initiated into MadrasBulls in just a week’s time and have been an active member since.

This bunch of people who ride these retro motorcycles are not what one associates with a biker gang. The weekdays see them working in an MNC doing an IT job only to indulge in their passion on the weekends. The common forum is used to discuss every thing there is to know about the bikes, plan events, organize charity work and of course to schedule the long rides.

Initiation to the first ride

After being baptized into MadrasBulls, I was eagerly waiting for the first ride with the group – as riding in a group requires the basic understanding of the Group riding techniques and coordination with fellow bikers. It was decided that a ride be organized for the Newbies and the destination was to be Mahabalipuram (Mahabs for short). It’s a 70Km ride form Chennai connected by the ECR (East Coast Road) – a beautiful road on the costal line with the blue sea on the left and green fields on the right for the entire length. We were to start at 7.30 in the morning from the Beasent Nagar beach. The flag off saw 17 odd bikes thundering through the quiet lanes of Beasent Nagar to get on to the ECR. The average speed of the ride was 50Kmph with cool breeze blowing form the sea side. The pack was organized with an experienced rider leading the bunch followed by the ‘Newbies’ the rear of the pack was anchored by another experienced rider who could keep the track of the back markers. The leader would decide the formation of the riders according to the road ahead (Staggered on an open highway or a single file on narrow roads). He would also point out the obstacles to look out for, by hand signals which are passed on by the riders behind him. We stopped at the sunrise point to catch the early morning splendor. After having a fulfilling breakfast at Hotel Mamala we headed for Mahabs. The destination was Moonrakers restaurant located in the chaotic dwelling of Mahabalipuram. After spending a couple of hours and having had a heavy lunch, we decided to head back to the city.

Initiation to Off-Roading

On the way back, few of the daredevils suggested we go off-roading. The idea was to get on the sand and make it across the shore to the waves. The distance was about 900 meters with dry patches of grass marking the white sand. Not many wanted to venture further and decided to be spectators. Shamsher was the first to take off, revving his machine into the sand. Few others followed him with me still deciding whether to subject my month old bike to this brutality. Finally after some expert advice form the seniors on how to handle the machine in the sand, I threw caution to the wind (literally – it was blowing strongly) and took my bike down the steep ramp covered with gravel, in to the sand. The ONE thing I was told NOT to do was ride with a disengaged clutch. The secret mantra of riding in the sand is never to press down on the clutch (this will burn down the clutch plates in no time). It worked for me - with only accelerator to take care of, I concentrated my attention in keeping the bike steady and trying very hard not to fall. It was easier said than done because in sand what ever little control you have over the bike is through the accelerator and trying to keep the handle bar straight. With the front wheel navigating the small sand dunes and the rear wheel ever eager to sink down in to sand, the balancing of this 200 Kilo machine requires some amount of talent (wilt all modesty :-)). The dry patches of grass at regular intervals was a saving grace as it gave enough traction back to the wheels to regain the loosing balance. The achievement of finally making it to the water can be compared to the ‘Man on Moon’. After relishing the moment we headed back to join others who were enjoying the spectacle of a few who could not make with their bikes half submerged into the sand. Being a first timer it was an achievement for me to make it without even putting my foot down. It was a moment of realization of what my likes were. I knew for sure that this is what I have been longing to do. I was hooked to these new thrills which gave me a high that I am sure no amount of booze or drugs could.

The ride back to Chennai was a unrushed, pleasant ride with most of us thinking back to the days events. By dusk we were back in the city in time for dinner and some sleep – got office tomorrow!!