A slow dance through the bends as we navigate this section of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, in Kerala, leading to the Kabini reservoir and wildlife reserve, in Karnataka. The traffic was minimal, the twisties unending, and we went carving through the jungle. Enroute we spotted barking deer, monkeys and the occasional peacock.
Parked for a breather
This was our second run through Wayanad, after 2017. You can read about the earlier ride here.
We took on this one as a three day ride in February this year, with our company’s offsite and a very pleasant stay at the newly opened Taj Wayanad thrown into the mix. Had the ride not been for our official event, it would have been the perfect recipe for an awesome motorcycle holiday- stay at breathtaking luxury resorts, take slow rides through the beautiful living culture that is Kerala, gorge on sumptuous food and drink and enjoy the all encompassing green scenery.
You’ve heard this before, but life does take its own slow pace in rural Kerala. And it has moments of beauty where time stands still. As we ride through village after village, we see homes with large verandahs, shaded from the morning sun. The menfolk use this space as their daily hangout, reading the morning newspaper, sipping on chai, catching up on gossip with the neighbours and watching the world go by. You can’t rush through scenes like this, and the ride is best enjoyed at the gentle pace that makes you appreciate the culture and character of the place.
Wayanad is the quintessential lazy motorcyclist’s paradise, with winding roads that snake through tea estates, banana plantations and an otherwise endless sea of green. If you are planning on visiting, keep a few days in store- there’s lots of lovely routes in the district which need to be savoured, one day at a time.
Quaint cafes like this one with a greenhouse, add to the charm of Wayanad. This was the perfect chai stop.Rivers in Wayanad are pictures of idyll.The stunning Taj property overlooks the Banasura Sagar lakeThe scenic setting of the property qualifies it as one of the most beautiful resorts in India.You are never too far from Chai in Wayanad……or pretty, age worn houses by the wayside. Western Ghats loom beyond the Banasura Sagar reservoir.By one of the tea estates.Somewhere in God’s Own Country.
A detour on our way home, to one of my favourite places in Karnataka, the enchanting Kabini reservoir and wildlife reserve was rewarding as ever.
Can’t wait to return to this gorgeous motorcycling country at the next opportunity.
The Himmy, short of its 8th birthday, poses at Kabini.Our rides at the Kabini Reservoir
As we herald the riding season in 2024. thought I’d talk about some YouTube channels that kept me interested, entertained and up to date with the latest in motorcycling, through 2023.
Starting off from my own town, Bosky and his merry comrades give mature, genuine advice on all aspects of motorcycling, including motorcycle safety. Bosky, who is also the proprietor for Big Bear Customs and one of the largest Royal Enfield Dealerships in the city, is an accomplished motorcyclist. This channel is a far cry from your glory seeking newbie vlogger, who seem to pop up dime a dozen these days. I love the friendly banter between Bosky and his mates, every time they take out a new bike to test and review. Watch their feeds to understand the art of unwinding, Bangalore ‘eshtyle’, while also upping your technical knowledge about two wheels.
As a Himalayan owner, I had been on the lookout for a decent feed where the rider genuinely loves and promotes the virtues of the RE Himalayan. Chennai based Ben grabbed my interest. He has really taken his 2018 Royal Enfield Himalayan to the next level. An ardent off road enthusiast, I like how he upskills himself and upgrades components on the machine in the quest for two wheeled nirvana. A big fan of the 411, he was quite vocal and disappointed about it being discontinued by RE, when they announced the 452.
If you’ve got a glass of wine and a lazy evening planned in front of the telly, tune into Stuart Fillingham. Let his soothing Yorkshire accent lull you into motorcycle happiness, as he coasts you down through beautiful English countryside, on his favourite classic motorcycles from Triumph and Royal Enfield. I love his sense of wry humour and his no nonsense responses to trigger happy folks who shoot comments without rhyme or reason. His is a garage to envy as well.
Watch one episode for the antics of Ryan and his fellow Canadians on Fort Nine, and I can guarantee you will be asking for more. Some of the reviews border on stellar. Heard about comedians in cars drinking coffee? Well here’s your comedian on a motorcycle, drinking coffee. Be entertained, laugh your guts out. But as you wind down the episode, he will leave you with meaningful insights as well.
You can’t miss out on Zack Courts and Ari Henning, well on their way to motorcycle stardom. Maybe Ewan and Charley are the only ones who are better known than this duo. Watch their crazy expeditions for cinematic motorcycling experiences. Commuting reviews on daily rider, gear reviews and many other interesting tech feeds make this channel a must follow.
Perhaps the biggest advocate of lightweight adventure motorcycles and therefore the only motorcyclist I know who has a Ktm 390, a BMW 310 GS, an REH and a Honda CRF 300 Rally in his garage, among others. He dotes on each of these for their lovable characteristics and shares insights from tours he leads across UK.
I’ve only recently started following this channel from Down Under, which looks very promising. A highlight from the the series is his rescue and resurrection of a 31 year old Africa Twin from a farm shed, which now features in all his travels. And yes, the cinematography is quite good!
Although Moto geo founder and ex racer Jamie Robinson, is a bit laid back with channel updates these days, this one is a must try. His love for the open road and adventuring, burgers and the general positive vibes that come off his motorcycle camping videos from the sunshine state, make you wish that you could immediately jump on your bike and ‘jest go for a ride!’
We’d been to a ride to Billekal Rangaswamy Betta a hill trail through a forest reserve off Kanakapura town. This is a great technical trail to test your off road skills. The trail has decent straight sections and some twisties.
Hill top parking spotTrail riding
On the way down from the hill, I misjudged both my speed and the rutted gully ahead of me. The front wheel went straight through the rut and would have carried through had it not been for a large boulder sitting squarely in the middle. I felt the wheel hit the stone and had no time to control the bike. It was a hard fall! While I got off with a badly bruised shoulder, the bike took the brunt of it.
The bike after the fall. Bent handlebar, bent tank frame, twisted headlight assembly, broken indicators, scratched windshield, broken levers…the list is long. The mirrors and headlight survived, miraculously.
Back at my friendly neighbourhood workshop, we assessed the damage. The main chassis was intact, so was the tank and headlight. The touring mirrors I had installed are quite tough and took a beating but did not crack. Irreversible damage to the handlebars, the tank frame, the headlight assembly and the pannier frame, bent out of shape on the side the bike fell, prompted some deep thinking about the bike’s future.
I was keen to save the bike and continue to keep it for good. Obviously to keep using it in its adventure tourer format meant a lot of expensive parts to be replaced. A viable alternative was to get rid of the damaged components completely and convert it to a scrambler.
The Himalayan prototype bike, circa 2015
Scrolling through scrambler build ideas on Pinterest, an image of the first spy shot of the test mule Himalayan in 2015, caught my fancy. This bike took parts off the single cylinder Continental GT 535 while testing the engine and frame. It looked more scrambler than anything else, with no indication of the adventure genes that would define the look of the Himalayan when launched next year.
I decided to pay homage to this test mule. It seemed like a good direction to take. The first order of business was the headlight mount. I had seen many folks use the headlight bracket from the Interceptor 650, on the Himalayan. This was an easy buy and fit. The instrument cluster however, needed to have a custom fabricated mount. We wanted to retain the base plate for the instrument cluster which involved some bit of tinkering with the fabrication and welding of the clamp to get the mounting angles right. This was the longest and most painstaking part of the build.
The Himmy sans the tank frame. It was a discovery for me when I realised that the headlight mount and the instrument cluster mount were two completely separate assemblies! What looks like a very rudimentary add on to the main frame is the base mount for the instrument cluster! Above that is the ignition key slot and handle lock.First attempt at the headlight assembly. Turn signal indicators and mounting brackets from the Interceptor 650. A flyscreen would be required to hide the yawning gap between the bottom of the instrument console and the headlight. This would also be a right mess of wires, if not tied down properly.
My friends at Highlander Moto, however, took lots of care to lovingly change the bike, to the look I desired. Taking time out of his busy schedule, Karthik bhai, slowly but surely brought the scrambler to life. The stock mudguard was looking too bulky on the reduced front, so I suggested we add the mudguard from the Interceptor as well. After a month and a half at the workshop, the bike returned in a new avatar.
Quick errands in the neighbourhood and a couple of commutes to the office offered tempting insights into the true nature of the bike. With a good 15 kgs removed in the frames, the bike feels light and fast. A proper highway run would give a better picture. Hope to do that soon!
Scramble tamble ready to ramble!Can’t wait to take it out on the open road!Ram Mount, touring mirrors from Royal Enfield and a Givi tank bag, complete the essential accessorieslist.Out with the crappy aftermarket LED headlamp. Back to stock retro look.Himalayan ScramblerHimmy on!Sans frame, lot more tank.
Couple of dry bags with the Givi tank bag on should suffice for weekend trips.
From autumn last year through to spring this year, I’ve been riding out on the bike every chance I can get. We’ve had a long dry spell with little or no rain. Our merry band of motorcycle mates has been great company for short escapes beyond city limits. Call it revenge motorcycling if you will- but if 2020 shocked us into submission, 2021 gave enough dire warnings lest we got too comfortable, and 2022 took all our energies to get back to normal life, then 2023 surely calls for some bravado! With this objective in mind, we’ve been stepping out eagerly, on two wheels and four. 😊
All manner of bikes. All manner of rides.
A company offsite in mid December to the coffee country of Coorg, provided a good opportunity to create a motorcycle trip for ‘official reasons’. We would save on fuel, get there faster, be environmentally friendly, etc. The office folks did not have much say in this and were readily convinced. Acceptance of the same reasons by la familia was another matter altogether. I was in the middle of elucidating the benefits of two wheels over four when my kid cut to the chase with “ Daddy, you just want any excuse to ride out don’t you?”. 😊
Cold, fog, dawn, open highway. ETA 60 min to rendezvous. Rendezvous. A foggy start to our official tour.
It’s a great feeling when you thumb the starter before dawn in your empty parking lot. After weeks of planning, anticipation and excitement, that calming sense of purpose as you roll out on the exit ramp is incredible. I think it’s one of the essential joys of motorcycle touring, to see it all come to that moment, when you start the ride. You’re sort of done with the rigours of…
All the gear? Check.
Pannier balance? Check.
Tail bag strap adjustment? Check.
Phone mount secure? Check.
Did I forget my sunglasses? Third pair of underwear? Check.
Charging cable? Check.
Did I lock the house?
Darn it, let’s just ride!
An early start and meet up with my fellow riders on the Hassan highway was interrupted by heavy fog within a few miles. Don’t know if you’ve ever experienced this, but fog + motorcycling is a bit of a no go. It’s a complete dampener (no pun intended). In less than an hour we were chilled to the bone and begging for that hot cuppa.
After some delicious dosas and piping hot filter coffee- perfect antidotes to frozen fingers- it’s all smiles. We moved off the highway to explore a short trail in an ageing forest.Dry leaves and mulch littered the landscape. But the forest was beautiful, with that mid morning sun filtering through the haze.A Scram 411, A KTM 390 Adv and my Royal Enfield Himalayan. All have adventure in their genes but are configured completely differently.
We reached Coorg around midday. An incident en route which I’d call amusing and terrifying at the same time, became the unusual highlight of my ride.
My friend on the Ktm decided to gun the throttle at the first sight of the twisties. Snaking through coffee plantations and tall silver oaks, the ghat section approaching Madikeri is a joy to ride on. While the Ktm disappeared, the two of us took on the bends at a gentle pace enjoying the scenery. As we approached town, Google maps announced a short cut to our place of stay. I heeded Google mausi and followed her advice down progressively narrowing lanes which ended in a super steep 45 degree incline leading right into the tiny courtyard of a very rudely awoken Kodava gentleman. With barely a few feet left to spare, I managed to turn the bike around just to see my friend on his Scram following right after!
Now the only way out of that courtyard was that steep 45 degree incline down which we’d just come down. I was suddenly aware that my bike was loaded with panniers and easily tipping the scales upwards of 220 kgs or so. That’s typically the weight of a large 1000 cc adventure bike. The point to note is the large adventure bike comes with a really powerful engine and truckloads of torque. It would have made short work of that incline in front of me. A meagre 32NM of torque mated to just 24 odd horses on the Himalayan suddenly made the task ahead really daunting.
I let the Scram go first. It’s a lighter bike and had lesser luggage. The rider pulled up without much hassle. My turn. A silent prayer on my lips. Engage first gear. Build up revs. Twist of the wrist. Release the brakes. The Himalayan jumps forward. So far so good.
Halfway up the incline I think I hear the engine knocking- I wring the throttle as far as it can go, my heart in my mouth…uh oh.. if I lose traction now, it’s a long long way down to the valley floor beyond the homestead. From somewhere in the depths of its heart the bike pulls out a last reserve of power and tractors up to the top. It takes agonisingly long seconds. But it gets me out. Hats off to all the brilliant engineers at RE! 🥵
It was ironic that our four day trip to Coorg involved a nice ride in on day one, three days of conferences and sessions with office folk behind closed doors and a rain soaked ride back to Bangalore on day five. But in the end it was all good.
I’m out on the same highway in the following month. This time on a Ninja 650. This is a seriously fast bike.
More rides followed in the next couple of months. I seriously considered purchasing a friend’s Ninja 650. On a ride out towards Bellur cross, I’m cruising at 150kph plus speeds on the Ninja. It’s a seriously fast bike and eager to input. The sense of speed is enormous, the feel sporty. This bike impresses with its smooth bulletproof engine. My friend’s machine is nearly nine years old but none of those years or wear and tear have affected its performance in the slightest way.
When the Ninja has smoked the horizon, and the Himalayan no longer has to play the underling in the ‘catch me if you can’ game, I take it down to its comfort ground- a dirt trail by the water. (it’s where the Ninjas dread to tread) 😊Rocky Ridge Cafe and the environs beyond are revisited with a team mate on his Interceptor 650.
I followed up on the test ride of the Ninja 650 with yet another breakfast ride to Rocky Ridge Ridge Cafe, this time with a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 for company. To know more about how we came to discover this place read this.
The backroads leading to Rocky Ridge are a delight to ride the Interceptor on.
The beautifully surfaced back roads leading to Rocky Ridge, are full of gentle arcing curves which beg you to take them at full throttle. These roads are mostly devoid of traffic (except the odd farmer on his newly bought tractor). As I lean into one of these sweeping curves at 80kph, I realise what it is about the RE twins that the Brits are going ga ga about. You see, at these speeds, on roads like these, with gentle twisties, the 650 twin engine is an absolute gem to experience. Think of a B Road in England, lined with hedges and the hawthorns on a sweet summer day. And a happy motorcyclist wearing smiles in an open face helmet just trundles by on his Interceptor, scattering the dragonflies. It’s idyllic. That’s the notion the RE’s engine lulls you into. A gentle idyll. It promises more power on tap, but is happy to chug along sweetly at 60 to 70 mph. It’s perfect for what they call ‘lazy riding’. When you’re never short on power, but never in too much need of it.
A B Road somewhere in the UK. Perfect for enjoying an Interceptor or GT 650. Back home in Namma Bengaluru you can head out on the smaller state highways and back roads beyond city limits. For more information go here.
The perspective here is that the RE 650 Twin is not about all out performance like the Kwacker’s 650 twin. I feel, the engineers at RE had a different goal in mind. The Kawasaki is a high revving engine with more than one and half times the power output of the RE. It’s decidedly smoother at high speeds. And although it’s not bad on roads described above, it’s not so endearing at low speeds. It’s at these speeds of 80 to 120 kph that the RE 650 twin comes into its own. It’s buttery smooth gear shifts and even engine note, and promise of generous low end torque is an absolute dealbreaker. I’m sure it sustain a top whack of 160kph or so easily, but it will be way past its enjoyable nature at that speed.
Papa Himalayan Baby Himalayan face off!
Umm, is that a larger Himalayan? Heck no, it’s gorgeous! You have to tear your eyes away from this beauty. A friend of a friend who joined us on the next ride had brought the Ducati Desert X along. A few jokes ensued on the resemblance of the Himalayan to the Ducati. Did Pierre Terblanche have a hand in shaping them both? Brothers from another mother?
Add some white fairing to the Himmy, and you’d be fooled for a few seconds. But only a few. The Desert X is incredible!
Well the Ducati is striking to say the least. And an easy crowd puller. So much so, that it almost overshadowed the raja bike. The BMW GS 1200. The undisputed king of Adv motorcycles. And how.
I surge ahead as the lights turn green. The big Beemer is mightily comfortable. It’s an open highway and on this Sunday, Bangaloreans are at their motoring best. I can hear some howling super cars behind me, had spotted an Audi TT and a Porsche 911 Carerra going neck and neck a few miles back. They’ve caught up.
The tacho climbs as I rev the bike- I know it’s a matter of seconds before they pass me in a blur. The big Beemer is not ready to give up yet. I can see 156kph on the speedo and the cars have gone ahead. Flashing brake lights fill my vision ahead and I can hear squealing tyres…what’s going on here? A large speed bump. They are skirting this cautiously now. Crawling underwater as far as I’m concerned. I’ve throttled down to about 120kph but there’s no time (or space) to brake or cut speed. I’m on pegs. The Beemer squeezes between the two cars and sails over the speed bump. There’s no wobble. No lurch. Nothing. A clean landing which I almost didn’t feel. Behind me, my friend following on his Ninja 1000 observes my rear wheel in the air, and gawks as the moment passes. Later, at breakfast he recalls the moment and how he uttered something so profane, I can’t write it here. 😀
I repeat, Mightily Comfortable.
My friend takes me through a pre ride checklist as I sit on his bike. It’s more akin to a Captain and co-pilot exchanging notes and running through flight controls prior to takeoff. The BMW has electronic suspension which is activated at the touch of a button. It has multiple modes for (wait for it) turn signal indicators! There’s on the fly selectors/ toggles/ switches etc etc. I’m in a cockpit.
On the ride, we enter a small village which hosts a legendary breakfast place. In one narrow village lane, the bike stalls. At this point in time I’m expecting a dozen warning lights to pop up and completely fluster me. None of that happens. I downshift to neutral, thumb the starter, pop the clutch, drop first gear and off we go. Yup, it’s still just a lovable old motorcycle underneath it all. And May I say. Mightily Comfortable. 😃
Enroute to Sabbanahalli lake. The little Himalayan in the company of biggies.Mirror mirror on the wall. Who’s the smoothest mill of them all?
Which brings me to the Ninja. Nope this is another one. The 1000. Is it fast? Yep. But I didn’t feel it like I did on the 650. Is it smooth. Yep. But I didn’t feel it like I did on the 650. Ok. Wait what?
Yep. It’s fast. But it’s not manic. It’s mature.
Yep it’s smooth. Too much to qualify. So you don’t feel it.
Is it like a car? Far from it. You feel everything. Enough said.
In an elusive quest for the perfect bike, for his current and future needs, another colleague and friend has recently settled on a 2023 Ktm 390 Adventure. This is easily the most talked about, most versatile bike in the adventure segment in India right now.
An early morning ride out to Murugan Idly, which serves lip smacking dosas from 6:00 am. We are witnessing this strangest phenomenon. Every few miles I’m alternating between dazzling sunshine and a light fog. It’s a bit crazy. The sky when visible, is a brilliant blue. My friend has switched to sunglasses. We pause and admire this freak of nature.
The cloud bank in the distance signals another area of fog we will be crossing. But right here, we are in glorious sunshine.
While the dry spell lasts, before the summer really scorches us, we intend to ride out to the mountains. That’s something to look forward to. Riding season ain’t over yet!
Brilliant weather, a gorgeous route, great company and a British Twin to make your day. Happy Sunday!
The monsoon had been making its way rapidly across the South when we first decided to go for a spin down into neighbouring TN. This would be a slightly longer ride than the usual breakfast sortie, with an interesting route and a promising breakfast at the Rocky Ridge Farms Cafe (https://www.rockyridge.in). I’ve now done the route twice already, where the second ride had more friends join in- such is the allure of the route and the breakfast place. 😊
Stop for a breather, a bit of a view, a little banter, with the crew.
Now if you live in Bangalore and are tired of the usual dash to Bellur Cross or halfway to Hyderabad for a bite to eat, then think of this place as a welcome respite. Be cautioned however, that this route is best enjoyed at a slow gentle pace, with lots of scenery along way, places to stop, soak in and build your appetite.
An early start had us cruising down Hosur road post dawn. After the toll, we soon turned off towards Thally. I’ve been on this road before, quite a few years ago, on my first outing on the Himalayan. You can read about that ride here- Lost in the hinterland. The road to Thally has since undergone a massive transformation. The broken two lane blacktop from our earlier ride was now replaced with a smooth four lane state highway, which cuts travel time in half.
This place is a hidden delight and a restful haven. Serves great grub for many a hungry biker!At Rocky Ridge Farms Cafe, the owner has thoughtfully provided racks for keeping your riding gear away from the eating tables. 😊Breakfast at Rocky Ridge Cafe is a yummy buffet spread washed down by loads of good coffee, juice or tea.
After a sumptuous breakfast at Rocky Ridge we moved on towards a 50km circuit that promised a lake, a forest and a waterfall. This route is the highlight and also includes a narrow and twisty hill section, with equal parts tarmac and gravel, which is a delight to ride on an adventure bike.
Riding the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC. What a brilliant, playful machine this is!
I rode my friend’s Triumph Scrambler 1200XC, for good stretches on these rides. With Mark Knopfler belting out ‘What It Is’ in my Bluetooth headset and a roaring twin cylinder pumping oodles of torque under me, I was having a ‘best of the British’ time! This is a bike that redefines ‘easy with an attitude!’. Roll slow and it purrs to your input. Wring the throttle and it jumps like a startled hare- the rear slides, traction control cuts in arresting it in a fraction, I strain to keep the front wheel pointed straight while feeling an adrenaline rush! All transpires in a few seconds. Cruising at 80kph or 120kph is pretty much the same. The tall suspension flattens everything in its path. The bike’s fantastic geometry and handling belies it’s big engine weight. In all of this, however the bike is super friendly and comfortable. Takes some getting used to, but you never lose the feeling of being in complete control, at all times. Compare this with the other two bikes I rode the same day- a Ducati 1100 Scrambler and a KtM 390 Adv. These are power hungry, raging beasts and do not want to be tamed!
This lake is a few kms down the road from Rocky Ridge Cafe!Sunday idyll.
A beautiful lake with a solitary fisherman’s skiff was the first point of interest, on the circuit. This was a gorgeous setting, with wind blown grass and native wildflowers all round the lake shores, surrounded by hills. We spent a short while here taking a few photos.
Motos by the water!Wayfinding in the countryside
Beyond the lake the circuit climbs through some hills with narrow switchbacks, that is pure adv motorcycle territory. For this stretch I had the 1100 Scrambler. The Ducati is super aggressive to throttle input and would be a blast on city streets. However here, I was having trouble keeping up with the Triumph, the Himalayan and the GT. This was because the narrow hairpin bends occurred one after another every 100 metres or so, such is the nature of the hill track. What this implied was me having to downshift at the corner, rev the throttle when half way through the turn, shift up and then immediately cut down on speed and downshift again in half a minute at the next corner. This was tiresome. The Himalayan and the Triumph in comparison, lumbered on smoothly through the bends in one gear, right up to the top. The smaller wheels on the Ducati also were not reassuring on the gravel edges of the asphalt. It was hilarious. I was easily on the fastest motorcycle in the group. Yet I came up last.
View from the top!
The views at the top however, were very rewarding for any latecomer. What’s also nice is that this trail is not on any tourist map. It’s just a road that leads from one village to another, with a hill range in between.
Riding a spirited bike like the Scrambler up to the top was challenging but fun!
On the way back, three of us, riding in close formation, had a scary moment. A snake suddenly tried to cross the road ahead of the leading bike. Panic braking ensued. We were more concerned about whose wheel the poor creature would get wrapped up under! Luckily, all of us (snake included) just about managed to dodge each other. Whew! Just one of those things to consider when riding in India- expect the unexpected!
Heading down into the valley.Adv Moto heaven.
This reptilian encounter notwithstanding, we had a great ride! We’ve discovered a new hideaway with great food and beautiful back roads to explore beyond. Can’t wait to return to the neighbourhood and catch up on what else it has to offer!
The route offers plenty of spots to take a breather and revel in natural beauty around you.More folks join in on the second ride. A KTM 390 Adv and a Scram 411!On the 2nd ride, the lake has changed character after the first rains. Gone were the grass banks, blue skies and clear water. It was still nice though!
Over the past 11 years, I’ve pretty much covered almost every exit route out of Bangalore, in the format of lazy Sunday breakfast runs. These early morning rides have enabled new friendships fostered by our common love for motorcycles, exploration of some great back roads and discovery of some excellent places serving delicious local cuisine. You can read more about some of these rides here- https://yonderbluemountain.com/tag/back-road-beautiful/
Have captured below, images from rides in and around rural Bengaluru that I’ve done over time. Most of these areas are not more than a couple of hours ride from the city centre, so depending on where you live, some of the spots may be closer than an hour for you! Next weekend, if you are craving that mouth watering thatte idly or shavige bath all washed down with a hot kaapi, at the end of a short and sweet ride, do look up these places on Google. Give a shout to your moto mates and get going!
En- route to Manchanbele DamNelligudde KereWind Hill, Ramanagara. Savanadurga in the distanceAt Sabbanahalli lakeA trail near Nandi hillsEn route to Chota Ladakh off Kolar RoadChota Ladakh!Off Berigai -Shoolagiri roadMuningara DamSanamavu Reserve Forest, Thenpennai RiverRagihalli State ForestAnchettySavanadurga State ForestHarohalli Jigani Road skirting the Bannerghatta Wildlife ReserveJawalagiri ForestManchanbele Reservoir
Jharkhand. Loosely translated, this name means ‘Land of Forests’. The state has witnessed rapid infrastructure changes in the last few years. These changes are most evident in the smooth, well laid state highways connecting the districts. Add beautiful vistas of abundant forests, gushing waterfalls, rolling hills and winding rivers that these roads lead to, and it’s difficult to ignore this region as the perfect motorcycling destination!
The state is home to some lovely tarmac
One fine Sunday morning, in late October, my cousin and brother in law decided to explore some back roads around Ranchi. The weather had been glorious for the past few weeks, with warm, sunny days and starlit, chilly nights which heralded the onset of a cold winter.
I had an unusual ride for the day, borrowed from my uncle, who has an interesting collection of motorcycles. The maxi scooter themed Aprilia SXR160 is the latest entry into India’s burgeoning two wheeler market. It looks terrific and is a promising little runabout.
This scoot is a hoot to ride!
The route to the waterfall was through an idyllic country road that skirts the main highway and passes through some lovely villages. This route is best approached from the newly built Ring Road that bypasses the city and had little or no traffic. Not wanting to get left behind in the company of a Bonneville Street Twin and a Honda CBR250R, I was able to comfortably stick to 80kph, and the Aprilia seemed to promise more. Once we turned off the Ring Road, there was no real need to hurry, and we soaked in the scenery at a gentle, rambling pace.
At the start of the forest section
Motorcyling country!
Its not the right bike but the right attitude, that matters!
The route has enough beauty spots to park your moto!
Oh glorious day!
These Sal forests were a joy to ride through
Hills and rivers aplenty!
It felt great to be outdoors on such a brilliant day, made better by the fact we were riding. The waterfall was spectacular and an absolute treat at the end of the ride. It’s a must visit, if you are ever in this neck of woods. At the parking lot to the falls, I did notice a cross-country rider from Kerala on his kitted up Himalayan. Led me to think this place was getting some traction on the motorcyling circuit after all…
Dassam Falls, so named after the ten (Das) waterfalls that merge as one.
Its a pity I only had a week off in Jharkand. This little sojourn was a glimpse of the many charming places the state has to offer. We made plans to regroup in a few months time and head out further inland. Back in NammaBengaluru, I get greeted by grey skies, pouring rain and generally gloomy weather as I step off the plane. The forecast is not friendly either, more rain to come…ah well, back to the grind!
I can imagine how frustrating the current situation might be for an avid motorcyclist. Coronavirus has affected several countries around the world and the motorcycling fraternity in many of these countries would be raring to ride out at the slightest easing of restrictions.
Out here, for a good part of three months, I did not even look at the motorcycle. I stayed home, stayed put, stayed safe. Come June, with the lockdown lifted, I did roll the bike out. It needed a battery replacement, which got done. And on 16th June, we quietly accomplished 4 years of being together through thick and thin. To celebrate the occasion, I went for a quick highway run with my cousin, who also owns a four year old BS3 Himalayan. The short ride, gave us a chance to reflect on two things-
1. How much we had missed not riding
2. We were really among the last of the breed, with our BS3 Himalayans. With the success of the EFI Himalayan in the last couple of years you don’t see many of the older ones about. I felt lucky to have this simple forerunner of a machine. And it felt great to have it running so smooth and true four years on.
Short highway run within the district to clear cobwebs from my mind. Seen here with the other BS3 Himalayan, both 4 years old.The Himalayan has evolved over the years, but stayed true to its core purpose of being an everyday, everything, anywhere use machine.
However, aside from this small outing, for most of the Lockdown, I consoled myself browsing through some of my favourite reads on the shelf.
Here’s a glance at my budding motorcycle reads collection. Would strongly recommend all three, if you haven’t had a chance to get your paws on them yet.
Looking through them brought back nice memories of my own rides and good times with the bikes I’ve owned and ridden.
Here’s hoping that the world overcomes this crisis soon, and we find ourselves back on our machines, rolling happily into the new millennium.
yonder blue mountain... 