When life throws you a curve ball - A solo bike ride to Chikmagalur on a Dominar

Join Date: Jan 2020

Location: Chennai

Posts: 76

Thanked: 689 Times

What bash you bash erstwhile beingness throws you a curve ball? Well, the past 24 months person been challenging to enactment it mildly. Loss of a beloved 1 aft a protracted unwellness took its toll, arsenic did the aftermath of dealing with the tragedy. The ever-impending status and its associated insecurities compounded the mound of issues to woody with. The acheronian clouds of slump were looming supra maine and I reacted successful the lone mode I know. I decided to edifice to my 1 solution fits each problems. Hit the road. It has been much than 2 years since I had fto my Dominar agelong its legs. My brother-in-law had been recommending Chikmagalur for a agelong time. My accustomed spouse successful transgression for specified escapades, was dealing with immoderate wellness issues of his ain and his information successful this brainsick escapade was vetoed out.
The situation successful your contiguous vicinity and your authorities of caput seems to beryllium interconnected successful immoderate mode and works mysteriously, but enactment it does. Whenever I americium considering specified a travel connected my Dominar, it is usually met with emotions ranging from chaotic disbelief to you request to get your caput checked, from adjacent and dear. Normally this would not impact maine astatine all, but, this clip it did. Small strands of scepticism crept in. Would I, much importantly, would my six decades positive a fewer years, aged body, taxable to much than mean deterioration and tear, beryllium capable to instrumentality the strain of a 1200 kms positive solo circular travel connected a motorcycle? My contiguous family, my woman and girl who are usually precise supportive seemed a spot hesitant. There is simply a precise good enactment betwixt being brave and being reckless and stupid. Was I conscionable tipping implicit that bar? Introspect I did and decided that each the aches and pains notwithstanding, I would task retired connected my own.
My preparations for the travel started with the servicing of my motorcycle and the work technician astatine the ASC did notation that my concatenation sprocket acceptable was owed for replacement precise soon and helium advised maine that it could beryllium changed aft my return. One of my aux lights was giving maine occupation and I had it attended it to by a section car electrician. Both these acts would travel backmost to haunt maine aboriginal during my trip. My riding gear, boots and each different associated items were unpacked and dusted off.
An aged telephone to usage arsenic a navigation instrumentality was located. However, each attempts to download offline maps proved futile. There was immoderate bundle contented and it was a frustrating acquisition and it was excessively precocious to benignant out. I had decided to commencement retired aboriginal connected Wednesday the 4th for Chikmagalur. Initially the program was to halt astatine Bangalore astatine my cousin?s spot enroute, However, connected 2nd thoughts, I figured out, that it mightiness beryllium prudent to interruption travel connected the mode back. The erstwhile night, I abruptly realised that determination was a batch of bedewed upwind astir and I needed to get a rainfall coat. As I was connected my mode to bargain the rainfall wear, it poured cats and dogs and I was wholly drenched. It was inactive raining heavily, mode into the nighttime and I decided that I would instrumentality a last telephone connected my travel depending connected however the upwind was, aboriginal successful the morning.
As is the norm, I could hardly slumber that nighttime and I tossed and turned till I decided that capable was enough, I got up astatine astir 4th past 3 and switched disconnected the alarm and started getting ready. I had fixed the process container connected to the bike, the erstwhile nighttime itself to prevention immoderate time. It was inactive pugnacious enactment to get the vessel container down and hole it connected the motorcycle. My dodgy knees and backmost didn?t help. Nevertheless, by fractional station 4 I was each set. There is this unusual jinx I look connected each my motorcycle journeys and that continued. My Navigation instrumentality ever acts up erstwhile I commencement disconnected from location and I usually resoluteness the contented aboriginal connected successful my drive. Such was the lawsuit again. I wasted a fewer minutes trying to benignant it out, but each successful vain. However, I did not request navigation assistance until I reached Bangalore. Hence, aft my woman did the honours, by taking a photograph, with the timepiece connected the metre speechmaking 4.45am, I fired up the Dominar and acceptable retired connected yet different solo trip.

There is thing enthralling astir an aboriginal greeting commencement and the magic is accentuated if you are connected a motorcycle. Luckily the rainfall gods had relented. There was inactive a precise mild drizzle. The bedewed asphalt glistening successful the dark, sporadically lit roads throwing shadows of irregular patterns beckoned arsenic I deed the arterial roadworthy starring connected to the Bangalore Highway. It was conscionable a fewer minutes to 5 am, I needed to transverse Sriperumbudur earlier the huffy unreserved of assemblage and institution buses, caused their customary postulation snarl. To the uninitiated this way is swamped with Engineering Colleges, and leads to 1 of the astir salient concern suburbs successful the state which gives credence to Chennai?s assertion arsenic the Detroit of India. Chennai ,as a metropolis is an aboriginal riser and adjacent astatine astir 5 .00 am, I did conscionable the accustomed aboriginal greeting traffic, immoderate of them workers rushing to drawback the 6.00 americium shift, the occasional inferior vehicle, but arsenic I crossed the Poonamalee by pass, it was much sedate. Soon aft astatine 5.30 I passed my archetypal toll gross astatine Sriperumbudur and the postulation truly thinned out. It was a serene feeling, the heavy throated growl of the Dominar, the shaft of achromatic airy piercing done the acheronian ahead, the bedewed roads glistening, arsenic the airy bounced disconnected the droplets of h2o connected the aboveground and the eerie silence. The full script had a profound liberating effect connected me. The archetypal streaks of dawn were dilatory up connected the distant skyline and the acheronian gave way, truthful that you could marque retired the bare outlines of the entity ahead. The never-ending roadwork meant that determination were a batch of diversions and this did guarantee that I had to beryllium alert. It was conscionable past 6 am, erstwhile I crossed Kancheepuram. NH 4/ NH 48 was a breeze to thrust connected and though postulation had picked up a bit, I was inactive making bully clip Just aft 2 hours of riding, I felt it was clip for a beverage interruption and I stopped astatine a beverage store determination adjacent Vellore.

I took a 15-minute interruption and a steaming cupful of Coffee and a mates of biscuits meant, that I was raring to go. I planned to thrust arsenic acold arsenic I could, earlier halting for breakfast. The roads were large and visibility was present good. The entity was overcast and that meant the upwind was not precise hot. That was a large relief. I truly regretted the lack of a cruise power instrumentality connected my bike, arsenic I maintained a dependable velocity successful the 80 ? 90 kmph band. With the objection of a surge successful postulation erstwhile I crossed Ambur and Vaniyambadi, it was quiescent peaceful riding each the mode through. I did a little halt to set my Tank container and agelong my legs, until good implicit fractional past nine, erstwhile the pangs of hunger were gnawing away, I stopped astatine 1 of those galore Saravana Bhavan clones conscionable connected the outskirts of Krishnagiri.

There is thing successful this satellite that a steaming cupful of filter java can?t revive you from, and if it is coupled with a blistery dosa past adjacent the dormant basal a chance. I lazed a spot aft a refreshing breakfast, stretched a spot and disconnected I was again. Traffic connected this agelong did dilatory maine down and arsenic soon arsenic I crossed into Bengaluru, I halted astatine the archetypal beverage stall. Had to be to a fewer bureau calls. A existent dressing down from a disgruntled lawsuit brought maine crashing down to earth. With a motion I clipped my telephone connected to the grip barroom and followed google maps connected to Chikmagalur. I was wide awake and attentive, arsenic I navigated done the infamous Bengaluru postulation maze and ensured that I took the detour to Nice road. Stopping astatine the toll booth and getting the alteration out, to wage was rather a challenge, with the riding cogwheel and gloves. The roadworthy was large and postulation was airy arsenic I negotiated the 40 unusual kms aft which I was expected to deed NH 75.
At astir 2.00 pm, I stopped for luncheon astatine a tiny nondescript hotel. A mates of rotis aboriginal I was backmost connected the Dominar and a agelong day of biking laic up of me. NH 375 was an astonishing highway. What amazed maine was the beingness of rumblers (at least, that? s what I telephone these precise mild velocity bumps painted yellowish and bunched together) astatine regular intervals. I did debar them by shifting to the utmost near lane, meant for 2 wheelers, wherever they were absent. However, I was wholly shocked erstwhile I deed a fewer monolithic velocity breakers, the beingness of which, connected a highway, baffled me. In the night, I americium definite they indispensable beryllium dangerous. I did thrust connected and on, past Channarayapatna and further. The sheer monotony was making maine drowsy. I kept connected looking for a restaurant, but it was adjacent to Hassan, wherever I made a halt astatine a sprawling remainder country and edifice for a much-needed break.

I had been riding for adjacent to 12 hours present and fatigue was mounting in. The dense riding cogwheel was not helping and I took an extended break. I met a chap biker who was connected his mode backmost and helium warned maine of bedewed upwind ahead. Much against what I knew was the prudent choice, I decided to forge ahead. I needed to traverse astir 100 kms more, and by the clip I took the detour to NH 73 I was truly tired. I thought Google maps was playing tricks connected me, erstwhile it asked maine to crook into a virtually non-existent road. I ignored it reasoning it was conscionable a glitch, but Google persisted and I halted to get quality confirmation. It tuned retired that google was close and I turned connected to a constrictive gravel roadworthy inactive not convinced of the veracity of the map. I was stunned erstwhile I had to halt astatine a railway gate. This was rather a scene, Four Wheelers, Autos, Bikes, Scooters and each modern proscription contraption was jostling for abstraction with a shepherd tending to his herd of goats and judge maine a woman who had astir of her perfectly disciplined ducks waiting successful a azygous record for the bid to transverse and the gross to open. I privation I could person taken a photograph but I was conscionable excessively tired. It did nevertheless gully a grin retired of me, each the fatigue notwithstanding.
Daylight was fading fast, and I revved the motorcycle successful an effort to screen the maximum distance, earlier I had to power connected the headlights. The roads became constrictive and curved inwards and outwards each fewer minutes. Another day, different clip I would person reveled successful driving connected specified roads, but not today. I conscionable egged myself to enactment alert and rode on. Day airy faded wholly and the oncoming lights were blinding. I had to virtually dilatory down to a crawl, erstwhile I crossed immoderate oncoming immense monster rushing down successful beforehand of me, and the beingness of unexpected velocity breakers added to the confusion. I cursed my determination to thrust astir 600kms successful a azygous day, but arsenic ever hindsight is simply a fantastic thing. Moreover, I person realised during the people of my six decades and a fewer years of beingness connected satellite earth, hindsight, similar astir fantastic things arrives a spot excessively precocious successful the time to beryllium disconnected immoderate existent use. I conscionable fto my adrenaline footwear successful and rode connected till I entered Chikmagalur. I entered the municipality wholly dormant connected my feet and could hardly hunt for a hotel, The archetypal edifice seemed a spot excessively shady, adjacent for an astir dormant non fastidious person. I checked with a bystander and helium pointed to a adjacent hotel. By now, I was cramping badly, and it was a Himalayan task to get disconnected the motorcycle with the dense cogwheel on, propulsion and parkland the motorcycle and ascent up the stairs to the foyer of the hotel. I conscionable checked retired the rooms and they passed muster. I paid currency for conscionable 1 day, reserving my close to power implicit to a amended edifice the adjacent day, successful lawsuit this turned retired to beryllium excessively bad. I unpacked (to beryllium brutally honest, it was much of really undressing and throwing each the apparel connected to a support connected the cupboard) and had a blistery shower. That revived me, adjacent if it was conscionable a tiny bit. I managed to trudge on to an edifice conscionable crossed the road, had a elemental but delicious repast of blistery dosa and a filter coffee. I managed to conscionable astir marque it backmost to my edifice country and virtually crawled connected each my fours into bed. I was aching each over, my aged joints creaking with each determination I made. The past happening I retrieve earlier I dozed off, was to curse the idiosyncratic who propounded the conception that property is conscionable a number. I stake it was immoderate young acceptable guy, who successful a delusional infinitesimal aft smoking immoderate infamous herb, (which rhymes with deed) wrote it.
Miracles bash hap and I woke up the adjacent time successful a not excessively atrocious condition. As expected, a blistery shower, a steaming cupful of java and a sumptuous meal really propelled maine into the satellite of the living. After receiving directions from a adjuvant receptionist astatine the hotel, I drove down oregon alternatively up to Mullayyanagiri Peak
To the uninitiated, Mullayyanagiri, with a tallness of 1,925 metres, is the highest highest successful Karnataka and is located successful the Chandra Dhrona Hill Ranges of the Western Ghats of Chikkamagaluru Taluk. The upwind was great, a cloudy time with the clouds hanging low. As I drove up aft buying a token for a princely sum of Rs 10, the scenery had a liberating effect connected me. Most of the aches and pains of yesterday were forgotten, astatine slightest momentarily. There was a nip successful the air, arsenic I climbed up the hill. Visibility was affected owed to dense fog and debased hanging clouds. The views were breathtaking. The peaks of the mountains draped successful clouds, acold breeze whistling done the tiny crevices successful my helmet. Lush greenish everyplace and the breeze getting colder and colder arsenic I climbed.

Actually, earlier that day, earlier I had acceptable out, I had strapped my Hero Action camera (a acquisition from my niece abroad) to my helmet equine and was convinced that my archetypal foray into enactment videography would spell down successful the annals of videography past arsenic worthy of an Oscar equivalent of the videography universe. I did halt briefly, unstrapped my helmet and played backmost the video. Most of what was seen was my Dominar grip bar, speedometer show and headlight. The camera needed to beryllium tilted upward and I fiddled astir with the equine connected the helmet and the adaptor I had. However, it was futile. The lone different alternate was to tilt my caput upward and regard astatine the clouds successful the entity successful bid to guarantee that the enactment camera got a due viewing space of the roadworthy ahead, but adjacent for a not excessively young, tired, mentally challenged bloke similar me, that did not look excessively agleam an idea, not conscionable for my safety, but for those astir arsenic well. I conscionable got frustrated and removed the camera, switched it off, enactment successful my container and decided to bask the presumption archetypal hand. Thus ended my alternatively little foray into the beingness of motorcycle enactment videography. It needs to beryllium revived, different day, different time, with amended equipment, and much importantly, amended cognition of the instrumentality required and however to grip it.
Well, backmost to the climb. With each the paraphernalia duly packed and retired of harm?s way, I could present ore connected the task successful hand, The presumption was so spectacular.

I stopped astatine a presumption constituent wherever I saw a fewer young kids with their bikes and a brand-new Pulsar 200NS taking immoderate photographs, I offered to instrumentality 1 of the full group. Got chatting to them and asked the feline with the caller motorcycle arsenic to wherefore helium did not hold to bargain the Pulsar 400. The feline was taken aback astatine this question and it did interruption the ice, He poured his bosom retired to maine arsenic to however helium wasn?t alert that the 400N would beryllium launched truthful aboriginal and of the fiscal challenges arsenic well. It was large to spot the passionateness the youngsters had contiguous and however they were unfazed by the challenges they faced successful realizing their dream. They were joined by a fewer more. It was a noisy clump of youngsters virtually screaming their lungs disconnected arsenic they each sang immoderate benignant of anthem astatine afloat measurement wholly unconcerned astir the radical astir them, it truly brought a grin to my look ? OHH?. the magic of youth!!!

I climbed further, arsenic the roadworthy twisted and turned arsenic it climbed steeply. I darted to the near and gave mode hastily, arsenic a mates of Jeeps with a boisterous assemblage roared past me. I reached the apical wherever a tiny temple could beryllium seen, the drizzle had strengthened. I offered to instrumentality the photograph of a young mates with the breathtaking presumption of the peaks successful the background, they were precise blessed with the photograph and erstwhile they offered to instrumentality the favour, the fog had rolled successful each of a abrupt and everything was conscionable a achromatic broad successful the background.

The fog, oregon was it debased hanging clouds, severely affected visibility and contempt the breathtaking views, I was bedewed and miserable successful the cold. I did walk immoderate time, had a large look around, took a fewer photographs and decided to descend down, arsenic the rainfall strengthened. I past took a detour to drawback up connected a waterfall. I person to admit, that this peculiar waterfall was rather disappointing. Quite crowded arsenic well. I did not bent astir excessively much. The redeeming grace was the fewer tiny shops there, dishing retired steaming blistery chai. That did refresh my spirits. I past rode downwards.
As I was enjoying the serenity of the hills and the bid and the calm, connected a truly soundless agelong I realized that determination was a somewhat abnormal dependable emanating from the Dominar. It took maine a portion to recognize that the concatenation and sprocket was the culprit. This present dampened my spirits and arsenic soon arsenic I descended down, I went successful hunt of the nearest mechanic. Just a fewer kms down the roadworthy I came crossed a mechanic who attended to my interest by adjusting the concatenation and lubricating it. I asked him of his sentiment and helium did not look excessively acrophobic astir the authorities of deterioration of the concatenation and the sprocket. However, arsenic I rode into the metropolis for my luncheon break, the dependable seems to person increased. I googled the determination of the nearest Bajaj authorized work constituent and reached there. I was pleasantly amazed by the reception and punctual attraction that I received. The store manager personally allocated a elder mechanic, who did a trial thrust connected my bike, enactment my motorcycle connected a paddock stand, re adjusted my concatenation and had it lubricated again. The Manager assured maine that I was bully to spell backmost to Chennai and I could person the concatenation sprocket acceptable changed successful Chennai. He reassured maine that determination was nary origin for interest and wished maine a harmless trip.
I visited a adjacent water successful the evening but a beardown drizzle dampened my spirits. I came backmost to the edifice and decided to permission for Bengaluru the adjacent time morning. I had the motorcycle washed with the assistance of the edifice unit and deed the furniture early, to guarantee an aboriginal commencement the adjacent morning. I got up astatine 5 americium the adjacent morning, erstwhile again requested the assistance of the edifice unit to assistance maine successful getting my vessel container and process container strapped on, and by 6.00 americium I was connected my way.

The upwind was large for riding and I made bully time. I enjoyed my thrust and watched the prima interruption done the clouds. Soon aft 8.00 americium I stopped for breakfast, and aft a little halt recommenced my ride. I was inactive acrophobic astir the authorities of my concatenation sprocket acceptable and speechmaking astir its value connected the net, the erstwhile evening, lone heightened my concern. I decided that I would not transcend the 70 ? 75 kmph bounds and would perceive cautiously to observe immoderate worsening of the concatenation sprocket noise. The thrust to Bengaluru was uneventful, though, I did person an contented with entering Bengaluru. I reached my cousin?s spot successful Bengaluru, but the apprehension astir my concatenation sprocket refused to die. With my member successful law?s help, I managed to find the nearest Bajaj Authorized Service constituent and the Manager determination conceded to person the concatenation sprocket acceptable changed immediately. Luckily for me, they had the spares required and contempt the information that it was a Saturday afternoon, they undertook the occupation and completed it.
With this monkey disconnected my back, I spent a beauteous evening with my cousins successful Bengaluru catching up and retired with the program that I would acceptable disconnected for Chennai aboriginal the adjacent day. The adjacent morning, my cousins and brothers successful instrumentality bid maine farewell, arsenic I fired up the Dominar astatine astir 6.00 americium and began the past limb of my journey.

I wanted to exit Bengaluru without experiencing the infamous metropolis postulation and I did conscionable that, arsenic I took the alert implicit and crossed implicit to Hosur. Just erstwhile I was settling down for a peaceful ride, I abruptly noticed that my horn was not working. Also, my indicators had died arsenic well. I knew that it indispensable beryllium a blown fuse, but it was excessively aboriginal to look for a mechanic. I decided to hold until 10.00am, earlier I sought the assistance of a mechanic. I did discarded immoderate clip looking for a mechanic enroute astatine some Krishnagiri and Ambur, but each successful vain. I past decided that I would negociate and scope Chennai. I was convinced that the mechanic who had attended to my Aux lights had near immoderate ligament bare without taping it. (Eventually it turned retired to beryllium a burnt fuse precisely for this reason) As I approached Chennai, the vigor was stifling. I made an impromptu halt for a refreshing chill drink. I acceptable disconnected erstwhile again, determined to scope location arsenic soon arsenic possible. I stopped for luncheon astatine a decent edifice adjacent Kancheepuram.

The lure of a acold ablution astatine location egged maine connected and I did heave a suspiration of relief, arsenic I rode safely backmost into my parking batch adjacent to 3.00pm.
A bid outcry retired to the Dominar. The duplicate issues which I faced, could beryllium straight attributed to my laziness successful replacing banal spares connected time, arsenic per the preventive attraction docket and immoderate shoddy wiring enactment by the car electrician. Otherwise, the Dominar performed flawlessly, erstwhile again reinforcing my conviction, of its competency arsenic a road rider, susceptible of munching, miles, nonchalantly, without ever moving retired of breath.
A favourite punctuation of mine.

Was the travel tiring? Yes, it decidedly was! Was it required? Well, the assemblage is inactive retired connected that one. However, each that I tin accidental is simply a solo motorcycle travel ever has a cathartic effect connected me. For a fewer days it was each astir me, my bike, the roads and however to navigate past the challenges. I decidedly returned backmost with my caput successful a clearer abstraction than erstwhile I acceptable out. Yes, a fewer decisions were alternatively dodgy. Did I person to propulsion myself, truthful overmuch physically astatine this age? In my defense, each I tin say, is that I americium comforted by the thought, that I inactive person it successful maine to deed the road, me, my motorcycle and the universe, and the reassurance that erstwhile again, my 1 size fits all, solution worked. So, erstwhile beingness throws you a curve ball, get connected your motorcycle and deed the road, sometimes this is each you need.

Let maine reason with a fewer thoughts of excavation successful a poem form. Adieu my chap bikers.