A Brainless Journey!!

There is something which you can do only once in your life, it can be daring adventure or a simple task. I always had this urge to go on a long ride in a bike, not 50.. or 100 Kms, but very long, say 200.. 300.

Many would have gone for long drives, it could be in gear-bikes, but not in an automatic gear scooters!!. I got this TVS Wego a few years back, I was waiting for a good opportunity to surprise my family members. This week, I had a perfect chance for a long ride, 258 Kms, Chennai to Krishnagiri.

Pre-planning

I browsed through the internet to see if anyone had written about their experiences of riding an Active or Wego type bike for a long ride. The best, I could see was from Bangalore to Mysore, which is around 140 Kms. I thought- I can make it. One 15 mins stop for every 60 mins. Stay in 60-70 Kms./hr. Drink plenty of water in the break and make sure to take a leak, so that I won’t get dehydrated. And, make sure I feed the bike with petrol whenever the fuel tank needle touches red. So this was a four pit-stop strategy, Three- 15 mins stop and one 30 mins stop for breakfast.

Get set-go

May 1st, after completing my night-shift, I went home, I wasn’t still sure to take this ride, but then I thought this is something which I can never do later, this is a first\ last chance. No one will ever permit me to do such an idiotic and stupidest act. So I called wife and said, I’m taking the bus, but instead my bike turned toward the Arcot Road to catch the Chennai – Bangalore Highway.

6:00 AM. With already, 150 Rs of petrol in the tank, I just filled 100 Rs petrol in Vadapalani. Arcot Road which is usually busy road was now less crowded. I made swiftly to Porur and to Poonamalle. Just after Poonamalle, when the city road meets the HighWay it took for a while to adjust the heavy vehicle’ movements. After, few mins, I was able to judge their movements. I was moving in 70Kms/hr., occasionally it could touch 80-85, I had to then pull it down to 70 again!.

The ride was comfortable, I got some pain in my knee after 200 Kms, but once I stopped and stretched a bit, it was OK. I went with the planned breaks. 11:30 AM- I was in my home at Krishnagiri, it was a surprise for my family. Yes, I made it. 

There was a function on May 2nd, so I had all day rest. I started back to complete my adventure on May 3rd afternoon. When, I say adventure, this is IT, the return was terrifying for few moments.

Cloud formation!

May 3rd, could be my "May Day" call!

I started at 1:00 PM from Krishnagiri. Having known the nuances of riding in the highway, I was making it easily, 75-80 Kms/hr . I reached Vellore at 3:10 PM. Had my lunch and started to move forward, my next target was to stop at 4:30 PM, possibly near to Kanichipuram bye-pass. But this is when things turned bad. While I was crossing Melvisharam, I saw a smoke kind formation at a distance, this may be few KMs before me. I thought it might be some fire accident. But, it was dusty wind from the ever dry Pallar river. While I was crossing the Pallar bridge before Ranipet, I can feel\see the dust and sand from the river bed throw up in the air like twisters. The wind became so heavy, right before me a hoarding of a hotel was pulled down by the wind, for a while my heart stopped! The heavy wind was pushing my bike off the track, I couldn’t go beyond 40 Kms/hr., and then it started to rain heavily. I had to stop in a tea shop (They didn’t have tea there) for a good 40 – 50 mins. My plan was to enter the city before 6:00 PM, but my return plan was a dis-array due to rain. I was in Poonamalle at 7:00 PM and it took an hour to reach Vadapalani.

250 Kms is an insane act. But to try once there is no harm I guess.

My next plan is to take a bi-cycle ?

Ezutha ezupuku ellam vanda anda appavi bike- White Rabbit.