[barcalad]

This is a thread dedicated to weekend/holiday short rides for/by teambhp members in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on their two wheels.

A ride has been planned this Sunday morning, until Mathura Toll Gate of the Yamuna Expressway. (94 kms from Noida entrance)

Confirmed members include :

1. barcalad
2. Urban_Nomad
3. mehuel

Any other members (only motorcycles) wishing to join us can PM any of the above. Our tentative starting time, subject to weather conditions, is at 5:30 AM sharp.

Looking forward to ride on 'India's best road'!

[ashwin.terminat]

Looks like you're carrying this infectious bug all from the way from Bangalore to Delhi.

Good job Barcalad! Hope you find a Sojogator there to keep your rides entertaining!

[barcalad]

Originally Posted by ashwin.terminat

Looks like you're carrying this infectious bug all from the way from Bangalore to Delhi.

Good job Barcalad! Hope you find a Sojogator there to keep your rides entertaining!

Thanks for the amazing compliment, Ashwin.

On the contrary, I hope I DO NOT find a Sojogator because that means I will have to burn un-necessary petrol and waste time chasing a Z800 that was too engaged in kissing the horizon.

[Sojogator]

Originally Posted by barcalad

Thanks for the amazing compliment, Ashwin.

On the contrary, I hope I DO NOT find a Sojogator because that means I will have to burn un-necessary petrol and waste time chasing a Z800 that was too engaged in kissing the horizon.

Hey Hey Hey !
I might end up doing a 'Messi on Yanga-Mbiwa' on you. The difference in altitude is similar too

[ashwin.terminat]

Aah. The joys of stoking a fire.

Ride safe, guys! Expecting a lot of pictures!

[mehuel]

Great initiative Barcalad. looking forward to it

None of the weather sites is showing clear skies and there is a good chance it will rain. Come prepared.

[barcalad]

Originally Posted by Sojogator

Hey Hey Hey !
I might end up doing a 'Messi on Yanga-Mbiwa' on you. The difference in altitude is similar too

Oh, man! I rest my case.

Originally Posted by ashwin.terminat

Aah. The joys of stoking a fire.

Ride safe, guys! Expecting a lot of pictures!

Sure, bud. The pictures will be posted within two hours of the ride ending. My guarantee!

Originally Posted by mehuel

Great initiative Barcalad. looking forward to it

None of the weather sites is showing clear skies and there is a good chance it will rain. Come prepared.

Thanks, M!

Well, let's hope the skies clear up. It was raining till 11 last night, but strangely there was not a drop of rain when I met Urban_Nomad for our midnight meet at India Gate. It was awesome fun.

[Urban_Nomad]

^^ It was nice catching up mate! Thanks for the free Hot dog n Cola

Look fwd to meeting others on the ride

Only disclaimer - If it rains, I am gonna wuss out

[barcalad]

My first short ride in Delhi was very eventful. Having certified my bike as 'fit for active duty', I set out to do a sortie and boy, was I accompanied by some great individuals!

The time was set. The date was fixed. The weather was analysed. Yes, we were all set to ride on what has achieved a cult status as 'India's best road'.

Urban_Nomad couldn't make it due to personal reasons. While only me and Mehuel were teambhp members in this ride, the others were his friends who combined together, made the 6 of us who did this ride.
The road was fabulous and so was the weather, with literally not a ray of sunshine on us and just clouds. So many clouds that they eventually took us and our biking skills for a nice little test.
Everyone was riding quick and it felt amazing, particularly because I was back to doing something I love after a long hiatus. The bike, as if equally passionate, didn't throw a tantrum even once, even during the nightmarish conditions - which I shall come to later.

A couple of kilometres before the Aligarh toll, we eventually took a U Turn (having missed many because we were high on speed and adrenalin) and headed back. Had breakfast and a nice little chat by the Expressway's own restaurant and headed into the horizon. Interesting, because while we were discussing our favourite topic - bikes, three folks came by in a Busa and a I883 (both stock). Unfortunately for us, they took the attention from the RC and the Dukes towards themselves.

Hardly a kilometre or two after starting from the restaurant, the clouds became dark, and darker, and for a moment I felt like a pirate captain storming into a whirlpool in the middle of the sea, because it's too late to turn around (and no shelter around as well). It rained cats and dogs from then and it still is as I type this. The Busa and the Iron overtook us because doing higher speeds. Some of our crew took cover/slowed down while it rained hard, where me being me and Bhaskar (Black D390) braved the armor-piercing rain to keep riding on. The Busa and the Iron were in our sights, but as the raindrops became unbearable, they pulled over to take cover too.

Here, I must mention the riding-in-the-rain expedition that me and Bhaskar did. Yes, it probably did hit our minds that the rain was unbearable, but we went on and on. I was jacket-less, mind you, and it was only when we stopped that I realised that my arms were all red, as if I was punished by a UAE court.

We all did meet just before Noida, and went our own ways, relishing every moment of the wonderful 250 kilometres we covered today. Here's the small little fun part. The rain had flooded the streets so bad, that at some points, the water level was upto my knees. This was the first time that my bike's exhaust was under water for many kilometres (especially in Central Delhi), and it performed brilliantly. The bike just stalled once at a traffic junction, and waded through deep and treacherous water for many kilometres without any issue.
Where many of the 'big cars' required pushing and pulling to crank, the KTM Duke 390 rode on into glory.
At the outset, my respect and affection towards my bike has increased by leaps and bounds after today's events.

A side note - The Michelin on the rear performed flawlessly under wet tarmac and high speed conditions. Not even a single moment of nervousness. I reaffirm, it should be the first choice for anyone looking to switch from the Metz. Mental tyre, IMO.

Big shoutout to Mehuel, Bhaskar, Gautam, Sumit and Ankit for being amazing co-riders. Some photos attached to savour.

1. Back to business.



2. One for the road.



3. The lineup.



4. Empty roads. Rain. Bliss.



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We advise you to read the Forum Rules before proceeding any further.

[mehuel]

What an amazing ride.

Wide open roads, add to that dream like weather conditions, what else could we have asked for

Cheers

[phamilyman]

Nice log guys! Hopefully I should get myself a CBR250 in September or so and then be able to join such a *day* ride as well!

PS: Do justice to your steeds - wear some good armor. ATGATT! Please!

[theexperthand]

Ah! So, now Delhi gets her own Sunday Morning ride thread

It is always fun to ride when it rains - the wet chaddi ride have its own charm.For a moment, I thought you guys did a slush-fest too, in the rain. Happy to see the bike and you doing what you guys should be doing, after a hiatus.
Here is one for the long longs rides to come, bro.

--Anoop

[trumpcard]

Guys how about a small meet plus ride at gwal pahadi faridabad gurgaon road next Sunday? Anyone in for the same?

[ashwin.terminat]

Awesome start to one of many rides.

Don't mean to sound preachy; as phamilyman suggested, perhaps getting the basic jackets and gloves to these rides will be a good precautionary measure?

Riding in the rain has its own charm. While most will park their bikes to the side and take shelter, I have always relished riding in the rain as I find it to be a true test of my skills. Your braking, your accelerating, your cornering, all of it needs to be adjusted to suit the conditions.

Kudos on a brilliant opening stint. I am sure we will get to read about your forthcoming adventures soon enough!

[barcalad]

Thanks a lot, fellas! I hope that even if I'm not there, our tribe keeps increasing. Bikes should not be limited to just commuting to office and getting paneer, IMO.

Would have appreciated it more if this thread wasn't moved from the Motorcycles thread to here. Viewership and participation are the two main reasons why the 'Bangalore - Sunday Morning Rides' thread rose like a phoenix (it was dormant) and became a phenomenon, with people actively doing rides every other weekend and keeping the spirit alive.

Mods, a request - Do consider moving this thread back to it's original home. I'm sure there are many who agree with me. (This was one of the topics of discussion in our ride yesterday)

Originally Posted by phamilyman

PS: Do justice to your steeds - wear some good armor. ATGATT! Please!

Originally Posted by ashwin.terminat

Don't mean to sound preachy; as phamilyman suggested, perhaps getting the basic jackets and gloves to these rides will be a good precautionary measure?

Can't say about others, but as for me - I am in Delhi temporarily. My gear and armor are back home, and thanks to the 15kg luggage rule by our awesome airlines, I did not carry it. My helmet and gloves however, were here with my bike, packed safely inside a carton, and hence I used them. My height meant that I could not borrow a jacket from anyone, even though I scouted a lot for it.