[FURY_44]

05-02-2022 FURY turns FOUR

We are at 29,103 kms.

Back in 2018, I was one of the 1st to book and get delivered the bike, 5th bike to be precise in Bangalore, myself and BHPian Athek were among the initial owners of the bike, we were considered God level cause no one knew what this thing was and what it can do . I was intimidated by the bike's sporty stance, it made matters worse when there were eyeballs all around in Bangalore traffic, it made me sweat inside the helmet. I was really really careful not to drop the bike for the 1st 1000kms, running in was done on my office rides to MG Road. To be honest, I was really getting comfortable with the bike once the highway runs started between 5000 - 10,000 kms.

A really big shoutout to Mr. Shashi Kumar from Prakruthi TVS, Ganganagar, I have said it many times earlier and I will say it again. His support made a huge difference in each of the early owner's mindsets, whether we would be having sweet or sour ownership of the bike. During the initial days, my rear brakes were squeaking a lot, he changed it under warranty after reporting to TVS, there was a rattle with the visor, a rubber cushion was made available after a couple of weeks. He also set up a couple of meetings with the TVS R&D team consisting of Mr. Suresh Kumar from TVS and his colleagues, all the initial feedback/problems were addressed and resolved with a solution. Simply lovely!

Shoutout to the boys at Apache RR310 Owners Bangalore group (The Clan), a bunch of like-minded people getting together to experience the best of what biking brotherhood has to offer. 90% of my running on the bike was done with these guys, breakfast rides, one-day rides, one-day rides turning into an extended overnighter, you name it. TVS too conducted a couple of exclusive rides for our group to places like Coorg and Wayanad, we were a force to reckon with. Things have settled down a bit now, post-Covid and a few of the guys getting married and all. We have left out the early morning breakfast sprints and focus more on the overnighters once in a couple of months.

"I don't have friends..I got family"

Coming to the maintenance of the bike, it has stayed true to TVS's nature, and a nickname it earned during the initial days, the Desi Ducati. It runs on plain jane MOTUL 15W50 3000 4T Plus MA2 oil which costs Rs.700 for 1.7 ltr and the recommended drain interval by TVS is 10,000 kms along with air filter and oil filter. Chain maintenance is a regular which can be done by ourselves, doesn't cost much. My highest service bill was Rs.3000 for the 20k kms service which included spark plug change. Apart from this, I had a couple of fork seals changed during the warranty period. The rear brake pads are stock and the front pads were changed at 25k kms.

The panels used on the bike have held up really really well, which is a surprise for me, considering it's more of plastic everywhere. No rattles or squeaks of body panels absolutely anywhere, even if you are on rough roads. No rust is to be found anywhere on the exhaust pipe as well neither on the nuts and bolts, commendable job by TVS. I do have paint chipping on my front brake master cylinder and on the fork legs which attributes more to the corrosive nature of the brake fluid during leakage.

FURY has aged really well over the kms, there were a lot of vibrations on the handlebar, footpegs, and under the seat during the early days, my hands would go numb after a certain period of time, it has settled down now, more miles on the saddle before we stop for a break. There is scope for improvement with the rider seat, I have a leather seat cover in place, but still slide down after a couple of hours on the saddle, the seat itself is curved towards the front which doesn't help either. I have never had a pillion on the bike, it has been designed strictly for tieing up luggage, no average human being can ever be comfortable on those seats. My usage of the bike is strictly restricted to highways only which helps in achieving a healthy mileage between 32- 35 kmpl, happily munching miles without making a fuss out of it. To put in short the RR310 belongs to the hills or the track, this is where you can eke out every bit of performance from the bike, trust me, I have tried, tested and every time I come out surprised by the bikes capabilities.

I love data, Team-BHP loves data, let's have data.





The RR310 exclusively did not have aftermarket accessories until the BMW twins were launched, I don't think it's a necessity either. The radiator is protected well from slush, mud, and stones, it does not need a radiator guard, I do not have one chip on my radiator. The LH and RH fairing costs Rs.2500 each, you do not need that expensive frame slider that does more harm than good. The brake and clutch lever costs Rs.1000 each, you do not need that lever protector which takes away the look of the bike. You do not need that expensive Akrapovic exhaust which costs 54k, the exhaust sound difference and performance gain is minimal. I just have a tinted visor and a 3M transparent film on my odometer to protect it from scratches, that's about it.

Let her be stock, the way she should be.



Fill her up and you will have the time of your life.



To sum it all up.



A picture which is very close to my heart

[Rocketscience]

That is really cheap cost of maintenance, considering the price and caliber of the bike 1500ish cost of service with oil (I'am assuming fully synthetic) is practically peanuts.
For 20k KMs service too 3000 feels utterly justified and might have covered greasing of swing arm and handle etc.

The insurance seems to be on higher side though, especially considering it is Oriental and New India (which provide the cheapest quotes) and it is only own damage. (Is it Zero dep too)

For my bike (R15v3) and around 1 lakh IDV (It is 3 years old), since the 3rd party is done for 5 years, own damage for ICICI costs ₹900 and Oriental is ₹250, yes you read that right, zero dep for both of them is 1500ish and ₹650 respectively, considering both of them for your bike would be 2-3x, they still feel to be on the higher side for Oriental/New India.

[AtheK]

Very nice, happy Birthday to Fury, I got Drakula on 26th Jan, and it had popped up in the one drive memories couple of weeks back. It still continues to remind me of some of the great time I have had riding the bike and also meeting you and some other folks I am still in touch with.

I am still sad that this bike does not get all the attention it deserves, hopefully TVS continues to work on it and come up with a new iteration, only if somehow this can get a Twin cylinder engine, it will be near perfect.

Here is a video to refresh your memory of a great trip we had together!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9kK...VSApacheSeries

[FURY_44]

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

That is really cheap cost of maintenance, considering the price and caliber of the bike 1500ish cost of service with oil (I'am assuming fully synthetic) is practically peanuts.
For 20k KMs service too 3000 feels utterly justified and might have covered greasing of swing arm and handle etc.

The insurance seems to be on higher side though, especially considering it is Oriental and New India (which provide the cheapest quotes) and it is only own damage. (Is it Zero dep too)

Rocketscience, the engine oil used is mineral oil from Motul, not fully synthetic, TVS recommends the same. I will be shifting to Shell fully synthetic for the 30k service which will be due in a couple of weeks from now.

The insurance is comprehensive and includes Zero dep as well, hence the higher cost.

[Rocketscience]

Originally Posted by FURY_44

Rocketscience, the engine oil used is mineral oil from Motul, not fully synthetic, TVS recommends the same. I will be shifting to Shell fully synthetic for the 30k service which will be due in a couple of weeks from now.

The insurance is comprehensive and includes Zero dep as well, hence the higher cost.

Oh, thank you for clarifying, yes you should totally switch to fully synthetic oils, they do make a difference. Pardon my ignorance but wasn't it mandatory for all 2 wheelers that the insurance has to include 5 years third party on the day of its purchase?

[FURY_44]

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

Oh, thank you for clarifying, yes you should totally switch to fully synthetic oils, they do make a difference. Pardon my ignorance but wasn't it mandatory for all 2 wheelers that the insurance has to include 5 years third party on the day of its purchase?

The think that rule came into the picture in 2019, whereas I purchased the bike in 2018, so no mandatory 5-year third-party insurance during purchase.

[FURY_44]

A customary TTD trip was completed yesterday as part of FURYs 4th-anniversary ride. The Mulbagal - Chithoor concrete stretch is turning out to be a bane rather than a boon, there are repairs going on at multiple places with the fast lanes closed off, I could see huge cracks on the flyovers filled with tar, not to mention the bumpy entry and exit from these flyovers, shabby work at its best. Things have changed for good (too good I feel) at Tirumala due to Covid norms, no huge crowds, no hour-long waiting periods in the holding cage, in and out of the sanctum in flat 30 mins. It felt like I was in a neighborhood temple, I miss the old vibe of visiting the temple. On the return, I made a visit to my grandma's home in Vellore district for some delicious idlis and sambar for breakfast, nothing can ever beat the taste of food prepared by grandma's. PERIOD!

Clicked a couple of pictures in my village, I was always fascinated by these mountains since I was a kid.

[FURY_44]

DIY Service Update

With numerous service center visits during the early days of ownership, watching multiple RR310s being serviced over the weekend, and having a customer-friendly mechanic, I gained knowledge of every nook & corner of the RR310. I used to keep pestering my mechanic with a lot of questions, what is this? what is that? why is it this way? why can't it be that way? well, some questions lead to answers/solutions and some were dealt with complete silence. (How dumb could this guy be? would have been the mechanics' thoughts). Coming to the point, if you refer to the 1st page of this review, you can see that myself & dad are from a mechanical background, my dad literally owned a garage in the '90s, somewhere in Malleshwaram, Pipeline road, all I can remember was the rides on the couple of Chetaks he owned, I still remember it to this day, I had a lot of fun.

I service my 9-year-old HONDA Dio from time to time and the itch to service the RR310 kept getting bigger and bigger, I mustered the courage to complete the service in August last year and ordered the parts too, busy schedules and lack of nerves kept this experiment on hold until last Saturday.

Parts planned to change

Engine Oil: Shifting to Shell 15w50 Fully Synthetic from the OEM suggested Motul mineral oil of the same grade.
Oil Filter: OEM
Air Filter: OEM

Parts Cost

Shell 15w50 2ltrs: Rs.1390/-
Oil Filer: Rs.272/-
Air Filter: Rs.300/-

Tools Required

5mm allen key & 10mm socket: To remove the tank cover bolts.
8mm allen key: Oil drain bolt.
10mm socket: To remove the sump guard.
60mm oil filter wrench & Extension Rods: To remove the oil filter.
Measuring Jug
Funnel
A screwdriver

What was planned as a complete photo guide, turned out to be a little tricky and I clicked a total of 1 picture during the entire service, thanks to my dirty hands and the inconvenience of removing the over-tightened oil filter. With physical fitness taking a hit due to WFH and not having the convenience of a service ramp, it was cramps and body aches for the next day. It took me a total time of 3 hours with my dad's help to get the service done.

Will I do this activity again?

Yeah, probably, I like to get my hands dirty, but having a service ramp really helps. Except for the air filter change, all of the other work carried out is low down on the bike. I have also made a note to not overtighten the oil filter, it sits on the lowest part of the bike between the 2 side fairings, it's a pain in the a** to get it removed, it gives you mental trauma, haha.

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer: No plastic parts, clips were broken during this experiment.

[FURY_44]

TVS AOG South Chapter 2022
When: April 8th - 10th
Where: Padubidri, Udupi
Stay: Sai Radha Heritage Beach Resort - https://g.page/sai-radha-heritage-beach?share

TVS conducts annual marquee rides for all Apache owners across India, this is 4th such edition of the South Chapter, I was also part of the 2nd edition which was conducted in Ooty. The event brings in Apache owners of different classes together from various states. One can participate in this event if you own an Apache bike registered in your name. For this event there was an entry fee of Rs.5500/- per head (double sharing room) for accommodation & food covering 2 nights and 3 days, there was also an option to stay in a double sharing tent for a fee of Rs.4000/- per head. Considering the location was in a coastal town and summer, we booked the rooms for ourselves. BEST DECISION EVER!

Itinerary of the event

Day 1 Route Map: Bangalore - Hassan - Belur - Charmady - Belthangady - Nitte - Padubidri

I started an hour later than others, at 6:30 AM on the hopes of catching up with the boys for breakfast at Anagha Restaurant, Channarayanapattna. However, due to construction activity on the Hassan highway, my progress was a little slow than expected, the boys had breakfast and we planned to meet up at Ibbani Cafe, Mudigere.

The Clan united at Ibbani Cafe

I had some delicious neer dosas, sandwiches and cold coffee. With tummy full and high on adrenaline, it was time to hit the ghats of Charmady. Repeating from my earlier posts, the RR310 is a hoot to ride in the mountains. Me & FURY were both grinning to scrape shoes and foot pegs together.

Full send

After Charmady, we had to make quick progress, our lunch was planned at the event location. The Belthangady - Nitte - Padubidri stretch was in excellent condition, since it was a weekday afternoon, there was little to no traffic at all, we maintained good speeds and made up big time, finally reaching Sai Radha Heritage Beach resort at around 3:30 PM. I think we were one of the last groups to arrive. We filled our registration forms and collected food coupons for the day and finished our lunch as well. Music and arts was planned from 7 PM on wards, we had enough time until then to get refreshed and rejuvenate.

Sai Radha Heritage Beach Resort

Stage set

Live band performance

The band performed really well and rejuvenated the tired crowd with some regional songs, there costume was really interesting as well, hehe. Dinner was a buffet spread of veg/non veg starters, soups, main course and desserts, was mediocre though but unlimited, no complaints there.

The main building at Sai Radha, we were staying here

Stats for day 1, tracked by REVER

Day 2 Route Map: Sai Radha - Sri Krishna Matha (Udupi) - Photoshoot @ Mattu Beach - Sai Radha

The AOG group had planned an official ride to Maravante Beach, we decided to skip it, because we'll have to wear full riding gears in the sweltering heat and pose for photo shoots. Instead, we planned to visit Sri Krishna Matha in Udupi, it was a 30 mins ride from the resort, I had never visited this temple as well, WIN - WIN. We were in and out of the temple complex in 30 mins, it was not crowded for a weekend, had a peaceful darshan of the lord.

At Udupi

After darshan, we took this coastal road towards Mattu Beach in the hopes of riding our bikes on the sea shore. However, we could not find access to the shore, even if we did, the sand was too loose and deep. We captured photos in and around Mattu Beach instead.

Earth meets Water

On a cute little bridge overseeing the ship building yard

Mr. Krabs says hello

FURY striking a pose, beach side

After clicking a few more pictures, we returned back to the resort for lunch. Activities like Slow Race, Motocross, Water sports, Race craft academy and much more were planned. We took a ride on the Banana boat and the Jet ski, I run away from water based activities, since I do not know how to swim. But you all know how it ends up if you are with a group, the banana boat ride was crazy, I was speechless the moment I sat on it, scared to death, one has to jump sideways into the ocean to get off it at the end of the ride. I closed my eyes and jumped, waving my hands and legs like crazy before the life jacket floated me up. Trust me, I was literally pulled to the shore like a dead dog, since I was too scared to even swim to get out of the water. Amen, to the lifeguard and life jacket.

"TVS had called in all the riders and organized a one on one feedback/interactive session, trying to understand our expectations and requirements from their products, merchandise, events etc. The panel from TVS included, Marketing Head of Premium Motorcycles Mr. Meghashyam Dighole, AGM Premium Motorcycles Mr. Sean Collins, Deputy Manager Mr. Vikas, Mr. Mokshith SN & Mr. Pradeep HK. They had some very interesting questions to ask, for example, Would you buy an EV Motorcycle from TVS?, If yes, what do you expect?, What's your expectation on a higher cc motorcycle from TVS?, everyone screamed ADVVVVVVV, I am guessing they have something in the pipeline, don't forget, you heard it first from here".

Since we were 8 people, we split into 2 groups and participated in multiple group activities, all of us returned winners, haha, this is still shocking.

A couple of them participated solo in motocross, bye bye fork seals

3rd place finishers at TVS ARE Race Craft Academy

This was one of the most intense and fun activity of all we participated, we had to fit the front wheel of the RR310, adjust front brakes, ride the bike in an obstacle course and park the bike as it was on the paddock to complete the activity, all of this going against another team in tandem, our time was 2 mins and 4 secs, official TVS teams time was 37 secs.

1st place finishers at Sand Castle building. Yes, you read that right (All the kids who are holding the castle memento)

1st place winner in Moto fit and the only women participant

This is my friend's wife, who was the only women participant in any category. I am not sure of the name of the activity, this involves the rider to ride the bike in an obstacle course, return, and then carry couple of 5kg weights in either hand and run through the same obstacle course and then finish the course by doing 10 push ups, all of this being timed. TVS gave her special attention and recognition by giving out official TVS merchandise and also had her interviewed. Great going TVS.

All of us were winners at the end of the day.

Day 3 Route Map: Sai Radha - Nitte - Bajagoly - Kudremukha - Mudigere - Hassan - Bangalore

Two days went by like the breeze and it was pack up on day 3, we were informed to check out by 10 AM, breakfast was provided for one last time, final pictures and goodbyes to fellow riders, before we rode home to Bangalore.

Parting shots at the resort

We rode through Kudremukha, to have a more scenic experience and also to avoid Charmady. The weather was drastically different in Kudremukha, it was cool as a cucumber until we reached Mudigere.

Full send inside Kudremukha National Park

Our return ride was uneventful, we encountered some traffic on the Yediyur - Kunigal area due to road construction and were at Nelamangla toll plaza by 8:30 PM, as far as I can remember this was a ride which ended early and not extend to midnight, a new to us, haha.

Stats for day 3, tracked by REVER

I was apprehensive about the DIY service I had done on the bike, I did not even care to get it verified at an ASC and went ahead with the trip. I had nightmares were I would be stuck in the middle of nowhere with oil leaking from the bike, lol. To be on the safer side, I packed my tool kit and thankfully did not use it anywhere. My DIY service passed with full marks, gives me more confidence to work on the bike from now on. Another thing to notice was the bike returned a stunning 36.7 kmpl overall, creating a new benchmark mileage figure over long rides. Now was this because of the shift to fully synthetic Shell oil or due to the increase in tyre pressure which I made by 1 PSI to 33 PSI, I am not sure. Well, that's another thing to ponder about, until the next trip.

[neil.jericho]

FURY_44, that was another very interesting update to your thread. Kudos to TVS for continuing to invest in, and build the Apache community.

When TVS asked you folks what you expect to find in a bigger capacity motorcycle, I thought all you guys will answer twin cylinder faired motorcycle (OK, doenst sound as catchy as ADVVVV ....). So if TVS now puts their Apache 620 on the back burner, I know exactly who all to blame !

[FURY_44]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

When TVS asked you folks what you expect to find in a bigger capacity motorcycle, I thought all you guys will answer twin cylinder faired motorcycle (OK, doenst sound as catchy as ADVVVV ....). So if TVS now puts their Apache 620 on the back burner, I know exactly who all to blame !

Wait a minute!

One of the guys from the crowd jokingly said he needs a 620cc twin. Mr Sean Collins, AGM Premium Motorcycles sarcastically laughed it off quoting "Oh, 310+310=620", haha good one", now your quote makes me think joke is on who.

[FURY_44]

I missed adding this picture to the above update, we hit 30,000 kms after 1523 days of bike ownership, averaging a measly 19 kms a day, thanks to highway only riding. I would have reached this milestone at least an year earlier, if not for, you guessed it, Covid!

Exactly between Hassan and Belur

[TROOPER]

Can you share which model of the grand pitstop paddock stand you are using?

Is it this? https://www.amazon.in/Grand-Pitstop-...32&sr=8-7&th=1

Saw one of the reviews, and a G 310 R owner said he had to get holes drilled to accommodate the 310 R.

[FURY_44]

Originally Posted by TROOPER

Can you share which model of the grand pitstop paddock stand you are using?

Is it this? https://www.amazon.in/Grand-Pitstop-...32&sr=8-7&th=1

Saw one of the reviews, and a G 310 R owner said he had to get holes drilled to accommodate the 310 R.

Hey Trooper, I am using the "Non dismantable with skate wheels" version. The spring tension is too tight and doesn't slide all the way in (below picture), I have removed the spring, it allows me to easily adjust the level on both sides.

[FURY_44]

Monsoon Ride aka Dhik Dhik Ride - July 2022
When: 1 - 3 July
Where: Attapadi, Kerala
Stay: Midway Crest Farmstay, Attapadi - https://goo.gl/maps/cABgLVWmWbWA7WVC6

Monsoon 2022 is here, and we all love riding in the rain, it's an exhilarating experience that can't be missed. 10 riders from the RR310 owners group signed up and the planning started 10 - 15 days prior to the start date. It was extensively planned by me and one of our senior riders Diwakar, chalking out each and every turn, it was planned in such a way that we would be crossing multiple reserve forests across 3 days of riding, and the check posts at some of the RFs like Geddai, Mulli, and Anaikatti North were not mainstream, but we wanted to try our luck crossing these posts since the route was not taken by many.

Our initial plan was Day 1: Bangalore - Mulli - Attapadi, Day 2: Attapadi - Manarkkad - Athirapalli Falls - Valparai, and Day 3: Valparai - Bangalore. However, things did not go as planned, read on to find out why.

Day 1 Route Map: Bangalore - Mysore - Masinagudi - Ooty - Avalanche - Manjoor - Kundha - Adikaratti - Mettupalayam - Karamadai - Anaikatti North RF

Starting from Bangalore at 6:30 AM, it was all going well, majority of the work on Mysore Rd is now complete, one can quickly munch miles on a bike filtering through traffic in the diversions, and in no time we were in Mandya. Twist 1, one of the RR310 was leaking brake fluid from the front caliper, we consulted one of the TVS service centers in Mandya which were unauthorized to deal with the RR310, he simply said "Sir, navu muttohage illa gaadi na" (Sir, we are not even allowed to touch the bike), the biggest con of owning an RR310, no service network. Thanks for the help we said and moved on to Mysore since the rear brake was working. Ambaari TVS at Mysore was a gem to deal with, they quickly took in the bike, drained the old fluid, replaced it with a new one, and also replaced a faulty O ring that caused the leak. Thanks to Mr. Shabrez and Mr. Suraj from Ambaari TVS for going above and beyond to deliver the bike in a quick turnaround.

First photos for the day at Ambaari TVS

Mr. Suraj (left) and Mr. Shabrez

Well we are in Mysore, a quick photo op in front of the palace.

This unplanned detour took away 2 - 3hrs of our running time, we missed optimizing our route due to the delay and proceeded towards Gundlupet to have lunch at a place called Hotel Mukthar, Gundlupet, the place is such a hype, the biryani had at least 100ml of oil in it, the taste was ok, as is any biryani for that matter, I would not recommend this place though. Soon we crossed into Bandipur, Masinagudi and reached Ooty at around 5:30 PM, we stopped for a quick tea break at Tibetian Market.

We had an XPulse joining us for the trip

Somewhere on the way to Avalanche, Emerald

Twist 2: Now, at this moment we realized it was 6:30 PM and we would have trouble crossing the Mulli check post, our chances of crossing it when there was light were slim and now it was getting dark. We enquired with a few locals at Avalanche, and all of them returned with only one answer with multiple iterations "No, Not Possible, Elephant Sightings". We swallowed the bravery pill and wanted to give it a shot ourselves, it was pitch dark by 7 PM, the XPulse's add-on lights were a savior in lighting up the roads, and the mighty RR310s were led by a puny little XPulse. We heard hues and cries from the occasional oncoming localities and shops we crossed, to stop and return back the way we came by. Supposedly, since it's the jack fruit season, a lot of Elephant sightings have been made, the last bus which crosses the Mulli check post was at 5:30 PM, before dusk, and no other vehicles are allowed to cross the check post for any reason after that, even emergency vehicles.

We stopped at a place called Kundha exactly at 8 PM and decided we take an alternative route to cross into Kerala. Our homestay in Attapadi from Kundha was just around 48 km, which would have taken just around 2 hrs. Now we have to deviate from Kundha to Adikaratti - Mettupalayam - Anaikatti North RF - Attapadi, an 80 km ride just to reach the other check post.

Staright forward route crossing Mulli

Deviation, just to reach the Anaikatti North check post via Mettupalayam

Twist 3: We reached Anaikatti North RF check post at around 11:00 PM, just to see a gate closed, the guards sleeping and a board saying "Check post will be closed for traffic between 6 PM to 7 AM every day", our hearts just sank in. To be brutally honest, we couldn't ride anymore, we were beaten up by the elevation changes in the Nilgiris, as much as we love the twisties, this was the limit that day, we couldn't ride a km more. We tried convincing the guard to let us through since we had our rooms booked and food prepared at our homestay in Attapadi, he wouldn't budge and offered us to let through as early as 5 AM. He suggested we sleep at a nearby temple and come back in the morning. All of us were hungry, cold, and tired, our bodies were aching and we just wanted to lie down on the road and sleep. Few of the guys already slept on the road at the check post while others were trying to convince the guard.

Done for the day

There were only a few houses nearby and we did not want to look like the Bawaria gang from the movie Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru, by knocking on their doors in the middle of the night. We saw a TNSTC town bus nearby, which was parked for the night, and took the opportunity to sleep in it until dawn, it was 12:15 AM by then, a couple of hours to rest and sleep, that was all we needed at the moment. Welll, there was a small problem, we were 10 and the bus and only a couple of long seats to sleep on and the rest of them had to sleep on the floor, the bus was old and it had no doors. Any movement by anyone on the floor, the bus would creek and make sounds, on any other night, this wouldn't be a problem. Since we were at the edge of an RF, these sounds were a problem, we could attract any kind of predators in search of bikers for dinner . The next few hours which followed were like scenes straight out of a horror movie, we could literally hear Elephant calls from different directions of the forest, at first we thought it was a hallucination due to hunger, but the calls were repeating and we were just praying to make the night.

Twist 4: At around 2:15 AM, we heard a loud thud from the back of the bus, something similar to an Elephant slamming its trunk onto the bus and pushing it. I was sleeping near the engine bay, I was just shaken awake, as was everyone else. We guys at the front of the bus did not know what commotion was going on at the rear. The guys were looking down at the rear steps anxiously and one guy was shouting "Cat, Cat", my initial thoughts were a leopard or some wild cat as caught hold of someone and it's pulling him out the door. When I took the courage to go back and see, it was my friend lying down head first through the back door holding on to the support bars to keep him from falling onto the ground, we lifted him up and asked "Dei, nee enga da inga?" Dude, why are you here?, he gave one of the lamest and silliest reasons for the situation "Kaathu vanga ponen, slip agi keela vizhunthuten" I wanted to get some air outside, but slip and fell. Holy f@#$ dood, we nearly shit our pants.

Our savior, 4B/13

All smiles the next morning, making fun of his antics. Thanks to the bus crew who were more than welcoming, when they returned back to start their early morning shift.

Stats for day 1

Day 2 Route Map: Anaikatti North RF - Sholayur - Kottathara - Attapadi

We crossed the check post at 6 AM, and in another hour's time, we were at our homestay, that's how frustratingly close we were and yet we could not reach last night. According to our initial plan we were to ride to Valparai via Athirapalli falls on day 2, all of those plans were ditched the moment we saw the homestay, Midway Crest Farmstay, and its surroundings. It's built on 12-acre farmland, they have their in-house fish pond, all organically grown vegetables, fruits, and a 10 mins walk to the Bhavani river where you can refresh yourselves, which is what we did the entire morning, hehe, dropped our luggage's and headed straight to the river. The river flow was a little strong, we scouted for a good place and just sat there for a couple of hours, all of our stress and anxiety of the previous day was just washed away.

Mr. Vijayan, the home cook prepared us freshly caught fish fry, some chicken curry, chapathi, and vegetable kurma for breakfast. No photos of these, it was almost 15 - 20hrs since we all had food, the fish fry was just delicious, I normally do not eat fish, but man that was some fry Vijayan had made. His cooking skills were also one of the reasons for us to extend our stay at Midway Crest. The rest of the day was spent lazing around the farm, having some photo ops at nearby locations.

Chavadiyur Bridge

Bhavani River, accessing from Midway Crest

Washing away our butt aches

Can't forget clicks for FURY

We had a campfire set up for the night with some pakodas, and laughed away till our stomachs hurt. Vijayan again aced dinner with fish and chicken fry, ghee rice, and some raitha and we were done for the day with a happy tummy and a head full of memories.

Day 3 Route Map: Attapadi - Mannarkad - Palakkad - Coimbatore - Salem - Bangalore

We were heading home today, only physically. All of us had such a good experience, no one was mentally prepared to ride home, we even joked with Vijayan that we would stay back on the farm doing some daily chores for a living. But hey, if life was that simple!. Straightforward and limited stops for the day, Palakkad for banana chips parcel home, Coimbatore for lunch, and Salem for a quick chai break.

But first puttu and kadala curry for breakfast

Some pictures of the property and surroundings

The boys and the bikes

The boys with Mr. Vijayan

Thanks to Mr. Binu Nair, owner of the property, for hosting all of us and giving us the best that you can offer in terms of comfort and experience around your property. Thanks to Mr. Vijayan, the home cook, your preparations were a treat to eat, I'll ride back just to have the fish fry.

We'd had enough twists and turns on days 1 & 2 of our trip, the gods were kinder to us and we had a pretty smooth return back home, a couple of us were F1 enthusiasts and we planned to reach home by 7:30 PM to catch the British GP. There was heavy traffic from Salem onwards which delayed our progress, we still managed to reach Attibele toll just in time for the race start, jumping in joy like mad men when Lewis jumped to P3 at the start, thanks to the red flag on Lap 1, I managed to reach home by 8:30 PM and catch the rest of the race on TV. My god, what a brilliant race it turned out to be, glad we did not have to miss it, would have been a bummer if we had to watch the highlights.

Thanks to our riding crew for sticking together all through the journey.