[AlQuazi]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Very nice, next time try the Lonavla-Tamhini route from either sides it's awesome. I did the Tamhini->Lonavla route on my Classic 350 in winters.

That was the initial plan. However my rear tyre is running on emergency support at the moment. It has completely balded down the center.

Just a little bit more and the steel belts will show

I know I am pushing my luck by letting it get this far. But weekdays usually keep me too busy to spare a couple of hours to go all the way to Shivajinagar and back for the tyre change.

From what I gathered by asking around, the Lonavala to Tamhini stretch, although scenic, isn't in the best condition. Add to it the fact that road is generally deserted, a tear in the tyre is the last thing you'd want.

Coincidentally, bhpian Mojoholic was on the same boat with his stock pirellis which were now 3 years old. So we decided to hit the better surfaces and reserve the 'adventure' for a later date.

If I do get my rear tyre replaced before the weekend, I might give this route a shot.

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

The Kms and time will give you the road conditions estimate!

Yes they do. But in my excitement to finally try out the route, the possibility of the road not being good completely slipped my mind. So I did not even bother with looking at the ETAs by Google.

[AlQuazi]

A long time since I actually updated this thread. Nothing major in terms of trips or kms covered. This is still my primary mode of transport so roughly a 100-150 km is added every week due to the daily commute.

I did make a trip home in November. Due to some family cmmitments, I'd opted for WFH for the entirety of the month. With my date of departure coinciding with the beginning of the Diwali holidays, bus tickets were exorbitant! Enough reason to convince the folks at home on riding it out!

The route - It took me 12 hours to cover the 650 odd km with a 4 hour break at Hubli.


Started at 4:30 AM from Wakad - The customary locked and loaded departure pic.


Sunset along the NH-66 just before Honnavar.


Home! Guess the itch to not stick to stock runs in the family.
In Pic - A cousin's tastefully modded Hero cafe racer.


Morning walks to the beach became an everyday thing!
I hadn't been able to enjoy this in a long long time!


An early morning highway run on the NH66.


Hanging bridge on the Sharavati River - 20km from Honnavar on the Honnavar - Sagara road.


More mornings at the beach!


Some evenings and sunsets too..


Perfect posing material - The #faketiger

I was back in Pune by the end of November. Mid-December, there was a ride with the tribe to Dandeli. A 3-day retreat into the jungles which meant another high speed run on the NH-4.

Winter Mornings.
An empty highway.
And a capable motorcycle to make quick work of the 450kms.
- Pic taken just before entering Belgaum.


Hanging bridge near the Sathodi Falls.

Reaching this spot meant a 20 km ride into the jungle over washed out roads. That was quite an adevnture though.

Catching a break at the toll gate at the exit of Satara. We had a RS200 with us and the pic says it all!


The trip meter at the end of 2 days.

I have been using the Motul 7100 Fully Synthetic Oil for sometime with 5000km change intervals. With two longish runs and the daily commutes thrown in, it was time for some much needed TLC at the service center.

Old oil and Filter out at the neighbourhood FNG!


New oil in and we're all set for another 5000 kms!


Some other bits and pieces being attended to at the SVC.

The Odo has been inching closer to the 40k mark. The bike hasn't thrown any unusual tantrums in the interim. Highway runs are an absolute bliss on this bike! Ghats and broken roads are dealt with just as easily. I have done multiple 8-10 hours marathon runs now, the overall comfort that this bike provides is unbeatable at this price point!

At the cost of being repetetive, I'll say it again. The Mojo in its BS6 avatar has lost quite some sheen w.r.t its elder variants. It's retail price of 2.3-2.5 L on-road isn't pocket change either. However, even at that price point, it is a compelling buy due to its sordid build and refinement.

On the used market though, there is absolutely no denying the value a used Mojo brings. A 2-3 year old XT variant (the one with dual silencers and all other bells and whistles) with <20k km on the Odo can be found lower than 1 L in MH and 1.1-1.3 L in KA. If you are a touring enthusiast with a tight budget, a low run Mojo should be at the top of your list of choices.

It has been just over three years since I got mine and boy, have I been smiling ever since!