[silverstreakcbe]

My daughter's Final exam gave me a window to do a Solo ride to Pune. It was pending for more than a year to meet my nephew who also owns a Meteor. I also wanted to do a long ride to see how would i cope up at this age as i have Ladakh ride to accomplish.

The ride: Coimbatore - Pune - Coimbatore

The Plan: 2 stages. Day ride only. Start early and reach destination early.

1. Coimbatore to Davangere
2. Davangere to Pune (Tingre Nagar)

The setup:

1. Rynox Expedition (1 Bag)
2. Rynox Tankbag
3. Full Riding gear on (RE Jacket, Rynox Evo Pants, Orazo Boots, RE Gloves)
4. SJCAM mounted on Handlebar

Return stages also the same. Booked my hotel 4 days earlier. Previous day i got all things checked (oil, Petrol, Air, chain lube, clutch, etc.

Started early (5:45 AM) from Coimbatore. Smooth Roads,was on the highway in 20 mins. No hassles early morning. The roads were at its best. Infact, the roads were best till i reached outskirts of Bangalore. Then the usual Sunday Traffic. Took the Nice road for Tumkur exit. The traffic till Tumkur was bit tight, had to maintain at lower speed.

Once i crossed Tumkur, the road opened wide which was to a rider is all one wants. Complete open roads with minimum traffic and all that i could see was lorries from TN and few cars now and then. Till i reached Davangere it was a wonderful ride. Totally had 3 breaks before i reached Davangere. I reached my Hotel on time as planned at around 15:45. Had few hiccups, even though i had booked earlier, by finally Checked in and took rest. Had dinner and called it a night.

Woke up early, refreshed and hit the road spot on 5:45 again. First 10-15 kms were rumbling and lots of potholes. Then the road widened up but was very cold, i could feel the chillness on my bones even though i had all my riding gears on. I think it was till Haveri i felt the chillness. Continued my ride and wherever i could take some snaps and break, i took. The road till Belegavi was perfect with no stress.

Once i crossed Nipani, i was able to feel the traffic and also the roads were not good. Too many rumblers on the highway and also vehicles from all over the place crossing your path. Had to be watchful and the final leg from satara to Pune was more stressful due to roads that were new in patches. I had to slowdown every 250m to jump down to old roads and jump up to new roads. But all for Good, after heavy traffic within the city, i reached my destination at around 15:45 again. Was very happy with the ride. Was not so tired but bit stress due to the last leg of my journey up.

Stayed there for 2 weeks with my nephews, visited lot of eateries. Had a good company as a family and stayed together. Had lots of home made food.

Day to return. Had my biked cleaned washed up and coated. Checked for Air, Fuel, Oil,etc., Started early as planned and reached Davangere as planned, no hassles. Had to circle a bit inside Dharwad to buy authentic peda. Had dinner and called it a night. Next morning left as planned. First 3 hours was very smooth. Then started with the traffic. As i neared Tumkur, the traffic was very heavy. Being a sunday, everyone were returning back to Bangalore and also the lorries entering bangalore.

Somehow managed to cross Bangalore and by the time i reached hosur it was 10:30. The real pain started at around 3. I could sense the butt ache pinching me to stop. Sensing it would not do good for my mind, i stopped somewhere near Perunthurai and took a long break. Then started my last leg of the journey. Reached home by 16:30, extending by one and half hours. Return from Davangere to Home took 11 Hrs.

I thanked the almighty, my family and the bike for bringing back me home safely, absolutely no glitches(oh no, there was one. I lost my left rear view mirror, it fell down and broke while on return).

[silverstreakcbe]

Meteor Ride to Pune & Long ride review - 1 Continued

















Now, coming to the review part. Currently my bike odo stands at 7480Kms, below are my views on the bike:

Pros:

1. Build - Definitely rides like a bull. It pulls all the way, though not like a Naked bike, but yes, i was able to reach speed of 115 on some stretches
2. Ride - Never in this entire journey i felt shocks hitting my spine even though i had few rough patches
3. Reliability - 100% No issues (Touchwood) entire journey or as a matter of fact in all my Odo.

Cons:

1. I don't know if this is really a con, i wish to understand from fellow riders. The touring seat is on the harder side and cannot sit for more than 2.5 hours. The last leg while returning gave me a huge butt ache which lasted for 2-3 days. How long should i be able to ride if the touring seats are good? This is something i would want to know before i say anything on the seats. I am planning to modify my seats with additional cushioning and a bit height as well.

2. Rear view Mirrors - Definitely needs to be replaced. One of them fell and broke due to the vibration. Could not hold on.

Overall, i liked the way bike has behaved and made me accomplish my first real long ride. I hope this was useful for other Meteor owners to plan accordingly.

Cheers!
Raghav

[VRod_24]

Originally Posted by silverstreakcbe

Overall, i liked the way bike has behaved and made me accomplish my first real long ride. I hope this was useful for other Meteor owners to plan accordingly.

Thats a nicely written post. I own a brown supernova meteor as well with the stock seats and I feel they are quite comfy although I haven't clocked in that many hours like you have. As far as the mirrors are concerned the issue I am facing is the field of view from them. Do post on this thread if you happen to change the stock mirrors.


Mod Note: Please quote ONLY the relevant bits of a post. Quoting a full, long post inconveniences our mobile readers.

[silverstreakcbe]

Originally Posted by VRod_24

Thats a nicely written post. I own a brown supernova meteor as well with the stock seats and I feel they are quite comfy although I haven't clocked in that many hours like you have. As far as the mirrors are concerned the issue I am facing is the field of view from them. Do post on this thread if you happen to change the stock mirrors.


Mod Note: Please quote ONLY the relevant bits of a post. Quoting a full, long post inconveniences our mobile readers.

Thanks for your comments! Sure, i will share an update once i do the modifications on mirror and seats. Happy Riding and All the best for your Meteor.

[gypsyFreak]

Originally Posted by silverstreakcbe

The setup:

1. Rynox Expedition (1 Bag)
2. Rynox Tankbag
3. Full Riding gear on (RE Jacket, Rynox Evo Pants, Orazo Boots, RE Gloves)
4. SJCAM mounted on Handlebar

Nice and clean travelogue, do you have some videos/photos from SJCAM mounted on handlebar. I am planning a similar setup for my Himalayan, so a sample would be helpfull.

[silverstreakcbe]

Originally Posted by gypsyFreak

Nice and clean travelogue, do you have some videos/photos from SJCAM mounted on handlebar. I am planning a similar setup for my Himalayan, so a sample would be helpfull.

Thanks for comments. Yes, i do have lots of videos captured. Infact, i had captured the entire ride as a video loop (every 5 mins) ending up with lots of videos.

What i own is SJ4000 WiFi. I really liked the video quality (especially the 4K resolution videos are awesome but will need more memory storage). Will upload to Youtube and share the link.

[prasanna_indaje]

Originally Posted by silverstreakcbe

1. I don't know if this is really a con, i wish to understand from fellow riders. The touring seat is on the harder side and cannot sit for more than 2.5 hours.

2. Rear view Mirrors - Definitely needs to be replaced. One of them fell and broke due to the vibration. Could not hold on.

Excellent travelogue. Thanks.

My 2 Paise

1. Touring sears will be on harder side. Also, it is a good idea to take a break every 1.5 Hours to 2 hours.

2. I had this problem on my TB500. Replaced the mirrors with better ones from RE, but vibrations did not reduce :(

[silverstreakcbe]

Originally Posted by prasanna_indaje

Excellent travelogue. Thanks.

My 2 Paise

1. Touring sears will be on harder side. Also, it is a good idea to take a break every 1.5 Hours to 2 hours.

2. I had this problem on my TB500. Replaced the mirrors with better ones from RE, but vibrations did not reduce :(

Thanks for suggestion and guidance, will keep in mind.

[KPR]

Originally Posted by prasanna_indaje

I had this problem on my TB500 . Replaced the mirrors with better ones from RE, but vibrations did not reduce :(

I've installed chrome mirrors from Avenger in my TB500 (purchased from https://www.99rpm.com/bajaj/rear-vie...r-220-pnf.html). Vibrations have reduced to some extent and the area of coverage is also better.

[prasanna_indaje]

Originally Posted by KPR

I've installed chrome mirrors from Avenger in my TB500. Vibrations have reduced to some extent and the area of coverage is also better.

Thanks. This mod seem to be working with few of REs I know.

[TheVaas]

A very 'disciplined' and 'punctual' travelogue I must say! I hope the ride has given you the confidence for your pending Ladakh trip.

With regards the rearview mirror, I observed from your pictures that you have a habit of placing the helmet on them during breaks. While it's something I've observed a lot of riders do, it may lead to the mirror stem nuts becoming loose in the long run. We usually just pick up the helmet and ride on without checking whether the mirror nuts are tight or not. From personal experience, I've had to adjust a 'swaying left rear view mirror' while riding (NOT ADVISED) because the nut had become loose because of being a part time helmet holder. Lesson learnt.

So maybe a habit that can be avoided?

[silverstreakcbe]

Originally Posted by TheVaas

A very 'disciplined' and 'punctual' travelogue I must say! I hope the ride has given you the confidence for your pending Ladakh trip.

With regards the rearview mirror, I observed from your pictures that you have a habit of placing the helmet on them during breaks. While it's something I've observed a lot of riders do, it may lead to the mirror stem nuts becoming loose in the long run. We usually just pick up the helmet and ride on without checking whether the mirror nuts are tight or not. From personal experience, I've had to adjust a 'swaying left rear view mirror' while riding (NOT ADVISED) because the nut had become loose because of being a part time helmet holder. Lesson learnt.

So maybe a habit that can be avoided?

Thanks for the comments and highlighting the Helmet placement habit. I will keep note of the suggestion. Yes, this ride has given me a lot of confidence. Thank you for the guidance.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by silverstreakcbe

Cons:

1. I don't know if this is really a con, i wish to understand from fellow riders. The touring seat is on the harder side and cannot sit for more than 2.5 hours. The last leg while returning gave me a huge butt ache which lasted for 2-3 days. How long should i be able to ride if the touring seats are good? This is something i would want to know before i say anything on the seats. I am planning to modify my seats with additional cushioning and a bit height as well.

I see the pics and see this statement of yours and I want to caution you against fixing something in the bike that ain't broke.

From the pics, I see you clad in a half-sleeve shirt. Couldn't make out if you had socks and shoes on. But the exposed arms are enough to allow dehydration - and when dehydrated, you experience a myriad of symptoms, one of which is a literal pain in the rear.

Don't believe me? I went through a 17 hour ride from the West coast (Udupi) to the East Coast (Chennai) back in April 2010 on my Honda Unicorn. I was clad the same way as you seem to have been on your trip here - half-sleeve cotton T shirt, full length jeans. And I had sandals on, with my feet exposed.

Halfway through, which was around the Western Ghats near Sakleshpur, the constantly billowing winds had sapped my bodily fluids away. My lips were chapped, my rear-end's skin hurt and I couldn't sit any longer so I had to stand on the pegs and ride. I limped into my overnight stay at Hosur after 12 terrible hours on the road. I was fully dehydrated.

The next morning, my uncle, a veteran R&D engineer at TVS, handed me a kevlar riding jacket that covered my upper body and he made me wear socks on my feet. He chided me for not wearing shoes. And anyway, the non-stop 5 hour trip to Chennai from Hosur at near triple digit speeds was easy-peasy. The reason? Although I was sweating within the riding jacket, the fluid loss from my body was vastly lesser than the evaporation that occurred when I had skin exposed to the winds.

Please do not change the stock seat for something that needs a behavioral change from your end. Always cover up fully when riding long distances, is my submission.

[silverstreakcbe]

Originally Posted by locusjag

I see the pics and see this statement of yours and I want to caution you against fixing something in the bike that ain't broke.

From the pics, I see you clad in a half-sleeve shirt. Couldn't make out if you had socks and shoes on. But the exposed arms are enough to allow dehydration - and when dehydrated, you experience a myriad of symptoms, one of which is a literal pain in the rear.

Don't believe me? I went through a 17 hour ride from the West coast (Udupi) to the East Coast (Chennai) back in April 2010 on my Honda Unicorn. I was clad the same way as you seem to have been on your trip here - half-sleeve cotton T shirt, full length jeans. And I had sandals on, with my feet exposed.

Halfway through, which was around the Western Ghats near Sakleshpur, the constantly billowing winds had sapped my bodily fluids away. My lips were chapped, my rear-end's skin hurt and I couldn't sit any longer so I had to stand on the pegs and ride. I limped into my overnight stay at Hosur after 12 terrible hours on the road. I was fully dehydrated.

The next morning, my uncle, a veteran R&D engineer at TVS, handed me a kevlar riding jacket that covered my upper body and he made me wear socks on my feet. He chided me for not wearing shoes. And anyway, the non-stop 5 hour trip to Chennai from Hosur at near triple digit speeds was easy-peasy. The reason? Although I was sweating within the riding jacket, the fluid loss from my body was vastly lesser than the evaporation that occurred when I had skin exposed to the winds.

Please do not change the stock seat for something that needs a behavioral change from your end. Always cover up fully when riding long distances, is my submission.

Sure, Thanks for highlighting. True, i had a half-sleeve cotton T-Shirt under my Riding Jacket. Yes, i had socks inside my boots. Entire ride, i had my fully riding gear (Gloves, Jacket, Riding pants, Socks and boots). I don't ride long distances (>100Kms) without proper riding gear. Anyway, i will keep this suggestion and try to observe any change when wearing a proper full-sleeve under my jacket. Thanks for all the useful feeback.

[gypsyFreak]

Originally Posted by silverstreakcbe

Thanks for comments. Yes, i do have lots of videos captured. Infact, i had captured the entire ride as a video loop (every 5 mins) ending up with lots of videos.

What i own is SJ4000 WiFi. I really liked the video quality (especially the 4K resolution videos are awesome but will need more memory storage). Will upload to Youtube and share the link.

Thanks, i have SJ6 Legend, i really like the looping feature when connected in car mode. Your videos, would be helpfull.

On the riding seat, what i found in my Himalayan was that the contoured seat was not allowing my lower back to rest on a fully flat surface, so i ended up padding the seat, which worked well for <100 KMs rides. Beyond 100 KMs it was again painsome butt.
So, i bought a Fego float air seat, this along with riding pants (Solace Coolpro) solved the problem. I have ridden 600 KMs in a day from 9 am to 9 pm without any discomfort. Sometimes, i do stand up and ride for a minute which releases any pressure points and allows air circulation.