Chennai – Yercaud – 390Kms; 11hrs (7hrs riding time)
Route: Chennai – Vellore – Vaniyambadi – Tirupattur – Harur – Kuppanoor – Yercaud
Silence, more silence!
The air of expectation was whispering on the Besant Avenue Road!
The sun was coming out to welcome the Bullet riders to the Adyar Brand Store. Then came the V40 guys (Royal Enfield Riders Club in Chennai), the thunderous drone from their open silencers, breaking noise barriers and many a speed and landscape records. They had come to make their presence felt!
www.v40.in I would foremost like to thank V40 Riders for their expertise and passion, that made this trip memorable and my thanks to Venkat (Royal Enfield- Adyar Brand Store Manager) and last but never the least to Royal Enfield FOR THE BULLET.
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Yawn! We were to assemble at 5:45 at the RE Brand Store and I had to pick my friend from his home in West Mambalam, a typical Iyer Agraharam, after a thilak from Venkat’s mother, he and his mother bid a tearful two day adieux. I got emotional, Sheeeesh!
I was geared in an attire of jacket-jeans, I felt happy and content, until I saw my friend come in shorts, like an ‘Into the Wild’ character and later, we both were shocked to see astronauts like dressed guys arrive. PROPER riding jacket, pants, arm guards, knee guards, and riding boots and err… may be a groin guard too.
The ride was to start at 6 and at 7 we were still picking thoughts. After the ‘instructions’ the first of many, we started to our first get-together point- Saveetha Engineering College. At the Porur junction, one has to choose right, to get to our meeting spot; this was happily missed in the itenary given to us. Happily ‘some’ chose left and thus started our wait for guys to assemble, first of many!
With 100Kms on the odo, we roared to our next meeting spot ‘Motel Red Chilli’, I was second to arrive 10min after my friend Ajith (Classic 500), he had happily taken the left; allow me to pacify myself for not being first.
I was curious while eating, why the motel was named ‘Red Chilli’ and asked my friends seated at the table, served by a chink….. Assami, Manipuri or whateva! Thus started the creative conversations, one of many! Got more creative as the night wore on!
I come out and look at the board and Ahhola! The tagline read ‘Spice Up Ur Journey’; Ajith was like Green Chillies are spicier! #^$cbn%353654$&467dfg%^&, I got it!
Here, a rider’s Bullet 500 chain got cut and the V40 guys were sweating it out to set right. Amazing patience and skills, thanks to them, the rider was not Tata! Fied. Got to know, the chain has to be changed every 15000 Kms and this rider was happy without changing after 45000Kms.
After a near 2hr excruciating break, we resumed on the near perfect NH, hundreds of butterflies for many a kilometers after Vellore were streaming on to the main road to be met with vehicular obstacles, ending their flight mid-way mostly on our jackets and helmets. After Vaniyambadi we took the left to Tirupattur and took a well deserved break in a thicket.
180Kms still to be done, we rode on our first of ghats, a mini-one before Salem, Me, Ajith and one other cool rider (Prabhakar) were the first and waited in anticipation of others, after a futile wait, we then reached the crossroads to Yercaud, where we waited.
Had yummy chicken fry and paneer soda, felt the breeze get cooler as it was nearing 5, Fellow riders had dosas as at 5, only this was available. After ‘instructions’, we geared to ride into the hills of fun filled with fortitude to handle the naked curves.
The Ghats was a Great combo of steep-mild curves, tar-slush-loose sand roads and the feel of naked curves was sensational.
It was me hot tracking the lead-Sudip, who was closest to flying. We had a regroup in mid ghat journey, to hear the wailing of a granny on speakers for her loved one, was heart shattering and cld not help taking a dip in her sorrow.
My good friend Ajith at some point later on, wanted to race me for 3Kms, and when he said ‘from this second’- Vroooooooom! For a few seconds we were close and at a bend, I was gone and after a wow 5 min he rides to me and says- ‘Loose aada nee?’ Haha!
Rode slow as Ajith and one other good friend Marudu (Ajith’s pillion) along with Venkat wanted to admire nature. Reached Yercaud around 7 and the amazing resort with an awe inspiring parking lot!
Riders from Chennai & Pondy, were the first to reach, then came the teams from Bengaluru and Madurai.
Had a chat and then off to buy snacks & drinks!!! I had soft drinks though!!!
A mélange of topics flowed through the night, with a good night’s sleep, to be followed by the return journey the next day.
Yercaud – Chennai – 390Kms; 8hrs (6hrs riding time)
Yercaud – Kuppanoor – Harur – Tirupattur – Vaniyambadi – Vellore – Chennai
Spirits Restored! With a yummy tiffin!
The first to ride home were the Madurai riders, an enthu group, came honking down the slope to be met with a near miss group collision at the bump near the slope end.
Team Chennai, after ‘instructions’, left the resort at 11, the same route back!
We were to be met with unexpected rousing farewell from a group of kids, i rode to the riders amongst the front of the pack, Sudip and Gautham flew off, and I set behind a V40 rider and Prabhakar and we were the trio cruising down the bends and slopes with the V40 rider honking to alert.
Reached the foothills, to be met by Sudip and congratulated me for riding competent with a pillion, felt great!
Fellow riding started trickling down after some 20minutes.
After a short break, rode on and sped off with the V40 guys maintaining a average 100Km/hr, one of the best Kms-timing.
Ride back was uneventful and with the said regroup points was reassuring!
Had late lunch at a Punjabi Dhaba near Ranipet, and reached Chennai around 7pm.
A Road trip that invigorated the biking spirits!
Thank You V40 for recruiting me, Prabhakar, Ajith and one more rider as fellow group riders.
Live Life! Leave Home!
6th July 2010, 17:40
