[beejay]

Originally Posted by Aditya_Bhp

You will be using the Pala Thodupuzha state highway, its an excellent road. Although its curvy, you can travel at good speeds. There are multiple speed cameras on this route. You can avoid entering Thodupuzha town and proceed straight to Vengaloor.

Thank you so much for the information.

Setting google map from Thiruvalla to Vengaloor should sort it out, me guessing.

As when i set for longer distances, sometimes it has a mind of its own.

PS- do you know of any clean places with loo- on route?

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by Repsol

I am planning to travel Bangalore > Alleppey > Bangalore with family on 18-Apr. Since this is election day in KA and TN, would I be encountering any issues enroute? I mean any blockages at the border?

Also, I guess highway restaurants would be open even though it's election day?

We are planning to start from Bangalore @ 5:30 AM.

I traveled once during election time and I was stopped just before Salem town. Car was checked and they recorded the entire search on camera.

Just after Walayar, they opened the bag/shopping bags etc (KL cops were too eager to know if we were carrying any "liquids" )

Yes, restaurants along the route will be open.

[Aditya_Bhp]

Originally Posted by beejay

Thank you so much for the information.

Setting google map from Thiruvalla to Vengaloor should sort it out, me guessing.

As when i set for longer distances, sometimes it has a mind of its own.

PS- do you know of any clean places with loo- on route?

I am sorry but I don't know details of restaurants enroute.
I think its better if you can use google maps for it

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by beejay

PS- do you know of any clean places with loo- on route?

Farmyard is just before the ghat with pretty clean rest room. Food is also pretty ok. My last visit was couple of years ago and food was just ok but took a lot of time for preparation. I now see few new restaurants along this route but haven't been there.

https://goo.gl/maps/kmov31yLdZF2

[Aditya_Bhp]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

Farmyard is just before the ghat with pretty clean rest room. Food is also pretty ok. My last visit was couple of years ago and food was just ok but took a lot of time for preparation. I now see few new restaurants along this route but haven't been there.

https://goo.gl/maps/kmov31yLdZF2

Yes, this is one of the only good restaurants available this route, but food service is delayed. You will have to wait a lot for food to arrive.
You might consider skipping the place and heading to Munnar.

[rohitoasis]

Guys if i plan to ride out of Chennai, via Porur toll down GST road, Ulundurpet, Salem, Coimbatore, Palakkad in my Duke 200, would you suggest i ride in broad daylight and risk all the traffic or probably start around 3-4 AM in the morning but then risk riding among the fast moving Volvos/Scanias. I am planning this ride on a Sunday given my current plan.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by rohitoasis

Guys if i plan to ride out of Chennai, via Porur toll down GST road, Ulundurpet, Salem, Coimbatore, Palakkad in my Duke 200, would you suggest i ride in broad daylight and risk all the traffic or probably start around 3-4 AM in the morning but then risk riding among the fast moving Volvos/Scanias. I am planning this ride on a Sunday given my current plan.

Why not just start around day break? Say around 5:30-6'ish? With a lunch break and a few tea breaks, you should reach home by 4.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by rohitoasis

start around 3-4 AM in the morning but then risk riding among the fast moving Volvos/Scanias.

For a 4am start, there are no fast moving buses in the southbound direction. There'll only be trucks for company and some private cars. You would reach way earlier than 4pm for a 4am start.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Repsol

I am planning to travel Bangalore > Alleppey > Bangalore with family on 18-Apr. Since this is election day in KA and TN, would I be encountering any issues enroute?

I am also driving to Kochi same day, but starting at around 8.30 after voting (my vote is in Bangalore). I have driven on election day (and days leading to it) several times; these are the things to keep in mind:

1. There will be checking everywhere, not just inter-state borders. Inter-constituency borders are just as much under observation.

2. Do not carry currency beyond basic needs (say 5K cash in wallet).

3. Do not carry other things they might consider suspicious (arms, alcohol, jewelry etc.)

4. Other type of wayside checking in India usually leave people travelling with families alone. Not the election checks. You just have to bear it.

5. It is random sampling most of the time, unless they have credible intelligence in which case they might do a full nakabandi and check all vehicles.

6. If your vehicle has to be checked, it might take anywhere between 15 minutes to 1.5 hours to complete the process. Be patient. The ones doing the checking are polite and careful but always on the edge.

I saw a WhatsApp forward that some resorts/hotels are going to reject customers on 18/4 if they don't show the indelible ink mark. I think it referred only to Karnataka, but to be on the safe side keep a copy of your voter's slip (download from ECI website) to prove that your vote is in a constituency which is yet to go to poll.

Originally Posted by rohitoasis

Guys if i plan to ride out of Chennai, via Porur toll down GST road, Ulundurpet, Salem, Coimbatore, Palakkad in my Duke 200, would you suggest i ride in broad daylight

If you have planned it correctly and an experienced rider ignore this, but this is peak summer time and in my view, biking in TN during daytime for long distances should be avoided.

[rohitoasis]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Why not just start around day break? Say around 5:30-6'ish? With a lunch break and a few tea breaks, you should reach home by 4.

I am trying to avoid the mid day heat as much as possible. I am thinking starting around in the morning avoid all the traffic pile up till Chengalpet and then rush home before lunch.

Originally Posted by narayans80

For a 4am start, there are no fast moving buses in the southbound direction. There'll only be trucks for company and some private cars. You would reach way earlier than 4pm for a 4am start.

Thanks for the tip about the buses. Much appreciated.

Originally Posted by binand

If you have planned it correctly and an experienced rider ignore this, but this is peak summer time and in my view, biking in TN during daytime for long distances should be avoided.

Not an experienced rider sir. But yes like you are suggesting would prefer to avoid the mid day heat.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by rohitoasis

I am trying to avoid the mid day heat as much as possible. I am thinking starting around in the morning avoid all the traffic pile up till Chengalpet and then rush home before lunch...
Not an experienced rider sir. But yes like you are suggesting would prefer to avoid the mid day heat.

Two of my friends ended up with fractures when they attempted Chennai-Palakkad on Bullets a few years ago. One, broke his femur after he rode straight onto a Chennai bound SETC bus at one of the 2-lane bypasses after Ulundurpet, after drowsiness took over. The other, ended up in a canal on the road side, for the same reason and broke his rib cage. Both of them now stick to cars. Mistake 1 - not enough sleep the previous night. Mistake 2 - the summer heat made them fatigued.

My suggestion would be to ride when it's not sunny and make sure you and your bike are all set for the long ride. More than interstate buses, it's the local traffic that would create trouble, so plan accordingly.

[Sunil2307]

Any information on the road conditions on the Salem-Coimbatore-Palakkad route?

Going to Kerala on April 19th. I had last driven down in December around Christmas and the road conditions were pretty good, except for a few patches in Kerala.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Sunil2307

Any information on the road conditions on the Salem-Coimbatore-Palakkad route?

There are absolutely no issues with road conditions upto Palakkad. Only painful stretch is Coimbatore L&T bypass which is undivided road and they insist on physically scanning your toll receipt at every plaza en route
I would suggest an early start from Bangalore so that you can reach Palakkad by noon.

[Sunil2307]

Originally Posted by NPV

I would suggest an early start from Bangalore so that you can reach Palakkad by noon.

We have to go upto Ernakulam so will start around 3:30 am

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Sunil2307

We have to go upto Ernakulam so will start around 3:30 am

Good idea! You should be able to reach Palakkad by 9am and then make your way through the usually dense and slow Kerala weekday traffic all the way to Ernakulam.