[BunnyPunia]

Updating from Davanagere.
Left Pune at 8:30pm last night. Getting out was a mess. In the first hour, covered only 58km. Started building up average speeds soon.
The car im driving is a Hyundai I10. I kept the speeds around 100-105 : she feels good at these speeds, plus the high beam of oncoming traffic can be a bother sometimes. At these speeds, i still covered ground nicely

1hour : 58km
2hour : 74km
3rd hour : 81km
4th hour : 86km

The stretch after Belgaum is amazing for covering distance fast.
Around 16km before Haveri, at the toll plaza, the guy told me i was running low on air in the front right tyre. Thankfully it was noticed in a nicely lit area. Wasted a good 20min changing the tyre.

Hit Davanagere, 560km from my house in Pune at around 4am. The cuts to the city are not defined properly. wasted another 15min searchin for the right road!

Save for the puncture, 560km were done in around 7hr 10min : avg speed of 78km/h
I didnt take any stops but for tolls and for washing face twice ( was feelin sleepy)
Had tanked up around 170km into the trip as when i left pune, i only had 3/4th tank full. As of now, it seems, the I10 is returning around 15 on the highway at 100-105 cruising speeds.

Most probably I will leave for Kemmannugundi by noon thru the Shimoga route.
Correct me if im wrong, the road from Harihar to Shimoga passes thru Honnali, right?

Here is a pic taken while changing the front tyre:

[condor]

BunnyPunia : Correct me if im wrong, the road from Harihar to Shimoga passes thru Honnali, right?

Correct. Harihar - Malebennur - Honnalli.
Just in case you end up going to Nyamati from Honnali (though you should not), then expect not-so-good roads. Also, you can tank up in Davangere at Shell. Or you'll have to place your bets on the higher-priced Reliance's. There's one in Harihar city, and two between Harihar & Honnali.

BunnyPunia : Around 16km before Haveri, at the toll plaza,

Ouch ! So yet Another toll-booth comes alive.

[BunnyPunia]

Yeah, lotta toll booths on the way. Once im back in Pune, I shall list all of them here.
Yeah, I too was thinking of filling up here in DVG itself.

As for route : i will get off to NH4 directly from here. And then, on the outskirts of harihar, there is a road going to the left (below the elevated highway). this is the road to Shimoga right?

Or shall i take the interior state road to harihar, and a left from harihar (towards NH4) and then all the way straight.. what do u say

My map says that at Honaali, i have to take the left road to Shimoga (straight goes to Nvamati, right?)

Thanks a lot again!

[condor]

Either way - go on NH4, or go through the interior state road. The NH4 is divided, while the other road has some rough surfaces & speed bumps etc.

You have the directions & turns correct.

If you take the interior road, then continue past the Reliance on your right in Harihar, go further to a divided section of the road till you come to a circle. There is a Corporation bank branch & ATM on your left. This area is also where the station & bus stand are (on your right side, but you cant see either. You can only see the busses entering or exiting to/from side roads). Here, take a Left & continue straight to reach Honnali.

Drive safe ..

[BunnyPunia]

Got it.
99% heading to Aldur via Shimoga-Chikmagalur.
Staying over at Castle Rock Home Stay.
If the area has TATA Indicom network, shall update the topic with pics

[BunnyPunia]

Left Davanagere on sat at 4pm. Went via Shimoga-Kadur-ligadahalli-Chikmagalur-Aldur

At Tarikere, had asked a KSRTC driver for the chikmagalur road and instead of the tarikere-ligadahalli route, he put me on the kadur one. this was a little longer.

overall roads were nice. loved the ghats between ligadahalli and chikmagalur.
Davanagere-Aldur was around 230km. Stayed over in the middle of coffee plantations. Spent sunday lazing around and discovering an isolated waterfall in the jungles

left today morning at 5:10am. Took the direct tarikere route and reached davanagere by 8:50am. this route is around 210km. unexpected awesome roads between ligadahalli and tarikere

i10's fuel light came on at around 455km mark, ie, around 16kmpl.

Enjoyed the trip. heading back to pune on tuesday or wednesday night

[hvkumar]

What is the condition of the Harihar-Honnali-Shimoga road?

[BunnyPunia]

While going i went thru Harihar. Harihar to Nh4 junction isnt too good. Road repair work.
Nh4 juction to Shimoga : good considering its a state highway. today morning while coming back, i averaged around 75km/h between shimoga and nh4 juction, from where i avoided harihar and instead took a right onto the highway towards davanagere. But thru small towns, there are unmarked speed-breakers. thank god, the I10 has ABS and i made good use of them!!

I was pleasantly surprised to cover ground fast today (210km in around 3.5 hrs). Came non-stop but never went over 110 and there were quite a few ghats as well. the route between tarikere and shimoga however isnt that good.
here are some pictures:

This is small lake while going towards Harihar from DVG


The view from the terrace of the homestay where we stayed - in a coffee plantation


The homestay is 200odd mtrs above the main road

[hvkumar]

Sorry to bother you again, but is the Harihar-Davangere bypass work complete?

[BunnyPunia]

nah, not yet. From the NH4 juction (while coming from Shimoga) all the way to the cut into DVG city, it is around 11-12km and it involves around 3 diversions!