[Snehal Sekhar]

My jinxed SE Coastal Ride

Over the long weekend, I managed to squeeze in a ride. What was supposed to be a SE Coastal Ride (Bangalore – Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi – Pondicherry – Chennai – Bangalore) didn’t pan out as expected when it came to the route.

The onward journey from Bangalore to Rameshwaram was via Salem – Namakkal – Tiruchirappalli – Karaikudi – Devipattinam. Since I was riding straight from work and hadn’t slept that night, all I did was sleep until the next day morning once I arrived at Daiwik Hotel in Rameshwaram.



Next day, it was to be an early start to go to Dhanushkodi, but woke up only at 8 AM and managed to leave the hotel by 9. On the way back from Dhanushkodi, I had the pleasure of being stuck in a 45 minute blockade since the Honourable President was visiting Rameshwaram. So there I was in the hot sun without any shade to stand under and the hot sun sucking whatever energy I had. If it wasn’t for a kind cab driver who offered my some water to drink, I would have surely fainted. As soon as the blockade was lifted, I went back to the hotel and checked out of there.








It was already late and I had a long journey ahead to reach Pondicherry. The plan was to take the East Coast Road all the way to Pondi. The plan went alright for about the first 100 kms or so. Then Google Maps had a mind of its own and decided to reroute through the fastest way to reach Pondi. Never knew when it rerouted, but after a while noticing that I was not seeing any coast line on my journey I realized that Google maps had literally taken me for a ride. The new route was scenic with paddy fields on either side, but the roads were horrible. The roads were patchy in most places and had craters that gave me a tough time traversing in the night. After a lot of cursing and swearing, I managed to reach Ginger Hotel in Pody by 10 PM. This gave me time for no sightseeing. Had a quick dinner at the hotel’s restaurant and called it a day.





On the third day, I was up by 6 AM and after a quick shower, I left the hotel by 6:45 AM and finally took the ECR to Chennai. This was an uneventful journey until Chennai. At Chennai, I had my wife and kid waiting for me and was just eager to get there fast. Spent the Christmas eve in Chennai and on the 25th, I rode back to Bangalore.




Though I didn’t get to ride a major portion of the ECR, the journey was otherwise great with new places seen and new roads ridden.

[mobike008]

Another wonderful solo ride there Snehal. Hats off to you for the solo ride dedication. It’s pretty rare to see someone doing it so regular !!

Btw, I just realised that you never post a picture of yourself with your steed? Please do post one as we need to know who is doing these lovely solo rides

Also, have you crossed 25k kms on the odo?

[Snehal Sekhar]

Thanks mate!

Since I mostly ride solo, I've got no one to take a picture of me and I'm not a selfie kinda person.

What's with the 25k on my odo? Still got another 3k to cover to reach that mark though.

[kumarvarun172]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

Thank you Varun for those kind words! Please, no Sir business here. We are all equals on this forum and calling me "Sir" makes me feel old.

Hi Snehal,

Wishing you a very happy new year, God bless you and may this new year bring with it lots of more fun and ride. I bought the Street 750, the rod was too sporty for my comfort and yes i did christened it like you did your bike, i called mine the black panther.

I did a few group trips to mussorie and chandigarh but last month met with an unfortunate accident. God saved my bones but rashed my skin and so off went my panther to the garage and it will take approx two month to get all sorted out.

Hope i will get courage from your beautiful pics and solo rides, to start riding again.

Regards
Varun

[Snehal Sekhar]

Happy New Year to you too mate! Good decision there on the Street 750. Very few people like it and you're one among those few.
Sad to hear about your accident. What happened? I guess it's nothing to do with the brakes, since you have the ABS version of the Street. So, how and where did you manage to crash?
Good that there was no major injury or broken bones though and thank God for that.
What damages did your Panther go through and why are they taking so long to get it back in action? Paucity of spares?
I'm sure you'll find courage to ride again brother. Time is the best healer and in no time, you will be up and rearing to sit on the saddle and hit the roads again. Just you wait and watch.

[Snehal Sekhar]

Ride to Jawadhu Hills

Did a short ride to Jawadhu Hills on Saturday. Left right after work at 3:30 AM and returned home by 11 AM. A total of 350 kms.

A few pics:

Breakfast at 4:30 AM at Shoolagiri


Tea break at Vaniyambadi toll





A small mishap led to the right crash guard getting bend.


Sunrise at Vaniyambadi




The lake at Jawadhu Hills














The long queue of vehicles at Krishnagiri Toll

[Snehal Sekhar]

That time of the year again when my Insurance had come up for renewal. My previous policy was with ICICI and they sent me a renewal notice for Rs. 6,652.00. I did a little research on Policy Bazar and found a plan from Universal Sompo that offered me 5 lakhs accident coverage and road side assistance for Rs. 4,021.00. The earlier IDV from ICICI was at Rs.3,60,000 but now the IDV has dropped down to Rs.2,43,000.00 though.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

Ride to Jawadhu Hills

Did a short ride to Jawadhu Hills on Saturday. Left right after work at 3:30 AM and returned home by 11 AM. A total of 350 kms.

Wow. Beautiful pics.

Feeling bad to have missed out on this ride. Thw place looks so serene. Was working till 1:30am and had to be back at work again by 10am. Some other day then.

[Snehal Sekhar]

Me and a 2 other Bhpians did a short 490kms ride to Chunchunakatte falls and Arkeshwara temple this Sunday. We did it all, 4 lane highways, 2 lane highways, mild off roading and single lane village roads. A fun ride it was and the Baraon had a Honda 650 and a Triumph Tiger 800 for company. A Sunday well spent.

The route we took:



A few pics:

Tea at Nelamangala Junction


Thatte Idly Breakfast at Shark Food Court



A small pond on our way



Mild Offroading through fields


Almost Dry Cauvery River at Chunchunakatte


The Tiger


Arkeshwara Temple



We were invited for a free lunch here, but we didn't take up the invitation

[Snehal Sekhar]

Got an email from Tusker in regards to a maitenance week that they are conditing from 21st to 28th March.

Greetings from Tusker Harley-Davidson!

We are excited to announce “Maintenance Week” from 21st to 28th March for all 28 points check on the rig and DT-II digital analysis of your prized possession. So let’s start this summer holidays with well-tuned motorcycle for FREEDOM and MAITNENACE CARE FREE RIDES.

Some mandatory checks involves



(a) Clutch Health

(b) Braking System – Fluid and pads

(c) Bearings Serviceability

(d) Electrical – Survey

(e) Wheel Concentricity

(f) Tire check

(g) Transmission check

(h) Oil – Check (top up in case required)

(i) Spark Plug – analysis

(j) Electrical lines – circuit Checks

(k) Fuel line – Check

(l) Transmission oil check

(m) Wheel Axles and Rotor checks

(n) Shock absorber – Weight Analysis

(o) Headlight focusing

(p) Front Fork System- Travel and hydraulic viscosity

(q) Jiffy Stand strength analysis

(r) Brake light check

(s) Belt Alignment

(t) Sensor – sensitivity and functions

(u) DT-II – Analysis – Report (in case fault found)

(v) Torque redone on all bolts

(w) Throttle and Idle cable, checks

(x) Air Filter cleaning

(y) Battery Charge – Midtronics Analysis

(z) Speedometer/odo – analysis

(aa) Coolant top up

(bb) Washing

We at Tusker Harley Davidson awaiting you for your early Appointment please feel free to call or mail us to schedule your motorcycle.

All this is for Rs1,800.00. Not sure if Bison Harley is offering this as well, but as of now only Tusker Harley (Lavelle Road Branch) is offering this and the Indiranagar Branch will be offering this later.

Since the Baron has turned 3 years, I think this is a good time to get this check up done. At least I'll get to know the health of the Baron and if required, get things replaced.

[Snehal Sekhar]

I took the Baron on Friday to Tusker for a check-up since Tusker was organizing a check-up week. Everything seemed allright at first glance except for the rear rotors. He said that the rear rotors may have to be replaced since they had deep grooves on the surface.

The grooves on the rear brake rotors


He said he would open up the brakes and then let me know if a change was required or not.

Got the Baron back on Saturday and the SA said that the rotors were good and still had 80% life on them. He was also very surprised that the Baron, at 22K kms, was still running on stock brake pads (both front and rear). He said most Streets need to have their brake pads changed at 10-12 k kms.
This could be because I only ride the Baron on highways and avoid riding through the city like the plague.

I also got an OEM crash guard fit since the earlier crash guard I had was bent. An oil and coolant top up and a wash was also done as part of the check-up.

The new engine guards whose fit and finish is top notch


The disclamer that I found funny


Another view of the engine guard


At the next service, he said that I’d need to replace the clutch cable. I’m also thinking of getting OEM handle bar weights for the Baron to mitigate the handle bar vibration at high speeds.

The general maintenance and crash guard change cost me Rs. 21,562.00 and the break-up of the cost is as below:

Engine Guard – Rs. 13,858.59
General Maintenance – Rs. 1,800.00
Parts & Accessories repair – Rs. 1,440.00
SGST 14% - Rs. 1,940.20
CGST 14% - Rs. 1,940.20
LB-SGST 9% - Rs. 291.60
LB-CGST 9% - Rs. 291.60

After the Baron serving me well for all these years, I feel it’s time to bid goodbye to this wonderful bike. I have no complaints with the performance, service quality or parts availability. The Baron has never let me down on any of my rides and has served me very well. It’s a gem of a bike, but now I feel I need something more sporty.

Since I got myself a Gixxer 155 (for city commute), I really have taken a liking to the ergonomics of the bike and the way it handles. The Gixxer has really spoilt me with its handling and ease of cutting through traffic and confidence inspiring brakes.
I’m now looking to get another bike on the same lines. May be a Z650, Triumph Street Twin or a Street Triple. I still have another year to decide, so let's see how that goes.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

Since I got myself a Gixxer 155 (for city commute), I really have taken a liking to the ergonomics of the bike and the way it handles. The Gixxer has really spoilt me with its handling and ease of cutting through traffic and confidence inspiring brakes.

I’m now looking to get another bike on the same lines. May be a Z650, Triumph Street Twin or a Street Triple. I still have another year to decide, so let's see how that goes.

What works for the city might turn out to be a real pain in the highways - as you already know!

The kind of solo long rides you have done with the Baron would be a real struggle on a street focussed naked. Triumph Street Twin is a good option but I doubt if it would offer any real 'upgrade' over the Street 750 - except in terms of braking.

[Snehal Sekhar]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Triumph Street Twin is a good option but I doubt if it would offer any real 'upgrade' over the Street 750 - except in terms of braking.

It’s really confusing man. The more I think about it the more I have reasons to keep the Baron and ditch any thoughts of buying another big bike.

The Baron ticks all the right boxes for me.

1. Seat Height
2. Dependable
3. Good Service Centre
4. Comfortable Riding Posture
5. Parts wear and tear has not been an issue since I’ve never had to replace anything in 3 years and 22K kms.
6. It’s belt driven, so no hassles of cleaning and lubing the chain every 800-1000 kms.

If I really have to complain, then the only 2 things that comes to mind is the low ground clearance and the bad brakes and I’ve managed pretty well with both actually.

Now, will buying another bike with a more aggressive / street oriented riding posture really satisfy me after riding the Baron? It may, but then there are other things to consider as well.

1. For the speeds I that I do, the Baron is apt. Even if I get another bike, I’ll not go beyond my comfort zone which is anywhere between 80-100 kmph. So why change?

2. I’m a highway lover and off roading is not my thing. The Baron is perfect for that. So why change?

3. I don’t crave for corners. I only do corners or twisties if it’s on my route when going from point A to point B, but I don’t go hunting for them or plan my rides based on how many corners and twisties the route has. The Baron is apt for this as well. So why change?

4. If I think the service cost is expensive, any other SBK would have the similar service cost if not more. So why change?

If I really should be thinking of a change, I should think of downgrading. May be buy a sub 500-400 CC bike which I can ride without a worry within the city and out of it as well. Something that is cheap to maintain and which I don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to repair if parts break or gets damaged. Something that does not require a specialized mechanic to repair and can be done by any road side mechanic, if the need arises. Something which doesn’t require me to search for secure parking everywhere I go. A plain Jane bike that I can park anywhere, without having to worry if people mishandle the bike.

Decisions, decisions - Oh! How I hate them.

[v12]

I would suggest to retain the Baron if you are waiting for a year. Believe me, you may regret it if you sell it now and wait without a bike for a year. The ideal upgrade for the Street 750 - if you are looking for a big bike would be a Royal Enfield Interceptor (if you are ready to live with the niggles of any new RE's) or go with the tried and tested Triumph Bonneville T120.

For a sub-400cc - I believe a Dominar would be a perfect motorcycle.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

So why change?

If I really should be thinking of a change, I should think of downgrading. May be buy a sub 500-400 CC bike which I can ride without a worry within the city and out of it as well.

So why change?

Problem with a downgrade is that you only end up losing money due to the depreciation that already happened on the Baron. Getting a good 400cc motorcycle and getting it ready for touring will finish up all the cash that might come in due to the sale of the Baron. Net effect - you end up with a lesser motorcycle only for the sake of it.

Kawasaki Vulcan S sounds perfect for you, but then again - it would be change just for the sake of it. Street 750 is a very capable motorcycle still even with the Vulcan in comparison - and since your motorcycle has been reliable till date, there is no pressing need to go to the Japanese camp either.

If I were you, I'd keep the Baron for all the highways runs till something perfect and better comes along. And have the Gixxer for all city duties and not mix up between these two separate motorcycling requirements.

For brakes - why not try better brake pads + tyres during the next change? Should make a world of difference just with the improved grip levels. EBC is available, though I'm personally not sure how effective these are for the Street 750. Many praise these over the stock brake pads on the Versys though - https://www.bikenbiker.com/collectio...ads-ebc-brakes