[djpeesh]

Lay off guys. Snehal didn't know the charges, it ticked him off and he paid for it. Let it go.

And just for the record, Harley is by far the world's best marketing company that also makes motorcycles.

Snehal, a bit late now, but it's worth remembering that most Harley owners are veritable fans that don't like to see their company maligned.

[KhalDrogo]

Hello Mr. Sekhar. Congratulations on the solo ride. Must have been quite an experience. If you have any pictures at all, please do post if you can.
If I may say one thing, it's just that while HD does organise rides etc, it seems to be more a source of revenue than something for the customers to enjoy. In my opinion, if you ride to an event, whether or not you stay at the official hotel venue, you should be entitled to a patch. Because that is what a lot of people want. But that's Harley's business model I guess. Hope incidences like this give rise to actual organic riding clubs or groups, with actual brotherhood, instead of forced pretenses, and hidden sneering and contempt at someone else's ride. Atleast that's the impression I got at the IBW. The bigger your bike, the more "respect" you commanded. That said, as it is, HOG events are an excellent excuse to rack up some miles.

[mehuel]

Originally Posted by djpeesh

And just for the record, Harley is by far the world's best marketing company that also makes motorcycles.

I couldnt have put it more precisely. And lets not forget that the motorcycles are actually good too.

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

Deep down I too wanted to make this a solo ride but lacked the confidence. For me a solo ride is what makes the ride more fun and adventurous. It gives me the freedom to ride as slow or fast as I please and stop when and where I want. In case of any eventualities, I could always count on help from the general public and that was a chance I was willing to take and was the best part of doing a solo. Half the fun of a ride is lost when you know everything has been taken care of and all you had to do was ride. The fun is in the uncertainties of the ride.

Now all those things are what makes up for an unforgettable and honest ride. Riding in your own group or solo are a different thing than riding in any company organized rides. Really glad to know that you have stepped out of the cocoon. In no time you will start feeling more and more comfortable with the uncertainties and prepare more, like carrying spares, puncture kit etc.

Imagine getting stuck at 3 am on a highway as you fiddle with equipment as you attempt to mend a flat or replace a starter fuse. Nothing good about that, and nothing wrong either. Things happen on the road that cant be avoided, thus being prepared is the best way forward. There are different views on this though, some would just want to ride and leave their bikes hassles to be handled by a company provided mechanic(understandable aswell considering the FI, ECU and all the modern gadgetry). Some like to get their hands dirty, good old days bonding with your machine philosophy. To each his own as they say. And respect for all, I'll add

Just ride all, just ride. And lets keep it simple

[neil.jericho]

As someone who has ridden on the same Bangalore - Cochin stretch solo a half a dozen times, I will take my hat off to you Snehal for doing it on consecutive days. That is quite some feat irrespective of the bike you ride or its engine capacity. Unfortunately Cochin's metro work has thrown normal life out the window so hopefully the next time you are there it will be a much more pleasant experience. I assume you used the new MT helmet for the trip, how was your experience with it over the 1000 odd kms?


Thanks for sharing your experience with SHR with the rest of us on the forum. Your thread is for you to share your thoughts and experiences as you deem fit within the rules of this community. Good, bad, shoulder shrugging, indifference inducing or anything in between, your experiences all count. It is unfortunate that Tusker Harley neglected to tell you about the additional charges as it really ruined your experience, the great ride notwithstanding. If I were in your position I would've felt the exact same way.


Having attended a few interstate get togethers organized by members of another forum, I have found that transparency keeps riders happy and brings them back year after year after year. In this case, the organizing committee keeps changing annually as each state takes up the mantle by rotation and photos are shared of the resort along with details of charges and included meals. No confusion, no complaints. Riders can opt to pick up T shirts specially designed for each annual ride if they want, the price is clearly listed during registration. It comes with no bragging rights or chest thumps but serves as a memory of a weekend well spent with old friends and new.


I was appalled to see some of the responses from certain forum members that was uncalled for and I for one expected better from some of them. Oh well, as the old saying goes, it isnt difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.

[FuelInjector]

Snehal - great ride marathon. Salute to making this roundtrip. feel free to stay over in coimbatore the next time around. Hope you got good rest once you were home.

on a lighter note, i have some good friends in tiruppur who export stuff. i can get you some patches, just let me know the design and embroidery pattern

[Engine_Roars]

Does owning big bikes gives you the right to call names and insult people for voicing their opinion? If that is the case, glad I don't own one. Not getting into what should be free and what should not be free, how difficult it is to accept the fact that some one might have a different opinion and expectations and he/she has all the rights to do so and if you want to debate or if you disagree, do it in a mature and a sensible way. Period.

Snehal, way to go. Keep riding & keep sharing.

P.S.: Thank your friend who requested you to ride solo, I am not generalizing but I could see how would it be riding along with "Big Boys".

[Snehal Sekhar]

Originally Posted by barcalad

Nevermind, though. You had a good ride. You rode solo and you enjoyed the countryside without eagles screaming into your ears non-stop for 550 kilometres. Proud of you, brother.

Thanks Barca. Riding solo was the best thing that I could have done and loved every bit of it.

Originally Posted by Sting

Strangely, when we go on solo car trips the thought of breakdowns do not haunt us (at least not me!) but come solo motorcycle trips and the first thought is what if there's a breakdown! I think this is a legacy of travelling a lot on Royal Enfields.

Absolutely man. Never fear breakdowns when I'm driving long distance in a car. Could be the experiences I've had with my previous bike like you rightly pointed. Have had the chain sprocket getting stuck in the middle of the night on the highway and have had to call up home to ask them to come and pick me up. One bitten twice shy kinda situation after that, but that's the fun part ain't it.

Originally Posted by ku69rd

But you did a commendable job and I must admit you are brave enough to take the HD on a solo that long and that fast

Thank you Sir.

Originally Posted by dustom_99

But anyway I do not think snehal is badmouthing anyone , he just seems disappointed a bit that at least the Patch cab be given free of cost. And I agree with him on this.
Its like ,if you do not stay at the hotel the chapter guys booked for you ,arrange for your own dinner and entertainment, you did not participate in the event for them. So No patch.

You're right sir. I had no intention of badmouthing anyone. I just was not happy that I was not informed in advance. If the "Patch" was given for free all the more better though!

Originally Posted by theexperthand

Barclad have summed up perfectly, Snehal. Happy that you did a good solo ride, and happy that you are now more wiser. --Anoop

Thanks buddy. Wiser and happier for it now.

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

good ride there Snehal! gotta give it to you - you got guts doing a solo on the Baron. that's an achievement in itself. forget out them patches, they don't mean a thing. if i had a patch for every ride i've done, i'd have room full of jackets. it's the experience that counts. patches IMO are for (for the lack of a better word) posers.
looking forward to riding with you again. until then, ride safe.

Thanks bro. The patches don't mean a thing anymore. Gotten over it. Now to do some more long distance rides with you guys. Let's plan up for a South India Coast to Coast ride some time man.

Originally Posted by Sojogator

@Snehal Sekhar Great ride done.
Also, the discussion that has happened here, since your post, must have re validated your decision to ride on your own, thus avoiding the LARGE ONES around !

Thanks man. Rightly said. Now I ride only with my close knit group of friends such as you all or I ride alone.

Originally Posted by sammyboy

A good post Snehal and hats off to you for doing such a solo ride.
But hey, You had fun and you earned that badge of respect from all us riders, for free . Cheers bro, respect.

Thanks Sammy. You bet I had fun. Open roads, the Baron and myself. What more could I have asked for.

Originally Posted by dkaile

That's a nice ride you did there Snehal and being a fellow HOG owner, I, in fact, quite agree with your observations. But you got the crux right - "Ride for passion". So keep the 'passion' ON and just ride. Forget these glitches for they are just small pricks in the otherwise beautiful flower.

Thank you Sir. These glitches have made me wiser and have no regrets at all.

Originally Posted by Shanenanigans

Great post Snehal. 'Twas a good read. It is great to see that you took out the Baron solo (not that it has reliability similar to our Chennai-manufactured thumpers) for such a long ride.

Thanks Shane. I'm sure you're solo to Chennai is going to be equally fun. Ride safe buddy.

Originally Posted by MavericK46

Sounds like the time you and The Baroness spent alone were just what you needed Snehal

The ride you did is pretty much what most people would term a 'hit-and-run'; a ride that is solely focused on time spent on the saddle and nothing else.
And from one hit-and-run enthusiast to another - Good ride man !

Thanks man. Hit and Run is what this ride was all about. The only issue is that your butt pays the price on these kind of runs man.

Originally Posted by Dust_Harl

Good solo ride Snehal and you covered your ride well. On the cost break-up for the event, suggestion is to get onto to the HOG groups on FB or register for their mailers.Well done once again on your ride buddy. Keep riding and that's what it matters.

Thank you Sir. I've learnt my lesson well and have decided to ride on my own or with buddies I know. Something like a "Lone Wolf No Club" kinda thing.

Originally Posted by sammyboy

Yes Snehal, please get your head examined. You owe it to Harley, hey you bought their bike.

Will do Sir. I seriously should get to a shrink and sometime soon too.

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

Hello Mr. Sekhar. Congratulations on the solo ride. Must have been quite an experience. If you have any pictures at all, please do post if you can.

Thank you Sir. IMO Going on any kind of a bike ride is an experience and best done solo or with a group of close knit buddies. Sorry about the pictures, don't have any other than the ones I already posted. I have an old phone that doesn't seem to do justice to the snaps I click, either that or I don't know to take photos at all. That being the case, I have stopped trying to take photos.

Originally Posted by mehuel

Really glad to know that you have stepped out of the cocoon. In no time you will start feeling more and more comfortable with the uncertainties and prepare more, like carrying spares, puncture kit etc. Just ride all, just ride. And lets keep it simple

Thank you Sir. About the puncture kit and stuff, oh I carry all that in my luggage. Not that I know how to use it, but I still carry it and pray that I don't ever have to use it on my ride.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

As someone who has ridden on the same Bangalore - Cochin stretch solo a half a dozen times, I will take my hat off to you Snehal for doing it on consecutive days. I assume you used the new MT helmet for the trip, how was your experience with it over the 1000 odd kms?

Thanks Neil. You're advise on the speed limits helped me a great deal. The stretch from Thrichur to Cochin saw a lot of cops in their interceptors and had I crossed above 70 kmph, I would have been fined.
The MT blade was a revelation. This being my first good helmet after all the other ones I have worn over the years. I loved the way it nestled my head like a cocoon. The wind noise at triple digit speeds is there but not uncomfortable. Anything below triple digit speeds and it is silent. The only concern was that since this was a new helmet, the inner cheek pads were pressing against my ear and my ear felt the brunt of the pressure and was painful and had turned red. This was only on my onward journey. Surprisingly on my return trip, I never felt the pain.

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

Snehal - great ride marathon. on a lighter note, i have some good friends in tiruppur who export stuff. i can get you some patches, just let me know the design and embroidery pattern.

Thank you Sir. This sounds like a business plan and we should be seriously thinking of this. I'm sure there would be a lot of customers for patches.

Originally Posted by Engine_Roars

Snehal, way to go. Keep riding & keep sharing.
P.S.: Thank your friend who requested you to ride solo, I am not generalizing but I could see how would it be riding along with "Big Boys".

Thanks Sir. All thanks to my buddy barca for this and I guess I owe him one.

[Snehal Sekhar]

The Red Baron was almost close to completing 6 months from the last service and it was time to send the Baron for its second service. The service time frame is either every 6 months or 8,000 kms (which ever comes earlier).

I was just short of 40 kms to complete 6,000 kms on the odo.

Didn’t complain of any issues when I dropped the bike to Tusker except asking them to check the brakes. Dropped off the Baron at Tusker on Wednesday and picked him up today. The total bill was Rs.5,492.00.

The break up is as follows:

Engine Oil – Rs.1935.50
Oil Filter – Rs.355.26
Coolant – Rs.96.54
Service Charge – Rs.1,920.00
Consumables – Rs.500.00
Vat – Rs.346.16
Service Tax – Rs.338.80

I got contradictory information about the fuel pump replacement and the recall. I asked the service advisor and he informed me that they still haven’t received the replacement spares and neither does he know the details of the bikes that are affected and they haven’t started the recall. I also asked the sales advisor at the showroom and he said that they have already informed the affected customers about the recall and if I haven’t been informed about it till date that meant my bike was not under the recall list. Since I have not faced any issues on my Baron till date, I left the issue at that.

Since there was news that the newer Street 750’s had better rear brakes, I thought I’d ask the service advisor about the options of upgrading the brakes to the newer ones. He said that the new Street’s would not come out until 2016 and until they came out, he would not be sure if the newer brake systems would be compatible to the older versions of the Street. If the cost is reasonable and if the newer brake system is compatible to my Baron, I will definitely be looking at a brake upgrade.

In other news, rodents seem to have found my 9 month TBG glove irresistible and they feasted on it when I kept it out to air. They seem to have expensive taste. The thumb and the palm area of the left glove were chewed on and this is the end result of it.





I took it to the cobbler down the road and he did a crude job of repairing it. Though it looks crude it serves my purpose and it saved me from discarding an otherwise good pair of gloves. This is how the glove looked after it's patch up work.



Until later, Ride safe and strong.

[LTAutoMad]

Snehal, Congratulations on the long solo ride. Well done & enjoy the HD.

Unfortunately, some hot-headed comments made the whole discussion turn sour and made a mess of your thread.

You are quite right to feel miffed that you had to pay so much for a simple patch. But, as others have pointed out, there is no free lunch, especially when it comes to American companies! The patch's value has nothing to do with its physical value, but is in its significance that you travelled across the country to attend the HOG rally. Depending on your point of view, you may take it as bragging or achievement.

The HOG rally is no different to a conference by a software / hardware major (Apple, SAP, Oracle etc) where people pay $ thousands to attend what is practically a marketing event for the company. If you are not a fanboy, you will be left wondering why did I shell out $ thousands for?!

In the west, there are two large groups of Harley riders - one who slavishly follow the brand & dealer and the second who hate the dealers and all the organised show & marketing. Then, there is the smaller minority like me (and possibly you) who are in the middle, who pick & choose HD events, if they feel like it.

I am a Fatboy owner who rides in rain & peak winter (no snow, but it can get very cold where I live) as well as commute by it when possible (not an enjoyable affair at all even in the Australian cities as peak hour is a bumper to bumper crawl). But, I have nothing to do with HOG, not because I hate them, but just because at my stage in life I have no time to go on stupid organised rallies with all the military style hierarchies and discipline. When I get the time, I just ride, mostly alone and to my schedule.

There is a lot of unnecessary crap associated with Harley, mostly by pretend-bikers who think riding a Harley makes them tough & cool. I compare it to some timid people I knew in my youth who rode Bullets just to project a tough-guy image while some real nasty fellows went around in TVS50s & Lunas! Its up to people like us to ride and enjoy our Harleys without buying into any of that crap.

Keep riding.

[Snehal Sekhar]

Originally Posted by LTAutoMad

Snehal, Congratulations on the long solo ride. Well done & enjoy the HD. Keep riding.

Thanks and completely agree with you! A lot of hierarchies and discipline on these group rides takes away most of the fun associated with riding. That's the reason I like going alone or with a very small group of riders.

Just a question though. How is the Street 750 reception in Australia? Is this bike available there and are people taking to it? Well since this is the most affordable Harley, it's given a lot of people here a foothold into the Harley world and those who can afford it may upgrade to bigger Harleys in a couple of months or years I guess. Just curious to know how it's there.

In other news, I had a minor fall on my last ride to Devarayanadurga and the rear brake lever got jammed against the silencer.

I had to make use only of my front brake on my ride back home. I wasn't too sure if I had to take this to Tusker to get this repaired or if a local mechanic would be able to set this right. Tried my luck today with a local neighbourhood car mechanic and at first he suggested he'd heat the lever and then straighten it.

I wasn't too comfortable since he said that the paint on the silencer would discolour and might get scarred. I insisted he try prying it out and he and his assistant just pulled on the lever and as I'd hoped, the lever came back to it's original position. Now the lever is back to how it was before the fall and all it cost me was a Rs. 100.00.

The brake lever after the fall:


After getting it repaired:

[Sting]

Hey Snehal,

You might have already thought of it but this might be a sign you need to get a crash\leg guard. A low profiled one that could protect the brake lever in case of a slow crash might help in such instances. I've anyway found leg guards to be a reassurance. Barcalad had some positive things to say about his guard after the spill on the D390...and so did djpeesh after his Bhutan run.

Cheers,
Sting

[LTAutoMad]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

Just a question though. How is the Street 750 reception in Australia? Is this bike available there and are people taking to it?

The Street 750 is not sold in Australia - only the Street 500 is. Australia has a Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme (LAMS) where learners are restricted to bikes less than 660cc. So, the Street 500 fits the bill nicely. Many companies have brought out models just under this 660cc limit to hook learners into the brand. For e.g. Ducati reworked the Monster to create a Monster 659!

The Street has hardly any presence here (I am yet to see one on the road). Most of the learners are young people who want fast, peppy bikes - the R3 & Ninja 300 are quite popular learner bikes. Also, HD may have thought the Street 750 would cannibalise sales from the Sportsters.

[Haroon]

I was told by an Indonesian Harley rider the Street 750 is selling in small numbers in Indonesia, but the HD riders refer to it in local terms as the 'Indian Harley'

[Snehal Sekhar]

The Red Baron celebrated his first birthday on the 17th of Feb. The past one year and 9000 kms with the Baron has taken me to destinations that I never knew existed. The rides have come down to just once a month though, but whenever I do ride I make sure that I don’t repeat destinations. I’ve also made good friends with some ace bikers who are now like family and would go out of their way to make sure that you’re safe whether on a ride or otherwise.

I’ve never been happier with my decision of choosing the Baron and if asked to make a choice now, I would not hesitate in buying the HD Street 750 again. The past one year has not made me an expert rider like I thought it would, I still abhor twisties and off roading and am at home and most comfortable on long straight highways. The closest I can get to being in a nirvana state is when I’m on the saddle of the Baron riding on the highway.


I haven’t got any aftermarket accessories fitted on the Baron except for a Highway Crash Rod that I bought from a manufacturer in Delhi. The crash rod cost me Rs.2,500.00. The fit and finish isn’t all that great and wouldn’t compare to OEM products. As long as it serves its purpose and prevents the bike and me from getting seriously damaged / injured I’m okay with my purchase. I owe thanks to Teambhpian “theexperthand” for helping fix the crash rod on the Baron.

The Highway Crash Rods


After getting it fixed on the frame


The Insurance and HOG Membership also came up for renewal on the 17th. The insurance renewal from ICICI cost me Rs.9,082.00. I didn’t renew my HOG membership though. Tusker quoted just Rs. 7,000.00 for the HOG Annual membership which would entitle me to road side assistance and I would also be able to join all the HOG events. The price seemed reasonable, but I decided against it since I never go to any of these HOG events and I trust my Baron enough for it not to warrant road side assistance.

Tusker Harley sent me a mail stating that my Baron has been recalled for the Fuel Pump replacement. I plan on getting that done during my next service that’s due in March.

Until then here’s wishing my Baron a hassle free ride.

[Snehal Sekhar]

Sometime in mid Jan, Tusker Harley sent me a mail stating that my bike is being recalled for the fuel pump replacement and asked me to come to their Indiranagar SVC to get the fuel pump replaced.

Since the Baron’s service was due in March, I kept postponing my visit. Finally on the 1st of March, Tusker sent me a final reminder stating if I didn’t replace the fuel pump before 6th March, I wouldn’t be eligible for it in the future.

Dropped the Baron at the Indiranagar SVC on Thursday and the Service Advisor took a test ride of my Baron. He advised against an oil change and a full service since I had run only 2,000 kms since my previous service. After his test ride, he said that the handle felt a bit stiff and said that they may replace the front cone under warranty.

They replaced the fuel pump under the recall and also changed the cone set under warranty. Since the rear brakes felt a little weak than it already was, he also bled the rear brakes and suggested that I’ll need to change the rear cylinder if I still felt the rear brakes were not up to par. They didn’t have stock of the cylinder and said that they should be getting them in a month.

IMO, I felt the Service Advisor at the Indiranagar SVC more knowledgeable, customer centric and willing to explain the jobs done during service and also the jobs that would need to be done on my next service.

This is the breakup of my bill:
100ml coolant – Rs.32.18
Housing Plate, Air – Rs.491.34
General Maintenance Labor – Rs.1200.00
Vat – Rs.75.91
S.Tax – Rs.174.00
Total – Rs.1973.00

The ride back home from the SVC was traffic laden and I didn't really get to know if the fuel pump replacement has changed the performance of my Baron. The steering felt more easy handling though and I suspect that to be due to the cone set replacement. Will know about the benefits of the fuel pump replacement, if any, over the long ride that's planned for this weekend.