[sunilch]

Hi All,

I have loved riding bikes ever since I remember being able to ride one. Over time, I have owned/ridden the humble HH Splendor, HH CBZ, Yamaha R15 (my first sportsbike and a lovely one), Honda CBR250, Kawasaki Ninja 650 and my current ride - Dominar 400.

Except for the Ninja 650 (which belongs to a friend), I know these all are budget bikes mainly due to my budget and priorities

Now I ride all seasons and have a few select routes that I like:

1) Mumbai - Nasik highway.
2) Mumbai - Surat highway - the usual Charoti trip. But I prefer weekdays and ride alone mostly. Don't like the group rides there and the usual Sunday Rev-happy crowd.
3) Eastern Expressway - Thane to Mumbai.
4) Malshej Ghat during monsoons.
5) Mumbai - Pune Old Highway.
6) Mumbai - Alibaug (did that 2 times in my life and gave up after that. Road quality was so pathetic that it took me 3x time to reach the destination)

I have covered over 50K Kms on leisure rides and for commuting/shopping I have my Activa at home. Point being, I use my bikes as much as I can and not keep garage queens.

Just yesterday I set out for Mumbai - Malshej ride on my Dominar. But the ride till Shahad itself was so painful due to bad roads and heavy rains that I had to turn back from Shahad and then I went to Igatpuri. The bridge over the river after Shahad was under water and there was at-least a 2-3 Km Jam. Not to mention the non existent roads.

Similar situation with the Nasik highway but at-least I was able to do decent speeds despite the potholes and heavy rains.

Now I have this plan in my mind to upgrade my ride and get something like a used Ninja 650 or a CBR650F of my own. But I always have been held back by this thought of 'Where to ride?' The quality of roads is known to all of us and there are no dedicated race tracks in the vicinity to enjoy our rides a lot. Also, these pathetic roads with deep craters during/post monsoon give me second thoughts on the expenses I will have to endure in case there is a big damage to the bike.

Select roads are usually good after Monsoon is fully over as the authorities then put in fresh 'thook patti' on those and you can enjoy the bike.

So question for Mumbai based members here who have good Sportsbikes / Superbikes.

Where and how do you enjoy your rides?

Are there any avenues that I am missing?

Are there any options where the road conditions is good for full or almost-full year?


@Odeen12, @bf1983, @SnS_12, @Axe77, @narula123, @kailashnj - Any thoughts? I know you guys own some beautiful rides in Mumbai

[SnS_12]

With bigger bikes to truly enjoy the ride you need to have good open and wide well tarred road.

The roads and routes you have mentioned are the ones you will normally see used by big bikes, but below are the routes I enjoy riding my two strokes as I can red line them without ending up into a tree or off a ditch/cliff.

a) Bhandardara on the way to Nashik
b) Saphale (can ride the bigger bikes too on this stretch)
c) Uran/Manori Beach
d) Madh Island

When upgrading to a bigger motorcycle you have to avoid traffic routes as these bikes don't like being ridden slow and especially in bumper to bumper traffic which will just lead to you getting toasted on the motorcycle and will drain you mentally/physically in no time especially managing the weight of the motorcycle in these conditions.

[Axe77]

As an Adventure bike owner we actually seek out rougher routes or off road trails as much as smooth Tarmac.

But mostly the same stuff that is outlined above. I am personally not that knowledgeable on end destinations so usually tag on to members of my adventure bike group who research and ride to different places, mostly to some dam or the other. One of the bains of riding in Mumbai is you have about 40 - 50 kms of rubbish riding before you hit any ride worthy Tarmac. But I guess Igatpuri, Ahura, Lonavla are some of the typical routes you can follow. I’m afraid I don’t have anything spectacular to add. I think if you can plan longer rides itself you will find lots of rewarding destinations the further you go. Mahabaleshwar for instance, Matheran, Nashik etc.

If you ride to Igatpuri, some distance ahead there is a beautiful drive off the highway to Vallone vineyard. Do google search for that and check it out the next time you head in that direction.

Another nice route is the left turn when you’re on Bbay Ahura road post WEH, which takes you to Palghar. That’s a beautiful winding tree lined route as well.

Personally I also try to do different types of riding further away and less frequently. In the last 12 months, I’ve done one 3 day trip riding in the mountains in Himachal on a rental GS 310, ridden for a week in Rajasthan after trucking my Tiger, and done a Pune-Goa-Pune ride with Pune Triumph blokes. So I guess perhaps plan some longer riding holidays which are 2 - 4 days. The coastal route is quite charming too but again suffers bad roads for several stretches.

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

With bigger bikes to truly enjoy the ride you need to have good open and wide well tarred road.

a) Bhandardara on the way to Nashik
b) Saphale (can ride the bigger bikes too on this stretch)
c) Uran/Manori Beach
d) Madh Island

Nice list of places to visit on your two-stroke bike. I like the Uran recommendation. Never been there so will try soon.

Bhandardara - how can I forget. But the road to this place is like a dried river bed as opposed to anything resembling a road. So I take a beater bike there usually.

And yes, big bikes don't like traffic or slow riding - 100% agree.

Originally Posted by Axe77

As an Adventure bike owner we actually seek out rougher routes or off road trails as much as smooth Tarmac.
.....
One of the bains of riding in Mumbai is you have about 40 - 50 kms of rubbish riding before you hit any ride worthy Tarmac. So I guess perhaps plan some longer riding holidays which are 2 - 4 days. The coastal route is quite charming too but again suffers bad roads for several stretches.

Yes that is exactly my issues with 1 day return rides. I hate those initial hours spent on navigating moon surface to save myself and the bike. I waste time and the bikes hate the constantly changing gears. Such low quality of roads is another reason I have taken the humble Activa to places like Malshej, Grover Zampa at times. It is a lot more comfortable albeit a bit slower. But hey, the intention is always to enjoy the ride and the road.

Lavasa is nice but again there are some very bad patches after we leave the Poona highway.

This Monsoon is the best period now for your Tiger I suppose. All roads in and around Mumbai are nothing but dried river beds now I guess

Agree that I need to plan a 2-3 day ride. I did a Mumbai to Diveagar + Harihareshwar ride spanning 2 days once. Loved the destinations and the food there. But the roads again leave a lot to be desired. Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar + Tapola lake via the Goa highway is also ok as a road. Too much traffic + lot of patches that ruin the fun of riding.

How is Mumbai Gokarna for a bike ride spanning 4 days? Thinking of doing so on my Dominar 400 after the rains get over. Via Pune-Kolhapur-Belagavi of course.

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by Axe77

If you ride to Igatpuri, some distance ahead there is a beautiful drive off the highway to Vallone wineyards. Do google search for that and check it out the next time you head in that direction.

Normally, I don't explore unknown roads on the Busa, but we took a left while on the ghat section towards Igatpuri, which lead us to a small village road and then into no man's land.











But the amount of fun you can have on these small pocket rockets on these tight winding roads cannot be matched. Riding all the way to top of Tungareshwar crossing small river streams and what not, something I can't even imagine exposing the busa too

[bf1983]

Unfortunately I have not much to offer in addition to what you already know. My go to route is always been the Lonavala route as I stay in Kharghar and I don't have to travel far to reach the highway. I once went on a group ride to Charoti and having to traverse entire Navi Mumbai, then Thane - Godhbunder till I could reach NH48 after Dahisar was painful as I had to return during traffic hours.

The advantage that a Ninja 650 or a Honda 650 have over more committed riding machines is that they are not that bad to ride in traffic as they rarely throw out that much heat as long as you are wearing jeans or riding pants. However both these bikes don't like the type of bad roads that we generally see. So maybe instead of getting those type of bikes maybe look at getting a used V Storm or a used Tiger and the number of locations you can travel to increase exponentially.

That's not much of an option for me since I very much prefer paved roads over bad roads or off roading but if its fine for you maybe you should move in that direction.

So from Kharghar there are 3 routes I frequent though the Lonavala run is by far my most common run. The roads to Lonavala are very decent. Not excellent but most of the time there are no terrible patches and I haven't had too many close calls on that road. Plus with the expressway there is not too many trucks plying the old Mumbai Pune highway so thats a big bonus.

The other route is the Matheran route. The road branches off Chowk and the stretch till Matheran is excellent. If you are have time the ride upto Matheran can be both fun and terrifying at the same time especially when coming down.

I avoid Malshej because the halfway route to Malshej is filled with bad roads and heavy traffic and while the other half roads are excellent you have to pass the bad roads again on the way back and if you are unlucky that's all you will remember of your ride.

The last route is the one to Uran beach. The roads are good but there is a ton of truck traffic to contend with. But definitely worth a ride once in a while. If you ever do come down this road please make sure to mention it to me cause I would love the company. I mostly ride solo because my experiences with group rides haven't been great. Once I went to Ahura and by the time I reached there all the superbike riders had finished breakfast and were on their way back. :P

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by bf1983

The advantage that a Ninja 650 or a Honda 650 have over more committed riding machines is that they are not that bad to ride in traffic as they rarely throw out that much heat as long as you are wearing jeans or riding pants. However both these bikes don't like the type of bad roads that we generally see. So maybe instead of getting those type of bikes maybe look at getting a used V Storm or a used Tiger and the number of locations you can travel to increase exponentially.

That's not much of an option for me since I very much prefer paved roads over bad roads or off roading but if its fine for you maybe you should move in that direction.

Yes. That and availability of options in used market. Ninja650 and Honda CBR650 are more available as options in used market than say a Versys or VStrom (more rare). Hence the asking price is also higher for these.

Moreover, this is personal but, every time I think of these two as options - it feels analogous to picking up a Creta (pseudo SUV) over a Honda City (a sedan, a proper car and what I would love to drive over a Creta) just because the roads don't do justice to the Honda City

I love the old Mumbai Pune highway. It is a good route for bikers. Other than it being far for me (same as Mumbai Surat highway for you), I don't have any issues with it. Before shifting to Thane from the burbs, I used to frequent this route more than Nasik/Igatpuri. I would take the Taloja bypass from Ambarnath pipeline route and directly manage to reach Panvel

Originally Posted by bf1983

The last route is the one to Uran beach. The roads are good but there is a ton of truck traffic to contend with. But definitely worth a ride once in a while. If you ever do come down this road please make sure to mention it to me cause I would love the company. I mostly ride solo because my experiences with group rides haven't been great. Once I went to Ahura and by the time I reached there all the superbike riders had finished breakfast and were on their way back. :P

Thanks for the recommendation and the invite. I will for sure ping you when I decide to ride to Uran beach.

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Attachment 2182551

Nice bike and updates done to it. Wheels and disk breaks are good changes that you have done to it. I wish I can get a good well-kept Yamaha for myself so that I can spend some time on it to upgrade it.

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by sunilch

Nice bike and updates done to it. Wheels and disk breaks are good changes that you have done to it. I wish I can get a good well-kept Yamaha for myself so that I can spend some time on it to upgrade it.

Thanks. It my first bike, which my dad paid for and have been constantly playing around with it and making changes over the years and this is how it looked when i got it in 2004, and the photo next to it is from 2020 and the bottom photo is the current form.



Has taken me places like, Gujarat, Goa, Mahabaleshwar etc etc. 1.5 + lac kms of absolute bliss...

[BikeDevil44]

Originally Posted by sunilch

So question for Mumbai based members here who have good Sportsbikes / Superbikes.

Where and how do you enjoy your rides?

Are there any avenues that I am missing?

Are there any options where the road conditions is good for full or almost-full

Hi Sunil,

I ride the Interceptor and found myself in the same boat as you are right now. But the thing that I end up doing is I end up taking the small by-lanes around Igatpuri, Lonavala or even Palghar for that matter. Recently last weekend I had a plan to ride to Igatpuri but all of a sudden I decided to take the left turn at Kasara ghat which goes to Ashoka Falls. The falls was closed as there is some work going on but that stretch of road goes for 30-40km’s straight from Kasara Ghat to Ghoti via Upper Vaitarna Dam. Ooh that ride was no less than spectacular I would say! The roads too were decently well paved and the overcast conditions made it even better to ride. This road joins the same road that @Axe77 mentioned. It goes to Vallone Vineyard.
I’ll attach a few pics from the ride just so that you get an idea of how pretty it was.

[aarnav_b]

Hey, so I recently went to two places nearby from my place, which should be nearby to you as well. The first was kondeshwar temple, near Badlapur. Has a small dam and a temple and there are hills surrounding it. I will let the pictures talk for itself for its beauty.
The second one was near Asangaon, on the nashik highway. The place name is manas temple. The roads were mostly good and it's a short 1.5 hrs ride one way.

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by BikeDevil44

Recently last weekend I had a plan to ride to Igatpuri but all of a sudden I decided to take the left turn at Kasara ghat which goes to Ashoka Falls. The falls was closed as there is some work going on but that stretch of road goes for 30-40km’s straight from Kasara Ghat to Ghoti via Upper Vaitarna Dam. Ooh that ride was no less than spectacular I would say! The roads too were decently well paved and the overcast conditions made it even better to ride.

Originally Posted by aarnav_b

Hey, so I recently went to two places nearby from my place, which should be nearby to you as well. The first was kondeshwar temple, near Badlapur. Has a small dam and a temple and there are hills surrounding it. I will let the pictures talk for itself for its beauty.
The second one was near Asangaon, on the nashik highway. The place name is manas temple. The roads were mostly good and it's a short 1.5 hrs ride one way.

Nice rides and destinations. This Monsoon period makes these ideal places to visit

[ThePatientMan]

Hi @sunilch - @mohansrides, @kailashnj (along with his daughter) and myself went for a ride on the 4th. It was originally planned for the usual Mumbai - Igatpuri and back but post breakfast at Igatpuri @Kailashnj suggested that we go back via Malshej ghat on our way back.

We took the Shenve Dolkham Road (left turn after coming down from the Kasara Ghat) and rode till Shenva village where we took a left turn to reach Saralgaon. The road was an eye-opener for us. Beautifully laid (It's a very new road I figured out), full of amazing knee-downing curves it crossed over streams and is covered by greenery on all sides.

The road was devoid of traffic and the only vehicles you encountered were a couple of lumbering ST buses and the occasional 2 wheelers.

We had no expectations hence we enjoyed the ride to the core. I guess you need to move away from the usual routes and discover these hidden beauties.

I am not much of a photographer so haven't clicked any photos. @kailashnj was our resident photographer and he can share some of the pics here.

[pcpranav]

Hi,

There are several circuits :

1) Varai - Kelwa - Palghar - Boisar - Tarapur - Dahanu - Bordi - Umargam - Nargol : and possible to exit towards highway at various points like Manor, Kasa, Dapchari, Talasari, Bhilad

2) Manor - Wada / Vikramgad - Jawhar - Dabhosa - Mokhada - Khodala - Kasara or from Dabhosa exit on NH towards Kasa - Talasari

3) some other points :
a) Vandri Lake : https://goo.gl/maps/M9R8jtkQAsCfa2qh9
b) Dabhosa waterfall : https://goo.gl/maps/jD3ifFPyXzUAAYmY8
c) Surya waterfall : https://goo.gl/maps/Zju9zs7F33cyDvFSA
d) Tansa dam : https://goo.gl/maps/7eccdjhsKoa31dzk6
e) Vaitarna view point : https://goo.gl/maps/DHQB631pbrLpcAVG8
f) Gorai / Manori / Uttan area. From Manori beach, one can even transport bike / cycle on a ferry to Marve beach, and vice-versa.
https://goo.gl/maps/rFpaNWQJ8fGHpfU37


so depending on the time in hand, one may pick part of above circuits, and gradually explore each smaller sections. One way to plan is explore Google Map, zoom in to smaller roads, find a water-body and start to explore it.
Personally, I have enjoyed most (on bike & car) on the Jawhar side (covering Dabhosa Waterfall and other areas), could enter from Kasa side covering some twisties and elevated roads.

Have a look at some videos :

https://youtu.be/v3qpFMi0-BU

https://youtu.be/QRt3rxGl354

https://youtu.be/TfEr3d_a6fI

regards,
Pranav

[Odeen12]

Man i wish i could help here. The group i ride with, whose leader is @narula123 insist on only paying homage to Charoti every Sunday.

But i am all game to find good tarmac. Especially in and around Bombay.

Perennial problem with a Supersport is your options are limited.

P.S. - Malshej with good tar is beautiful fun!!

[narula123]

Originally Posted by Odeen12

Man i wish i could help here. The group i ride with, whose leader is @narula123 insist on only paying homage to Charoti every Sunday.

"LEADER"????

Humble Sunday 'chai-sutta' runs aside, I think a good weekend run towards Daman or even Udaipur can be pretty fun considering the roads are good and destinations have very decent stay and leisure options. Rajasthan, by far, is my fav riding destination when going out for a couple of days. The other alternative I have used is to ride down South, beautiful destinations, food and roads.

Maharashtra in itself has some pretty scenic places, most of which have been mentioned above. Road quality (or lack of) can be the only unknown variable here but nothing that a Dominar/N650/CBR650 cant take. If you are on a proper supersport this variable becomes quite a scare and hence you will see most rev-happy friends either at Lonavala, Charoti or Igatpuri on Sundays.