1st June 2015, 17:31
| #46 | |||||
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 173
Thanked: 729 Times
| Re: Team-BHP Meet @ Biligiriranga Hills: 30/31 May, 2015 Anil, pardon my saying so but you have not distinguished yourself with your unseemly outburst !  you did not enjoy the drive. If one is passionate about driving, and that too in India, you cannot but expect every turn to randomly spring up a good road, a bad road, pothole or hump, spectacular scenery, desert and what have you. A consumate driver will take every challenge thrown his way with aplomb and after a hard day's drive look back with satisfaction over a well driven day despite its inglorious vagaries. Quote:
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In the process "confusion" may happen, no big deal. It's happened before and we've laughed it off. At the end of the day, the poor lead would be the butt of our jokes. To cut a long rejoinder short let me tell you that whatever misery you suffered was also endured by Karthik and Avinash. They are a lot more wiser and me too. My "disclaimer" is ready for the next trip.  Quote:
End of day, if each one of us has enjoyed our respective drives the objective of driving out is met. Besides, what better occasion to "showcase your machine's prowess", if not in the company of petrol heads, then with who else, Anil ? Quote:
each one does. It is for the participants to drive safe, whether car or bike. The drive provides an opportunity for comradeship in diversity. Cheers | |||||
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1st June 2015, 19:00
| #47 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 3,468
Thanked: 4,148 Times
| Re: Team-BHP Meet @ Biligiriranga Hills: 30/31 May, 2015 Sudarsanan sir, my post was not a poke at you or anyone else with regards to the planning or choice of destination. rather it is what i've experienced and i've seen during the drive and it's not just me who feels this way. about punctuality: i was there before you, wasn't i? i've always been punctual on drives; i was just surprised to see the reciprocation of timeliness from other members this time around, which i've found wanting in the other drives i've participated. two weeks back i rode with the Biking Buddies. rendezvous was at 06:00hrs - i was there at 05:40hrs. i'm from a military background - i understand punctuality. about passion: i'm the guy who rode alone to Hyderabad on my 125cc bike with no prior experience of long distance riding back in 1998 - just because it was my Mum's birthday and i wanted to wish her in person, but i didn't have the bus tickets to get to her. so let's not even go down that alley. i've done a lot of riding and on some really crappy roads and some non-existant one. i get it - it's an experience. why do you think i brought my bike instead of my car? you talk about how things can happen and how plans can go awry and how we can just laugh it off; absolutely, i agree, i've been there myself. however, you should understand is that sitting in the comfort of one's air conditioned car and making such comments, while valid, don't seem so funny to the guy on the bike in full riding gear and in sweltering heat. they're literally cooking inside their suits. about showcasing your vehicle's prowess: somebody's got a big engine, by all means feel free to stretch your legs - but not at someone else's expense. many folks were driving recklessly. many a time someone would just shoot past me, too close for comfort. at other times someone would cut through and get ahead only to brake hard because of traffic/speed-breaker/ pothole - twice i had to get on to the shoulder to avoid slamming into cars driven in that fashion. while on the bad roads and trying to traverse the pot holes without falling, i had vehicles getting really close to my tail, almost ebbing me to move. i mean, what the heck! that being said, do you think this experience will deter me from going on rides with my mates in the future? heck no! in fact i'm looking forward to some more pain in the arse edit: i intend my previous post also as an eye opener to aspiring riders who might want to take their bikes for such meets. things are all not rosy on such drives - shit happens. if you're up to dealing with it, by all means take your bike along. else, keep the bike at home and ride shotgun with someone else. there ain't no shame in carpooling. Last edited by IronH4WK : 1st June 2015 at 19:08. |
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1st June 2015, 19:18
| #48 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Canada / B'lore
Posts: 801
Thanked: 2,818 Times
| Re: Team-BHP Meet @ Biligiriranga Hills: 30/31 May, 2015 Anil, It was good to meet you, Suhaas, Satya, Nishad, Rohit, Akhilesh and the other “new” people who are not the regulars on Ravi’s more recent drives. I am sorry the experience was not the best for you. If I may, I would like to address some of the points you have raised and give you my opinion on it. Please note - this is just MY opinion and it may not agree with yours or others’; and I write this not with any intention to offend or denigrate. Showing up on time: You mention everyone showed up on time and that this was surprising in itself. Well, I have only been part of tBHP for a very short while and have only been on very few drives; and that too only in the last eleven months; but one of the hallmarks of Ravi’s drives is that you’d better be at the rendezvous point on time or the group leaves without you. You’ll end up having a solo drive way behind the group. No one is ever late for the resident Benevolent Dictator  Maybe the earlier tBHP drives were tolerant of latecomers, but not Ravi’s drives.Who’s leading the pack? Re. the confusion about who was leading the pack - Ravi always publishes the route in advance, and the route is always followed. Well, not just the route, but also the schedule for stops and regrouping points etc. It sometimes does happen that in spite of all this, sometimes we do get a little off track, and in those cases we rib the hell out of whoever got us lost. Like Diesel_Convert, who in this case insisted on showing us a little more of Karnataka than we wanted to see - by making a Right turn or going straight every time we needed to make a Left turn. We all promised never to let him lead again *grin* But then again, it is all good fun, because, in my opinion, it is all part and parcel of the drive. I for one enjoy the drive and all the incidents during the drive more than reaching the destination. Hey, if it were just about the destination I would take the train or the bus or a plane or whatever. Bad roads etc.: One of the facts about India is that one can never be guaranteed smooth, wide, organised six-lane highways with proper signage. Sure we ran into some bad roads, but then hey, on your way back you yourself mentioned that you couldn’t find a single route that did not have bad stretches. Starters went missing: I am afraid I am not qualified to say anything here because I am among the guilty. The couple of "moron" drivers: It is not always possible to drive in a strict convoy as I am sure you’re aware. Traffic, driver and vehicle capabilities, etc. preclude that. The way group drives or group rides work is that people are made aware of the next regroup point, and everyone drives or rides at their own pace. Those who wish to stay together do so, those who don’t don’t. However, those who wish to go at their own pace apart from the group always ensure that the group leader is made aware of this; and that happened in this drive too as it does in every one of Ravi’s drives. Maniacs and tailgating: It was George Carlin who said “Everyone who drives slower than I do is an idiot and everyone who drives faster than I do is a maniac”. I am sure you’ll accept that “Slow” does not necessarily mean “Safe” and “Fast” does not necessarily mean “Unsafe”. Therefore, I do not believe it’s a contradiction to promote safe driving while being fast (or a “maniac” or “moron” in your words). What I consider unsafe, someone who is a better driver than I am might consider a well-calculated and considered manoeuvre and vice versa. Also, you yourself mention “From there on, I rode the bike like I stole it, with Rohit hot on my tail.” With your visor open at those speeds and insects hitting you in the face and eyes; that too at twilight - arguably the most dangerous time to be in control of a motor-vehicle. Some might consider that unsafe, but for you it was a well-considered issue. Re. your being tailgated by someone - I know it’s not a comfortable feeling. If I am being tailgated by someone, I just wave that person by and slot in behind them. Ensuring it’s safe for bikers etc.: I am not sure I understand your point, so let me try and address what I think you might mean. If you mean that we might be passing through some bad roads etc., I am afraid that’s something I am not sure can always be anticipated. If you mean maniac cagers (the bikers’ term for car-drivers), that certainly is something that can be mentioned in advance and drivers warned to be extra careful around bikers. However, as a biker myself (well, an ex-biker), I am aware that I am the vulnerable one irrespective of who the idiot is, and I ensure that I try and keep myself in a safe space all the time when I am on the road; and I am sure as an experienced biker yourself you constantly do the same. I know longish drives and detours are always more demanding on bikers than on cagers, especially in hot and humid weather, but I hope that this will not deter you from coming on future drives .Thank you for the nice pictures. Cheers Last edited by tilt : 1st June 2015 at 19:26. Reason: Small minor corrections and typos. |
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1st June 2015, 21:00
| #49 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 58
Thanked: 504 Times
| Re: Team-BHP Meet @ Biligiriranga Hills: 30/31 May, 2015 First I would like to thank Sudharshan Sir for organizing this meet and the ones who cancelled this trip so that we could get confirmed from RAC. This was our first team bhp drive and I must say my wife and I had a great time with company of all you awesome travelers. It was also our first trip to BR Hills. We enjoyed the drive to , from and within the amazing lush, green and thick forests. Especially the encounter with wild elephants on the way back to Gorukana from safari. We look forward for more such amazing and adventurous experiences. Thank you all for making us feel so comfortable and included throughout the trip. We enjoyed your company and felt at home. Cheers |
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1st June 2015, 23:00
| #50 |
| Distinguished - BHPian  | Re: Team-BHP Meet @ Biligiriranga Hills: 30/31 May, 2015 "So, when is the next overnighter, Ravi? Plan one sooner than later." This is what every time I join the overnighter I hear from the participants! This was no exception to that! This overnighter was special one - mine being first on the bike. And I must tell you, I loved every bit of it! The excitement of the trip kicks in week before the overnighter actually is due. As usual, looking at itinerary on first post, I planned my bike - just put the toolkit in the packing bags  Because I know the fellow travellers will always cover my back. On our last day trip to Chittor, me and Mohit were covered by Jayanth and Mohan, all through the trip! On the Waynad overnighter, Mohit was the lone biker. He was accompanied till his home by Mohan and Akshay! This trip being no exception, I wasn't really bothered if I have biking company. But then KarthiK was there anyway. As a bonus, IronH4WK joined for day trip on his bike. On our return leg, I was escorted right from BRHills/ Resort until Mysore when I dumped the cagers and took advantage of being on bike to squeeze through the Sunday evening traffic on Mysore road in the rains only to reach before everyone else but completely drenched in rain  Like IronH4WK said, we had some bad stretches. But my thunderbird took everything too good! The crouching sun did trouble for some time and even though I wish I would throw away my riding gear and fly free, my fellow overnighters won't let that happen. Especially Jayanth (Disel_Convert) and Mohan (tilt). They would always make sure that I don't start the bike without my protective gear! It was very hot and sweaty but the last 20 KMs ride made me forget everything. The Resort Ravi had booked for us was special one - this is run by an NGO that hires only the local "Soliga Tribe" and all the income from this resort goes to the welfare of Soligas -  The afternoon was the time for safari - another 15 Kms drive towards BRHIlls Safari. Our encounter with tamed elephant not allowing us to pass through for 30 minutes and on the way back two wild elephants scaring us with their mock charge, we had memorable BMW escape! We had gone to take Safari in few cars instead of taking all. And on the way back when I was a passenger in lone beemer on this trip, we were driven safe to resort by Ravi. Thanks Ravi for the beemer ride as well as the escape from those juvenile elephants! And thanks to SunnyBoi for working his magic contacts for us to take Safari without prior - booking. Evening was marked with Soliga cultural event followed by dinner. What a spirited performance Soliga's put for us! On our return journey we took BRHills-KGudi-Chamarajnagar-Nanjangud-Mysore-Bangalore. The jungle stretch from BRHills until Chamrajnagar was awesome. I think some of us have the video recording of this stretch! Looking forward to it. Here are some pictures I took (Sorry, did not take camera since I was riding and chances of Rain was high) - Filled the tummy at Shell, BG Road, ready to embark -  The elephants who had blocked our way to evening Safari -   In summary - this was the great overnighter I had after so long! And like everyone does - Ravi, when is the next overnighter? Advance booking please! |
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1st June 2015, 23:42
| #51 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 3,468
Thanked: 4,148 Times
| Avinash, it was really fun riding along with you and Karthik; sometimes ahead and sometimes behind. You kept me company when Karthik did the vanishing act I'll ride with you guys any day and twice on Sunday!Thanks for sharing those beautiful pictures. |
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2nd June 2015, 09:01
| #52 |
| BHPian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Munich
Posts: 350
Thanked: 242 Times
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2nd June 2015, 09:08
| #53 |
| BHPian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Munich
Posts: 350
Thanked: 242 Times
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2nd June 2015, 09:14
| #54 |
| BHPian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Munich
Posts: 350
Thanked: 242 Times
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2nd June 2015, 09:52
| #55 | ||
| Distinguished - BHPian | Re: Team-BHP Meet @ Biligiriranga Hills: 30/31 May, 2015 Quote:
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 Superb pics and good coverage!Now waiting for other's pictures and Ravi's epilogue | ||
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2nd June 2015, 10:14
| #56 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 3,468
Thanked: 4,148 Times
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2nd June 2015, 10:46
| #57 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: bangalore
Posts: 913
Thanked: 1,282 Times
| Re: Team-BHP Meet @ Biligiriranga Hills: 30/31 May, 2015 Enroute K-Gudi  Initially we thought its a wild loaner.  Later we came to know its a tamed beast. Spot the indica guy, ready to take off as soon as he see elephants on his way.  Tamed beast  Ready for the safari, I really missed my mm 550.  Inside the jungle   Wild boar  The on road beast which took us to BR hills. What ever roads you dont have to slow down.   Good captures Rohan. As usual well organized trip by sudarshan. |
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2nd June 2015, 10:53
| #58 |
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 173
Thanked: 729 Times
| Re: Team-BHP Meet @ Biligiriranga Hills: 30/31 May, 2015 Avinash's script and Rohan's candid clicks, have succinctly captured the ethos of the drive  .Epilogue: Akkad bakkad bangalore bo Assi nabbe poore sau Sau kilometre ka dum jo le Do sau ho, tho hum chal pade Phir kyun main tu kar reh, tyan tu Dum maaro dum, Na mit jaaye Hum, Bolo subah shaam Jiyo tbhp, jiyo overnighter ki shaan English translation: Rhyme introduction The one who takes the worth of 100 kms In two hundred we'll drive away Then why are you and me arguing Take a puff We will not be extinguished Chant morning and evening Let live tbhp, let live the overnighters Last edited by RSUDARSANAN : 2nd June 2015 at 11:18. |
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2nd June 2015, 11:07
| #59 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Munich
Posts: 350
Thanked: 242 Times
| Re: Team-BHP Meet @ Biligiriranga Hills: 30/31 May, 2015 Quote:
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2nd June 2015, 13:16
| #60 |
| BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: bangalore
Posts: 913
Thanked: 1,282 Times
| Re: Team-BHP Meet @ Biligiriranga Hills: 30/31 May, 2015 Curious deer  Whats up guys?  Wanna have cookies?  Playing with deer   Intruder  |
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