[ku69rd]

Bonjour Riders,

It all started when one of my old friends called me for a general banter on motorcycles & their features. During the long conversation, realized that it has been nearly 15 years since we last rode together (What a shame, we live in neighboring areas). Plans were drafted and we chose to ride to Muthodi over a weekend. Stay was confirmed at the government nature camp after a few phone calls the route plans were chalked out.
How was this different from the many rides that I have done in the past? We decided to make it a 'RD only' ride and relive memories from college days. Decided to dial in VKJ (a very shy Team BHPian who hardly posts even though he is online for a majority part of the day) as the old line says 'Two is company and Three is crowd'.

VKJ's bike has seen more action over the last 3 years than our bikes and was as fit as a fiddle. His RD is more of a 'Fill it Ride it, again refill it to ride it' sort of a bike. Proves that a bike which is constantly in use requires very little attention or preparatory work apart from topping up 2T oil and checking for the rear brakes gap. His, a 1986 Silver RD tastefully done and is a low maintenance RD. Has been in our riding group family from the past 3 years and does not miss even a single beat after doing 900+ kms over a weekend.

However Shriki's & my bike have a different tale.

My Friend (Shriki, Blue RD) had to get his jets upsized to have better flow and was required to change his rear tires. His is a 1987 model, converted to High Torque Bike. A very well maintained bike and one of the first bike in our circle to flaunt a BIG Disc brake for better stopping power. Chains lubricated she was raring to go on the day. This bike is known to me from 1998. (Makes me feel like a Dino eh!!!)

My bike had hardly seen any action post the Nandi Hill ride early this year and was lying in storage for the majority of this year. Decided to wash and wax to make her gleaming a bit before taking her to office. The ride was very unbalanced as the Left Carburetor was leaking in all her glory, consuming a good 3 liters to reach office which is at a distance of 16 Kms. Making mental notes of the other stuff that required attention to make her highway worthy, the following weekend was spent in the garage correcting those minor niggles. The culprit was jammed float valve which was cleaned and refitted. As a precautionary measure the petrol tank was also cleaned; this was a good thing to do. (More Details of my bike can be had here)

VKJ's Silver Steed


Shriki's Blue Machine


My Orange Lady


Ride Day 1

Packing done the previous day and loaded onto the bikes overnight was ready to roll much before the crack of dawn. Shriki and VKJ had assembled at the pre-decided place. Quick round of introduction as VKJ & Shriki were meeting for the first time. After the customary handshakes and nicotine intake we were ready to roll. Took the ORR from Bangalore South and headed towards Gorguntepalya exit. A quick ride in thin traffic meant we were on the NH4 in less time. By the time it was Sun-Rise we had taken the deviation towards NH 75(earlier NH 48) and past Solur. It was time for breakfast and we rolled into Hotel Mayura off Bellur Cross. There are a lot of good options on that highway like Swathi Delicacy, Shark Food Court but we decided to make the most of our early morning start and rode nonstop to Hotel Mayura which is just after the toll gate exit.
Regular Idly Vada breakfast done; we were on the outskirts of Hassan in an hour’s time from Bellur Cross by around 9:30 AM. We all stopped for top up at Hassan and took the exit to Belur at the second roundabout. The roads up to Hassan are generally dull, boring and drab with those super smooth 4 laners. It can easily put one to sleep and there is not much of excitement riding on these. However the roads from Hassan to Chikamagalur are inviting with a series of wide corners and quick ones. A superbiker might have a different take to this road as I have enjoyed riding the Yamaha FZ-1 myself in this stretch.

Attachment 1400553

A comfort break followed with some nicotine and letting in some fresh air to our butts meant we were ready to roll till Mullayanagiri peak. The moment we took the deviation at Kaimara Junction we knew we had lot of tourists to contend with. The climb was good and dense with heavy fog. At some places the fog was quite heavy leading to its precipitation.

We stopped at a couple of places en-route the climb to view nature’s glamour. Malnad is always in her full glory during the monsoon season. Malnad’s beauty always reminds me of Madhuri Dixit dancing in those Yash Chopra’s rain songs draped in translucent saris. This is the best possible time of the year to visit and savor what she has to offer. Be it food or just nature sights. This also has an ugly side to it. You will get to see a lot of beginner car drivers struggling to drive their cars in those narrow roads and creating major jams with their slow movement. There were hordes of people screaming /shouting and doing all sorts of nuisance at the top which meant that we left the place quickly. We Indians lack in our behavior at such spots and create quite a scene. It was depressing to see all this poor behavior which made us turn away wondering when /whether would we get to see ‘Ache Din’ with our civic thoughts/actions. It was a stark contrast to the visit that I had done few weeks back on a weekday. I had the complete place for myself with not a soul around. (A solo ride on a weekday a story for another day) Will let a few photos do the talking.






During the descent, we stopped at Seethalayannagiri for some refreshments and taking a call on our next destination. The original plan was to do Baba Budangiri & Gaalikere before we head to Kemmangundi. From Kemmangundi we were to head to Muthodi as we had booked our accommodation at the Government Nature Camp. Heading back to Attigundi Road, we stopped by at the forest sentry checking if there was any short-cut road that would lead us to Muthodi as we wanted to avoid riding back to Chikamagalur. He advised us of a deviation around 1.5 kms from the sentry gate. The route was quite a treat. The road got narrower and narrower with a free fall on its right side. It was a very scenic route which we were doing the very first time. The bikes were behaving very well and their response was very encouraging.







We were roughly around 18-20 kms from our destination when nature decided to add some more fun into our normal touristy day. There was a sudden downpour leaving us no time to even stop and pull out our rain jackets. A couple of minutes and we were completely wet to the bone. No point in stopping and wearing those rain jackets so we decided to chug along. We reached a hamlet which had a fork leaving us uncertain as to which road we should take. Couple of enquiries we were on our way again. Another round of downpour added to the thrill of riding in the wet over poor non-existent roads making our progress even slower. Finally we crossed the gates of Muthodi Wildlife Sanctuary which is part of Bhadra Reserve forest. Not quite sure if I have to mention; were we relieved or were we depressed that we reached the destination. The daylight was getting weaker and we realized that it’s time to have lunch. We parked our bikes and secured them with our chain locks before unloading our bags. We completed the registration formalities before we headed to our designated quarters to change ourselves to drier clothes. Years of riding had ensured that our bags were dry and not affected by the rain.








After putting out our wet clothes on makeshift lines for drying, we settled down for a sumptuous meal of rice & chicken curry which was very refreshing and filled warmth to our cold bodies. Satisfactory ride for the day followed by a fantastic lunch meant blood was heading to the stomach making me drowsy. Yours truly enjoyed a healthy afternoon siesta to be woken up for the evening chai & nicotine. Usual banters of talk around motorcycles, evolution of motorcycling, and advent of safety gear (remember for a majority of us, helmet was a luxury back in the 90s) led to night fall. Due to heavy rainfall the place was facing power shortage which meant that we had to suffice with candle lights for the rest of evening. The setting of the room was very good. We had the dining room solely for us, there was quite a broad rivulet roaring past our room, crickets chirping followed by innumerous forest sounds. Few more rounds of talks, we were hungry for food. Dinner being served we retired for the day around 11ish in the night. A long day which started at 3:30 AM finally came to an end.




Ride Day 2
Arrival of dawn we were woken up to the forest sounds and bed tea being served. Couple of cups we were all set to start our day with a healthy breakfast. Bills settled and inquiries made on the roads we slowly put on our riding gear. It was then we realized that our riding gear was still dripping wet as the sun was never to be seen. Gujarat Boiler did not help me

We made our way to our bikes, fastened the luggage. The bikes were impeccable the previous day but the non-existent roads were a dampener. They were all dirty and beaten up with mud all over them. Quick health checks on the bikes before we started them were good. Steady Engine idling for a couple of minutes to ensure oil is getting pumped into the combustion chamber courtesy oil pump, electricals working as designed we started with a heavy heart back to Namma Bengaluru.
This time we took the direct route to Chikamaglur which is around 32 kms from our accommodation. The roads up to Mallandhur are single & winding. Small patches of broken tarmac can be done with not much of a headache. Post Mallandhur the roads broaden and are double laned without barriers separating the two. We reached Chikamaglur to be welcomed with a light drizzle. Phones started to ring as the previous night we were completely cut off from civilization. (Must agree life was very peaceful without mobiles/WA/FB)
Fuel was topped up in Chikamaglur and we were soon on our way back home. Post Hassan we were on the dull boring 4 lanes. Lumbering along in steady speeds we stopped at Swathi Delicacy for lunch. Topped with South Indian Desert (Curd Rice W Pickles) it was an uninspired ride back to Bangalore. Bidding adieus at the Nice Road Entrance took the right at Gorguntepalya and was welcomed with heavy weekend traffic. Devegowda Petrol Bunk was an even bigger mess. Reached home to be welcomed with a strong dose of caffeine and coupling it with nicotine was very relieving.
Signing off for now and will be back with some more rider travelogues.
Route: Bangalore to Hassan to Chikamaglur to Mullayanagiri to Muthodi to Mallandhur to Chikamaglur to Hassan to Bangalore


Total Distance: 578 Kms

My Observations

1. Swathi Delicacy seems to have better taste and costs slightly less than Hotel Mayura. However this is on the right side of the road when you are heading towards Hassan and one needs to take 2 U Turns to satisfy your stomach
2. Petrol is expensive in Chikamaglur by ONE Rupee when compared to the prices in Hassan
3. If you book the government nature camp, please carry minimal expectations. Getting hot water for bath can also be a luxury at times. However food is very decent & spicy Hot but limited choices. This is no other hotel in the near vicinity
4. DO NOT [COLOR=red]carry[/COLOR] Liquor to these government nature camps as they have a strict restriction for it. Beds are comfortable after a days of riding/driving
5. To enjoy the place please maintain silence & respect fellow tourists space. There is no need to shout & thump your chest like Tarzan. Best suggested time is to visit it during weekdays

PS: Riding to Muthodi meant that I could not ride to JOG Falls which was like this during the weekend of August 1st and 2nd.





Hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I loved keying it in. Riding on RD made it even more commendable. These machines are very well built to last more than a life time. So long till the next ride.

[Arvi95]

That's a wonderful travelogue! And lovely looking machines! Two strokes are a dying breed these days, its so good to see there are still enthusiasts who are not afraid of covering long distances on these great machines!

[anantu2001]

Hi ku69rd,

Absolutely beautiful and crisp write up. Your travelogue reminded me of our visit to Muthodi couple of weeks back. We in fact had stayed in Mallandur for 2N/3D.

Did you by any chance visit the "Shooting point" near Mallandur??? And any experience with leeches? We had a horrible experience in Muthodi...

Regards,
Anant

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by Arvi95

That's a wonderful travelogue! And lovely looking machines! Two strokes are a dying breed these days

Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. Yes the bikes are well maintained and must say that they are literally babied after these rides. Every Part is looked into and preventive maintenance is done.

A Stitch in time saves nine

Originally Posted by anantu2001

Hi ku69rd,

And any experience with leeches? We had a horrible experience in Muthodi...

Hi Anant,

Thank you for the kind words. Yes we have had our own share of experiences with leeches. Am so used to it these days, I really do not care much for them. Have achieved Nirvana such that I become all the more calm and pluck them out with my bare fingers and move one.

After all they suck just a drop or two of blood.

Sorry Not too sure on the shooting star, can you perhaps explain more? If you have photos feel free to share them on this thread itself.

[pramodkumar]

Lovely thread, I was itching to do something like this for a very long time. Only issue is finding a companion, since I relocated to Trivandrum couple of years ago I don't have a lot of riding buddies, most 2T owners are RX owners, very less RD owners who I can join with.

Pramod

[Tushar]

Thanks for a great travelogue and a ride down memory lane. It's always great to see these legends up and running year after year.

Phones started to ring as the previous night we were completely cut off from civilization. (Must agree life was very peaceful without mobiles/WA/FB)

Seriously! When we have our phones with us, we constantly fiddle with them. On a recent ride to Bhutan, I lost all connectivity and it never felt better. The want for this literal "disconnect" and the great images above have got me raring to hit the closest ghat this weekend.

[anantu2001]

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Sorry Not too sure on the shooting star, can you perhaps explain more? If you have photos feel free to share them on this thread itself.

Yes. Its called the "Shooting Point" - typically used for filming movies. Its a nice place, especially during this time of the year. While coming from Chikmagalur towards Muthodi, you need to take a left at the Mallandur junction. It is around 1.5 kms from that junction.

Some pictures:






Regards,
Anant

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

, very less RD owners who I can join with.

Pramod

Don't give up Pramod and am sure you will make that RD Circle. Start out with just 2 or 3 and am sure it will grow with time. No Second thoughts.

Originally Posted by Tushar

It's always great to see these legends up and running year after year.

Seriously! When we have our phones with us, we constantly fiddle with them.

Thanks Tushar, yes these bikes did the journey with no fuss at all. There was no hint of any misfiring or backlash. (my Bike suffered a blown clutch gasket but that was on the last 100 kms of the ride back home)

Phones, Well the lesser said the better. At some point in time we have become like slaves to them as if and as though our complete life depends on them.

Originally Posted by anantu2001

Yes. Its called the "Shooting Point" - typically used for filming movies.

Wow Super, I must hold you responsible now for not putting up a TL
nevertheless shall do this when I head there next time.


Some More Teasers from our Ride

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XaFPDdi7QM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2j-SQNQCJk

[ku69rd]

Some More Teaser Videos

https://youtu.be/1lbWoShFvzo

https://youtu.be/NvwQYIwLjxs

https://youtu.be/f730DU0QHqU

@ mods,

Can you please merge both into post please?

[VKJ]

Wonderful write-up KU! You have neatly covered all aspects of the ride!! I will share the nature/wild photos, please post them here

[niranjanrvce]

Awesome write up Mahesh saar! The RD fly-by videos sound really sweet. Glad to see your orange lady running again. It's sad that Mullayangiri is a mess on weekends though - last time I went, there were some local thugs collecting 'entrance' money without receipts as well; to add to the multitude of cars/taxis from all over who have no idea how to drive in ghats. Much better to do that peak on weekdays I guess.

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by niranjanrvce

Much better to do that peak on weekdays I guess.

yes Niranjan, Weekdays you have the place all for yourself. No Tourists, No Hawkers none...only you and Mother Nature to be savored.

Yes she was too much in the storage and hopefully I get the opportunity to ride her more in the coming months. You will see more of these RD Diaries going forth.

[VLOCT]

The silver 350 reminds me of mine from years ago. Nice write up and great memories. Thanks.

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by VLOCT

The silver 350 reminds me of mine from years ago. Nice write up and great memories. Thanks.

Cheers Sir, Do you mind if you can share your photos? Will be wonderful to look at them.

[sammyboy]

Hey did you do this ride on the 1st august? I distinctly remember passing 3 RDs on that beautiful road before it meets up the main road taking you back to the city. There were 3 of us, me on my ninja 250, a Bonnie and a street triple . lovely pics and the ride through the forest was crazy, no roads, just muck and what amazing weather.
We came from the other side, had a meal of tomato rice and pickle at the Bhadra reserve, where you seem to have stayed and went through the forest, exact same route but the other direction.