[vinair]

Brilliant!! just brilliant! what a way to travel! In this age, I really wonder how many people even know how to ride a hand geared scooter! I have seen some biking punters staying away from a simple hand geared scooter!!

Man, the Bajaj Legend! This was something I was so much in love with! Yes, it does sound weird for the non-scooter guys, but I always loved scooters and the Legend was something I always wanted to own and even managed to get a used one when in college. It was just a wonderful piece of machine and the most powerful of the lot at the time. Pumping almost 9 bhp from its 150 cc, this was a powerful scooter and could easily hit the 90 KMPH without much fuss. Had a excellent super smooth 4 stroke engine as well.

The Bajaj Chetak is a legend in its own stride! (Stride is also a model Bajaj manufactured for a brief period!!) A simple piece of machinery that was almost practical, robust and virtually indestructible!

[bvasista]

Awesome thread ! It was very delightful to see you making the long trip on Chetak (I guess its named after Maharana Prathap's horse). It was very nice to see the photos of Chetak on those ghat roads.

I remember my father and my uncle doing trips around Hyderabad within a radius of 150 to 250 Kms (Srisailam, Mantralayam, Warangal, Mahabubnagar etc.) on his metallic silver colored Chetak when I was 6 years old (1990s) with a half helmet in light blue color with a dark blue colored jerkin.

At one point of time, having a Bajaj Chetak at home was a status symbol.

[Sandeep_K_Ram]

Karthik I get the impression you ride to write

Thanks for the awesome ride and awesome support and company !

I should put it on the record that while the legend was all about composure and cruise easily keeping 90kays - the 2T beauty under Karthik was a downright hooligan of a mountain goat - high on bottle fed 2t ! The thing can outrun anything to 80kays and stays there all day long !

Long live the scoots and it's afficianados.

[jacob.d.mathew]

Hi funkykar congrats on your successful ride to Mangalore on Chetak. I had recently taken three trips Bangalore <-> Chennai on Royal Enfield. I'm sure scooter would have been good too. Many more happy miles :-)

[knrn]

What a lovely travelogue. Brought back old memories. I love travelogues and one on a scooter that too a Chetak. You are bringing glory to this old workhorse. I read it all in one go- couldn't put the phone down. You proved that it is all about the journey and how you get there. And it is the man and not the machine that makes it. Kudos.

[condor]

Super !

Karthik - your thread brings back memories of my ride on my KB100: BLR-Kukke-Dharmasthala & back. And also brings up fresh regrets of having neglected our Green 1986 Chetak: (regn num CAR-4005). Wonder where is our scooter now. And at the same time, wondering if I can find a KB100 again.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by funkykar

Here is the milk bottle holding the 2T oil
Attachment 1861789

Your road trip brought back memories of my Bajaj Super which used to return 48-52kmpl ( no jokes here) when run at 35kmph. All my riding was in city with very few signals to encounter.

I would never buy 2T oil at the bunks, but would use an empty Osto Calcium bottle, perfectly calibrated for 60ml when full up to the brim. This was for approx 2.2 liters of fuel.

Nice pictures . I wonder how you could ride so fast on the Chetak.

[ALTIMAed]

Having done my graduation at MIT Manipal, way back in 1992, your scooter trip reminded me of having done Manipal Bangalore on my Kawsaki Bajaj RTZ Delta once and on my friend's Kinetic Honda twice.

You mentioned you stayed at Poonja Hotel - I started to wonder, is it the same Poonja International, googled it, confirmed to be the same.

Those days, I used travel by train to my home town. Either West Coast Express or Madras Mail to Madras and then Ganga Kaveri Express to my hometown (Satna).

Buses to Manipal used to terminate and commence at the bus stand, just opposite Poonja International. As a matter of fact, when travelling from Manipal to my hometown, I made it a point to reach Mangalore, well in advance, just to have food at a restaurant at the basement of Poonja Arcade (forgotten the name). The non veg food was just too good.

Unfortunately, I have not been to Mangalore after passing out, but still salivate at the thought of the Parfait and Gudbud ice cream of Ideal and Pabbas.

[ac 427]

Bro,

This is as hardcore as it can get. I know it how dififcult it is to ride a scooter for such a long distance

These are the kind of travelogues that bring a smile to my face, and further inspire me to pick my bike up and go for a ride.

Cheers to many such trips,
ac

[ashwinprakas]

Kudos on the feat!

Do consider opting for RVM's on both sides in the interest of safety.

Ride Safe,
A.P.

[funkykar]

Originally Posted by prithm

Really happy to see Bajaj aficionados alive and kicking in this age of plastics.

My dad recently resurrected our old faithful workhorse. Bajaj Classic SL, Military Green. Everything that we have in our metal steed is stock and the way it came out fresh from dealer about 20 years ago.

That's a good one!

Originally Posted by arun1100

Hello Karthik, yet another fantastic Mangalore trip; this time in our beloved and humble Chetak! Little did I imagine that the scooter at home lying abandoned, would one day do rides across cities of Karnataka!

I see you missed the Pabbas icecream in Mangalore. Guess the see food satisfied you a lot!

While I hope to ride with you to Goa, awaiting for our next "Hot Summer Drive" to Mangalore hopefully in a different classic car this year. Here are my favorite drives with you till date in Classic Cars:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ni-ertiga.html (A HOT summer drive with a Padmini & Ertiga!)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...mbassador.html (A HOT summer drive: Bangalore to Mangalore in an Ambassador!)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...bangalore.html (Pre-Loved '97 Premier Padmini S1 - From Nasik to Bangalore)

We have a very very long way to go mate! Each year, the summer is getting hotter and hotter hence our drives too.

Originally Posted by bvasista

At one point of time, having a Bajaj Chetak at home was a status symbol.

Of course! It was treasured and taken care of better than a family member couple of decades ago.

Originally Posted by Sandeep_K_Ram

Karthik I get the impression you ride to write

Thanks for the awesome ride and awesome support and company !

I should put it on the record that while the legend was all about composure and cruise easily keeping 90kays - the 2T beauty under Karthik was a downright hooligan of a mountain goat - high on bottle fed 2t ! The thing can outrun anything to 80kays and stays there all day long !

Long live the scoots and it's afficianados.

Magaa, I NEVER knew you were a Bhpian . I have known you since years and we have been such close friends. To rest of viewers, the 'San' mentioned in initial posts is none other than this Sandeep. He is the proud owner of the Legend and he is the sole reason for me getting an experience of my lifetime!

GOA 2019 IS HAPPENING!


I don't really ride to write. If that was the case, I should have had over 100 threads. Some of the best drives I ever did are not documented anywhere sadly!

Originally Posted by knrn

What a lovely travelogue. Brought back old memories. I love travelogues and one on a scooter that too a Chetak. You are bringing glory to this old workhorse. I read it all in one go- couldn't put the phone down. You proved that it is all about the journey and how you get there. And it is the man and not the machine that makes it. Kudos.

The machine is reliable and can get get good support in case of issues. Any town/village mechanic should fix any issues that may arise on highway. Yes, it has to be about the rider and was glad to pull it off.

Originally Posted by condor

Super !

Karthik - your thread brings back memories of my ride on my KB100: BLR-Kukke-Dharmasthala & back. And also brings up fresh regrets of having neglected our Green 1986 Chetak: (regn num CAR-4005). Wonder where is our scooter now. And at the same time, wondering if I can find a KB100 again.

The older pre-90 scooters are quite rare. See if you can find the trail to your scooter. Check vaahan, if lucky may have an entry. KB 100 is even rarer and was a fantastic bike!

Originally Posted by vigsom

I would never buy 2T oil at the bunks, but would use an empty Osto Calcium bottle, perfectly calibrated for 60ml when full up to the brim. This was for approx 2.2 liters of fuel.

Nice pictures . I wonder how you could ride so fast on the Chetak.

Good idea. I tried finding something of that sort and couldn't find any thing suitable.

Originally Posted by ac 427

Bro,

This is as hardcore as it can get. I know it how dififcult it is to ride a scooter for such a long distance

These are the kind of travelogues that bring a smile to my face, and further inspire me to pick my bike up and go for a ride.

Glad you liked it. I started with may be 25% confidence and it grew to 100% in maximum one hour.

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Kudos on the feat!

Do consider opting for RVM's on both sides in the interest of safety.

Yes, already in process. I couldnt find the reverse threaded bolt for the mirror and some how the search faded away.

[condor]

Originally Posted by funkykar

The older pre-90 scooters are quite rare. See if you can find the trail to your scooter. Check vaahan, if lucky may have an entry.

Karthik, No luck :( .. The scooter is still in my dad's name.

[suzuki san]

Originally Posted by funkykar

Me: Sure thing. Book a ticket at least 3 hours later than my scheduled start. You will act as my backup. In case I can't ride, I will pull over at the next toll booth and wait for you. You alight the bus and ride further while I hop into your bus
[/list]

I loved this part of your plan!!

Hats off to you for undertaking such a long ride on a scooter. That too on a Bajaj. Well done.

Regards,
SS

[whitewing]

Beautifully written piece!
Enjoyed reading it, you have a nice witing style, thank you for sharing !


We had - as I remember a Bajaj Priya? followed with a Chetak when I was a kid and had many hours of static riding it during dull afternoons :-).

[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Legend was indeed a 4 stroke! Weirdly I remember the TRICS sticker on the sides, and childhood memories of this scooter as being something of a modern Chetak back then. Disappeared very soon after launch, but someone in our family friend circle owned one - not able to recollect who! Interestingly - there is also another Bajaj Legend, as seen in the Hamara Bajaj ad, though I don't remember having seen this one on the roads ever!

That was LEGEND NXT (2)

Refer team-bhp.com post here: (Rumour: Bajaj Chetak to return)

Bajaj ads were so catchy those days

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5ZhkfsFy7Q

Happy riding Karthik!

I sill remember the joy when my father got the new Chetak Classic scooter in maroon, back in 1995. The biggest USP was the one-piece seat and the indicators!!

Earlier, Bajaj Super, 1985 had the same child seat as your Chetak's.