[Ganapathy]

It’s Later than you Think.

The tendency to procrastinate and postpone things for a more opportune time is a predisposition common to most people. Having said that, I still am guilty of stretching it to preposterous levels. It took me ages to muster enough courage to go against established norms and buy a new motorcycle when I was nearing retirement. That I decided to buy a Dominar 400, got most people including near and dear questioning my senility. Having done a short trip to Yelagiri soon after, things have been quite for a long time now.
It has been a dream of mine to go on a solo bike trip for ages. Having joined the HRC (a Biker club exclusive to Dominar owners in Chennai), I have been regaled by the tales of youngsters who have at their whims and fancies taken off on their Dominar to destinations far off. Almost every other day I would read of someone’s exploits in the WhatsApp group and ponder, if I could even dream of doing something similar.

For almost a year, my partner in crime Vicha and myself have been planning a trip to Kolli Hills. I have been devouring every article and You tube video on bike trips to Kolli Hills so often that I can reel off all the attractions it has to offer, the number of hair pin bends and all other associated trivia without batting an eyelid. Despite our best intentions and efforts our plans to make this trip to Kolli hills seemed doomed for failure. If he was free, I was unable to make it and if I was free and willing, he was the culprit. This sort of frustrating “merry go round” seemed to be coming to an end finally when we had planned to make it during the Christmas week end. However, as fate would have it, his family sprung a holiday trip surprise on him, a commitment from which even he could not untangle himself from.

Destiny, it seemed had prevailed once again and had the last laugh. However, I was determined and started contemplating the unthinkable, doing the trip solo. Now the better half and my daughter who usually are very supportive of my rather quirky and over the top ideas were stunned into silence when I broached the subject with them one evening, on what I thought was an opportune time. While I thought my idea was brilliant, “Stupid” seemed to be the common adjective that they both associated with this idea of mine. On second thoughts they graduated to “idiotic “. Thinking that, any further persistence from me on this line of thought, could lead to a further avalanche of adjectives of stronger magnitude, I decided to let it go and retired to my own room rather dejectedly to lick my wounds in private so to say. Destiny, it seemed had prevailed once again and I had rather dejectedly had resigned myself to once again postpone the idea for another appropriate date.

More often than not, it is only when you are at the very depths of despondency, that inspiration comes from the oddest of sources. Unlike Albert Einstein, my Eureka moment came not in a patent office, but in my study when I was scrolling through the WhatsApp messages from my College Mates group. I chanced upon this rather old forward that someone had re-posted. It was an old 1950 song by Doris Day.

Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)

Doris Day

You work and work
For years and years
You're always on the go
You never take the minute off
Too busy making dough
Someday you'll say
You'll have your fun
When you're a millionaire
Imagine all the fun you'll have
In your 'ol rocking chair

Enjoy yourself
It's later than you think
Enjoy yourself
While you're still in the pink
The years go by
As quickly as a wink
Enjoy yourself
Enjoy yourself
It's later than you think

C'mon now, you gotta have fun!
You're gonna take that ocean trip
No matter come what may
You've got your reservations but
You just can't get away
Next year for sure you'll see the world
You'll really get around
But how far can you travel when
You're six feet underground

Enjoy yourself….
Enjoy yourself
It's later than you think
Get out and see the world!
You worry when the weather's cold
You worry when it's hot
You worry when you're doing well
You worry when you're not
It's worry worry all the time
You don't know how to laugh
They'll think of something funny when
They write your epitaph

Enjoy yourself….
It's later than you think

Just when I thought I had reached the nadir of despair, fate seemed determined to prove me wrong. I contemplated rather dejectedly, as to how some one seemed to have so precisely described my hapless predicament, way back in 1950, when the proverbial apple dropped for me. I would not wait any longer. If I had to do it alone then so be it.

I broached the topic with the family once again and seeing the determined tone in my voice and aided to a large measure by some sentimental blackmail, that I may be running out of time as good Old Doris Day sung in the 1950’s, they consented. I decided to make my first solo bike trip. Kolli Hills.

I shared my plans with Vicha my friend and he was unperturbed. Having known me for close to 4 decades He thought it was one of my usual shenanigans. For more than a year I had researched rather thoroughly every known brand of Tail bag and Tank bag. It was the usual “Paralysis through Analysis” syndrome and I had not yet got down to buying the aforementioned objects. Now, with a severely condensed timeline, I coerced Vicha to accompany me to the Motorcycle accessory shop near my house and surprised everyone, myself included, by actually putting down money and buying a Via terra tank bag and tail bag. The speed at which I concluded the transaction left my friend Vicha dumbfounded.

He was still far from convinced that I would go ahead with this crazy plan of mine to take a solo ride. The subsequent night when I was mounting the tail bag on my bike, in order to enable me make a quick early start the next morning, the tenant downstairs was making idle conversation about where I was heading. It was all going along smoothly until I came to the bit of going solo. I could actually hear his jaw drop. He darted a quick shocked look at my daughter who was helping me with the mounting of the bags and then quickly went inside. As I was going upstairs after mounting the bags, he called me aside and gave me some flowers as Gods Blessings and wished me a safe trip.

Now, in as much as I was comforted by his concern and thoughtfulness for my safety, this act did shake me up a bit. The speed at which Divine intervention on my behalf was sought did shake my resolve a bit. Truth be told far more than a bit. However, it was too late to back out. The die had been cast.

I could hardly sleep that night. I was wide awake long before the alarm went off. I showered and got ready, trying not to disturb the family. I struggled to put on the riding jacket and pants for the first time. I had taken the precaution of loading off line google maps on the old phone, which would serve as the dedicated GPS device on the special mount that I had installed. I had the charging cable attached to the phone and plugged on to the charger. My wife and daughter had rather sportingly got up to assist me and flag me off. With my daughter snapping a few photos it was about half past five as I took off with the soft purring of the Dominar providing much needed comfort. It was still dark and I put on the aux lights and decided to head through the city to link up with NH 32 as the early morning traffic would be lean.

There is something very warm and fuzzy about watching a city waking up from its slumber. Chennai is an early riser. As I passed through Ashok pillar, I could see the Milk van on its early morning run, the new garbage collectors making their customary irreverent stops bang in the middle of the road, the early morning airport drops courtesy Ola, carting a business traveller to catch some flight to god knows where. Some factory workers were waiting to catch their regular pick-up Bus which would transport them to gigantic auto sweat shops in the industrial suburbs that the city had become so renowned for. The melodious strands of MS Subbalakshmi’s suprabatham wafted from the open window of a car which drove past. The entire scenario was surreal, as I thanked God for all that he had given me. I could afford to take off like this in the middle of the week, while everyone went about their daily chores desperately earning a living. Well, I had done my bit I suppose. Three and a half decades of the rat race would more than suffice for a lifetime.

The traffic thinned off marginally as I crossed the airport and joined NH 32. The buses on the road kept me alert and the first rays of dawn broke out as I crossed the Chengalpattu toll gate. The highway really beckoned and I switched off my aux lights and gave the throttle a twist, The Dominar responded with a regular throaty growl as I settled on the 80 – 90 kmph band that I had promised myself I would operate on for the entire trip. With black streaks of mostly unblemished asphalt welcoming me, very thin traffic and the Dominar roaring away, I settled down for what I knew was going to be a long arduous ride.



I had planned to halt for breakfast at Thindivanam and so I did at about 7.00 am. I had made good time. There was new restaurant and I decided to try my luck there. I decided to park my bike right near the entrance despite the objections of the hotel security guard, as I wanted to keep an eye on the bags on my bike when, I had my breakfast. The food was very good and the service pleasant. All in all, a good start.

I was soon on my way again, and as I turned right on to NH 132, I soon realised that my left Mirror had become loose probably because of the severe buffeting of the wind and it was irritating. I was desperately searching for a mechanic shop to fix the issue, but was told that my chances of seeing any mechanic shop open prior to 9.30 am was very slim. I tried my luck at a few vulcanising shops but they did not have the right Allen key. It was close to Villupuram that I got a mechanic to sort out this issue. A minor irritant was out of the way. Subsequently, it was steady going. Just past Ulundurpet, I hit a traffic snarl on the highway. I switched off the bike and waited patiently as someone informed me that the TNEB was carrying out some repairs to high tension lines across the highway. I was parked next to a state transport bus and soon a lot of youngsters emerged from the bus, crowded around me and bombarded me with questions about the bike, its make, cost, speed etc. I was amazed by how well informed some of these kids were about stuff like slipper clutch as so on. Just as I was getting a bit embarrassed at all the attention I was attracting, the traffic snarl eased out and I was on my way again. I continued to stay within the 90 kmph band despite some youngster on a Himalayan, testing my resolve to its limits with his antics. I had done close to 280 Kms when my display reflected the low fuel sign. Luckily there was a petrol bunk nearby and I went through the rigmarole of getting my Tank bag off to fill fuel.

Soon after, I took the turn to Attur Rasipuram road, Google maps decided to take me through narrow un paved roads and subsequently non-existent roads. I decided to do it the old fashion way and got directions from the locals. It has to be said without fail, the roads were brilliant. I was not very sure of the direction I was taking and hence the going was a bit slow. After reconfirmation, I turned on to the SH 95. The fields on either side were green and pristine. With the mountains in the background, it was a welcome relief to sore eyes used to the concrete jungle scenario. In all my trips, I have never seen Tamilnadu so green. The more than normal Monsoons had obviously helped. Every lake was brimming with water, I drifted along lazily enjoying the pleasing scenery all around. The Dominar pulled strongly as we started climbing Kolli Malai at last
.

For the uninitiated, Kolli Hills or Kolli Malai is a small pristine and picturesque mountain range nestled in the Eastern Ghats at an attitude of 1000- 1300 metres above sea level located in Western district of Namakkal in Tamil Nadu. Kolli Hills are featured in several works of classical Tamil literature such as Silappathigaram, Manimekalai, etc .The hills are said to be guarded by Kollipavai also called as "Ettukkai Amman", the local deity. According to legend, the sages chose Kolli hills when they were looking for a peaceful place to do their penance. However, the demons invaded the hills to disrupt the penance when the sages began their rituals. The sages prayed to Kollipavai, who according to the myth, chased away the demons with her enchanting smile. The Kollipavai hills is still worshipped by the people here and her smile is revered. The mountains have several mythological legends associated with them, and often come across as an eerie place in contemporary tales due to the unexplored and less travelled terrain.

The temperature dropped significantly and the scenery was breath-taking. As the hair pin bends kept coming at closer intervals, I was forced to drag my eyes away from the amazing scenery and focus on the road ahead and so it went on and on. The bends, hairpin or otherwise kept coming and the Dominar kept climbing effortlessly. It was past 2pm. The temperature had plummeted. I had not had anything since breakfast and I was cold, hungry and getting tired. My mobile phone had both Airtel and Jio Sim cards and yet there was absolutely no service/signal from either of these service providers. I was driving virtually blind. With the help of local guidance, I reached Semmedu, where I was told most Hotels and resorts were located. I was too tired and gave up efforts to locate the Resort, I had planned on looking up. Luckily there was a new Hotel just opposite the Indian Oil petrol Bunk. I walked in and inspected the facilities. They were good. I negotiated a good rate and checked in. The Chef was able to muster a quick lunch of roti and vegetables. Once I was recharged, most of my tiredness and irritability vanished and I was once again good to go. I checked out the View Point without much luck as the whole valley was covered with a white blanket of mist. I decided to call it a day.


Early the next morning I was reluctant to get out of bed considering how cold it was. However, the sun broke through and after a quick sumptuous breakfast, I headed towards View Point. The view was much better and I clicked a few photos.

On the way back I saw a quaint little temple in between the hairpin bends. I just dropped in to thank almighty for bringing me safely to Kolli Hills.

I then started tackling the hair pin bends to get to the Arapaleeswarar Temple. This temple is one of the main attractions in Kolli Hills. It is largely believed to have been constructed in the 1st or 2nd century AD by Valvil Ori during his rule, and it is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The atmosphere at the temple was calm and tranquil and I had a good darshan.

I was tempted to test my physical fitness and walk down the 1300 odd steps to the Akasa gangai falls. A brief visit to the mini falls next to it which was actually a climb of about 100 steps or even less, left me panting on the way back. Better sense prevailed and I decided to give Akasa Gangai falls the miss. I had tea at a corner shop where I enquired about other falls in the vicinity. The lady at the tea shop took pity on me and told me in the candid way which is so special and unique to the uncomplicated ways of people in the small towns, not to lose heart and that I could visit the Masalai falls which would not test my physical fitness so much and the Ettukai Amman (loosely translated to the Goddess with eight arms) koil nearby.

The visit to the Ettukai Amman temple was indeed very humbling. You had to walk a few steps down into a valley of sorts where the temple stood in a very humble abode. None of the glitz and glamour associated with popular tourist destination temples. I got an archanai thattu (Plate of fruits and floral offerings) from a small lady vendor who also had a tea shop. I prayed to the goddess and sought her blessings. The deity is considered to be very powerful and popular especially among the locals. On the way back, I stopped at the lady’s shop where I had to return the archanai basket and got the contents transferred into a bag. There were a couple of people who were generally chatting away with usual candour and honesty. I decided to have a cup of tea just to listen to the animated discussion going on. While I sipped my tea, I was indeed horrified to hear that the popular opinion going around was, that the pandemic was all a conspiracy by the powers that be, to make money. I was aghast at how diverse people’s views were, and how perceptions varied dramatically based on your environment and the communication you were exposed to.

Contemplating this diversity in view point I climbed the few steps back to firm terrain, where my Dominar was waiting for me dutifully. The next halt was the Masilla waterfall. It was a lovely sight and had quite a few people bathing in the falls. I stood and watched close enough for the spray to get me. Got a fellow tourist to click a few photos of mine and I was on my way.

I decided to get a bit adventurous and had lunch at a small road side eatery. The parottas and the omelette was delicious. Hygiene was obviously not one the strong points of the eatery and I was reminded of my college days where these types of food joints were our regular haunt. The bill was ridiculously low. I left wondering if it would be prudent to disclose this part of my trip to my wife and daughter who do not generally share my disdain for trivialities like hygiene etc...

I did pay a visit to the lake in the afternoon only to realise that it had not opened post COVID-19 lock down. I had a cup of hot chai with the vendor outside who was lamenting about the drastic effects of the pandemic on his livelihood. Another reason for all of us to be thankful to survive. The livelihood of most of the vendors in such tourist destinations has been devastated by the pandemic. It is indeed heart breaking to listen to such stories of despair and anguish.

On that sombre note I retired to my hotel, to pack for an early start back, the next day. I got up early, packed my bags and had them mounted before dawn could break out. I had a hurried sandwich for breakfast and sipped my cup of steaming chai when I realised, I had a problem. Though day light had broken through, the whole place was still covered with a blanket of mist which drastically affected visibility.

I spent a few minutes at the lovely Vinayagar (Lord Ganesha) temple in the front courtyard of the Hotel and prayed for a safe drive back home.

After delaying my start for a few minutes, I then decided that since I was travelling downhill, the chances of the mist clearing rapidly enroute was very high.

Hence, on a cold Friday morning, with the cold breeze whistling through my open helmet, (I had to leave it open as my visor was misting up in the fog) with all my Aux lights on, I started my descent down Kolli Hills. The next 15 minutes or so was absolute bliss. The sleek asphalt, the hair pin bends, the few rays of sunlight struggling to break through the dense blanket of fog, the huge tall trees on either side, the gradually increasing chirping of birds and the pristine greenery around was a sight to behold. It was indeed, an experience to cherish for a life time. I was absolutely dumbfounded by the sheer beauty around, and the deep throated exhaust of the Dominar was comforting as it responded to every twist of the throttle and pressure on the levers. This was a Biking experience of the very highest quality, something you are lucky to experience once in a lifetime. Despite the adrenaline induced high, I was cautious, and with the reduced visibility, took adequate care on the bends. Well, all good things must come to an end and so did this surreal experience, Daylight broke through, As I had expected the blanket of fog lifted as I descended rapidly and I was soon met by a stream of howling motorcycles as the young generation descended or to be precise ascended on this holiday destination for Christmas and a long weekend. Headlights flashed as a greeting, as Dominar owners greeted a fellow clan member and I continued my descent carefully to the base of the mountain.

I soon was cruising along SH 95 and here I was once again surrounded by greenery on both sides. The State highway was smooth and blemish less for the most part and I made good time as I enjoyed the charming scenes of small villages, Houses with wet forecourts, beautiful Kolams,( Rangoli drawn using rice flour) women carrying kodams (Pots) filled with water on their heads. All this, just reinforcing the wonderful diversity of our land and the different ways of living, none any better or lesser than the other, just different. I had to rely on directions from the locals for a short while as my GPS was acting up and soon, I exited the Attur Rasipuram road and joined NH 79 at Attur.

The Dominar was happy to be on plain terrain and was doing some serious mile crunching as I restrained myself to double digit speeds. I met up with Vicha and a few other friends who had taken off just that morning in a car for Kolli Hills (Vicha’s family holiday trip had fallen through at the last moment). We met briefly at the toll gate near Kalla kurichi and I managed to stave off pressure from the guys to turn back and join them to spend the weekend at Kolli Hills again. I briefly halted for Lunch at the same new restaurant at Thindivanam and then it was the home run.

I refuelled at Madurantakam and the Dominar effortlessly cruised home. The Dominar had performed amazingly well throughout the trip and I was actually revelling in the thought that this was one of the very few decisions I had got right in my life. The Dominar had really put a smile on my face for sure, it had really helped me tick one more box on that Bucket list of mine.

The last couple of hours or so in total solitude, just me, my Dominar and the miles of asphalt racing past, got me mentally wandering down memory lane, reminiscing about the close to six decades of living. Most of them were pleasant memories, some not so good. I just could not believe that I was about to complete a solo ride of more than 750 kms in an hour or so. I really felt happy that for once, I had the courage to really chase my dream and make it come true

Deep in thought I suddenly realized that I had almost reached home and I said a silent prayer to the person up there, who’s got my back for sure.

So, for all you guys out there, whenever you can, just put on your riding gear, strap on your Helmets, sit on your Bikes and twist the throttle and roar away to create some more great memories. If you think you do not have the time, or cannot get away from work just remember – It’s later than you think – Safe and Happy riding!!!

[

]Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things. – Robert Brault.

[Secretariat]

Lovely trip and a lovely account. I can completely tune in to your feelings, being of the same vintage !

A solo trip is always magic. Now that you have tasted it, Spiti/Ladakh/Bhutan et al beckon. Its impossible to stay away - let the planning begin.

Since you treated us to a Doris Day classic, I offer a few words too - from an anonymous source

"If you want to be happy for a day, drink.
If you want to be happy for a year, marry,
If you want to be happy for a lifetime, ride a motor cycle"

[GTO]

Thanks for sharing, Ganapathy . I find solo drives blissful & therapeutic. Moving your thread to the bikes forum so that 2-wheel fans don't miss the philosophy and spirit of your writing. Will also go to our homepage this week.

[Mafia]

Thank you for sharing a slice of your life.

I have the same nagging feeling. If Covid had not turned my life upside down I would be riding the bike of my life.

Have many a safe miles and memorable journeys.

[ashwinprakas]

Wonderful Read! Thank you for sharing.

Kolli Malai is a place close to the heart as that was my first ever long ride, I clocked about 1300~1400 km's a day before having to hire a rickshaw to get me home, and that too when I was just 20~30km's away from home.





Apologies for the crappy photos, this was taken almost a decade ago on whatever hardware we had at out disposal back then.

The one safety apparel I had on at the time was my JCB Work boots, everything else including the helmet was of below-par quality, going back to these memories does give me the chills at times thinking how little importance was given to safety back then.

But then again, it was surely an experience, the lack of funds due to being students resulted in us living the like old-school, taking breaks at bus-shed's where one would sleep while the other kept watch and what not.



Good times! And I once again thank you sir for granting me the opportunity to relive those fond memories.

Cheers and Ride Safe,
A.P.

[NirmalK]

Hello Ganapathy, that was a lovely travelogue. I am pretty much in the same situation as you were. Making plans with friends and someone backing out in the last minute for some reason or the other.
I bought myself a Dominar at the start of 2020 with the intent of riding with friends to beautiful places. Evrything went well until the bike was purchased then everything went downhill. Pandemic, multiple cancellations in the last minute etc.
Your trip has got me thinking to go riding solo.
Thank you for the inspiration sir!
Maybe I will post a riding experience of my own soon.

[Balaji31582]

Wonderful to read sir. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I just shared this post of yours with my wife to gain better in roads for a solo bike trip ☺️

By any chance do you have an ownership report on dominar posted already? If so, can you please share the link?

[drrajasaravanan]

Hello sir,
Enjoyed reading thro your solo trip and photos too. This destination is favourite among bikers from.Chennai and I had gone there couple of times and twice solo. Have a lot of fond memories of this spot and hopefully will do it once my new steed run in finishes. If you happen to go there again and have time to burn there is a trekking route to go above the water falls which is supposed to be beautiful. I am not sure whether its still offered. Thanks for sharing. Cheers.

[Ganapathy]

Originally Posted by GTO

Thanks for sharing, Ganapathy . I find solo drives blissful & therapeutic. Moving your thread to the bikes forum so that 2-wheel fans don't miss the philosophy and spirit of your writing. Will also go to our homepage this week.

Thank you ( GTO) Sir for your kind words.

Originally Posted by Mafia

Thank you for sharing a slice of your life.

I have the same nagging feeling. If Covid had not turned my life upside down I would be riding the bike of my life.

Have many a safe miles and memorable journeys.

Thank you Mafia.Wishing you all the very best in your efforts to get the Bike of your dreams

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Wonderful Read! Thank you for sharing.

Kolli Malai is a place close to the heart as that was my first ever long ride, I clocked about 1300~1400 km's a day before having to hire a rickshaw to get me home, and that too when I was just 20~30km's away from home.

.....
Good times! And I once again thank you sir for granting me the opportunity to relive those fond memories.

Cheers and Ride Safe,
A.P.

Lovely Photos ashwinprakas and great Memories. Keep the rides going - All the very best.

Originally Posted by NirmalK

Hello Ganapathy, that was a lovely travelogue. I am pretty much in the same situation as you were. Pandemic, multiple cancellations in the last minute etc. ...........
Your trip has got me thinking to go riding solo.
Thank you for the inspiration sir!
Maybe I will post a riding experience of my own soon.

Thank you Nirmal - Yes! the pandemic has upset all our plans. However, now that things are slowly returning to normal, its time to roll out all those plans , Wishing you great riding ahead and looking forward to reading your own travelogue in the very near future.

Originally Posted by Balaji31582

Wonderful to read sir. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I just shared this post of yours with my wife to gain better in roads for a solo bike trip ☺️

By any chance do you have an ownership report on dominar posted already? If so, can you please share the link?

Thanks Balaji for your kind words. I did not write an Ownership report as such . However, I did write an article titled " Ruminations of an ageing wannabe Biker" which explains how I got to buy the Dominar 400 and a travelogue about my trip to Yelagiri. You may choose to look it up if you so desire. Take care and All the very best,

Originally Posted by drrajasaravanan

Hello sir,
Enjoyed reading thro your solo trip and photos too. This destination is favourite among bikers from.Chennai..... If you happen to go there again and have time to burn there is a trekking route to go above the water falls which is supposed to be beautiful. I am not sure whether its still offered. Thanks for sharing. Cheers.

Thank you drrajasaravanan for your kind words. I am grateful for your tip about the trekking route, but honestly..... at my age trekking is a bit far fetched even for an optimist like me. Thank you Sir and Wishing you all the very best.

[drift87]

Great writeup. It takes a lot of grit and passion riding solo and covering great distances. I am one of the person who loves riding solo than being in a group. Great going!!

[cake]

Hello Mr.Ganapathy. This was a beautiful travelogue and I enjoyed reading every part of it. Kolli hills seems like a lovely place.
I had been to a solo ride recently as well when I visited my grandma's place in Nirmal on my TBTS. I had also gone to the nearby waterfalls namely the Kuntala and Pochera. The journey to Kuntala was very enjoyable. The way contained all kinds of roads. Town roads of nirmal, roads with lush green farms on either side, national highway and the last part of the road - the road through Kuntala forest. The whole experience was very calming and introspective.

After reading your experience I feel like going back to those roads. It's time to plan my first ride of 2021

Some pics from my ride -
[ATTACH=IMG_20201106_09505701.jpeg][/ATTACH]

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by Ganapathy

It’s Later than you Think.

...

Ganapathy Sir,

Fantastic to hear from you.

This pandemic has been depressing for everyone; and has been especially hard on motorcyclists. Believe it or not, just yesterday I was wondering about how you and your Dominar are faring. Now it’s almost like you heard my thoughts and so decided to update us. It is true what they say. Nambalapatthi yaar yaarellam nenaikkuraanganu namakkae theriyaathu (we have no idea in whose thoughts we are at any given time).

Coming back to the thread, absolutely lovely I say. Both your ride and your write-up, I mean.

Motorcycling has something for everyone. But it is only gentlemen of a certain age who possess the rare gift of enjoying the hobby while remaining relatively unaffected by its single biggest pitfall of thrill-seeking while riding.

I am so glad that you went through with your plans, no-Viccha notwithstanding. I myself do more solo rides than I prefer actually. I would absolutely love company. But like you have come to learn, if one wants to ride, then soloing is pretty much unavoidable.

I must also congratulate you on getting better and better as a writer. You have managed to retain your straight-from-the-heart writing style while bettering the structure and some technical aspects of the piece. Very nicely done.

Your rendering of life in TN is both delightful and crisp. It is hard not to miss one’s native I suppose. But descriptions such as yours don’t help at all, I must say.

By the way, if Chennai is an early-riser, then Mumbai is a never-sleeper. I have left home at 3 AM and have been amazed at people going about earning a living. This is city that humbles and moves you beyond words. So while I do miss TN and Chennai, I take solace from the fact that I belong to a city that is like none other. Mumbaikars are eternal.

Back to your write-up, I enjoyed reading about how Viccha was stunned to see you set aside your typically endless analysis, and go through with your luggage purchase. All this is déjà vu for many of us. You have given shape to narratives that we all experience so often. Very true and very funny. Buying gear and accessories is an agonising cycle that every motorcyclist goes thru in today’s marketplace which is chocoblock full of choices, except for the choice that one is looking for.

Incidentally, my wife saw me smiling when I was reading about your family’s reactions to your decision; and she went, “Enna? Vera ethavathu bykku kathaya Team BHPla? Ungala maathiri innum evalavu bykku paitthiyangala paakkarthukku irukko yenakku, yaarukku theriyum?! Kozhanthigalum innum konja naallula bykku otta porengaporthu. Enna antha aandavanthan kaapaathanum.” (Translation: What? Is there another bike story on the forum? I don’t know how many more bike crazies I have to meet in my life. Even the kids are going to demand bikes shortly. Only the Almighty has to save me.)

Families are amazing. They sustain us and keep us going even when we think that they are holding us back. FYI, I myself am contemplating a Leh ride; the only difference is that the person I am wrestling with is myself. A part of me wants to go; and another part of me just wants to stay home and play with my kids. Thankfully this is a conflict where a decision on either side is possible. If we think about the millions of our countrymen who have no choice but to leave their families for long periods when they go earn a living, or put their lives at risk to defend us, it leaves you with a different perspective.

I enjoyed every minute of reading your piece. Especially since my bike has been relegated to mere city duties (for reasons that we will discuss at another time). I have thought about selling the Dominar and have even come close a couple of times. But, I just can’t seem to go through with the transaction. This is a soulful motorcycle that is hard to get out of your system.

By the way, I recently got my Dominar serviced. In the process, they flashed the ECU which is stalling the bike quite often. I think that the latest ECU updates are for Dominar 2.0 which runs leaner and has a higher compression ratio. I now have to go back there and yell at them to get it flashed back to my prior status. So pay attention to this aspect when you go for your service. Also, check the front fork cone set and the rear wheel chain sprocket. Change them even if they aren’t completely worn out.

FYI, almost every Bajaj dealer, except for one (or maybe two) appears to have closed in Mumbai. Big established businesses. Gone in the blink of an eye. Showroom, service centre, spare parts outlets, all gone. Hundreds or even thousands of employees who were making less than 25k a month left to their fates. No one knows how they and their families are faring because we have no data on anything other than COVID cases and deaths.

You are right. It is indeed later than we think.

Ride safe and keep delighting yourself and the ones around you.

Ayyavukku Mariyaathaikooriya Vanakkam.

Cheers

[justwheels]

Originally Posted by Ganapathy

It’s Later than you Think.

........

[

]Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things. – Robert Brault.

Very rightly said. And often we go into too much of Analysis Paralysis mode that we forget to enjoy the moment.

It was great to see you take this journey and kudos for your grit and determination. There is something about solo rides that only a rider can feel. I for one am a solo rider anyday and with God's grace have been able to do a few long ones.

Lovely to read through your travelogue and loved your pic on the dominar in the midst of the mist. Also loved how you interwove the divinity in your experience and I am sure we all have our backs covered.

Thanks for inspiring. Happy mile crunching.

[srini1785]

I am going man, no, this time it's a done deal. I am determined and with steely vision i have decided after reading through this thread that its time. No more groceries shopping deadlines from wife , no more talking calls from office or anything else in this world is going to stop me from taking that 43km trip from my home to Nandi Hills.

Bye. You sold me.

[thepilgrim1424]

Originally Posted by Ganapathy

It’s Later than you Think.

!!!

[

]Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things. – Robert Brault.

That sir, is an awesome write-up of an inspiring journey! Journey not just on bike, but the part how you reached the moment you decided to saddle up and vroom away!

Solo rides always seem crazy but for some folks who need them to fuel up their life journey. Am sure your experience will inspire a lot of folks to give this a try and savor the amazing experiences that these rides offer us!

Thank you for sharing this sir and happy motoring!

Aside, have you considered exploring the coastline on ECR? Am sure it will be an awesome experience as well.