My First Rain ride of 2009

nav75 · 12th August 2009, 17:40

My first decent rainy ride in more than 2 years, turned out to be a really good and satisfying in the end. Though I have ridden to Mumbai in the very first rains of the season, it was more of a high speed run on near perfect piece of tarmac.

In search of a decent resort in or around Mulshi, for a family outing next weekend, I decided to visit there on a motorcycle.

By the time I got kitted for the ride it was lunch time, though the normal routeto Mulshi is via Chandni Chowk – Pirangut – Paud, I have been on that stretch so many times that today I was just not feeling like riding on the very same stretch. So, I head out in opposite direction on NH4. After filling more than enough fuel for the ride at Shell pump (a rare thing for me, I often land up filling lesser fuel than needed for the ride and then searching for one later) I headed towards Lonavala. After having covered some 10 odd km’s, I got bored of the tarmac and got onto a road through villages and headed towards Pavana dam.

It was a bumpy, slow ride all the way with lush green scenery all around me. Though it was bone dry in Pune, as soon as I got on this road rain god welcomes me with heavy showers. All my plans of stopping to capture greenery were put on hold, thanks to rain.

Enjoying every water filled pothole, occasional good section of tarmac and gravel, I reach the dam. Disappointed to see it not yet fully filled. A small stop and I was heading towards Paud. Just as I started to climb, the beautiful view of Tung fort made me get off the road for some offroading on slush + green grass stretches.

My First Rain ride of 2009-_mg_8841csw.jpg

My First Rain ride of 2009-_mg_8847sw.jpg

My First Rain ride of 2009-_mg_8850csew.jpg

The ride till Paud was kinda monotonous with no rains and no great view that would made me stand up on brakes. Road conditions deteriorated soon after Paud and I was already in no mood to repeat the Paud – Mulshi stretch on my way back.

My First Rain ride of 2009-_mg_8855csw.jpg

After finishing the inspection of all the probably resorts, I was feeling hungry so pulled over for a pit stop around 3:15. Missal Pav it would be for the near empty stomach. While having food I decided to head towards Lonavala. It was almost 4pm and with bike’s chain a bit loose for my comfort and rear sprocket having a bit of play (may be rubber bushing/bearing gone), there was a distinct possibility of getting stranded in a jungle. All part and parcel of adventure on two wheels, I said and got on the bike and headed towards Tamhini.

The road was bit better than before but the non-stop rain was giving very little chance to bring out the camera. Just after crossing Tamhini village, I got off the road and got on the offroad section towards Amby Valley. After a decent stretch initially, consisting of broken tarmac and some gravel I got on a stretch that was mostly a layer of stones, almost till the end. With rain, jungle and hardly any civilization, I wasn’t complaining much about the road surface. After all I didn’t want to go berserk on near perfect tarmac.
It was disappointing to see not too many sections of road under water, not enough water streams or over flowing rivers, as I encountered during my last ride on this section.

My First Rain ride of 2009-_mg_8861csw.jpg

My First Rain ride of 2009-_mg_8865sw.jpg

Before it got anywhere close to dark I was on the tarmac section near Amby valley, twisties at its best. It was tempting me to push like crazy in search of scraping my knees against tarmac. Alas, if wishes were horses I would have been on a 223bhp machine and not a 223cc machine. In no time I was riding in thick fog, with near zero visibility, so all plans of pressing that “red” button were put to rest. Though the pace was really slow, still it was fun. After all I was still out of city limits with not much traffic to deal with.

My First Rain ride of 2009-_mg_8876sw.jpg

My First Rain ride of 2009-_mg_8880sw.jpg

My First Rain ride of 2009-_mg_8884sw.jpg

Soon the dream run came to an end, as I approached Bushi Dam. With no fog and rain around, I switched from fun mode to reach home mode. After a initial struggle to pass the long queue of cars, I somehow managed to come out on NH4. The traffic is diverted and I came out just next to the turn for Rajmachi. It was very very tempting to take the turn but with clock well past 6, it was just too late for my comfort. So, it was time to slot into top gear and finally press the “red” button to head home before it gets dark. In the end, just managed to park my bike in garage before it was pitch dark to end a much needed and entertaining ride.

When: 8th Auguest 2009
Route: Pune - Pavana Dam - Paud - Mulshi - Tamhini - Kundalika - Amby Valley - Lonavala - Pune.
Distance: 213km’s
Time taken: 6hrs 35min.

Blog post.
Flickr set.

zteg · 12th August 2009, 19:13

Bike rides are awesome in the rains. I remember one such ride when i was in college. I had been to wayanad from Mysore. It was raining nonstop for 3 days.
By the way nice pics of your bike

sammyboy · 12th August 2009, 20:08

Lovely pics and write up navs. Brings back of my rides in the hills a long time back. The rains bring out the beauty of nature and the bike lets you touch it

Awesome bro.

Technocrat · 12th August 2009, 20:19

Lovely pics & great log Nav

Nice to see so much rains even at this time when the city aint getting much.

Fountainheader · 12th August 2009, 20:21

Lovely pics there Nav. Is it just a coincidence that your bike is there on all the pics

lohithrao · 12th August 2009, 20:23

Naveendu ji nice to see you here...Lovely pics, esp 5th picture !

hmmm am tempted take my bull to the hills

its been long.

happy.tripathy · 12th August 2009, 20:23

Bike trips in the rain is a heavenly experience. Last sunday I checked the weather and it was supposed to rain in and around Hyderabad, so went out in search of rain, even after a 450 km ride, couldn't trace a single drop of rain

BTW, the ZMA pics with the fog in the background looks cool ... keep riding

zteg · 12th August 2009, 21:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy.tripathy

Bike trips in the rain is a heavenly experience. Last sunday I checked the weather and it was supposed to rain in and around Hyderabad, so went out in search of rain, even after a 450 km ride,

U travelled 450Kms in search of rain

. Guess you reacehd another city

.

happy.tripathy · 12th August 2009, 22:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by zteg

U travelled 450Kms in search of rain

. Guess you reacehd another city

.

zteg, you got me on the wrong foot here. I was planning since long to visit Basara, which is 220 kms from Hyderabad, was looking for some good weather for the drive ... as per the weather forecast it was supposed to rain last sunday, but it didnt.

Nitin · 12th August 2009, 23:48

Nice write up!And I loved some of the pics too.Especially the one of the bike's tank to the side and the open road ahead.
Hope there weren't any close calls while on the ride. Riding in the rain can have its share of tricky turns & the slippery tarmac.

zteg · 13th August 2009, 11:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy.tripathy

zteg, you got me on the wrong foot here. I was planning since long to visit Basara, which is 220 kms from Hyderabad, was looking for some good weather for the drive ... as per the weather forecast it was supposed to rain last sunday, but it didnt.

Guess you had a wonderful trip too. Hope we can see it on travelogues soon.. what say?

ASHISHPALLOD · 14th August 2009, 10:30

@nav75,

nice writeup and pics.
all 9 pics shows your bike!!!!

i have some questions.
1] after tamhini, where to turn for amby valley?
2] on tamhini-lonavala road, is there any puncturewalla, any eateries?
3] had you seen/taken any pics of taila-baila and koraigad while going toward amby valley?
4] hows the road condition for cars if i want to go via this tamhini-lonavala route?
4]

niks_devil666 · 14th August 2009, 11:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

@nav75,

nice writeup and pics.
all 9 pics shows your bike!!!!

i have some questions.
1] after tamhini, where to turn for amby valley?
2] on tamhini-lonavala road, is there any puncturewalla, any eateries?
3] had you seen/taken any pics of taila-baila and koraigad while going toward amby valley?
4] hows the road condition for cars if i want to go via this tamhini-lonavala route?
4]

1)If you are coming from the ghats , after you cross , some educational institure i guess , yu gotta turn left over a small bridge and steep climb.

2)After the turn off around 20-30 kms away I guess , in a small village.

Other 2 , you'll get a much better update from Nav.

funkydude · 14th August 2009, 11:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy.tripathy

zteg, you got me on the wrong foot here. I was planning since long to visit Basara, which is 220 kms from Hyderabad, was looking for some good weather for the drive ... as per the weather forecast it was supposed to rain last sunday, but it didnt.

Hey Tripathy, Out looking for some good weather

!! Must have been a adventurous long trip. Don't go by the weather forcast, they are always wrong.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nav75

When: 8th Auguest 2009
Route: Pune - Pavana Dam - Paud - Mulshi - Tamhini - Kundalika - Amby Valley - Lonavala - Pune.
Distance: 213km’s
Time taken: 6hrs 35min.

Nice and clear pictures

. What was the average (FE) on this 213Km stretch and how much did this beauty drink all this while?

Hey, reminds me of my black ZMA. Had to give it to my brother

for college. Now am planning to get Apache or ZMA again.

StarVegabond · 14th August 2009, 11:40

Hi Nav,

Lone Rider on a bike in the heavy downpour... WoW looks like you had great time

The photographs and the naration reminded me of my trips from Kothrud to Paud/Mulshi on my old M80 during 1989-93, thanks

12th August 2009, 17:40	#1
nav75 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 97 Thanked: 43 Times	My First Rain ride of 2009 My first decent rainy ride in more than 2 years, turned out to be a really good and satisfying in the end. Though I have ridden to Mumbai in the very first rains of the season, it was more of a high speed run on near perfect piece of tarmac. In search of a decent resort in or around Mulshi, for a family outing next weekend, I decided to visit there on a motorcycle. By the time I got kitted for the ride it was lunch time, though the normal routeto Mulshi is via Chandni Chowk – Pirangut – Paud, I have been on that stretch so many times that today I was just not feeling like riding on the very same stretch. So, I head out in opposite direction on NH4. After filling more than enough fuel for the ride at Shell pump (a rare thing for me, I often land up filling lesser fuel than needed for the ride and then searching for one later) I headed towards Lonavala. After having covered some 10 odd km’s, I got bored of the tarmac and got onto a road through villages and headed towards Pavana dam. It was a bumpy, slow ride all the way with lush green scenery all around me. Though it was bone dry in Pune, as soon as I got on this road rain god welcomes me with heavy showers. All my plans of stopping to capture greenery were put on hold, thanks to rain. Enjoying every water filled pothole, occasional good section of tarmac and gravel, I reach the dam. Disappointed to see it not yet fully filled. A small stop and I was heading towards Paud. Just as I started to climb, the beautiful view of Tung fort made me get off the road for some offroading on slush + green grass stretches. The ride till Paud was kinda monotonous with no rains and no great view that would made me stand up on brakes. Road conditions deteriorated soon after Paud and I was already in no mood to repeat the Paud – Mulshi stretch on my way back. After finishing the inspection of all the probably resorts, I was feeling hungry so pulled over for a pit stop around 3:15. Missal Pav it would be for the near empty stomach. While having food I decided to head towards Lonavala. It was almost 4pm and with bike’s chain a bit loose for my comfort and rear sprocket having a bit of play (may be rubber bushing/bearing gone), there was a distinct possibility of getting stranded in a jungle. All part and parcel of adventure on two wheels, I said and got on the bike and headed towards Tamhini. The road was bit better than before but the non-stop rain was giving very little chance to bring out the camera. Just after crossing Tamhini village, I got off the road and got on the offroad section towards Amby Valley. After a decent stretch initially, consisting of broken tarmac and some gravel I got on a stretch that was mostly a layer of stones, almost till the end. With rain, jungle and hardly any civilization, I wasn’t complaining much about the road surface. After all I didn’t want to go berserk on near perfect tarmac. It was disappointing to see not too many sections of road under water, not enough water streams or over flowing rivers, as I encountered during my last ride on this section. Before it got anywhere close to dark I was on the tarmac section near Amby valley, twisties at its best. It was tempting me to push like crazy in search of scraping my knees against tarmac. Alas, if wishes were horses I would have been on a 223bhp machine and not a 223cc machine. In no time I was riding in thick fog, with near zero visibility, so all plans of pressing that “red” button were put to rest. Though the pace was really slow, still it was fun. After all I was still out of city limits with not much traffic to deal with. Soon the dream run came to an end, as I approached Bushi Dam. With no fog and rain around, I switched from fun mode to reach home mode. After a initial struggle to pass the long queue of cars, I somehow managed to come out on NH4. The traffic is diverted and I came out just next to the turn for Rajmachi. It was very very tempting to take the turn but with clock well past 6, it was just too late for my comfort. So, it was time to slot into top gear and finally press the “red” button to head home before it gets dark. In the end, just managed to park my bike in garage before it was pitch dark to end a much needed and entertaining ride. When: 8th Auguest 2009 Route: Pune - Pavana Dam - Paud - Mulshi - Tamhini - Kundalika - Amby Valley - Lonavala - Pune. Distance: 213km’s Time taken: 6hrs 35min. Blog post. Flickr set.
	() Thanks

12th August 2009, 19:13	#2
zteg BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mangalore/Bangalore Posts: 330 Thanked: 91 Times	Bike rides are awesome in the rains. I remember one such ride when i was in college. I had been to wayanad from Mysore. It was raining nonstop for 3 days. By the way nice pics of your bike
	() Thanks

12th August 2009, 20:08	#3
sammyboy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ggn/Dehradun Posts: 1,842 Thanked: 521 Times View My Garage	Lovely pics and write up navs. Brings back of my rides in the hills a long time back. The rains bring out the beauty of nature and the bike lets you touch it Awesome bro.
	() Thanks

12th August 2009, 20:19	#4
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,813 Thanked: 2,700 Times	Lovely pics & great log Nav Nice to see so much rains even at this time when the city aint getting much.
	() Thanks

12th August 2009, 20:21	#5
Fountainheader Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Silicon Valley Posts: 1,501 Thanked: 13 Times View My Garage	Lovely pics there Nav. Is it just a coincidence that your bike is there on all the pics
	() Thanks

12th August 2009, 20:23	#6
lohithrao Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Kudla/Mangaluru Posts: 3,204 Thanked: 225 Times View My Garage	Naveendu ji nice to see you here...Lovely pics, esp 5th picture ! hmmm am tempted take my bull to the hills its been long.
	() Thanks

12th August 2009, 20:23	#7
happy.tripathy BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 76 Thanked: 3 Times	Bike trips in the rain is a heavenly experience. Last sunday I checked the weather and it was supposed to rain in and around Hyderabad, so went out in search of rain, even after a 450 km ride, couldn't trace a single drop of rain BTW, the ZMA pics with the fog in the background looks cool ... keep riding
	() Thanks

12th August 2009, 23:48	#10
Nitin Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 3,294 Thanked: 20 Times View My Garage	Nice write up!And I loved some of the pics too.Especially the one of the bike's tank to the side and the open road ahead. Hope there weren't any close calls while on the ride. Riding in the rain can have its share of tricky turns & the slippery tarmac.
	() Thanks

14th August 2009, 10:30	#12
ASHISHPALLOD Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: MH42 Posts: 2,004 Thanked: 334 Times	@nav75, nice writeup and pics. all 9 pics shows your bike!!!! i have some questions. 1] after tamhini, where to turn for amby valley? 2] on tamhini-lonavala road, is there any puncturewalla, any eateries? 3] had you seen/taken any pics of taila-baila and koraigad while going toward amby valley? 4] hows the road condition for cars if i want to go via this tamhini-lonavala route? 4]
	() Thanks

14th August 2009, 11:40	#15
StarVegabond Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,891 Thanked: 42 Times	Hi Nav, Lone Rider on a bike in the heavy downpour... WoW looks like you had great time The photographs and the naration reminded me of my trips from Kothrud to Paud/Mulshi on my old M80 during 1989-93, thanks
	() Thanks

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