[swapitude]

successfully completed "Saddlesore 1600k" 1610 kms+ [1666 to be precise]. youngest indian to complete this challenge. will send all documentation to IBA in couple of days.

My Official time :
From : Saturday, 12 March 2011, 01:23:59
To : Sunday, 13 March 2011, 00:12:28

The duration is : 22 hours, 48 minutes, 29 seconds

Full report with the pics in the next post.

[swapitude]

Hi friends,
My name is swapnil and I successfully completed saddlesore1600k.
I am not a good writer but would like to share my experience and success with all tbhpians. Since last year I was planning to complete Saddlesore 1600k. But it always remained as a plan due to some or the other reason. Year 2011 is special to me as I would be turning 23 on 23rd march 2011. So I decided to do something special this year before I turn 23. I decided to complete Saddlesore 1600k. Route decided was big wheels, Lonavla, U turn point at Tumkur, and back to Bigwheels. Start time decided was 12th march at 1:30am.

On 24th Feb applied for a 4 days leave in my office. And to my surprise it was granted. I started planning everything. I also retrofitted a projector headlamp with Phillips h7 in 1 of my bike which I decided to complete Saddlesore 1600k on. It was easy and good fit in the classic headlight of pulsar 180. I told very few friends about this plan. I didn’t even inform my mom. 2 of my friends wanted to join me on this ride. It was fine for me. I had no issues. On 5th march started checking with bike. Everything was going fine but noticed a little wobbling above 115kmph. Changed the rear sprocket, chain, front sprocket, rear half axle, overhauled front suspension, changed cone set, air filter and did all required minor things needed. My both friends also checked with their bike. I made my sipper of water, a pipe from the bottle in my bag running through my helmet. It saved lot of time. I just needed to suck whenever needed to drink water. My friends both were on 220, Rohan on 220 dtsi and anish on 220 dtsFi. Recommended anish that 220dtsfi is not at all reliable for such a stressful long ride. But he didn’t listen to me.

On 11th march 6:00 am we three left for Lonavla. We Reached Lonavla at 8:30am. Anish had already arranged for govt quarters. We stayed there till 10pm. Before starting we needed some sleep. Popped in 1 beer and gone to bed. Woke up at 7pm. Geared up ourselves, cleaned our bike, and set off to big wheels. Met ashutosh their, who had already completed saddlesore in Oct ’10. He gave us some do’s and don’ts. Rohan was the 1st one to leave, anish was the 2nd, and I was 3rd. it was just 2 negligible time difference in 3 of us to start. My start time was 1:23am. We started our ride and with god’s grace everything was fine, we took dehu road exit and continued on NH4. We were cruising at 80-90kmph. We decided to meet at Kolhapur petrol pump in case we get lost. Rohan said “let’s rock”. On hearing these 2 words there we go. I set off vroom vrooomm. After few 50-60 kms I saw no signs of this fastest Indians. I decided to continue as we had already decided before starting the ride no one will wait for anyone. at 160 kms on my odo I took a halt, waited for them for 5 mins and there I see them . I pointed them in sign language don’t stop. They went off like zip zap zoom. Then I followed them. At around 257 kms approx. we took halt to fuel up to the brim. They informed me later, that anish’s bike broke down and refuse to start. They tried in Indian style and it worked after couple of tries. I reminded him my words about 220dtsFi. Then we set off again.

As soon as we cross Maharashtra border I felt so nice, felt some different feeling from inside. Took a halt and popped in one snickers. Then we all set off again. After that I was going mad. Went way ahead than this 2. I took a halt after 55kms from Belgaum. Waited there for 15 mins and then I heard the roaring of 220’s. Clicked few pics there and set off again. At 9:00 am and 580 kms on my odo took a halt to fuel up at a place called Byadgi, in Haveri. We continued our ride, and at 640 kms on my odo, rohan started feeling little dizzy. To avoid any casualties, on the safer side I decided to take a halt at dhaba. I forgot that we were in south India and started speaking in Marathi to that dhaba owner. Then anish reminded me of our location. We had cup of tea and couple of biscuits, a snicker and set off again. At 700 odd kms anish’s bike started reminding him about my words. Don’t know what was the problem but he was not able to pull beyond 110kmph. Still anyhow he managed to keep up with us and we also synchronized our speeds with his. Next halt was at Tumkur at 835kms to fuel up and take a U turn to Lonavla.

While return journey after couple of kms we found a mechanic and any how we managed to explain him the problem with anish’s bike. He tightened the chain but no go. I told anish to carry on. I and rohan started off 5 mins late. I told rohan that we need to cover as much distance as we can. Rohan did a great job with synchronizing me for that 1 hour. We covered 114kms in exact 1 hour. We were worried about anish as we saw no signs of him. We continued the ride. In next half hour we covered 63 kms. Still saw no sign of anish.

There were couples of detours due to constructions on the highway. As rohan was very much tired and sleepy we [me and rohan] decided to take the final halt together and then I would set off like nothing. We halted at petrol pump in Munavalli at 1134kms, fuelled up and there comes Mr. Anish with his slowest 220 dtsFi in India. We both felt really bad for him. Maximum he could grasp on that bike was 95kmph now. As rohan was also tired, he decided to continue with anish slowly at 90kmph avg speed. Rohan and anish fueled up and there they go.

Then I fuelled up had 1 snickers again and then there I go. After 8-10kms I saw anish and rohan waiting there. They pointed me not to stop. That was the last time I saw them before the end point. Then I directly took halt at 6:00pm 73 kms before Belgaum. I clicked a pic with the milestone. Next halt was at about odd 1450kms to have a smoke and tea break. While entering pune I missed 1 left turn and entered into pune city. I came to know about this when I saw mangeshkar hospital. I called ashutosh [owner of Bigwheels] for the guidance on the route. Thank god he answered the call and helped me. Or else in pune trust me whoever you ask about any location though it be a London, France, japan, California, Miami, everything is 40kms straight for them.

And last but not the least my final halt at end point “big wheels” at 12:12 am, with still 1 hour and 12 mins left with me. Rohan followed me to enter Bigwheels 45 mins after me and anish followed rohan 15 mins after him. i was very much happy that we all completed the ride safely except anish’s dtsFi. It was like its heartbeat going down 125kmph to 110kmph to 95kmph to 75kmph. But still anish managed to complete this successfully.

We will send all the documentation to IBA in couple of days. I have also confirmed with them that if I am certified I would be the youngest Indian to complete this challenge.

My Official time :
From : Saturday, 12 March 2011, 01:23:59
To : Sunday, 13 March 2011, 00:12:28[/COLOR][/FONT]

The duration is : 22 hours, 48 minutes, 29 seconds

[sammyboy]

Brilliant stuff man, congratulations on successfully completing the challenge.

[sindabad]

Congratulations Swapnil, I wish you good luck for the certification. On a side note I have found Pune auto drivers very helpfull when asked for directions.

[Dry Ice]

Congrats Swapnil! Did you get the official certificate yet?

[pulsurge]

Heya congrats!

Well I see myself in the background you clicked at a bunk in Chatra

Just to add, Abhinesh Waran from Bangalore did the Saddlesore on a P135 on the same day...and he's 20 years of age