Took my Meteor 350 on a 1300 km road trip to Uttarakhand: Experience

My friend with a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 also tagged along for the 12-day road trip.

BHPian rawjat_ recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My love of bikes started when I was a young boy. Getting a ride around the locality on my father’s ~~Bajaj~~ ‘Kawasaki’ Boxer just before he left for work was a daily affair. Apart from the brief stints of sitting on the tank and clutching the accelerator, the Boxer was also the bike that I learned to ride on when I grew up (beaut of a machine, btw). Since then, I have had extensive experiences on Hero Honda Street, Honda Activa, Honda Shine SP, Royal Enfield Classic (UCE) of my friend’s, and several short-lastings on other bikes. One good thing that came out of the pandemic was that I was able to save enough at home to get myself a Meteor 350 in March 2021. I had been an avid admirer of the Thunderbird while growing up but could never see myself owning a heavy bike as that. It was until I test-rode the Meteor that I knew we were meant to be together.

Fast forward to now, it’s only the next practical step for a motorcycle owner to dream about riding his/her machine to the remotes of the world. Luckily I have another friend, Anshul, who shares my interests. He owns an Interceptor 650 with Powerage Exhausts (’nuff said). We had taken a week-long trip to Bir, Himachal Pradesh back in August 2022 which was basically just an induction into a rider’s life. The dreams of leaning against the curvy roads to the views of the mountains were curbed by harsh & heavy rain. We didn’t get to see a lot either, view-wise. But it did teach us a lot about preparing better.

It was time for a longer trip with more stops and better preparations for sun, snow, and rain. It was time for the Himalayas yet again. I think we chose the perfect time of the year to go to northern Uttarakhand; March. Places that were closed for the winter were opening up but not seeing tourists pouring in; the perfect setting for people who just want to sit down and take it all in without any rush (hint: me). Plus, the discounts you get along the lines of an affordable trip. I started from Gurgaon whereas Anshul started from Chandigarh. Our route was:

Gurgaon/Chandigarh—Dehradun—Dhanaulti—Uttarkashi—Harshil—T ehri—Chopta—Rishikesh—Gurgaon/Chandigarh

A total of more than 1300 kms in 12 days.

Preparations

Safety Gears

• Jacket— Rynox Urban
• Gloves— Rynox Urban Leather
• Helmet— MT Thunder
• Knee Guards — Pro X
• Shoes — Quechua Trekking shoes from Decathlon (no budget)
• Rain Protection — Rucksack cover from Decathlon, backpack covers from Solimo and Skybags

Bike Modification

Prior to this trip, I hadn’t made any additions to the bike to prepare for the long rides. I relied on the above-mentioned safety gears, my rucksack, and 3 bungee cords. But this trip would require more clothes, insulation, and better lighting owing to the various weather conditions and the sheer length of the tour. I had two major things on my mind — getting saddlebags and a good light setup.

As I had the regular service done just 2 weeks back, I didn’t need to worry about any bike-related challenges.

Auxiliary Lights

I am personally not a fan of LEDs. I know they are the more practical choice but I am just repelled by them. I was instead looking at a good option of halogen fog lights for the bike. After some reading and browsing around, I found Vaishnu Fog Lights (Vintage Edition). The price is reasonable, the output is great for the price, and an aesthetic complement to the Meteor is the cherry on top. The wiring kit from Vaishnu is pretty good too; it comes with good insulation, a relay, a fuse, and a switch. The lights + wiring kit cost me around Rs 2200. The result is really great for the price.

My friend’s Interceptor hones a set of Hella LED lights which he sourced from the US and it cost him around Rs 8000. We did stand our bikes side-by-side at one point to compare the lights. While the Hella setup was definitely better, we did agree mutually that it wasn’t good enough to justify the 4x price vs the Vaishnu Halogens. The Hella setup would also be more efficient with better wiring, which was a fault on the Mechanic’s part. We are reserving the final verdict on the lights for now.

Luggage Carrier

I was looking to install a pair of saddlebags which means I had to get a set of saddle stays as well. I was looking for slimmer options for the latter but to my disappointment, almost every variant on the market is quite bulky and protruding from the bike’s frame. Thanks to my procrastination, the trip was in the next 2 days and I didn’t have the option to order online. So I headed to Karol Bagh. After searching for some time, I found reasonably-priced saddle stays for Rs 1300 which catered to my preferences. As for the Bags, I found a pair of Scoyco saddle bags for Rs 4500. After spending some time with the bags during the trip, I found the quality to be horrible. The enthusiast market is already overpriced; I can’t make sense of how the companies still have the audacity to cheat the customers by providing cheap quality at a premium price. My fault is that I should have researched more before making the purchase.

Miscellaneous

Leather grips on the handles have always appealed to me. I bought a pair from Leatherzoid on Amazon. They are cheaper than their counterparts and the quality is good. The supernova brown is well complemented by the tan-coloured leather grips.

I bought a detachable GoPro mount from Amazon. The same product was available at different prices by different sellers. I was able to find the cheapest of the lot. The velcro-based mechanism worked really well. It never impacted the closing of the visor and the videos turned out to be pretty stable as well.

The Ride

Day 1 — Gurgaon to Dehradun

I started from Gurgaon on March 11, Saturday around 8 am, and was meeting my friend from Chandigarh in Dehradun. The Delhi-Meerut expressway has banned 2-wheelers, so I had to find an alternate route via the Rajpur Extension—Modinagar. When you have to manoeuvre through the crowded roads at the very beginning of a trip, it can bring down the high spirits to a temporary halt. Why can’t we have a small lane on the expressways exclusively for two-wheelers? I doubt anyone would be unwilling to pay the toll rates. Enough has been said about this topic, so I won’t elaborate much.

With occasional stops for chai and breakfast, I was running a little late but managed to reach Dehradun by 2:30 pm. Anshul and I met at a Subway, had supper, and soon started on our way to Dhanaulti. Don’t trust Google Maps here. We were being shown a road 22 kms long but as we touched the foothills, government milestones showed that it was 65 kms away. We were a little disheartened as we wouldn’t be able to reach in the daylight but it was also an opportunity to test the investment we’d made on the aux lights. We reached Dhanaulti around 7 and were able to find a good bargain on a room. A couple of easy-going guys with no need for luxury meant huge savings. We roamed around the main road for some time and clicked some great photos of the night.

Day 2 — Dhanaulti to Uttarkashi

We woke up to the beautiful view of the Dhanaulti ranges and directly headed to Suwakholi where the nearest Petrol pump was. After filling the tanks, we had breakfast nearby and went back to our hotel. We checked out but placed our luggage in the care of the lovely staff, as we were planning to cover the nearby Surkanda Devi Temple and a few other places before leaving for Uttarkashi. We wrapped up the temple visit, at an eco-park in Dhanaulti, and were to ready to start on our way to Uttarkashi by 1:30 pm. We are a bunch of laid-back travellers, so never in a hurry to cover things quickly. The hotel staff informed us of the various ways to Uttarkashi and suggested which one we should take. We took the turn that diverges from the Dhanaulti-Mussoorie road just short of Suwakholi. As soon as we climbed down a little, the bad roads started. Combine that with the rains that the area was receiving, the ride was just horrible. It was a long stretch of bad, uneven roads (or whatever was left of it). The Meteor’s speed had been limited to a maximum of 3rd gear.

We passed a lot of small villages on the way and only after 4:30, did we find roads where you would not have to worry about changing gears every 2 minutes. This road was just breathtaking. We also signalled each other to stop and tell each other how beautiful the valley was. We continued leaning against the curves of the roads, with me occasionally switching on/off my GoPro. The Meteor leaned into it all (both literally and metaphorically). Shortly afterwards, we started spotting a thin blue stream on the foothills in the distance. After riding a little more, we could see that it was the Ganga (or Bhagirathi). We stopped to admire the beauty of the legendary river. Har Har Gange! It started raining at this point. We were reconsidering our journey to Uttarkashi and pondered the option to stay at a nearby village. We were working remotely the next day and thought we could cover the remaining distance to Uttarkashi the next morning. But after riding a little more, our minds changed and we decided to cover the whole distance that evening itself. Who’d want the headache of waking early the next day (it was a Monday)? Soon after, we descended on the BRO roads and oh boy was it amazing. It was raining, and the sun had set but the beautiful roads combined with our light setup gave us enough confidence to cruise around the speeds of 80 km/h.

We reached Uttarkashi around 8 pm but finding a hotel was a task as a lot of hotels had not opened. After some wandering around, we found a good place and decided to stay there. The best part— it was on the bank of Ganga and you could hear the water from your room. We had dinner at a nearby hotel and retired to sleep shortly. Having a full Indian meal after a tiresome day is something that no poems have been written about; I wonder why…

Day 3 — Stay in Uttarkashi

It was a Monday and we had work. We decided to stay at Uttarkashi and make our further journey the next day. I mostly worked the whole day from my hotel room while my friend covered the nearby Nachiketa Taal as he didn’t have any pressing tasks. There’s not much to talk about this day; it was pretty mundane.

My friend consulted about the weather at Harshil and we decided to buy a pair of good leather gloves. I was carrying the Rynox riding gloves and a pair of fleece gloves from Decathlon. But it’s always better to be safe than sorry. So we decided to invest in the leather gloves.

Day 4 — Uttarkashi to Harshil

We started early morning from Uttarkashi to Harshil. Checked out, paid our dues, and started the ride. The day was sunny, with no traces of upcoming downpour sessions. Around 10 km outside Uttarkashi, We saw a filling station that mentioned that it was the last one we’d find. We filled our tanks.

The ride to Harshil was around 70 km and would take us around 3 hours, the entirety along the Ganga. You can never get tired of this road. As the river goes through different terrains, the view keeps getting better as you move closer to the source. We made a small stop to put on our thermal layers as it had started getting chilly. As soon as the snow-covered ranges started making cameos on the curving valleys, we knew we were in the Himalayas. I wish I had enough talent to describe in words how I was feeling. Cue the Bollywood song — “Aaj main upar, aasmaan neeche, aaj main aage, zamaana hai peechhe”.

We reached Harshil around 12:30 pm. There were few hotels that had opened up. After browsing for an hour, we found a place that met our expectations within the budget. Deboarded the luggage from the bikes and immediately got some chai and pakodas. I had to start work and was already running late. We had reached by noon and had the whole day to relax, barring the effort of some office work. It was a good, humbling day.

Day 5, 6 & 7 — Stay at Harshil

We stayed at Harshil from Wednesday to Friday. There was a lot to cover nearby and the next destination (Tehri) would require a whole day of travel. Due to work, we couldn’t travel that long and decided to stay in Harshil and cover the nearby areas.

Harshil may be one of the most beautiful places I have been to. It’s a small settlement with beautiful houses, a small army contingent, and the beautiful blue Bhagirathi with vast banks. The food and accommodation options are limited but enough for everyone to find something. There IS a problem with power cuts in the afternoon; had to face some heat from the office for that.

During these 3 days, we covered our way to Gangotri (25 km away) and Saat Taal (a 3-4 kms uphill trek from a nearby village). The extremely chilly weather would have us ditch the protective gear while riding and just have the thermal layers and -10°C jackets on us. The knee protection also manages to block a great deal of wind falling onto the legs; the tightening velcros stop the air from seeping in.

Everything was closed in Gangotri, including the temple, but a couple of shops. Tourist season had not started and we saw a maximum of 30 people in the 3 hours we stayed there. The gentlemen who prepared us breakfast had just arrived at the lodge he ran and was set up in the morning. We also met with a gentleman who takes care of the Tapovanam Hrianyagarbha Art Gallery. He walked us through the art gallery which comprised a great collection of photographs taken from the region by Swami Sundarananda ji. After some time there, I filled an empty water bottle with one of the most unadulterated Ganga water, as per the demand of my parents.

The other place we went to was Saat Taal. We did that on Friday and were facing downpour the whole time. Not being used to the altitude and multiple layers, we resorted to multiple breaks during the trek. We reached the 1st taal in around 1.5 hours. It was after this pond that snow had enveloped the land. We went a little ahead but I decided to stay back. Anshul wanted to cover some more distance but I was happy with the view I was getting. He managed to cover 4 more taals, and only returned when his spirits were killed by the footprints of a bear on snow. We trekked down shortly after and treated ourselves to Maggi and chai, yet again! The evening that followed was good; tourists were settling in for the weekend with dancing, booze, and bonfires.

Day 8 — Harshil to Tehri

It was a Saturday. We had a light brunch and started on our way to Tehri. We were planning to reach by the evening. As we started descending down the Harshil Valley, the beautiful expanse of the valley soothed us yet again. We maintained slow speeds on our motorcycles and took as much in as we could. THIS was the reason motorcycling was developed. THIS was the reason uncertain folks embark on unplanned journeys. Remember those motorcycle ads from a decade back that celebrated motorcycling as a way of life? It didn’t seem an exaggerated depiction now; we were living it.

It started pouring just as we were a little away from Uttarkashi. The road to Tehri was a turn before Uttarkashi. It kept on raining. After we climbed a few ranges, the serene valley enveloped by the clouds urged us to a stop. Cups of chai (yet again) and bun maska kept good company. When we resumed the ride, the forthcoming road would be covered with fog for a good half hour. Google Maps was unreliable on this road. We were at a loss. Thanks to the constant help of the locals, we found the right way to reach New Tehri which would have enough options for accommodation. It was around 8 pm at this point. We found a nice hotel and put our mud & rain-drenched gear to dry. The dinner prepared by the lady in the hotel was just lovely. Like the food at home prepared with love and care. After having KitKat that we had procured on the way for dessert, we retired to a long, snoring sleep.

Day 9 — Tehri to Chopta

With 4 days left on the trip, we were expecting rain the whole time. However, the day started out sunny and bright. It did lift our spirits up. Nothing is as exhausting as riding with 4 layers on, in the rain. We put Chopta on the map and started riding. While we were having breakfast, the locals let us into a shortcut that the map didn’t show; through the Tehri Dam. The CISF is strict, so be sure to put down the action cameras and phones mounted on the handlebar.

Just after Srinagar, we stopped at a small place to have some snacks. That is when we met an enthusiastic family who was returning from Chopta. A young man who’d recently purchased a Meteor 350 himself rushed to us to ask about the bike, its performance, and how our experience had been. We had a lengthy conversation with the whole family about riding, our gear and how much it cost, places we’d already been to, and a lot more. It’s always great meeting people and hearing a little admiration for a few choices we’ve made.

We were glad that this would be the first whole-day ride where we’d be able to reach the destination before sunset. We stopped just before Chopta to enjoy the sun setting behind the distant ranges. Oh boy, were we wrong! There are two ‘Chopta’s in Uttarakhand. Both with a Tungnath temple. And as our luck (or the lack of it) would have it, we were headed to the wrong one. After passing Srinagar, and Rudraprayag, and finally reaching the wrong Chopta, we were told by some locals that we were in the wrong Chopta. We were looking at another 2.5 hours of riding. Alas, never reaches before day fall. We set out on our way to Agastyamuni. The both of us planned to stay there and make the journey to Chopta the next day. It had been a long day. As we entered Agastyamuni, the crowded and jostling town had a different tone from what we’d been seeing the past week. We decided against staying there and instead planned to make our way to Ukhimath. As we reached Ukhimath, we were impressed by a grand hotel that caught the eye from a distance. After being impressed by the immense rooms and hospitality, our heads turned to each other when prices were revealed. I started looking for some accommodation options in Ukhimath as well as Chopta. Turns out we were headed to Chopta. Another 30 minutes of riding and we were on the outskirts of Chopta. The hotels and stays start long before it. One thing to keep in mind — there’s no network since 10 kilometres from the place. We had dinner at a nice cafe. The food was good. The owner’s friend tried to sell their rooms to us, employing every marketing technique he knew, and also scared of snowfall happening in Chopta. We told him we’d take our chances.

We continued on our way to Chopta in the rain, which was about 15 km away. We came across a patch where mud had accumulated on the road, solidified, and became slippery. The Interceptor made its way across on the 1st gear. When it was my turn, I forgot to downshift to the 1st, and the bike’s rear tire kept skidding forward despite the brakes. Slowly and slowly, I realised I won’t be able to keep the bike upright. So I gave up and the bike was in the mud, left-side down. I honked for my friend to come to help me up. We somehow managed to get the bike up, drag it out of the patch and start it up. There was no injury or tear but a load of dirt on the left saddlebag. I started the bike and we carried on.

All the accommodations are tents or small rooms with the least basic amenities. After looking at 3 places, we settled into a room having given up on any more bike time. There is no electricity in the area, lights are powered by solar panels and are only available from 6 pm to 10 pm. We got out of my drenched and muddy gear and settled into the 2 layers of thick blankets.

Day 10 — Tungnath Trek in Chopta

We had been riding with wet shoes for the past 2 days. My army dad had told me tales of the times when he was posted in snowy regions and would come to the barracks with trench feet. I was living those stories now. One trick we used during these situations was to stuff our wet shoes with newspaper. While it doesn’t help with drying in the chilly and moist weather, it does take the extra droplets away from the inner paddings of the shoes, leaving them damp at best.

We had breakfast at the camp and went off to the Tungnath base. Parked our bikes, got two walking sticks, and started on the trek. Having been a little used to the altitude now, we were treading faster than the Saat Taal trek. We had some Oreos, Munch(s), and Salted Peanuts for the energy boost. After covering around 2 kilometres, the snow started appearing on the stairs. Another 1/2 kilometre in, it was the first time I experienced snowfall. It’s much better than rain, tbh. Munchies in the Snow was a different kind of high. We reached Tungnath around 3. The temple was closed but we managed to climb a fence and see the temple from about 15 metres away. We also wanted to cover Chandrashila and also made our way further to another 600 metres. But after a point, there was no sign of any stone or way; everything was white. It was wise to turn back and return.

We trekked down, had yet again chai, and returned to the camp. The evening view from the camp was great. The vast Himalayan ranges in the distance and numerous tents in the foreground meadows. We were treated to a tasty meal of Daal-chawal and aloo-gobhi, enough to put you to a sound sleep.

Day 11 — Chopta to Rishikesh

It was a long ride from Chopta to Rishikesh. The roads were great and we kept cruising at good speeds the whole time. It was still raining. Our feet were still soaked. But the roads made us forget the woes. Some chai stops now and then, and we reached Rishikesh around 7 pm. It was a great feeling seeing shops, options, and people in general. We had almost completed the trip.

The bike had started making some noise from the chains. It had endured enough with the rain and dirt. It was time to get a wash. But I decided to get it done the next morning. We found a cosy little stay/cafe and retired there. For dinner, we were looking for something other than chawal/roti and came across a South Indian restaurant. The dosa was amazing. I would still go back just to have the dosa again.

Day 12 — Rishikesh to Gurgaon

It was the last day. My friend and I would part ways after Hardware.

I woke up early in the morning, freshened up, and went out in search of a bike-washing facility. After asking some locals and taking wrong turns. I finally came across a small mechanic workshop in the busy market. I told him about the chain noise too. The guys were lovely. They tightened the chain, cleaned it, and also applied gear oil to it. Having read about the chain-lube alternates, I was glad it was gear oil. They washed the bike and when I had to pay them, they didn’t charge for the chain treatment. The wash cost 100 rupees but I tipped them another 50 for the added effort as a thank you. As I started the bike and rode forward, it felt brand new. These minor things are what they mean by taking care of the machine, I reckon.

I went back to the hotel. My friend was ready by then. We had breakfast just outside the place and started boarding our luggage on the motorcycles. Soon after, we were on the long roads, rode to the outskirts of Rishikesh, and then bid each other farewell with the promise of sending the pictures soon.

I passed Haridwar, Muzzafarnagar, and Meerut to be met by the traffic of Modinagar—Rajpur Extension traffic yet again (sigh). Nothing like that at the start and end of a journey. I kept going and finally reached my place in Gurgaon around 6:30 pm.

To sum it up

Likes

• If you’re wondering why I didn’t mention my bike a lot, the reason is simple: the Meteor is a lovely little machine. It will take you anywhere you need to go. You don’t really realise that you’re dependent on a machine to take you places. And the Supernova Brown variant looks handsomely masculine against any background!
• The attention — with its imposing cruiser look, one could confuse it for a heavy Harley on the rearview mirror when it’s loaded to the full with saddlebags.
• The comfort — initial rides had me adjusting my position every 20 minutes, occasional backaches and putting my feet down from the footpegs to dangle freely above the road. But this time I was pretty comfortable, almost never adjusted myself and always felt in command.
• The Vaishnu Fog lights — With the Interceptor leading and Meteor behind it, we lit the roads bright with our combined light output. It instils great confidence in moving forward.

Dislikes

• Scoyco saddlebags— I have mentioned it before. The quality was pathetic. I would urge everyone to research more and go for better brands like Rynox, Viaterra, or others.
• Tires — It wouldn’t be fair to bash the stock of CEAT tires. They do a decent job most of the time. But if rain is what you’re concerned about, there are better options in the market. Do suggest some that you’ve tried. Might look to change them in some time.
• Suspension — It’s great for highway riding. But bad patches force the rider to slow down to turtle speeds. Standing on the footpegs is not an option either. But this is not something we can modify a lot, given the riding triangle.

Learnings

Need to get waterproof, high-ankle boots going forward. I am planning to get a custom leather boot made for my feet' measurements. Better if I could have zips instead of laces. Better yet would be to carry an extra pair of shoes especially when traveling in the rain.

Carry even more pairs of socks and undies. They’re never enough if you’re going to ride in the rain.

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