[warrioraks]

This is the story of a bullet - my silver bullet.


A long intro
I always wanted a bike as far as I can remember but then there were things like money (college days and early job years) and lack of parents approval which made sure that this dream remained a dream.

Flash forward 2014 - I was living in Bangalore dependent on office cabs and autos for commute. That is when the bug bit me again and I started doing test rides and following up with multiple RE dealers. This was the time of huge waiting periods and minimum 4 months is what I was told. I was getting desperate and luckily got a connection (friend's uncle's acquaintance) who had a dealership and would have helped with quicker delivery. Till that time I had not decided between my options - Classic, Electra, Standard and Thunderbird (GT wasn't considered). So I started reading online forums/reviews to clear the conundrum. To my horror, whatever I came across gave me a feeling that I am throwing my money down the drain. The customers weren't happy with RE quality and this made me really apprehensive.

Meanwhile, I switched jobs as well as cities to come back home (Delhi) to my parents. Daily commute was 80 km to office and the search for a bike started again. I test rode every bike south of 1.5 lac and was trying to decide between RTR 180, Pulsar 220 and CBR150 but could not take a call. All of these were good bikes but I was not excited at the prospect of having any of these in my garage.
So I decided to visit the Enfield showroom close to my home (North Delhi Motorcycles NDMC, Pitampura) and discussed my concerns with the team there. They were very patient and assured me that QC issues have been resolved. They also gave me multiple test rides across 3-4 weekends. Eventually I got my calling and I had my heart set out on Standard. But due to lack of front wheel disc brakes and self-start, I knew that Electra made a practical choice and booked the bike (2 months waiting) with the option of choosing the color one week before delivery.

Choice of color was no easy task and I kept shuttling between the options (Black/Maroon/Silver). In parallel, there was a thought in the family that I should rather spend some more and buy an Alto obviously which did not help

One day while reminiscing of my schooldays, the thoughts wandered towards a person in our society who owned a couple of bikes - silver Electra and LML Adreno. And how I used to drool over the Electra everytime I passed his house. That was enough to tell me what I wanted. I called up the show room around one month before delivery and told them it would be a silver Electra.

Now everything from my side was done and the wait began. Everytime I saw or heard a Bullet, I just could not think of anything else except getting mine home. I also kept on scouting online content on the bike and the more I read, the more jittery I felt about the decision. Certainly the new customers did not agree to what NDMC told me about quality issues being fixed. I visited the showroom 3 weeks before the delivery and spoke with the sales guy again to discuss what was bothering me. His words of wisdom - “No vehicle is perfect, just go with the flow and don't overthink.”
This conversation told me that I had no option but to take a leap of faith and there is nothing much I could do (except a solid PDI).

Heart wants what it wants!

[warrioraks]

A wobbly start!
The delivery was in the last week of September and run-in happened over next few weeks. I will not go into a lot of details here except a few things:

• During delivery, the showroom guys made me buy a new helmet citing a government rule. I am ok following the rules but don't like last minute surprises. They could have easily communicated this to me when they were trying to push the sales of their accessories during previous conversations. Ultimately I found a workaround (without breaking the law) but overall wasn't very happy with the outcome

• The front tire developed a crack within first 200 Kms. That was heartbreaking and sort of doomsday scenario considering how apprehensive I was before booking the bike. Initially the showroom guys weren't keen to even hear me out but after few phone calls and in person followups, they gave me a letter citing that the bike is accident free and crack seems to be a manufacturing defect. I sent this to Ceat and they replaced the tire charging me depreciation amount of Rs 238.

• The spokes of the rear wheel started breaking off within first few months leading to a wobbly ride. Guys at ASC weren’t able to permanently fix the issue. I stopped visiting them for service after the free ones were done.

On the positive side - this silver bullet has been a dream come true for me. I knew this would be a lot of fun the moment I rode it for first time on delivery day.
Looking back at the last six years, it seems the feeling was bang on. The silver bullet has made me fall in love with it time and again.
Put it another way, I have been taken for a ride in the best way I could have imagined.

What to expect from this thread
Moving on, as the title of the thread suggests, I will mostly report on the journeys of the silver bullet along with some trip information that might be of help to other members. The trips from 2015 to early 2016 might be light on content due to my aging memory and 'a phone' getting lost without data backed up to cloud. So I will try to put in more details and photos in subsequent trips. So bear with me please for initial few posts.

Here we go, godspeed!



Disclaimer: I have named cities and properties in the trip reports. I am not affiliated to any state government or the named properties or their competitors for that matter

[warrioraks]

2015

Like any guy who buys a bullet, I had my heart set out for a Leh-Ladakh road trip. And like majority of the NCR guys who buy a bullet, all I could manage was Delhi-Gurgaon roadtrip 2-3 days a week
But very soon, it changed for the better.

BOBMC Rider Mania (Nurpur Bedi, Punjab)
This was my first long ride (>300 km) with silver bullet and what a way to start the journey - straight to the annual congregation of RE riders from all across the country.

Mileage ~ 650 km
Route - Delhi - Chandigarh - Noorpur Bedi - Delhi
Stay: Kikar Lodge
Stay rating: 4/5
Ride fun quotient: 5/5
Co-travellers: 30+ riders from a bullet riders club
Highlights:

• First time is always special and this was no different. Just the energy of the group and the place electrified the atmosphere. Everything was very well managed considering the scale and variety of events being held
  
• It was freezing cold (north India winters in January) and we stayed in tents. I would never do it again
  
• Tried my hand at some offroading for the first time (took a couple of minor falls). Bike performed flawlessly
  
• Saw heavily customized bikes in many shapes and sizes. Sharing few photos from the archive

Kasauli
Next was a spontaneous bike trip with a few office mates. All of us were neck deep in work during weekdays and were looking for a quick escape. This plan was hatched in 15 minutes flat at the office tea shop.

Mileage ~ 700 km
Route - Gurgaon - Panipat (stopover at friend's home) - Zirakpur - Kasauli - Gurgaon
Stay: Winnie's Holiday Resort
Stay rating: 4/5
Ride fun quotient: 5/5
Co-travellers: 4 guys in 1 Polo, 1 Classic and 1 Pulsar 220 (seems overkill in hindsight)
Highlights:

• This was the fastest plan ever made. We had placed order for tea and started discussing how to beat the office heat. By the time our tea was prepared, the plan had been hatched
• It started raining as soon as we reached the resort and stayed that way for next 2 days. Luckily for us, we had a room with a good view and food tasted nice. We were more than happy to hang our boots and oblige the weather gods

Solo ride to Manali
With my mind veering towards Leh, I started looking for company to join me on the pilgrimage. Found an enthusiastic person through FB page of DBBR (Delhi Biker's Breakfast Run) and met him to plan things up. He seemed like a nice person and I applied leave in office (around 2 months prior to the planned date). Unfortunately he had something come up and the plan had to be shelved. Since I could not find anyone else to join me, I forgot about the trip and went back to the routine of office life.
Incidentally I hadn't withdrawn my leaves and found myself languishing at home doing nothing while my flatmates went about their day jobs. And that is when out of sheer boredom one fine morning, I just packed up some stuff and started riding towards Himachal.
Had never done a solo ride before and the thought of being stuck somewhere was playing on my mind. But with time, the liberating feeling of riding solo took over and I started to enjoy myself thoroughly. Once I crossed the toll bridge of Himalyan Expressway and saw the first sight of the hills, the excitement levels went up several notches and riding on the curvy roads made sure I forgot all my worries.
I rested in Shimla for the day, rode on to Manali the next day via a beautiful route and found an inexpensive guesthouse in the old part of the town. I hadn't been to Manali before and the vibe was so out of this world. It just soothed me like very few places could.
In the evening as I enjoyed some delicious food in a cafe, I wasn't sure of whether I should go ahead with this trip. Till this time, everything was unplanned and I wasn't carrying the best of riding essentials for a longer journey. Ultimately, I decided to think about it the next day.
Later that night, I got a call from home about an urgent matter needing my presence. I thought that was God's way to tell me that I had pushed enough with my solo trip and it was time to take a U-turn.

Next morning, I got my bike checked up and left for Delhi stopping at Ambala for the night.

Mileage ~ 1300 km
Route - Gurgaon - Zirakpur - Shimla - Manali - SunderNagar - Ambala - Delhi
Stay: Hotel Apple Rose (Shimla) and a couple of other smalltime places in Manali and Ambala
Stay rating: 2/5 for the Shimla stay. My recommendation would be to avoid it.
Ride fun quotient: 5/5
Co-travellers: Solo
Highlight(s):

• The feeling of riding solo in the Himalayas (Enough said!)

After crossing the toll at Himalayan Expressway


The first sight of the hills


Enroute to Shimla



Ananta Resorts, Pushkar
A group from office was planning a Pushkar trip to relax and chill out at Ananta resort. It was December and I was itching for a ride after the Manali trip, so decided to join them. It was an entourage of 3 cars and 1 bike (yours truly).

We left early morning (it was still dark) and since the weather was favorable, we decided to take a detour to visit Nahargarh fort in Jaipur. Apparently this was one of the shooting spots for the Bollywood movie - Rang De Basanti. After spending a couple of hours there, we reached Pushkar late evening.

The resort was good with average food but nothing that warranted a 800 km journey. Only solace was that I got some time with the silver bullet and explore a new city.

Mileage ~ 800 km
Route - Gurgaon - Jaipur - Pushkar - Gurgaon
Stay: Ananta Resorts
Stay rating: 4/5
Ride fun quotient: 3/5 (See below)
Co-travellers: 10-12 people in multiple cars
Highlights:

• To date, this has been one of the most boring rides, especially the Jaipur to Pushkar segment. The plain roads (which was expected) with a monotonous landscape is a really bad combination. To give an example, it tasted like a drink which has lost all it's fizz. You keep drinking because you ordered it but the fun is all gone
• We spent some time in the main city of Pushkar and I must say, it was heaven for everyone in the group who loved street food. To my surprise, the city had a few cafes as well (Rishikesh style) but at a much smaller scale. I was glad we stepped out of the resort and visited the city

Ananta Resort

[warrioraks]

2016 (1 of 3)

Taj Mahal - The symbol of love (Agra)
This was February and it had been a couple of months since the last ride. With the north India summers approaching, I knew the window for short rides was closing-in. Also by this time, I had heard a lot about Agra expressway but hadn't experienced it first hand.

So this seemed to be an opportunity to visit Taj in good weather and also ride on the expressway. This was my first (and only) ride with a pillion till now.

Mileage ~ 500 km
Route - Gurgaon - Agra - Gurgaon
Stay: Ramada Plaza
Stay rating: 5/5 (Highly recommended)
Ride fun quotient: 2/5 (see below)
Co-traveller(s): 1 pillion
Highlights:

• The expressway with it's single tone landscape is really boring if you are riding a bike which is not known for it's speed
• The cemented roads make the tyres extremely hot. The thought of something going wrong was constantly at the back of my head which was a dampener
• The property at which we stayed was fantastic for it's comfort, hospitality and food
• Having a bike helped in exploring the city without worrying about the notorious public transport. We explored a couple of good restaurants which we would not have visited otherwise

Narkanda and Chail
With peak summers setting in, it was time to beat the heat with a ride to the hills. By now, I had realized the need for better safety gear considering outstation rides every 2-3 months. I decided to upgrade my gear with a new jacket and a pair of good gloves. Visited a couple of shops to explore the spread - Chopra Automobiles (Karol Bagh) and Riderz Planet (Ghittorni).

Eventually I bought Rynox Tornado Pro jacket and Aspida Centaur gloves. I was thoroughly impressed by the personal attention shown by the team at Riderz Planet. The person who attended me was a biker himself and was very knowledgeable, sincere and non-pushy. First class experience I must say.

Coming back to the ride, a few riders from a bullet group were planning to visit Hatu peak and I decided to join them. It was a 3 day ride and we drove to Narkanda and rested at a homestay on the first day. The next day, we visited Hatu peak and descended towards Chail where we spent another day before returning back to Delhi.

Mileage ~ 1000 km
Route - Gurgaon - Narkanda - Hatu Peak - Chail - Gurgaon
Stay: Hatu Valley homestay
Stay rating: 5/5 (this is a smalltime guesthouse, recommend booking the entire place if in a group of 6+)
Ride fun quotient: 5/5 (see below)
Co-traveller(s): 5 fellow riders
Highlights:

• This was the month of May and heat in the plains was killer! We had to take short breaks to hydrate ourselves every once in a while
  
• The last few kms of ride to Hatu peak was very steep and exciting
  
• The view from Hatu Peak wasn't very clear due to clouds and overall experience was average
  
• While descending from Narkanda, we came across a small village near Chail called Sadhupul. Had a running stream of cold water along with a few dhabas. Seemed to be a perfect spot for spending a few hours to beat the heat. Unfortunately we were already delayed, and could only stop here for 15 minutes. If you are planning to go to Chail, would recommend planning a few hours at this place (pic below)
• By end of this trip, I had started getting comfortable with the bike and the new safety gear. Overall had a very good feeling about visiting Leh later this year
  

Quick pic before we embark!


View from the guesthouse


View from Hatu Peak

Sadhupul

[warrioraks]

2016 (2 of 3)

During the Narkanda trip, I realized that I was the only one with stock silencer in the group. Couple of bikes had a great exhaust note and now I wanted one as well. Like every Delhi guy, the first stop was Karol Bagh but nothing impressed me. They were either too loud or did not suit the personality of an Electra.
I spent couple of months doing my research and talking to any one who was interested on the topic. Finally settled on Thumper exhaust from GreaseHouse customs. They are a Bangalore based company run by bikers (Indimotard adventures). I exchanged a few notes with them and was told that Thumper exhaust does not violate the sound pollution limits (I doubt it though). Took a leap of faith and ordered one through Amazon. The exhaust was installed by a friendly mechanic and it required some effort on his part to fit it, but eventually a job well done.

Coming to the performance, the company claims that this silencer gives you few extra bhp (which I again doubt). The exhaust note is very refined, I just love it. It is quiet when I need it to be silent and roars when pushed hard, exactly what I wished for. I don't want the neighborhood to wake up when I take my bike for a night ride but need that growl once in a while (don't ask me why though). The only other silencer which is pleasing to my ears is the Shark silencer but do not have first hand experience with it. So with the new silencer and an amazing thump, I was ready for the next trip.

Monsoon ride to Chakrata - Riding in the clouds
Riding in rains is always difficult - Visibility is low, roads are slippery, wet shoes and gloves tend to get creepy, and the chances of a breakdown increase manifold. Just add bad roads to the equation and you are looking at a disaster of a trip.
But surprisingly, this one ended up as one of the most memorable ever. This was a journey where we kept smiling and laughing no matter what came our way. Whether it be incessant rains, landslides, water crossings, practically non-existent roads or being unable to reach our destination.

It all started when a friend bought a Classic 350. As soon as he finished the run-in, both of us were itching for a ride and decided that we will visit Chanshal pass. Since it was the month of August, we anticipated some rains and had packed accordingly. However we were greeted by a cloudburst which not only showed how underprepared we were, but also how immaterial we are in front of mother nature.

Mileage ~ 800 km
Route - Gurgaon - Yamunanagar - Kalsi - Chakrata - Yamunanagar - Gurgaon

Stay: Small time guest houses
Ride fun quotient: 5/5 (see below)
Co-traveller(s): 1 friend on Classic 350
Highlights:

• The trip gave us a flavor of monsoon riding, both the challenges (mentioned above) and the benefits (raw nature at it's utmost beauty)
• We visited Deoban and Tiger Falls during our stay in Chakrata (pics below). If you are in Chakrata, do visit
• The locals were very helpful throughout. We encountered multiple landslides which were cleared quickly. But in one specific case, we were told that it will take 3-4 hours for the landslide to clear. One of the local guys advised us with an alternate route. Not only it saved us 3 hours, but was the most scenic ride of this entire trip
• Eventually, we never reached Chanshal and had to return from Chakrata but no regrets at all. I will let pictures do rest of the talking here

All set for the trip (pic clicked outside an ATM)


Saw a group of bikers taking shelter from rain - we joined them


Landslides - common occurrence throughout the trip


Crossing a water crossing


50 shades of green




First sight of the majestic Tiger falls


Heavy rains - again and again!


Deoban - There is a government guesthouse at the top



Deoban - The view got very cloudy intermittently



Cloudy roads combined with scenic surroundings felt as if we had crossed over to a different world


The silver bullet - no breakdowns throughout the trip

[warrioraks]

2016 (3 of 3)

The Leh trip that wasn't meant to be
A month before Chakrata trip, I and a couple of friends had booked with a tour company to join them on their Leh trip scheduled for September.
In August, we visited Karol Bagh (again!) for some shopping. I bought a Cramster bionic knee gaurd, a saddle bag and got the seat cover of the bike changed. Also got a flag rod installed and upgraded rear tyre to Michelin (SiracStreet). The excitement levels were off the charts and I just could not believe that my long standing dream of riding to Leh was about to come true. There was practically nothing else I could think of in those days.

But as luck would have it, four days prior to the trip, my body gave few signs of something going wrong. Got myself checked and was diagnosed with a tropical fever pretty common that part of the year. Within a couple of days, my health deteriorated and I could see the dream slipping away.

After giving it some thought, I decided to continue on medication and ride with the group. Luckily, the family doctor instilled some sense into me and eventually I dropped the plan.
Going through social media posts of my friends riding through scenic lanscapes of Ladakh as I languished sick at home was my 3 idiot moment, if you know what I mean
It was a very sorry state with this being the second year in a row when my Leh plans did not go the way it was to supposed to be. Fortunately, I was able to ride to Leh in 2017, much to my heart's content.

More to come in the subsequent posts.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle Section. Thanks for sharing!

Shortly going to our homepage .

[Hamza123]

Hi lovely right up and amazing trips. Reading your story I relived the same concerns I had when I bought my thunderbird this year. But touch wood no complains yet. Somewhere feel the effect of the twins has rubbed off on the other Enfield products too.
Seeing how much you tour would not the thunderbird been a better choice for you?

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by Hamza123

Hi lovely right up and amazing trips. Reading your story I relived the same concerns I had when I bought my thunderbird this year. But touch wood no complains yet. Somewhere feel the effect of the twins has rubbed off on the other Enfield products too.
Seeing how much you tour would not the thunderbird been a better choice for you?

Thanks Hamza. The process of buying an RE is a thrilling journey in itself. Makes sure you are at the edge of your seats through and through. I have marked your thread for a read this weekend and looking forward to read your future travelogues as well.

I do hear good things about RE quality now and great to hear that your bike is giving you a good time.
Few years back, I heard RE has a separate assembly line to produce higher quality exports. If true, just means it was an intent issue rather than capability problem.

Regarding Thunderbird being a better choice - honestly I have never given a second thought to Electra. It just suits me perfectly and in the end, whatever pulls the heartstrings

[Hamza123]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Thanks Hamza. The process of buying an RE is a thrilling journey in itself. Makes sure you are at the edge of your seats through and through. I have marked your thread for a read this weekend and looking forward to read your future travelogues as well.

I do hear good things about RE quality now and great to hear that your bike is giving you a good time.
Few years back, I heard RE has a separate assembly line to produce higher quality exports. If true, just means it was an intent issue rather than capability problem.

Regarding Thunderbird being a better choice - honestly I have never given a second thought to Electra. It just suits me perfectly and in the end, whatever pulls the heartstrings

True the process is good and exciting but it was something I can live without. The forgot to fill air in my front tyre when they gave me the bike! The Thunderbird for me mainly is a daily ride for work. I use my ninja 650 mainly for riding and touring although I do plan to take the bird as well for some short solo trips. Want her to be in her natural surrounds... the open road
I agree with you about whatever pulls at your heart strings. Almost everyone I met and their uncle asked me why I never went for the interceptor and bought the thunderbird especially when it was at the end of its life cycle. And I felt just like you, the interceptor did not tug at the heart strings the way the Thunderbird did. Will come to know in a couple of years if that was the right decision

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by Hamza123

The forgot to fill air in my front tyre when they gave me the bike!

Originally Posted by Hamza123

I agree with you about whatever pulls at your heart strings. Almost everyone I met and their uncle asked me why I never went for the interceptor and bought the thunderbird especially when it was at the end of its life cycle.

Some people say that the best time to buy a vehicle is around end of lifecycle, when all the niggles that had to be sorted out are out of the way. Seems you are covered from that perspective

[warrioraks]

New year ride to Jaisalmer

With my Leh gear dusting off because of no-go, I was keen to venture out. All I wanted was to ride into sunset evening after evening, where it would just be me and the melodious thumping of the silver bullet, away from the daily chores and clockwork routine of life. This yearning eventually led to I and a friend riding to Jaisalmer and welcoming 2017 from the golden city.
In addition to exploring Rajathan, we got a chance to meet my favourite lyricist Piyush Mishra. We saw him multiple times in Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, and it seemed as if his entourage was following the same itinerary as us. Did not want to disturb him on his vacation and wasn't sure if I should go talk to him. But luckily we ended up being face to face for a moment which gave an opportunity to interact with him. I conveyed that I was a fan and asked for a pic, he obliged without a fuss. Made my day!

Since this trip, Jaisalmer has been the city of choice to spend new year eve for me. This is the only city I have visited where the fort and city blend into each other like a uni-body. The place tends to slow down everything around you which is a good way to wrap up the year. The hospitality is raw and genuine, which makes you feel at home and unlike other India cities, you can explore a lot on foot.

Mileage ~ 1800 km
Route - Gurgaon - Sikar - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Jaipur

Day 1
We wanted to reach Jaisalmer within two days and had planned to leave early. Like all plans, we were delayed and left Gurgaon around 3 pm.
My friend also wanted to visit the famous Khatushyamji temple as it was only a slight detour and we ended up spending the night at Sikar.
500 km to go for Jaisalmer.

Some North Indian food before we crossed over to the West


Rajasthanis love Mahindra Jeeps, saw a lot of them throughout the trip


Day 2
We decided to start early because of the long ride ahead and woke up at 4:30 am. As luck would have it, I could not find my bike key. It was initially a comic scene with the 4 of us (I, friend, 2 hotel staff) trying to locate the elusive key in the wee hours of morning.
But eventually it got very frustrating. The clock ticked 5:30 am and I was cursing myself for the delays. Losing hope of finding it, I unpacked my saddle bag for the spare key. I have always been a lousy packer and knew that finding spare key would be no easy task, but finally I was able to locate it.
As I walked towards my bike and bent down to unlock the bike handle, there it was, the original key dangling from the lock. That is when it struck me - I had forgotten to take the key off the bike last night. Fortunately, no one attempted a theft, my bike was literally up for grabs

My co-rider used this moment to give me a few slow claps and some frendly choice of expletives. Later in the trip, I got a chance to return the favour when he lost his bike key (and wasn't even carrying a spare).

The bike with the key left overnight


With the key fiasco past us, we left for Jaisalmer and were greeted with December chill and foggy weather. We were expecting that the temperature will gradually go up with time as the sun rises. But the sun was no where to be seen and very soon. It became unbearably cold with the air cutting through our face and fingers. After few kilometres of driving we just could not take it any more and decided to stop at a small dhabha to order tea. Seeing us shivering and clattering, the merciful lady preparing tea lit up a stove for us so that we could warm our hands. Bless her!

Dhabha that saved us from the winter chill


Planning to steal the table - no chance


First sand dune we came across


We rode continuously to make up time. Quick short break at a dhabha where we interacted with a few truck drivers


Miles to go before I sleep


Sheep have the right of way


First sight of the desert ship


Day 3, 4 & 5
We stayed in Jaisalmer for 4 nights. During this time - we explored the city, visited Mata Tanot temple, Longewala border and spent a night in the desert. As I mentioned above, Jaisalmer is a lovely city but the highlight of entire trip was the desert experience. We had never been to a desert before and could not believe how beautiful and tranquil it could be.
Luckily for us, our guesthouse owner agreed to arrange a non-touristic experience for us to spend a night in the desert. We were taken into the desert on a jeep for 30 minutes followed by camel ride for an hour. Practically we ended in the middle of nowhere and wasn't sure what lay ahead of us. We were accompanied by 2 local tribesmen who were supposed to cook for us and give us company. For beds, we were given two quilts each. We were also joined by a couple of other travelers.
As the sun set in, it dawned to us on what we had signed up for. It was a night under the stars in the middle of nature's laps. I have never seen so many stars in my life. It was a truly unique experience - The medium cooked food from the makeshift stove tasted amazing, the soft sand allowed us comfortable sleep, the stars gave us the childlike joy like we had never experienced and the cold desert wind made sure we never forgot how mighty mother nature is.
This was December 2016 and seemed it was a pretty new concept then. But when I visited Jaisalmer again in 2018, it seemed that the trend had really caught on as I saw a lot of tour agents offering options.

Jaisalmer has a lot of good cafes with a chilled out vibe. Food is prepared fresh and does take it's own sweet time to be served


Jaisalmer fort - The windows you see are actual houses where people live


Inside the fort


View of the city from the fort


One of the bigger dunes in Jaisalmer area


Night in the desert - it was pitch dark except for the fire lit by tribsemen


The next morning, on the way back to our guest house



Day 6 & 7
Once we were back from the desert, we refreshed ourselves at the guesthouse and were all set for Jodhpur. As we were about to saddle up, my friend realized that his bike key was missing. Obviously the key was somewhere in the desert and there was no point even looking for it. So we found a keymaker who helped us with a duplicate key and we bid adieu to the golden city of Jaisalmer. We reached Jodhpur quiet late due to the second key fiasco and found a decent place to stay on the outskirts.

Next morning, we went about exploring the city for it's food and history. Mehrangarh fort, Umaid Bhawan and a highly rated restaurant (don't remember the name) is where we ended up spending majority of our day time. The fort is immaculately maintained and is a must-see. Umaid Bhawan was a one time visit, the highlight being vintage cars on display.
Also since we were in Jodhpur, how could we miss the Om Banna temple (Pali), where motorcycle is worshiped as a deity. We started for the temple in evening and the highway was pitch dark for the most part . I would not recommend visiting the temple in evening time on a bike because it got risky for us when vehicles approached us from wrong side without their headlights on (mostly tractors). After paying our obeisances, we returned back to our hotel and packed up.

Enroute to Jodhpur


The Royal Mehrangarh fort



Game of thrones, anyone?



Umaid Bhawan vintage car collection (the glass partition makes it difficult to capture pictures)



Om Banna temple - where a bike is worshiped as deity


Day 8
Next morning we left Jodhpur with the goal of reaching Gurgaon. But were very tired by the time we reached Jaipur and decided to halt for the night. I still remember that we stayed at 'Fab hotels' for around 600 bucks a night. This has been the most value for money property ever considering the to room standard, hygiene and service.

Day 9
We reached Gurgaon in the evening. Typical of all rides, the last part was the most difficult. Same boring roads, increasing traffic and the sadness of an ending vacation. In hindsight, this trip pushed us to an extent with around 1800 km on the odo. Great memories to cherish for the rest of our lives

Enroute to Gurgaon

[warrioraks]

Kasol and Tosh, March 2017

Mileage ~ 1300 km
Route - Gurgaon - Mandi - Kasol - Tosh - Mandi - Gurgaon
Total Days - 5
Co-traveller(s): 1 friend on his Karizma
Highlights:

• Before this trip, I had bought a new helmet - THH T76 White Blue Riot. Got to try it out on this ride and it was a significant upgrade from the Studd's Ninja flipup I was using. Money well spent!
  
• The ride after Mandi is very scenic with Beas river giving you constant company
  
• Manikaran (near Kasol) has hot water springs which should be on everyone's list visiting this area
  
• Tosh is a small village and the only way to explore the village is on foot. Both Kasol and Tosh are beautiful in their own ways. Tosh was more raw and untouched.
  
• These places are a heaven for trekkers

Customary tea at the meeting point


NH1 - Get set go


River Beas


Some soul searching enroute to Kasol (Nah! I was actually checking my phone when my friend clicked this)


We finally reach Kasol


View from our hotel room


Manikaran hot springs


Can you hear the sound of gushing water?


Hot water from springs being used by locals to cook rice - the most natural way to cook I suppose (no offense to solar cooker enthusiasts)


Makeshift bridge for river crossing in Kasol - the other side had a couple of very good cafes


The Road to Tosh


Snow laden peaks - view from our Tosh guesthouse


Tosh village (no vehicles allowed)


Typical Tosh - the only traffic was humans and livestock


Snowy peaks - can never get enough of them


Complete stillness - somewhere on the way back home



The curious case of a missing wheel! My friend's bike got a flat tyre so we had to take it to the nearest puncture shop. The guy only serviced buses and trucks but helped us after some persuasion


The happiness of being on the road again


Reached home late night - Silver bullet in full glow

[warrioraks]

A fishy trip - Tirthan and Jalori pass, May 2017

My company had planned an event in Chandigarh. With rides now becoming common, it was a no-brainer to use this opportunity for another trip to Himachal. I along with two other colleagues zeroed in on Tirthan.

Mileage ~ 1200 km
Route - Gurgaon - Chandigarh - Tirthan - Jalori Pass - Ambala - Gurgaon
Stay: Khem Bharti Guesthouse
Stay rating: 5/5
Ride fun quotient: 5/5
Co-travellers: 3 rider, 3 bikes
Highlights:

• Fresh-water fishing is a major attraction at Tirthan. We had to take permission from local authorities and rented the equipment through our guesthouse. It was first time fishing for me and overall turned out to be a good experience.
• Tirthan is also the gateway to GNHP (Greater Himalayan National Park). It is a goldmine for anyone looking for good hiking trails. On top of that, not only does it have all the charms of Himalyan beauty, but it was also very serene even in the middle of tourist peak season. Getting away from the hustle bustle of tourist crowd is exactly what we were looking for. A great find for us.
• The chain lock of my bike gave away on return journey. After some searching, my co-riders were able to find a mechanic (some 20 kms away) who could fix the chain but did not have a chain lock in stock. Thankfully, I was carrying it with me and we were able to carry on only with a minor hiccup. Considering the place where this issue occured, I am sure we would have spent hours looking for a chain lock if I did not have one in my bag. Lesson learnt - always carry your spares with you.

Geese and ducks - Somewhere between Chandigarh and SundarNagar




Enroute to Tirthan




Tirthan valley


My friend with his first catch


No Himalyan trip is complete without a furry friend


The view at Jalori pass


Some well deserved break for the bikes


Amazing beauty - On the way back