[SaurAswale]

Its been 6 months to the incident. It was also the last time I went out for a long ride on my R15. After the repairs in March, I've only managed to ride the bike in the city on weekends, short spins of about 15-20 km each time, totaling only 300 km in three months. The thought of getting out of the city was always there, but as I explained in the last post my confidence needed rebuilding.

During these months, I planned long rides but just couldn’t get out of bed early on Saturday mornings. I visited my home twice, staying for a couple of weeks each time. I did long drives in our beloved i20 both times, which is another reason the ride got delayed.

Last month, I purchased my FIRST riding jacket, the Axor Nimbuz. An unusual choice, I know but I will explain more about it on 'The Riding Gear Thread' . This new gear motivated me to finally go on a ride. Last Saturday, I gathered all my courage and decided to go for it. The plan was to ride on the highway to the Karnataka border on NH65 (Mumbai Highway), refuel, and return.

I started from Hi-tech City at 9 am after a quick breakfast in my PG. Despite it being a weekend, there was considerable traffic, and it took me more than an hour to reach Sangareddy, 40 km away. The roads were chaotic until there, but traffic eased once I reached the toll road. I took a short break to check the tire pressure and then continued my journey.

The next 75 km were smooth sailing, it was pure joy after such a long time. This was what I had been missing. I decided not to stretch the machine and maintained a steady speed of 85-95kmph (including a 10% speedometer error) and arrived at the HP petrol pump at 11 am. I filled the tank to the brim, which took 9.85 liters of petrol at ₹100.50 per liter, about ₹7 cheaper than in Hyderabad. Had a good chat with a attendant about my bike. He loved how she looks. After a 15-minute break, I began my return journey.

The 75 km back on NH65 took exactly one hour, maintaining a steady speed of 95 km/h. I enjoyed continuous cruising, with a few short bursts of higher speeds on empty stretches. However, the traffic resumed once the toll road ended, and it took me another 75 minutes to cover the last 40 km. I faced a little rain towards the end of the ride and reached my PG at 1:30 pm. This time without any breaks. 2.15 hrs of continuous riding. I thought it would be tiring to ride without breaks, but I didn't faced any problem.

Stats:
Total Distance: 230.5 km
Time on Saddle ~4 hours 15 minutes
Odometer Reading: 8732 km after the trip

Riding Gear:
Helmet: Axor Apex Joker Edition
Gloves: Axor Spyder (CE certified)
Jacket: Axor Nimbuz
Shoes: Adidas Rigket trekking shoes (riding shoes will be bought soon)
Additional Gear: Inner layers for comfort (riding pants or knee protectors to be purchased later)
I know some people have reservations about Axor products, but I chose them because they provided the best value for my money. All items were bought at different times and only when I was getting a good deal.


The bike performed excellently, with no issues at higher speeds. The sweet spot was at 95-97 km/h (around 86-88 km/h on Google Maps). VVA activates around 95 km/h and 6800-7000rpm. The engine remained smooth up to 112-115 km/h, with some vibrations at the handlebar after 112. I didn’t push it too much, but I believe it could touch 140 km/h on the speedometer. There were minor vibrations at 67-72 km/h around 5000 RPM, only highlighted due to smooth nature of the engine elsewhere. Another issue I explained in my last post is still there. The bike pulls slightly to the left when I take both hands off the handlebars. I haven't found a resolution to this issue yet. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

The best part was the fuel economy, which showed 56.7 km/l (indicated) even with high-speed riding on the highway. Will confirm at time of next tankful.

Overall, this ride has given me a much-needed boost to my confidence. I'm planning another trip to the same spot at the end of this month. Let's see how it goes!

Petrol at HP petrol pump


Axor Nimbuz Jacket

[SaurAswale]

As stated in my previous post, I did go on another ride on the same route, starting a bit earlier this time. I started at 7 am from my PG and returned at 12:30 pm, adding 241 km to the odometer. There’s nothing particularly special to report, but I have some numbers and a doubt.

During my last ride, I received great fuel economy while returning—56.7 kmpl. This time, it was different. I took a break at 40 km, and up to that point, everything was normal. However, for the next 75 km leg, the fuel economy dropped mysteriously. It was showing 38-40 kmpl at a constant 90 kmph cruise. Previously, it showed around 48, and much less than that around 95 kmph. I'm still not sure what caused this. The bike ran perfectly, didn't feel any reduction in pickup and no hesitation at higher speeds. But the drop on FE was real.

I refueled at the same petrol pump—5.44 liters at 103.55 rs this time. The bike had run 284 km from the last refueling. The indicated fuel economy was dropped to 50 kmpl, and the calculated FE was 52.21 kmpl. It is a great number in isolation for any bike while doing those speeds. But the last 75 km leg affected it by at least 5 kmpl.

Magically, the issue went away on the return trip. I gunned it for the first 30 km, with the average speed showing 87 kmph—15% less than the cruising speed and some short bursts above it. Even after this, the fuel economy was still a strong 45 kmpl. The bike was back in its element. That's why I love this 155cc.

After that, I settled down to 90 kmph for the remaining part of the highway. The last 25 km were full of traffic as always. Due to reduced speeds, the indicated FE jumped to 53.4 kmpl when I parked it.

Here are some more numbers I observed during the return (I'm a engineer, can't help it):
- Below 80 kmph constant speeds: 60+ kmpl
- 88-90 kmph: 52 kmpl
- 95-96 kmph: 48 kmpl
- At 100 kmph: 44 kmpl ( VVA activates at 96)
- At 105 kmph: 38 kmpl

92-96 kmph (85-88 on GMaps) feels like a sweet spot in terms of efficiency and safety while maintaining good average speeds. The engine still has a little torque left if needed.

Next ride will be on the third weekend of this month to celebrate 1 year of the purchase. Maybe to the same place- maybe somewhere else. There are also some uncertainties in my professional life for now.

With that, I'll conclude this post. Please let me know if you have any idea why the fuel economy dropped suddenly and then recovered magically after the stop. I inspected the bike after refueling but didn't found anything abnormal.

BTW I've still not renamed it, how Nimbus2000 sounds like?? Too cliche??