[goandude]

Originally Posted by barcalad

Very. It was around 38 degrees celsius this afternoon. Checked out Laitlum Canyons yet?

Yikes, that's hot. Will definitely check out this place. Didn't know it existed. Team BHP zindabad

[barcalad]

So, our morning ride went off extremely well.

We were on schedule, but had some time (and patience) consuming situations early on as my Google maps decided to go quiet on it's own (surprisingly!) and there were hardly and signboards to direct us.

The roads are really amazing at one point, and are meant to be cornered aggressively. One painful (as well as amusing) moment was when two of our co-riders on an Electra 350 almost ended up in a ditch because their rear mudguard got loose and wreaked havoc with the assistance of the rear tyre. Thankfully, both of them were safe and fine. We carried on to complete it our ride.

Short and simple, as I would describe it. Not to forget man_of_steel was totally belting it in the corners!

Attaching some photos as well.

[neil.jericho]

To say that the ride to Anchetty was a memorable one would be quite the understatement. Our group consisted of barcalad, man_of_steel (both on D390s), snehal sekar (Street 750), two of his colleagues on a 3 month old Bullet 500 and me (Continental GT, Royal Enfield not Bentley ). We left early to Hosur but struggled to find the right route after turning off the highway since none of us knew the way and we were getting contradicting directions from the locals. Barcalad who was leading the group also seemed to be have issues with his mobile so he had to keep stopping and checking the route. Eventually we left Hosur and before we knew it were hit by a nice drop in temperature as human habitation ceased and nature took over possession of both sides of the roads. A simple yet chilling reminder (no pun intended) of the changes we humans are causing unbeknownst to us.


After exiting out of a sharp turn, Snehal and I found his friends pushing the Bullet onto the road from the narrow shoulder. I feared the worst and suspected that they had somehow skid and fallen. Luckily that wasnt the case and the first thing we heard from them was that the rear brake had jammed. On closer inspection we found that the front end of the rear mud guard had unscrewed itself and was rubbing against the tyre causing it to lock up! Fortunately there was no traffic and the rider had the presence of mind to let the momentum scrub itself off before taking it off the road onto the shoulder. Check out the clear trail left by the locked rear tyre. I dont know about you but if that happened on my bike the skid marks wouldnt have only been on the road. Just saying. Jokes aside, in a different setting the consequences could have been catastrophic. Makes you wonder what they do as part of the RE PDI.

Skid marks

We unscrewed the mud guard and saw that the only other damage was to the sari guard and its opposing number. After a quick test ride, the owner found that the rear brake had lost a bit of its stopping power but decided to carry on with the pillion carrying the mud guard. Made for quite a sight. Speaking of sights, the route to Anchetty was quite beautiful and bereft of fields which meant we got to saw nature untouched and raw. When we finally reached there we asked one of the locals whether there was anything special that was worth checking out. With a laugh he replied that there was nothing in Anchetty and it was all just forests.


After some coffee we turned back and decided to explore some of the trails we had spotted earlier. The first one proved to be quite challenging and the Street 750 and Bullet owners were wise to not proceed beyond the first stretch. After making our way through underbrush, small rocks, sand and cacti, we eventually hit a dead end with the sense of accomplishment of having gone to a part of the world where no mechanized transport had made it only to hear the annoying sound of traffic on a road 10 feet away that was hidden by all the trees. So much for that!

We took a break at a small water body we had seen earlier and I used the chance to take a few more pictures.

Off the streets


I spy with my little eye the missing number plate


Cracked rims? Who cares?


Yellow fever

People ask me why I go for these rides after getting up so early on Saturdays or Sundays. While we were riding to Anchetty, there was a moment when man_of_steel slowed down and pointed to the left and the both of us just stared and shook our heads in amazement at what we saw. The morning sun's rays were doing their best to pierce the thick veil of mist that had enveloped the untouched hills and as far as we could see the shadows were slowly resigning themselves to their inevitable fate. Can a picture capture that moment of nature's glory in all its might? I doubt that. The human mind can only but take it in and appreciate true beauty. Its moments like that which make it all worthwhile.

[goandude]

Originally Posted by barcalad

Very. It was around 38 degrees celsius this afternoon. Checked out Laitlum Canyons yet?

Never heard of it but when I googled found out that it is a fantastic place to visit and so close to our home here in Shillong.

OT - The traffic in Shillong is like the rest of India in number of cars and 2 wheelers using less than optimal roads, but the discipline of the drivers here is, for a guy like me from Bangalore, amazing. Lane discipline, use of indicators (even taxi wallas), allowing cars to get in front of you at intersections, stopping for pedestrians, not overtaking on turns, feels like I'm in a foreign country.
Of course there are morons who violate the rules but they are rare exceptions.
Traffic constables are present at most junctions throughout the day, directing traffic which makes is all the more smoother.

[barcalad]

Originally Posted by goandude

Never heard of it but when I googled found out that it is a fantastic place to visit and so close to our home here in Shillong.

OT - The traffic in Shillong is like the rest of India in number of cars and 2 wheelers using less than optimal roads, but the discipline of the drivers here is, for a guy like me from Bangalore, amazing. Lane discipline, use of indicators (even taxi wallas), allowing cars to get in front of you at intersections, stopping for pedestrians, not overtaking on turns, feels like I'm in a foreign country.
Of course there are morons who violate the rules but they are rare exceptions.
Traffic constables are present at most junctions throughout the day, directing traffic which makes is all the more smoother.

That's really nice. Do share some pictures of the place!

I completely agree. Shillong has very disciplined drivers who're incredibly calm and cheerful even in traffic. Surprisingly most of them seem to know and recognize each other!

I remember the hordes of Maruti 800s in Black & Yellow the last time I was there. Last heard, there are Nanos and Hyundais too!

[barcalad]

Heading for a short ride tomorrow morning to Mekedatu-Sangama. It's the meeting point of two rivers and boasts of gorges, ravines and crocodiles. Not to forget pretty decent roads too. Starting at 5:30 sharp. It's 100kms one way.

Anyone wants in, you're most welcome to join me. So far, solo.

[Snehal Sekhar]

Barcalad, you could do a loop actually. From Mekedattu / Sangama instead of coming back via Kanakapura, you could come back via Anchetty - Denkanikottai - Hosur Road and reach Bangalore. It increases the distance by around 50 odd kms, but I've heard the roads are good and winds through a reserve forest area. The route is as follows:

At Kanakpura you should take the Sangam/Mekedatu road.
- About 5km from this point you see a deviation to left. This is the road you need to take.
- It crosses over Arkavathy and continues to Hunasanahalli.
- At the border you hit a Y junction. One road goes to Thally while the other goes to Anchetty.

[barcalad]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

Barcalad, you could do a loop actually. From Mekedattu / Sangama instead of coming back via Kanakapura, you could come back via Anchetty - Denkanikottai - Hosur Road and reach Bangalore. It increases the distance by around 50 odd kms, but I've heard the roads are good and winds through a reserve forest area. The route is as follows:

At Kanakpura you should take the Sangam/Mekedatu road.
- About 5km from this point you see a deviation to left. This is the road you need to take.
- It crosses over Arkavathy and continues to Hunasanahalli.
- At the border you hit a Y junction. One road goes to Thally while the other goes to Anchetty.

Sounds good and exciting. Thanks a ton for the valuable info!

[sammyboy]

Originally Posted by barcalad

Sounds good and exciting. Thanks a ton for the valuable info!

Damn, wish I had seen it before. Love to join, if u see this before u leave call me pls. Pming the number.

[barcalad]

Right, then. Had prepared myself for a solo ride and was figuring out the route and timings. Woke up in the morning, was having a cup of coffee (4:45 AM) when something pricked me to log in to Team Bhp. Logged in. 1 New Private Message. Turns out sammyboy has left me his number and wants to join me!
Immediately called him (he was awake, thankfully) and fixed up the meeting point. Double timed. Made it to the rendezvous point right on time.

The ride towards Kanakpura was brilliant, with literally no traffic and both of us cutting no slack to the corners.
The rural countryside was a sight to see, with big horned cows always eager to ram their USPs onto our bikes. Barely any pothole, we made it to Mekedatu flawlessly. My navigator worked perfect, unlike our last ride.

Now, this place was empty and serene, as we were the first ones (probably) to visit. Alcohol bottles were strewn around the parking area. Walked a few meters to the river bank, it was shabby to say the least. Garbage thrown around. The water was dark and dingy with un-necessary signboards all over the place, including in the middle of the river. Nevertheless, the early morning breeze and sunrise compensated and we started back satisfied. Had breakfast at a restaurant post Kanakpura and took NICE to exit at Banashankari after which we hit our respective roads.

Pleasure to ride with sammyboy, though. Always keeping the same average speed as me. Hitting the tarmac with you again very soon, mate!

Prospective riders to the place, be aware of those seductive corners as many of them sweep deep and can cause anxiety. The hairpin bends appear out of nowhere.

Attaching some photos. sammboy and me were fascinated by how a dude had tied up his helmet on his FZ (ignorant of the fact that the heat can cause damage). For a second, it looked like an aftermarket toolbox on the bike.

[sammyboy]

Originally Posted by barcalad

Immediately called him (he was awake, thankfully) and fixed up the meeting point. Double timed. Made it to the rendezvous point right on time.

Pleasure to ride with sammyboy, though. Always keeping the same average speed as me. Hitting the tarmac with you again very soon, mate!

Thanks a lot for not just calling me up but also coming all the way to MG road to guide me through. Knowing my awesome sense of direction, I wouldnt have been able to reach your meeting point. Really appreciate the gesture bro.

The ride was lovely and so were the twisties, some of them were really tricky , a seemingly innocuous corner suddenly turned out to be a hair pin when you least expected it to. The view was fantastic and so was the ride.

I was just happy to be able to stay within sight of Barcalad, thanks for letting the old man catch up

Pleasure riding with you man, will love to do it more often.

Was planning to ride today too but managed to sprain my neck so had to cancel my plans.

[barcalad]

Originally Posted by sammyboy

Thanks a lot for not just calling me up but also coming all the way to MG road to guide me through. Knowing my awesome sense of direction, I wouldnt have been able to reach your meeting point. Really appreciate the gesture bro.

The ride was lovely and so were the twisties, some of them were really tricky , a seemingly innocuous corner suddenly turned out to be a hair pin when you least expected it to. The view was fantastic and so was the ride.

I was just happy to be able to stay within sight of Barcalad, thanks for letting the old man catch up

Pleasure riding with you man, will love to do it more often.

Was planning to ride today too but managed to sprain my neck so had to cancel my plans.

Anytime, man. However, if I had to come to MG Road from my place between 4PM to 8PM, I'd rather live navigate you via the phone, courtesy me.

Absolutely. Almost lost my composure on a lot of unexpected hairpins. So mighty impressed by the Michelin, though.

Please don't mention it! The meaning of a group ride is to ride together and to maintain that telepathy and co-ordination. If one were to use all of his available horses, it's better if he rides all alone than with someone with him. Absolutely not my thing!

How so? I hope you're all good, mate. Remember, we've got something big coming up!

[Sojogator]

Shreeni, Djay, Roshan, Sharath, Mohit & me took a ride to the scorching and baking Krishnagiri dam this sunday !

Great road ! Some diversions to be aware of. Trucks blocking the highway after the toll for their permits. A scenic dam. 5Rs per head entry fee

We were back by 1130 AM and had started off from the end of the elevated way toll in e-city at around 0630 AM. Great Ride chasing the rest of the faster lot

[Snehal Sekhar]

Originally Posted by Sojogator

Shreeni, Djay, Roshan, Sharath, Mohit & me took a ride to the scorching and baking Krishnagiri dam this sunday !

Great road ! Some diversions to be aware of. Trucks blocking the highway after the toll for their permits. A scenic dam. 5Rs per head entry fee

I went to the same place almost a month and a half ago and was never able to locate this place. I reached the dam allright and paid a fiver to the person sitting at the gate but from there on, all I got to see was the sluice valves running dry and nothing more. I enquired with a few locals and they said that the only thing to see around here was the park. Not sure how you folks got to take your bikes near that water body, cause I never got to see any of this on my trip there.

[barcalad]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

I went to the same place almost a month and a half ago and was never able to locate this place. I reached the dam allright and paid a fiver to the person sitting at the gate but from there on, all I got to see was the sluice valves running dry and nothing more. I enquired with a few locals and they said that the only thing to see around here was the park. Not sure how you folks got to take your bikes near that water body, cause I never got to see any of this on my trip there.

From the park, you're to take a left, which leads you to a bridge from where the dam is to your right. Keep riding on that road for a kilometre or two, and then towards your right, you'll see various dirt roads heading towards the reservoir bank where one can easily park and admire the scenic view.