[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Was checking for tyre options for the Tiger Sport 660. Guess it makes sense to switch to Vredestein Centauro ST - can get two pairs for the price of the Michelins.

I have had the STs on the Versys and they were pretty decent tyres.

Any real world reviews for the Eurogrip Roadhound? Have seen some journos go crazy about it - but it looks too early to get any real world feedback.

Option 1: Michelin Road 6 = 48,000/-
Option 2: TVS Eurogrip Roadhound = 29,998/-
Option 3: Vredestein Centauro NS = 26,563/-
Option 4: Vredestein Centauro ST = 24,438/-

Suggestions welcome

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

New addition to the garage: Royal Enfield Hunter 350

If there is one brand that must be getting the folks at Triumph tensed about the future roadmap - it could be Royal Enfield. Both of them claim authentic British heritage, and both are rediscovering how the classic motorcycle should appeal to the modern audience. Well, I'm going to have a taste of both worlds because wife decided to pick up a Royal Enfield Hunter 350 as the second motorcycle (and the third two-wheeler) for our garage.

Those in our Bangalore biking circles would already know this bike - belonging to BHPian deepfreak15 and just having completed 1 year and 1500kms. Interestingly, even the Tiger Sport was bought 6 months, 2288 kms used - so I have been lucky with getting bikes which are just about run in! Thanks a ton to Deepak for passing this bike on!

This will be the first motorcycle experience for wife and it's her own choice as well. After Deepak mentioned about the sale, she went to the showroom and checked how comfortable she was - and absolutely loved what Royal Enfield has done with the Hunter. From a vocal Royal Enfield hater to a convert - it's turned out to be quite a revelation for her.

A size too small for me, but then - I will continue to use the Tiger Sport 660 as my city and highway machine. Whereas she will use the Aerox 155 for the city and the Hunter 350 for highways.



Deepak was kind enough to do a service before handover. The below accessories were already added to the bike - sump guard, custom seat, LED indicators and touring mirrors. I went ahead and added two more today - the engine guard and the visor.

All three two wheelers in the garage for now-

[abhi_tjet]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Option 3: Vredestein Centauro NS = 26,563/-
Suggestions welcome

I would recommend NS if going for Vredestein since my overall experience was just ok with ST, nothing fabulous about that. They were quite prone to puncture as well. I opted for ST since NS wasn’t in stock. I have heard good reviews for NS.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

New addition to the garage: Royal Enfield Hunter 350

Congratulations CrAzY dRiVeR to you and your better half for one more addition! Beautiful bike and quite practical one at that.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by abhi_tjet

Congratulations CrAzY dRiVeR to you and your better half for one more addition! Beautiful bike and quite practical one at that.

Thank you

Originally Posted by abhi_tjet

I would recommend NS if going for Vredestein since my overall experience was just ok with ST, nothing fabulous about that. They were quite prone to puncture as well. I opted for ST since NS wasn’t in stock. I have heard good reviews for NS.

Thanks for the feedback. After asking this question - I got some feedback on premature wear and poor ageing of the STs, especially for bikes which are slightly heavier. Guess it is best not to go for them.

How many kilometres did these last you?

I was somehow under the impression that ST was dual compound was NS was not - but looks like even the NS has harder compound towards the center.

[abhi_tjet]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Thank you
How many kilometres did these last you?

I was somehow under the impression that ST was dual compound was NS was not - but looks like even the NS has harder compound towards the center.

I used them for 9k kms before selling the bike. At most, I would have used them for couple of thousand kms more(in dry weather conditions ). The centre part had became quite flat in 15 months.
For the sake of comparison, the OEM Pirelli’s were good for further couple of thousand kms when I changed them proactively at 13k kms.

As per my knowledge, the NS are dual compound ones and ST’s aren’t. I may be wrong though.

IMO, Michelins would be your best bet for peace of mind.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Service booking

One year mark also brings up the annual service and since I have an AMC with Keerthi till the next year end - booked with them only with all the apprehension. Slot received for next Monday, fingers crossed.

Received a call from the receptionist today that the service center is under some renovation and they can take the booking only for the next week. Was foolish of me to expect Keerthi won't make things interesting

Originally Posted by abhi_tjet

As per my knowledge, the NS are dual compound ones and ST’s aren’t. I may be wrong though.

You are right. Website also mentions this! Such a strange decision from Vredestein.

Thank you

[TRR]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Was checking for tyre options for the Tiger Sport 660. Guess it makes sense to switch to Vredestein Centauro ST - can get two pairs for the price of the Michelins.

I have had the STs on the Versys and they were pretty decent tyres.

Option 1: Michelin Road 6 = 48,000/-
Option 2: TVS Eurogrip Roadhound = 29,998/-
Option 3: Vredestein Centauro NS = 26,563/-
Option 4: Vredestein Centauro ST = 24,438/-

Would recommend trying out the Vredestein Centauro NSs, if you're not planning to do any off-roading. I moved to them on my GSX-S750 and have run around 4500 kms on them so far. They've performed well above what their price tag suggests. Was apprehensive initially, but after multiple rides in the ghats, both in the dry and in torrential rains, I have found them more than adequate. Yet to lose grip even when putting down the GSX's 115 horses on the lowest TC setting.

Compared to my last set of the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIIs, I'd say they're almost 90% of the way there. So unless you're planning on serious knee-down corner carving, the NSs are well worth a shot, especially considering that they come in at almost half the price of the Road 6s.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by TRR

Would recommend trying out the Vredestein Centauro NSs, if you're not planning to do any off-roading.

Tiger Sport 660 is just a Trident / Street Triple 675 with ADV styling, a comfortable stance and more practicality (more suspension travel + luggage capabilities). No offroading at all planned in this - except if needed to reach some destination (which other bikes in the group can also manage - so not heavy offroading anyways).

Originally Posted by TRR

I moved to them on my GSX-S750 and have run around 4500 kms on them so far. They've performed well above what their price tag suggests. Was apprehensive initially, but after multiple rides in the ghats, both in the dry and in torrential rains, I have found them more than adequate. Yet to lose grip even when putting down the GSX's 115 horses on the lowest TC setting.

Compared to my last set of the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIIs, I'd say they're almost 90% of the way there. So unless you're planning on serious knee-down corner carving, the NSs are well worth a shot, especially considering that they come in at almost half the price of the Road 6s.

Good to know. Thanks a lot for this feedback. Aligns with what abhi_tjet was saying as well. Will leave out the ST and take a closer look at the NS.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Talking of the Michelins - this is how the stock tyres look with 11,300 kms on the odo.

Ageing pretty well -

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

What is the % charged by customs for imports of small value?

Just got delivered this heel plate protective sticker from Amazon UK and customs charged Rs 773/- for a £14.28 item (with £6.50) for shipping.

Almost 50% in value terms. Is that a right value to expect?



To make matters worse, the final leg of delivery was done by India Post and they didn't have UPI or card payment.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Talking of the Michelins - this is how the stock tyres look with 11,300 kms on the odo.

Dr CD, these Michelin Road series tires (4 / 5 / 6) are known to be really long lasting even in Indian conditions. I know several riders who have extracted around 20,000 kms from these tires. Needless to say, riders who ride it like they stole it, might complain about a shorter tire life

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

What is the % charged by customs for imports of small value?

Just got delivered this heel plate protective sticker from Amazon UK and customs charged Rs 773/- for a £14.28 item (with £6.50) for shipping.

Almost 50% in value terms. Is that a right value to expect?

Attachment 2530264

To make matters worse, the final leg of delivery was done by India Post and they didn't have UPI or card payment.

Expect to pay around 38 to 42% in customs for any product. You will have to pay the postman / postwoman in cash. The delivery charge would have included a Rs 100 fee for the postal services, as well.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Diwali Mangalore Overnighter

Huge shoutout to KarthikK for helping with hotel and food suggestions for this last minute request.

Happy Diwali folks!

Prologue - The cancelled Tirunelli ride:

My friend (CB500X owner) and I were supposed to ride to Tirunelli, Wayanad this weekend. This destination has been pending since long and is one of his favourite places to visit. Somehow never worked out for me and the same happened this time as well - with relatives visiting him last minute for Diwali.

That left me with the need for a last minute backup plan - and two ideas came to mind - 1. Ride to Pondicherry for an overnighter or 2. Ride to Mangalore for an overnighter. The second after I thought Mangalore - Pabbas came to mind, the much-hyped ice cream place that I wanted to visit since a decade now! No more doubts - the plan was fixed - Pabbas it would be!

Next up - messaged Karthik to ask for suggestions on stay and food. He had informed me earlier that he would be travelling to Mangalore with family this month, but I had forgotten that it is the same weekend. Karthik would be driving his Honda Brio this time with his better half and his mom. Our man quickly sent me a detailed itinerary for an overnighter - and we decided to meet at Pabbas for the ice cream.

The plan he sent, and I followed blindly

Mangalore plan:
- leave at 5
- breakfast anywhere on the way to hassan
- ibbani cafe / fresh bean cafe optional stop
- take charmadi ghat and reach Mangalore by 1pm
- lunch at Maharaja restaurant (seafood). Please skip overhyped Machali and GiriManja
- proceed to Pabbas ideal cafe, Bharat mall for ice cream
- evening snacks or dinner at Tajmahal cafe for authentic items
- next morning breakfast at Janatha deluxe
- check out of hotel and ride back to Bangalore via hassan or madikeri depending on time

Day 1

With a machine that came home just a day before, I was tempted to take the Hunter for this journey and also prepped it the previous night! But then decided it would be a lot more fun and practical to take the Tiger Sport only instead. Turned out to be a good decision indeed - especially with the fast flowing corners and excellent roads for the return through Sampaje ghat.

Here she sits with a fresh coat of wax and prep done, but missing out on the ride!



The Tiger Sport it is then! One of the benefits of riding solo is to wake up slowly and start the ride at a relaxed pace. Even though I woke up at 4AM, it just felt like a day where I wanted to sit and procrastinate with a cup of coffee! Net result - finally got ready and left by 5:30AM. Didn't fuel up thinking I can take the Hunter, so a quick detour to IndianOil (for XP95) later - I was on the road towards Tumkur



Traffic wasn't too bad and I was able to reach Yediyur by 7AM to stop at Paakashala for breakfast



Paakashala was almost empty when I reached! This place is on the opposite side of the highway (heading towards Bangalore!) and hence attracts less crowd in the mornings. That said - the place did become crowded in the next 30 minutes or so before I left. Unfortunately, reaching so early meant they didn't have Neer Dosa in stock, my favourite dish to have from here. Sambar Idly and coffee would have to do for now. Lol!

Note for electric car owners: You get three dedicated slots with chargers here:



Started from Yediyur by around 8AM and got good progress to Belur - covering 130kms in ~1.5 hours. Stopped at Belur for XP95 once again. Shortly after exiting the Hassan bypass - I get a call from Karthik that he spotted me while they were taking a short break off the road. Since I would have covered another 2-3 kms by the time I got the call, we decided to meet at Ibbani Cafe, before the start of the Charmadi ghat section. That said - Karthik, being the pro-biker he is - knew exactly where to find me next!



Karthik driving the Honda Brio this time with his better half and his mom:



I sometimes pull his leg that the Brio AT is a slow car - but boy, was it difficult to catch up with him! He had a lead start, for I had to wear my helmet and gloves to start again - but took me almost a good 20 minutes to catch up with the car. Not even kidding - as the timestamp on the console suggests. Lol!



Rode behind the car for sometime - then decided to move ahead and catch up at Ibbani.



Ibbani Cafe is one of our usual stops when passing by on this route - with good parking, nice cold coffee and neer dosa.



They do prepare the neer dosa well, but I prefer to have mine with the coconut jaggery side dish and not sambar or chutney. That said - the cold coffee was tasty and refreshing as usual!



All smiles to meet up with Karthik:



Charmadi was an average experience with construction happening at many places and the roads narrow. The view was scenic no doubt, but the heat was not letting me enjoy the ride much! Didn't stop to take any pictures and made it to Mangalore by ~1:30 PM.

I would be staying at the Ocean Pearl hotel, whereas Karthik would be at the Goldfinch



Good clean rooms and facilities at the Ocean Pearl



The view from the window:



Took a quick bath and headed out for lunch at the famous Maharaja Restaurant. The place is just 5 minutes from the Ocean Pearl, when riding down. Parking spaces around are not too good (although I suspect they have basement parking for cars), and if not the ease of managing the Tiger Sport - I would have taken an auto for these city commutes.



Lots of seating options - indoor and outdoor:



Even more neer dosa! This time with prawns ghee roast - a good combination no doubt. But -



But the colour was scary! They do claim it is not added colours, but due to the variety of chilly used - which I find it hard to believe. Even post washing hands, two sets of tissues were needed to wipe the colour off! Large prawns but not very succulent (if thats the right word)



This watermelon mojito was extremely disappointing - even sweeter than the ice creams I tried at Pabbas bit later. Overall, I did find this place to be a bit too hyped and an average experience. Mangalore boys can correct me if I tried the wrong items.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Pabba's Ideal Cafe

Coming to the main agenda for the ride - the much hyped ice cream joint - Pabbas! Have heard of this place since ages but never had a chance to visit - till now. The boys had also done a trip in July, which I missed out. Anyways, back to the day - we met up at the Ideal Cafe Bharat Mall outlet by 4PM. Bharat Mall had some construction around the entry, so parking was on the adjacent street- not much of an issue with the Tiger Sport.



Trying their iconic Gudbud sandae:



Followed up with Marzi paan ice cream:



And followed it up with Parfait!



Yep, I had three ice creams back to back! Overall, I felt Pabbbas lived up to the hype - with nice flavours and variety offerings. Pan ice cream was excellent and really did imitate the exact flavours. They even have an ice cream thali - but thats for another day



Meanwhile - Karthik had a Gudbud



And a Pizza ice cream:



Thats one happy me, outside of Pabba's!



I thought I had enough of calories for the weekend, but the day was not to be! Visited my cousin and my aunt, who stay in Mangalore - and ended up being forced to eat two Masala Dosas, a cutlet and coffee. In the typical Indian family style - a no wouldn't be accepted at all! Funnily enough - the dosa also came from Pabba's. Didn't know they made such items too!

Somehow managed to ride back to the hotel thanks to the coffee, crashed on the bed and called it a day!

Day 2

Started the day early - got up and was out of the hotel by sunrise



Mangalore has a much more laid-back aura to it as compared to Bangalore. The streets were relatively empty by around 7:15am.



The air was clean, the weather just perfect, the streets all clean - I decided not to take the bike, but walk down to the breakfast place instead



Karthik had already prepped me for the morning. Here is the plan he sent the previous night. I stuck to it and picked two out of the items he suggested - from this old school vegeterian restaurant called Janatha Deluxe.

- Go to Janatha by 7.30am
- Not kidding
- Janatha deluxe has a small alley next to the restaurant. Can easily park your tiger there if you like. Best I would still say just walk down and take a rickshaw
https://maps.app.goo.gl/GRXY4ULRUBMA29Jd8?g_st=ic

Must try items:
- Kottige Thove (Idlis steamed in jackfruit leaf served with a kind of dal)
- Kashi halwa (Ash gourd pumpkin halwa with ghee)
- Thuppa dosa (thick ghee dosa)
- Mangalore buns
- Goli Baje

Good ambience on the inside. This was supposedly one of the luxurious hotels in an earlier decade - but only manages to look upmarket in modern times



When in Mangalore, have Mangalore buns. Lol!



Trying out Kottige Thove, idli steamed in jackfruit leaf served with a watery dal:



And finally - a good cup of coffee to kick start the day, before heading back to the hotel and checking out of the place for the return journey.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Return Ride

Since the onward was through Charmadi Ghat, decided to return via Madikeri. Mysore expressway being closed to motorcycles, Karthik suggested the route as - Mangalore - Puthur - Sullia - Sampaje - Madikeri - Kushalnagar - Arkalgud - Holenarsipur - Channarayapatna - Tumkur - Bangalore. Must say - I had a ton of fun during the return ride - which had excellent roads with fast flowing corners. Would wholeheartedly suggest this route over the Charmadi route for bikers!

Checked out of the hotel and was on the road by 10AM. Another tankful of XP95 and I'm all set to return to Bangalore.

Was a very pleasant co-incidence to run into Karthik yet again, this time totally unplanned. We probably had a 1km stretch common for us on our respective routes - and met on the road there only. Quick chat and click before parting our seperate ways for the day:



Beautiful roads to drive on:



With some nice scenery all around:



Quick stop for water somewhere before Sullia. I have never been a big fan of panniers, but they are extremely convenient no doubt! Since this was just an overnighter - the RHS pannier was just for the backup essentials - rain coat, tyre rollers, chain lube, puncture kit and a portable air compressor. LHS one had my travel bag, a pair of sneakers and water bottles.



The road from Sullia through Sampaje was a delight to ride with excellent tarmac and fast flowing corners.



I was having a total blast and made excellent progress, not getting chased down by any other vehicle on the road, except when -



When this guy turns up, and overtakes! I had the best few minutes of the ride trying to keep pace with him and watch him taking the corners oh-so beautifully, but soon backed off a bit realizing his skill levels were way better than mine

He came from behind once again after taking a quick breather. This time I signaled him when we came parallel at a traffic choke point, before pulling off to the kerb for a short chat. He seems to be an ex-rally rider from Mysore, who took delivery of a brand new Duke 390 only on Saturday and was out to complete the run-in period over the weekend itself. Wonderful machine this, the Duke 390 - that never fails to impress - especially with an expert rider on the saddle!



The Tiger Sport is no slouch either - and I absolutely love the improvements the Tiger Sport brings into cornering as compared to the competent Versys that I previously owned.



The best part is the fueling (Versys used to have a harsher on-off transition when powering out of corners), the much larger torque spread across the range and the excellent weight balance tipping into corners. I need to upgrade my skill levels to match the bike soon!



Found this viewpoint just before Madikeri and thought of taking some pictures. But unfortunately - a group of bikes decided to pull up even before I had a chance to put the bike on stand. So left the place and headed for lunch



Lunch was at Raintree, Madikeri - chosen for the location and good parking, once again as suggested by Karthik



Nice interior ambience, probably converted from an old-school house:



Iced coffee to start with! This one was very different compared to the usual cold coffee drinks available - and had a very authentic chickory filter coffee flavour to it. Was not loaded with sugar as usually expected either. Good!



Not only that - the creamy consistency soon gave way to pure cold black coffee at the bottom. I kind of liked this -



Even more neer dosa and squid ghee roast. Although the prawns were smaller than the ones in Maharaja Mangalore - these were tastier, the dish had less colour and was more enjoyable as well! May be just me - but I liked this lunch better than the Saturday one -



Elaneer (Tender coconut) payasam (kheer) to top it off!



Still had a long way to go post lunch. The route was Madikeri - Kushalnagar - Arkalgud - Holenarsipur - Channarayapatna - Tumkur - Bangalore. Thankfully the roads were good for the most part, even though there was a hundred speed breakers between Kushalnagar and Holenarsipur. Beautiful scenary all around made it particularly enjoyable.



Taking a short break for water:



Rejoined the Hassan highway by around 4:15 PM and reached Paakashala, Yediyur by 4:45 PM.



Feasting on Goli Bajje for snacks:



And yet another Cold coffee:



The Tiger Sport 660 impressed thoroughly once again and handled everything i could throw at it - highways, corners, poor roads, luggage, city traffic, commuting, everything! If only Bajaj/Triumph works on the dealership quality and ownership experience to match the riding experience these bikes provide!



Back home by ~6:45 PM. Overall trip distance of 803 kms.



Total odo reading as it stands now:



By the end of the two days - I felt like I had so much food and calories for a whole week in just a day! Finished the day by making a plain salad at home with some leaves, baby tomatos and paneer thrown in! Will need a couple of weeks to get out of the rush (adrenaline rush from the ride + sugar rush from all the food ) to die down!



Once again, Happy Diwali. Hope all of you had a nice Diwali weekend

[SRISRI_90]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Yep, I had three ice creams back to back!

This is Unbelievable, I call myself a foodie with a big appetite, yet I've never been able to have more than 2 Ice creams at Pabbas.
The Parafait especially is equal to a meal. Hats off to your capacity

Cant comment on the Fish hotels as I'm a Pure Vegetarian.

Also the return route choice is excellent. Best of both worlds, with good roads for about 95% of the time.