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BHPian ![]() Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Bangalore
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| 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more It was a rather long semester and I was just hobbling through it, waiting for it to end. My beloved CBR waited 4 long months to be ridden. Then, the horror of the semester ended and I landed in Bangalore even before some people packed their bags. I was obviously happy to be back in the warmth of my loving family but I was equally happy to see my CBR, for now I could do that one thing I was pining for – RIDE! I felt like a toddler who reunited with his most cherished toy. I was in Bangalore only for 20 days this time. And I am still scratching my head as to how fast time flew by. It didn’t seem like twenty days at all. All I can remember of my winter vacation is a family road trip, meeting a couple of friends, one bike ride and then it was time for me to leave! This post is my attempt to cherish at least those 4 beautiful days that I spent riding before I am lost in what this semester has to offer me. The plan to do this ride started sometime around November. Although the dates of the ride weren’t fixed, we knew where we wanted to go. We planned to do it sometime in the first week of January. As January neared, the dates were decided upon. We decided to leave from Bangalore on the 8th of Jan and return on the 11th. It was going to be a 4 day ride consisting of 4 of us on 4 CBRs. (The CBRs happened by chance and not by any CBR club. We 4 friends love the little CBR. :P) Day 1: Bangalore – Coorg – Ooty - Munnar On Jan 8th all of us assembled at a gas station close to my house at 5:20 AM. With the customary pictures taken, we left at 5:30 AM. We knew today was going to be a long day ahead. Being mentally prepared is the easiest way to tackle such ordeals. We reached Mysore by 7:15 and took the ring road towards Hunsur. We didn’t take the road from Srirangapatna owing to its condition. We hit the highway to Hunsur and were desperately looking for a restaurant to have breakfast. Our lack of patience and the need for a break made us halt at a random restaurant by the highway. After munching on the typical south Indian breakfast of Idlis we got about talking about the day’s task. It was only after seeing the distance to be covered that we realized we wasted an hour for breakfast. Immediately we sprang up and rushed to leave. It took another 10 minutes for each of us to finish donning our riding gear and then we were off to Virajpet. Virajpet came soon after the breakfast and we stopped here to re-fuel. Then we decided to defy google and take the longer route to Ooty through Mananthavady. We took this decision because of the seemingly more interesting curves. My friend and I had done both the routes to Ooty earlier and preferred this over the other. From Gonikkopal to Kutta, it was heaven. The roads were absolutely smooth and the traffic was sparse. I can’t begin to explain how much I loved the Michelins on these twisty roads. I am sure there are far better tires, but at this price, this is serious bang for the buck and I was enjoying cornering on these like I have never enjoyed. We all enjoyed. We didn’t even stop to take in the scenery because we didn’t want to stop cornering. It felt wonderful. As we crossed the border, the road condition deteriorated. The forest roads were maintained quite well although the occasional potholes did keep us on our toes. But from there on, the roads were tiring which killed our pace and butts. From Beenachi again, the road conditions were superb and this brought back life into us poor bikers. After a small break at Beenachi, we were charged up and ready for Ooty. Ooty came at 2 PM. The last bit of curves to Ooty is one to be experienced on a motorcycle. We found an “Amma’s Kitchen” at Ooty and had a decent meal to refresh ourselves. At 3:30 PM we left from Ooty for Munnar. The road from Ooty to Coonoor, although smooth, was extremely narrow. Narrow twisty roads are really a rider’s paradise I would say! We enjoyed every single mile along this road. Coonoor had some of the most beautiful scenery we experienced since morning. The roads got slightly broader but still twisty enough to keep us entertained. We rode on and on until we were out of the ghats and onto the straights. Once we reached the Annur highway, after another short break, it was smooth sailing until Udumalpet. We reached Udumalpet at about 8:30 in the night. By now we were tired, our butts were aching, our shoulders begged for a bed, and we thought we took too much on our plate for the day. And we did. But we already paid for a hotel at Munnar and hence we had to reach. After relishing some hot Kothu-Parantha at a restaurant in Udumalpet we left at 10:10 PM to Munnar. We were 4 mad motorcyclists ready to traverse the forest roads in pitch dark after a long hard day. We thought we’d see no other 2 wheelers but we were surprised to come across another group of riders who were coming back from Munnar. But they were slightly more intelligent for they had the company of a car with them and they were at the end of the forest when we were just starting. After a series of checkposts, we entered the bumpy roads of the forest and rode on and on. We rode for 2 and half hours continuously to cover 85 km in absolute darkness and isolation. There were dangerous drops, the temperature fell with each mile stone we passed and road only got bumpier which added to our butt ache. But we decided not to stop and pushed on and on until we reached Munnar. Our hotel was in Devikulam which was about 7km from Munnar. The last 7km seemed like they went on forever. However, by around 1 AM we reached our hotel in Devikulam. It was a homestay and I would recommend this to anyone who would wants complete isolation for one or two nights. The rooms were clean and the owner was a pleasant gentleman who stayed up to welcome us at 1 AM. While all the check in procedure and all was hazy, what I remember was the sight of a comfortable bed and that is all that we needed after such hard riding. After washing ourselves, each of us jumped into our beds and slept like babies until the mobile alarm rang at 7:30 AM. Day 1: 700 km (~450Km ghats) Day 2: Munnar – Idduki – Kanyakumari Still tired from yesterday’s ride, we had to push each other out of the bed to take a shower and embark on today’s ride. It was 9 by the time we went for breakfast. Breakfast consisted of some idlis, omlette and toast. It filled us to keep going until lunch. At 10 we started to Idduki. 10 min into the ride and we realized how splendid the scenery was and we wanted to stop at every corner to click pics. We lost precious time doing this but I have no regrets. As the scenery started growing on us, the roads went from bumpy to potholed to broken! Our butts, still not recovered from yesterday’s battle were subjected to more torture to say the least. We begged for a smooth road and that was exactly what we got. When we were about 10 km from the dam, we were welcomed by what I would call as a rider’s paradise. Freshly laid tarmac, lane markers through some smooth corners and almost zilch traffic, just like the Kutta stretch but this time around, it was even better for we longed for it! Brilliant stretch of road. Scrapping foot pegs through those corners was an absolute bliss. I didn’t care to go see the dam as much as I cared to ride on this road again. We reached Idduki and although we couldn’t click pictures, we soaked in the scenery. Time to have lunch said all our tummies. And so we headed to the nearest town and had quite a heavy lunch. At around 4 pm, we left for Kanyakumari. Although the first few kilometers were entertaining, soon the background sobered down, the sun fell and the roads got confusing. Mobile mounts for bikes is the single most important thing that every tourer must have. Although I have gone through the length of the country on my CBR, I still didn’t learn my lesson and don’t have a RAM mount on my bike. This slowed us down considerably and hence exhausted us. By the time we climbed on the NH 44, it was 8 pm. We stopped for dinner at a restaurant recommended by the locals. I relished on some chicken-kothu while my vegetarian friends enjoyed their stuff. By 9 pm we refueled at a nearby gas station, hit the highway and the maps said we were 215 km away from our hotel. After those bumpy and twisty roads, we didn’t realize how much we would appreciate some smooth straight NH. We kept the throttle wide open and dispensed the 215 km in 2 hours sharp. By 11 pm we reached our hotel. It was called “Hotel Tri Sea”. The hotel’s location was very good and the rooms were pretty clean. Although we didn’t have the energy to explore, it apparently had a roof top swimming pool. All this for Rs. 2400/- for a 4 bed occupancy seemed like a great bargain. Even this night we slept like babies. We wanted to wake up at 5:45 AM to see the sun rise from the beach and so the alarms were set. Day 2: 420 km Day 3: Kanyakumari – Rameshwaram Although our bodies didn’t want to get out of bed, the thought of seeing the sun rise from the tip of India got us out. Quickly we rushed to beach to enjoy one of the prettiest sun rises I’d seen. We were near the Vivekananda rock memorial and the whole sight was one to remember in a long time. One major put off was the number of people present there. It was the most crowded beach I’ve ever seen! Overall, it was a nice experience I’d say. At about 7:30 AM we went back to the hotel to have a nice hot shower. By the time each of us was done, it was 9:30 AM. We went downstairs to the breakfast buffet. After filling ourselves to our heart’s content, we packed bags and left for Rameshwaram. Just before we exited Kanyakumari, we refueled. The road to Rameshwaram was smooth for 95%. NH44 first and then the East coast road was smooth. The last 50 km to Rameshwaram was smooth and straight as an arrow. Here one could be tempted to wring the throttle open and then you are suddenly reminded how suicidal goats can be! Each and every goat there wanted to jump in front of our bikes. After the first few encounters, we maintained a safe enough pace to stop before they are killed. We crossed the utterly beautiful Pamban Bridge without stopping there since we wanted to see the train passing by it. We reached Hotel Pearl Residency at 5 PM, checked in and asked them when the train would be arriving on the Pamban. The receptionist was knowledgeable enough to let us know. So by 6 PM we were back at Pamban to witness the beautiful scenery made by Mother Nature and mankind in chorus. The train came at 6:20 PM and crossed the bridge in such majesty. By 7 PM we went to the famous and magnificent Rama Natha Swamy Temple. We were back at the hotel for dinner and then called it a day. The receptionist told us that we could take our bikes till the tip of Dhanushkodi if we reached there before 6AM so we made up our minds for another early start. Day 3: 350 km Day 4: Rameshwaram – Bangalore The next morning we left for Dhanushkodi at 5:45 and by 6 we were in Dhanushkodi. It was one straight road that led us to the tip of India. What a feeling it was to ride in the middle of the sea. We clicked some customary pics and walked by the beach there. By 8 am we were back at the hotel. After some quick shower, we went for the buffet to fill our hungry stomachs again. By 10:30 AM we were ready to depart. After securing the luggage on the bikes, we left for Bangalore at 11 AM. Aware of the goat infested road conditions for the first 50km we maintained a decent pace. From there on, the road condition deteriorated slightly with some occasional potholes and uneven canal crossings. Also we crossed some towns like Karaikudi where we were completely lost without maps. The locals guided us correctly. Post Karaikudi till until Trichy, the roads were amazing. Although undivided, it was wide and well laid. We crossed Trichy by lunch time and ate lunch at some big restaurant by the highway. The food was amazing, although strictly vegetarian. Please excuse me for not being able to recollect the name of the restaurant. Post lunch, Trichy to Namakkal stretch was slightly twisty and we enjoyed this after the boring straights. The road conditions were quite good although it was slightly narrower than usual. From Nammakkal it was smooth sailing till Bangalore except for the traffic in Salem. We couldn’t thank enough for having a two wheeler amidst that traffic. We all reached home by 8 PM and this concluded the trip. The odo read 2100 km. Day 4: 650 km Mileage: 30 Kmpl (The black CBR gave about 32 Kmpl which we attributed to light weight of the rider; almost 25 kg difference) Hotels we stayed in: 1. Munnar: Hotel Pavithram (Our Rating: 3.5 / 5) 2. Kanyakumari: Hotel Tri Sea (Our Rating: 3.5/5) 3. Rameshwaram: Hotel Pearl Residency (Our Rating: 4/5) We rode more than 2k Km through 3 states in 4 days on 4 bikes. Some quick points: 1. Roads in Kerala were so-so for most part. Some parts of it were below average. 2. Roads in Tamil Nadu were excellent although one needs to be careful about goats, dogs and senseless boneheads (humans). 3. The Coorg-Ooty-Munnar stretch was a dream of my friend and mine after we read about it being one of the best riding wonders and I cannot see why it can’t be! It is a rider’s paradise really. Smooth twisty tarmac for 70% of the part, a scenery that was a treat to the eyes and a weather that didn’t wear us down with all that riding gear. 4. Michelins on the CBR really changed its character. I had been riding on Conti Gos for 44 thousand kilometers. I smacked my head for not changing to Michelins earlier. The bike is now so eager to lean into corners. The braking distance reduces significantly and more than anything, it brings in amazing confidence to the rider. 5. Obviously the skill levels of each rider differ from the other and this would greatly affect a group ride. Fortunately for us, each of us was very comfortable with each other and there was not one occasion where we lost each other. Although having communication sets like Sena would help, we managed it just fine without them. Each bike, ahead of the last one kept track of the bikes behind. 6. The only unsaid rule we followed was to maintain our line and lane and not ride beside each other. We didn’t follow any set formation or speed limit as this would just kill the joy of riding. We did give out hand signals while overtaking and slowing down. 7. For day rides, a mobile charger on the bike is not as necessary as a cell phone mount. Although I have a 12V charging point on my bike, I’d not used it once during this trip. Powerbanks were way more convenient. What we really needed was a RAM mount. We genuinely missed it and that would have eased the fatigue by at least 15-20%. 8. Taking breaks after every 2 hours keeps the butt ache away! Fitness is the key to finishing every long ride as planned. Clearly we weren’t as fit as we liked but we got there. Staying hydrated is another key factor. 9. We didn’t take any precautions in terms of the food we ate. We always ate to our heart’s content and didn’t feel sleepy at any point. While driving a car it could a different story altogether. But this doesn’t mean one wouldn’t feel drowsy on a motorcycle. I am just pointing out that food wouldn’t affect as much as general fatigue would. 10. Last but not the least, the baby CBRs held up quite well despite each bike’s varying age. The Tri color was the newest CBR with 11k on the odo. This was followed by the black CBR with 40k on the odo and then the red CBRs with 53k each on the odo. Performance, ride ability, efficiency, everything was more or less similar. The route of our trip: Helmet Selfie: It was one of the most beautiful rides we had gone on and we never wanted it to end; I especially didn’t want it to end because if it did, it would mark the end of my vacation and that meant I had to be away from my bike for another 4 months or more amidst another action packed semester! Nevertheless, the four of us came back home safely with lots of memories to cherish and a promise to do another big ride when I am back. Ride safe. |
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BHPian ![]() Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Bangalore
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| re: 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more Whoa! Must have been one exhilirating ride. Great pics too. ![]() Riding in pitch dark on the Munnar stretch must have been the highlight of the first day. I thought they usually deny entry to vehicles in these forests after dark (like Bandipur and Mudumalai), but I guess I was wrong. Not sure if it was worth it, but who would want to waste good money paid on a room that's already been booked. Anyway, me and a couple of other riding buddies are planning on doing the Bangalore - Coorg - Ooty - Munnar ride sometime in June/July and the route map and home stay info you provided will hold us in good stead. Thanks! |
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The following 2 BHPians Thank Snehal Sekhar for this useful post: | GTO, saishivaj |
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BHPian ![]() Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Bangalore
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| re: 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more Quote:
I am glad this post is going to be of help to you. Enjoy your ride ![]() | |
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The following BHPian Thanks saishivaj for this useful post: | GTO |
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| re: 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more Yes, I followed this same route on my RE DESERT STORM 500 cc in 2015 except that I returned from Oooty to Hyderabad. Of all that I covered , I liked Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram. My Bullet did not give any problems; it was a brand new one. This time I used my Honda 250cc for a ride 5300 km from Hyderabad to Shillong. I have to say I liked the ride on my Honda . Last edited by venuraja : 25th January 2017 at 10:04. |
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The following BHPian Thanks venuraja for this useful post: | saishivaj |
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Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() | Re: 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more Quote:
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The following BHPian Thanks PrasannaDhana for this useful post: | saishivaj |
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| Re: 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more Quote:
Hope the answer is not negative. Are cars allowed till the end of the new road? ![]() If I am right, earlier only 4X4s were allowed and if not, the hired Jeeps/Vans would take us there. Read about the new road being built till the land-end and was happy, till I remembered that this is India, and the local guys would have created some sort of ruckus to keep their income intact. And the only thing on the internet regarding it, other than your wonderful travelogue is of a Youtube video of a guy who rode his bike till the end. Or can we sneak out before sunrise ![]() | |
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The following BHPian Thanks DicKy for this useful post: | saishivaj |
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| Re: 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more Fantastic! Reg. riding through the forest, I have a story to share. Was driving through Nagarhole with my brother in our car. Needed to take a leak. I somehow thought its fine to do so in the forest, by the road. Brother told me to hold it in for some time. About 100m ahead, a bear was walking by the road. Lesson learnt. Cannot be too careful passing through forests. More so in the night on two-wheelers in the night, as you guys. Elephants can be a major problem too. Although yeah, I would have probably rode on too ![]() |
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BHPian ![]() Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Bangalore
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| Re: 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more Quote:
Quote:
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1. You get to go in your own vehicle. 2. At 6 AM, there was nobody there and we had the whole place to ourselves. It was peaceful. 3. The weather and the vista at 6 is just superb. Later on during the day, it would be hotter obviously. The road till the end is beautifully laid. Enjoy your trip. | |||
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BHPian ![]() Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Bangalore
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| Re: 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more Quote:
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| Re: 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more Even I did not like or enjoy RE desert storm 500 on four lane highways because after 90 kmph there was no joy , no cycling experience on RE and it was howling just too much after 100 or 110 . But on Honda riding at 120 was easy and pleasurable because there were zero vibrations. I touched 138 but even at that Honda gives the same smooth sound. I felt less tired on Honda. |
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| Re: 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more Nice write-up along with some beautiful pics, saishivaj ![]() Quote:
You can find my experience on this new road here, http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ml#post4086165 | |
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| Re: 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more Quote:
Do you have any idea? | |
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BHPian ![]() Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Bangalore
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| Re: 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more
I am not quite sure who is stopping, but from what I heard, before the road was built, the Taxi union stopped private vehicles from going to the end point and after that it was the police. Who ever is stopping, it would be a hassle for those who can't speak the local language to take their personal vehicle. |
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Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Bangalore
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| Re: 2200 km ride on 4 Honda CBR250Rs - Ooty, Munnar, Kanyakumari & more Quote:
Quote:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post4123297 | ||
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