indimotard adventures

Wrung What You Brung!

2012-02-10T11:37:00.000+05:30

We're off to the track right now, 45 track junkies on their way. And each one of them will have wrung that throttle wide open by the end of the weekend.

Thousand Click Commute

2012-02-05T20:03:00.000+05:30

Remember Idgundi, remember a right turn there that it's saves you 30clicks on a 600 km commute. Remember that it's one of the best dual sport trails this side of the Himalayas.

This 100km has got twisties, and some awesome fire trails, with breathtaking views and waterfalls. What passes off as state highway 6 is one of the best detours to take to get to Goa from Bangalore

If you have a Dual sport, or ride the tits of what ever you have. Go Ride This Trail. Freakin' awesome!

Reason #401

2012-02-02T20:01:00.000+05:30

Classic 500 rebuilt. 35Kg off makes for a decent moto..

Philosophy and Tea Podi

2012-02-01T07:18:00.000+05:30

I couldnt help but think that this applies to anyone..

but most of all to the "auto-bots" at RE who make a commercial poduct that really represents the state of apathy to customer satisfaction, quality and service.

This also applies to those who cannot bend their mind to look beyond mediocrity as an achievement, accepting the drivel that is shoved down your "conspicuous consumption" throat, while actually celebrating "mediocrity".

Open your mind.

ride anything on two wheels

the more you know the less you know

ride them all

know the difference

make your choice

but dont take shit lying down, especially when you know you are getting a raw deal.

indiMotard opens?

2012-01-30T17:24:00.000+05:30

RestoMod

2012-01-26T10:29:00.000+05:30

RestoMod [ˈrɛstəʊ mod]: Verb: to restore a vintage automobile to a condition as it was sold using modern replacements for parts that are prone to excessive wear or breakdown (either due to poor quality of manufacture, deterioration with time or just downright ugly)

You can come by the indiMotard Shop and we'll can give your machine (or you) a restomod.

Get a Motorcycle...Get...

2012-01-15T12:04:00.000+05:30

Get yourself one today... Or come and get one of ours... Motorcycles that is.

indiMotard can set you up on the weekend or any other day with a motorcycle and a map, and instantly up your irresistibility quotient

The ultimate wanderlust'er

2011-12-05T21:26:00.001+05:30

Motorcycle Tour in Cambodia, 2012.

2011-11-11T18:21:00.000+05:30

Tomb Rider 2012

Ride with us and explore Cambodia! We ride Honda XR250's through dusty trails down to the coast of Cambodia, while the mighty Angkor Wat waits to be held in awe. Landmines, lake beds, fried spiders are all part of the luxury!!

Team indiMotard.
We take you places only on a Motorcycle!!

Turn the lights down low...

2011-10-19T04:15:00.000+05:30

And keep that throttle wrung... GO GO GO!!!

Another day, another ride...

2011-07-08T09:32:00.000+05:30

Life, it's ever so strange
It's so full of change
Think that you've worked it out
Then BANG
Right out of the blue
Something happens to you
To throw you off course

It'll take you round and round
Sometimes you're up
Sometimes you're down

It's just a ride, it's just a ride
No need to run, no need to hide

Don't be scared
Don't hide your eyes
It may feel so real inside
But don't forget it's just a ride

Slowly, oh so very slowly

Accept that

There's no getting off

So live it, just gotta go with it

Coz this ride's, never gonna stop

Himalayas 2011, Motorcycles and more

2011-05-18T16:25:00.000+05:30

Two Exotic Motorcycle Tours in the Himalayas for 2011

Twister Pass
The mighty Himalayan range begins all the way from Kinnaur in Himachal when you descend into the Spiti valley, a barren desert land with some of the oldest monasteries know to civilization adding colour to the stark landscape. Whether it's a visit to the austere Kye monastery, spotting ibex and blue sheep at Kibber or just the fact that you are under constant surveillance from the Chinese, being a few clicks away from the border: We promise you that the enchanting Spiti valley is a quick detour that will etch your journey to the World's Highest Motorable road, deep in your mind and churn up stories to pass down the generations.

Paradise Isle
So you've heard about the notorious 16000 ft and Baralach La and the never ending climb above the clouds at Tanglang La, Leh being the oasis before you reach the top of the world at Khardung La, right? Ever wondered what's on the other side? This year let indiMotard take you to the top of the world and beyond. Into the mystic, where the clouds part ways and streaks of sunlight light up a place that one can only describe as paradise. Deserts, rivers meandering through lush green orchards and snow capped peaks that once were passing scenery along the great silk route become our riding grounds. Join us on the other side, it's called Nubra Valley.

Roadside Assistance...

2011-04-08T09:28:00.001+05:30

Always brings a smile to your face.... especially in Cambodia

Road Food #237

2011-04-07T08:49:00.000+05:30

Deep fried, Crispy, and Brown...DELICIOUS!!!

The Wheel Deal

2011-04-03T22:21:00.000+05:30

Now that's what you call riding the wheels off a motorcycle

Money talks... bullshit walks.

2011-02-23T13:32:00.000+05:30

If only people who promoted racing lived by this motto, TWO wheeled sports in our country wouldn't suck. Race tracks would be built, bikes would be raced and records would be broken. Racing would be THE SHIT, instead we have it deep in the dump with a bleak future

Get out of your zone...

2011-02-11T21:47:00.000+05:30

to where all the Magic happens. You better be coming to the race track for the 5th edition of TWO to see it happen.

pic: thedayafteryoudie

BowFinger Bhutan

2011-02-10T23:03:00.000+05:30

2200Kms
13 riding days
Royal Enfield 500's
WestBengal, Bhutan, Assam

Sprockets at 800kms

Taxi Dashboard or Karma Cola

Horse Power
Chele-La Pass, Paro

Tigers Nest, Paro

T.W.O Stroke State of Mind

2010-12-10T12:21:00.000+05:30

A few years ago, this little thing was first fired up at the track.

Built by two-stroke guru Ron Chinoy of RDDreams for Anand, this thing gave Indian racing a much needed kick in the butt

It took on some big names, sky rocketed the dyno charts and gave Superbikes a hard time

And the monster's going to be on track once again this weekend creating a rukus. So if you've signed up for the T.W.O school, you'll smell every aroma of this two stroke masterpiece. If you haven't, you can show up at the track to see it run.

Back to School

2010-11-19T23:15:00.000+05:30

India's first motorcycle track school is back again with another weekend of fast ridin' and madness! With in depth theory sessions, tons of track time and instructors at hand to give you personalised attention, you'd be left behind if you didn't come. Quite literally!
Sign up early and avail of the limited rent-a-trackbike scheme as well. Call us for more details.

original pic: Gaurav Thombre

Riding an XR250: Reason 235 & 394

2010-11-19T10:24:00.000+05:30

Because they lead you right to the river
And because they're fast enough to our run Water Buffaloes on the charge

Riding with indiMotard: Reason 357

2010-10-02T00:15:00.000+05:30

Coz we go places no one's ever been before

We're not kidding!
If you wanna come, the last date to sign up for ROAD ISLAND is Monday 4th Oct

Crash and Burn

2010-09-05T23:02:00.000+05:30

A great advertisement by All State, but I'd like to use it to reiterate why we always insist on proper riding gear.

Motorcycles...

2010-09-04T21:21:00.002+05:30

Because they transcend borders, outlive wars and move people... To work, to greener pastures, even to peace.
via gogoGarage

Pangs of Separation.

2010-08-22T01:28:00.000+05:30

The approaching silhouette coming up the road, clad in what looked like motorcycle gear and a helmet dangling from his left hand is an image that i will never forget. There I was in Pang, the army camp outside a "parachute tent chai" shop, 200kms from Leh just after the expansive, beautiful, eerie "more plains" at 9am on Aug 5th 2010. The rush of joy, relief and happiness in seeing Joshua Crasto after a night of adventure was right out of a "h/bollywood movie". Like the "just-about-to-lose-my-virginity" bollywood song we ended up looking deep into each others souls to try to figure out what happened the previous evening that lead to such a heart wrenching moment. If i may, wind up that kick-starter again….

Aug 5th, 2am..Hotel Lharimo, Leh, I wake up Josh and have him look out the window to a mostly clear night with the odd shivering cloud lit by moonlight. Like soothsayers we both looked at each other and repeated "no bikes tomorrow morning". A decision that I will never regret as long as I live, ride or die, a decision that came in through the morning mountain winds and settled itself like a heavy cloud on both our minds. 6am flag off on day 5 of our motorcycle tour wasn't going as planned. Customers faces contorting into objections with speculation on this decision. 2 cars and 2 hours later, customers were on their way to Sarchu for the night. We left soon after, Josh on the Husky, me in the four wheeler with the luggage. A stop for maggi at Rumtse before the climb up to the second highest pass in the world and the driver walks around asking for a spanner (10mm btw). I go around and see brake fluid having a field day on the road. Brake line busted. Great! M-Seal Phataphat & local juggaad and we are on our way up Tanglang-la pass except the M-Seal has to dry for 30 mins. Perfect timing. I tell the driver to not touch the brakes until we get to the top and to use the gears for everything else, including braking. JCB's, landslides and by 5pm we are in Pang. Maggi again, fuel in the Husky and I ask Josh to leave. The rain gods decide its time to show face: a drizzle & 5 clicks after pang, the river to the left and the mountain side to the right made for an interesting pause in the journey. Like a live animal unleashed, each channel in the mountain face, spewed what looked like the entrails of itself, rock, gravel, sand, soil and water, crumbling, crashing, rushing into the river and swallowing the road whole. Bravado, carpe-diem, customers that we had to catch up to prompted some huffing and puffing between me and the driver. Having turned the car around, pummeling it through one such meandering mass of earth, promptly had the car sunk & stuck. An hour of digging, groveling, praying, placing rocks under the wheel using two car jacks to lift the four wheeler and blue fingers has us saying our last wishes. Turning the car around to head back to Pang seemed distant with the river crashing around us and the sound of tar drums floating down river and sounding the death knell. Time to walk to Pang, I tell myself. If i can only reach the army camp, I am sure I can sort this out. Wishful thinking. The treacherous 4kms that i navigated that night will be my achievement for life. Quicksand like a live animal oozing itself onto the road merging with the river, sometimes knee deep not opening it jaws, the river to one side and the crumbling crashing mountain side to the other (deja-vu). The light at the army camp was my beacon of hope for that night. 90 minutes later, kichdi, army hospitality and a heater went a long way in getting my senses back, while my thoughts were randomly wandering between Joshua and his whereabouts little aware of Josh's night of madness.

The morning crept up ever so slowly, damp, cold and utter chaos. The road snaking down out of Pang looked like it had been bombed by rain and the army gypsy's going back and forth only added to indian chaos.

The silhouette appeared and the bollywood song played!. Josh experiments with truth had led him hardly 5 clicks ahead of us the previous night and sinking his front 21 inch wheel into complete water left him shaken, not stirred. Having water unto your chest, rolling the bike back out of the water and thinking that heading head back down to meet "anand and the car" turned into his battle of "water"loo. 4 hairpins back tracked and heading into darkness with the everready-battery, headlight of the husky, saw him snaking back over the same sludge multiple times. Coming around another bend and the high beam of the husky caught the mound of black and that instant of realization that there was no road and his presence of mind on his right wrist saved him from the sheer vertical drop of 1500feet into freezing cold waters below. Josh must have said his prayers too, before singing that song "here i am stuck in the middle with you, jokers to the left of me, clowns to the right, here i am stuck in the middle with you". Parking the bike by the side, and the memory of a truck parked somewhere between the water crossing and the washed out road had him find shared shelter for the night.

Our 10km walk back to get the abandoned bike, was worth a few pictures, but then where's a camera when you need one. The 30 feet of washed out road, gravel, and the drop down to the river had us motivated enough to push, pull, shove and pretty much do anything to get the husky across and back to Pang. Whew!…Back to Leh that evening and the one thing i remember was looking past the clouds as we nearing Leh and wondering why the night sky was so ominous. The mid-night hour cometh. The morning panic knock on the door left us in disbelieve. Leh was cut off from the world and this time nature's fury had shown no mercy. Lost trying to help, digging, knee deep sludge that moved when you stepped on it, bodies buried, families searching for loved ones and feeling the pangs of separation.

Love and prayers to the souls of the departed, love and prayers to the mountain gods.

Pictures from the damage

www.indimotard.com

pics : joshua

2010-06-15T23:36:00.000+05:30

Faraway Florida

..Just did a 600 mile ride to Faraway Florida on this little DRZ400sm. Strapped a tent, and rode till every bone hurt and every consumerist was out of sight, speed limits were spoken of in three digits and cell phone signal ceded to crystal clear water. It was America far far away from America

indimotard adventures

www.indimotard.com

JC...

Get Leh'd three ways on a Motorcycle.

2010-06-11T08:32:00.000+05:30

Grab your helmet and gear and join us to explore, introspect, ride, live, expand your mind or just plain take a break. From the World's highest of mountain passes (Yes, our passes start at 12000 feet where Europe's highest passes end) to the valleys of Nubra that have risen from under the ocean.

Our tours include everything except you.

Check out www.indimotard.com for our tours...or write to us at info@indimotard.com

Serendipity in Cambodia

2010-05-25T22:34:00.000+05:30

Travel involves lots of preparation. Preparation is good. I on the other hand find myself leaning towards a more serendipitious way of travel. Just the basics and leave the rest to gut instinct, "intelligent travelling" & good karma. Our first overseas offering of a motorcycle tour to "exotic", "dangerous" Cambodia required a lot of everything above and a large scoop of luck.

Motorcycles on any day is a good day and here we were on April 17th standing excitedly around 13 Honda XR250's in Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. I wasn't sure who was more excited, our customers, us (team from indimotard) or the bikes. The excitement and anticipation contained overnight was waiting to be unleashed as we assembled for our morning start of our "Tomb Rider", mechanic and support crew in tow.

My first impression of Cambodia left me comfortably perplexed. For one it seemed like the poor 52nd or 53rd (or whichever number) state of the United States of America. The ubiqitous acceptance of the US dollar even in the remotest parts of this country was unnerving at first and then comfortable. American (read large) automobiles Cadillacs, Land Cruisers, Hummers lined the street while pigs splayed across two wheelers seemed to oink at each other frequently. Looking into the history of Cambodia isn't a pretty picture while the new Cambodia certainly posed for an interesting experience.

Leading a motorcycle tour always has its share of teething trouble and I was mentally prepared to pull the cltuch in at the first signs.. As we hit the first set of dirt trails off highway NR2 towards Kampot, the coastal town of Southern Cambodia it all felt natural, like we had all been riding together for the longest time. Here we were in the middle of "unknown" country with a bunch of "unknown" riders (at least in terms of their riding skills) with "unknown" dirt bikes and it didnt feel strange. The clouds of dust, the smell of burnt gas and the freedom on two wheels found us all "high" inside our helmets. Before we knew it, 270kms of Day 1 was done as we parked and took in the views of the Gulf of Thaliand from the Harpers Bazar rated Veranda Resort at Kep, Cambodia, our night halt for the next two days. An exotic lunch and the call to ride lead us through the mud trails around the resort with our expert motocross guide and owner of the Kukuluku Beach Cafe, Mr Fabrice. Discovery, skill, capability, the thrill of the ride, introspection and a flood of other thoughts must have been on everyones mind. Hidden Monasteries, modern pagoda clad temples and the King's abandoned house made for interesting stop overs before we headed back to the resort as the sun went down.

More trail riding followed the next day. An AK47 and mid-riff revealing gaurd (no, not like bollywood) at the checkpost to Bokor Montain (French Casino ruins) was a failed attempt as the roads were closed and no amount of gesturing helped. 150 dirty clicks on the Honda's odo for the day and an evening of rain sipping beer in the luxurious pool found us back in Phnom Penh on day 3 for a night halt.

The incessant traffic, 46 degrees and 350kms of blacktop to Siam Reap on NR5 wasnt the best of days. The brief stop over for fried tarantula's, crickets was braved by all before we checked into Siam Reap, base camp to the ruins of 9th Century Angkor Wat temple ruin complex, Asia highest tourist destination. Our hope to ride around the Angkor Wat ruins was quickly vetoed by the "no motos" law. The sprawling Angkor Wat complex and its three main temples held our interest long after we headed back to the cozy Two Dragons Guest House. The Temple ruins, the sorrounding jungles, acacia trees and its roots firmly grapsing onto the temple walls left one wondering if nature was doing its bit of preservation, lest humankind wrestle history and turn it into ugly concrete.

My friend and ever resourceful traveller Joshua meanwhile had spent the afternoon, doing what he does best. Explore.Get Lost. Discover.Repeat. Our late afternoon venture on the "moto's" traced Joshua's rear wheel through sandy trails, wooden rickety bridges, 9th century stone bridges, de-mined tracts of land leading us into the most spectaclure of the temple ruins - Beng Maleay. The darkness, red tail lights of 7 "motos" and face of the temple in our headlight beams made for a breathtaking pause. Eerie with the sounds of silence we all basked in the glow of that moment.
Our departure from Siam Reap lead us to our charming luxurious resort at Battambang, a town that has changed hands multiple times between Thailand and Cambodia.

We had been on the road for 6 days and the unsaid sentiment of the tour coming to a close a day later was imminent on everyones mind. Not one to be let down, our night outs in Battambang, the touristy visit to "hostess bars" were all soaked up in the spirit of the ride. Returning our bikes on Phnom Penh and packing for the return were the only moments of despair on this tour.

Serendipity with a lot of preparation goes a long way!

indiMotard Adventures runs a professional motorcycle touring outfit here in India with a fleet of brand new Royal Enfield Classic 500s. With your food, stay, back up service and medical aid taken care of, all you have to do is show up with your helmet and you’re ready to rumble. While tours to Cambodia and Sri Lanka happen once a year, tours around India happen on a more regular basis. This summer they will be running three tours in and around the Himalayas starting July 18th. To find out more visit www.indimotard.com or call +91-9980829440

Riding In Cambodia: Reason #47

2010-05-12T11:37:00.000+05:30

You can ride through a mine field and might live to tell the tale.

Reason #23. Riding in Cambodia

2010-05-12T11:34:00.001+05:30

Because falling down doesn't hurt...

Tomb Rider. Tarantulas tickle taste buds

2010-05-12T11:12:00.000+05:30

Gone Riding.

2010-04-15T13:28:00.000+05:30

We are off to Cambodia.
Join us in spirit and ride with us if you are not on the tour. Leave us a comment while we gather our thoughs before we post the experience of our ride.

And On The Sabbath...

2010-03-29T10:53:00.000+05:30

The Flags were out...

The Grid was lined up...

And... We KEPT IT HOLY.

On Saturday...

2010-03-29T03:00:00.000+05:30

We hit the track at the crack of Dawn

Leathers were hung out

And we went to school...

On Friday...

2010-03-26T15:41:00.000+05:30

We dusted off the tie downs...

Packed our stuff...

Loaded the Bikes...

And are on our way...

If you're not you're definitely missing out.

Riding in India: Reason #54

2010-03-21T09:02:00.002+05:30

There's always someone to help you out

You may run out of pedal power but you've always got pulling power

Road Sign

2010-03-19T17:22:00.000+05:30

If you're driving into Karnataka from Goa, just past Karwar make sure you check diabetes.

Riding in India: Reason #37

2010-03-13T10:40:00.000+05:30

Location: Amber Fort Rajasthan
Concoction: 3 Royal Enfield motorcycles, 3 pachyderms and a swamp
Result: The ride of a lifetime and a pic to show for it

This couldn't be anywhere else in the world but India...

pic:Davida.co.uk via Sideburn

Fireflies

2010-03-11T12:44:00.000+05:30

"Lounge Piranha" Loud and strong..Good old rock and roll..hulivesha...tiger dance

the veena...glorious sound

Rajnikant on drums..maybe? he rocked

Tomb Rider. Discover Cambodia!

2010-03-01T20:14:00.000+05:30

We are off to Cambodia for a motorcycle tour. Grab your helmet and join us!www.indimotard.com info@indimotard.com

2 wheels only tour : indiMotard

2010-02-25T08:49:00.000+05:30

who screwed up the order?

bugshield at 60kmph

and 10 days of 30 wheels and the wind in your helmet vents (cant say wind in your hair with the helment laws)

happy riding.

indimotard.com

Goa Tour

2010-02-22T22:38:00.001+05:30

15 bikes..1900kms..6 punctures, 1 piston, 1 tappet rod and lots of twisties.

Road Food

2010-02-20T13:10:00.000+05:30

If we've been a little silent here on the blog, it's only because...

We've been enjoying road food...

Experiencing India...

And Riding into the Sunset.

indiMotard Burnt Gas, Vol 500cc#1, January 2010

2010-01-09T16:49:00.024+05:30

2010 indiMotard Newsletter

January 2010 / issue #500cc-1

Burnt Gas news

We @ indiMotard (nomad, dharma and jc.motophoto) firstly would like to thank all for you for your support, good will, karma and your wishes to get us off the grids in 2009. We started indiMotard after years of saddle time, lots of passion, broken throttle cables, our share of spills and thrills, lots of PUNCHURES (as they are fondly called in India), we started indiMotard to drive our passion for the ultimate smell of burnt gas and our addiction to wanderlust. This continues unabated!This continues unabated!

A fantastic but humble beginning to our passion for two wheels and travels took us to the Mighty Himalayas in August 2009 for a breathtaking(sic) motorcycle tour that covered over 1700kms. As if immersesing ourselves in the beautiful landscape wasn't enough we were constantly gasping for more as we rode through 10 of the worlds highest passes (upto 18380feet)

2009 also took us to the race track with indiMotard successfullly conducting India's first motorcyle track school - T.W.O

(Throttle Wide Open)in collaboration with Overdrive. A first of it's kind here, the school proved to be a huge success with a run what you brung format.
2009 came to a close as our big fleet of brand new Classic 500's, Lean Burn 500's, Yamaha WR450, Husqavarna TE510 retreating into our garage in preparation for 2010 touring season.
As we turn the corner into 2010 we continue to look to you to burn some rubber as we saddle up on adventures "unseen" India and Beyond.

2010 indiMotard Motorcycle Tours

"Tomb Rider" - Cambodia, April 2010
"MotoWild" - Western Ghats, June 2010
"Skyline BouLehvard" - July 2010
Leh/Ladhak, Ride the worlds highest passes and a chance to kiss the Skyline of the world.
"Ride the Altitude" - August 2010

Based out of Leh/Ladhak this tour includes a road trip to the highest motorable road @ 18380ft, the deserts of Nubra Valley, a camp out at Pangong-Tso Lake and much more
"Return to Sender" - Leh/Ladhak, August 2010.
A ride for trackers. Starting from Leh through the mighty Tanglang-la, the endless "more plains", Baralach-La pass, treachorous Sarchu pass and quaint Manali for starters!
"Land of Gods" - Uttaranchal, Aug 2010
"Road Island" - SriLanka, Nov 2010
"Coast to Coast" -South India all along the coast, Dec 2010
View some of our action from 2009

Latest indiMotard "Fuel to Burn"
Our 2010 agenda is two fold. The first is to continue to provide unique experiences on a motorcycle as we take you through unchartered India and then cross borders into exotic lands.
The second to "go fast" with T.W.O!
We've left no stone unturned with our plans for 2010 with recce rides to Cambodia & SriLanka to ensure that you have a safe and fun ride. The Himalayas are where we have a second home! The South is where we ride the weekends and the Track has been a source of learning how to go fast, faster!

So grab your gear and hop on to the bandwagon to explore India and beyond on motorcycle tours that are unique, adventurous, exciting and safe.

Grab your leathers, gloves, boots and join us Track Side as we bring the magic of road racing to anyone who is willing to learn

Special Offers
15% off on 2 or more combination Leh/Ladhak motorcycle tours.
Signup for our "Ride the Altitude" and "Return to Sender" tours and get a 15% discount on the total price.

Boomerang Weekenders
Pick a weekend, grab a group of your friends, college buddies or just some petrol heads like yourself and an email to us info@indimotard.com will get your engines started.

We provide the motorcycles, work out the route, arrange the logistics of stay and backup support for you to enjoy a stress free motorcycle weekend ride.

T.W.O-Throttle Wide Open Motorcycle Track & Riding School
indiMotard successfully kick started India's first motorcycle track and riding school. T.W.O (Throttle Wide Open) at the Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore. This included Classroom Theory, Instructor Lead sessions with loads of track time for everyone! Check out more pics!
Next Track School Dates : March 27th/28th 2010
Signup at www.indimotard.com/two_racing

"in the noose"
indiMotard throttled its way into print media in India.
BS Motoring-Oct 2010
Mans World -Oct 2010
OVERDRIVE -Jan 2010

Who are we?

Copyright © indiMotard adv Designed by indiMotard

OVERDRIVE presents T.W.O. Motorcycle track and riding school

2009-11-15T17:53:00.001+05:30

Welcome to T.W.O, India’s first motorcycle track day and riding
school.

Discover the art of riding your motorcycle to the limit, while
learning to be quick, safe and smart in the safest possible
environment. We’ve got experienced instructors who will put you
through the paces on the track and in our theory sessions. T.W.O is
for riders who want more from their motorcycles, not just racers! To
ensure track time and instructor attention, we have limited space so
sign up early by sending an email to tworacing@gmail.com or visit
indimotard.com/TWO_Racing.

T.W.O. Throttle Wide Open, Motorcycle racing school

2009-11-09T10:26:00.002+05:30

Ever wondered how the pro's make it look so easy on the track. Here's your chance to start. Learn the fine art of motorcycle racing. India's only motorcycling race school with theory and instructions.
We promise you that any track time will make you a better, safer and faster rider on or off the track,
Venue : KARI Speedway, Coimbatore
Dates: Dec 5th/6th.

Watch this space for more info.

tworacing@gmail.com
You need T.W.O to race!

Travel Pictionary

2009-11-03T05:02:00.007+05:30

Think Extreme
Think Exotic
Think Every other place but here
Now guess where IndiMotard is going next year!

Armed with a backpack and sandals strapped to the back, I set out on a recce. And Boy it was one great trip, quite literally! More will be revealed only after the tours are announced.

Crocodile Sunday

2009-10-29T08:24:00.000+05:30

5 motox's, 1 atv and 4x4 trooper made for an interesting Sunday morning. 2 and 1/2 hours from Bangalore there we were beside the river Cauvery having breakfast and kitting up for some mud slinging action in forest trails. The trail has it all, mud, sand, silt, rocks and plenty of quick bursts.
A stop at the river bed made us all look cool with the water crossings.
A reminder of the crocs also left us knowing that being on two wheels is better than being on foot.

Independent suspension of tons of torque makes that happen

Which way is up?

indiMotard : "Mans World" Oct 09 issue

2009-10-21T11:39:00.000+05:30

Low Altitude Sickness: Himalayan Motomadness Aug 2009

2009-10-05T17:59:00.119+05:30

Organizing motorcycle road trips for friends always seems like such an easy thing to do, but doing the same with customers requires a completely different visor. No amount of preparation, presentations, rider briefings and post ride photos do justice to the routes & the adventures of the unexpected.

Here’s a brief on our road trip, something that I hope captures the spirit and adventure of the world’s mightiest mountains.

Route map

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117226074144870235278.00046bbba26d0b1b5d459&ll=32.170963,77.920532&spn=2.413056,5.614014&z=8

on this trip, burning serious gas were the following machines

5 ’09 Husqvarna 2009 SM610, 1 ’09 Husqvarna 2006 TE510, 1 ’08 KTM 990 adventure, 1 Royal Enfield 500, 1 Yamaha RX135, 1 Hero Honda Hunk.

The machines had all arrived as planned at The Peterhoff. Shimla (The Raid-De-Himalaya rally is flagged off from here every year) and so did our support crew of mechanics and backup vehicles. Things got busy right away with some last minute checks and top ups to the bikes. Our customers had all kitted up and stepped outdoors into the crisp morning air of Shimla and so did we.

The plan: Shimla to Rampur for our night halt. Easy, great roads, it’s beautiful I tell my customers (little did I know what lay in store). Deciding to take a slightly longer scenic route to avoid the chaos of typical Indian “hill stations” as they are called meant more kms, but lesser traffic and more twisties. Fun, I think to myself.

Reality: 9am, 174kms to go. Reality hits us as soon as we hit the twisties, smooth tarmac for sure, but slick rain washed mud on smooth tarmac doesn’t make for “safe” riding. As we climbed towards Kufri (another “hill station” that’s been bastardized for tourism) rain, fog and broken tarmac made the going slow and painful and I could feel the group burning that thought on the back of my helmet.

Soaked to the bones in spite of fancy gear , lunch at Narkhanda (thanks to HPTDC) at 4pm warmed our souls but still wet and cold we headed out, more rain, broken tarmac and another 80kms to go. I was beginning to wonder if this was a good idea at all.

Memory is a funny thing; the best ones that stick are the ones where you had roughest time.

6:30pm, bikes parked in front of the hotel, “chai” and comfy room’s ended day 1 with a relief for all.

Day 2 started on a better note with clear weather as we left Rampur and headed towards the Indian border in East Himachal with a planned night halt at Sangla Valley with some stops on the way.

Our first stop was at the Bhimkali Temple at Sarahan. Legends and myths surround this 800 year old temple. Stories of goddess and demons vanquished roamed the mountains. Its unique blend of Hindu and Buddhist architecture held our interest along with the cups of “chai” at the local shop. The sun and the ride helped us dry our boots as we twisted our way through roads that had been carved out of rocky mountain faces, meeting the thunderous Sutelj at one point and then riding along the mighty Sutlej, past the hydro projects that I am sure could be a project for Greenpeace activists.

The ride for day 2 ended well at one of the most serene settings in the Sangla Valley. Luxury Tents by the riverbed. Barbeque and campfire put us to rest under the stars. Altitude, 10000 ft. Temp: cold enough for drink. We head out the following day towards Chitkul the last village on the Indian border. Breathtaking views of mountains, steep ascents into nothingness, water falls cascading off the face of mountain slopes and the sight of the village met with some “ooohs” and “aaahs” from the group. Our ride for the day was short and once we met tarmac a fast breakaway group did some serious carving for the next 60 odd kms before we hit Rekong Peo and then to Kalpa.
Our stay at Kalpa was at the beautiful Kinnaur Kalpa run by HPTDC and the views were more than enough to quench the thirst of any traveler. Kinnaur is host to the shorter version of Shiva’s abode Mt. Kailash and all the rooms had views of the snow capped mountains and setting sun resting its shoulder on it.

We had the evening to ourselves and the trip down to the village market held my interest from a historical sense. Old slate houses with wooden roofs piled with hemp stems, acting as insulation to keep the cold out, doorways that you would have to crouch into, a gushing stream of water right through the village gulley and the “chital”, a delicacy made from the local grain that is shaped like a diamond and only grows in this part of the world. All this and the views from the village made the evening a peaceful one and left me longing to stay on.

240kms to go to Kaza for the next three nights made for an early morning start. The long stretches of twisty tarmac, even more long stretches of gravel made the ride a mini paris-dakkar run with the big bikes and their riders testing their skills on these roads. The confluence of Spiti and Sutlej rivers at Khab, one dirty white from the molten snow and the other brownish red from the silt made for a quick photo-op. Dust clouds of 8 other bikes in my rear view mirror, the Spiti river bed grazing my left boot, and the unending view of the snow capped Himalayan range made the journey an absolute thrill.

The winding ascent of roads led us to a quick stop at Nako Monastery and Tabo Monastery (both over a 1000 years old) and the final leg of the ride to Kaza was uneventfully magical.

Kaza at an elevation of 12,500feet is a small village-town that is cut off from the rest of the world for the better part of the year. Landlocked by the Kunzum pass (4551mtrs) on side and long treacherous road to Rampur on the other side, Kaza has plenty to offer for the “soul”. Villages, Century old Monasteries, the Spiti River dividing mountains and dwarfing them, the call of the wind and the glisten of the sun kissing the snow and ice.

The following two days were spent with day trips to Kee Monastery (precariously perched on top of washed out craggy, rocky mountain top), Kibber the highest road connected village in Asia (14,500feet), Tashiganj for a sighting of the blue sheep and ending with a trip to Dhankar monastery.

No blue sheep, but spotting of Ibex and some video time for serious off-roading meant a good day for all of us. The support crew in the Scorpio with some members of the group opting to ride in it also meant they didn’t miss out on all of the sights.

The toughest two days of riding were yet to come.

The ride to the sacred Chandertal (12000ft) lake from Kaza through the treacherous Kunzum Pass, part tarmac and part pure gravel was ahead of us and I knew that in spite of all the briefing the ride wasn’t an easy one. Roads were non existent and the last 13kms to Chandertal was tough to say the least. Rough sharp jagged edges of rock, fine silt & river crossings left everyone bushed. To top it all the access to the lake itself had been cut off for environment reasons (I agree with this, though) and we trudged, luggage and all to the campsite by the lake. The setting sun, biting cold meant more “chai” and some grumpy times followed by a cheerful session inside the warm kitchen tent of Banjara Camps. The freezing cold night under the stars was probably enjoyed by only some. The next morning off again through Batal, Chathru Bridge and Gramphoo was pure torture. 90kms of gravel on a river bed isn’t exactly every riders dream. Having done this stretch at the pace of a rally, I had not realized how bad the roads were and the slower pace contributed to the pain followed by “when is this going to end?” The night halt at Bamboo Huts at Tandi was a welcome change for the whole group. We still had 365kms to Leh to go and our next stop was Sarchu for the night. Good roads, “chai” stops and photo-ops at Suraj-Tal, Nakeela pass and Barlachla (16500feet) made for an excellent ride. Tents, chai, dinner and the cold put everyone at rest.

Our last leg of the journey from Sarchu to Leh was awaited by all. But what started off an easy ride turned into a tough one. “More plains” with its vastness captured everyone’s imagination and the ride through Tang-lang-la was probably the most brutal, given the state of the roads and the urgency to cross the pass without running into trouble or rough weather.

The torturous climb to the second highest pass in the world at 17500ft was grueling on the body in spite of the upside down forks and long travel suspension and the ride down was through series of bends that were slick with fine silt. Apart from a flat tire on one of the bikes we reached without any major mishaps and the whole group was relieved as we hit tarmac at Upse and even more relieved when the eyes met civilization at Leh. The ceremonial ride to Khardung-la top (18380feet) and photo-op was a short and memorable one.

Leh was a cause for celebration for all and as the group departed in the next few days some of us stayed back to enjoy the sights and sounds of Leh. The icing on the cake was the four day music festival (Confluence 09) on the banks of the Indus River attended by some of the remaining pack.

Even though the majority of the line-up didn’t show up, we still had our hippie wood-stock moment under the sun, moon and the stars.
We wrapped up and I found my way to Bangalore after almost a month and that’s when it hit me - Low Altitude Sickness.

dharma bums
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Motoring magazine : indiMotard Himalayan Motomadness 09

2009-10-01T23:02:00.009+05:30

A day remembered

2009-04-29T23:29:00.000+05:30

I am at my ancestral house in kerala …I got there after a 7 hour ride on my bike…through the beautiful ghats of wynad.. the route is beautiful, the rice is about to be planted and one is far from the blitz of soft drink ads. the local markets are full of yellow flowers jasmines, sugarcane and the mussel-like fruit of the palm called the nong …I put my bags down and relax on the “easy chair” on the huge portico.

We have a fabulous dinner after the stunning evening rituals. The colors, the flames, the bells, the songs, the flowers-the senses are filled and the new moon light packed with stars. It’s totally dark. I clink my metal key and ring. Hoping the sound will ward off snakes. i come to the neem tree with its scents and think, ”now I must go right” I step into an abyss have slipped and fallen into a small pit ..Probably dug for some new hybrid..It’s a pretty bad fall but no broken bones except for a few bruises.. i am terrified ..but luckily I find my key and I get back .i knock at the door and is opened by grandma. .what were u doing outside she asks and is immediately horrified to hear what has happened …she comes upto me into my room with a lamp ( a kerala power cut of course!!!),but then I bathe with neem and put antiseptic on my scalding bruises which I cant see. I am lucky to have got off so easily. .all night I keep waking up to see if I am paralyzed. .but at last it is 6.00 am ..my usual waking hour out in the open. a new day has begun ..The cuts on my knee have formed neat scabs, and I am ready to face the day.

Its raining, heavy rain which mixes with the red earth and falls on a tree and a temple pond with a distinctive smashing sound…the house is set in a two acre farm, right in between…all around except for on the right are green fields…. right at the front gate entrance is a pond.. Belonging to the community temple. . and on the back gate as well is a pond privately belonging to our family ….I lie in bed feeling as if I am a bower of green-and the tree outside my room has crept in. i look out and see two old ladies dressed in deep magenta and leaf green hurrying out barefoot in the squelchy mud. A hen looks around as if amazed at the weather, a goat kid bleats scared on hearing a splash in the pond and a ducks quacks and hurries along as though she has to catch the 7.40 local train…i find my watch its 7.30 am. breakfast time ..i get warm water in the natural geyser where firewood burns away with its smoky fragrance …the water is hot but just right for the weather ..Just comfortably warm I should say.. Outside the local folk are taking bath in the temple pond. . The huge Banyan tree which overhangs the pond is crowded with gnarled knots of suspended roots..The womenfolk’ would come later in the day on to the other side of the pond to bathe and wash clothes….

I am standing in the field.. it suddenly starts to pour.. i return home two hundred meters in the pouring rain and the red earth, the temple pond filling with opal colored water, the surroundings in a hazy with white clouds like smoke ...so so real that I suddenly know that in this place It is possible to be outstandingly happy .i slosh through puddles soaked in a state of bliss –my body cool at last and hopeful……

Nomad...

for more info.

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Raid De Himalaya...Touring Rallyist..Rallying Tourist..

2009-04-27T22:30:00.000+05:30

Riding the Raid – the 10^th Raid-De-Himalaya

Part 1: The days before the start of the rally.

This is a first person account of one man’s passion, a journey and a personal challenge.I am not sure where to begin except at a random point in my journey of life and its association with motorcycles. From my earliest memories the good ones are almost always associated with two wheels, engines, oil, exhaust, heat and most importantly that Zen like “is-ness” of things as you open that throttle and feel like you have wings.

My first attempt at riding the Himalayas in 2006 on a royal Enfield machine (rented) left lasting impressions of what it really means to be riding in a country that you love and a terrain that leaves you humbled. Prashant, my good friend and a man after my own heart prompted a thought along the way on this tour of ours (at Kaza if I remember right). I think he said something like “we are riding the same route as the raid”. A statement like that doesn’t get erased very easily (even for someone like me who has short term selective memory loss, the keyword being selective) and before I knew it 2007 had rolled around and there I was in Shimla at Motoworld, Navbahar signed up for Raid-de-Himalaya 2007 on a bullet that Prashant had literally given me to ride how ever I wanted and as he describes it “bikes are meant to be ridden, so ride it annae”. My stint at the 2007 raid proved rather short lived, the bike packing up on day two, hardly 2kms after the competitive stage start at Gramphoo (past Rohtang pass). This was obviously disappointing and only left me with a resolve to come again in 2008 with a better bike and with better preparation. Lessons learnt.

Dec 07, I went to Singapore, walked into Mah Motors, set my heart on a beautiful Husqvarna TE510 (enduro). The thing weighs a meager 114kg, puts out 56 odd horses and to top it off I get a great deal on the price. I pay the dealer, come back and get a middle man to bring the bike into India. To cut the rest of the painfully long story short, the bike, the agent and I get embroiled in the beautiful (sic) folds of Indian bureaucracy and red tape and I spend the next 9 months waiting for the bike to be unleashed from the greasy hands of the system that kills almost every Indian’s spirit. The bike finally gets released 5 days before we are set to head out but luck plays another card and a missing part prevents the Husky and me mating in the Himalayas.

A parallel story was meanwhile unfolding while the Husky saga was going on. Knowing that relying on the Husky for the raid was a big risk of a no-show, we decide to build a Karizma for the raid and thanks to my “nomadic” friend and his amazing contacts we manage (quite well actually, with the aid of a mechanic that deserves all the praise I can give him) to piece together the Karizma with a complete front and rear end of a YZ250.

As the days progress towards our departure, everything seemed totally out of control: the tires (Pirelli Rally-cross) that we ordered haven’t arrived, the jet kits (JDjetting.com) for the Yamaha’s get stuck in customs at the great travesty called the India postal service, the larger tank (justgastanks.com) for the WR250 arrives but we find out that it’s the wrong one and we have re-order and wait for it to arrive and more importantly clear customs again. Apart from this Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav has issued an order that trains will not carry goods bogies for the next 20 days. Real panic sets in. We try and figure out alternate ways of getting the bikes and the goods to Shimla. Insane ideas like buying a tempo, renting a tempo, putting it all on a jeep and other such suggestions pass through various phone calls amongst us. It reaches a point when it all looks gloomy and we just sort of step back and tell ourselves that “whatever happens happens, let’s not sweat about the stuff we can’t control”. As in all panic motivated situations and given Murphy’s Law, things magically fall into place in their own way. The tires land in India, the kits get cleared (money involved of course, are you kidding?) & the larger tank arrives (more money involved) and Mr Lalu revokes the order on the goods trains. In the background there is so much coordination that Prashant is handling with respect to support for the raid, mechanics from Delhi, support vehicles for the raid, paperwork, RC books, insurance for the rally its crazy trying to piece all this together.

Finally the day arrives for our departure. We load everything including the bikes, spares, tools, gear on the 19^th of Sept and get on the same train to Delhi. There are four of us from Bangalore (Bhaskar, Prashant, Aditya and myself). Bhaskar riding Yamaha WR450, Prashant on a Yamaha WR250, Aditya on a stock Karizma and myself on a “Hero-Honda-Yamaha-ShivajiNagar-Motokraft-Karizma” 225. Thanks to Red Rooster Racing three of our bikes are stickered with the RRR logos and they look nice together. Feels real!!

Getting the bikes and the goods to Shimla from Delhi proved quite easy (thanks again to Prashant). We unload everything on top of the Raid office and we are all quite visually and otherwise excited to be there together, and importantly all the bikes and goods are all safe. The officials at the Raid give us pieces of news that are not very encouraging as we try and prepare to go on a recce. The news all around is that the early rains have washed out a lot of the roads around Shimla and the same rains have dumped snow at the higher elevation and that the passes are closed (Rohtang, Kunzum, Barlach-la). More speculation keeps surfacing and questions of whether the raid will really run or if it does run, how long will it last. I remember 2007 raid and how it ended on the fourth day due to the weather gods. All of us were nursing our disappointments and were praying and hoping that the raid would at least start.

25^th Sept, More of our friends and fellow riders started showing up at Shimla and the hotel we were staying in was slowly starting to fill up with bikers, biker friends, rally car drivers, mechs and before we knew it the hotel which only had 8 or 10 rooms was all occupied by moto-heads. The negotiation on the hotel charges was done by Bhaskar (in hindi) and I think at some point I also started spouting what I thought was hindi (I don’t think the manager at the hotel understood anything I said, apart from the words, room, rate and friends and “hai” at the end of each sentence). Oh I almost forgot the only other word that can be used everywhere and people really understand is “behanchod”. It doesn’t matter if you are south Indian with an accent thick enough to cut through the aloo paratha. The parking lot at the hotel turned into a hangar of sorts with all kinds of bikes, a rally gypsy (driven by Sanketh) and it was a sight to see riders, mechs and friends all milling around, working on the bikes, helping each other out. The excitement was building and I think you could touch it!!

Before I get into anything more I have to tell you how this rally is organized and more importantly the routes and how its run. Spread out over 8 days covering 2100kms of terrain and landscape that is both awe-inspiring and scary there is nothing in the world that compares to this. The mighty Himalayas really make you question your way of life and in many ways have a harmonious way of making you accept yourself for all that you are.

The rally is based on a TSD (time speed distance) format and is recognized by the international rally bodies and is rated among the top ten toughest rallies in the world. Of the 2100kms about 1100km is competitive. Averaging about 300km a day, of which half of them are competitive you are riding with your heart in your mouth as you make you way through the treacherous mountain sides, turn after turn, checking for traction, on the throttle, jamming the brakes, shifting, balancing and finally ensuring that every part of you is awake. You are fighting the brain’s natural instinct to protect the body by pushing yourself to go faster. (Isn’t that the cause for the high, the rush every time you are on a bike?). All of this requiring concentration levels that would challenge your mind every second and needing the consistency to ride continuous 2 hour stretches of high speed competitive stages. The rally isn’t so much pure flat out speeds as it more to do with consistency, endurance and smarts. The rally also covers 11 of the world’s highest passes (Rohtang, Kunzum, Barlach-la, Sarchu, Tangla, Fotula, Namikla..) touching elevation of 16,000 ft plus.

A recce is a standard procedure for anyone riding the raid. It’s the one and only way of getting to know yourself, the route, the bike and whether this is something you really want to do in the first place. Before the rest of the riders started arriving in Shimla, Bhaskar and Aditya both decided to do a recce together but as in all cases of coordination they both go separate ways in their attempt to find the start of stage 1. They both come back at the end of the day pretty pooped and I understood why only after seeing the pictures of the route and what they tried crossing…

Soon we had a big enough crowd (Prashant, Bhaskar, Chetan, Aleois, Vivek, Raveendra, Nitin Jadhav, Sanketh and Dheeraj in their Gypsy and myself) and we all set off for a recce on the 27^th of Sept after having gotten news that two of the stages of leg 1 were open. We left early and headed onto a gravel road (mashobra to bekhilti, 18kms) which we had earlier used as a test stage even though this wasn’t part of the raid but it helped give us some practice

Bhaskar and Prashi were flying as was Chetan. The stage has an interesting mix of gravel and some fast flat sections towards the end. Everyone finished safe and headed towards competitive stage 4. We get lunch at Narkanda (no aloo parathas this time!!) and head towards Khaneoli where we think stage 4 starts. We hang a right at a fork and as we enter the stages things get ugly, small rocks, bigger rocks and then boulders are in our path. Some of us get down to help clear the path for Sanketh in his gypsy, but Sanketh being Sanketh doesn’t bat an eyelid and literally bull-dozes his way over some of the blocks. Not being a car guy I just stand and stare. This stopping and clearing every few meters hardly takes us another 100 meters before Prashi comes back walking and tells us that the road is washed out.

All of us turn around and go back to the fork and figure that there is an alternative route that has been sketched out by the raid officials. We head another 5 km and hang a left down a dirt road and before we know the road ends, whole mountainside washed out. Some of the guys get down and walk over the rubble and head further down towards what we believe is stage 4 start. After some brief bonding with the locals and some calls to the raid officials (yes we were also the recce team for the raid officials) we had back towards Rampur. As we head back, its getting dark and everyone’s kind of tired, we run into a another major landslide on the main road that connect Luhri to Rampur (where the hotel is). That takes 3 hours to clear and time passes with us watching the JCB entertain us.

What a day, 180 odd km and not a single stage completed as a recce.!!! A dorm is found and all ten of us snore our way to the morning. We wake to a beautiful sun light morning and as we decide to head back to base camp a few of the guys head down to the Sutlej river bank for some fun.

With the fun over we get back to Shimla and call it a day. Three days to go before the rally starts. Who cares if the rally is on or not, we are having fun!!!

Are we touring or rallying? Not sure!..

End part 1

inspired..www.indimotard.com

Target Fixation

2009-04-24T15:09:00.001+05:30

Target Fixation

More at www.indimotard.com

The bike goes where you look aka "target fixation"

Although this was written for the track, this applies to riding in general.
All of us know this and this is all the more true on a track at high speeds. The bike will go where you look. As you enter a corner (even on the street) we have all faced a moment of realization where we know we are going to hit the cycle/tree/ditch. How does one know? ESP? predictions?

The answer is target fixation.

What do you do now that you know this?

The obvious : Set your eyes on where you really want to go. Its difficult but doable. This will only come with practice

Cornering:

All of us learnt to respect corners one way or another. On the track this is more important than ever given the speeds that you are going through in a corner.

Typically any rider attacks the corner using the "point and shoot" method. This is where you go into the corner, brake, point the bike, accelerate, brake, point and accelerate until you are out of the corner. Obviously not the right way to do this. There are folks who also shift while in a corner. Common mistakes and sometime deadly ones.

Smooth cornering :
Lets define three parts to the corner. The entrance, the Apex and the Exit.
The entrance is the point at which you start leaning into the corner, the apex is the highest point on the inside on the corner and the exit is where you are almost in a full upright position.

Lets start with a left hander.
Getting into the entrance depends on a few things. Firstly the speed you are carrying, the kind of corner it is (more about this later), your optimal braking point (or brake marker as it is called) for you to carry through that corner.
On a left hander as you are coming in, stay to the outside right and find your brake-marker, make the "shift-blip-brake" routine so that you are in the right gear at the right rpm. This is the point of starting your lean. Move your body out to aid the lean. As you find yourself hurtled into the entrance, start by looking into the turn (the most important thing in your life, you will notice this on any racing photo, where the racers head is turned further into the turn than the rest of the body). and start the counter steer. [Countersteer: The bike leans to the same side as you push on the handlebars. So a push on the left handlebar will tuck the bike into a left hander]. The further ahead you are able to look into the turn the more confidence you have.

Now you have entered the turn, you are in the right gear/rpm and you have assessed the turn and you are leaning into the turn, looking into the turn. No sudden moves now!!. At this point you have traveled from the right side of the track to the inside of the track taking the shortest route
Keep the throttle smooth through the entrance into the apex.

As you approach the apex, you are at full lean (knee dragging the ground, your ) and at the apex you are able to see parts of the exit. At this point (exiting the apex) the throttle is finely controlled to start a slow but steady acceleration.

And you are on your way out the exit of the corner. At this point you want to use the whole track to get the most benefit and as you accelerate you will find yourself drifting to the outside right of the track. As the rpm's pick up, shift up (depending on the turn). Again remember the bike goes where you look.

All the above contributes to "finding your line". As you go through the same corner over and over the line becomes clear, the brake markers are known, the speeds improve.

All of the above is commonly referred to as the "slow-in, fast-out" method.

The things to watch for while cornering
1. Look into the turn
2. Countersteer
3. Be smooth. (no abrupt moves/shifting/acceleration/braking). The speed will come later
4. Find your line and stick to it.

There are various corners like double apex corners, decreasing radius corners, off-camber corners etc. We will deal with them in due course.

Again this is my humble attempt of putting together what I know. There are authorities on this who will have more to say.

More questions/comments welcome!

Stealth Riding..

2009-04-24T15:08:00.000+05:30

Stealth Riding in India

Peripheral Vision

Riding a motorcycle in India is actually easy if one spends some time thinking about it. On the face of it, everything seems chaotic and one always wonders how people get home everyday without getting hurt or killed. There are two parts to riding in India depending on whether you ride in the city or on the highway. In the city it’s about defensive driving. You are constantly shifting gears, accelerating, braking, accelerating, maneuvering, cursing, weaving and bobbing through traffic. Defensive riding becomes part of your riding skills and in more ways than one this becomes your riding style. This has its positives and its negatives. The positive is that you feel safer riding in the city but once you get out on the highway or the back-roads this becomes annoying and stressful. (old habits die hard)

When you are on a long distance trip in India I use what I call “stealth riding”. To put it in simple terms it’s where you use your peripheral vision more than you usually do. It becomes mandatory that you constantly scan not just the road ahead of you but everything on either side of the road and make some calculated changes to your riding style to be prepared for anything. The idea is to train your mind to “look out” using your peripheral vision so that it becomes a habit that flows naturally. I follow some simple rules that help me when I am on the “long road”. I have found that there a few usual suspects to watch out for in a long distance trip. First are the local cyclists, secondly dogs, stray domestic animals, third the loitering villager and fourth the “daring villager on his two wheeler”.

Let’s start with the first. Let’s assume I can see a cyclist ahead of me going in the same direction as me, I try to keep a “peripheral eye” on the front wheel of that cycle. The moment that front wheel changes direction towards my riding line I back off the throttle just a bit to be prepared (just in case). Similarly when I notice a dog or an animal loitering on either side of the road I tend to hold throttle or in a position that I can snap it shut while also having a finger or two on the front brake lever. The slower the animals natural running speed the more you can relax, but to keep Murphy’s law in mind is best. The last of these is the “daring villager on his two wheeler” who in my opinion is the most dangerous. You catch sight of him standing there on the side of the road even half a km away and you think to yourself that nothing can go wrong..and out of the blue he lets his clutch out and into your path. What is he thinking? “let me see if I can cross the road and prove that I am invincible” or “let me see if I can scare the living daylights of the guys on the highway?” or better yet “lets see if his brakes work?”.

There are other known hazards that invariably keep popping up which are easier to deal with, the truck that pulls out only at the exact moment when you come by, the pot-holes, the speed breakers (or neck snappers), the slow auto that’s a long distance trip, the fast auto who thinks he owns the road. The good thing about these are that you can predict this for the most by paying attention to the front wheel of the vehicle, making eye contact with the driver of the vehicle when possible, the general speed or lack of speed of vehicles way ahead of you and keeping your wits about you.

Scanning the road using your peripheral vision and preparing yourself for a road hazard is mandatory in India. It’s easy as long as you keep doing this and it becomes second nature to you.

Happy Riding!!

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Where bikers dare

2009-04-24T15:04:00.000+05:30

The 20^th of july.2002, 8.50 am..I was standing on the worlds highest motor able road..khardung-la at an altitude of 18380ft above sea level .with my bike a green Royal Enfield of 1969 vintage….a big board proclaimed a welcome by project Himank..and another board on my left welcomed me to the highest temple in the world khardungla-baba.Incidently I was the first member of our group to reach the pass. Myself and my bike had been in top gear coming on the 40km ride from leh..as we went around the hairpin bends …both the wheels fighting it out to keep themselves firm footed on a single plane.. As I passed fellow friends pushing their bikes up…as I fought for balance…we were having fun…. going around the corners and having a blast. As I gunned the throttle the wheels moved about with a will of their own… digging in angrily into the gravel ,throwing up a huge cloud of dust ….. as we took each and every small shortcut through the unforgiving mountains, risking it a bit…but with confidence levels at all-time high levels. In the next one hour we had more and more bikes coming in bringing up the number to a 70 odd bikes ..the highest ever number of motorcycles to make it on the pass…..we were 102 people in all including all our support members, also the highest number of civilians on the pass ,we were told by the army personnel…a festive atmosphere hung in the air. As the army personnel distributed free tea, people were dancing and rejoicing, cameras were on a major clicking spree…the “Been There ,Done That” picture. for everyone there except for me it was a mission ,successfully completed….but for me the journey had just begun !!!! I was to travel all the way from there to Kanyakumari the southernmost tip of India a good 7,500 kilometers away, on the route I had planned to take .Having already done 3,800 kilometers from Bangalore to reach on the top of the world…it was a huge figure to accomplish .

The 16^th of August, 27 days later ,the 39^th day of my journey... .i count off the remaining kilometers, feeling something swelling within me as it drops to 50..twenty ten...expectancy? Satisfaction? Joy? Relief?. And then at, 5.30 pm i am there lands end. the blue band of ocean slices my vision in half. and the tarmac can go no further. From my right the vast semi-circular ripples from the Arabian sea meet the bay and fuse with the Indian ocean, I was sitting in Kanyakumari on the beach, waiting for the sun to set ..we (myself n my bike) had successfully completed our mission….riding around 12,000 kilometers ..Through 14 states…. 39 days of living on the road…through forbidden terrain….unfavorable weather conditions, like scorching heat in Delhi, freezing cold in Kashmir and pouring rain on the coast for 10 days ..we were exited on have achieved something……I celebrated with a great feeling within me to have survived the whole thing….

My idea of nirvana has always been nature…waking up with the sun shining on my face…listening to the bike thumping away as the birds chirp in my ears ….eat away with the pleasant aroma of the food exiting my taste buds as they get cooked on a crackling fire beside me. The smell of the flora and fauna around me rejuvenating me .A wonderful siesta in the cool shade as the digestive juices work inside my stomach to digest the meal. forget of an instrument called the “watch” and how to use a calendar .sleep peacefully as the moon stares and the stars wink at me……..

Its been an amazing journey and an awesome ride ever since I left Bangalore on the 7^th of July till I returned on the 17^th august 40 days later after riding through 14 states throughout India. Meeting fellow bikers all over the country….my journey traversed through the less frequented roads between heaven and earth crossing the highest ever motor able road in the world ”khardungla” in ladakh and the southern most tip of India “kanyakumari” .A whiff of cultures, lifestyles, traditions ,hospitality and food of a wonderful country called India …in short I returned to Bangalore …after a taste of a beautiful country called India… A melting pot of cultures, colors, flavors and smells, full of spirits. all bundled into one ..Adventure at its very best….

Its been a journey of a different kind…unlike taking away on a holiday cocooned in a musty bogie of a train, or the “semi-sleeper” of a bus or the air conditioned comfort of a Boeing 737.,flashing around a couple of currency notes and deciding what i want to eat for breakfast or dinner…..and look around and decide what kind of ambience i want to have in the place I was going to stay… this was of a different state looking for adventure at its raw state, believing that adventure begins where the tarmac ends…and not minding rattling mountain paths ,tyre slashing rocks lurking under glacial melts flowing in full force, hairpin after hairpin leading into some of the worlds highest motor able passes. all generously tossed with a dash of low oxygen, fog cold and lack of everyday facilities on desolate stretched for days together…the Himalayas was just right for me. yes that has been what the ride in the Himalayas have been…and I did survive it all... bringing in the true spirit of adventure within me … I returned home with a great sense of satisfaction and achievement. with memories to cherish for a lifetime……Prashant