One day ride to Lepakshi with Hop on Gurls group 
This ride was like no other ride. 15 girls,6 bikes and an alto car.
A big,Big,BIG Thank You to Nagoo sir for letting me borrow his R15 for a day.
This turned out to be my first geared bike ride,my first 100 km mark ride,one way,for
the first time I crossed the 100 kms/hr,touched 110 kms/hr speed on the bike (a three digit
figure!!!)
I really don't even know how to begin :P
Like they say,everything happens for good.I was only planning to ride as a pillion,take pics and enjoy the day as my Activa Babe needed service.And I still don't know what made me ask Nagoo to borrow his bike for the ride.Best part was Nagoo agreed :P and I was left with no choice but to ride as the pillion positions were all filled up.Then comes the night before the ride,it was really hard to get some decent sleep,with all sort of questions running through my mind and the answers to all those questions,I would only know the next day.Nervous,excited,scared,super happy,doubts,faith,it was a volcano of emotions erupting inside me.But managed to keep myself together when I met Nagoo,after all I had to get his Bike :P
This ride was like no other ride. 15 girls,6 bikes and an alto car.
A big,Big,BIG Thank You to Nagoo sir
for letting me borrow his R15 for a day.This turned out to be my first geared bike ride,my first 100 km mark ride,one way,for
the first time I crossed the 100 kms/hr,touched 110 kms/hr speed on the bike (a three digit
figure!!!)
I really don't even know how to begin :P
Like they say,everything happens for good.I was only planning to ride as a pillion,take pics and enjoy the day as my Activa Babe needed service.And I still don't know what made me ask Nagoo to borrow his bike for the ride.Best part was Nagoo agreed :P and I was left with no choice but to ride as the pillion positions were all filled up.Then comes the night before the ride,it was really hard to get some decent sleep,with all sort of questions running through my mind and the answers to all those questions,I would only know the next day.Nervous,excited,scared,super happy,doubts,faith,it was a volcano of emotions erupting inside me.But managed to keep myself together when I met Nagoo,after all I had to get his Bike :P
Before heading out to meet the girls at esteem mall,I made sure to ride through the neighbourhood till I felt ready to go for the ride.Luckily,this bike never let me down.Got few tips about riding from Nagoo sir,said my byes and first stop to the petrol bunk.The person at the petrol bunk was pleasantly surprised to see a girl ride this bike.He helped me close the fuel tank lid and asked me won't my back hurt to ride this kind of a bike.According to what I've heard before,I replied no,it doesn't. Met up with lady bullet riders as they were the first to arrive,then it was a long wait till the rest of them arrived. Esteem mall turned out to be the meet up point to a lot of riding groups and girls were going GAGA over the Harley boys
Even though the other girls were riding Thunderbird and classic 350cc,R15 was an instant favorite among the girls There were excited to see a R15 ride among the bulls and all I could do was smile. Bindu the organizer of the ride took the lead and since I just wanted to ride at my speed,I decided to go last because I wasn't sure how fast I took take her.I remember Nagoo saying,you won't even know how fast you'll be riding on this bike,I just laughed it out saying its not going to happen this time when I am riding.
There were excited to see a R15 ride among the bulls and all I could do was smile. Bindu the organizer of the ride took the lead and since I just wanted to ride at my speed,I decided to go last because I wasn't sure how fast I took take her.I remember Nagoo saying,you won't even know how fast you'll be riding on this bike,I just laughed it out saying its not going to happen this time when I am riding.
Finally we started the ride,more than an hour late to begin with.Part of the
flyover opened up towards new airport,so it was a smooth ride.The first thing that greeted us
was the mist.Nose tips freezing and very low visibility.I was just riding at 55-60 kms/hr,the
Activa effect because that's all I am used to,while the other lady riders disappeared into the
horizon.The ladies showed there concern by slowly down or stopping at few places for me
to catch up.Slowly increased the speed upto 70km/hr,but I still couldn't think of 80.I was
comfortable till 3rd gear,then when I would take it to the next and would have to slow down,felt
like as if the engine was crying to me.
So i was just taking it slowly.
The next stop was breakfast at Kamat,seeing that the girls had stopped after 30 mins from the
ride,I wondered did we reach Kamat already. I saw a car parked crossways in front of the bikes.
Apparently the family in the car had seen us ride,and were so thrilled,that they stopped to take our pics and instantly we were promoted to being celebrities
Still managing to ride the bike,we reached chikbalapur and still no sign of kamat,we
decided to drop kamat because we weren't sure how much further we had to ride and our tummies were rumbling for food.We waited on the highway,by the time few girls went to check out for a place to eat.
"Alrite girls,start the engine,lets go eat!" Did I not press the ignition button for few secs?
I did.Silly,the monitor's not on,the kill switch! Oh yeah! put it in one direction,the bike didn't come alive.So,it's gotta be the other way then and Nothing,absolutely nothing!
Did I just mention,the bike's not starting...Yes! R15 refuses to start. Ok,Panic mode!!!
The bike is not starting.And I am caught speaking to the bike,"Baby don't do this to me,just start."
Alrite,Help! The bike's not starting.Someone asking,"Does it have a kick start?" Nope was my
answer! A friend of mine immediately called her brother-in-law to find a solution.Battery's problem,put it in 2nd gear and push to start.
Well,I decided to put a word to the owner of the bike,as he know his bike best.
Conversation as I best recollect it.
Me: Nagoo,eh! the bike's not starting.Nothing's coming up on the monitor.
Nagoo: Probably its the battery.
Me: Ok,if I just start it some how,then it should be ok rite?
Nagoo: No,the battery's the important part.Everything works based on that.
Me: (in my mind) How convenient!!!
Me: Now what do I do?
Nagoo: put it in neutral and push it and put it in 1st gear.
Me: Ok. will call you after that.
I would call it a miracle,did exactly what was advised and the bike started,didn't
stop it till I reached the hotel.But,lost all my appetite because the problem was only temporarily
fixed.Girls were deciding whether I should leave the bike at the hotel and pick it up on our way
back.What if,it would stop at the wrong place. Gobbled something for the sake of eating,took some
pics,went quietly to the bike,turned on the bike.The display was working! Thank god! Let me just
try it again.Turned it off and on again.Blank.....Ok,the problem still persists.
Another call.
Me: still facing the same problem.
Nagoo: The battery's gone or the rectifier and blah blah blah...
Me: (in my mind) In English please....
Me: so what do I need to do,I don't want to leave the bike here.
Nagoo: Start the bike,put it in idle for 5mins.If it stops off before that,then the battery gone or
otherwise it's just the rectifier.
Me: ok.
All the girls agreed on this test.Pushed it to start,in neutral.Waiting....Waiting....
Waiting.....YES!!! The bike's still on.It didn't switch off.I am taking the bike to Lepakshi and
that's final.
flyover opened up towards new airport,so it was a smooth ride.The first thing that greeted us
was the mist.Nose tips freezing and very low visibility.I was just riding at 55-60 kms/hr,the
Activa effect because that's all I am used to,while the other lady riders disappeared into the
horizon.The ladies showed there concern by slowly down or stopping at few places for me
to catch up.Slowly increased the speed upto 70km/hr,but I still couldn't think of 80.I was
comfortable till 3rd gear,then when I would take it to the next and would have to slow down,felt
like as if the engine was crying to me.
So i was just taking it slowly.The next stop was breakfast at Kamat,seeing that the girls had stopped after 30 mins from the
ride,I wondered did we reach Kamat already. I saw a car parked crossways in front of the bikes.
Apparently the family in the car had seen us ride,and were so thrilled,that they stopped to take our pics and instantly we were promoted to being celebrities
Still managing to ride the bike,we reached chikbalapur and still no sign of kamat,we
decided to drop kamat because we weren't sure how much further we had to ride and our tummies were rumbling for food.We waited on the highway,by the time few girls went to check out for a place to eat.
"Alrite girls,start the engine,lets go eat!" Did I not press the ignition button for few secs?
I did.Silly,the monitor's not on,the kill switch! Oh yeah! put it in one direction,the bike didn't come alive.So,it's gotta be the other way then and Nothing,absolutely nothing!
Did I just mention,the bike's not starting...Yes! R15 refuses to start. Ok,Panic mode!!!
The bike is not starting.And I am caught speaking to the bike,"Baby don't do this to me,just start."
Alrite,Help! The bike's not starting.Someone asking,"Does it have a kick start?" Nope was my
answer! A friend of mine immediately called her brother-in-law to find a solution.Battery's problem,put it in 2nd gear and push to start.
Well,I decided to put a word to the owner of the bike,as he know his bike best.
Conversation as I best recollect it.
Me: Nagoo,eh! the bike's not starting.Nothing's coming up on the monitor.
Nagoo: Probably its the battery.
Me: Ok,if I just start it some how,then it should be ok rite?
Nagoo: No,the battery's the important part.Everything works based on that.
Me: (in my mind) How convenient!!!
Me: Now what do I do?
Nagoo: put it in neutral and push it and put it in 1st gear.
Me: Ok. will call you after that.
I would call it a miracle,did exactly what was advised and the bike started,didn't
stop it till I reached the hotel.But,lost all my appetite because the problem was only temporarily
fixed.Girls were deciding whether I should leave the bike at the hotel and pick it up on our way
back.What if,it would stop at the wrong place. Gobbled something for the sake of eating,took some
pics,went quietly to the bike,turned on the bike.The display was working! Thank god! Let me just
try it again.Turned it off and on again.Blank.....Ok,the problem still persists.
Another call.
Me: still facing the same problem.
Nagoo: The battery's gone or the rectifier and blah blah blah...
Me: (in my mind) In English please....
Me: so what do I need to do,I don't want to leave the bike here.
Nagoo: Start the bike,put it in idle for 5mins.If it stops off before that,then the battery gone or
otherwise it's just the rectifier.
Me: ok.
All the girls agreed on this test.Pushed it to start,in neutral.Waiting....Waiting....
Waiting.....YES!!! The bike's still on.It didn't switch off.I am taking the bike to Lepakshi and
that's final.
Still felt uncomfortable riding,another biker Vinutha offered to try the bike herself which I considered.By the time I sat pillIon on the Thunderbird and we started,Vinutha was out of sight,something told me everything was just OK. In a way relieved.We had to stop at kamat,because two other ladies were joining the ride from there.I sat pillion on R15,sort off mentally deciding let Vinutha ride it for the rest of day.That's when the student trainer session started on the bike and Vinutha was letting me know how to ride better.She hit a three figure mark on speed that was for sure.When she was riding the R15,my heart was in my mouth,given a chance I would have jumped off the bike and walked to Lepakshi. And another halt!,where all that I could tell her is,"Vinutha! your crazy!!! but it was fun at the end of it."She laughed justifying that the Bike's crazy.After this the bike got the name,Dhoom Machale Bike
In a way relieved.We had to stop at kamat,because two other ladies were joining the ride from there.I sat pillion on R15,sort off mentally deciding let Vinutha ride it for the rest of day.That's when the student trainer session started on the bike and Vinutha was letting me know how to ride better.She hit a three figure mark on speed that was for sure.When she was riding the R15,my heart was in my mouth,given a chance I would have jumped off the bike and walked to Lepakshi. And another halt!,where all that I could tell her is,"Vinutha! your crazy!!! but it was fun at the end of it."She laughed justifying that the Bike's crazy.After this the bike got the name,Dhoom Machale Bike
This we stopped to get a bullet's rear view mirror fixed.Then there was the second miracle,the bike's press start,started working again and from here on,there was no problem with the bike.It was as if the bike spoke to me saying,"You ride me like you ride ur activa,I am not moving an inch!". Ouch! Well, the student trainer session continued with Vinutha as pillion this time.The riding style with girls is pretty liberal.As long as the group stays connected,your allowed to go ahead of the lead rider after a while.With Vinutha's right guidance,I finally started to have fun riding at high speed.Touched 110 km/hr on the highway.That was an amazing moment Complete stretch of the journey,the roads were superb! Reached Lepakshi,hired a guide to know more about the history of the temple.The only temple where I have seen a smiling Durga Devi idol.
Complete stretch of the journey,the roads were superb! Reached Lepakshi,hired a guide to know more about the history of the temple.The only temple where I have seen a smiling Durga Devi idol.
By the time we were out of the temple,all we wanted was foodddd....Headed back towards the highway.Just before you take left from the highway to head towards the temple,you'll find an Andhra tourism hotel.All of us totally chilled out,had Andhra style meals,yum! For some reason,felt like as if we were on the road for two days.Everyone was so settled there,that none of us wanted to go home.Finally around 4pm after the short photoshoot and a small stunt show by Divya Murthy on her Bullet,we were back on the highway.
Next stop was Kamat. The ride back was more like a solo ride.The day coming to an end with the sun setting on my right.I still couldn't believe even at that time,that I was actually riding a Yamaha R15 on a highway.The look on Divya Shashidar's face seeing me reach second right after her,was priceless After all I had to do some justice to the bike. After everyone had arrived,we started again,to the last stop of the day,Esteem Mall.A little bit of night
riding on a highway added to my riding experience:P Finally, around 8:20 pm,we reached.The last 30 kms being the worst,my hands went for a toss.Seeing bikes parked in a row right in front of the mall,the cops approached the bikes,but when they realized it belonged to girls,with a board smile let us park our bikes there and also tried to start a conversation So with final Good byes and hugs we parted also with a hangover that lasted over a week.If this is the case for a one day ride,I wonder how would it be for a weekend ride
After all I had to do some justice to the bike. After everyone had arrived,we started again,to the last stop of the day,Esteem Mall.A little bit of night riding on a highway added to my riding experience:P Finally, around 8:20 pm,we reached.The last 30 kms being the worst,my hands went for a toss.Seeing bikes parked in a row right in front of the mall,the cops approached the bikes,but when they realized it belonged to girls,with a board smile let us park our bikes there and also tried to start a conversation
So with final Good byes and hugs we parted also with a hangover that lasted over a week.If this is the case for a one day ride,I wonder how would it be for a weekend ride 