Solo ride to Ichalkaranji on Machismo - Part 1 of 4

It has been quite a time after I decided to write about details about ride, yet another solo ride on Machismo, to Ichalkaranji. During my stay at home I decided to write but my laziness and pampering by my parents and sister just did not allow me to put any paragraph. But now once I have come back to Chennai, I have decided to post them as and when I get any time from work.

I was talking to my friend in his showroom of REL motorcycles (bullets) on Wednesday where he told me about his desire to participate in Himalayan Odyssey, a bullet rally arranged by REL. I offered him my bullet for the rally. It was decided that I would continue my return journey to Chennai two days later and then work out arrangements to send the bullet to Kolhapur or to Delhi for him. That whole day my Baba was accompanying me. It’s a great pleasure to take your father on a ride on your motorcycle. We got some work done on bike; it was re-doing electrical connections for the two auxiliary lamps on bike, at the showroom and returned to Ichalkaraji later in evening. When I parked my bike in front of our home, I noticed a sudden muscular pain in the left wrist, severe enough to make me restrict its movement in any direction. The pain remained in the next morning also and I was forced alter my plan for return journey. I could not get any berth in Haripriya Express on Friday and Saturday. So I booked a bus ticket in a bus for Bangaluru. Saturday afternoon I left the home for Kolhapur with my bag on bullet, left the bullet at REL showroom for my friend, and visited CPR to see Satish. His mother had undergone surgery the previous day. After spending some time with him I boarded bus near Central Bus Stand 6 pm. Satish came to see me off. I reached Bengaluru on Sunday morning where I boarded on bus for Chennai which took me to the Koyambedu at 4 pm. Overall it was pleasant journey, but without my bullet.

It was in the beginning of the third week of May, I felt that I wanted a break. My routine was well tuned my post-April-17 life since when I had jumped back into role of a regular Research Scholar. It was quite some time since when I had not visited my parents. Last time when I visited home, was on 30th December for an hour when I was on way to Pune with Dr Vivek driving back his car. It was too much brief visit. Before that it was in November when I rode Machismo taking circuitous routes during my visit to Ichalkaranji. I had visited Raigad, Chinchwad, Walawal, Panaji, Jog Falls and my journey was interrupted by rain at Arsikere after covering total ~2850 km that had taken 17 days.

In that impulse, anticipating my guide’s approval and smooth working of all other necessary things, I left the Machismo at REL’s servicing centre in Thiruvanmiyur on Monday morning with necessary instructions for checkup that is to be done before going on a long ride. The two – three days passed in uncertainty lingering over the plan. But some how on Thursday evening all the uncertainties vanished and I reached the servicing centre to get delivery of bike. It was still not ready. The mechanic had just discovered that the liver that indexes the gears was half broken but was just functional in last few months. It could have broken completely any time during travel. It took one hour to fit new lever. They had fitted a new halogen bulb. After usual checkup I left the centre with bike. Then, only thing remained with my mind was an exciting ride ahead.

I planned to take a circuitous route to reach Ichalkaranji and a straight route for return to Chennai. For going I thought of riding along NH4 upto Kolar, reaching Tumkur via Vijaypura-Dodballapur, then riding along NH206 to Honnavar, then reaching Panaji along NH17 and Ichalkaranji. It would have taken three days to complete this journey. Interestingly I had followed this route in my ride in last November but in the reverse order. But on 19th May, something else was to happen!

Continued in part 2 ...