xBhp Anniversary ride to Nagaon

xBhp Anniversary ride to Nagaon, Alibaug.
It was the 10th year of xBhp & for us a reason to get together & ride along in the monsoon. There was get together of Mumbai & Pune riders at Nagaon near Alibaug. Where we could have fun & a short ride.

Finally, my new Helmet comes out

80000kms of fantastic moments

80,000kms of fantastic moments & less then 5 yrs. Had been an amazing journey so far with some really awesome memories. Took me to leh twice without a tiny failure. And tons of near and far places. Some popular, some unseen. Bought me back safe home. Seen the best & worst glimpses of my life. Always stood there.
Thanks for being there !!

Karizma like always, proved it again..!! 

Take care of your bike & It will care you back..Smile at her & she will rock on the road.. Take her to mountain, she will dance on the twisties. All she needs a little love & she will be by you forever..

 Last year I completed half a lakh kms.. Feel like it was just few days back..

The time fly's like crazy.. 

I wish I keep riding far & hard throughout my life..!!

Solo Ride to Mumbai - Malshej - Ozar

Solo Ride to Mumbai - Malshej - Ozar

Date : 7th Feb 2009
Bike : Red Karizma
Total KMs : 330km
Destination : Mumbai - Malshej - Ozar (ashtavinayak ganapati)
Riders : Solo
Average/Cruising Speed : 80kmph (on speedo)
Top Speed : 135kmph (on speedo)
Road : Good Roads (70%), Average / Bad (30%)
Time : 6.30am - 4pm (with lot of halts)

It has been quite a while I was thinking of doing some solo ride after keeping a frequent close watch on the Tourer section of xBHP.
Recently last sunday i had been on a solo ride to alibaug & hence was desperately seeking a good little more far away ride. Well, now choosing a destination was a big confusion. As I wanted to be back in a days time & before it gets dark. Got the biking directions from yahoo india maps,
shortlisted four places i.e. Malshej, Kashedi, Jawhar, Bhandardara. Took a printout of this routes & started thinking before going to bed.;) Thinking about it I started feeling very sleepy, still wasnt sure about the destination. Atleast I had made up my mind to go on a ride next morning (i.e. Saturday 7th Feb). Got up early morning ar 6am ( i know its not too early), while having my bath I decided a place :) "Malshej". Since I had recently gone for a Cleanup ride with xBHPians to malshej so was very somewhat aware of the route, roads & the beautiful twisties on the ghat. I thought of venturing bit ahead of it & lets see where the roads takes me or if theres any good place waiting for me. So had tea, as I thought breakfast will have on the way, Put on my jacket, took a bottle of water in my backpack, cleaned up my bike & here i left. Even my bike was bit thirsty, so was hunting for petrol pump. Left from Bhandup, took the straight road from thane majiwada through flyover to bhiwandi. The climate was fabalous. There was a small ghat, am not sure what is its name.

Little traffic but the climate was pleasing me. After a little ride I reached Kalyan from where I had to go to Murbad. I am too bad remembering the roads, never ever I do. I just waited on the road side just to tally the route with my route map, suddenly a couple came on a bike next to me & asked me for the way to panvel. Me giving them the paper of direction I was referring to, asked see if this can help you, they quietly left me. :D Btw, my office currently is at thane, if you take me through some other road, am sure I will get lost :D. Anyways after a lot of navigational
help from the locals I got a petrol pump somewhere after kalyan & filled up fuel into my bike. To mention here, I didnt had much cash with me, just 200bucks. Thanks to the credit card which helped me for the fuel. Driving for a while then I reached murbad, asked for the way to Malshej. After a descent drive of almost 100kms i reached some place where I could see some basic hotels. From here I could see the Malshej ghat & the mountains, where I
had to reach. Before that thought of having something, as was feeling damn hungry after a drive of 100kms. All I could find was a Batata vada & a socalled misal. More than choice, something eatable was important so quickly had it & headed towards the awaiting moutains.


Sat back on my bike & headed towards the inviting roads to the hills. Driving on the roads, me & my bike yelled a word "VOW"..!! Yeah, the roads where not only very good to drive on but also beautiful. Trees from both the side forming an entrance, sun trying to peirce from the branches, leaf falling & sprinkly on the roads..
Amazing.. Check the pix, all the snaps are clicked from my Nokia 6500s (3.2 MP, Carl Zeiss), Though not enriched resolution but good enough to feel the trip log.

Entire scene while driving was so wonderful, I started singing while driving.. Trees started laughing at me hence I stopped. :)..
Waited on many spots to capture the wonderful views, twisties, scenes. Am sure if had clicked snaps of every beautiful visuals my phone would have overflowed with its memory. The only disadvantage in a solo ride is, you dont get own snaps. But who cares,.!! Riding alone is a glorious feel in itself,just U & the nature.. Place is a nirvana.!!.


The ghat is so amazing, I had a close feel of it riding alone.. Leaning was never so much of fun, wonferful roads on the curves, what else do you need for cornering. Saw a small temple on the way of ghat which is a very attractive spot. The temple is within the rocks & I believe this particular place while rains, gets the most beautiful spot in the ghats.



Waited there, took an ashirwad from Bajrang Bali.. (Bolo.. Jai Hanuman!! :)) & left further. There was a sign board on the way "Caution? Falling Rock Do Not Stop", but here the "I" was missing from Caution, thought the rock had fallen really here which took away the "I" also.. lol..!!



Passed through a nice tiny tunnel, even the monkeys on the way wished me luck..;) Finally..!! reached the top of it with some nice pix in my pocket.
There was a beautiful lake, looking at it felt like rode above & reached the heaven. Couldnt resist myself stopping by the lake & sitting for the while listening to the wind & water current.


This is what India is man..!! So beautiful.!! Place is miles away from pollution, dirtiness.. Pure nature.. Nirvana.!!
Alright, so malshej ghat is done.. now what was in my mind.. but my bike wanted to just run & so did I, unknown of the next destination, riding on to some place which I dont know,. I started feeling what real biking is all about, its not about destination, its all about ride like somebody said. That was the ideal thought floating in my mind, my odometer was even excited to run so fast. After a ride of like 35-40kms I thought of waiting at some place & enquiring with villagers if theres some place to see ahead. On asking them, I got to know about a Holy Place called as "Ozar" situated just 15kms away. Knowing more about this temple, it is one of the ashtavinayaks ganapati (Vajreshwar). Without wasting any more time just headed towards the temple. The road was real bad for around 5-6kms, bumpy..


Wished if my bike could get converted to a dirt bike & I do motocross.. I was literally standing while riding through those wicked bumps. But it was really scenic, the farms, farmers, cows, sheep & also a scarecrow to shoo me away..!! :P
Reached the temple, was really beautiful.. There was the same lake perhaps connected to it. Though photography was not allowed but managed to click some snap of the lord Vajreshwar (Ganapati).

I hope you are praying right now.. Else please do it :)
Extremely cool place, sat for a while in the temple. Guess what, I called up my mom at home told
her where I am .. She started shouting at me, but when I told her I have come to this temple.. She was feeling very happy about me & bit stunned. I gave her the wonderful gift "Sound of the bell (ghanta) of temple through the cellphone..!!". Got very happy & even I felt I did something good. Visiting this sacred place I was blessed :). Took some prasad for the friends & family. Really was not in a mood of having food, but still managed to eat a Sada Dosa & I left back for home. It was almost 1.30pm, very hot when I started riding back. But the trees on the way helped me by their shade. Was feeling very sleepy & tired, dieng to take rest atleast for 15-20min.


But I thought let me complete the malshej ghat first & then will see. Again I drove for around 70kms & stopped in a nice peacefull shady place. Parked my bike bit on the offroad beneath a tree.



There was a farm all around, a cow was relaxing near to me, was small fountain coming out of the broken pipe & could hear the wind passing by. Kept my bike on the main stand, took off my jacket kept in on the handle & I lied down over my bike making the jacket as my cushion. Yeah, my bikes long enough I can sleep over it. It sounds funny, but I got the real moment which I was waiting for since a long time. All I could see up was the trees with their branches entangled & the blue sky.

Just mind blowing.. Feel it to know it..!! Lied down for almost 20min, felt fresh..


Got up, put on my jacket back & ready to ride hard now.. I drived non stop for over 100kms in 1.5 hrs & reached back home by 4.30pm.


This entire trip was so beautiful & enchanting, would love to go again & again. It has encouraged me to get more bolder on the weekends, pickup my bag, get on the bike & ride hard somewhere really far away from this busy world to a more realistic place.. Then only one can enjoy the ride & know what the biking is all about.
Ride Hard people..!! Am here to ride till my breathe allows me.. !!! Ride Hard or Stay Home..!
Happy & Safe Riding..!!

For more pix. Please visit my Picasa Album here.

Solo one day RoadTrip to Malshej - Ozar

Performing Clutch wheelies

How to Perform Clutch Wheelies on a Motorcycle

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Clutch wheelies are better than power/bounce wheelies because you can do them without accelerating (much); in tight areas, at very low speed, and they are much smoother than power wheelies both on the way up and down. You can also ride them out much longer and shift into higher gears.

Steps

1. You don't need a very powerful bike. You can definitely clutch wheelie a 500 cc sport bike, it just takes higher revs.
   
   • Stock gearing is fine, however, with this setup it can't clutch up in 2nd. You'll need a 520 kit for that. (To clutch up in second with less bouncing, try going -1 on the front sprocket, and +2 on the rear.
     
   • If you buy these sprockets in 525 pitch, you will be able to change them and use the stock chain).
     
     • (Edit:The chain length will be correct, but you cannot use a 520 chain on 525 sprockets, or vice versa.)
       
     
     
   
   
2. Sit comfortably, upright on the bike. You don't have to slide back for this trick. "It is possible to clutch up a wheelie at 70 mph in 3rd gear on a gsxr-600." This will take more practice, but it is very possible.
   
3. Drive at a steady pace around 1500-2000rpm. (Should be about 10-20mph).
   
4. When you are ready for liftoff, quickly open up the throttle and accelerate. This is VERY important because it compresses your rear suspension. It's very difficult to clutch a wheelie without compressing rear suspension first. You're not trying to build up speed! Starting at low RPMs is very important. If you start a clutch wheelie at 5000RPM, it will be very difficult and you'll red line long before you go vertical. Power comes from low RPM.
   
5. Almost immediately after accelerating, pull clutch in enough to disengage and let the engine rev to about 6000RPM. You can do this slow at first, eventually it becomes an instantaneous motion.
   
6. Quickly release the clutch at about 80%. This is the hardest part. You HAVE to release fast. You'll know you released too fast when your RPM drops down to 2000 - this means you released too fast. Practice, practice, practice. When you get it right it will feel like you have hydraulics on your front wheel and pop right up (much quicker and smoother than a power-bounce wheelie).
   
7. Once you master this, your bike should be popping up a little bit. The next step is throttle control.
   
   • While releasing the clutch, add throttle. If you want to go big - vertical - and stay there - the big thing to learn is that you can not let go of the throttle OR the clutch. You will control height of the wheelie with your clutch at this point.
     
   
   
8. So once again.. once comfortable with the clutch release motion, start giving it lots of throttle. You should be able to keep it up in 1st gear for a few seconds without any problems. The higher you go the longer you stay up.
   
9. Once you get good, you won't have to rev before you clutch. Do them at the same time.
   

Tips

• Your front wheel acts as a gyro to keep your bike straight. Don't hit the front brake! Keep it spinning!
  
• If you feel the bike going a little too far back, try tapping the back brake a little instead of chopping the throttle, this will let you keep your rpms up so you don't slam the front end and blow a fork seal.
  
• Releasing clutch too slow or not enough. You have to let it out in one quick motion, just a flick. Think of the clutch as your foot kicking the back tire. If you kick it your foot will bounce off...if you just push your foot into, even with a lot of force, it won't bounce back.
  
• Practice giving it lots of throttle and more clutch. Just don't loop it!
  

Warnings

• Using the clutch to wheelie will eventually destroy your clutch, chain, and sprockets, so make sure to check them for damage before and after each practice session.
  
• Most insurance companies WILL NOT cover damage done while "riding unsafely", which does include stunting, so be prepared to pay for everything you break.
  
• Wheelies are REALLY dangerous. Doing them on public roads is irresponsible and can easily cost you your license, or even your life. Proceed with care!
  
• When practicing wheelies, assume whatever object is, or will be within 500 feet of your direction of travel, you WILL hit. Remember, you have no steering and no braking whatsoever when on one wheel. Even when your front wheel comes down, your shocks are compressed, therefore no brakes until they decompress.(Edit:The position of the suspension has no bearing on the operation of the brakes.) This could take 100 feet depending on speed! Make sure the path is clear at all times!!
  
• It's best to learn wheelies on a small dirt bike. Street bikes are heavier and more powerful; they can hurt you more easily and are a lot more expensive to fix when you fall.
  
• Riders of above-average skill frequently fall (crash) when stunt riding. You don't have to flip the bike to hurt yourself badly. Trust your instincts and don't let others pressure you into wheelies or other stunts.
  

Things You'll Need

• Helmet, gloves, protective pants and jacket. You probably won't loop your bike but be ready for the worst. Frame sliders are also recommended.
  
• A special "stunt cage" is available for many bikes. It's an external frame that protects the bike from hitting pavement.
  
• A special bar can also be installed on the rear. Also known as a 12-bar. This prevents the bike from going beyond vertical.
  
• Stunt riding should be practiced only on a closed course with proper preparation (gear, insurance, and someone to provide first aid and call paramedics if needed).
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Do a Basic Wheelie on a Motorcycle
  
• How to Countersteer (Motorcycle)
  
• How to Match Rev Downshift a Motorcycle
  
• How to Measure Mileage of Your Motorcycle With a Reserve Tank
  
• How to Change the Oil and Oil Filter on a Motorcycle
  
• How to Ride a Motorcycle 1000 Miles in 24 Hours
  

Sources and Citations

• http://www.wiredtom.com
  
• http://www.crashcage.com/ (for the crash cage)
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Perform Clutch Wheelies on a Motorcycle. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Did i mentioned how deeply am in love..

Yeah.. Oh it just slipped over my mind to tell about my love.. I am not sure when & how this happened, was just a sudden strike of cupid some 2 years back...
I used to be with her everyday, started my day with her & ended my evening... Even was with me for entire nights without any hesitation with just one intention: To be with me. She always took my care so much, never realized was this a love.
Always made sure i reach my destiny on proper times & safely.. Use to be proud to stand with her in the crowd getting an attention & respect.
Always did what I wanted no matter how painful it was for her to do that.. Even got hurted due to mine or somebody elses mistakes, but never put me away, always made an effort of seeing me happy by standing back smilingly..

Never made me feel less in front of the rivalry crowd.. Stood always like a shield promising me "I am always there"
I started noticing & realized finally i couldnt spend my day without watching her, without spending time with her & hence concluded i loved her & cannot stay away from her.. I love her..
So today I dont have any hindrances in revealing the most valuable thing in my life, which means a lot to me, important than any other thing in my life, thats my bike 'karizma'.. yeah dont be astonished.. it is indeed..!! (please bare my insanity)

I do remember my time when my first bike was of automatic gears(Activa) just b'coz i lacked the experience of riding bike.. But lately i started feeling that lack of something in my life & passion, suddenly just in 6 months i decided to buy a bike..
I was badly confused, started with Unicorn without any knowledge just trusting words.. Still I couldnt get that feeling of satisfaction & completeness so i thought of something else which was CBZ-Xtreme.. Somehow i was not impressed by its looks though still didnt had much knowledge about judging a good bike & understanding the features...
Then there was a flash over my face & saw this almighty incredible machine.. didnt knew much about it.. But suddenly got that feeling of happiness & without any second thought just banged at the dealers desk & booked it..
Finally the best day came, when i was ready to get my darling, my own karizma..vow.. what a feeling it was..
me not being experienced about driving a bike with gears, my friend rode it for me... Immediately started knowing the gear patterns, controlling, handling, braking(which was totally new for me).. Loosing my patience i decided to take it to my office on my own, no matter whatever it takes but will ensure it doesnt falls or touches any1.. It was all new day for me coming out with this bike on the way to my office (to andheri, lokhandwala).. Got myself in middle of the traffic, was little panic, nervous but my bike encouraged me with its brightened looks like saying me "Dont worry I am always there..!!"
Was struggling changing gears on time, many times my bike turned off due to amateurish control over releasing the clutch.. But she was as freshly ready as before.. Faced a hard time balancing my bike while braking.. as the time passed the bike helped me gaining the acquaintance over the machine by its significant smoothness & unbeatable pickup.. First 2-3 days I had little hard time, but my bike always motivated me to do it again.. Had an amazing feeling to notice it being an eye catcher, truly stunning beauty..
Everyday i drove my bike more confidently than the earlier day,.. Was an awesome feeling to drive on the roads so smoothly like the almighty..!!
At times there where really critical problem like not at all taking any pickup, screwed up my clutch plates.. Couldnt resist that suffering on the bike, felt very bad about it.. I remember me taking leaves to office just to make sure it gets fixed fromt the service centres.. There had been many such days, I have takes leaves from my office, even had a pay cut couple of times; but didnt had any regret for the purpose i am doing it.
Even met with an accident & had tears in my eyes not to see my wounded elbow or knee or bones, but to find my bikes part in pieces... I remember how i had busted that car driver who suddenly took a turn on the U-junction & hit the bike on the tail..
Immediately took it to the nearest best garage, & repeatedly insisted the service guy to make sure it gets back to original & each components starts functioning as smooth as before.. Had a bill of 7000 but was totally worthwhile when i saw it standing like new in front of me expressing "I am fine". It was back to a new condition, ready to rock.. Didnt even mind handing good tip to the mechanics..
This bibliography about my bike will never end, but i have to bring it to a pause not stop. Will definately extend it more with my more feelings & continue my love towards this magnificient machine
Now am more cautious, more confident.. And yes my bike has made me a good rider.. Am in deeply love with it..!!