My Ride to A Wedding

This post had been hiding for almost two years in the drafts section of my blog (from February 2016 to be precise). About this trip, I somehow had forgotten. Unlike other rides, this wasn't really meant for motorcycling per se. It was a close friend's wedding I had to attend last year, and I originally had thought of taking the car, as I would reach the event fresh and not look like a survivor from some Zombie apocalypse. But then me being me, I thought of making this visit a bit more special and memorable. The challenge of riding this time was, at the end of the ride, I had to be presentable enough for a social gathering. This has never really been a requirement during my usual trips. So after a bit of deliberation (with myself mostly), I chose to ride. I decided to attend this event, only because Sampath (the groom) was a really good friend of mine and also the wedding guest list comprised of a very small group of selected individuals, whom he really wanted to be part of his special day. Otherwise, I am usually not very keen on attending functions as such, especially if it's a huge gathering. So I had to be there and had enough time in hand and this friend already knew how much I Luv Riding motorcycles (you see what I did there! :D). So a few days before the wedding day, I texted him to confirm my participation and also told him about my plan of riding there (just in case he had any apprehensions about it). Much to my delight, he didn't mind at all, me coming on the motorcycle to his wedding. Rather, he was quite supportive and enthused about this whole idea. So there was nothing else on the way of this trip. This route I had done almost 8/9 years ago on my CBZ, and after all these years I am happy to say that, I had a lot of fun again exploring this route at a leisurely pace (which I loved for a change). The marriage ceremony was total fun. Along with Sampath's school time buddies, we had a blast. Now as I look back, there are some of the photographs I had shot on the way during this ride, which remind me of some of the fun events of that day and places I visited. So sit back and enjoy the journey.

Bangalore - Yadiyur - Tiptur: (164 k appx)

Google/Android's spy shots of my travel route.

There were trucks on this route, but the broad road and ample breakdown zone on the side were a safe spot for breaks

If a bulleteer isn't obsessed with his motorcycle, then be assured that he has bought the wrong one (in my humble opinion).

This route had the best kinda highways.

There are riders, there are commuters and then there are people relying on two-wheeled transport in this country.

The stallion in full shinning glory :)

This spot was higher ground and gave a nice view of the long stretch of the highway behind.

After leaving the highway, I found myself a nice spot for a break.

I was munching on a bar of sneakers and appreciating this huge tree for the shade it was providing to travelers like myself.

This was the end of some nice twisties passing through paddy fields

By all means, trust the technology (i.e. google maps) for its convenience but its always good to validate.

This route though lacked any variation in terrain, still had a view or two to offer.

Reached destination and unpacking in progress. The clothes I was supposed to wear for the event made it without much crease or damage.

Note: No pictures of marriage here, until I get a response from my friend, who has moved to Australia after his wedding and we haven't been in touch ever since. That was a fun wedding and we had some interesting photoshoots of the bride and the groom, which I would love to share here. But that has to wait. Meanwhile, continue enjoying some of the photos of my ride back to Bangalore via a different route.

Tiptur - Honnevali - Tiptur - Tumkur - Bangalore:

This was the route I took on the way back

Artsy stuff eh?!! I know.

Abstract art of nature! 

The other side of this story is that it must have been cut by us humans :/

An old Temple I visited on the way back. I like temples for their unique architecture and in some cases the tranquil atmosphere that they provide.

Nope, I didn't get inside this one, as it was sunny and I couldn't just leave my luggage, especially boots outside, unattended. All I had this time was mostly a walk around and a preview; maybe will step inside on my next visit.

Nice mud tiles, I have seen back home in Orissa, where we had an outhouse of sorts with such roofing.

Though not the best in food options, they do provide decent space and ambiance in most parts of India. Our very own Indian Cafe chain- Coffee Day. I decided to have lunch here, for the sake of the air conditioning, as it was very hot outside on this day.

A boulevard with shades of green and brown...

hmm.

As I got closer to Bangalore, the increase in pollution was getting so obvious that I couldn't ignore it anymore. I had to pull over twice to avoid riding behind a fast-moving tempo truck, which seemed to be running more on engine oil than fuel.

Well, looking back on this trip, I am glad for the share of peaceful and relaxed riding time I had on the road, the greenery en route, and the clean countryside air I got to breathe. If you haven't been on this route, do check it out, as the roads were car-friendly and you may like it, just like I did.

So until next time... 

Ride Safe & Ride Far,
Sid

A Ride to Kolli Hills

What would happen when two solo riders plan a ride together? First of all, it doesn't really happen that often, then when it finally does, it turns out to be an epic trip. A very short one though, but still, epic! So Sandesh and I had been talking about doing a short spin together, ever since we bumped into each other at work, right after my northeast trip. It was enough of an introduction on his part that, he too had done the Indian north-eastern belt (all the way from Bangalore) solo, in early 2016. We had our own stuff (life, ride, job, family matters, etc) to take care of, so, despite our regular coffee time discussions, nothing materialized regarding a ride together. This was the case for almost a year, until last Thursday; i.e. 19th of September 2017, when we could finally take the bikes out for a spin.

For the ride, the suggestion of a route came from Sandesh and he picked Kolli Hills (locally known as Kolli Malai). Now mountains are always the preferred destination when motorcycling pleasure is what we seek. This mostly had to do with the twisties one gets to enjoy flicking the bike on, also the lean angle you achieve (MotoGP anyone ?!!) while doing it. Now, these aspects also have a lot to do with making motorcycling dangerous as well. Because in the mountains, we may not always get a second chance to correct ourselves, after a serious mistake. As that would either throw you off the cliff or put you right in front of an oncoming vehicle or ram into the stone sidewall/tree within seconds. These scary bits of the scenario need to be told, as we have a higher number of younger and inexperienced riders in the country now (including some from my family/friends circle) than experienced ones. So they must not follow everything they hear or read (even in this blog) without knowing all possibilities of a route/ride.

So coming back to the ride planning, I had a look at the route to realize, it's 80% highway and 20% twisties, that to hairpin turns. What surprised me most is the number of hairpin bends this place has. Guess what 70 in total!!! I personally have never ridden (or been through) that many continuous hairpin-bends in my life so far. Take a look at the map view of that stretch:-

Sandesh rides a Duke 390 like a pro and I was supposed to ride my bull. The average speed a KTM 390 can do on a good road like the Hosur-Salem highway, would be close to 120 kph;  Mind you, I am talking about the average here, not the top speed. So one day trip to do a highway run with such a route, got me thinking to try something new in terms of my ride. Why not the very best mountain carver out there to match; there I was enquiring about the Duke 390 itself as my preferred motorcycle for this very trip! I found one available with Wicked Ride (WR), Koramangala. Booked it in a jiffy. I had some prior experience with WR guys and they were fairly good in terms of rentals and choice of motorcycles they had. Sandesh wanted me to try out the Ducati Scrambler, but unfortunately, that was no more available at the time I was booking. Plus, riding the same bike will not only allow us to keep up with each other, but it will also mean we carry only one set of spares and tools for road repair scenarios, resulting in reduced luggage. This actually turned out to be a good decision, as we were able to do some good speeds on safe stretches and none of us had to struggle to keep up (slow down or speed up) unnecessarily, which happens when you ride with different bikes with different capabilities.

Picking up the motorcycle from Koramangala:

Wednesday night, the plan for me was to leave my car at the office, take an Uber to the WR outlet in Koramangala, pick up the motorcycle, and ride home. And so I did. However, I had to replace the Duke they first gave me, as it was part of a crash recently. Even though it was serviced after the incident, I didn't want to risk my safety on the highway or twisties, suspecting possible fork or wheel alignment issues. Thankfully they had another 390 around and they were happy to offer that. That had just come from a ride and was covered with mud. Getting it cleaned was a much simpler task on my part than figuring out a handling issue while on the road (had I taken the other bike). So  I picked up the motorcycle, tanked up just enough to get to Shell Bunk near my home, and rode back. To be honest I hated the ride back home in heavy traffic. I cursed the bike and its short gearing all the way until I reached Shell at Bannerghatta road. However, just before reaching Shell, I took some empty back roads and it allowed me to open up the throttle a bit, and whoa!!! The feeling was so much better, that I decided to keep the Duke and see what it does when it gets the much-needed highway. I called up Sandesh to give me a quick 101 on recommended tire pressure and about the tell-tale lights on the console, etc. I didn't have time (or energy) to go through the user manual for the bike. Thankfully Sandesh's instructions were good enough for me to get going on this machine. Oh wait, the bike was still dirty and I don't like a dirty motorcycle to start a trip with. It was already 10PM1 and hardly any bike-wash shops were open. Still, I was able to locate an open garage and thankfully was successful in convincing the workshop guy (who was working late) to get this baby cleaned and its chain lubed. Am so glad he obliged and did a great job too.

Getting rid of the mud and grease

Applying the chain lube

Once the bike was all ready, I was relieved. Now all I had to do was to pack. This time packing was much lighter, as I didn't have to carry any tools at all. Only clothes, my RAM mount, first aid kit, a few bars of sneakers for snacking, and usual electronics. Chucked the camera this time. So all in all, it was one of the lightest setups I have had in a very long time. This allowed me to focus on handling the beast that the 390 is on the highways as well as while cornering in the mountains. So with packing done, the alarm was set for 4AM. Meet up time was decided to be at 5:30AM, at NICE road's Bannerghatta entry point, while heading towards Hosur/EC exit.

Leaving Bangalore on Thursday Morning:

The motorcycle is all set with a duffel as the tail bag

I used 2 bungee cords tied in an X shape, which held up fabulously during the whole trip

Got onto the NICE road from Bannerghatta Road, and waiting for Sandesh

Early morning fog and usual traffic on Nice road

Sandesh was riding so fast, he missed seeing me standing on the side of the road, so he stopped some 3 km ahead and sent me his location. I caught up and we officially started off together from that point, with him riding in the lead. 

First stop at the fuel bunk next to A2B; for filling up fuel in Sandesh's bike

Two KTMs with a full tank of fuel and an open road; you can see the smile right through the helmet :D

First proper break during the ride to cool off and have some breakfast

We were staying above 110 all through, as the road condition was excellent and traffic was manageable. I remember touching 1X0+ (X=unsafe digit to be shown here :P) at few stretches (unintentionally of course!) when the road allowed. Duke got me hooked on the power delivery and the ABS-assisted braking. Then came the first few corners before Salem. These are 3-5 bends on the highway which are notorious for accidents, as they bank too sharply for a 3-lane national highway. I realized I was going wide on the first two turns. So I had to dial down the speed and get the knee down a bit to maintain my line. It took me a few hours of riding the 390 and a couple of more turns to realize, that the chain on my bike was more loose than it should be. The night I brought it home, I hadn't noticed this. It affects the bike so much, I never had assumed. This was (one of) the reason, I had a tough time riding it in stop-go traffic the night before, as the chain was making noise at the lower gears and making me shift too much in traffic. Having said that, once we got the chain adjusted, I was right at home in the twisties. The bike handled flawlessly from that point on. This was good learning for me. I wish I had noticed/fixed the chain issue much earlier.

Stopped here to check the map/GPS, just after leaving the Salem highway, to head towards Kolli Malai

The only viewpoint on the way up to Kolli Malai

Found this small tea shop on the side, just before the temples' area.

We made it to the top by noon as planned. Found ourselves at a restaurant inside a resort, for having lunch. We took a rest at the restaurant post lunch before our descent started from Kolli Hilltop. Our destination for the night was Yercaud, which too has a couple of twisties but neither as many nor as sharp as what we came across at Kolli Hills. So we started off around 3PM from Kolli Hills towards Salem and then from Salem towards Yercaud. By the time we entered the foot of the Yercaud, it was dark already and there was this crazy beeline of cars on the ghat road. Most of the traffic was coming from the opposite direction. That was the good part. We could filter through easily and made it all the way to the top of the hill station by late evening. We could find ourselves comfortable accommodation. We didn't have to sweat much to find this place, all thanks to Sandesh and his contacts. Got fresh, had some coffee, and then decided to head out for a spin and possibly find a good place for dinner.

While looking for a place for dinner, came across this interesting place. Alas, it required a prior appointment to get a table here.

So finally after a bit of goofing around the hill station at night, we got into Silver Oak Restaurant, inside Shevroy Hotel. It was a bit pricey, but the food was delicious, and we had a stomach full. Well deserved supper after a long day of riding. I presume they stay open till late. So just in case you land in Yercaud late and don't find any decent eatery nearby, do enquire about this hotel. Post dinner, we sat there with a cup of coffee in our hand, discussing the day's ride. After a good long hour, we headed back to our hotel and before we know it, we had dozed off.

Morning at Yercaud:

Our stay at Yercaud.

We checked out from the hotel around 9AM and headed to the place for breakfast, which we had found last night :). Visiting this cafe was an interesting experience for sure. The place is called 'Sweet Rascal', it's a resort and cafe. Founded and owned by Mr. Vishu Kalliappa. Our visit here became more interesting when we bumped into the man himself, who turned out to be a biker. Well, what are the odds?!! We had a great time chatting with him and knowing about his collection of motorcycles. His taste in things and the choice of businesses that he has created and runs are very unique.

We had a booking for breakfast this time :D @ Sweet Rascal Cafe!

This place is green, and tastefully decorated, with lots of bonsai plants, many dogs, a few exotic birds, and tons of funny quotes :) Yep, all these are part of this quirky resort and cafe.

After a hearty brunch and a cup of coffee, before we catch up again with our good 'ol National Highway 44

Taking a break under shade for sipping water and some chit-chat; on the way down from Yercaud 

The beasts in their natural habitat; at the twisties.

Stopped at Krishnagiri around 3PM, for the last fill-up of our hydration packs. 

Whew! By this time, it was starting to get a *butt* painful to be on the saddle :P Hence this break!

So that's how I celebrated this year's Diwali :) Riding a cracker on and off the twisties and open highway!

We had recorded some footage on Sandesh's action cam, but not sure when that will make it to youtube. As and when that gets uploaded, I will try and put a link here.

On Friday I finally made it to my office around 4 PM and after a quick change in the washroom could get back to my desk (with regular clothes) and finish some work. I wasn't that tired from this ride, so decided to save half a day's worth of leave, maybe for some future ride ;)

My observations from riding the KTM Duke 390:

It was a fun group (well.. kinda!) ride I had in a long time. KTM Duke 390 got me hooked and I ended up loving this machine. My elated appreciation partly could be due to the exceptionally good condition of the roads which we picked to ride it on. Even then, for a newbie (to KTM) like myself, I could push it through its paces, and not a single time worry about its ability or my safety. Handling was way better than I had expected, both on the highway (while doing higher speeds) and while cornering in the mountains. KTMs (in my limited knowledge) mostly have the short stroke, high revving motor and that is evident from the moment you push the start button. They behave/handle better when they are pushed. This trait is completely opposite to what bullets (or even the Honda motorcycles) offer in terms of riding experience. I had to change my mindset as a rider from passive (/relaxed) riding to that active (assertive!) riding, and only then the bike starts obeying your commands (or so to speak). Yes, its weight and power might be a bit too much to handle for a new rider. For them, I would suggest Duke 200 would be a better (and much safer) choice, yet equally fun.  Lastly, both the KTMs we rode were running on Michelin tires, which performed well without any issues.

** Useful Info: **

Bangalore to Salem (195 KM)
Bangalore > (via Electronics City road) > Hosur > Krishnagiri > Dharmapuri > Salem bypass road
NH 44: Srinagar-Kanyakumari Highway: 3 lanes, in very good condition


Salem (bypass) to Kolli Hills (60 KM)
Salem > (via bypass road and then on NH44) > After appx 40 KM Turn Left onto > Kalangani-Thirumalaipatty Road > Thirumalaipatty > Karavalli > Hairpin Bends Starts!

Salem Bypass Road: Flyover construction was going on, so in some stretches bypass road was narrow creating a bottleneck for 3-4 KM or so.
Kalangani-Thirumalaipatty Road: Good tar condition, but undivided (/single carriage) highway, can maintain 50-60+ KPH safely.

70 Hairpin Bends (14 KM)
95% in very good condition and the remaining few patches have mild gravel due to damaged tar surface. Corners are free from debris/sand and hence safe for tire grip.

Ghat Riding Dos/Don'ts:-

• Always decide your speed before you arrive at the turn and select the right gear for that speed beforehand (downshifting mid-turn would put stress on your gearbox and be risky as the rear wheel may lose traction due to the sudden change in speed)
• Slow down before entering a turn and always be careful/attentive to correct/change your line of the ride; Because turns are very sharp, and all vehicles (going up or down) would take wider turns sometimes coming on your path.
• Before braking, check your rear-view mirrors, so that no vehicle should be behind you (or approaching fast).
• For breaks/halts, pick a spot visible to traffic coming from both sides, at least 50-100 meters away.
• Do not over speed on the way down, and do not overuse the brakes (you may wear out your brake pads and that would be very dangerous).
• Always give way to vehicles climbing up the ghat, so keep an eye on those and slow down before a turn to allow them to climb safely.
• Keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front (even if it's your riding buddy) at all times. And at the bends, have more space for your own safety.
• Avoid this route at night (so better plan your climb and decent when daylight is still around).

General Tips for riding on this route:-

• Ensure the engine oil level of your motorcycle is proper (if a cast iron bullet, carry extra engine oil, as the highway is good and you possibly would end up ripping at higher speeds than usual, which in turn would burn more engine oil)
• Ensure your brake fluid level is proper and brake pads are in good shape
• Ensure your motorcycle chain and sprocket are in good shape
• Ensure your motorcycle chain tightness is adjusted correctly (or at least get it done at Salem before reaching the Kolli Hills ghat section)
• Carry a hydration pack or water bottle and keep filling it on the way as you run out (stay hydrated at all times!)
• Too much sun and too little shade on this highway, so use sunglasses/built-in sun shade/tinted visor.
• Wear protective gear (as always), as the highway is good and most vehicles would be at high speeds (even if you are not riding fast)
• There are many petrol stations on NH44, but not that many once you turn towards Thirumalaipatty; so better do a full tank at Salem

Hope you enjoyed being part of this ride.

Ride Safe & Ride Far, 
Sid

Weekend Ride : Johannesburg to Clarens

The Honda NC700X among the mountains of Clarens, South Africa

This is my second visit to South Africa (SA in short) and to give you a recap of my last one, I had planned to rent a motorcycle in Cape Town, when I was there around 2 years ago. Well, that didn't work out, as I just had a week in hand and some last-minute work-related issues cropped up over the only weekend I had there. So this time, when I got an opportunity to visit SA again, I was very determined to ride. But again Johannesburg (where I am right now), still doesn't seem to have many options (or at least I couldn't find any good ones), when it comes to renting a middleweight tourer. The options are limited to the BMW GS series and mostly the 800 and 1200, and these offerings aren't that affordable either. While I was discussing my ride plan with Yesh (my colleague, who also rides) and how I am not able to find any decent options in Jozi, he offered to take his bike for the weekends. He has swapped his car for a Honda NC700X, as his daily ride to work, which has reduced the travel time by half. The same case is with me living in Bangalore. For the very same reason, I have started riding my motorcycle to the office again lately, at least a few times a month. So his ride is not used over the weekends, as he uses his car for traveling or running errands around town. Now that was great news, as weekends were the only time when I would prefer to ride or trip anyway! So this was just perfect :) Thanks to the generosity of Yesh, I finally had gotten a ride for my trip after all.

Modern-day gadgetry for the ride. Not at all necessary, but makes my ride so much fun.

After a bit of inquiry on possible riding destinations, Rupin (a rider and a co-worker; in that order!) suggested a location named Clarens. It was a decent 300+ km from Joburg and seemed to be in the mountains. I readily agreed the moment I heard the term 'mountains' and committed myself a visit here when I saw some pictures of the place online. But ever since this plan brewed up, the bad weather had become a sore patch on my otherwise shiny (and sunny!) dream of exploring this unique country. I had 4 days in hand, thanks to Good Friday and Easter holidays here. Not only stormy weather with heavy rain was my concern, but also all the other unknown variables like road conditions on this route, and riding conditions (traffic, tolls, check-posts, etc) got me thinking. So even though the distance of 400 km in a day (on the higher side) is nothing new for me, it's the unknown variables, i.e. the lack of familiarity with the motorcycle, weather, condition of the roads en route, and any possible safety concerns, basically, everything about the trip kept me in a dilemma up until the Friday morning, when I was supposed to start. So despite the noise in my head, I just got the engine roaring and rolled off my hotel premises, with dogged determination, that am gonna do the trip anyway.

The night before the trip (on Thursday), the top box was packed and ready for a 3 nighter (though it witnessed just 1)

So I had to do some preparation to be able to do some wet weather riding. Now I wasn't carrying all my riding gear during this visit. So I had to buy some essentials, which were as follows:

1. Waterproof over-trousers
2. Waterproof iPhone case (to allow the phone to be used as GPS)
3. Phone/GPS Mount for the handlebar
4. Pair of rugged and waterproof boots

I shopped for these items, just the day before the ride. So I had to find local stores that stocked these products and drove there with a friend to pick 'em up. I was all sorted by Thursday evening. For your reference, here is the list of items that made it to Honda's top box:

Packing checklist

Rain (and a storm) was predicted, but I guess I was really lucky. I didn't have to deal with much of the rain. Rather, from the moment I start from my hotel room to the time I made it back, the weather was picture-perfect. Though cloudy at times and a few drops of water here and there, nothing serious. The roads were crispy and dry and I had a blast riding. It did rain cats and dogs though in Joburg on the day of the ride, but an hour after I left the city. With that said, despite the weather being on my side, I chose to ride only for 2 days out of the 4 I had in hand. I decided to skip Durban (to avoid heavy traffic on the return route to Jozi), which was part of my extended ride plan for the remaining 2 days. Maybe I should save the pre-ride/boring details for now and let the images do their job ;) So here it goes.

This was the point on Friday morning after which, the rain was a certainty!

Cloudy weather and the corresponding overcast, allowed me to capture the black color honda in good detail :) There is always a brighter side (or so to speak) to every situation!

An essential thing for riding in a new country: Navigation!

First stopover en route. Found the safe/enough space on the side, felt safe to pull over, without getting too close to the vehicles zipping past (at speeds over 150 KM/h)

Another stop to admire the vast landscape this South African route had to offer.

The vanishing point of the road in this particular location, it reminded me of the Indian state of Meghalaya, which is a plateau and so is most of South Africa (which ironically, I realized only during this trip!)

Beautiful blue sky, clean crops, and a never-ending road; were the elements that were constant all through my journey. It was beautiful enough to keep me engulfed.

My first fuel stop. This came at a point when the fuel gauge was showing the last bar and I was not really up for an adventure with 'THAT' at least. Lucky me, I noticed this by the side of the road and pulled over. This place was called Helbron.

Not sure what was the difference, other than the color of the crops here, which was white. Or were they just hay? :/ Not sure.

Over the next hundred kilometers, I had some good breaks on the way, however without any major diversions.

This was the first major diversion on the way; toward Bethlehem.

After riding for miles, this was the first sighting of a mountain, ahem.. hill?! well, whatever! It brought a lot of excitement and also the possibility that there are mountains ahead!

It totally deserved a second look :)

But soon they vanished and the terrain becomes flatter. But thankfully, not for long! :) Keep scrolling to find out.

The cruising speed had already dropped from 135 to 110 without me easing off of the throttle. That was simply because of the change of terrain in the form of a gradual uphill climb, and the motorcycle was possibly feeling a tad bit stressed to maintain the higher cruising speed here. I was already feeling colder, despite the thick riding jacket and leather gloves.

A poster shot of the capable and comfy, Honda NC700X.

For a rider/biker, such signs are so encouraging ;) I was already stretching my legs for some serious cornering ahead :D

The first and only off-road route I took during this trip :) All thanks to the BnB/farmhouse that I couldn't locate. I am glad that I tried and came across this off-road stretch, on which I could have some fun riding.

So after having a blast in the dirt, when I was done (not really!), I decided to head into the city of Clarens and check out the second BnB on my list. It was a vintage farmhouse with self-catering facilities. Why I fell for these? Blame it on these pictures of the place on TripAdvisor :)

So I reached there, parked the bike in the shade, and took off my helmet to get some fresh air. The place was so green, shaded, and quiet, that I absolutely loved the ambiance. The added satisfaction was partly due to the wind noise for the last 300+ Km that I was listening to (along with the music from my headset). Seeing this place so quiet, I realized that possibly no guests were there. So I started looking for the staff to do the booking formalities. After looking around a bit, I couldn't figure out the reception desk/room, so gave a call on the number written on the welcome board. It turned out that they were fully booked for the next 4 days (i.e. the whole of the long weekend). It was a new lesson to learn about the weekend scenarios at Clarens. It seems they get a good amount of visitors on the usual weekends as well. Considering the road till here was in great shape, it is indeed a weekend getaway destination for people in Joburg. Hence it's common to find hotels and BnBs booked on any given weekend.

Second (non-typical) accommodation I had planned to stay at but had not booked. Though I am glad I gave it a visit in person. It was totally worth a visit.

The boulevard that led to the entrance of this self-catering BnB at Clarens.

By this time, I was done with the two options I had chosen and didn't really want to stay anywhere else. So I just took a break and started skimming the Booking.com app and searched for a night halt close by. That's when I came across 'Fouriesburg Country Inn', which was roughly 35 KM away. I still had a good part of the day and sunny weather on my side so decided to ride further (west) to Fouriesburg and check out this place, which looked quite vintage and classy from the pictures. I got a booking confirmation from the app and gave me the option to pay at the hotel. All I knew was, for sure, I would end up in a good place before sundown. With this, I started riding west, towards Fouriesburg (still without a proper booking of sorts).

On the way to Fouriesburg, came across this swarm of tents with a group of youngsters (I guess) chilling out. The road was covered with parked cars on both sides. My first thought was, some music concert must be happening, but didn't find any stage close by.

For me personally, camping is about being away from modern-day distractions, but this place right here didn't look anything of that sort.

The route started getting scenic again, even after leaving the beautiful Clarens.

The view was breathtaking.. these were not the biggest or grandest looking mountains, but the terrain was unique and beautiful.

A close-up shot of the Honda with the mountains in the backdrop.

A rusty old barricade separates the road from the cliff.

View on the left side of the road.

The nice weather was complementing the view.

Notice the rocky structures. 

Again after a few kilometers, the mountains vanished and I was back to the vast flatlands. Out of nowhere, this came up. It reminded me of the rocky structures of Arizona state highway (US). No, I haven't been there, but have seen tons of photos of those unique rocky structures before. 

Here is a pic of the American highway from the internet for reference:

Now back to the South African interstate highway and the rocky structures that adorn this route.

Continuing towards Fouriesburg, I found every variation of the terrain quite amusing. Especially the sense of space and vastness was kinda liberating.

By around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, I made it to the hotel and got myself a room. It was a beautiful vintage accommodation with decorated interiors and a nicely maintained dining space cum restaurant inside. I found a safe parking spot for the motorcycle at the back of the property.  Kept the bike in a corner to avoid obstructing any cars or SUVs being parked there.

As it was a busy weekend, the only room they had was a family room, which I had booked through Booking.com. It cost me ZAR 750, excluding breakfast (which I realized while checking out). Anyway, let's have a look at the accommodation first and then at other nice-to-have bits of this property.

Main bedroom with an attached bathroom.

The not-so-ignorable part of the room.

Ah and the bathtub! Nothing beats a bathtub session after a day of hardcore riding :)

Lastly the entrance space with bunk beds for the kids (remember, it's a family room!) with its own attached bathroom and a shower enclosure.

This central garden-cum-sitting area was nice! :) It was so cold here despite the bright (looking) sun. I sat here for a while after checking in my luggage.

The dining space was a decently large hall with around 8 such tables fully set up for a fine dining experience.

While I was waiting for my lunch to be served.

After my lunch, I got straight into bed wrapped up in two warm blankets. It was so cold! I barely felt like stepping out. I was not really prepared for this cold. Then again, the comfy bed gave me enough rest for another day of riding and exploring. I think I watched some movies in the evening on tv and then was surfing the internet on my phone. I remember checking the weather forecast for the next day and also speaking with Yesh to get some traffic stats on Durban for the weekend, just in case I chose to ride in that direction. Yesh was sure that the Durban route would be quite busy due to the long weekend and hence may not be a good idea to ride there at this time. And with all honesty, it would've been actually challenging for me to filter through heavy traffic in a country am not yet fully experienced with. I had come across a few tight spots on my way while leaving Joburg and I was not that comfortable doing it. Maybe it would take me some more time to get used to, driving between cars here, provided I live here long enough. So finally after all considerations, I decided to skip the plan for riding to Durban and instead decided to ride around Clarens, before returning back to Joburg. This put me at ease, as I knew what to expect in tomorrow's ride and could feel more confident about the route, the road, and my capability to handle all of this. With the plan for the next day set, I could doze off in time. Oh yes, I did all my packing before I went to sleep so that I could start early. I wish the room was a bit warmer though. I had to wear my moderately thick hoodie, later on, to cope with the cold night at Fouriesburg Inn.

A Beautiful Sunny Saturday Morning:

Had a great sleep and I was up by 6:30 in the morning, just waiting for the breakfast buffet to be ready. Once I was done with the breakfast, I and NCX were ready to roll. The bike was completely wet with dew, as it was parked outside without a roof or shelter. So I had to dry off the seat and handlebars with a towel. 

The safe parking spot I had picked, ensured the motorcycle stayed away from the bigger vehicles.

Morning sun shining brightly over the Honda's windshield.

As there was no charging port on this particular motorcycle, I had to make do with this power bank setup. Neat, eh ?! ;)

During checkout, I enquired about how much the same booking would have cost me, had I booked directly by calling them. Much to my surprise, the amount they said was much lesser than I had paid through Booking.com. It was ZAR 600 including breakfast. So effectively ZAR 200 less than what I paid. This lesson was totally worth that extra 200 I would say. Next time if am traveling around here, here are two rules to follow:-

• Try calling a hotel/BnB directly for a quotation first, before booking through any travel app
• Book the room in advance for a weekend stay at Clarens (or any close-by area like Fouriesburg)

With that said, I had a chat with the lady at the reception, who confirmed that I am going to witness some of the greenest views during my ride ahead to the National Park. During winters, locals set fire to the shrubs and grasses making the whole place look gray and dull. However, at this time, they were really fresh and green, this was partly due to the recent rains.

Farewell shot at the Fouriesburg Country Inn

What a beautiful day to ride in this part of the country :) 

Today was the day I had to return to Joburg, but before that, I decided to give visit the 'Golden Gate National Park' around 45 KMs from my hotel, after crossing Clarens on the way. So I started riding in that direction with the GPS set. It was so cold in the morning that I had to wear the hoodie inside my thick motorcycle jacket and a pair of knuckle-length gloves inside my leather riding gloves. Only then I could maintain a riding speed of 100 or sometimes a little over that. Nevertheless, the freshness of the morning sun and the beautiful views ensured that the additional effort was totally worth it.

Some berry-like fruits on the side of the road.

Filling up for my long return trip to Joburg.

The visitor count was increasing, as the day progressed.

Took the same exit, to head towards Clarens and then to Jozi.

On the way back, I decided to ride a bit inside Clarens and take a look around. That's when this lively and bustling flea market caught my attention. A large ground was full of a variety of stalls selling stuff like leather, crafts, paintings, handmade jewelry, wooden products, clothes, you name it. I enjoyed checking out some of the stalls and picked up a few interesting bits and bobs for friends and family.

This is just one corner (around 10%) of the ground visible in this shot.

Another side of the ground.

This store had a lot of recommendations on Trip Advisor and I can confirm that it stands true. Sadly they don't allow photographs to be taken inside, so you have to visit yourself, to know why they are so popular. Basically, the quirky gifts sold inside are very handmade, unique, and different. They also have a furniture section inside this same shop. Prices for items were reasonable, not that expensive.

Once I was done roaming around the market and had picked up a few gifts/souvenirs, I was ready for my ride home.

My stop on the way for a cup of hot chocolate :)

Nice small gift shop and restaurant with an ATV trail nearby

As I waited for my cup of hot chocolate to arrive.

View from the spot I could walk up to, to get close to the mountains.

Inside the gift/crafts shop.

The counter at the entrance had the basic things anyone passing through may look for.

See that bus over there ?!! That made me turn around and come back here to see what they got. Otherwise, there were many fancy food joints on this stretch, one being right opposite this place.

"La Motte" :D

One of the numerous barns I saw on the way.

And one of the many windmills I saw on the way.

Waterbodies were so rare on this belt, that I had to stop and take a picture every time I saw one. Very few I saw en route were closer to Clarens.

Yours truly. :D

Another pond (I guess) with the cattle grazing nearby.

This route I took was not the same one I came by. It was straight as an arrow for almost 200 KMs or at least it felt like that. lol

Taking a break after a long run and enjoying my last bar of snickers.

Finally! After a long (200 KM) ride, this was the first urban setup (read houses) I came across. I had come via Helbron and now was returning via Frankfort (to the right).

Farmland with bales of hay, which (I guess) are used for feeding the livestock (i.e. cattle)

Very rushed attempt to take a portrait shot of the steed.

It was nice to have a parking spot right outside the restaurant at the fuel station (which is locally called a 'garage' in SA).

Grilled Chicken with Peri-Peri sauce and greek salad as the side :) Healthy and nutritious. I was done eating chips anyway. lol

I had to cross one toll on my way to Clarens. This one was before entering the city. Toll booths were a little ahead, I had to stop here to keep the change handy to avoid making the cars wait too long, as I take off my gloves and take out the cash.

The stock windshield on the NC700X was quite short for highway riding and because of this, the deflected air was hitting my helmet at the chin. And after riding around 200-odd KM at an average speed of 125, the helmet liner finally came off. I had to stop and do something about it, before continuing with my journey. Thanks to a special tape that Yesh had given me while leaving, I could fix the helmet liner on the road. However, it didn't stop the emergency vehicle from pulling over behind me to investigate. The driver stopped to enquire, why a lone rider has stopped in the middle of nowhere :P He was very impressed with the fix as well. LOL

Jugad rocks!!

Next turn towards the city of Johannesburg, a.k.a. Joburg and also affectionately called Jozi :)

If I remember correctly, this was the Soweto township in the background.

The sight of the city ahead becomes so obvious from the urban structures visible on the horizon. 

Soon after, I was riding alongside the fast cars on the city roads. It took me another half hour to finally reach my hotel. It was a very satisfactory feeling to have completed my solo ride in South Africa in the best way possible. Also, the bit of dirt riding was the icing on the cake. A big thanks to Yesh for lending me his bike lovely Honda NC700x, for this trip and Rupin for the tips and guidance. This trip just made South Africa more familiar to me now. :)

NCX is chilling back at the stable. It deserves the credit for the trouble-free run that we had in the last 2 days:)

So this short trip was awesome, or as people in Jozi would say:-

 "The ride was lekker, like a cracker.. eh!!".

Until next time...

Ride Safe & Ride Far,

Sid