Stories from the road

Friday Morning, 6 AM | KR Puram Metro Station, Bangalore

The clock hadn’t even struck 6 when I pulled into KR Puram on my Royal Enfield Super Meteor. This time, I had my Maddog Rage mounted – visibility was crystal clear even before sunrise. Left Sarjapura at 5:15 sharp. The Bangalore morning chill, empty roads, and that rumbling thump of the Super Meteor – perfect start.

Fifteen minutes later, Deepak rolled in on his KTM 390, followed shortly by Nisarg on his Ninja. I used those precious 15 minutes to shoot some reels – sunrise lighting and thumping engines, can’t go wrong.

Then came the car gang – Kanu’s fully-loaded top-end XUV700. Inside: Balaji, Alok, Swapnil, and of course, Kanu at the wheel. Swapnil, still nursing a hand injury, had to give his bike a miss this time. And Lalit, who had planned to join, bailed out last minute – turns out a post-party dance floor injury kept him grounded!

8 AM | Breakfast Stop – Sambrama Hotel

Our first stop was Sambrama Hotel, where we met Shamanth who was on his TVS Ronin. The ride till there was mostly city traffic, but bearable. Nisarg, who barely slept the night before thanks to a Go-Live at work, throttled ahead on his Ninja and reached 10 minutes before us. The man runs on black coffee – and not just one, he had double black today.

At Sambrama, we stuffed ourselves with dosas, sambars, and all kinds of chutneys. Caffeine and carbs – the essentials.

On the Road Again – Route Debates & Rider Pitstops

Shamanth, being the local pro, chalked out the route: go via Hassan, then decide based on weather whether to take the Sakleshpur route. As always, my bike gulped fuel, so I stopped for a refill and bumped into two roadside vendors. We casually asked them for a picture, and surprise – they turned out to be vloggers with thousands of followers! Now thinking of collabs 👀

While the bikers took the scenic Sakleshpur route, the car gang had a different mission: ICE. They searched half the region before finding a small ice factory. Mission accomplished, drinks secured!

The Sakleshpur route was a dream – winding roads, misty hills, dense greens. But 40 km before our homestay in Chikmagalur, the skies opened up. It poured. I forgot to coat my visor with water repellent, and with the added weight of panniers, I had to go easy on the curves. The last 30 minutes, I led the way using Google Maps on my Poco M7 – no rain cover, fully drenched, and still the phone held up like a champ.

We reached our forest-encased homestay by 12:30 PM. Nisarg and I celebrated with a little dance in the rain – fully geared, fully soaked, fully happy.

Settling In | Homestay Vibes

Bikes parked just outside our room. Riding jackets and lowers were hung under fans in different rooms to dry. Shamanth was the smartest – wore his raincoat and saved his gear. Respect.

The living room had windows on three walls – just sitting there with the sound of rain outside was therapeutic.

Drinks were poured, and lunch was ordered from a restaurant 30 minutes away (since the homestay didn’t serve lunch). It took an hour to arrive, but when it did – chef’s kiss. Chicken, fish, mushroom starters, biryani – finger-licking good.

Evening Ride & Plantation Party

The rain kept playing hide and seek. We loaded all 8 of us into the XUV and set out to see a nearby waterfall. Halfway through, we realized we’d lose daylight if we continued.

So, Plan B – took a detour into a private plantation, cranked up the music, stepped out, and danced. Nisarg tried to record us… but forgot to hit the record button. All our effort – gone 😄

Back at the homestay, Balaji and Swapnil climbed the water tank. Others strolled around, found a local tea shop, and got snacks for the night session.

Night Tales – Gazebo Gossips, Test Rides & Pork Debates

We moved to the gazebo in the property – sat around, laughed, sipped our drinks. Kanu was curious about my Super Meteor, especially the panniers. He wanted to take a ride at 9 PM, but the soil was slippery and the weight was too much. Swapnil gave it a go and regretted it – his hand pain flared up.

I tried Nisarg’s Ninja, and Balaji took a spin on the Super Meteor. We all grilled Balaji – “Why no bike?” He’s got a Dominar 400, but now he’s eyeing the Honda NX 500. Solid upgrade if you ask me.

Suddenly, Kanu heard a noise in the bushes while leading us back with a torch. Got spooked. Ran back. We couldn’t stop laughing – because I had thrown a stone to mess with him 😆

Deepak brought his JBL speakers. We continued music, drinks, delicious dinner – this time with pork on the menu. I skipped, but others said it was amazing.

India vs. England match was on. We watched, ate, and slowly people started crashing. Only Kanu, Nisarg, and I were up till 3 AM. I went to bed. Next morning, found Kanu sleeping on the sofa – said it felt cozier than the bed!

Saturday Morning | Tea Trails & Ride Back

Nisarg, Alok, and I went for a morning tea walk. Found a tea shop with an Indian-looking Persian cat lazing around. Serene stuff.

After getting ready, we had a hearty breakfast made by the homestay chefs. Some riding gear was still wet – but we managed. Packed up, clicked group pics, and rolled out.

On the way back, Shamanth took us to a scenic photo spot with windmills in the backdrop. Perfect postcard memory.

Finally, reached Bangalore around 5:30 PM. Kanu, the SUV driver, dropped everyone by 8 PM.

A trip to remember – laughter, throttle, rain, and the kind of stories we’ll tell over and over.

Chikmagalur, you beauty. We’ll be back soon. 💚🏍️🌧️