The Jalori Juggernauts

My theory about challenges is plain & simple, accept them head-on, hold them by the scruff of their necks and then pin them down…this is what I did each time a now challenge came up while planning for the ride or in the ride…

I don’t clearly remember when did the idea of planning a ride to The Jalori Pass came to my mind but nonetheless the research started in full flow, our Bulls on Parade (BOP) Comrade, Rishi Gupta helped us immensely by providing us critical inputs about the terrain, road quality and the place, me & Dips then started the strenuous exercise of booking the PWD Guest House at Khanag which is some 7 kms. from the Pass but got to know that it can only accommodate 4 people, and with 10 confirmations we were in a big fix, we floated an idea of staying in tents which would be taken on Hire, it was gobbled up immediately and then the Logistics of getting the Sleeping Bags & Tents started, here our new Comrade Aasish Francis helped us by talking to the vendor and making things much easier for us…so we were all set, a day before the ride we got 3 new confirmations, the final count of 13 then, a pretty big group to ride along with which meant more Bakchodi & more fun, one critical factor which we didn’t plan for was this would also mean more Mishaps !!! yes this is a ride which would be best remembered for the no. of stops we were forced to make due to Bike issues of a wide variety…Punctures, Head-Light bust, Tail-Light bust, Bike stalling for no reason and what not…

Then the D-Day arrived…19 June 2009…I had some seminar to attend at Hotel Claridges and while going towards the venue I had a major accident with minimum damage to me or my Bike, God once again saved me…some aunty stopped in the middle of the road near Dhaula Kuan as she realized that she was going the wrong way and I banged her car from the back at 70 kmph, fell down on the road with a Blueline Bus screeching just 20 feet away from me, I was shit scared, gathered my senses and then blasted the hell out of the aunty who had these golden words to say “BACH TO GAYE NAA”…the bus driver also joined the melee and gave her a mouthful of his own, this bogged her down and then she got down to apologies and Old age shit…amidst all this mayhem I was getting late, picked my bike and off I went, my Petrol Dank got damaged, the leg guard got hit badly and the Foot Guard twisted, also had bruises on my knees & elbows, but luckily the clothes were safe…I thought the day hasn’t started on a good note and hoped & prayed for a much better ride…and the Seminar was no fun either…a real waste of time and money save for the sumptuous lunch I had…

Left the Seminar with Vihans joining me to start together from the Hotel…and then the next mishap…while I was tying my luggage, one of the bungee cords snapped and the hook struck my right side Lenses of my specs…and it got smashed with 5-6 minute glass shrapnels entering my eye…I washed my eye off and got back to work but then my eye started to bleed…Vihans had to painstakingly remove the glass from my eyes…soon all of them were out and we were away…another close shave…I must say God always blesses me and saves me from major troubles…also I have to thank Vihans for helping me out…Love you Paaji…

We finally reached the BOP Customary starting point…the Landfill Site on NH-1…all of us reached on time(for a change) and we were up and running away from the hustle bustle of our office life and towards the place we all belong to…THE OPEN ROADS !!!

The Jalori Juggernauts were:

1. Vihans on his FZ-16
2. Nilu on his P-200
3. Gyan on his Karizma
4. Dhruv on his P-220
5. Rohit Sir on his 4S Electra
6. Aasish Francis on his 1983 Standard
7. Fagu on his 500 Machismo
8. Dips on his 4S Electra
9. Zaheer on his borrowed Electra 4S
10. Ashok on his Electra 4S
11. Pravin on his Marco Polo
12. Rishi on his Standard
13. Me on The Mighty One

19th June 2009 – Friday – Gurgaon – Delhi - Panipat

The ride till Panipat was smooth & hassle-free…we made the first pit-stop…another customary one…at a Theka…Dips found the Official Beer of Haryana with which he is in love with…Black Partridge…it’s the most potent beer I ever had…we reached Gyan’s place and started the BRB(Beer, Rum n Bakchodi) session in no time…Vihans then brought out the Star of the Night…his Hukka accessories…was set up and we were spewing away the fragrant smoke…was great fun…the regular unending supply of Chicken was coming our way like there was no tomorrow…we gobbled it up like hungry souls coupled with Bakchodi and Beer…we called it a night at 11 PM as we had to start at 4 AM for Jalori…short & sweet…that’s how one can describe that night…





20th June – Saturday - Panipat – Ambala – Zirakpur – Kandaghat – Chail – Narkanda – Hatu

It rarely happens and it happened that morning….4 AM we were all ready to start the ride except Vihans Paji who was high after the night’s extravaganza…we love him so much that he wasn’t reprimanded for the 30 mins. delay…soon we were zipping away on the rarely empty NH-1…battling insects like true warriors…my visor was splashed with Blood & Dead-Bodies…a gory sight indeed…but they all were martyrs…BOP salutes all of them for their brave act of valor…we stopped for Breakfast at a Dhaba just after Ambala…and then I enjoyed my first Open-Dumping Session of the ride…the weather was inviting and the pressure was too much to control after a session of Sutta & Tea !!! After a Bakchodi session we left the Dhaba with our tummies satisfied and rode towards Kandaghat…

Some 2 hours into the riding we made our first Beer Pit Stop of the day after getting to know that Zaheer Bhai’s bike had a puncture…no better way to while away time than enjoy some chilled beer on the highway!!! We waited till everybody joined and then started again…



We reached Kandaghat where I waited with Dips at the crossing and guided all the riders towards the Chail road…BOP has great memories of this particular road which we crossed in pitch darkness in our July 2008 Chailastic Riders Ride (http://cheguevaraontheroad.blogspot.com/2008/07/chailastic-riders.html) This nostalgia was one of the important reasons we took this route towards Kufri and not the Shimla one…the mountain roads & views are amazing…though this is a more tiring route but nobody minded considering the weather was very hot and tough roads really calmed our nerves…

After that we encountered a first of sorts…riding through thick smoke and Mountain Fires…it was a scary sight indeed with Dry Pine Fruits falling on the road burning and it was painfully hot riding through Fire…but BOP being the bravest faced the challenges and rode towards Chail…where we had lunch at the same restaurant which was frequented by us in the previous Chail Ride…



All of us were dead tired after riding through the energy sapping heat and mountain roads…specially the riders for whom it was the first or the second ride…I called up Rishi Gupta, our most experienced BOP Riding Comrade who had been to Jalori twice and checked where we could put up our Tents as reaching Jalori was not possible before 8-9 PM…He advised us to reach Narkanda and then find a suitable camping site…after talking to him all of us got ready for the final road attack!!!

Then Rishi Maurya’s Chutiaap took over…we were asked to stop for a routine documents check by the Police and Rishi was right behind me and he hit me from behind…banged straight into my left Foot and smashed my Rear-View Mirror, my beloved ride buddy which stood with me through Ladakh & Kanyakumari but one asshole named Rishi abrubtly ended our relationship…I abused him like crazy and moved on and stopped for a Tea Pit Stop which was dedicated to the die-hard BOP Tea connoisseur Rohit Paaji…and he had a ball enjoying 2 hot cups of Tea…



Just after leaving this Pit-Stop we had the next breakdown…Zaheer’s bike’s accelerator cable snapped and we replaced it in no time but some 20-30 mins. were wasted again… Nilu Bhai utilized this time with a short nap…

Finally we reached Narkanda at 5 PM and then me & Aasish took the lead to find a camping sight…found the perfect one in no time…responsibilities were divided amongst the riders and the tents were put up…by 6:45 all four tents were set and a fire-site had also been put up by Zaheer Bhai who collected Firewood as well!!! It was the perfect setting for the night ahead…we had full stock of Beer & Rum to go along it…the food-riders came back with Snacks for the night and another great news that the dinner would be Tent-Delivered…now that’s a first…we sitting on the top of a hill with Beer, Sutta and Snakes (Snacks!!!) and then fresh & hot food was served to us!!! Can it get better than this? I have my serious doubts…



This night was a truly memorable one…the weather was extremely chilly…Beer & Rum helped us overcome the Chill…Hukka was duly set up as well…Loud songs were floating in the air…I also played our Official Club Song “Bulls on Parade” by RATM and soon heads were rolling…endless Bakchodi…the food was gobbled up in no time…but the night didn’t get over without our share of Desserts…yes even desserts were tent-delivered…hot Gulab-Jamuns & Khoya-Barfi!!! Perfect icing on the cake…at 12 all of us got into our tents after the BBB Session, all exhausted after a tough & fun-filled day…one of those nights which would be always be remembered in the annals of BOP…








21st June 2009 – Sunday – Narkanda – Kingal – Ani – Khanag – Jalori Pass

By 8 in the morning, all of us were all set to leave, we had filled all the garbage in plastic bags, packed the tents & once again dumped in the open…we stopped for breakfast at a small joint where the owner couple acted as the perfect hosts and kept dishing out Paranthas & Sabzi as if there was no tomorrow for us hungry riders!!! After the hearty breakfast the Dhaba owner lost count of the Paranthas as I am sure he wouldn’t have served this huge lot in one go ever!!!we took the safe route and gave him the bill for 2 Paranthas per head…after that the mountain curves beckoned us and we were up & running towards Jalori. Enroute we reached a Delhi Family who wanted their kids to be clicked with us and he wanted his kids to join our club one day in the future…our chests swelled with Pride!!!



I sent him the pic later and he shared the same sentiment…after this ego-boost there was nothing which could stop us but for the unplanned breakdowns, the first of them being another puncture in Zaheer’s Bike, this time in the Front Tyre…one noble soul helped us with a foot-pump and we could get the tube replaced in no time…I also made the customary BOP Video enroute to Jalori which I am sure would be viewed with Pride & Awe in time to come over & over again…



At 12 Noon Jalori was finally conquered by BOP…pics were taken with BOP Tees and pride-filled hugs followed between me & Dips…another destination conquered with a promise that many more were to come…



But there was one sad moment amidst the revelry, due to paucity of time we could not proceed for our planned Trek to Serolskar Lake & Raghugarh Fort which was highly recommended by Rishi Bhai, as a consolation some of us went for a minor trek uphill, midway me & Vihans decided not to move further & went downhill and dumped once again, this time with Pine trees overlooking us…another of those fun moments I always love enjoying…we came back to the Jalori Market and had our Lunch, delicious Rajma & Kadhi Chawal…post which we had Black Coffee at a Restaurant, some of the adventurous souls amongst us had some Herbal Tea which didn’t smell quite ok to me!!!



Close to 4 PM we left the Jalori Pass and our destination was some 30 kms away where I had selected a Camp Site right next to the Sutlej River…another perfect site with access to Water and loads of Flat Land to pitch our Tents…by 4:30 we reached the site and before pitching the tents some of us decided to take a dip in the chilled river water, Rohit Paaji came down to the shore with a Cinthol Soap Bar for that 100% freshness guarantee…had a great time dipping ourselves in the spine-chilling water but one thing is for sure, all of us got really fresh and ready for another fun-filled Night ahead…I left with 3 others to the nearby Village for the Dinner & Snacks and came back with loads of surprises…this night we had plates, Katoris, Bowls and the big one….the Dessert for the Night…not the regular dessert one would expect of….fresh, ripe & sweet Mangoes!!! It brought out oohs & aahs from the group…we wound the packet in a net and kept it in the chilled water to let the mangoes chill and be ready for a devouring session later!!!



Another of the famed by now BRB Session started and amidst the revelry Rohit Paaji broke the news that 19th July was his birthday which he hadn't told anybody...we all took a toast in his name and sung the famous Happy waala Biddday song "Baar baar yeh din aye" in his honour"...me & Vihans even did a small jig together!!! This session went on till we got hungry again…see when hunger strikes BOP then everything else takes backseat and we devour the available food…this time was no different…but better sense prevailed for a change…me & Vihans served dinner like the perfect hosts to the entire group so that we could eat much properly…the big one was kept out till the very end…when the mangoes came out of The Sutlej they were chilled and ready to be served…me & Aasish took the honors and served them this time…the mangoes were gobbled up in no time and each of us satisfied to the brim…amidst all this one rider by the name of FAGU was not in his senses and was roaming around like a zombie and Francis also took his ride by fooling him, not a tough task but still this time it was hilarious…btw the Mr. Phalgun Reddy has been renamed as FAGU for all future purposes all thanks to Rohit Paaji…just an FYI to people for the future!!!

We slept early this night as the next day was supposed to be really tough…some 600 kms of riding through the day…Francis, Kora & the poor soul Fagu slept out in the open to enjoy the fresh air even further!!!

22nd June 2009 – Monday – Luhri – Narkanda- Kufri – Dharampur – Ambala – Murthal – Delhi – Gurgaon

All of us got out of our tents gingerly by 5 AM and were rearing to go…had a longish Bike-Photography Session…and then another of those famous by now breakdown…Rishi’s bike had a punctured rear-tyre…so off he went to the Luhri Market to get it repaired…we were also soon there and decided to utilize the time by having our breakfast…





By 9:30 AM we had started the ride and our first stop was decided as the Famous Giani da Dhaba at Dharampur just after Shimla…a real long stretch but there was no way out as the distance to be covered was real long…but the dreaded breakdowns & one asshole spoilt our plan…Pravin’s Bike had a major breakdown & Fagu the debut rider decided to venture into Shimla dreaming about colonial style bungalows and what not…and all this without his Mobile Phone with him!!! Now that’s intelligence & some smart thinking for you…me, Nilu, Zaheer, Rishi & Ashok waited some 30 kms before Dharampur for Vihans to join us but Fagu was nowhere in sight…after a long wait of 2 hours he finally called me up from a STD Booth…and we told him the way…reached Giani da Dhaba at 2 PM where Francis & Gyan were already waiting for us…



Again there was an endless wait for the entire group to get together again which lingered on till 5 PM when Pravin & Rohit Paaji finally were in sight…me, Francis, Rishi, Zaheer & Ashok decided to leave towards Delhi, I made that decision because its extremely hard for me to ride in the dark especially on the Mountain Roads…the rest of the gang had a Beer session to rejuvenate themselves…

But our plans were not to get materialized that easily, just before Ambala me & Aasish stopped for a Petrol re-fill and then his bike just didn’t start, we tried everything possible but it didn’t budge, we called up Zaheer who was some 30 kms ahead of us and asked him us out from this cauldron…sadly he got lost and went back towards Delhi…amidst this pall of gloom I got some Chilled Beer to get over the miseries and then the rest of the gang arrived…there were some fervent high-fives which were exchanged as well as some beer swigs!!! Then Dips tried his luck…and Bingo it worked!!! It surely was an Eureka Moment…his first kick did some unexplained magic and the bike started…we shouted like crazy and started the ride again…the Traffic was getting worse and the oncoming headlights were troubling me really hard…we decided to ride towards Delhi in a Formation…we stopped for a Tea-Break…again for Rohit Paaji…who never asks us to stop but just the sheer respect he deserves makes us to stop for one…had our share of Tea and then again Francis’ bike stalled…one good Samaritan helped us and got a Bullet Specialist for us and the bike started in no-time…

The IOC Township was our next stop where Gyan was to leave us but we had to stop before that, this time with a completely brand of breakdown, FAGU’s bike’s headlight stopped working and the bugger was not carrying a spare bulb…all this after me reminding the group 3-4 times before the ride about the spares to be carried…but our comrade Francis saved him from this big mess by acting as his Lighthouse…well not quite one…just that he was behind him and not towering above him!!!

We reached Murthal at 1 AM…the only rider whose wherebouts were not known till now was Rishi who had not even called us…I called him to check and he told me that he had already reached his home…I blasted him endlessly and telling him that he doesn’t deserve to be a Group Rider…I mean there were 12 other comrades and all he was worried about was his personal comfort…seriously I was pissed and if he was infront of me then all hell would have broken loose…

Rohit Paaji then joined us with another tragic news…he had a minor accident and his right forearm was bleeding…it was one mishap which had not happened till now but this was not to be missed…just to complete some harmony of mishaps!!! luckily no major injuries to him or his bike…with this minor comfort we had our Dinner at a choc-a-block filled Dhaba…at 1:30 AM in the night it felt like 7 PM…the hustle-bustle would have confused everybody !!! Vihans & Fagu even enjoyed some good-old Head Massage!!! Much-needed for sure…

We enjoyed the last Bakchodi session of the ride with me taking a longish ride of Fagu…got into his skin with some Gay jokes!!! At 2 in the night…some 500 kms & endless breakdowns behind us, this session was a life-saver!!! We laughed our heart out and forgot all our miseries…

We started the last stretch of our ride towards Delhi/Gurgaon, Rohit Paaji bid us goodbye first as he had to go to his friend’s home…then we literally ruled the roads…when we reached Pitam Pura in Delhi, we all revved our bikes near a Delhi Metro Flyover…the noise was maddening and so much fun!!!

After that we played a musical symphony of our horns…some amazing music we created with the Bullet Thump playing in the background…I am sure all RE Riders can imagine the fun we all had while playing out the symphony…

I finally reached home at 4 AM…all battered & exhausted but not at all out…as had to join back my office the next day at 10 AM!!! Had a quick bath and then dozed off…

With this another ride ended…my 13th Ride…some 26000 kms of endless riding since March 2008…still am excited and ready for more…this ride had its fair share of lows with the breakdowns but would be always remembered for the 2 nights of Camping and conquering of another pass…

Many more milestones yet to conquer…miles to go before I sleep…

Che would be back on the road again…

Till we meet again ride safe and have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Pics of the Ride:

Nilu: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/nilu.hazarika

Dhruv: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/manurules07/JaloriPass#

Che: http://picasaweb.google.com/jha.nishant/TheJaloriJuggernautsRide?feat=directlink

The Lansdowne LionHearts

The weather was near-perfect to plan a ride to a cold destination and this time BOP wanted a place close by to Delhi so that we could enjoy a relaxed ride this time…there was only one option in our mind…Lansdowne it was…just 245 kms. from Delhi and the weather there was extremely pleasant based on the first-hand feedback received…

The mails were floated…hundreds of replies were received…close to some 300 odd!!! Yes you are reading this right…300 mails even before we started the ride…so much for the Internet Movement within BOP…we are mail-friendly people…anything for some level-headed Bakchodi!!! Be it offline or online…all of BOP is game for it…after this deluge of mails 13 riders confirmed within the first 5 days after some cancellations & confirmations…the Hotel was booked by me…the route plan decided and all the other preparations completed well in advance…what remained was the wait for the D-Day!!!

The Lansdowne LionHearts were:

1. Dips on his Black Electra 4S
2. Chadha Paaji on his Black Standard
3. Jagmeet on his Silver/Black Electra 5S
4. Saran on his Green Standard(which is NOT A BIKE)
5. Ravi on his Brand New Silver Electra 5S
6. Pravin on his Marco Polo
7. James on his Black Bull-T
8. Diwakar on his Black TB
9. Tarun on his Brand New Black Electra 4S
10.Che on The Mighty One
11.Vihans on his Orange FZ-16
12.Gyan on his Red Karizma
13.Nilu on his Red Pulsar-200

Day 1 – Friday - 15th May 2009 – Gurgaon – Delhi – Ramraj – Kotdwar - Lansdowne

This ride had lots of new things in store for us…some which we knew and some which came as a pleasant surprise; first the known ones : 7 riders who were riding with us for the first time on a long ride & a new route which nobody of us had covered…

The first big surprise was that all the 13 riders reached the designated venue sharp at 4 AM…Bingo…me & Dips were blinking our eyes and just could not believe it, I am sure my strict sounding mails helped and ensured that people reached on time, we started the ride as planned at 4:15 AM…

We had decided that this time we would be riding in a formation, with me leading & Dips trailing the group but our plans were soon to get smashed…then the first expected BOP Phenomenon…going on the wrong way…I guess Jagmeet got really excited and went towards the DND Road and James went behind him to catch him…we had to wait for some 20 mins. after some frantic calling and Diwakar continuously blaming James…we started again and took a totally new route towards Meerut which was surprisingly shorter and full of potholes but we didn’t mind and then we were riding on the Meerut Highway with no traffic whatsoever and the Sun trying to break-out…the weather was pleasant…all we could hear was the thumps of the 10 bullets and all we could see were the smiles & awestruck looks of people standing on the roads…and as you all know we love the gazes of people around…some of them think how their life has gone to a complete waste after watching us and some of them surely get inspired…both ways we make changes in the thinking of people!!!

We took a breakfast break at a peculiar named place at 8 AM…RAMRAJ…I am sure the name has something to do with previous BJP governments…started with Bread-Pakoras & Tea and followed it up with Paranthas served with Salad and Dal…nothing tasted really good but nobody made any complaints as 5 hours had gone by since we woke up we needed something to eat badly…after that the customary Bike Formation pic was taken and we started the remainder of the ride through Bijnor and Najibabad…



The heat was going up, up & away and we needed to refresh…and the best refresher on the highway is chilled beer…and if one finds Kingfisher then it makes it even better…we found a Theka situated right behind a large tree with loads of shade…obviously we needed no further invitations…I was the first one to stop and then bottles were opened…another Bakchodi & Pics session started…Saran utilized Jagmeet’s new DSLR perfectly by clicking some amazing close-up shots…and by now you very well now that its one of the most important endeavor of BOP to explore all the Thekas of this wonderful country…we are going pretty strongly towards our goal…please support our initiative by suggesting some more thekas!!!



The roads were surprisingly quite decent except for some stretches which we didn’t mind as it felt like we were offroading!!! But the Paranthas in our stomach were playing high-jump and it didn’t feel very good…we stopped after the sports-session for a Sutta break before starting again towards Kotdwar…and then stopped for a Ganne-Ka-Ras break just before the 40 kms. Hill-Riding was to start…this drink is one of my favourite non-alcoholic drinks and I rarely miss an opportunity to enjoy it in the heat while riding…

The next 40 kms were quite enjoyable…the ever-winding roads where I was leading the pack reaching 70 kmph speeds at times and scaring the shit out of the people following me…I love riding fast on the mountain curves and the kick is unbelievably exciting…





We reached Lansdowne at 1:30 PM…another historic BOP moment as this was the first ride when we reached the destination on-target and before sunset…all the other rides we have reached always close to 8-9 PM…we reached the GMVN Tourist Bungalow…checked-in & freshened up and went straight to the Legendary Mayur Restaurant which was to witness food-gorging at the very best for 2 days to come…we ate like hungry Somalians and the order size kept getting bigger & bigger each passing moment…all kinds of cuisines were ordered…best part was when Chadha told me that he had already ordered "STARTERS"…when probed further he told me that he had ordered Gulab-Jamuns…I mean where on this heaven-Earth sweets are ordered as Starters but our very own Chadha Paaji is allowed to do everything and everybody accepts his orders as duties !!!

We kept gorging for the next hour & a half and came out of the restaurant no more as 13 famished souls but as 13 well-fed & over-eaten bodies!!!

We bought our stock of Liquor as the next day was a dry-day as the that was the Votes-Counting day…Saran Paaji volunteered to carry the 12-beer carton on his light shoulders and walked all the way-up…man this guy has got some strength…unbelievable is the word…I hope he goes with me to Ladakh…he would be of great help!!!

We went back to our hotel, ordered for the Dinner and then everybody had a late-afternoon siesta…I could not sleep so decided to enjoy Beer all-alone…after enjoying the beer I lied down for a bit going through all kinds of myriad thoughts…

I woke everybody up at 7 PM as the dinner was to be served at sharp 9:30 PM…we started the Beer-Rum-Bakchodi session and were broken up by the dinner call…the dinner was also enjoyed and was finished in no time…everything served tasted well…after being well-fed again we again proceeded for another BRB session which stretched late into the night…laughter flew like River Ganges and beer was also flowing like the Bhulla Taal which was to be visited the next day…nobody was spared and everybody’s ride was taken…it was another night to remember…and then at 12 AM some people started trickling out to sleep but some of us stayed on like true warriors drinking like there was no tomorrow…we finally called it a day at 1:30 AM and slept off…

Day 2 – Saturday - 16th May 2009 – A relaxed day in Lansdowne

We woke up lazily the next day to find some people already missing from the beds…maybe the BRB session didn’t do wonders to their sleep the same way it did to us!!! We left the hotel finally at 10 AM and obviously The Mayur Restaurant was our first stop to feed the hungry bodies once again…this time as well, hundreds of Gulab Jamuns were snapped up in no time…we left the place to do some sight-seeing and reached the Tip-in-Top view point through some great winding roads…another routine hill-station spot but after visiting so many hill stations these view points don’t excite me much…I took over the role of the photographer and then reached the Bhulla Taal where some of us got busy with Boating…important to note was Chadha & Vihans Paaji took a boat for themselves and became very cozy while boating and at times stopped to engage in some intimate talks…I was feeling very nervous & jittery as I have the sole right over Vihans…but Chadha Paaji was not much interested in him and we came out to have a small bout of Coffee & cold-drinks…



After that we decided to visit the Garhwal Rifles Regimental Museum about which I had heard some great things but it was closed for Lunch so off we went for a short Mountain Ride of some 60-70 kms…we went through Gumkhal on the road towards Pauri…amazing roads & great weather combined to give us maximum pleasure…we stopped and I used that opportunity to enjoy a dumping session at a spot nestled amongst the hills…I enjoy dumping out in the open and its really blissful…believe me...try it out the next time and you would sense the Nirvana you experience by relieving amidst the mountains & bushes...Vihans & Nilu went ahead as Cadet Scouts looking for a nice place where we could engage in another BRB Session on a hill-top and they came back with some great news, they had hit the bulls-eye…we reached that spot and soon bottles were brought out with all the cameras and another session started!!!





But then again it was stopped by the hunger pangs of the group and off we went for a late lunch to Mayur…where we again traumatized the waiter but for his great hosting abilities he never got pissed even once and kept serving us with the widest possible smile!!! This is a tribute to all the Hill-Towns of India where you get the best service from everybody around and nobody is snooty like the people in big cities…

After that another fantastic moment came…the Congress had scored a tremendous victory in the General Elections and Dhols were being played to celebrate, Vihans didn’t waste time and asked the Dhol-Masters to play and started to dance merrily…Saran, Ravi & Jagmeet joined them and I also did a small jig…the best part was when Dips suddenly came out of nowhere with a 10 Rs. Note and jigged all the way to the Dhol-Master before handing him over the money…the entire town gathered to see some mad bikers dancing…and what a crowd it was!!! Felt really embarrassing…



We also met some fellow Bulleteers who were also riding from Delhi, we gave them some advice about the place and wished them good-luck for the rest of their ride…

And then the first & only disappointment of the ride(atleast for me), we went straight to the Museum but it had closed down for the day…I always wanted to see the beautiful artifacts which had been displayed there…but no sweat, some other time maybe…

We reached the Hotel to start the BRB Session again with the IPL & Jab we Met movie playing on the TV keeping the non-drinkers busy…Tarun & Pravin were sleeping all this while and were woken up only for the dinner which was once again served sharp at 9:30 PM…enjoyed another great dinner and then moved to the rooms to sleep early as the next day we had to wake up really early to start the ride back home…but then Chadha Paaji was in no mood to sleep and started a profound discussion which went late till 2 AM and believe me he introduced me to some amazing theories which are extremely practical and would surely help me living my life in a much better way in time to come…

Day 3 – Sunday - 17th May 2009 –Lansdowne - Kotdwar – Najibabad – Kiratpur - Meerut – Delhi – Gurgaon

I woke up first and then broke everybody’s slumber so that we could start the ride back at sharp 7:30 AM as planned…surprisingly everybody got ready in no time and our plans were being met!!! This is also rare in BOP rides but things are getting better each new day at BOP…I was not feeling particularly well and stopped for a Vomit break just 20 minutes after we started…felt a little better but still was not at my 100%...this was the first time in the Riding History of my life that I was not feeling well during a bike ride and I hated the feeling…kept on riding and stopped again for a Dumping Break…and then felt much better…Dumping makes me feel alright…now you know!!!

After that it was riding through the dusty roads of UP and also it was getting very hot…I kept waiting for he group but majority had taken a different route before Najibabad to reach Bijnore…we finally met at a Dhaba in Kiratpur where some of us had a Beer session but surprisingly I didn’t have any beer…just didn’t feel like having it…also ate nothing and was on a total liquid diet!!! The group got divided after the Lunch Break and 10 of us stopped to enjoy some fresh Watermelons, another way not to get dehydrated and a natural way of doing the same…



The best part of the ride back home was that the Meerut & Modinagar roads were empty as if there was some curfew had been imposed…the fact that it was extremely hot & it was a Sunday surely helped our cause…we sailed through the 2 dreaded Traffic Crossings of Modinagar and reached Ghaziabad where all hell broke lose and there was traffic all the way then till Gurgaon through Delhi…also the traffic had made the temperature to go up even further and my bodyw as burning when I stopped...

I took the Dhaula Kuan route as its sans any Traffic Crossings and I could ride much faster…I stopped enroute my home at Zaheer’s Shop to meet him but sadly he had gone out…reached home sharp at 5 PM…and my parents were pleasantly surprised to find me reaching home so early and that too without a bruise!!!

Unlike the 2 previous BOP Rides to Chakrata & Mcleodganj, this ride was completely Accident free for me and I reached home without any bruises to my Bike or Body!!!

This ride would be surely remembered for the following reasons :

1. 13 Bikes in total
2. Starting the ride and reaching the destination on time
3. The amazing food at Mayur Restaurant
4. The economical & cozy GMVNL Tourist Hotel
5. The Bhangra Jig in the Lansdowne Market
6. Supreme 50000 Beer
7. Chadha Paaji’s amazing one-liners
8. The BRB Session on the hill-top
9. The relaxed manner the ride went off

So this way BOP Lansdowne LionHearts conquered the small-little place called Lansdowne...there are many more detinations to be conquered...

Che would be back on the road again…

Till then ride safe & have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Breaking the Shackles

So many people get into the vicious circle of the monotony of life that it becomes impossible for them to break the shackles of the drudgery and they keep moving like a bloody wheel…taking along with them professional pressures & the pains of the Family Life...kids & wives combined!!!…but some amongst us are brave, rebellious & adventurous enough to get their act together and then do the things which they always wanted to do since their days of growing up…

One of such brave men is a gentleman by the name of P.G Tenzing, a 44 years old Sikkimese; he studied at the Delhi University, qualified the Civil Services Examinations and joined the Kerala Cadre as an IAS Officer, worked as one for 20 odd years and was heading 5 Government Departments and one fine day in 2007 decided to quit his monotonous and shitty job to go for a Bike Journey through India with no set agenda or plan…just 2 things were sure in his mind, one that he would ride an Enfield Bullet and second that come what may he would be riding through all possible terrains of India.

He has written a book by the name of “Don’t ask any Old Bloke for Directions : A Biker’s whimsical journey across India” …Sachin Bhatia of www.makemytrip.com fame shared this book with me last weekend and I read the 218 pages book in 4 hours flat and what a helluva experience it was going through his travelogue…one amazing write-up this guy has written…



He travelled a total of 25,320 kms in a journey spanning 9 months starting from Kerala and going through almost all states of India, he took his breaks in-between but as a lone-warrior kept riding through some unimaginable terrains of Naxal-infested Jharkhand -Chhattisgarh & also through some tough roads of Arunachal…



The best part reading his book was when he has mentioned some of the roads which I have travelled through my Bike Rides, namely the West Coast Ride, Mcleodganj, Landour & the Ladakh Ride…also the subtle humour he has used is extremely hilarious, ripping the IAS System apart, exposing the Mafia-Government Nexus and the Police Corruption on the Highways of India…

His book sounds a little confusing at times as he has tried to connect lot of his actions with the Buddhisht tenets which I could not completely understand but tried connecting them with his experiences; nonetheless it is not a major dampener…

I am sure his book would definitely inspire many people to take the similar path which he has taken and hopefully those people would find the real meaning of their life rather than just surviving…

Luckily I would not be one of them as I am living my passion of riding today and am sure by the time I turn 44 I would have covered atleast covered 2 Lakh kms. riding through India, I can say that with confidence on my passion & abilities as I have already covered 22,000 kms in 14 months of my Bullet experience…

Hats off to Mr. Tenzing for living his dreams and coming out victorious…I would love to meet him one day and hopefully ride along with him…

Che would be back on the road again…

Till then Ride safe & have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

The Mcleodganj Mavericks

When God is on the same side then nobody can stop achieving one’s goals!!! Whatever be the obstacles, God would help sailing you through…The Mcleodganj Mavericks Ride is dedicated to God…due to the fact that at each step he was always there saving me and guiding all of us through all the challenges & roadblocks…

I had planned 2 earlier rides to Mcleod in 2008…one got cancelled due to heavy rains & the second one due to no co-rider available…

But 2009 was to be the year when BOP was to break the Mcleod Jinx…Dips & me were determined to make the ride happen…come what may…and boy we were successful…

Read on to share the Pain & Ecstasy of the MM Ride…I am sure you would start believing in God more than ever before after reading through the Travelogue…

The Mcleodganj Mavericks:
1. Surjeet on his Red Standard 350 CC
2. Doegar on his Silver-Black Thunderbird
3. Virender aka Veeru on his Black P220 CC
4. Dips on his Black Electra
5. Che on The Mighty One

Day 1 - 8th April 2009 – Wednesday – (Landfill Site – Murthal – Ambala Cantt.)

This day started with a short Hailstorm in Delhi-NCR and we thought it would just pass over like the normal Delhi Rain but it kept pouring through the day on and off & God was playing mind games with us as it was raining for some time and just 5 minutes later it was bright & sunny…which made us think that the evening weather would be clear…but we were absolutely wrong…God was to continue this game of Ping-Pong for a long-long time…



We finally started from Gurgaon at 5 PM and it wasn’t raining…we reached the legendary Landfill site where Surjeet & Doegar was to meet us and start for Chandigarh…the moment we started there was a drizzle…and we just got ready for the wet challenges ahead !!! our plan that night was to stay over at Chandigarh at the Army Guest House but God had different plans for us…our first forced stop was The Gulshan Dhaba in Murthal as it was raining like crazy…we had hot pakodas, Paranthas & tea here and considering the weather it was the best food we could hope for… we started again and some 2 hours later we again had to stop at a Dhaba to take shelter from the merciless rain…after that we decided that we would keep riding till we reach Chandigarh and won’t stop anywhere…

God was on my Side – Part – 1 Gurgaon
And then it happened…I was riding at some 70 kmph and it was drizzling…just before Shahpura on NH-1…I could not see a Buffalo Carcass on the road and trucks had drove over it…the body parts were strewn all over the place and before I could brake…I slipped and I was dragged on the road for some 300-400 metres with my bike…luckily no traffic was coming from behind as I was lying on the road with my right arm stuck under the bike… when I got up I realized that the Buffalo’s body parts were stuck to my cargoes & jacket…and I got saved just because of my new Riding Protective Gear Jacket otherwise I would have been in deep trouble…had minor bruises on my Left Leg but that’s it…plus no damage whatsoever to my Bike…I gathered my thoughts and lifted the bike and got it to the side of the road…and just seconds later traffic was zooming & zipping on the same road where I was lying some minutes back !!! What a save I had…Thanks God…



I had tea & Sutta to get over the shock & delight and then started again…the next 40-50 kms were next to hell…it was raining like there was no tomorrow…it was very cold as well…my shoes were completely filled with water…there was a Thunderstorm…I was forced to ride at a max. speed of 20 kmph…and trucks were zipping away throwing away water, mud and what not at me!!! straight out of a Biking-Hell scene…I was looking for some Dhaba or Petrol Pump but there was none…finally after crossing the Ambala Flyover I found a Pump where Surjeet & Dips had taken shelter…their condition was even worse as they were completely drenched…we called up Doegar and he was waiting below the Ambala Flyover…amidst all this we started to laugh at our miseries as this was the best way to drive the gloomy mood away…we took a consensus decision and decided to skip Chandigarh and stay in Ambala for the night…we found a hotel on the lines of Hotel Decent in the movie “Jab we Met” and took a double room…Doegar left for his Naniji’s place and told us that he would join us early morning…we 3 left our luggage and headed straight to have a session of Dinner, Beer & Rum!!! Got to a shady restaurant and had a long 2 hours Bak session…all this while it was raining cats & dogs…we left the decision to continue the ride till the next morning after seeing the weather condition… Reached our room at 3 in the night and finally called it a day…with a prayer on our lips…that the weather clears up and we could finally break the McLeod jinx as the plan was in tatters…but our spirits were still high and we were willing to fight it out…after all we were the Mcleodganj Mavericks and we were not ready to become The Ambala Assholes!!!

Day 2 - 9th April 2009 – Thursday (Ambala – Chandigarh – Nangal – Mcleodganj)

I woke up at 7 AM…went out and it was still raining heavily…slept back again…then woke up at 9 AM when Veeru called me and told me that he had reached Ambala…by that time the 3 of us were having second thoughts about continuing the ride and taking a bus or changing our destination…but Veeru’s call changed it all and it brought back the energy which had fizzled out…if he could ride all the way non-stop from Noida to Gurgaon in the rain we could also do that…so we decided to start the ride and despite of the rain we were determined…you might call us mad bikers but we have no qualms in accepting that as Mavericks we were being true to our name!!! so we started and then it started to rain heavily…God was still trying to keep our spirits down but after some time even he got bored and then there were clear & sunny skies once we reached Chandigarh where we met JK…my Ladakh Ride buddy…we had a re-union of sorts…he was meeting Ken with whom he had interacted virtually since long…we left after bidding goodbye to him and then stopped for Breakfast where Doegar also joined us…after doing some much needed Pet-Pooja we rode ahead towards some real awesome roads waiting for us near The Anandpur Sahab Gurudwara…we stopped again near the Bhakra Nangal Dam and where we deliberated for a while whether to stop or not but decided against it due to paucity of time…at 5 PM we stopped for a light meal which soon changed to a heavy brunch as the food was really good…with our minds & body satisfied we moved along…and then made our first Beer Stop…as our body was demanding alcohol before the mountain roads ahead…and we didn’t disappoint our body…we were ready with Chilled Kingfisher Strong beer to refresh…Surjeet & Veeru went the safe way and didn’t try to venture into the Beer Territory considering their were Mountain Roads ahead…but the relationship between me & Dips and Beer is a symbiotic one and life becomes tough without Beer!!!



God was on my Side – Part – 2
Finally after riding through Rainstorm, Thunderstorm and an accident we reached Mcleodganj…the excitement in our minds, bodies & souls cannot be defined…after 2 failed attempts we were in Mcleod…we greeted the town with loud Royal Enfield thumps which had people running for cover…God finally showed mercy on us and we created history…BOP had set its foot in Mcleod!!! We found our hotel and got to our rooms…just a special mention…we went for luxury this time…we had booked “Maharaja Suites” for us!!! Don’t you dare think that bikers always stay in Lodges…our hotel had the Kangra Valley view…and it was beautiful…Dalai Lama’s residence was just 50 metres away…we had a longish Beer & Bakchodi session and by 3 AM we were perched in the beds…with satisfaction in our minds and a proud sense of achievement…

Day 3 – 10th April 2009 – Friday (Mcleodganj – Dharamkot - Gallu Temple – Triund)

We woke up really late considering we had loads to drink a night before and lazily came out of our beds and had 2-3 Tea sessions before getting ready and deciding the plan for the day…we left our hotel after deliberating for some 2 hours at 11:30 AM…had our breakfast at Dharamkot and then parked our bikes at the Gallu Temple before starting the trek towards Triund…

God was on my Side – Part – 3
BOP got lucky again…after 4 years it had snowed at Triund in the month of April…and there was 2-3 feet of snow on the Mountain Top…we got extremely excited as a trek with snow around you is one helluva experience and I was ready for it despite the fact that physically I am the weakest link around…13 long years of smoking is the culprit…

We started the 9 kms. trek with full vigor but some 500 metres into it we made our first forced stop…all of us panting for breath and looking for Water…we made innumerable stops on the way up filled with Glucon-D, Beer, Cold Drinks, Water, Sutta & Gatorade…at the mid-way point we also bought Old Monk Rum to celebrate our Mcleod Triumph once again on the Mountain Top...



And finally after 3.50 hours of a treacherous trek we reached Triund at 5 PM amidst thick snow all over the place and within seconds the tiredness was gone and we were taken over by the sheer beauty of nature…there was a minor avalanche on the opposite mountain and the sound it made was surely scary…the fact that we were quite a distance away restored some faith in us…



We relaxed at a Snacks Joint…had hot Tea & Coffee coupled with Maggi amidst the scenic beauty and then I went towards the place where we had booked 2 rooms to sleep…I went there and found a couple who had not booked the room for themselves and were planning their next move…the Hotel owner gave me an option of taking 1 room and 1 Tent…the idea was gobbled up by us after Doegar & Surjeet tried sleeping inside the tent…it was quite necessary as the tent was relatively small and both of these hulks are 6 feet 4 inches in height!!! Finally we decided to go ahead with the tent option and the couple got a room to stay in…I asked the guy to get me beer from the Snacks shop and he duly obliged…Veeru, Doegar & Dips went to click some more snaps while me & Surjeet decided to stay put there and had a longish photo session for ourselves…



A bonfire was soon put up…Beer & Rum came out in no time and we started another Bakchodi session…the scenes around us were straight out of a dream…it was a full-moon night and the moon light was shining on the mountain top giving the snow-clad mountain a surreal look which was heavenly to say the least…the mood got to me and then me & Surjeet started to dance on while I was merrily singing away to glory…Dips was busy in gulping peg after peg as always…while Doegar was doing what he does best…clicking some amazing shots from his SLR and a surprisingly long camera lens…the ones which you see pros using…but our Doegar is no less than a Pro and his pics are truly amazing…another awesome part about the night was that we were just 10-15 people on the Mountain Top and the tranquil atmosphere under the starry sky was one which was truly incomparable…

We finally slept at 2 AM…after a fiesta time filled with Music, Bakchodi, Alcohol & the scenic beauty…our tent was right in the middle of Snow…and it was one experience I would never forget…unfortunately we could not sleep due to the high altitude we were on and kept whiling away our time trying to sleep…but the couple was merrily making out in their room and making strange noises which soon became irritating…they were broken from their sexual encounter only after Dips came out of our Tent and went to the room to sleep…after the loud sound he made everybody slept peacefully !!!Truly an irony but a reality for sure…

Day 4 – 11th April 2009 – Saturday (Triund – Mcleodganj)

We woke up extremely tired & sleepy but ready for another action-filled day…Dips & Veeru decided to trek further up for some 3 kms towards the Ilaaka Glacier…quite brave & adventurous…this was proved by the fact that a professional guide didn’t take the 2 tourists along considering the inherent risks involved in the trek through thick snow & a non-existent trek-path…but things at BOP are not always copy-book style…they are revolutionary at time…and this was one such instance…we 3 didn’t take that gamble and went straight down towards Mcleod to rest and just laze around…

God was on my Side – Part – 4
While going downhill, I paid the price for always being quicker than the group and took a wrong way…after some 100 metres into the descent I figured out that something was wrong…I started to shout for Surjeet & Doegar but they could not hear me…I gathered my senses… luckily there were some tree logs which had fallen due to land slides…I held them tightly and started to slide down which was really scary and the sharp edges of the rocks & the mud were taking the shivers out of me…and then a big shock struck me…there was a huge rock which had no support and I had to just slide down with the help of my hands & tight ass!!! their was some solace though…downhill I could finally spot my buddies who were guiding me down…there was no point going up as it was too steep and I could not even try…I had a smoke and then decided to go down…I landed with a thud and had a minor sprain in my left ankle but no major damage done…I heaved a sigh of relief and thanked God once again for saving me!!! When I saw up the hill I could measure the risk I just went through and how lucky I was…Doegar clicked some pics of the hill and we started the trek down again…

We reached the Gallu Temple and rested for a bit…all this while we were really worried about Dips & Veeru as there was no way to communicate with them and we were praying for them to come back safely…we reached Mclo’s Restaurant in Mcleod and had our Breakfast cum Lunch before picking up our luggage from the hotel as we had decided to stay at a Hotel called Pong View which is between Mcleod & Dharamshala and is situated at a place which is away from the hustle & bustle of the tourist infested places…we checked in and then after resting for a while Dips & Veeru returned from their awe-inspiring trip to Ilaaka and then shared their stories of courage with us…finally they could not reach the actual place as due to heavy snow they could not locate the path uphill…good sense prevailed amongst them and they decided to come back through the thick snow…we were relieved to see them safe & sound again and started to plan ahead for the evening & the night…



We decided to go and visit the Bhagsunath Temple & Waterfall which was highly recommended by an erstwhile rider of BOP…but just like him the place was boring & disappointing and we didn’t waste any time there…we thumped our bulls through the streets of Mcleod and bringing out some strange looks & hungry sighs from the people on the roads…we were the stars for sure in some minds and nuisance creating bikers in some minds…but surely we didn’t mind the extra attention…through these thrills Surjeet’s bike had some issues with his Gear Box and his bike was not accelerating properly…we decided to show the bull to a mechanic and he told us that the Gear Bush were gone and had to be replaced…he quoted 2 hours to repair the same…he surely looked like a specialist and we trusted his abilities…I left them and went to Dharamshala to visit my GIM friend Simran who was there with her fiancée & a couple of friends…had a good time with them sharing my biking stories and the trekking feat I achieved…

All of us reached the hotel at almost the same time…had another Bakchodi session and at 10:30 PM decided to call a day really early…as the next day we had to wake up at 6 AM and ride some 550 odd kms to Delhi…we were ready for it…but badly needed some sleep as we had just slept for some 14-15 hours in the last 3 days…

Day 5 – 12th April 2009 – Sunday (Dharamshala – Hoshiarpur – Ludhiana – Ambala – Delhi)



We decided to take a different route back to Delhi crossing mostly through the NH-1 on which we could zip and reach Delhi quicker…it was surely a wise decision as their was less traffic when we started and didn’t get back till the late evening…this day we had decided to make less no. of stops and cover 80-90 kms in each stretch…we stuck to our plan quite diligently and had reached Ambala at 3 PM riding through the heat & dusty roads…all this while Doegar was riding separately and decided to stay at his Naniji’s place in Ambala…as he could not ride on further…also the fact that he had an off on Monday helped his cause…we had a light lunch and rode on towards Delhi…enroute Surjeet’s bike again had an issue with the electricals but luckily not much time was wasted and we re-started the ride again… We reached the Delhi Border amidst some extremely heavy Traffic as thousands of cars were coming back carrying in them loads & loads of Tourists who had gone to various places to spend the long weekend just like us…we also spotted another pack of Royal Enfield Bikers zipping through the NH-1… Due to the minor issue in Surjeet’s bike we didn’t make our customary Beer Pit-Stop and decided against it due to the paucity of time…all of us met finally at the Landfill site and bid goodbye to each other…Dips & me rode till Gurgaon and to follow the customs of BOP had a beer each to celebrate another successful ride completed and more importantly the fact that we had finally conquered Mcleod after 2 failed attempts… We also set new limits of riding while coming back…we finally rode 530 kms in one day…my earlier record was 480 kms. When I rode from Goa to Mangalore during my West Coast Ride and now during our future rides we can surely cover more than we what we have done in the past… Reached home at 10 PM both physically & mentally exhausted but the sense of achievement was resting on the top of my mind…the Mcleod Ghost was finally off our backs!!!

Che would be back on the road again…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Till we meet again…ride safe and have safe sex…

The Kurukshetra Krunchies

This ride was hatched during our Historic Explorers Ride in Rakhigarhi when we had seen the Literature about the rich Historic Heritage at Kurukshetra and it being so close to Delhi forced us to plan this ride ASAP, also the fact that the dreaded summer is gonna hit us soon made us hurry up!!!

I started the routine activity of drafting a mail which was shared with our group, which also included non-BOP Members and then people started signing up for the ride…

The date was 22nd March 2009 and we had two meeting points this time – Gurgaon & Delhi accommodating our Delhi Buddies…the Gurgaon point was DT Mega Mall and the Delhi point was the legendary Landfill Site near the Delhi-Sonepat Border…in the morning it’s a painfully fragrant site and whatever sleep is trying to bring its head up goes out of the body in a hurry…if you haven’t experienced that fragrance its time you go there tomorrow and figure out the pleasure for yourself…I am sure you would come back a completely awake person!!!

The Kurukshetra Krunchies were:


1. Dips on his Black 4S Electra
2. Jagmeet on his Black 5S Electra
3. Saurabh Katar on his Red TB – BOP Rookie
4. Vihans on his Orange FZ-16
5. Saran on his Green Standard (Though this is not a bike!!!)
6. James on his Black Standard
7. Diwakar on his Black TB – BOP Rookie
8. Gyan on his Red Karizma
9. Ravi – The Pillion rider with Diwakar & James – BOP Rookie
10. Che on The Mighty One

As decided; me, Saran & Dips were supposed to meet at DT Mega Mall and start at sharp 6:30 AM but when I called up Saran at 6:25 he had just woken up, he got to hear the choicest of abuses from me the first thing in the morning which got his slumber smashed and then he reached at 6:50 AM forgetting his jacket due to my Fear!!! Dips helped him out by offering him his wind-cheater…and then we started…by this time everybody except Vihans had reached the Landfill site and were calling me frantically…I left Dips & Saran and zipped straight towards the Landfill site to join the rest of the bikers…I knew Saran rides at an easy pace and Dips had his Bike’s piston replaced due to which he was not supposed to ride at more than 60 kmph…so they had to reach late anyway… Vihans also joined and I was the happiest to see him as he is the only one who can match my Bakchodi skills and would be my heir-apparent in the Bakchodi Domain
I reached at 7:45 AM and Dips & Saran joined us at 8:30 so finally we were up and running after enjoying the hot & piping tea with some light snacks & smokes…

While we were riding towards Murthal, I saw Gyan in my rear-view mirror and was pleasantly surprised as he was planned to join us at Panipat…riding with Gyan is always a pleasure and it was my 3rd Ride with him…post that we rode along till our next stop…

The first stop was the world-famous Ahuja Dhaba at Murthal which serves one of the best tasting Paranthas in Murthal which is some 50 kms from the Delhi border and is a very popular joint for Tourists coming back or going out of Delhi…it being a lazy Sunday Morning the place was relatively empty and we created quite a scene when our Bullets entered the parking area…everybody’s eyes were transfixed on us for the next 60 minutes we were there…anyway we create quite a noise anywhere we go so the glares were simply unavoidable!!! we enjoyed the hot Paranthas with fresh white butter dripping all over the place, inspite of this extra butter was ordered…God bless the holy cows & buffaloes and also save BOP’s riders from suffering from high cholesterol levels as the amount of butter we consume is simply humongous!!! I also ordered for freshly-cooked Hot Kheer which was devoured within seconds and 2 extra portions were ordered after observing my gobbling speed…believe me nobody was disappointed…



After this heavy-duty breakfast we got back to Riding…before we left Jagmeet’s histrionics ensured that the next time we are at Ahuja we would be shooed away!!! He made some crazy noise with his new Amritsari Silencer…the sound was surely ear-shattering…I had to stop him midway so that we could spare people from wasting money on going to ENT Specialists in these trying recession-hit crimes…good sense prevailed and we left to rip the NH-1 on our bulls…the weather was pleasant…cool breeze was flowing…the traffic was relatively decent…all these factors provided me to rip my bike which was raring to go as due to the piston replacement it had to crawl in the last 2 rides…I was not going to miss this opportunity for anything!!! I reached speeds upto 120 kmph and then after 68 kms of riding and finally spotting a Theka we stopped to drink some much-needed beer and take rest…I also used this opportunity to go towards the bushes and crapping!!! The normal routine for me…I just cant avoid going out in the open relieving myself so close to the nature…it’s a heavenly feeling which I rarely miss during my bike rides…





All of us gathered at the Theka and we all enjoyed our liquid preferences namely Beer, Rum-Pepsi & Sprite…Diwakar & Saurabh had notoriously missed this Theka- for 2 reasons, A-They don’t drink & B-They were speeding like crazy…they had to come back some 20 kms to join the next BOP Beer-Bakchodi session as opportunities like this are not-to-be-missed!!! I am sure all BOP Riders would vouch for this…The Advertising at the Theka was world-class and was hilarious to say the least…Jagmeet even went inside to the Theka and clicked some pics…

Our next stop after this guzzling stop was Kurukshetra…More details about the Tourist Attractions here can be seen at http://www.kurukshetra.com/Contents/KurukshetraCity.aspx, we stopped to wait for Dips, Ravi & Saran who were riding easy…then we were off to the Brahm Sarover…en-route me, Dips & Vihans stopped to enjoy another kind of non-alcoholic fluid…Ganne-ka-Ras…my favourite drink outside of the big-bad Alcoholic World…I also saw a thela serving some food and wasted no time in ordering Dal-Rice…after the Bush-Crapping session my tummy was begging for some extra supplies…so needed re-enforcements badly…the rest of the riders were waiting for us & me-Vihans blamed the time-loss on Dips’ Piston!!!

We reached The Brahm Sarovar after losing our way once…let me tell you that whenever me & Dips are together reaching any place in the first try is next to impossible…there are some evil powers which work against us and we always tend to lose our way…we are planning a huge Daaru Party soon to ward off these evil spirits…everybody is invited…I would be sharing the details soon…

The sight after entering the pond was sick…as there were hundreds of beggars & tout pandits all over the place…playing cards, smoking Ganja and what not…we went straight towards a Bronze Sculpture…it depicts Lord Krishna delivering the message of righteous Karma to Arjuna…it is the largest Bronze Sculpture in India and it was next in the innumerable records which BOP has smashed…



We found a shady place and took refuge…some of us lying down…some of us just simply soaking in the place…Vihans & Saurabh were the only brave ones who decided to take a dip in the Sarovar…inspite of the warnings mentioning that it was 17 feet deep…this statistic was completely incorrect as our 4 feet rider-Vihans was comfortably placed on his feet…



They came out soon after the relaxing dip and then we left the Sarovar for our next Historic Tryst- Sheikh Chilli’s Tomb…I am sure many of us think that he was a fictional character but after visiting his tomb all such misconceptions were shattered…it was a magnificent monument…had a beautiful view from the Balcony and surprisingly no scribblings on the walls which is a routine feature at all historical monuments all over India…

There was also a museum portraying the excavation findings…it was surprising to find that Haryana is so rich in history as we seldom get to hear about the Historic side of Haryana…it was a pleasurable experience for sure…amidst all this Saran was attacked by Bees…it was a hilarious site as he was bombarded by them and none of the other were even touched…I guess the reason he had Rum-Pepsi running through his veins made him the most attractive prey!!!



We left the Tomb towards our next stop…the Haveli Complex at Karnal…me, Vihans,Gyan & Diwakar reached the place first and then there was an endless wait for the others to follow…I utilized this time to grace the clean & hygienic washroom of Haveli…how could I miss this opportunity…after all Dips has named me “Dumper” and I had to keep the tradition going strong!!!

After an anxious wait of almost 35-40 minutes the other riders appeared and then we clicked the Group Snap…which is a permanent part of every ride…me & Vihans were not stopping for Lunch as we had to rush to Delhi…the reason being that I had to attend my EOiD (Eating Out in Delhi – My Foodie Club) Meet at Chawri Bazaar at 7:30 PM…the time was 5:15 PM and we were still some 120 kms away from Old-Delhi…we bid the group good-bye and then ripped towards Delhi…stopping only once for a Sutta Break…we reached Vihans’ home at sharp 7:30 PM where we just got fresh and then moved straight for the EOiD Meet…



The ride was short & sweet just like our fellow rider Vihans and just like him had full of Bakchodi & Beer also filled with loads of fun…

We also had the great pleasure of riding for the first time with Saurabh, Ravi & James and I am sure in the future as well we would be riding to many more fun-filled destinations…the planning for the April 2009 ride has already started and we would be freezing on the destination by early next week…

Another great part of the ride was Saran’s Sher-o-Shaayari session at the Brahm Sarovar after which the sound of the BOP Laughter was heard within a radius of 100 kms…considering the creative knack this guy has got we are still to witness much more creative extravagance from him…

With this we completed our second ride to cover places of pre-historic & archaeological importance after the Rakhigarhi Ride…

Pics of the Ride can be seen at :
1. http://picasaweb.google.co.in/jha.nishant/TheKurukshetraKrunchies?feat=directlink (My Camera)
2. http://picasaweb.google.com/jagmeet.virdee/NewFolder3?authkey=Gv1sRgCMOw8NTTgJC5qwE&feat=directlink (Jagmeet’s Camera)
3. http://picasaweb.google.com/jagmeet.virdee/RAVI?authkey=Gv1sRgCMHi_cLF2MaqwgE&feat=directlink# (Ravi’s Camera)

Che would be back on the road again…

Till then ride safe & have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

No Escape...

People are telling me these days that my Bike Rides are a way of escaping from the realities of Life…it was my Mother who first told me this, then 5-6 of my close buddies told me the same…I have been wondering about the same since this morning when my mother again talked to me about the same and then I have started raking up my mind like crazy over the same…its been long since 1 statement of somebody has made me think so much but I don’t know why but this Escape thing has got me going like crazy…



I have never been an escapist in my life and I can safely say this from the bottom of my heart…I have always faced challenges head-on…at times I have miserably failed and quite often I have come out as a winner…but the Escape Route was never an option for me and would never be an option in time to come…

I confess that my Bike Riding in March 2008 started as a way to get away from the hassles & tensions of my ongoing Divorce…but since then Riding is my foremost passion and I don’t see this passion going slow ever…it is one passion which makes me going, provides me the freedom, gives me the perfect opportunity to explore my magical country and also has given me so many close buddies for life…

I despise those people who run away from the realities or even worse…commit suicides as I firmly believe that no situation can be worse than Death…

So here I am…making it very clear that I am not escaping from the reality of life when I go for my Riding Trips…its just a way of breaking the monotony of Life & exploring our beautiful country…I would also talk to my mother in detail when I get back home tonight…

Till the next time we meet…lets all say Cheers to Life…

The BOP Historic Explorers

BOP(Bulls on Parade) is getting multi-faceted each new month, we started with just pleasure-filled rides and then slowly we have moved to riding to destinations which also have certain Historical Importance linked to it…started this trend with our Anniversary Ride to The Pushkar Mela, then we had our Valentine Day Ride to The Surajkund Mela & Tughlaqabad Fort and the third in the series happened last Saturday (21st February 2009) to Rakhigarhi, it is a small non-descript village in Haryana near Hissar & Jind some 200 kms. From Gurgaon, we got hooked on this place when we read on the net that the excavations has thrown the Indian History to 5000 years back as the artifacts found here are believed to be even older than the Harappan Civilization, and this gave us the perfect opportunity to plan a short 1-day ride to Rakhigarhi…I named the ride BOP HISTORIC EXPLORERS RIDE…The normalcy was followed, I sent the first mail to the BOPians and then started getting confirmations, only 3 of us were ready for the Ride, this was extremely surprising that it was a Saturday Ride, a 1-day ride and just 350 odd kms. Of riding but then BOP throws out surprises & shocks at the drop of a hat, so we were prepared for them!!!

The Comrades of the Ride were:
1. Dips aka Kenny on his Black Electra 4S
2. Tomar aka Chief Navigator on his Red Electra 4S
3. Che on The Mighty One

Tomar prepared an excellent map for us to follow, where he clearly showed us why he is the best Navigator around and with him in a ride there’s no way one can lose his/her way (Her…well we haven’t had any Female BOP riders but still for decency sake I wrote Her as well!!!). There was also exclusive part of this ride, with my Piston getting changed a week back I was advised to ride my bike slowly and not go beyond 50 kmph so I was to trail the pack…and this was a welcome change for Dips who has always seen me zipping past him during all our previous rides together!!! But I was worried as I hate riding slowly and even worse is trailing the pack of riders but I had no other option available anyway so I was ready for a 50 kmph ride!!!



We met at Leisure Valley Park at 6 AM on 21st Feb. and our new BOP Joinee Rohit Saini came to see us off with sleepy eyes and ruffled hair!!! But it was a great gesture from his part to come and meet us so early in the day…we started the ride at 6:15 AM and took the Gurgaon – Najafgarh Route and the weather was painfully chilly and all 3 of us were not at all prepared for the cold with just wearing thin jackets and summer gloves !!! we were riding & shivering at the same time for quite some time but finally we gave in and just could ride any further…at 7:45 we stopped at a Highway Dhaba for some much-needed hot tea & Paranthas…we gulped 2 glasses of tea before the Paranthas even arrived at the scene !!! The tea tasted much better than the best quality Scotch to us at that time!!! After the Heat-Therapy we started the ride again and rode for some 60 kms before stopping for another of Piss, Tea & Sutta some 1.5 hours later…

All this while Tomar was leading the ride and he was so bloody confident about the route that he didn’t check the way to Rakhigarhi even once!!!I am sure if me & Dips were there we would have checked it some 5-6 times by now…so much for our bad Navigation skills!!! At 11:15 AM we had reached Rakhigarhi and started looking for the excavation site and Mr. Wazir Chand who is the ASI Caretaker of the site, after checking with some 5-6 villagers we finally reached the site but was disappointed to see the site full of Cow-Dung cakes drying on the fields!!! Mr. Wazir was more than happy to see 3 Bikers all the way from Gurgaon who had come to see the site and offered us Tea & Chilled Water!!! He also showed us some documents about the history of Rakhigarhi & other Haryana Excavation sites which were a great source of information to us, we clicked some pics of the surreal place and then went off to check out the Prithviraj Chauhan Fort which was some 30 kms away in a village named Hansi, it was personally recommended by Mr. Wazir as he told us that that fort was one of it’s kind and was not to be missed as we would never come this far again…so we left the site and then the entire village was out to watch us & our bikes due to the loud thump it was emitting !!! We were demi-stars of the village with children cheering for us!!! It was a great site indeed with awestruck elderly villagers watching us with dreamy eyes while smoking away their Hukkas!!!



Enroute we found a Theka and by now you know BOP very well…we never miss an opportunity to enjoy Chilled Beer on Highway Rides!!! And this time as well we didn’t let this opportunity pass by and we stopped to enjoy a beer peculiarly named KAALA TEETAR (that’s Black Partridge for you)…it was really a potent beer with the 3 of us a little high after having just 1 beer…the Theka Caretaker Satbir was an amazingly knowledgeable person for his background…and that too on a daily dose of Punjab Kesari…he knew all about the intricacies of US Elections, Mumbai Terror Strikes, The Chand Mohammed - Fiza Love Affair and The Indo-Pak conflict…he was also glad to get himself clicked with the Desi Liquor in the Background !!! I also saw a Saunf (Aniseed) Local Liquor for the first time…I have had Sambuca but I am sure this one would be lethal…I also picked one small bottle as a souvenir for my liqueur Collection…



After the great discussion & beer therapy we rode to The Fort after parking our bikes just outside the fort and with 2-3 curious kids acting as guards to keep our bikes safe!!! we went inside and soaked in the History that was quite evident there but the place was in a big mess…no boards telling about the history of the Fort, no ASI Official and the normal scribbling of all sorts on literally on all the walls…but we still enjoyed the peace at the place and I imagined that the brave Prithviraj Chauhan and his partner Samyukta must have spent some intimate moments at this place!!! Visiting so many forts during my Bike Rides has been an utmost pleasure and a great education of the fabulous Indian History; have been to Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan, Tughlaqabad Fort in Delhi, Bekal Fort in Kerala, Leh Fort in Ladakh and now this one!!! And I am damn sure that there would many more to come…



After getting all soaked in the History Lessons we stopped at an extremely dingy & filthy looking Dhaba named MAUJI DA DHABA!!! We deliberated a lot but still went inside and ordered Chicken Curry (Half Kg….yes that’s the way they served it…) and Dal Fry…believe when I haven’t smelled a more yucky flavored Chicken Curry in my Life…it was bad…and it tasted even worse…and the Dal was no good either but still we ate the food as we were really hungry and had no mood to stop at another place…there were some amazing scriptures on the wall instructing people to stay quiet, Drink more & not to puke (there was a fine of Rs. 50 per Puke!!!)We left the place with our tummies filled but our taste buds adversely affected to start the ride back to Gurgaon…



We stopped once after riding for some 70 odd kms for a Sutta Break and I felt like crapping so off I went to the nearby bushes to relieve myself…and now let me tell you that shitting amidst the bushes is a heavenly experience and I enjoy staying close to nature anyway!!! I also clicked some amazing pics of a beautiful green insect through Macro shots…



After this relieving process I had to eat something so we stopped at a Haryana Tourism Restaurant to eat some good food for a change…I had a Burger & Cold Coffee and it was superb…after that it was once again a constant 45 kmph ride till we reached Delhi Border…and after entering Delhi through the Rohtak Border the same old story began…trucks & City Traffic all over!!! This is the story which is repeated every time we enter Delhi after a ride…be it through Ghaziabad, Sonepat or Rohtak…some things never change…

My bike was getting really heated up after the constant riding and I had to stop to give it a break and for me to have a Sutta…after the break it was me who led the pack till Gurgaon as both Dips & Tomar didn’t know the route well…so a welcome change to see the fellow riders through my rear-view mirror!!!

We reached Gurgaon at 9 PM…clicked the customary final pic outside the Ambience Mall and rode towards our homes…bidding goodbyes…congratulating each other on another ride completed successfully…that too with so much fun…



The High Pints of the Ride were some quotable quotes made by certain individuals…

1. Tomar @ 6 AM: “Yaar aaj subah badi thand hai yaar”…the best part being Tomar had woken up this early only once in the last 10 months !!! he was simply amazed to experience the early morning chill…
2. Satbir @ 12 Noon: “Jo Desi Daaroo peeta hai who Desi Latth ban jaata hai”…So any of you wanna become a “Desi Latth”???
3. Satbir @ 1 PM : “Pakistan ke bare mein aapka kya khayaal hai?”…we were shocked to hear this as we were in no mood to discuss politics after the Kaala Teetar Therapy…

The pics of the Ride:
Tomar’s Camera: http://picasaweb.google.com/sankettomar/Rakhigarhi#
Che’s Camera: http://picasaweb.google.com/jha.nishant/TheBOPHistoricExplorersRide?feat=directlink\

The solitary video taken by me while riding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YbLQJMRsXA

Che would be back on the road again…

Till then ride safe and have Safe Sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

The West Coast Riders

This time I have completed a Long Ride Blog within a month of coming back after setting a bad precedent last time when I wrote the Ladakh Ride Blog 4 months after I came back...

So here it is... http://thewestcoastriders.blogspot.com/


Enjoy Reading...

Cheers to Life...
Nishant "Che" Jha

The BOP Valentine's Day Ride

Valentine’s Day…This day has become famous & infamous both at the same time…due to various curious reasons…This is the day for Lovers of all kinds…Old & Young, Boy & Girl, Boy & Boy and also Girl & Girl…There is one other relationship which many mere mortals don’t even dare contemplating & exploring…and that’s between a Man & his Machine !!! Now don’t get me wrong…I am not talking about a Dildo or a Vibrator!!! By Machine I mean a Bike!!!

At BOP this feeling of Man-Machine bonding runs quite strongly and we decided to celebrate the V-Day with what else but a Ride & Meet…we also had The Surajkund Mela which is an annual affair at Surajkund in Faridabad and this year it was in its 23rd Edition…it also gave me an excellent opportunity to complete the Mela Trilogy…after The Pushkar Mela & The Sindhu Darshan Mela in Leh I never wanted to miss the trilogy of Mela Bike Rides…

After another bout of Chain Mails, finally 10 Riders confirmed…We also had 3 BOP First-timer Riders…Rohit Saini, Diwakar & Jagmeet Singh Virdee…so the routine venue was decided; DT Mega Mall in Gurgaon and the designated Meeting Time was 9:30 AM.

A night before, we had a small Beer-Bakchodi & Bulls Meet at Vedanta and I reached home at 1:30 AM in the night after the Beer & Paranthas session and I could not wake up to the alarm I had set for 8:30 AM, finally Jagmeet called up at 9:11 AM and I woke up from my deep slumber…I rushed through the daily chores and left my home at 9:40 AM…I was 20 minutes late, I felt really bad as I am always on-time for all BOP Rides and this one was one of the rarest-of-rare occasions…I blame it on the Beer squarely…

So at 10:15 we finally started the ride, after waiting for Kamikaze & his wife Vrinda to come in their Scorpio…we took the Gurgaon-Faridabad road which gave an ample opportunity to Arun to use his Handycam and shoot videos…we also did a short off-roading adventure through a detour…then we made the first pit-stop for some to take a leak and for some to smoke…




Post that we reached the Mela Grounds amidst hundreds of Bikes parked, it all looked like a scene straight out of the recent Rider Mania which I attended in Ooty, but the difference being this time the bikes were a mix of all makes!!! There were strict security measures being followed by the Security Forces amidst the latest Terror attacks & threats…and no cigarettes were allowed in the Mela Grounds, me & Arun hid our cigarettes in his Jacket Pocket but our dear comrade, Topgun had a novel idea in his mind for which he had already prepared before-hand…he hid the cigarettes in an aluminum foil and it looked like a Sandwich Packet!!! What an innovation indeed…I would implement it each time now!!!

The crowds had not built up when we reached the Mela, probably people must have been waking up really slowly on a Saturday Morning, we didn’t waste any time and went to the Food Court to have a much-awaited Breakfast Meal…there were loads of options but all Vegetarian…all of us shared the delicacies, in total we ordered Kadhi Chawal, Rajma Chawal, Makke-di-Roti & Sarson-da-Saag, Rumali Roti Meal, Kulche Matar, Chiwra & Cheele and Bhalle-Papdi Chaat…as expected TopGun had Noodles !!! We also had Rabri ke Malpue & Hot Jalebi for desserts!!! what an amazingly satisfying meal it was, once the tummy was satisfied we went to the Surajkund Lake which unfortunately was all dried up but we sat in the Amphitheatre Stairs and had a nice photo session with everybody using the opportunity to utilize Arun`s Tripod…

After that we had a discussion about the next step of the ride…after following the Democratic Way of using a Popular Vote a unanimous decision was taken to move next to The Tughlaqabad Fort to follow the Historical Riding we are exploring full-on these days…the other options were The Mohit Chauhan Show at The Dilli Haat & The new Jhaag Lake…maybe we would do the lake some other time….

We reached the Fort in no time and entered the Fort amidst my non-stop detailed commentary about the true history of the Fort which only I knew all about…I really pity the poor knowledge of our fellow BOPians but would discuss this some other day, as I don’t want to ridicule anybody…but a sudden decision was made to enjoy chilled beer in the Fort Ramparts…there were loads of secluded areas all over the place where we could drink without anybody disturbing us…then Dips & Tomar made a swift exit from the Fort to get Beer for the thirsty souls…yes I know even our Bodies were thirsty but I would say that the Soul was hungrier…as drinking beer in a fort is an experience is much much better than drinking at any of the swank or posh clubs…if you don’t believe me then do it once and then you would get to experience the bliss yourself…

After some time they appeared with a bag full of Beer Bottles and Chips as well as Snakes!!! We chose a secluded spot and soon the party started amidst the ruins where sometime back in the 13th Century I guess similar adventures would have been attempted by some rebels like us!!! There was an empty tank as well close to where we sat and we imagined that some erstwhile queens must have taken a Herbal Bath there!!! That thought was quite interesting to say the least but all that was in the Tank now was some Empty water bottles and cigarette butts!!! Another longish Bakchodi session followed with all of us planning for the next Ride…and then I hit a Goldmine!!! I was just playing with the 10X Zoom in my camera and spotted a couple sitting on the top of a Fort Wall quite a distance away, they were getting physically intimate and we joined the fun, I started to click some pics of their Valentine Celebration !!! soon everybody got excited and all eyes & thoughts were fixed on my camera screen…Arun didn’t let this golden opportunity go and got his Camcorder installed on the Tripod and started to make a Video !!! We also had some extremely interesting live commentary going on in the background!!! You can surely imagine what it would be…now every one of us is anxiously waiting to watch the video and have the same fun all over again!!! Jagmeet is literally dying to take a sneak peek!!! But I am sure Arun would take his time editing & pruning the Video and present a full-HD Format to us…we completely trust him to do that!!! He is a master after all…

After the Video session we left the Fort and the ride was completed…all-in-all a great day filled with Culture, Tradition, History & also Live Valentine Celebration!!! We had it all…

You can see all the pics @
1. Varun Doegar : http://picasaweb.google.com/varun.doegar/BOPSurajkundRide?authkey=KF7esVlxMh8&feat=directlink
2. Jagmeet Singh : http://picasaweb.google.com/jagmeet.virdee/BOPRIDE?feat=directlink
3. Sanket Tomar : http://picasaweb.google.com/sankettomar/SurajkundTughlakabadRide
4. Che : http://picasaweb.google.co.in/jha.nishant/BOPValentineDayRide?feat=directlink

Che would be back on the road again with more…

Till then enjoy life & have Safe Sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…