Yercaud, Overnight
A ride story from simpler time, with cleaner air and fewer cares
This is a story from way back in 2003. The world was a younger place then. Life was simple, the air was clean, and we rode nary a care in the world. Though the night, through the day, though green country fields and through lush mountain slopes. Yep, those, indeed were the days.
This here is a true testament to my laziness. I am actually writing about a trip nearly FOUR years after it. I should win some award for procrastination. Well, better late than never at all, I guess.
Back in the day, RTMC (Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club) didn’t believe in starting a weekend ride on Saturday morning. What we did was leave late Friday, ride all night, and reach our destination by dawn. Sleep immediately, and wake up for brunch. And we have almost all of Saturday, and a good part of Sunday morning for sight-seeing.
The plan, while good in theory, is quite dicey. Night riding is never safe, and decidedly dangerous when undertaken after a long day at work. This ride format was abandoned by RTMC long back in favour of the now common early Saturday morning departure. The Dramatis Personae, the prime suspects, the rogue’s gallery about to start riding from Pizza Hut in Koramangala:
- _Sijan "JFK" Chacko_. Those were the days when he still rode a AVL 350 Machismo.
- _Kartz._ Those were the days when he rode a non-Bajaj vehicle. An AVL 350 Machismo, no less.
- _ Ega Swagy_. Those were the days when he didn't start every sentence with "Bose Uncle said... ". Oh, and he went by the moniker of Easha R Swamy.
- _Vipin "Carman Electra" Rajan_ No car then, the man just rode the Electra. Now then boys, behave yourselves.
- _David "Dubious"_. Also on a 350 Machismo. Back then he actually was living in India, not just visiting us on vacation.
- _Me_. This ride indeed was a long time ago. No RD350, no Lightning 535. Back then, I toured on a CBZ and carried a film SLR.
Right, so we left from Pizza hut in Koramangala at about midnight. Excuse the terrible flash photography, I was already sleepy then. I did most of the ride in a semi-conscious state. Whole sections of the route I was in deep sleep, and dreaming about a tail-lamp in front…