One morning in April 2018, I decided to travel to Calangute, Goa from Surat, Gujarat on my bike, as I had some personal work and not for partying! lol.
For a couple of years, I have been following motovloggers on Youtube, to name a few- Mumbiker Nikhil, Bulu Biker, Chintamani Jaipuri, JS Films, Oggy F, etc. And i always wanted to travel across India on my sweet ride.
The preparation (Physically and Mentally):
Now, being a student of some college and especially when you do not have your own source of income it can be difficult to fulfill this dream. Travelling some 500 or more old kilometers without proper gear can be dangerous and especially on our Indian highways where people slide in from anywhere. Ugh!Anyway, since i did not have enough funds, and I had to make it to Goa anyhow, I decided to go SOLO on my Honda Hornet 160R! Yes, I was in a great dilemma whether I should go ahead with the plan or not but I knew deep inside that I was ready for this trip.
Research about the correct roads and Navigation:
I had done extensive research on Youtube by watching countless videos, other Motovloggers do share details on their trips and give many opinions and advice during the journey, like bad roads or areas of the National Highway where it is dangerous. So I was well aware of every minute thing.
Thank God it is 2018 and we have Google Maps! We can go where ever we want without asking for directions! Yes i agree it is risky as people have followed GMaps blindly and have fallen off the road into a river or pond. lol. We must be cautious!
Approval from parents:
This is certainly the most scary part where you have to ask your parents about allowing you to go ahead, And our Indian parents are always concerned and will most likely refuse, But in my case i was lucky that my parents aren't here at home, they work elsewhere so I had to take my own decision and was responsible for my own safety.
Modifications made on bike & servicing:
Coming from an upper middle class family, I could not own the most expensive bike but I do own a pretty decent and reliable beast, my--Honda Hornet 160R, my first ride, which I had bought back in May 2016!
In 2 years time I was confident enough to go ahead with this long trip, as i had covered more than 20,000 KMs!
Honda Hornet is a great bike but there are setbacks on all bikes, none are perfect! Anyway, I installed 2 LED lights in the front on both sides and a flasher. That's all!
I made sure to get a full service & checkup done on my bike before I left Surat. This is a very important step before travelling long distances. There have been many fatalities when people ignore this essential step.
It was Time......
So after thinking & planning i decided to leave Surat at 11:30pm. I wanted to keep extra time in hand. 6.5 hours to reach Mumbai was more than enough. Also another reason being that If I left at night, I would be able to cover the ghat section in Maharashtra in the safety of daylight.
So I was very anxious but confident on the day of the journey. Made all preparations like - got my bags ready, made sure to keep a bottle a water and small snacks like biscuits, cakes and chips. We should not eat heavy food while riding on the highways! How did I know that? I researched a lot of course, remember! lol. Okay then... it was 11:30 pm and I was ready to hit the road. I left my home, got on my bike and pressed the ignition, I was super exited at the same time a bit nervous. Anyway so here is the map
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The highway is pretty good here in Gujarat. 4 lane highway gives a sense of confidence, nevertheless one must be aware at all times, And i surely was!
I took breaks after every 100kms. Don't ask me about the time duration as I wasn't really looking at it. I was maintaining a speed of 60-80 / 85.
I reached Mambra around 7:45 am and continued
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The roads weren't in a great condition but I did not face any major problems so i continued my journey
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The Khandala - Lonavala stretch was amazing! It was my first time on ghat roads. Was I nervous? Nope! But I did take precautions while cornering. I was prepared for all of this. Thanks to the fellow vloggers.
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| Mumbai-Pune Expressway (below) |
Then I was enroute Satara, It was 5:00 /5:30pm I guess and I decided to call it a day and I had booked my hotel before hand, for the night.
So after an amazing day, I slept like a baby in a cradle that night. Woke up early at 6am the next day and I jumped up from bed and got ready ASAP and checked out from the hotel at 6:30am.
I was super stoked, as it was a brand new day and I was riding high on confidence. The morning view was too good. How can I describe it here! I am falling short of words.
After crossing Kolhapur, I was heading towards Nipani . Reached there around 10:30am. It is a very important junction. In order to reach North Goa, I had to go via Ajara, Gavse, Amboli Ghat, Sawantwadi and Insuli Road.
Amboli Ghat, what a beauty!
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It took me 5 hours to cross the ghat section. I took my time. Enjoyed the great western ghat view.
Soon after i was mesmerized. There was Sawantwadi Lake. WOW!
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| Sawantwadi Lake in 2018 |
I took Insuli road which lead me to Banda junction. And, Yes i had almost entered Goa by then. I was super excited. It took me around 1.5 hours to reach Calangute from there.
What a journey it was. I knew I had to again travel by these roads after a couple of days or a week. So i was content inside and I looked forward to complete my work which I had come to attend at Goa.
Here's some statistics from my journey (one way)
Total distance covered: 867KM
On Road Duration: 29 Hours approx.
Petrol Cost: Rs. 1250
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