"Memories Of A Challenging Expedition..."
Gerard ‘Gerry’ Privilege from Perth and myself, met face to face in Bagdogra in West Bengal on the 21st of September after a lengthy correspondence, planning and making our acquaintance. An hour later we were riding north to Darjeeling, a difficult steep, twisting hill-road, too late in the afternoon. Cutting his teeth on a very steep hairpin road, across slippery rail tracks at every bend, Gerry made it to the top, in the dark, unscathed.
From Darjeeling our route took us south east through Assam, across rivers with no bridges, on small wooden boats. We rode deep into Meghalaya’s west, south and east Garo hills; zig-zagging in and out of Bangladesh - a broken bridge some way back; stopping at night at places we’d reached, in small hotels, local guest houses and old, neglected Forest Rest Houses. Sharing our options with men in a tea shop, they warned, “Sir don’t sleep in the jungle, elephants roam wild and tribal militants have guns.” The village police post ominously called the “Police Insurgency Post”.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 17 November 2011 14:36 |
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Read more Tribal Life In North East India
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"Unforgetable Experiences In North East India..."
My experience in the north east with Peter was awesome and I couldn't have had a better guide and friend.
Our journey through the states of West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland allowed me to see and experience an entirely different India from what I had known before.
From Bengal to the amazing plains of Assam with its endless rice fields of many different shades of beautiful green, kilometres of shady, cool and quiet tea gardens which appeared to be something out of a fairy tale while tea workers quietly worked away picking the tea from the bushes. Long stretches of very well maintained highway which allowed one to cruise along listening to the steady ‘thump thump’ of the bullet engine while taking in this very colourful state.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 27 October 2011 09:18 |
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Read More An Expedition Through North East India
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“Getting The ‘Turning Fix’ in a Suburbian Grid”
| Everything is fine here summer finally arrived, hot, humid, and rainy subtropical weather. At least we are finally getting some rain. Florida is having a bad drought.
I like the video; it makes me miss the riding we did there. The riding down here in South Florida is very boring, all grid patterned suburbia roads. The only turns are on and off the interstates (multistradas).
So in order to get the turning fix I started racing a Ducati 1000 Super Sport. It's been a blast and there are 3 racetracks within a 1/2 days drive. In the series I race, we race about once per month and on my second weekend, I won 2 races! In commemorative, the organizers put my picture on the cover of last week’s poster (#912)!
My next race is out of state in southern Georgia this weekend and I'm now in 2nd place for the season points so hopefully, I can learn from a different group of riders to make a challenge for the amateur championship.
Rachael is going to ride down to be my crew this weekend. She always impresses my competitors and friends at the mileage she will ride on her Ducati.
The house project is coming along slowly, too much travelling and racing taking up my time. But at least the ‘Tiki Bar’ is running and the garage is holding everything but the Italian motos. They will remain in my enclosed, air-conditioned patio as an art display when not being ridden! LOL!
Scott Mulvania. USN CDR (retired)
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Last Updated on Friday, 08 July 2011 07:56 |
“Like Twin Brothers - The Triumph Tiger 800 and 800XC...”
| If you've read the reviews and road reports on the new Triumph Tiger 800's you'll be familiar with the concept. I had the chance to ride both the 800 and the 800XC the other day and found them to be at once the same and yet slightly different.
They are both similar, 21in wheels lift the XC higher, on the low seat I could only touch my toes. It's high, with a nice riding position and so well balanced; light to the touch, firm on the road and utterly quick. 800cc, 92hp, 216kg, the fuel injected thoroughbred triple serves up speed on demand, with power delivered so smoothly to a triple trumpet fanfare.
The 800 was lower, 17in wheels Vs 21in on the XC - balls of my feet, quite manageable. Stiffer front legs, I liked it in traffic more than the XC - a height thing, preferring to crawl to the red light and not dab a foot, slow speed control was a cinch, something both bikes did very stylishly.
Squeezing the powerful twin disks brings on a deeper bow on the XC, the 800's front legs were firmer. Positive smooth gear changes were totally reliable, though sometimes the small triangular brake pedal wasn't always under my toe, I'd like a wider foot peg too.
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Last Updated on Friday, 08 July 2011 07:55 |
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Read more Test Riding The Triumph Tiger 800s
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"Rooftops For Freerunners In Rajasthan..."
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 June 2011 13:03 |
"Road Testing Our New Pannier Design..."
| I’ve been testing our new panniers on Tour in UnMapped Uttarakhand. The smaller, lighter, more compact Cordura pannier bags now come with a rain cover to protect clothing and kit from the worst of weather conditions.
The earlier design was often too large for Riders needs, with bags sagging, the contents could move around and incur damage.
Removing one horizontal strap makes loading far quicker, while retaining the two vertical straps for rigidity and security. Riding rough roads and tracks for prolonged periods, the panniers remained firmly attached; and not a 'bungy' to be seen! Note there are no longer the three cross bars behind the rear seat.
Replacing the frame with a smaller more rigid pair of frames has totally improved the handling. The weight shift is lower and further forward.
Each Rider has two Panniers (approx 30 Litres x 2 = 60 Lts) and if you would like one, a tank bag as well (approx 15Lts). This is normally sufficient for a two (or four week tour). Panniers and tank bags are attached with strong straps and quick-release clips.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 09 June 2011 05:54 |
"Intrepid Riders scale ZojiLa on the day the road opened..."
| What a journey! What a road! As totally unprepared as any Victorian explorer, I agreed to accompany my Estonian friend from Srinagar to Leh only two days after the road was opened – unseasonably early, we were told. Tally-ho and all that. Why not?
Mud-slips, rock-slides, long strings of wonderfully colourful (but disgustingly polluting) heavy goods vehicles, freezing temperatures, eighteen feet of snow piled either side of the road in places… the list goes on. The wind was a bit parky at times too - I could mention that.
Riding pillion behind Rainer the giant (6’8” – is that technically a giant?) on this breath-taking road was one of those things which is going to stay with me for the rest of my life. As hostile as it is beautiful, the whole journey from start to finish was…awe-inspiring.
From the brutal passes of Zoji, Namika and Fotu La, to the almost ethereal settlement of Lamayuru, the apricot terraces of Kargil to the well-documented Moonscapes of Ladakh, every corner was a photo opportunity, every minute a memory.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 09 June 2011 05:55 |
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Read more To Infinity And Beyond
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A Truck Gets Stuck On Zoji La |
"Overloaded trucks on the dangerous Zoji La Pass..."
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Edging as close as I dared, poised at the edge, left foot firm, the truck passed, it’s rear wheel kissing my right side pannier, full-face black exhaust; tailgate chains slashing air.
You instinctively ride back to the middle - the inside rut, skirting mud only where firm at the outer edge. We rode down, two, three more corners, horns blaring, riding with caution. Round the next blind bend a line of jeeps, halted but heading down. The realisation was instant. What’s blocking the path?
An overloaded Tata ‘high sider’. Stacked to to the brim and more on the cab, the ‘Helper’ crouched behind the rear offside wheels. The rad’ cover propped wide open, the driver gunning the 1613 Turbo to charge his brakes, when he felt brave he 'dropped his clutch'.
The engine sagged, moaned and died and the truck lurched forward one small step. Before he could stand on his brakes, the truck had rolled back, two steps forwards, one step back. the Helper slipped in the rock, halting its downhill death-roll. Again the revs, engine roaring, recharge his brakes and creep an inch further... |
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Last Updated on Friday, 13 May 2011 04:21 |
"Huge boulders blocked our path..."
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On leaving Kargil we were stopped in our tracks before we’d even left Kargil. Just out of the market and round the curve of a violently powerful Suru river. A small side stream doubled in width having channelled a million tons of sand, rocks and mud. It dumped two huge boulders blocking the road; only explosives could split such rocks.
The water flow alone made it passable only by a JCB and a hydraulic oil soaked bulldozer. Houses had been washed away. A doll’s house view, pots and pans still sitting on shelves, half the house washed away. I stopped and filmed people standing, watching, dazed. Lives washed away.
Parked nearby a military Royal Enfield sat to attention, strong and functional in its matt green livery, red stencilled numbers, logged in some distant ledger; Military Police! Stand aside!
We were running away from a weather system that’s destroyed Pakistan, demolished Ladakhi villages, the bus stand and central hospital in Leh. Actually we narrowly avoided a serious situation; our safety relied on us taking care, paying attention and riding with skill. |
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Last Updated on Friday, 13 May 2011 04:22 |
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Snow Melt Washes Bridge Away |
"Bogged-Down Buses Blocked Our Path"
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Eroded by heavy snow melt, a weakened bridge had collapsed spreading slabs of concrete across the swirling muddy river. Riding only 85kms from Kaza, we reached a scene of calm chaos and parked trucks. The efforts of a digger-driver, watched by a growing crowd of stranded travellers, proved futile in levelling the roadway through an increasingly lively stream. Our last option, ride back and secure rooms in tiny Lossar village, in the Spiti Valley, before others made the same decision.
Saddling-up, a dull feeling of doom dawned on me, my rear tyre was punctured. I found the foot pump and quickly inflated the tyre enough to get me back to comfort and a safe haven. Tired, down-heartened but not defeated, the sun behind the mountains, the consensus was dinner, a stiff drink, bed and fix the tyre in the morning.
By morning the water had subsided, but a new obstacle lay before us. The previous evening a bus driver had tried to pull another ‘stuck bus’ out of the mud and stones, he failed and left any possible path across the river blocked by two buses... |
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Last Updated on Friday, 13 May 2011 04:22 |
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