tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380182712024-03-14T13:42:26.919+05:30enter the blind curveimagination rolls with just a poster on your bedroom wall. a poster of a little two wheeled monster leaning on a curve. you dream over time. you get inspired and you desire to seek freedom. a sort of freedom that's only felt with mobility. freedom that'll get you out of the cage and onto the open roads. life's never the same again..Sprotorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17083966022007416347noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38018271.post-18463924339980745482007-09-25T13:59:00.002+05:302009-09-25T14:04:34.604+05:30no more blogging for nowI've stopped blogging (to devote time to other more interesting things). I'll still be riding around through. You can follow me and all my photographs on flickr<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sprotor/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/sprotor/</a><br /><br />I can be reached at justgetmethrough -at- <at!> gmail <dot!> -d0t-com or sprotor -at-<at!> gmail -d0t- <dot!>com<br /></dot!></at!></dot!></at!>Sprotorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17083966022007416347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38018271.post-36673750980524662222007-05-31T14:50:00.000+05:302007-06-01T12:48:09.806+05:30the BAL chakan plant visit<div><div>The weekend of 23rd, 24th, and 25th of March saw us visiting a bunch of fellow riders from Bajaj Pulsar User Group (BPUG) and Bike Nomads (BN). We were 29 of us, and we were in Pune to visit Bajaj Auto's Chakan plant. The plant where Bajaj makes the Pulsar. This weekend saw fellow bikers and friends converging from Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore, apart from us Pune guys.</div><div></div><br /><div>The plant visit included a complete tour of the facility and the various manufacturing departments. This was followed by a 2 hour long Q&A session with people from R&D, and Marketing. A very important session where we hurled several questions related to bajaj and the motorcycling industry in India in general. The meet was extrememly informative and provided a great platform for us (representing customers) to interact with the manufacturer, face to face.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070991016578126786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_SltFVvOa5gQ/Rl_HdlpWE8I/AAAAAAAAABM/xMugQ6UUFs4/s400/chakan07.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><div>In the evening, we got a chance to ride the recently launched Pulsar 200 on the Chakan test track. Something all of us were eagerly waiting for. This was followed by a poolside dinner hosted by BAL. It was a very eventful evening, and something to remember for a long time indeed.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070991463254725602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_SltFVvOa5gQ/Rl_H3lpWE-I/AAAAAAAAABc/qeolgaUl0W8/s400/poolside.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>Apart from the chakan plant visit, some of us were quite eager to have tea at Lonavala at hours way past midnight. All thanks to a 24 hour tea stall at the bus-stand. Endless rounds of tea accompanied by some vada-pao saw us chatting about bikes and ride experiences. All this on three consecutive nights. Sweet!</div></div>Sprotorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17083966022007416347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38018271.post-73563159329467324262007-04-03T12:57:00.000+05:302007-05-31T14:48:45.050+05:30Panchgani - A late evening rideAfter making several rounds of Khandala ghat, it was time to head somewhere south. The next destination on the list was Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar. A place well known for breathtaking vistas and strawberries. The former would make you fall on your knees and beg for several wishes to be granted. I'll try to resist those until the monsoons set in. But the latter was making big news (even on national TV). With record growth of strawberries this season, farmers were distributing them to visitors for free. They were even inviting visitors into their farms, and letting them pluck the strawberries of their choice and feast on them.<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070646092049552210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_SltFVvOa5gQ/Rl6NwVpWE1I/AAAAAAAAAAU/FsTo3zlqONM/s400/DSC04324.JPG" border="0" /></div><div></div><div>I'm no strawberry fan, and I was lucky enough to have made it to Panchgani just before the crowds flocked in. The ride was again on a weekday. I made it to Tableland just on time for a sunset. However, a thick layer of clouds blocked the sun's view.</div><br /><div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_SltFVvOa5gQ/Rl6N3VpWE2I/AAAAAAAAAAc/4e2Dg8pY-Sc/s1600-h/DSC04331.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070646212308636514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_SltFVvOa5gQ/Rl6N3VpWE2I/AAAAAAAAAAc/4e2Dg8pY-Sc/s400/DSC04331.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div>I was too eager to try out some low light and night photography. Being a weekday (wednesday, to be frank) Tableland was empty!. Just a few groups here and there, who were just about to depart as they day folded. All the tongas and the jeeps were making their way back, and I was the sole guy heading deep into the open flatlands.</div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070646336862688114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_SltFVvOa5gQ/Rl6N-lpWE3I/AAAAAAAAAAk/qw8XExKvD38/s400/DSC04347.JPG" border="0" />I spent a few hours at Tableland, trying to capture some good shots every now and then. However, strong winds and dust storms forced me to retreat. I had started off directly from office and had come unprepared for such weather conditions. I had the wrong jacket and my helmet had the wrong visor. After gazing the sky for sometime, I went to Mapro to have dinner. After a round of veg sandwich and icecream, I decided to head back. <div><div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070647827216339858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_SltFVvOa5gQ/Rl6PVVpWE5I/AAAAAAAAAA0/XUrWh8NnQDw/s400/moon.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>Well, as usual. I couldn't. Not so soon. It was around 9pm and the sky looked fantastic. I headed to Harrison's foley, which again had no one. The views from here were breathtaking. The stars were shining bright and the moon had an orange tint. I spent 30 more minutes lying down on my bike watching towns below with little gleaming lights, and some sparse vehicles making their way down the ghat.</div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>The ride down the ghat at night, with very little traffic felt really good. I was soon dashing my way back home, cruising on triple digit figures through Khambatki tunnel. The weather and the winds felt just right. At around 11pm I was home. It was time to hit the sack and head to work the next day.</div>Sprotorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17083966022007416347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38018271.post-79516423846591873792007-03-19T16:31:00.000+05:302007-03-20T11:27:31.943+05:30the khandala ghat expressway syndrome<a href="http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/9284/khanef8.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/9284/khanef8.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Riding fast on open roads with a deep orange sun hovering over the horizon is not something I wish to explain in words. It's something to be experienced. And just when you thought it had dawned, you are at a turn, with the surrounding land 300 metres below you, and you still have a few minutes of that elusive sunset that you thought you missed.<br /><br />Yep, it's true, i've suffered from it, five times over in the last couple of weeks, and it doesn't seem to move away any time soon. Even a daily phenomenon like watching the sunset can bring a good and happy end to a long and tiring day. Khandala ghat is an hour away from my office back in Pune (this includes the agonizing experience of getting stuck in evening traffic). It however is worth the effort and returns many fold on those lazy days where you don't have anything concrete planned for the evening.<br /><br />What's to follow is a ride down Khandala ghat to Khopoli and a return. Part NH4 and part expressway. Yup, it's also the only place where 2 wheelers are allowed on the Pune-Mumbai expressway. The roads aren't half as crowded on weekdays as they are on weekends, and that's the beauty of it. A few laps around these roads are definately bound to put a broad smile on the rider.<br /><br />Top that up with an intermediate tea/coffee break at Lonavala. And, if the expressway experience was just an appetizer, the ideal way to finish it off is with a ride up and down Aamby Valley. When the thirst of riding is quenched, it’s time to ride 60 kms back home to Pune, to total the evening’s ride in excess of 250 kms. Call it the longer route home from work.</div>Sprotorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17083966022007416347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38018271.post-43029035991540553502007-03-19T16:11:00.000+05:302007-03-19T16:28:51.401+05:30SummerIt's Summer. The days are getting hotter. I've switched to riding more during the evenings and nights. The only part I like about summers are the late sunsets. More opportunities to run out of office and watch 'em :P .. I'm reminded of the song Sunset Man, by <a href="http://www.thermalandaquarter.com">Thermal and a Quarter</a>.Sprotorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17083966022007416347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38018271.post-71502268965553422922007-02-19T16:39:00.000+05:302007-02-19T17:33:31.327+05:30Pawana - A quiet evening getaway<a href="http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7762/bclubhn3.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7762/bclubhn3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>My flatmate and long-time friend Lohit has just quit his job in Pune and will be leaving to Bangalore soon. He wanted to see a few places around Pune, so we set off to Pawana to watch the sunset, despite the low water levels there. We were quite surprised to see a fairly large weekend crowd, however the hills and sky were looking beautiful never-the-less. Yet another taste of bad roads, and a chance to play with the camera :)</div>Sprotorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17083966022007416347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38018271.post-22725494518817185722007-02-13T17:09:00.000+05:302007-05-14T11:59:46.972+05:30A short trip to Kashid beach<a href="http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/1127/kashid406sd6.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/1127/kashid406sd6.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div><div></div><div>It's one of those days when you sit on a chair wondering what to do next once your work for the day is done. It's a gentle battle between doing the unthinkable v/s lazing around. In a split second there's a nice big list of possible locations which you could visit, that would bring a sense of adventure and joy. Then the mind begins the process of carefully weighing the pleasure factor of each of these locations. It's fierce competition with many close calls and ties. However, there's a winner. One that just seems perfect for that day, that evening, that moment: And there’s a sudden urge to get away from daily life and be somewhere else altogether.<br />It was one such day, one on a sunny winter afternoon. I was done with my work by 1:30pm and I felt like spending the evening on a beach. Imagination had already started rolling. I could already sense the winds blowing, the waves hitting the shores, and the deep orange sun setting on the horizon. It just felt right, and it had to be done. It’s a situation where the mind won’t accept anything less for satisfaction, and there’s no stopping after that.<br /><br />I headed to the petrol station across my office in Pune and tanked up my trusty Pulsar 180 DTSi. I was on the road by 2pm. There was very little traffic and I had no problems keeping good pace. The descent through Tamhini Ghat felt good particularly. The road had been tarred recently. Having done this route many number of times, I was off to enjoy the corners and the hairpins. As I approached Kolad, the roads seemed more inviting. Once I was on NH17, I proceeded towards Roha and took the shortest route to Kashid. A part of this short route was still under construction. A few kilometers of sand and stone after many hours of tarmac riding. Once I knew I was near, my only desire was to keep the pace up and not stop. I wanted be at the beach as early as possible. After 3 hours of non-stop riding, I was finally there.<br /><br />I had reached earlier than expected. It was still sunny and the beach was stark empty except for a few people walking around at a distance. I quickly grabbed the opportunity to ride all around the beach. The shores were shallow and it was an easy ride. I was back to being a kid and I rode the shallow waters to feel the splash over me and my bike.<br /><br />After some exploration of the surrounding areas, I finally pulled out my camera and decided to take some snaps. I requested an Australian visitor to take some photos of me riding along the beach. It was just about sunset, and it was time to see my imagination turn to reality. It was one of the best evenings I’ve spent on a weekday; a working weekday for that matter. At 6:45pm I decided to head back home. It was a moonless night. I took a slight deviation around Tamhini and found myself some empty space with no trees around. I just slept on the bike to watch the stars. It was pitch dark and the star studded sky blew me away. Light pollution around towns and industrial areas ruin the best views of the sky. Fortunately for me, I was away from it all, in the right place at the right time. I however could not spend a lot of time there as I wanted to get back home. By 10pm I was at Pune’s Chandni Chowk. A 380 kilometer ride, a sea sand splashed bike, reddish tyres and dirty clothes. It was time to head home, have dinner and call it one very eventful evening.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"> [this writeup was featured in BIKE India magazine - Volume 2 / Issue 10 / May 2007 Page 46 ]</span></div></div></div>Sprotorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17083966022007416347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38018271.post-43451686468775598962007-02-10T12:27:00.000+05:302007-02-10T12:49:02.509+05:302388 kms - 3 days - One fast rideYes. I was desperate to do a long distance ride. With the original destination being Bangalore, I felt like doing more as I got riding on the first day. I felt like visiting the pristine hills of Ooty and feeling the winter chill. My Pulsar 180 dtsi was all serviced and ready to munch some miles.<br /><br />On Day 1, I left Pune at 4:30 am. It was a cold morning. I took my first break close to Satara and watched the sunrise (it was too tempting to stop at this moment). I continued further and reached Nelamangala (30 kms outside Bangalore) just before 5pm. Not wanting to enter Bangalore, I took the outer-ring-road through Kengeri satellite town and reached the Mysore road. I continued and reached Mysore at 9pm. I stayed at one of my friend's home.<br /><br />On Day 2, I got up at 7am. Got ready, thanked my friend and continued towards Bandipur. I spent very little time at Gopalswamy Betta. I took the Masinagudi route through Sigur ghats and reached Ooty by around 11pm. Rode around Doddabetta, Conoor and Pykara. I had dinner at around 7pm and slept by 8pm. I was badly in need of sleep.<br /><br />On Day 3, I had to ride all the way back to Pune. Not something I had even dreamed of doing. I left at 6am and rode longer distances taking shorter breaks. I packed some fried rice near Gundulpet, and decided to eat a little at every major break I take. I also took along 5 bars of Cadbury's Perk and plenty of water. I tried taking various shortcuts in Mysore and Bangalore, and faced some trouble. I actually ended up wasting valuable time on the ring roads in hopes of avoiding the city traffic. After a long day's riding, I reached Hubli and had dinner. The sleep was really getting to me and I was bored riding on a straight stretch not having anything else to do. However, the last stretch from Kolhapur to Pune was fantastic. The skies were clear, there was no fog, visibility was fantastic, and it was cold. It felt awesome. For a change the good weather drove all my sleep away, and I made it back home by around 3am with a wide grin ear to ear.<br /><br />Distances covered:<br />986 kms on Day 1 - Pune to Mysore<br />186 kms on Day 2 - Mysore - Gopalswamy Hill - Ooty and surrounding areas<br />1216 kms on Day 3 - Ooty to Pune - In 21 hours (around 17 hrs of actual ride time)<br /><br />So much for a butt-aching trip. I reported to work like everything was normal, and slept 15 hours that evening. This is my fastest & longest ride so far .. Yippie ..Sprotorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17083966022007416347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38018271.post-84343223345603001052007-01-17T23:26:00.000+05:302015-10-19T05:46:48.858+05:30pulsar 220 dtsfi launched in pune<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Boy-o-boy, .. a long wait (well more than a year) has finally come to an end. The Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-FI is available at the Bajaj Probiking outlet near Ruby Hall in Pune. A colleague of mine was planning to buy it, so we dropped by the showroom to check it out. Sadly, the bikes there were only for display and test rides weren't allowed. The representative said that more were to arrive next week and it's only then that they would allow people to test ride the bike. At 83K odd rupees this is all too tempting a buy. The 220 has many firsts (first in India) to its credit, .. Rear disk brakes, projector headlamps, etc, to name a few..<br />
<br />
What I expect this bike to be is a sports-tourer satisfying the essential needs of a touring enthusiast in India. A leaping step after the first launch of the Pulsar 180 and the Hero Honda Karizma. I'm all fingers crossed.</div>
Sprotorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17083966022007416347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38018271.post-42651258578395915832006-11-03T11:05:00.000+05:302007-02-10T11:18:55.801+05:30WinterWinters are fun. It’s the season when the warmth of the rug stops you from getting up early in the morning. Being lazy seems normal. It’s the time when sipping hot coffee on a lonely street under incandescent lights at some odd hour past midnight feels like the best thing you ever did in the past few days. Some people in India hate this season, but on the other hand I wait for it all year long.<br /><br />Winter is the most favourable time for riding. The heat during the day is bearable. Riding under the sun all day feels good. The cool air under shady trees keeps you fresh as you take breaks along your journey. Nights are cold. The amber aura of the streetlights fading away into the fog; the calmness of the odd breeze gently carrying away fallen leaves across the road; lights from distant homes and industries lighting up the sky above it; the headlights lighting up the paint and the reflectors along the road; all these make riding at night a pleasure. The pleasant weather makes you feel more comfortable and the dry roads help you travel farther than normal. It’s a perfect combination.<br /><br />Don’t let such a good time pass by while you sit by the window, sipping tea and reading a newspaper. Get on the road, smell the winter air and ride.Sprotorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17083966022007416347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38018271.post-66801756834628101812006-09-14T10:44:00.000+05:302007-02-10T11:14:46.494+05:30you shall not pass<a href="http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/2794/youshallnotpassnf9.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/2794/youshallnotpassnf9.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I found this photo somewhere on <a href="http://www.advrider.com">ADVRider</a>. Those who are fans of The Lord of the Rings are going to have a good laugh.. Those who've seen the South Park spoof might probably laugh harder ... enjoy :)</div>Sprotorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17083966022007416347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38018271.post-1169245081063738192006-07-07T03:45:00.000+05:302007-02-10T11:13:51.797+05:30the late night ride to bangalore ... or something like thatIt was late April. My cramster colt was packed with all necessary clothes, tools, spares, food and lots of other junk not worth talking about. What can you expect in a 20 minute timeframe. I had a blown low-beam from my last ride back from Mahabaleshwar. I pretty much rode back to Pune with no light and in two minds whether to use the high-beam before it blows off too. All this courtesy the modded lighting coil, a screwed battery and effects thereof. Anyway, back to the main story ..<br /><br />A few days had passed. I hadn't got my bike fixed yet. It was an outrageous plan .. The destination was Bangalore. The ETD was well.. 1am. The plan was to ride a few hours in the dark and continue through the day, early enough not to risk riding around the evening after 12 odd hours on the road with a filament that could give way any moment. Wicked! .. The only risk was of the filament getting blown off at the start of the ride. The risk factor was comparatively less as it was just a matter of a few hours in the dark. A chance worth taking, .. an adventure worth riding for...<br /><br />It was 1am. I spent sometime fiddling around with the headlight to get the high-beam to illuminate the road better. Now that it was the only filament left in my headlight, all I could do was pray and hope that it lasted till daylight, .. my lightbringer till I got to see the early rays of the sun.<br /><br />So, I set off. I reached Katraj Ghat. I was stopped by the cops (regular stuff) but after a few smiles and words I was on my way. There are times where you must be the 'good boy' that you are. Once I was on NH4, it was time to open the throttle. A few kilometers down .. it happened. The high-beam was blown ... gone in a flash .. poof..<br /><br />What could be more adventurous than being stranded on a wide 4 lane open highway all alone at 2am with a vehicle having no headlights. That apart from the fact that you are riding in a region which you are new to and you just happened to forget your cellphone on the bed as you left home. I had a charged Eveready Commander somewhere deep among the myraid items in my cramster, but I decided to keep moving and not hang around too long at one place (not something you'd want to do in such a situation). I was cruising along at around 25 kmph under a cresent moon and a starlight sky.<br /><br />Things weren't too pleasing. The boredom of having to ride on a butter-smooth four lane piece of tarmac at speeds you could rather jog at. The frustration of not being able to stop by and spend the night gazing at the stars. The agony of being behind scheduled within the first ten percent of the ride. It was time to tail a vehicle, .. sadly there weren't many passing by in the 10 odd minutes.<br /><br />The lack of light made the simplest of things feel horrid. I couldn't manage to risk following cars who were going slow (under 3 digit) speeds. I lost their tail many times and decided to chase a slower vehicle. To my (mis)fortune it was a guy on a two wheeler.<br /><br />So this guy (henceforth referred to as 'mr.saviour') was doing a comfortable 50-60 kmph, riding a Passion Plus, with no riding gear, no helmet, wearing floaters and braving the cold weather. I was riding on the left most lane trying to spot anything moving, so I could get a tail. As dangerous as it may sound, I had a very small reflector and no lights what so ever on my bike. I was pretty much invisible. As I looked around, our saviour here happened to look at me. I have no idea what crossed his mind at that moment, but he didn't seem interested and hurried past me. Here begins the adventure..<br /><br />After having tried my best to follow many a vehicle, I found one which I felt quite comfortable tailing. I kept my distance however. After a few minutes I noticed that mr.saviour felt uneasy having me on his tail. I could see him trying to glance at me through his rear-view-mirror. He slowed down at various points probably hoping that I would overtake him, but soon he would try to speed up again. He seemed all confused. I however decided to keep my distance and stay behind him. Having failed at getting me to pass him, he decided to speed up consistently so that I could lose his tail. Little might he have realised that I was riding a Pulsar 180 that could comfortably keep pace with his every move. He tried his best to get away from me. He even topped at around 90 kmph. I kept a constant distance behind him without scaring him too much. But none of that helped. The mr.saviour I pinned my hopes on was scared of me. I had sensed it all through but was helplessly relying on him to take me forward. However, things didn't seem to go in the right direction and I had just about decided to break the tail myself.<br /><br />We were nearing the toll plaza at Khambatki. Now mr.saviour felt he could do something about the problem he faced all through. It was his turn to get some help for himself. As he was busy trying to get the attention of the people around, I decided to park my bike at the side and speak to him. All this while he didn't have a full picture of what I looked like and what I was riding. He probably didn't feel as scared after seeing my in riding gear with luggage all over my bike. I approached him and decided to have a friendly chat ..<br /><br />So as the conversation continued mr.saviour's worries went away. We explained our problems to each other and things were finally sorted out to common ground. I apologised to him for having scared him and he apologised for not having co-operated much. Not his fault though. No sane person would probably do as much as he did. After a nice chat, we decided to head our ways. Mr.saviour stayed close-by, so he left. I had to make a choice whether to carry forward or to head back home.<br /><br />While I sat along the divider thinking of my next move, I decided to use the ambience of the street lights to dig through my luggage to see if I threw in something that would come in handy. I did pull out the Commander, but to my surprise I found my leather belt along with a pant I had packed. Mr.Improviser wore his thinking cap.<br /><br />I placed the Commander over my Cramster magnetic tankbag and fastened it with the belt. I used some news paper to angle the light onto the road. Not wanting to have more adventures that night I decided to head back to Pune. The Commander is a weak spotlight and has no spread on the road. However, the quality roads brought in some confidence to keep pace. I did face trouble through Katraj ghats as that's one place where you'll need all the light possible. The katraj tunnel was a nightmare. The torch was on the tank bag and the beam pointed straight regardless of the direction i steered. After a frustrating set of turns I managed to reach the bypass highway, and then reached home by around 4:30 am.<br /><br />The incidents played like a movie in my head as I tried to get some sleep. I finally slept at around 5:15am and woke up at 9:30. It was finally time to get my bike fixed and book an evening flight to Bangalore ..<br /><br />So much for a foolish (mis)adventure ...Sprotorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17083966022007416347noreply@blogger.com1