Point and shoot

The Ducati Multistrada en route to Rohtang Pass on the Helmetstories Pangi ride

TLC for the bikes

The Bikes getting some TLC before they crew heads out tomorrow towards Tandi over Rohtang Pass.

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Chandigarh to Manali

We woke up to overcast skies and made a rather lazy start after several cups of coffee. It's Vir's birthday and it is the second time that I'm on the road with him on this day. The last time was at Whisky Nala below Lachung La on a blustery and savagely cold morning. 

The places we ride past is like a familiar litany -- Ropar, Kiratpur, Swarghat, Bilaspur, Mandi, Pundoh... And we still haven't escaped the fetid breath of the monsoon 150 km into the ride. 

Our early start has seen us escape the truck traffic that clogs up the stretch of road from Swarghat to Surendernagar and we pick off the straining trucks with ease swooping around them with calculated nonchalance. 

The road past Mandi is pristine and the long sweeping corners are a delight to carve into, the thunderous exhausts of Bono and Bumblebee providing a pleasing rhythm to the ride, the cadence rising and falling with each gearshift. 

Past Pundoh and the sky holds ominous portents of rain. Can we beat it to Manali? Of course not! We arrive in Manali drenched and bedraggled after an exhilarating ride, not fast, not slow, but one that felt just perfect. 

The Countdown Begins

Eight days to go for Bumblebee and Bono to ride up to Ladakh for yet another awesome adventure.

Pit stop Bilaspur

Managed to get to Bilaspur before the heat struck! Traffic as bad as expected but still managing 50 kph average. Not bad.

Mellow Yellow Tour

The bikes have arrived in good shape! Tomorrow to Manali early start to beat the heat. Bumblebee is running a bit harsh but we'll see to it at Bilaspur. Fingers crossed! Watch this space...

Breakfast run recce - 1

Waiting for the train to come so we can get some shots.

Breakfast run recce

The Helmet Stories crew out for a recce for this sundays breakfast run.

Bumblebee and Buttercup head home

After a trouble free and stress free ride to Spiti, two of the three Helmet Stories motorcycles are headed home. Gati, our usual transporter, is behaving very strange with arbitrary pricing. We end up paying the same for both bikes - one to Goa and the other to Mumbai! More on this later

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My pipe is bigger than yours

Harsh and sachin talkin shop.
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Badrash

Back on NH22 and the first view of the river sutluj.
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The day continues 10 hours later

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Riding in the sky

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Chanshal pass

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Day 2 begins

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Ready to ride

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Rider Mania ride

Back to Bombay, joining up on NH4. Now its a dual carriageway all the way home.
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Mollem Ride, Goa

Chilly water stream, the perfect pit stop on a muggy day
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Mollem road

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Rider Mania, day 3

Tooling off to the Mollem reserve forest
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