Bajaj Avenger Club - Mumbai Anniversary Ride to Dapoli

"Intehaan hogai, Intezaar ki" (I cannot wait any longer). That's right, just 10 more day for our extended anniversary celebration ride to Dapoli and we can wait no longer.

Howdy Fellas! 

Hope you'll are doing well.

A year back on October 10, 2013 when we started Bajaj Avenger Club - Mumbai (BAC - M) with just 11 bikers never imagined that we will be an standing army of 80+ bikers as a part of this club within an year since inception. Year slipped like a sand from fist as our members continued to multiple.

Then -

Our first official ride as BAC - M was to lonavala, a small hill station between Mumbai and Pune, therefore we chose the same location for our first anniversary ride which was on October 12, 2014. The reason behind choosing the same location was simple, we felt nostalgic and that urge to ride back to Lonavala was killing us.

Now - 

But this is not the end, one year of togetherness, brotherhood and biker spirit is an achievement and it indeed calls for a grand celebration. After couple of meetings and series of discussion amongst BAC - M members we finalised Dapoli as the location for our celebration.

Dapoli is a town located in Ratnagiri district in the state of Maharashtra in India. It is 215 km away from the state capital of Mumbai. This place is notably known for it's rich history, fishes, places of interest and white sand beaches of which most of beaches are hidden, still untouched.

Dapoli beaches - 

We will be staying over night in dapoli at one of our member Nilesh Telkar's (a.k.a Papa) farm house.

This will be our hideout to spend the night - 

We already have a confirmed count of over 40 members excluding their pillions who will be riding to dapoli and there are many more yet to confirm. I'll leave it to your own imagination of how would it look and feel when you see 40+ bikers riding in a single lane formation.

We will be exploring places in and around dapoli, arrange jam sessions in the evening along with bonfire and there is much more.

Now let's kill the suspense, here is our plan for dapoli ride - 

Date - November 01, 2014.

1. We assemble at Kalamboli McDonalds, Navi Mumbai at sharp 05:30 AM for briefing and basic explanation of traffic regulations and hand signals. (There are no exceptions for coming late this time as we need to reach dapoli as early as possible so that we get adequate time to explore place). We will leave at 06:00 AM.

2. After 5.4 Kms ride we will stop and wait at Panchmukhi Maruti Temple for 10 minutes for those who turn up late.

3. After Panchmukhi Maruti Mandir, our next stop will be at Vadkhal for a 20 minute tea break. Distance covered - 47.7 Kms.

4. Stop # 3 at Mangaon for air and fuel check. (Last petrol pump until dapoli). Time - As per requirement. Distance covered - 111.1 Kms

5. Stop # 4 at Toll phata for rider count. Time - 2 minutes. Distance covered - 130.5 Kms

6. Stop # 5 at Deshmukh Baug for a 25 minute tea break. Distance covered - 174.6 Kms

7. Final destination stop - Dapoli. Distance covered - 212.6 Kms

Click here for route direction on Google maps


Return journey on November 02, 2014 - We may not run on a specific timetable as time would differ depending on the stops taken at places of interest and for photography.

P.S - 
1. Full pants, Shoes and Helmet is mandatory for rider as well as pillion.
2. Please carry two copies of all the mandate documents required to ride a motorbike as per Indian law.
3. Carry a spare key, just in event of key loss.
4. As the count is more than expected, bedding arrangement will not be possible for everyone so please carry an extra blanket as climate is cool in dapoli for most of the seasons.
5. Extra clothing for those who love beaches.
6. Some cash for lunch, dinner or unlikely bike breakdowns.
6. Anything and Everything else you may need to spend a night away from your home.


For more details, you can search Bajaj Avenger Club - Mumbai on Facebook or leave a comment along with your contact details and we will get back to you or you can check event details on Facebook

Damn, you have so many options. :P

Cheers until we ride again. Ride hard, Ride safe.
Dasvidaniya!

Back from Lonavala & Esha Gupta ride - A round up!

Dear Reader,

Our best wishes to each one you. Hope you enjoy our experience on Lonavala  Anniversy ride.
Every BAC Mumbai member was looking forward to this ride for two primary reasons… one, the first year Anniversary of the club and second… Esha Gupta.

Assembly at Kalamboli near MC Donald’s

It’s not easy to be rider especially when you have to wake up early and reach the assembly point at 6.30 AM. When we reached the spot the place transformed from a quiet and boring to full of positivity and enthusiasm. All you could hear is about rides, riders and Esha Gupta. We took a small Tea session while waiting for all riders to arrive. Each member was welcomed with a warm greeting from each member. It all commenced when Parth briefed riders & gave instruction on hand signals and keeping the head lights on. Iswar led and Dinesh took up the responsibility of the tail.  Parth & Preetham patrolled. We could say all four were awesome and key factors for this successful ride.

Entry of Esha Gupta

Esha Gupta is the lone girl traveler on a challenging mission to ride Golden Quadrilateral Highway route of around 6000 Km for a cause. Esha Gupta’s arrival filled the air with excitement and passion towards riding. We could easily feel respect from each BAC member towards the lone Girl traveler. Esha Gupta proved to be the most open minded person we had ever met.  She connected with members as if we knew each other for ages. We wanted her to ride with us to Lonavala but she couldn’t as this was against her mission of riding solo. So we let her ride alone ahead & decided to meet once at just after the Lonavala ghats and then directly at Lonavala for breakfast.
Igniting the bike and Gods came in power:
Once the briefing was completed and ride was flagged off, all riders geared up with helmets and jackets on the bike. Bikes were turned on and Gods came into power. Only thought in everyone’s mind was to ride hard and ride safe. Best thing about BAC Mumbai is we never compromise on safety and riding rules. So every member had carried all bike documents and each member including the pillions had helmets.
Fortunately the weather was awesome so riding was very pleasant. Cool breeze sifting through our faces and headlights of fellow Avengerians in the mirror added to the fun.

Small Photo session and break at Express Highway
Photography with Esha happened not only when we commenced the ride but also when she met us on the expressway right after we rode through the Ghats. The beautiful mountains & breathtaking views of the Lonavala & Khandala valleys with Esha’s company made these moments long lasting & a cherishable memory.

Back on bike towards Lonavala
This time BAC Mumbai started first and Esha left later to ride alone and meet directly at Lonalava near Kumar Resorts. From this point to Lonalva the ride was very beautiful as we caught the valley view on one side and experienced the ride on finest Lonavala highway.

Eye Opener and Take back lesson
We all thought that we knew Esha’s cause to Ride. We thought that the cause is “India’s global image of not being a friendly place for lone female travelers”. But when Esha explained her cause we all fell flat on our faces. After knowing the depth of her cause all we could do is agree with her and respect for her cause increased. So what was her cause?

1. She is not fighting for the women’s rights and current situation of women. She isn’t riding for any specific gender. Crimes are not gender bias. It happened to both men and women and many times it is not highlighted.
2. Crime happens all over world. Life is same around the world. But we are boosting too much about our country on the Social Media that we are creating a negative Image of our country.
3. We should not crib about the situation but fight for it not only by preaching but also by Acting.
4. We should not trust media and form opinions. By not allowing girls to step out of the house after 6.00 PM out of fear will only push our society a decade back. Girls should be encouraged to live their desired life and should be allowed to do whatever they want to do without fear.
5. We are bikers, our acts while riding reflects image of entire Biker communities. So we should behave in public and follow all rules. We need to create awareness that bikers are not only who perform stunts and race. All the people who ride a bike are bikers.

No discussion is good without debates and questions. So some members of club were in debate mode with Esha and we all finally agreed with her.

Bye Bye Esha … Esha on her way to Pune alone
Finally it was time say good bye to Esha. Everybody gave their best wishes to Esha for her ride and she was on her way to Pune.

Here we come Tiger Point
After the long discussion with Esha and her farewell, we all headed towards Tiger hills. As soon as we entered it did not take much time for the buzz to spread & we got loads of attention from everybody around. All were just staring at numbers of Avengers and our straight one line formation. Bikes were put to rest and we all assembled for delicious Corn, cheese and Kanda pokada. This was the perfect time to get the introduction of each other especially the new members. The best introducing was given by our new member Atul he was able to make sure everybody remembers him.

Tiger Point to Amby Valley
If you want to enjoy Ghats in Lonavala, Amby valley route is your ticket for fun and joy. Curves and turns of the road is what made the ride beautiful and memorable. Once we were at Amby valley gate we experienced a sense of achievement of successfully completing the ride. The plae was peaceful & quiet. Everybody just wanted to enjoy the peace as much as possible as you cannot find that in city. In a short while we moved to small Dhaba for another tea session.

Good Bye Lonavala. We are coming back Mumbai!
After our tea break it was time to say good bye to Lonavala and ride toward s Amchi Mumbai and Thane. On the way back all we did is ride, followed our hand signals and followed a straight line formation. We all feel one when we started getting messages from fellow riders once everybody reached home safe.

Hope you enjoyed reading about this ride. Well, we had fun riding through it though. Please feel free to leave your comments & feedback on this write up & the club with us on this blog. And keep following us for latest updates on our upcoming rides.

What’s next? Dapoli on Nov 1st and Nov 2nd

Hope to see you soon.

Cheers,

Stephan Swami

Ride with Esha Gupta - Change in date & plans

Hello Readers,

This is a notification of change in plans for the Esha Gupta Ride. Due to a change in Esha's schedule we have delayed the ride by a day, this means we now ride with her on 12th October. The tentative plan for the ride is as below.

Meeting day - 12th October 2014 ( Sunday)
Meeting Venue - Mc Donalds Kalamboli, Panvel

The route

We start the ride from Kalamboli & then reach the old Mumbai-Pune road via JNPT. We will escort Esha till the Lonavala diversion towards Pune & bid her farewell for her journey ahead.

We will then ride on till Tiger Valley & Amby Valley. Our way back will be through the same route while we conclude the ride at Palaspa Phata after Khopoli on return.

Please feel free to get in touch with us in case you have any queries regarding this ride.

Thanks & Regards,

Team BAC

BAC Ride with Esha Gupta - 11th October 2014

Hello BAC Followers,

Its been a while we have been in touch but this happens only for the better as we come up with yet another ride. This time with a lone traveler called Esha Gupta who has set out on her Avy the prove to the world that our country is a safe place to ride for all the girls. How can BAC stay away from this awesome cause! To read more about Esha's mission, click here

BAC-Mumbai will join Esha on her humble ride to Lonavala & show support. What happens there?

1. We connect with new Avenger enthusiasts.
2. Meet our regular passionate riders
3. Discuss our next ride to Dapoli
4. Decide on our cool new BAC Jackets
5. Photo sessions all over the Tiger point
6. Relish on some local eating places around Lonavala & Khandala

Hope you are geared up and ready to escape this mid month chaos & get to know more about Esha Gupta & her riding plans

The schedule...

• Ride Date - 11th October 2014 (Saturday)
• Meeting Place - Kalamboli Mc Donalds
• Reporting time - Between 6 am - 6.30 am
• Briefing - 6.30-6.45 (with our chais & ciggis :) 
• Ride starts @ 7

The Route...

Kalamboli --> Khandala exit (Via Khopoli)--> Lonavala Tiger point --> Amby Valley (If time persists) --> Lonavala market --> Khopoli --> Palaspa Phata (Ride Concludes)

BAC Mumbai invites new Avenger riders to this ride. This not only gives you an opportunity to connect with new riders but also to connect with your inner self.

Hope to see you all soon.

Feel free to get in touch with us through the contact form if you are a new rider. Keep watching this space for more dope on our rides.

Keep riding,

Cheers!

Team BAC

Back from Kelve Beach - Ride of Glory

Dear Readers,

BAC is growing in numbers, and our rides & riders are witnessing it. Ride after ride, the excitement grows exponentially. The members are not only willing to optimize their schedule to be a part of rides, but are now also getting new exciting members to complete the BAC Family. :)

BAC team at Kelve...

It was the first time BAC had done a two ride schedule in 3 days.But high from the inter-city independence day ride, everybody was cracking for more...Safety of our riders is paramount and well in advance all riders were told to bring along

1. All bike documents which should be clear.
2. Carry 2 litres of water bottle (mandatory)
3. Helmet, shoes and BAC T-Shirt mandatory (exception for those who did not receive T-shirts) applies for pillions also.

We felt safety of our riders was paramount so this ride it was felt that all riders and pillions would wear helmets. Through internal coordination all our riders were in helmets, All pillions except one were in helmets & mandated safety gear. Next time we hope the figure will be zero.

Assembling for the ride...
The ride was to commence at fountain hotel, Ghorbunder Road Junction, where our riders coming from Western and Central sides would meet up. The assembly time was 7am. The excitement of the ride ensured we had members who hadn't slept!
Members coordinated groups and made it to the meeting in batches. The members started accumulating as early as 6.45 am. Unfortunately, a couple of our riders got a little delayed in reaching. However,team consensus decided that we would wait for them. The time was well utilized by introducing between old and new members and do what we do best - talk about our bikes! Riders shared their experience and insights with each other. They shared experiences with their bikes, gear, riding styles, etc.

All in all, we had 29 bikes and 6 Pillions bringing the total count to 35

The Briefing & the start!
As always, we started the ride with the introductory prep talk about the basic rules for riding. Founder Parth gave a brief summary of the trip. He explained the rules of riding, headlights on at all times, the hand signals we use to communicate and what was expected of the riders. With that we had the riders fall into single line formation and with a head count, the first part of the ride commenced.

The first stop was some 30 kilometers ahead. With open highway roads in front of us, we did what we do best. We ride!
All the riders stayed in formation and we had riders Pranish and Preetham who were on constant patrol to keep riders in formation and help riders get around vehicles and obstacles. Nawaz stayed as the tail rider ensuring no rider fell back behind him. We had our first stop at the side of the highway, to stretch our legs and enjoy the view.
With a 10 minute break, we were off to our next stop which was directly for breakfast at Manor.

Riding patrol Shahnawaz went and spoke to the local police personnel and he in turn suggested a place which was frequented by police personnel for sustenance. He helped us to find a small; no actually a large corner to park all 29 of our bikes and even came to check on us after we settled in!

Breakfast consisted of misal pav and sweet n crunchy jalebi with sev on top; which were both hot and tasty. Our riders devoured it and topped it off with tea. With a solid breakfast in our tummies, we took off with next halt at Kelwa Beach in mind.

Or so we thought.....

Shortly after starting from the breakfast halt, rider Anabik had a rear puncture which was quickly spotted by a fellow rider. The line halted immediately and our Ride Patrols Preetham and Nawaz went in opposite directions in search of a repair shop. Preetham won! And with his luggage unloaded we started towards the shop, which was only a short distance away. We suggested that a couple of us would stay back and the rest should proceed but the bonhomie is such that everyone unanimously agreed to wait for the repair.

 

With nothing else to do, some engaged in photography; while the remaining broke into song. We had a guest in our ride. Rider Harshini had brought along her guitarist friend Prabal who had come down from Ahmedabad, Gujarat just to feel the BAC experience along with his guitar.

Luckily the cause of puncture was a single nail. A quick patch and the tyre was fine for the rest of the ride. Here is happy Anabik with the nail! To ensure we had no other problems, a quick check of all the tyres and we were back on road again with a single line formation. The road was winding but we kept at it with discipline and determination.

                                                   

Oh yes, people love us :)

We had a motorist pull us over and he enquired about the group and its destination. The smile on his face said it all. He left us and proceeded, only to halt ahead and enjoy the sight of 29 beauties going down the road!!!!
Hand signal chains for potholes and turnings ensured that the chain carried on unhindered. It also ensured we had eyeballs on us wherever we went. From smiles to waves, to the locals moving to the side to allow us to pass, to people turning on their cameras and taking photos of us; the fun just never stopped! Each and every one of us felt like Gods on their Chariots.

Kelwa FINALLY!

By 2 pm BAC Mumbai was at Kelwa Beach. A sight indeed to see an army of avengers parked in a row. The sight was such that tourists launched into impromptu photo sessions atop our beasts. So off we went to the beach. One group headed to the waters under the watchful eyes of the others. Second group sang songs with Guitar bhaiyya; while the third just walked around.

Everywhere we went, the same t-shirts ensured we had everyone's attention. The group huddled around guitarist Prabal and they sang songs one after the other in chorus. On a lighter note, Even Pranish tried his hand at the guitar and his collection for the day was impressive. But Guitar bhaiyya wanted his baby back before Pranish damaged it further!Prabal announced that he was shortly to get married; and the group wished him the best for his happy future!

The dip ended with Dinesh 'Machy' doing a baywatch run out of the water.... A rare sight indeed. Golden words are not to be repeated; and Golden actions like this, even more so! After a quick show of hands, it was decided that Machy would not be allowed to attempt the same again!

Harmeet, who makes sketches in his pastime; decided to make a larger-than-life sketch of an Avenger Bike on the sand. The sketch seemed incomplete without the BAC logo, so on popular demand, he made that too. Everybody was incredibly pleased with the outcome.

Here is our artist with his masterpiece. Some even tried to pose for a pic on top of the sand sketch! It was then time for lunch. Nilesh 'Papa' Telkar suggested a local restaurant where thaali was made available for all. The food was tasty and the riders were hungry. Once lunch was over, a consensus was drawn for the next meeting and potential plans for the 1st Anniversary Celebrations of BAC Mumbai. BAC Mumbai was formed on 10th October 2013.

Bye Bye Kelwa

With the meeting over, we decided to start on our way back. Given that we were a little behind schedule, it was felt that there was need for better coordination to maintain a decent pace and clear the highway before nightfall.It was thus decided to have Parth as the lead rider, 3 patrols (Pranish, Preetham and Gitesh), and one tail rider (Nawaz) to ensure that there are gaps in coordination. If all 3 patrols were not in sight of each other, the lead would slow down till the entire length was together again.

Thus off we went.

One rider's chain cover fell down and a couple of the riders slowed down to help. Given there were a lot of turns, the tail end got stuck at a cross road not knowing which way to go. A couple of old aunties came to their rescue!  They pointed in the right direction and said they went that way without the riders having to ask a single question! The next part of the journey consisted of winding downhill ghat roads. But  with great riding excellent coordination, tight patrolling, and passing down of signals by all riders and even pillions to each other ensured we made it to the highway well before we lost daylight.

                                   

                                   
The riders liked it so much that they wanted to go up the ghats and come down once again!

Once on the highway, we were able to pick up speed. The entire pack moved in single line formation like a train on 2 wheels. While some vehicles slowed down to watch us roll by, at other times the patrols helped by allowing riders to negotiate obstacles on the road with ease. The simply magical and synchronous coordination between all the riders meant we never needed to slow down and absolutely nobody wanted to stop! At 6pm sharp, before we realized it, the ''Road Train" was within city limits and come to a halt on the highway just before the Vasai exit for tea and refreshments. We didn't stop accumulating crowds even at the small dhaba where we stopped.

Concluding the ride...

With piping hot tea in our hands, we huddled into a circle where feedback was taken from all pillions and riders. The first timers were absolutely thrilled. The pillions also thoroughly enjoyed the experience and vowed to be back for more rides. The best compliment for everyone was that the formation was maintained excellently by all riders, including the first timers. Even our more experienced riders were thoroughly overjoyed to see the formation rolling down the highway like water in a stream. The riders appreciated the help provided by the patrols and the lead and the tail riders. All the members agreed to think of ways to increase ridership on the trips and boost the club numbers. The attention we have started to garner is definitely going to help towards this cause. Parth then once again congratulated the riders on another ride successfully completed. The tentative dates for the next meeting and ride in September and October were once again announced and thereafter it was decided to disband from Vasai Naka itself to their respective homes.With all the goodbyes said and with the promise to most definitely accumulate again, the riders got on their silver steeds once again to proverbially ride into the sunset…

But the riders still wanted more!

Even after disbursing the mini groups that split off continued the use of single line formation and hand signals all the way up to Dombivali where our furthest riders stay.

In short, the riders wanted more!

Even though the name has the word CLUB in it, it would be wrong on my part to not say we behave like a FAMILY

We hope you enjoyed reading about our ride just as much as we enjoyed riding through it. Keep coming back to this space to get a glimpse of what we are up to next. Make sure you do not miss the next opportunity to ride with us. Also do not miss to share this post & leave your valuable comments.

See you around soon.

Care,

Gitesh Gangadharan
BAC,

BAC Independence day ride - 15th Aug 2014

Dear Riders,

With great pride & brotherhood, BAC presents to you an opportunity to hurl the Tri-color & feel the freedom our ancestors & our previous generations always talked about. Through this ride, we practice, our fundamental rights of Right to Equality by riding in a single line formation & not for yourself only but also for your fellow riders, Right against exploitation by freeing yourself from self created mental blocks & irrational beliefs, Right to Religion because no religion is superior to humanity & riding and finally Right to Life, because your life is incomplete if you do not ride.

Already confirmed by 28 riders, we are looking forward to a bright & a tantalizing start to this ride. Since we ride free, find below the details of our ride.

Meeting venue: CCD Carter Road, Bandra
Time: 6.45-7.00 am
Route Briefing / Inspection - 7.00-7.15 am
Ride commences @ 7.30 max

If you believe that you have a biker in you & think that your route to freedom is Riding, then make this moment count as you could wait for the next ride but Life wont. So be sure to be there with your Avy & be a part of a ride which greets the feeling of patriotism with practicality.

Hope to see you all there. Till then watch this space and do not forget to leave your comments on this blog.

Happy riding,

Cheers,

Peace.

BAC - Mumbai

BAC - Monthly meeting - 26th July 2014

Greetings riders..
Get ready for the monthly meet that is on 26th of july (saturday)
Venue Powai lake@5pm...

Agenda for the meet..

-introductions wid the new members..
-introductions to the board members of BAC India..
-Distribution of stickers
-A small summary by Parth on the topics discussed in Goa
-The revision of the club through registration process
-Planning on for the next ride of BAC Mumbai on 15th Aug 2014

So get your bikes washed and get ready for the meet...stay tuned for more...

Redards...
Parth Ahuja
Founder and President
Bajaj Avenger Club-Mumbai

MOTORBIKE MAINTENANCE TIPS IN MONSOON

Scheduled Checks:

Routine servicing and check-ups of the bike should be done before riding in the monsoon. Life can become very difficult in case your bike stalls in heavy rains. As far as the engine is concerned, there isn't much you need to check if you have had your timely scheduled servicing. If you drive your bike too much in the rain and are concerned about its color getting faded, get a Teflon coating before the beginning of monsoons.

Brakes:

The brakes of the bike should be top notch. Since you cannot brake hard or suddenly on wet roads it is all the more important to have your brakes in good condition. For this reason, running your bike on old worn out pads or liners, or a brake that is not very effective can lead to disaster. Make sure to get your liners, discs and the inside of your drum brakes cleaned before monsoon starts. Also verify if the level of the brake oil is as per requirement. If you have a bike which has an uncovered drive chain, then you must oil it properly and wash it as a lot of mud will get deposited when you will ride it

Tires:

Keeping your tires in shape is very important during monsoons. If the rubber is worn off, make sure to replace the tires before you ride in the rains. The treads of the tires do the job of dispersing standing water and in the process provide grip. The treads need to be deep not just in the centre portion of the tire, but also on the sides. To test the depth of the grooves, you can insert a one-rupee coin into the grooves. A minimum of 2-3mm of tread depth is necessary for the tires to provide a fair amount of grip on wet roads. Anything below that, and it might warrant changing the tires. Tire pressure can also make a huge difference in the grip you get. Ideally you should set your tire pressure a couple of psi below the levels required in the dry. Check for tire pressure regularly to ensure it is at optimal levels.

Parking:

Even when you halt for a break, as far as possible make sure you park the bike under a shed. Avoid parking your bike under the shade of a tree as there is always a risk of a branch falling on your bike. When not on a ride keep your bike covered at all times to protect it from the rain. In fact you should even clean your bike and remove the muck off the engine once you back from the ride, as dry muck can be a huge hindrance for the cooling process of the engine. The rains tend to bring a lot of pebbles and gravel on to the road surface, which are kicked up by the tires. So it becomes necessary to check the oil chamber and engine casing for damage after the ride. Once you reach your place after a dirty ride, do not forget to wash your motorcycle.

Rider:

During a monsoon ride, not only is it important for the bike to be in good condition, the rider should be equally fit and fine as well. Always wear protective gear. A completely drenched and cold rider may suffer from a momentary lapse in concentration which can be just enough to cause a calamity. A waterproof jacket and gloves are a must, apart from a helmet and knee pads. It is not just the bike which has to be in good shape but also a rider.

REMEMBER - WASTING FIVE MINUTES OF YOUR TIME ON ROAD WILL INCREASE YEARS OF TIME IN LIFE. WISH YOU A HAPPY AND SAFE RIDING.