Tony Greig
09-22-2009, 08:59 AM
I could,ve had a scrumptious last supper of my life with delicacies ranging from cattle, goats, sheep, mongoose, peacocks, dogs and even humans. I would've been on God's own barbecue if I had hit any of the above. India is cattle country but you never realise this till the speepo needle is hovering at three-digit speeds. Chilling experiepces under a hot sun are bound to happen when you're riding the world's fastest production Dike on India's fastest roads. Was I prepared? Not really. What I thought would be a cakewalk had me baked like a cookie over the next few days.
The start didn't go as intended. While I wanted to set out early, a delayed flight meant I got the bike only at 4pm. The only thing soothing in the Delhi heat was the Hayabusa in pristine white. My deadline to reach Jaisalmer was by nightfall the next day and my map showed distance as 798km. By the time I had crossed traffic infested Delhi and reached Gurgaon, I was completely drained. That's what a waterproof riding jacket, leather pants and kit can do to you in 42-degree heat. The only stop was the McDonalds outlet after Gurgaon. Where I sipped on strawberry shake while the Busa cast its spell over the locals. I spent more time there than I should have and the sun was on the horizon by the time I hit the road. Jaipur was the night halt in my mind.
5315
It was 9pm when I reached Jaipur. I did not know the route and took the Jaipur bypass. As I stopped to ask a cop for directions, there was a crowd admiring the Dhoom wali bike. Of the two routes to Jaisalmer, I was advised the one through Bikaner that has less traffic. I was ready for the 700km ride after a good night's sleep in a surprisingly cheap haveli.
It was rush hour traffic till Fatehpur, and I had to battle for space with the truckers to keep the Hayabusa going at a decent pace. On the deserted and straight ones approaching Ratangarh, I opened up the throttle. I made sure I was in the full blown 'N mode before teleporting myself in to warp zone. Once past 7000rpm, the Busa feels unstoppable. It's amazing how beautifully manageable it feels at it limits. Grip the handlebars firmly, tuck behind the windscreen and feel the adrenaline soar to stratospheric level.
While I was enjoying the blast, I completely ignored what the sun was doing to me. About 80km from Bikaner, I felt severely dehydrated. The stretch between Ratangarh and Bikaner is absolutely deserted. I stopped at the first dhaba I reached, jumped off, stripped to my pants and crashed. Literally. An hour and a half and two bottles of water later, I was good to go. With the prospect of spending the night at Bikaner and I didn't want to ride any further. Call it the Hayabusa effect, but I was completely charmed with its comfy seat and mind-boggling speed. I was sure by now that this is the bike to be doing this on.
The start didn't go as intended. While I wanted to set out early, a delayed flight meant I got the bike only at 4pm. The only thing soothing in the Delhi heat was the Hayabusa in pristine white. My deadline to reach Jaisalmer was by nightfall the next day and my map showed distance as 798km. By the time I had crossed traffic infested Delhi and reached Gurgaon, I was completely drained. That's what a waterproof riding jacket, leather pants and kit can do to you in 42-degree heat. The only stop was the McDonalds outlet after Gurgaon. Where I sipped on strawberry shake while the Busa cast its spell over the locals. I spent more time there than I should have and the sun was on the horizon by the time I hit the road. Jaipur was the night halt in my mind.
5315
It was 9pm when I reached Jaipur. I did not know the route and took the Jaipur bypass. As I stopped to ask a cop for directions, there was a crowd admiring the Dhoom wali bike. Of the two routes to Jaisalmer, I was advised the one through Bikaner that has less traffic. I was ready for the 700km ride after a good night's sleep in a surprisingly cheap haveli.
It was rush hour traffic till Fatehpur, and I had to battle for space with the truckers to keep the Hayabusa going at a decent pace. On the deserted and straight ones approaching Ratangarh, I opened up the throttle. I made sure I was in the full blown 'N mode before teleporting myself in to warp zone. Once past 7000rpm, the Busa feels unstoppable. It's amazing how beautifully manageable it feels at it limits. Grip the handlebars firmly, tuck behind the windscreen and feel the adrenaline soar to stratospheric level.
While I was enjoying the blast, I completely ignored what the sun was doing to me. About 80km from Bikaner, I felt severely dehydrated. The stretch between Ratangarh and Bikaner is absolutely deserted. I stopped at the first dhaba I reached, jumped off, stripped to my pants and crashed. Literally. An hour and a half and two bottles of water later, I was good to go. With the prospect of spending the night at Bikaner and I didn't want to ride any further. Call it the Hayabusa effect, but I was completely charmed with its comfy seat and mind-boggling speed. I was sure by now that this is the bike to be doing this on.