The Anticipation
I was looking forward to this ride to Igatpuri for some time. Having been to this location in May, I was hoping for a better ride this time around. Last time, by 8:30 am, the heat had become unbearable. This time, I was looking forward to a clear sky and a nice windy morning.
The Start
As planned, me and my two friends met on the Eastern Express Highway near Kanjurmarg. I was the lead, on my Classic 500, A.K.A Earthshaker, my friend Shaktik followed on his CB350 RS, A.K.A Chuggs, and another friend Akhil made up the rear on his Classic 350, A.K.A Snow.
Early Challenges
We ran into trouble, plagued by low visibility and lots of truck traffic, until we crossed Kalyan. By the time we reached our first stop, a food mall outside of Asangaon, all three of us were coughing and had our fair share of close calls and near escapes. But we made it, and I knew that the road from here was going to be amazing.
The Open Road
At the food mall, I told the others, this is where we make up for lost time. The sun was starting to show as we left, and we picked up speed almost immediately. For the next 30–40 km until right before the Kasara ghat, we averaged 100 kmph. This is the stuff that we had all dreamt about, weaving and zipping past other cars, laughing and joking with each other—it was the start of a good time for us.
Through the Ghats
We made it into the ghat, and the boys loved the curves, sneaking in and around tall trucks and buses. We crossed the ghats in a short time, no easy feat mind you, as the ST buses drive like crazy in these places.
Arrival at Igatpuri
Our first stop in Igatpuri was a small lake built out of the dam about 5 km outside of the town. The whole scene at the lake, with our bikes and the mountains in the background, made the struggle of the ride worthwhile. We just sat there for a while, soaking up the sun and fresh air.
Photoshoots and Exploration
Then we got to work—we had photoshoots to do. Our first location was a hill near the lake, and we also spent some time near the water. It was idyllic and calm, a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle of city life.
We stayed there for about an hour and then decided to ride another 15 km to another lake and dam. There was a big water tank jutting into the lake. It looked abandoned, but we still decided to explore it.
Sometimes when the sun hits my face, it changes the color of my beard and hair to blonde or even white. I found this out on that day when my friend Shaktik took a photo of me in which I looked 50+. Definitely the highlight of the ride.
Offroading Adventures
We followed this up with some offroading and then decided to head back to Mumbai.
Breakdowns and Challenges
But what is a ride without a Royal Enfield facing some issues? First, it was Akhil’s Classic 350 with a minor problem. We fixed it and rode on, not knowing the nightmare that awaited us.
When crossing the ghats, I heard a loud bang in my bike, and a few hundred meters after that, it stopped accelerating. The motor was broken. It took us 3 hours to fix it and move on, pushing our return time from 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm.
The Final Ride
This was definitely a challenging but fun ride, the views making the pain of the bike breaking down worth it. This would end up being my last group ride on the Classic 500. An amazing final ride with one of the all-time greats.
Conclusion
10/10 would recommend it again!
