A road trip with Bonneville T100 and iPhone – Part 2

A road trip with Bonneville T100 and iPhone

As I had mentioned earlier, I hardly found any time to roam around Goa during the India Bike Week. So for the return journey, a change of route was in order. I decided to ride as close to the coast as possible and head to Velneshwar to catch the mesmerising view of the beach and the sunset. I remembered Velneshwar as a quaint little town off the NH66, where I had gone for my first ever motorcycle ride, over three years ago. So it was more than a break for me, it lurked on the boundaries of nostalgia. Armed with the Triumph Bonneville T100 and the Apple iPhone 7, I set off for Velneshwar. 

The day after India Bike Week is one of the worst days to get out on the road in Goa. The narrow by-lanes as well as the highways are full of bikers heading back home to their mundane lives, and the last thing you want to do on a Sunday morning is get trapped in a traffic jam with your riding gear on. As I was in no such hurry, I had a leisurely brunch and left at around 11.

Once I had crossed the border into Maharashtra, the sight of arrow straight highways was a welcome change. With the morning rush having moved on, the roads were empty, and the butter smooth tarmac egged me to explore the top end of the Bonnie. I might not go as far as calling it sporty, but the parallel-twin packed enough grunt to keep a smile plastered on my face. 

Around 150 kilometres into the journey, the Bonnie had started showing the first sign of trouble - the clutch lever was getting stuck. I was worried, but not to the point of missing a lunch. While this region is famous for fish preparations, I opted for a simple vegetarian thali. Apart from the usual Konkani fare, it consisted of my personal favourite – the solkadi, a spicy curry made from kokum and coconut milk. Satiated with the meal, I got back to worrying about the clutch lever. 

I have seen rural mechanics scamper at the sight of a ‘big bike’, refusing to even touch the motorcycle for the fear of making things worse. But not Aakash. A mechanic from a small town on the NH66, Hativale, Aakash took up the challenge, disregarding the hot bend-pipes and engine case which eventually scalded his fingers. After 20 minutes of fiddling, he had the clutch lever back in perfect condition! 

The 'coastal route' is an aesthete’s paradise and a motorcyclist’s nightmare. Scenic the route might be, but my tardiness and the clutch lever had put me on a clock. I couldn’t afford time for the touristy stuff if I wanted to catch the sunset at Velneshwar. Meanwhile, the Bonnie’s suspension worked overtime to neutralise the effects of broken roads.

I finally made it to the beach before sunset, and boy was I glad to see that nothing had changed. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and the iPhone camera’s brilliant sensor gives a perfect demonstration of this. The sight of the glowing orb disappearing behind the horizon, the sound of the waves and the cool sea breeze composed a beautiful setting that blew away my fatigue in a matter of seconds.

Velneshwar is yet to witness commercialisation and the slow but inevitable loss of its charm. Accommodation is basic and cheap, the locals are kind and the seashore is free from plastic waste and garbage. After spending two chaotic days in Goa, the calm atmosphere of Velneshwar (and the piping hot poha and tea) was just what the doctor had ordered. 

It is futile to expect a road trip on a multi-cylinder bike to be light on pocket, which is why I was trying hard to be thrifty with food and accommodation. But to my surprise, the Bonnie was not only comfortable, but frugal too. The Bonnie was returning 28kmpl which translated into an overall range of a shade over 400 kilometres. That’s a win-win situation!

I had seen the beach, now it was time to head to the mountains. Mahabaleshwar is a popular hill station, which back during the British Raj had served as the summer capital of Bombay province. The Hotel Mayfair, where I stopped for lunch, was originally the Governor General’s bungalow, and was converted into a hotel in 1966. Looks like the Bonnie belongs in here, doesn’t it? 

The role of a cup of piping hot tea during a road trip cannot be over stated. I am not a tea-person, but am transformed into one whenever I’m out on a motorcycle ride. As we inched closer to Pune, I pulled over to a roadside stall for that last chai. It was quite disheartening, for the journey was coming to an end. But of course, I would be lying if I said that there wasn’t a sense of bliss lurking somewhere. 

Once in Pune, it was time for the Bonnie to head back among its brethren. Glancing around the parking lot, I could see Tigers, Thunderbirds and Street Triples, a lot more powerful and flamboyant toys that would have grabbed eyeballs like Liz Hurley. The Bonnie in comparison is a modest little motorcycle, always ready to disappear in a crowd of big bikes. Was I disappointed? Hell no!

As for how this trip changed things for me, I went ahead and ordered an iPhone for myself. Since I started using it, my search engine has been flooded with ‘How to… on iOS?’ queries, most of which end up with the conclusion that iOS doesn’t allow this functionality. This can get annoying for someone who has enjoyed the freedom of an Android operating system for a long time. But again, am I disappointed? Hell no!