I’ve seen so many motovloggers and bike riders traveling across India and the world with their motorcycles. In the beginning phases of my passion for bike riding, I believed that I needed to purchase a higher CC motorcycle for long touring. However, I came across content creators who were doing all-India rides on bikes like the Bajaj Chetak and 100 CC bikes.
As I grew up and based on my savings, I wasn’t able to purchase a higher CC or proper adventure tourer bike. So, I bought a Bajaj Pulsar P150 with many plans in mind to ride with it, whether it was a long or short journey.
The first ride with my 150CC bike was to Salangpur Hanuman Temple, approximately 160 km from Ahmedabad, making it a round trip of about 300 km. At that time, I had just completed my bike’s first service. I was eagerly waiting to finish the service because I wanted to embark on a long ride. It was an amazing experience. I cruised at 75-80 kmph on the highway, and the bike felt buttery smooth. Beyond 95 kmph, I felt the bike struggling, so I only touched that speed as cruising at over 100 kmph on a 150CC bike can harm the engine. The bike gave me a mileage of 56 kmpl on that ride.
Since it was a group ride, I met many new people and joined several biker groups. They were planning short rides every weekend, and one person had organized a ride of over 1000 kms round trip with their office colleagues. He messaged the group, and I DM’d him that I would join, though I rode slower compared to him. They gave me a thumbs-up and explained that in group riding, everyone has a different riding style. I decided to join them.
On that ride, we went to Ujjain, Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, approximately 500 kms from Ahmedabad. The ride was planned in May, during summer when temperatures were around 35-40 degrees Celsius. Therefore, we decided to ride overnight to avoid dehydration and sunlight. It was my first long and overnight ride. Almost all riders had Royal Enfield bikes, and one rider had a Honda Shine 125CC bike. I met him and we talked about our similar riding styles; both of us rode slowly due to our lower CC bikes. We cruised at 65-75 kmph, and it took us around 11 hours to cover 500 kms.
I checked my tire pressure and oil-petrol levels every 100-150 kms. If you plan to do a long ride, service your bike before and after the ride and check your bike.
Now, with some long touring experience under my belt, I’ve realized that the bike doesn’t matter as much as the rider’s determination and spirit. Happy riding!
Feel free to share your first long ride experience in the comments below!
