Last Saturday - June 9, 2012 - I went out alone for a long ride. I am getting the bike to break in slowly after the engine overhaul and this ride was a part of that process. I had gone on a 65 km ride with Monisha the previous Sunday - basically rode upto the airport and back. Today I wanted to push the bike a little further. I wasn't very sure about any destination. So instinctively I followed the previous Sunday's path and reached as far as the airport. Here I thought let me cross the Ganga at Nivedita Setu and come back via Vidyasagar Setu after riding along NH6.
After touching the forehead and chest with my finger and remembering my departed father (who I feel is always protecting me from somewhere above) I turned towards the Belghoria Expressway. On this road there comes a point where it bifurcates into two. One goes towards the new bridge - this is the tollway - the other goes towards the old Bally Bridge which is toll free. I turned towards the toll way. It's a marvellous eight-laned road (4 + 4).
But soon after going a few hundred meters there is a notice on the left hand side - No Entry For 2 and 3 Wheelers. This is announced in such a place that you can do nothing but turn around and go against the traffic flow. I saw a lane coming in from the Dakshineswar side and there was a traffic guard kind of person in uniform waving at me. I went close to him and they (there were two more people there) said, in a very friendly tone though, that no you cannot go to the new bridge. You have to go back and take the old bridge. But the question is how?
They said go along this road - and showed me the road towards Dakshineswar via the wrong side. I was hesitating a bit. They asked one of their men to accompany me, as he was actually waiting to go where I was going. I took him on my pillion and we crossed the old Bally Bridge comfortably.
After this I took the NH6 going left towards Kharagpur. From here I know the route like the back of my palm. Soon enough I came to Kona from where I turned left towards Vidyasagar Setu or 2nd Hooghly Bridge. And then came home via Sharma's kachori joint in Bhawanipore. A total of 78 km in two hours. From home to Bhawanipore was a non-stop journey. I am slightly surprised that the home-airport-home distance was 65 and this journey was only 13 km more. I would have thought that would be a lot more. But anyway.
Needless to say I am happy with the performance of the bike. Later on Saturday I bought a pair of rear view mirrors from the Bullet spares shop on AJC Bose Road for Rs 430. Actually Monisha and I had gone to her bank and then Tata Capital to make some prepayments towards our home loan. That's when I bought the mirrors.
Today, that is Monday 11th June 2012, I gave the bike to Dilip for him to do the needful that he had promised he would do on completion of 1000 km. I also gave him the mirrors for fixing. I want him to mainly fix the clanking sound that is coming from the engine. Today I had to come by car in any case. So took this opportunity.
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