TVS APACHE RR310 : A NEW HIGH

I had to cross the tolls and then wait on the side with my hazard light on. This, however, did allow me time to admire the sky and scenery around which was almost always gorgeous to look at. It also gave me time to realise that despite the sun rising higher in the sky and the temperature being significantly more than when I had left my house, the bike was not overheating. The oil cooling was actually working! Now there is probably nothing that I love more while riding than a cool and composed engine and the Apache RR 310 had just that. 

“Needless to say, I did stop every now and then as I found myself captivated by the scenery. Beyond the scary drop lay vast lands and immaculate mountains bathed in the morning glow of the sun. It was nice to see nature’s version of RGB –Red flowers, Green trees and Blue skies.” 

As we reached the foot of the hill after riding for more than 200kms on highways, my mind was ready to take on some twisties. The climb was going to be about 30kms long. The roads throughout were just wide enough to accommodate two vehicles at one time. One wrong maneuver and you would plunge down the side. Staying alert is key when tackling any mountain. So while I was excited by the notion of bending it like Beckham, I also had a mental restraint around myself.

No doubt, the ride uphill was smooth and fun. Even when the rpms were low and gears high, the bike did not stop. The roads were less than ideal in many parts with broken tarmac and there were pebbles scattered on turns. Those pebbles can be especially dangerous if you underestimate their capability to throw you off. Thankfully I made it to my stop without any casualties or incidents. Needless to say, I did stop every now and then as I found myself captivated by the scenery. Beyond the scary drop lay vast lands and immaculate mountains bathed in the morning glow of the sun. It was nice to see nature’s version of RGB –Red flowers, Green trees and Blue skies.

It was afternoon by the time I had reached my destination and I was famished. So the first thing I did after I dropped my bag was to take a quick bath and then have some delicious food. Now I’ll be honest, I can’t tell for sure if the food really was that delicious because when you are hungry almost anything tastes like holy bread. Post the late lunch, I took a much needed nap; I had been up since 3 in the morning after all. By the time I woke the sun was about to call it a day. So I decided to spend the rest of the evening with a novel and a cup of coffee. Talk about pure bliss!

Luckily, the place where I was had a lawn at the front and almost no population around. So peace and calm of nature was all that surrounded me. Topping it all was a view of the valley on one side. My residence was on the edge of a hill which allowed me a wide view of the few houses and fields below and a stream passing through. That last bit gave me what I had to do the next day; go to the stream! After I finished my tea, I had a chat with the caretaker to know the way to the stream and if there were any more places to visit. I also made a call back home to do the mandatory status update before I could update my social media accounts. Night fell and along with it came a curtain of dew that covered everything and dropped the temperature by a few degrees. Not that it was particularly hot in the first place. Even though I had almost 1 hour of sleep, the bed was bellowing for me again. So I ate dinner and went in for a peaceful night sleep at just 10PM. Needless to say that was quite early for me but I wanted to catch the sunrise next morning so my body obliged.

I woke just 5 minutes after 5 AM and headed out just in time to meet the sun as it appeared over the horizon. The view was more than what I can express in words. The entire landscape was covered in an intense yellow as the sun rose from behind the mountains. But this was not the unforgiving and unbearable yellow glow of the summer heat we experience in the city. This one had a more pleasant touch and a warmth that was somehow light. After getting my fill of admiring the sun and the morning landscape, I had my morning tea and realised that my bike was quite dirty from all the dust that had settled on it on my way here. It was bathing time for the stallion and I took a bucket of water and a cloth and went to town on the RR 310. The bike looked pretty good after I was done cleaning and I while I might not be as good as those bikini wash models, I think I did a pretty decent job! With the RR 310 clean and gleaming, it was time for me to clean myself up, grab a bite and go exploring.

The stream that I saw was on a path that I had passed on my way to the top. It was about 10kms from where I was stationed. After riding for about 3-4kms I had to make a U-turn and take the road that went down in the other direction. This new path took me around the mountain and gave me access to a fresh view of mountains and I could also see the stream flowing below. My excitement was increasing as my altitude was decreasing, bringing me closer to the waters. Though all my excitement came crashing down as I encountered a section of the road where it had been dug on one side for repairs and a truck was blocking the other side.

I parked my bike on the side and walked towards the truck to enquire when and if it would move. Though I was not hoping for much, it turned out to be alright as the truck driver happily agreed to back up his truck so my bike (and the crew car along with me) could pass. I had to ride another 8kms after passing the truck and that was when I reached the point where I could meet the stream. The spot was almost in the middle of a valley that had mountains towering over it on almost all sides. There was a decent amount of mostly flat land and the stream was bordered by big rocks. I decided to park the RR 310 on the side, take off my riding boots and dip my feet in the stream for a little while. The water was pleasantly cool and the feel of rocks under the sole of my feet was relaxing. It was almost like receiving a relaxing massage.

The rest of the afternoon was spent just sitting there and taking pictures of the scenery and the RR 310. After a couple of hours I decided that it was time to eat something so we headed further in the same direction in hopes of finding a place to eat. We got lucky after a couple of kilometers. There was a small shop that served handmade chapatis and vegetables. It was noting extravagant but was tasty nonetheless.

I decided to spend the next day just relaxing in the lap of nature. Once you have worked day in and day out for years, you feel a bit odd when you do nothing. It is a weird place where you want a break from work but when you do get it your fingers become twitchy and it feels that something is off. The day after, I decided to venture further into the peaks to witness the wonders that it had hidden within. I was told about a waterfall that could be reached by trekking for a little. So I rode to a spot where I had to park the RR 310 and then from there on tread the land on foot. I had carried my normal shoes with me and changed into them as any sane  man would tell you that trekking in riding boots is not the best idea. One of the locals had agreed to accompany us and show us the place. After about 15-20 minutes of crossing curtains of trees and hanging vines we reached the waterfall. The waterfall was not colossal but its flow was calm and satisfying. As we tried getting close to the top of the waterfall almost everyone slipped and struggled for balance. After a certain point we could not climb because it became too steep. As I turned to look back I saw Tikkar Taal a famous tourist spot here in Morni Hills. The view was nothing short of awe inspiring. Evening fell and it was turning dark by the time I started on my way back. And less than halfway up it got completely dark. Out in the mountains, there generally are no street lights of light from houses and buildings to keep the roads illuminated. I flicked on the high-beam and rode carefully, switching to low-beam as vehicles approached from the opposite direction. The light from the LED lamps on the RR 310 packed enough intensity to illuminate the tricky turns. Once I reached the hotel, I almost repeated my routing from the day before. I took a bath, had some tea then after digesting a few chapters of my novel, I enjoyed the dinner.

In the following days I visited many more spots in Morni Hills like the Taal mentioned earlier and even a museum built inside a fort. All of them were great places but it was the stream and the waterfall that struck me because even though they weren’t flogged with tourists, they had a charm about them. Almost like the hidden treasures found in stories that I used to listen to in my childhood. On my last night in Morni Hills I lay on my bed, just minutes away from deep sleep, sights and scenes from the days I spent in this paradise replayed in my mind followed by the fact that I would have to start back for home tomorrow morning. Pushing that last thought away, I put the rest of the trip’s memories on repeat as I slowly slid into the world of dreams.

You know a trip was worth it when your heart refuses to return home. When I woke up the day I had to leave for Delhi that is exactly how I felt. While I was sad about going back to my daily life, what put a smile on my coffee sipping face was the sight of the RR 310 and the thought of zipping through the highways and mountains once again. This trip to Morni Hills was quite an experience for me. Not only did I come across such a beautiful place not too far from Delhi but I also understood the Apache RR 310 a lot better and found it to be a great sports tourer. TVS should perhaps stress the comfort quotient more than the sporty appeal. As for me, after I am done with this report, I have an anniversary to celebrate with some lovely colleagues!