Not that we have many rides under our belt but this was our longest ride so far – 1010 Kms.

This time my dear friend Abhishek and I rode together to Gokarna from Bangalore. Part planned, part adventurous. Not so experienced, but willing to take on what the road and route had to bring!

Planning has always been a pain and this one was not new. We pondered over which route to take – where to get off the NH 48 and embrace the ghats as soon as we can.

“Before we set off, the idea of covering over 1,000 km felt less like a plan and more like a daunting dream. I spent the night before the trip wide awake, my mind racing with the nerves of attempting my first 10-hour stint in the saddle. But the moment we hit the pavement, those anxieties dissolved into the pure, rhythmic synergy of man and machine. There is a specific kind of magic that happens when it’s just you, the bike, and the unfolding road; we watched the world transform from rugged mountains to deep forests, every kilometer reaffirming my love for the ride until we reached the coast. That final sunset in Gokarna isn’t just a sight I saw—it’s a memory etched into me. Looking back, I’m filled with immense gratitude. Not just for the scenery, but for the fact that Upesh and I finally turned years of ‘what ifs’ into a reality. This journey tested my physical and mental limits, and coming out the other side, I’ve realized that the best views are the ones you truly have to earn.” – Abhishek Solanki

On the way, we chose to go and hike down to Unchalli Falls in the dense forests of North-West Karnataka. Saying that the falls are extremely beautiful is an understatement. The hike is about half a kilometer but steep and demanding. You must keep water with you. Great that we had plenty of it and quick energy bars.

We reached our stay in the evening before it was too late. Had great food, drinks, live music, random talks & karaoke with total strangers and chitchat about what to do the next day. This spurt of energy kept us awake until late at night despite riding for about 10 hours during the day.

Saturday started with a quick breakfast and a long walk on the beach discussing our venture plans and building the organization the right way. Suddenly realizing that we had come a very long way on the beach, we turned back feeling thirsty. Stopping at one of the very few open shacks, we rested and hydrated ourselves.

Most of the day was spent relaxing on the deck overlooking the beach, we decided to go see the sunset in a direction that we didn’t know but still decided to explore. And it turned out to be the best decision of the day.

Not a single ride of this community goes without the universe calling the soul. It was Sree Mahaganpati Dev Temple in the narrow streets of Gokarna. Despite a noisy street, there was this soothing feeling and connection in the temple. After taking the blessings and filling our souls, it was time to tank up our bikes.

We started our ride back at 0430 hours on Sunday from Gokarna, entering right away into the eerie silence of dense forests in the morning. At one time, Abhishek stopped to set up his music and I couldn’t see his headlight in my rearview mirror. I stopped to wait for him and experienced this kind of silence after a very long time. Feeling uncomfortable after mere 10 seconds, I turned back to check on him but there he appeared from behind the curve and we continued.

As the first light of the day broke, the surrounding forest, which appeared scary earlier, showed its beauty and serenity. The same silence now filled the soul with contentment and peace. We decided to push forward without too many breaks to be back home by about 1600 hours.

We stopped for breakfast at a highway side dhaba near Haveri. Hot red sambhar with soft white idli is just what we needed after a cold and dark morning ride. Once comforted, there is this feeling of not being able to start again set in. We soaked more sun to reenergize and then resumed. I never knew that this area was known for its red chilli – so bought a packet.

Stopping for lunch at Saffron in Tumkur is sort of becoming a ritual. Having some delicious food and a relaxed bum, we resumed our ways to Bangalore. We took different routes from here and reached homes at about 1620 hours!

Having a great company is the right ingredient for a long journey. And I could not ask for a better fellow rider for this one!