Synchronizing schedules and planning an event that works for multiple people can be difficult! That is why GEARS – Goan Enthusiasts And RiderS sometimes has to bear with unwanted long intervals between rides and events. To make up for such occurences, however, the group decided to host an out-of state ride to Gokarna in Karnataka on June 10, 2012.
While GEARS had previously made trips out of Goa, to Aravali Beach in Maharashtra and Karwar in Karnataka, the reason for choosing to ride to Gokarna was three-fold. Firstly, most members had never been to Gokarna, secondly we wanted to ride a considerably longer distance of over 300 kilometers in total, and finally, we would get to take on the delightful corners that form part of NH 66 after Cuncolim and again between Karwar and Gokarna.
Having experienced varying weather patterns over the past few days, it was unclear whether we would encounter rain on this ride. However, thankfully, the only rain we experienced was a very light drizzle over about 3 to 5 kilometres throughout the duration of the ride! Needless to say, the levels of grip offered by the heated road surface and clear visibility meant that we had a blast in the twisties.
Our group on this ride comprised of 14 members astride 12 machines, including bikes ranging from a Kawasaki Ninja 250R to a first-generation Bajaj Pulsar 150 with a trio of Yamaha R15s, KTM Duke 200, Honda CBR 250R, Yamaha Fazer 16, a couple of Yamaha FZ 16s, Bajaj Pulsar 180 and Suzuki GS150R making up the lot. This diverse bunch of motorcycles was testament to the fact that you can have fun on such a ride regardless of whats between your legs (talking about the bikes here)!
Riders from North Goa met up in Panjim and set out to meet members from the South around 9:45 AM. After a quick rendezvous in Verna (and some much needed hydration) the group set out towards Gokarna around 10:30 AM. Maintaining a quick pace, which was possible due to an excellent set of riders and fine weather, we made good time and reached Gokarna ahead of schedule around 12:45 PM in time to break for lunch at a local restaurant. Having filled up on some food and drink, we headed towards Gokarna Beach.
Riding through the narrow village lanes was a delightful and something to be experienced. After a quick stop and a few photos, we headed out to the famous Om Beach a few kilometres away. Halting at Om Beach, we took in the breathtaking view around us and captured some of those moments in still images and video. It was now about 4:30 PM and time to head back to Goa.
The prospect of carving corners on the way back easily put a smile on our faces. The weather still seemed to favour us and we rode back without incident to reach Margao, where we decided to stop and hang out at Kavana for some refreshments, after which we all headed home, content that we had a wonderful outing. The pictures and video should give you a good idea of the fun we had!
GEARS Inter-State Ride – Destination: Gokarna!
GEARS completes one year of being in existence on June 30, 2012 and has achieved much during this short period, including recognition by India’s largest biking fraternity, xBhp, as well as coverage by the local media. All this would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our loyal members who have come to accept the group as more of a family than an organization.
GEARS will be having a Ride & Meet to celebrate its first anniversary on Sunday, July 01, 2012. If you would like to join us in the celebration we welcome you to get in touch with us on Facebook!
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Article by Aaron Cardozo
Photos by Akshay Tendulkar, Tilak Murdeshwar & Shantanu Upadhay
Video by Shantanu Upadhay, Edited by Akshay Tendulkar & Tilak Murdeshwar,
