The phrase 'calm before the storm' fits in perfectly here. Right before the preparations for the 2021 carandbike Awards started with full gusto, I had a weekend free, which was nothing short of a miracle. Somewhere in the cosmos, a shooting star darted across the night sky, fortune smiled upon me and I received an invitation from BMW Motorrad for their BMW Lake Safari, a short ride to Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, to be held on the exact same weekend that I had free. Pleasant coincidence indeed! It was on short notice but since I was relatively free, I packed my stuff, cleaned my riding gear and then showed up at the BMW Motorrad dealership in Delhi, from where the ride was supposed to begin.
Also Read: BMW F 900 XR Wins Adventure Motorcycle Of The Year At 2021 carandbike Awards
(Riding motorcycles with like-minded people can be quite likeable)
It was a pleasant experience meeting a whole set of like-minded people, people who love motorcycles. We had close to 15-20 customers who were participating in the BMW Lake Safari. A lovely assortment of motorcycles lined up which included a whole bunch of BMW R 1200s and R 1250s. Then there were a couple of F 900 XRs, one F 900R and brand-spanking new BMW S 1000 RR. Well, the RR needed running in and what better way to do that than taking a hard-core sportbike on a 1,100 km road trip to India's heartland.
(The BMW F 900 XR was one of the many motorcycles present in convoy headed to Orchha, MP)
Well! The day started early, with the convoy riding out of South Delhi, making its way to Greater Noida and then taking the Yamuna Expressway towards Agra. I was riding the BMW F 900 R on day one and once we touched the expressway, it felt good, naturally, to let all the 105 horses loose! And while I was having a hard time tucking myself in on the fuel tank of the F 900 R, the rest of them just carried on, zooming past me, protected by their tall windscreens. Nonetheless, I was able to keep up with the big, booming 1200s and 1250s till we reached Agra, albeit with a dull pain in my shoulders.
(Much to our surprise and ignorant minds, the state of Madhya Pradesh has many, many forts. Each of them standing resplendent and resolute)
And that's where the tide turned. Traffic is and always has been a great leveller and it was proven yet again. Snaking past dodgy rickshaws, errant pedestrians, cattle and gnarly traffic was easier on the F 900 R rather than on the bigger bikes. Nonetheless, as we hit the highway leading out of Agra towards Gwalior, I decided to take it easy and soak in the sights and sounds, which consisted of a lot of truck traffic, the beautiful and 'deadly' ravines of Chambal and the occasional fort thrown in. Yes! MP has a lot of forts, which came as a surprise to me. Just as the sun was setting, the convoy reached the resort where we were supposed to put up. After reaching, the only thing left to do was to head to the room, take a hot shower, wash down all the grime and sweat, freshen up and head out for dinner, with a nightcap thrown in!
(A view of the Orchha Fort, built in 1501 AD by Rudra Pratap Singh, a Rajput ruler from Bundelkhand)
Day 2 began with a leisurely breakfast and discussion on how to spend the day over endless cups of coffee. Finally, the agenda for the day was set simple! Explore the palaces and forts in Orchha, have lunch and then a quick off-roading session. So we began by heading to the Orchha fort complex, right beside the beautiful River Betwa. The Orchha Fort was built by Rudra Pratap Singhi in 1501 AD, a Rajput ruler from the Bundelkhand region.
(The living quarters of the Royal family of Orchha, who founded the town)
He was fond of hunting as a sport and whenever he shot down game, he commanded his hunter dogs to retrieve the carcass, saying 'Urr Chha'. And that's how the name of the place came to be! Our visit to fort complex was further enhanced by a guide with a personality matching that of any Bollywood movie star. While I will not go turn this article into a history class, I humbly request all you history buffs and road trip aficionados to plan a trip to this lovely town in the heart of India. You will be glad you did.
(The BMW F 900 XR proved to be a hoot and a half on the off-road trails. If that is not a fantastic photo for 'Wheelie Wednesday', I don't know what is!)
After a quick local meal, it was time to head to a dry river bed where some of the rider had identified a nice off-road patch, replete with some technical rocky trails and opportunities to get photos for 'Wheelie Wednesday' as well, a lovely concept in my opinion. Jokes apart, we spent a good two hours just gallivanting and exploring the forests on the edge of Orchha and finding nice spots for photography and general gossip! I had the BMW F 900 XR with me, which despite its road-biased nature, proved to be a hoot and a half on all sorts of trails. Boy, that bike was a tonne of fun! Once we got tired of off-roading, we carried on partying and gossiping at a nearby cafe over snacks and again, endless cups of coffee and at some point dinner.
(Many a hours were spent lying on this patch of rock, gossiping and discussing motorcycles in general)
The third day was when we had to ride back to Delhi. We started off early in the morning, with the thought of nullifying all the heavy traffic going towards Agra. But it was no good. We still found good traffic. On the way back, we also helped a fellow rider whose R 1200 had broken down and had to be parked in Agra until a flat-bed truck from Delhi arrived.
(Exploring the ruins of the Orchha Fort Complex was an ethereal experience. The ruins that you see here are over 500 years old)
But the highlight of the day was riding the 2021 BMW S 1000 RR on a patch of empty highway we found right after Gwalior. While the S 1000 RR may not be a touring machine, it doesn't shy away from bring ridden for long distances. Of course, your back isn't going to take too kindly to the super stiff suspension. It was late in the evening until we reached Delhi, tired but happy and satisfied.
(Motorcycling is perhaps one of the most effective forms of therapy)
This short motorcycle road trip was just what the doctor ordered before the chaos of 2021 carandbike Awards engulfed us all. Riding with like-minded people who love motorcycles is possibly one of the most effective forms of therapy and the quaint little town of Orchha in Madhya Pradesh proved to be quite a find, too!
