Section 2: The Journey > Chapter 9: False start to Delhi-verance

May 31

It's 9:30am. We've only just begun to wake up. My blood curdling from the previous evening's shiver shower, I refuse to attempt it today. Spiderweb and Motorbreath are taking turns swinging with the H20. By the time we get cleaned up and pack, its just shy of 11am. 15 minutes to 11 to be exact.

Left to right: Spiderweb, Motorbreath

Left: Me

Facebook update: Overslept! Dash to Delhi starts... Now!
31 May at 10:43 via Text message

Divya Misra
cool....take loads of pics plz!
31 May at 10:48

Nitin Manore
remember my last min. instruction :P
31 May at 10:57

Rachit K
yeah.. thats wht i saw.. u started quiet late.. all the best
31 May at 12:13

I speak too soon. For Spiderweb's engine refuses to roll. Button start, kickstart and push start, all rendered completely useless by an equally completely unresponsive engine. Something's gone horribly wrong during night fall and we haven't a clue as to what it could be.  Spiderweb suspects foul play; but in the absence of motive, we disregard the theory. The hunt for a mechanic ends 15 minutes out. He is a busy man; certainly much more than we. But he takes pity on us and decides to dedicate some time to addressing our problem.

As we await his verdict, a suspected battery problem, Motorbreath whispers two words to me that crack me up good...

"Pulsar rocks."

Facebook update: Spiders bike battery dead. Bike won't start with kick either.
31 May at 11:14 via Text message

Veeral Joshi
OMG... All the best brothers... Wat bout dhakka start ??
31 May at 11:19

Alankar Misra
Dhakka start not working either! :(
31 May at 11:31

Veeral Joshi
oh thts bad.. location ? any garage near ?
31 May at 11:33

Veeral Joshi
didnt u carry jumper cables ???
31 May at 11:37

Alankar Misra
Nope :( anyway found z mechanic!
31 May at 11:48

Veeral Joshi
ahh great.. good luck..
31 May at 11:51

-Rajni Taneja-
Yeh Ram! Where have u reached?
How is weather treating you?
31 May at 13:45

Shweta Nadkarni
heyyy...just read all ur updates....seemslike its going great....tk care and hv load of fun.
31 May at 16:18

Winsey Varghese
Is it because i parked my bike close to spiders bike ??.
01 June at 01:49

Alankar Misra
‎@ winsey: rofl!!! Probably! The bajaj effect :-P
01 June at 02:22


The problem though, it would appear, lies beyond the battery. For on close inspection, our capable mechanic ascertains that the ignition supply wire has come undone. He re-attaches it and sure enough the machine comes alive. I have yet to understand why that would prevent a push start, but I will not dwell further on my ignorance. The battery is removed and sent for a re-charge just as a precaution.

With nothing specific on my agenda, I survey my surroundings. I notice commonalities between Rajasthan and its close cousin Gujarat. For automobiles here too, it would appear, come pre-loaded with human heads; little tempos, big tempos, large trucks, larger contraptions that I cannot name, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers all bursting at their seams; water in sachets at a buck a piece being sold at every furlong; helpful people with a hint of innocence, a glint of curiosity and many stories to share. The temperature's rising. We take many swigs of an eclectic mix of sugarcane juice, ginger and mint to stay hydrated and sane.

Facebook update: Bike fixed! Ignition supply wire had come undone. Restart in 15min
31 May at 12:00 via Text message

Veeral Joshi
great... Back on track ;) Good luck ahead.
31 May at 12:01

Snehil Pandey
lage raho !
31 May at 12:10

Mandar Bhandare
lage raho guys ride safe ;)
31 May at 13:55

And even though I say restart in 15, last minute replacements of foot pegs by Motorbreath ensure that we don't restart for 50.

Facebook update: Trip restart now!
31 May at 12:51 via Text message

Satyen Poojary
You guys are late! Early burnout syndrome ;) go relax, remember its not a race! Its a tour! Have fun! Mumbai is hot! Get some ice cubes for us ;)


While we have some semblance of our whereabouts, we rely on the expertise of the locals to chaperon us in the direction of Jaipur. They recommend NH-76 for, unlike other options, this one is a 4-lane highway adorned by dividers which, in biking terms, translates into safety served on a platter. We would be hard-pressed to resist the charms of NH-76. We'll take it.

It's past noon and we've only just begun.