Short Trip on Standard 350 - Athirampally Falls

[muni_phantom]

Sometimes in our life we have to go for tour for ourself and for our bike. This is a short road trip which was planned for my close partner- 93 model Royal Enfield 350 STD (Black D). Black D has run more than 50k and has some mods done to him. He weighs more than usual STD 350 due to additional crank weight.

Of late due to rain i couldn't take him out much and he has started complaining with battery down and starting problem due to patina forming. So for him and to see water flow due to heavy rain i have planned to go to Athirampally waterfalls, charpa falls, vazhachal, and past vazhachal check post to poringalkuth Dam. If allowed then a visit to poringalkuth power station also.

Trip Plan(KM from google MAP)
Ernakulam Kochi - Athirapally waterfalls(Through NH 47) - 76.6 KM (NH opted for smooth ride for Black D)
Athirapally waterfalls - charpa falls 3.5 KM
charpa falls - vazhachal 1.6 KM
Vazhachal - Poringalkuth Dam 6.3 KM

(Have to pass through forest check post in between)

 

[muni_phantom]

Black D

 

[AR Ram]

muni_phantom,

Very nicely maintained RE, looks great. I think you have changed the handle bar and done up the disc brk too.

Post some pictures of your trip

 

[appus]

You might have done with ease as it is only 80KM (less than 2 hrs?).

Please update with pics and route conditions etc. Done alone ? What checking you need to go thru if it is a car ? That is in my waiting list. Will do one by one.

Congratulations for completing the trip. More photos please

 

[biker]

Trip Plan(KM from google MAP)
Ernakulam Kochi - Athirampally waterfalls(Through NH 47) - 76.6 KM (NH opted for smooth ride for Black D)
Athirampally waterfalls - charpa falls 3.5 KM
charpa falls - vazhachal 1.6 KM
Vazhachal - Poringalkuth Dam 6.3 KM

that is nice. by the way, the places are actually Athirappilly and Peringalkuthu.

 

[Skay]

Trip Plan(KM from google MAP)
Ernakulam Kochi - Athirampally waterfalls(Through NH 47) - 76.6 KM (NH opted for smooth ride for Black D)
Athirampally waterfalls - charpa falls 3.5 KM
charpa falls - vazhachal 1.6 KM
Vazhachal - Poringalkuth Dam 6.3 KM

(Have to pass through forest check post in between)

@Muni_Phantom, Congrats on your trip. This is very nice place to ride. I have done this trip way back in 94. We rode from Coimbatore to Athirapally and returned via Valparai and Pollachi. Around 400 Kms in a single day.
Would like to see how is the place now, please do post more photos. Thanks.

 

[muni_phantom]

Thank you @AR Ram. Yes its actually handle of RD 350 (which curves inside ) and disc was initially installed as a secondary precaution to braking since in standard braking is its in left side

You might have done with ease as it is only 80KM (less than 2 hrs?).

Please update with pics and route conditions etc. Done alone ? What checking you need to go thru if it is a car ? That is in my waiting list. Will do one by one.

Congratulations for completing the trip. More photos please

Yes road and route is in very good condition till Vazhachal , I think Valparai route is also in good condition. Current update after rain am not aware, though route and scenery is super


Thanks @biker. Bit of confusing with names

Rest tour details on the way.

 

[muni_phantom]

Planning and Postponing

Week : 10-08-2013

I have initially planned the trip just when monsoon rain was at its final stages. It was the apt time to go to Athirappilly as water flow is heavy and scenery will be splendid , with not much rain troubling us during the ride. That week actually rain was too heavy and i didn't take Black D for one week. That set the things fall apart as Black D was not starting up. Since ammeter was working i didn't check further on battery. I tried cleaning spark plug. Still he didn't budge. Opp to my home there is a workshop. Not specialized in Bullet though. Since there is no other way i showed him bike. He tried two three times after cleaning spark plug. Still Black D won't get started. So we checked with battery. Since ammeter was working we didn't check further initially ,but later on he said it seems like a battery problem and has to give for re charging. All plans are back to square one and i came back home feeling depressed .

To be Continued...

 

[muni_phantom]

Week : 17-08-2013

Next week battery got recharged but since all cable was all pulled out while checking, it took a helluva lot of time for the workshop guy to set things back . Finally with all week follow up with him by next Saturday bike got set out . Ha.. feeling high i took Black D for a test drive. After two three kilometer i heard a strange sound from back , slowed the bike down and again slowly raced throttle , to my dismay I heard something snap with a clunk sound , stopped bike then itself.. Bike Chain has been snapped . Night time there no nearby open workshop. Again back to square one , looks like trip needs to postponed again
I called the workshop guy , luckily he came with his Yamaha. We planned to push bullet using his bike back to my home. So workshop guy pushed bullet with his one leg and me guided on it back to home. I checked sprocket closely while reaching home. To my surprise most of the bullet chain sprocket teeth was broken . So as it turned out i was really lucky to get chain broken near my home rather than in long distance place. So in final need to change chain and sprocket. Since rear sprocket is being changed i told workshop guy to change front sprocket also. Little i knew that changing front sprocket in Bullet was a lot of time consuming job as we need to remove all clutch assembly , alternator. When everything is removed and clutch case is removed only we can change the sprocket and chain.

Chain and sprocket rate came around 1600. After continuous following at the last he started working on dis assembling clutch assembly.



Had to wait for another day to start fitting back clutch assembly. Guess once again the time was not rite, the clutch cover screw threading was not seating in properly. He said the whole case is coming out even if screwed tightly. No idea whether its his tools problem that thread has gone or this problem was there earlier. So bike needs to goto engineering shop to re thread the hole . By luck he said no need to remove engine we can push and rode bike using other other bike and come back. So Saturday morning i follow up him and did the threading and bike was ready for final assembling from 6:00 PM on wards. Phew that was a long wait.

I told him i will also join for clutch cover re-assembling so he said we can start by 8:00 PM. So as scheduled he started working on bike around 8:30 PM. It was a learning experience for me also with clutch real working, alternator working, clutch adjustment. All clutch plate where in good condition so there was no need to replace it. So fitted clutch inner cover, clutch plates, magnet . I think again the time was not right as n while fitting the Alternator one bolt went missing. His helping guy while washing seems like misplaced it. Since its a unique bolt we can’t set any other bolt. We searched the workshop for sometime but still couldn't retrieve.Looks like that weekend also trip will not tour won’t workout , without setting alternator correctly we cannot set magnet rotation correctly and its AC. So at 10 30 PM with no other option we shifted our final clutch cover assembling to next week along with my trip


To be Continued...

 

[AR Ram]

Nice to read your work shop experience written elaborately.

Finally, did you make it?

 

[Fyzy09]

The RE looks great. Its is definitely one hell of a machine

 

[muni_phantom]

Next Monday evening the Black D was ready with a very good expensive workshop Bill. So decided to plan trip for the coming Saturday.


Journey Begins

Day 31-08-2013 Saturday Sunny and Hot Climate

Started journey from Ernakulam around 10:00 AM. Guided Black D through the busy township and to NH 47. Due to Saturday all vehicles were busy buzzing around, i couldn't kick in a comfortable speed till i passed Aluva . From there ride was smooth , road was smooth

NH 47






One of the best road in Kerala is from Ernakulam to Thrissur NH - 47 with some good fly overs. We can cut across to Athirapally through Ezhattumugham road or by chalakudy, but i didn't go that way cause i want to cruise a straight road trip for Black D. Upto Chalakudy it was moreover like a highway cruising with traffic milder. I can feel the push from Black D once i throttle above 65 and wanting more .I didn't throttle much though.

 

[AR Ram]

One of the best road in Kerala is from Ernakulam to Thrissur NH - 47 with some good fly overs. We can cut across to Athirapally through Ezhattumugham road or by chalakudy, but i didn't go that way cause i want to cruise a straight road trip for Black D. Upto Chalakudy it was moreover like a highway cruising with traffic milder. I can feel the push from Black D once i throttle above 65 and wanting more .I didn't throttle much though.

Great, at last the day has come "The Black D's day out"

Waiting to know more about the story and pictures

 

[appus]

You literally took the same time(repairing) for writing the remaining part too & still did not reach :( . Eagerly waiting for the remaining updates & photos.

By the way, use the EDIT feature if you want to post something immediately. I think mods will have to do if you do not , end up receiving infractions for nothing. Let us help them to reduce their work.

 

[muni_phantom]

Extremely sorry guys. i was busy and was not online.. continuing ....


Around 10:50 i have reached Chalakudy stopped for a small break and started on way to Athirampally. The landscape changed once i took right turn from Chalakudy. Full greenery welcomed me with both side thick greenish forest. Further into the way one side river opened up. We can hear the water flow beautifully scrolling to the opposite direction. Even though it was scorching heat in NH 47, Athirampally route climate was very pleasant and calm.

Going by Car and Bike is very different with respect to enjoying the place. Fresh air with full greenish scenery is very warm relief from the thick populated urban area. Along the way passed many tourist bus, group bike riders. All were looking at me like who is fellow riding all alone :).

Road is very good with good inviting curves and not much traffic. Main plus point which i felt is i was able to ride with the thumping sound rhythm of Black D since traffic was minimal and noise was less all together. It was a pure joy and happy feeling when you ride with the rhythm on.