Dear Rohit,
Thank you for your touching and amusing reply.
By the grace of God she is recovered fully excepting to weakness which is will remain for sometime I suppose.
Ammu? she is fine but tell you taking care of a cow is a full time job. Gow Seva, but very very tiring , especially when one is not a full time farmer. . Never in my life I imagined I would milk a cow.
Ah CDI ignition, really a blessing. We started off using these engines on our single seaters before the advent of CDI. Frequent adjustment of the points, adjusting the BTDC. In our company we had a Yezdi 350cc, even that did not had a CDI! But tell you, the power and the weight of the bike, yet sleek were impressive. Roadking, is really a king of the road, the explanation on suspension... lol...
But tell you what Rohit, with these jets carburetors, at high altitudes, may need tuning in your Leh trip for high altitude performance. We used a bigger jet (dont remember the size) and proper airscrew adjustment on our single seaters. I ready many a times in the travelogues they fiddle something to compensate less oxygen in air their in Ladakh region.
For my Platina, I never touched anything excepting brake adjustments now and then. First time, I felt the importance of the front brake on those steep and tight bends in the road.
Yes, I used to own a Jawa with round cylinder head, 250cc. Being in Mysore those flying days, I knew this Jawa factory and Rian Irani who also was a flying enthusiast. Pictures of my Jawa? Sorry, no; you can imagine the era of film roll cameras. I did not sell it, I just gave it to one of my uncles mainly because it was with TN registration and me being in AP. As I type this, I realize even my present Platina is also TN registered one!
I just had a joy ride or just to load the aircraft I had rides on Yamaha 350 two seaters but never at controls. By the time I went for a proper training Rotax 350 replaced this Yamaha 350 engines. Interesting enough, never had any fatality even though with many engine seizure cases which mainly was due to cooling duct failure.
Kidnap? lol.. thanks. As I mentioned earlier, tomorrow is a mystery and thats what makes tomorrow exciting.
Take care Rohit. Bye now.
Khagesh
Dear Khagesh Sir,
Thanks for your kind words.
About the cow, you're lucky that you at least get to drink pure milk unlike us urbanites who probably drink (Chinese?) diluted urea paste. So drinking pure milk gives you the power to reach Leh on a 100cc putterette.
I know the pain of adjusting CB points since I have a '98 model Bullet. But adjusting TDC/BDC/BTDC on a single seater microlight engine just makes you dread the word 'Dead'. Top or bottom, once you are dead, it doesn't matter, especially on a seized Yamdoot 350cc engine. There I go again (unlike the Yamdoot engine).
Yeah Sir, the main jet pilot jet blah (oh the quest for the right orifice, at all altitudes....men will be men). On a more serious note, it's easier to play with jets on a carb than scratching your head when the ECU blows off. Technology is a necessary evil, like me.
Your Platina worked flawlessly because of 2 major points:
1. Its got a tried and tested Kawasaki engine.
2. You're a good man, God loves you.
Yeah the Iranis, sometimes I think all good automotive things in Hindustan involve the Parsis. By the way Sir, do you know, they've razed down the Ideal Jawa factory in Mysore and there's a big mall there now in its place? Sob sob...
Do check out this link Sir, you'll like it:
Royal Enfield 1975 Bullet 350 road trip to Chennai: Story Of My Life
Is your uncle still around, if yes, please ask when what he did to your Jawa - would make for interesting reading.
Having read your thread multiple times, I must ask now: WHY? Why did you travel to Leh on a Platina?
Take care Sir.
Regards,
Rohit
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Dear Rohit,
Thanking for my kind 'words'? My words are far far behind your eloquent 'Story of My Life'. Quite interesting; I have gone through every word of it. Subject, hardly matters but how one narrates skillfully is totally a different art which you are very good at. While reading the saga of your ride believe me you were giving me impression that I was watching that good old Mel Gibson's Mad Max movie especially while reading that Rider Mania part at Goa. The story is simply gripping (at least from an intellectual perspective).
Whatever the little exposure with engines mainly comes by virtue of my association with microlight flying field at its infancy in India. Yezdi, Yamaha, ah, no one has either time or interest when easy options of importing Rotax, Simonini are near tailor made for the job, is available. Remember even the Gypsy engine had to be run-in when bought new? These days, bikers wouldnt even know what a running in, they need not, blame it on the technology. Just out of the show room, full throttle and zoom. The running in makes me recall an incident when we were in Coimbatore. The engine was running in with half throttle open and after half an hour or so into it, suddenly we hear a shattering sound when we rush to the scene, the propeller flew off the building of nearly hundred feet! Luckily no one around.
So, what I learnt was by experience not by any qualification. If something went wrong with the engine, it is most likely with either the fuel or the ignition. Rarely mechanical problems. So when I was reading that chocked fuel filter, the spluttering sound part of your story, instantly I knew, its a typical problem. Well, with four strokes its bit complicated I suppose; taped settings and all that, which I have not much exposure.
Na, BTDC etc is not that difficult, any layman can do it with a vernier caliper; just remove your spark plug, poke the caliper in, measure and tighten the contact points.
Yeah, Platina performed flawlessly, even on my Mustang, KTM Nepal trip. Did not even had a single puncture either. nor skipped a heart beat. Just adjusting the breaks now and then especially while in those scary inclinations of Hitauda road; even in first gear, clutch fully released, the bike was galloping at crazy speeds on those steep inclinations with all those tight hair pin bends. Its simple Rohit, the bike may be all nuts and bolts, but one should 'feel' the machine if she is happy or straining. I think this plays a major role apart from the blessing of the God always. I felt he was riding and I was just a pillion rider as I mentioned somehwere.
Ammu? Well, its a desi cow. Lucky? well, one wouldnt know the amount of time and energy both physically and mentally it consumes, especially for who is not a full time farmer.. My delay in replying you is also due to this.
Why I journeyed to Leh? To be frank, why people do such crazy things? Only thing that I understand is that; may be they want to find a vent for the energies accumulated. Some are made that way I suppose. I was planning this trip long long ago when there was no internet; absolutely no idea. I got a copy of atlast CDs made printouts, pasted them on some cloth to preserve. Wanted to do this trip on a bicycle to begin with. Those days of excitement finding the route, itinerary, luggage bag designing on the bicycle and what not. Bicycle always excites me , made a quite number of long trips on bicycle including Hyd Tirupathi, Cbe Ooty (nearly), Cbe Guruvayur and so on. These are called Human Powered Vehicles. So, nice, no? May be a sail fixed to it? ... may be a romantic fool that I am, especially at this age. Why Leh? Well, I wish I just could get lost in Himalayas forever. Only those who either made a solo trip or solo trek can understand this mystique Himalayas, the call of the mountains. Wanted to do Damodar Kunda on my Nepal trip, wanted solo to Mt Kailash which these xenophobic Chinese wouldnt allow a lone biker. Heard of Tsaparang Rohit? Now, sure, you would think that I am nuts.
Now, why Platina? ; well, by default. That is the only bike that I had; mind you, not owned, you can see the number plate TN reg. Not even the helmet that I was wearing. I borrowed it from a friend for the trip. Made the trip as simple as possible, not by chance but I had to make use every resource.
And, finally, is my travelogue hijacked by tennis of our mails? lol....
Take care,
Best regards,
Khagesh