You never know what future has in store for you. We didn’t know what an exciting and happening this weekend was going to become. Tapan came from Hyderabad to spend the long weekend (2nd-4th April) with us (myself and Abhishek aka Ghish). We have been thinking of going on a bike trip for quite some time now. Since Tapan has come and we also had a long weekend so we thought this is the right time that we execute our plan of bike trip. Ghish suggested that we go to the jog falls but it is quite far from Bangalore and it is April (almost summer) so we thought going to jog falls won’t be a good idea. We thought going to a place in 100km radius of Bangalore will be good as we wanted to come back the same day. So I asked my friend Shilpa about the places we can go n she suggested Hogenakkal would be a good option. So plan was final, we were going to Hogenakkal on Saturday (3rd April). Plan was to leave by 6 in the morning from Bangalore, reach Hogenakkal by 9-10am, enjoy the natural beauty of Hogenakkal specially the falls, leave Hogenakkal by 4 pm and reach Bangalore by 7pm. Well plan is always a plan; we slept quite late in night as Ghish was trying to install map application on his Nokia 5300 so that we could use it in our trip and it resulted in us getting up at around 6:30. We got ready by 8:15 but couldn’t have breakfast; we thought we will have it on the way. We were three (Myself, Ghish and Tapan) and we had two bikes CBZ of Ghish and my FZ, so we had a room for one more (its other matter that people keep complaining about the pillion seat of my bike but still it is a twoseater bike J) and we invited Hemant to join us for the trip and he came on board . We finally left Bangalore at 8:45 am. Well it was my first long bike trip (Hogenakkal is almost 160 kms from Bangalore) so was quite excited. We reached Hosur around 9:30 am. We had planned to take Hosur-Krishnagiri-Dhrmapuri route to Hogenekkal but in Hosur we changed our plan and we took Anekal-Anchetti route (first bad decision) following the suggestion of some local guy. Till Anchetti everything was quite good, we were driving at almost 75 kmph, road was good, weather was good and since route was through villages and forests we were truly enjoying the trip but as said happiness comes with sadness following it, evil struck n I GOT FLAT TYRE in rear wheel just before Anchetti. The makers of tubeless tyre claims that one can drive a punctured tubeless tyre for 60 kms (FZ has tubeless tyres J L) but since my tyre got flat instantly and I had a pillion as well so driving it even for 100 meters was not a good idea…so we stopped in some forest just before Anchetti..it has become quite hot, although it was just 11:30..we were deciding what to do now. . Hogenakkal was still around 35 kms..we saw a small tempo coming, we requested the tempo driver to take my bike to nearby village where I could get my bike repaired…don’t forget that my bike has tubeless tyre and we were in some village..well the tempowala loaded my bike in his tempo, Hemant and I was sitting in the trolley of the tempo..I had to sit on my bike so that I could balance it properly..sitting on bike at the back of the tempo was an amazing experience.. The scene was quite funny..well jokes apart we reached some village where there was a puncture..I had flat tyre few months earlier but at that time there was no puncture and just airing worked so I thought same is the case and we asked the mechanic just to put some air but, unfortunately there was a hole in the type as some glass piece had got in and the air came out instantly..well what to do now..Since it is my first bike with tubeless tyre so didn’t know how puncture of tubless tyre gets repaired, the mechanic also didn’t have any clue…fortunately airtel had network there (my reliance phone had become network less long ago), I called up Abhishek Babu (my another friend) and requested him to get some information from the internet …and what came out is tubeless tyres cannot be repaired normally and there is some special kit for it which costs somewhere around 500..well quite obvious, we couldn’t get that kit in that small village..so we asked the mechanic to put normal sticker on the tyre so that I can drive it as far as I can. He put two stickers but unfortunately it dint last even 100meters …it was already 12:30..we thought we will drive with flat tyre till next village and will search for the solution..so drove the bike at speed of 20 till next village..reached next village at 1:30 the mechanic there said he can’t help and we can’t even get it repaired in Hogenakkal and we will have to go to Pennagram, 15 Kms beyond Hogenakkal, Hogenakkal itself was 16 kms from that village…so 31 kms in total..so what to do now sun was at its exteme..a planned trip was becoming adventurous gradually..we decided that we will take the wheel off and take it to Pennagram (2nd bad decision) and get it repaired so I with Ghish left for Pennagram around 2..road was not very good..we reached Pennagram around 3..well to our surprise there was no shop there which could repair a tubeless tyre..everybody suggested us to go to Dharmapuri which was 32 kms more from Pennagram..we were quite tired and irritated by that time and already cursing the moment I decided to buy FZ..there was a Yamaha service center as well in Pennagram but the mechanic there also didn’t have any clue I don’t know why they have launched a tubeless tyres in India if it cannot get repaired easily..while we were still deciding what to do next, we saw a MRF dealer shop.. we thought he can help… and fortunately that guy called a mechanic who said he can repair the tubeless tyre..we were quite relieved now..so we went to the mechanic’s shop, he had the kit and he repaired it within 5 minutes…and to our surprise it costed 100 rupees L but we were happy that we didn’t had to go to Dharmapuri..we have not had our lunch and it was already 3:30 so we had paratha and omllet as lunch at Pennagram…we drove quite fast and reached the village where we had left our bike at 4:30..the mechanic fit the wheel and meanwhile our friends ate lunch which we had brought for them from Pennagram..that mechanic in this village also charged 40 rupees…well now everything seemed fine and we started from this village at 5..we have not gone even 100 meters and guess what the tyre got flat again..Hey bhagwan what to do now.. Hogenakkal was still 16 kms..and it was already 5..what a trip it was turning into..the road ahead was pretty bad..i should say it was worst so I thought I will drag my bike rather than driving it..So I dragged my bike for 6 kms till the good road started…when we hit the good road it was already 6..all the way while I was dragging my bike I kept cursing Yamaha guys and the guy who came up with the concept of tubeless tyres..it was an experience of my life time..dragging a flat tyred bike for 6 kms LL..hell..i was sweating like anything..I thought it’s better to drive the bike than dragging it..I again drove it at 20-25 and reached Hogonakkal at 6:45..well the place where we were supposed to reach at max by 12pm..we had not decided what we will do after Hogonakkal..Since our trip was for Hogenakkal so we thought at least we will see the falls then only we will go beyond or decide our plan..we went to the fall..it was quite good and we decided instantly to take bath in the fall…we took bath..the pressure of the water felt like much needed massage…we were feeling fresh and sleepy at the same time..it was already 7:30..we thought we will drive till Penagram and get the bike repaired from the same mechanic…we were getting worried by the thought of what if the shop get closed..so we drove at 45 kmph..just imagine drove a flat tyred bike at 45kmph, I dint want to but had no choice as there was no good place around at Hogonakkal where we could have stayed for that night..we reached Pennagram by 8:30..fortunately the shop was open..we somehow communicated (there was a huge communication gap as the mechanic didn’t know English n we didn’t not know Tamil) the whole story to the mechanic and scolded him for not repairing the bike properly…he repaired the bike again..To be sure about the fix I took a test drive of three kms..it seemed ok..so we decided that we will go to Dharmapuri and then decide the further plan..Dharmapuri was 32 kms more..since we were still skeptical about the fix so I was still driving my bike alone without any pillion and Ghish was tripling on his bike..we were just about to reach Dharmapuri and guess what…yeah you got it right tyre got flat again…the hole has become so big that as soon as the material used for fixing came out the tyre became flat…well I was not irritated anymore because by now I have realized that what has to happen will happen whatever u do…It was 10:15 we thought we will have dinner first then we will decide what to do..we had dosa as dinner and we went to a 24hr puncture repair shop..that mechanic at Dharmapuri was well aware of the tubeless tyre and its fixing and he asked for 200 rupees to fix it..we argued with him that we got it repaired for just 100 rupees but he just refused to repair it and said that earlier guy might have used duplicate material thatz why it dint last long n he will use something original and it will work fine..that guy was so confident that he said if it goes off he will return the whole money..but somewhere I was confident that whatever he does it wont last long J..anywway we dint had any option so we paid him 190 and got it fixed and again I went for a test drive this time with a pillion..well test drive always runs good..Since everything seemed Ok so we thought we will leave for Bangalore rather than staying in some lodge at Dharmagiri..but we thought it wont be a good idea to drive my bike with pillion..since we were to take NH7 so we thought tripling wont be possible and so Hemant decided to go by bus..so finally we three were left..it was 12:30 am..Bangalore was still somewhat 140 kms..we thought if we drive at around 60-70 we will reach within 2 n half hrs..well what to say now we had not even driven 25 kms and no surprises the tyre got flat again..Hey bhagwan kya bad luck hai..hadd hi ho gayi…what to do now..it was 1 at night and we had already come 25 kms beyond Dharmagiri..I thought since I had already spent around 400 bucks for the puncture and it is not getting fixed so in anycase I will have to get my tyre replaced so I thought let’s take risk and drive till Bangalore with the flat tyre..what a decision..driving on NH7 for 115 Kms with flat tyre..had no other option..didn’t dare to stop any lorry for help..we thought we will drive at around 50 and will keep taking halt after each 20 kms, so that we can check the condition of the rim and the tyre..I was worried that the rim might get damaged or tyre might catch fire..well other reason for halt was that I was almost sitting on the fuel tank as I tried to put as less pressure as I can on the rear wheel and I must say it is very painful driving a bike by sitting on fuel tank n that too of FZ..well we drove but since it was NH so we had to maintain at least 60 all the way..well the thrill and adventure ends here no more surprises fortunately my tyre dint catch fire and I don’t know the condition of the rim until I get it checked it seems ok though..we reached home at 4 am..I was so relieved that I was back home..It felt so relaxing although the trip was so tiring..I m still feeling the tireness…it will take at least a weak time that I come back to normal..well it is difficult to get the tubeless tyre repaired but finally it was only the tubeless tyre which I could drive for 150 kms..What a trip..almost 400 kms bike driving in a day in which 150 kms with flat tyre..dragging the bike for 6 kms..almost having nothing for the whole day except some paratha n a dosa..Seriously we could not have asked for more adventure..more adventure could have been killing..This was a trip of my life time..will cherish it for long-long time..