Q.ZigDrive 3: Ride to Death Valley, SurajKund - Saturday, April 2, 2016

[QUOTE=NikilSJ;n7618][USER="1456"]Vaibhav Sharma[/USER] that Bonnie sounded really good no. I could hear [USER="1051"]mailsarkar[/USER]'s Bonnie's arrow exhaust even in my sleep. Looking forward to the next ride.[/QUOTE] My neighbours probably agree with the sentiment [USER="20"]NikilSJ[/USER], especially when I'm taking the bike out early mornings. But nowhere as charitable as you are ;)

Yes, the KTM was undoubtedly the most capable bike on the trail but the surprise package really was the Suzuki Gixxer [USER="264"]Sukhpreet Singh[/USER] had brought along. The Honda Hornet 160R too was quite a surprise. Can't wait for [USER="21"]JijoMalayil[/USER]'s review.

A brilliant event put together by Zigwheels and a special note of appreciation for my old friend [USER="6"]Roshun[/USER] for playing the perfect GL on the ride! The Bonneville performed beyond my expectations frankly. Given it's snappy throttle in first and the amount of torque flowing through to the rear wheel, I half expected it to bog down on the deeper sand tracks. And it did too, or started to anyway. Fortunately, the rear Metzeler has worn out some depth during it's 10k kms lifetime and offered lesser groove to dig than what would've been healthy in the loose sand :) That and some acceleration kept the wheel afloat and saw us bouncing about without serious damage. I knew the KTM was going to ace the track all the time, and it did. As for the exhaust - I never get to hear it in the same vein from the saddle. But thanks for letting me know it sounds as good as it does :) Let's ride again soon.

The Zigride-trek-ride was totally worth it. Single file formation did help in maintaining good discipline. The trail ride was so much fun! I got stuck thrice where stones got caught on either sides of the rear wheel and they ended up supporting the bike's swing-arm lol! Coupled with the 190-odd kilogram weight, the bike was simply immovable and i was determined not to drop the bike. Three fellow riders came and helped me out of the rut. I learnt that the best way to navigate through rough terrain is to go with the flow and not against it. I'd suggest the next ride should kick off early in the morning to beat the traffic and the heat. Overall, it was a good learning experience and I got to meet many like-minded individuals. I'm eagerly looking forward to the next ride!

[USER="1456"]Vaibhav Sharma[/USER] that Bonnie sounded really good no. I could hear [USER="1051"]mailsarkar[/USER]'s Bonnie's arrow exhaust even in my sleep. Looking forward to the next ride.

This was my 1st ride with Zigwheels.....and i enjoyed it to the fullest although i could not make to the end with my bike, But learned a few lessons on handling my bike on these kind of tracks, at one point i lost control and my bike was on my right foot thanks to the sandy track nothing happened or else i would have got injured and would have ruined the day for others as well. On my way back to home(Vaishali) i was riding along with [USER="1051"]mailsarkar[/USER] (the gentlemen with Triumph, Really a very big heart is required to ride a Rs6lakhs+ bike on this kind of rough track) that was also a nice experience for me as i was enjoying the sweet sound of Bonniie's exhausts (arrow), And thanks [USER="1051"]mailsarkar[/USER] for keeping his speed low so that i can follow him and not get lost on the way. I will be looking forward for this kind of rides in future also. Thanks [USER="6"]Roshun[/USER] & team for this ride.

Amazing Event organized by the ZigWheels Team and as always I feel I'm in safe hands with the Supermod's instructions. As I'm still a novice in the auto space but someone who has always enjoyed the sheer thrill & passion of it, I couldn't resist this (Biker's) & the last (4x4 Offroad) experience. Both the events have been an enriching experience for me as I experienced the beautiful trail at Bhardwaj Lake & Death Valley and the stopover at the amazing cafe of Throttle Shottle . I'd love to explore this place again (needless to say how the amazing serene waters of Bhardwaj Lake made me jump in the water despite the fact that I had to spend a whole day back in office working :P). Hope this madness continues in future...sharing few pics from the day.

The day, the ride and the people were awesome! The place was epic and was a tough task to drive through the bushes and sandy trails. The water at the Bhardwaj Lake was the cleanest water body I had come across. It was fun climbing and getting down on the rocky paths and would like to visit the place soon. Talking about my personal experience, we were the only one who has come on a scooter :) And I had lost my way to the place as my phone got switched off. After roaming about the rocky terrains and looking for people, we decided to follow the trails of bike tyres and finally we were able to find the group at Death Valley. We decided to come back after spending some time. And SuperMod provided us some cool ZigWheels stickers . The lake was such a nice place that I would look forward to planning a next trip to the place anytime soon. Eagerly waiting to attend the next event!

What started out as a ZigDrive - or rather a ZigRide - in this case, turned into a ZigWalk, a ZigTrek and a ZigSwim after a while, with a surprise test ride of the Royal Enfield Himalayan as well in between. The first lot of us assembled bright and early. Riders began trickling in from 6.45 am onward, while [USER="136"]Nikhil Kalra[/USER] brought in the support car (the XUV in the background) that was carrying refreshments. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7499[/ATTACH] Around 18 of us set out from Promenade at 7.10 am after a quick run through of the route and some basic safety precautions. Our first stop was about half an hour later at Throttle Shrottle, a cafe on the Gurgaon-Faridabad road, which is a hangout for biking groups. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7500[/ATTACH] Our bikes all nicely lined up. We were joined by a few more bikers at Throttle Shrottle. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7501[/ATTACH] At Throttle Shrottle, Manzil Motors are Royal Enfield dealer had organized a test ride of the new Himalayan. Some of us took a ride. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7502[/ATTACH] Some had quite a bit of fun with the Himalayan on a purpose built off-road track. But this little "track" was not a patch on what lay in store for us. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7503[/ATTACH] We rode on from Throttle Shrottle, to the first of the lakes. We had to ditch the two cars that joined the group a KM before this spot, and we had to leave our support XUV500 here, because beyond this point the track became really narrow. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7504[/ATTACH] Another shot of the rides. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7505[/ATTACH] A great spot for some selfies! [USER="1598"]Shakeel Khan[/USER] :-) [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7506[/ATTACH] And then it was time to move on. The ride as you've seen in earlier photos got pretty challenging. But we weren't even there yet. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7507[/ATTACH] This lake is "Death Valley". It's virtually inaccessible because of the steep drops on all sides. It is lake No. 2. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7508[/ATTACH] It was time to press on and find the final lake - Lake Bhardwaj. But the going was tough, really tough. Sand, rutted track and thorny bushes took the mickey out of some riders. The Bonneville (@mailsarkar) handled the track pretty well. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7509[/ATTACH] As did the lighter bikes like the Honda Hornet 160R and the Suzuki Gixxer SF. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7510[/ATTACH] As did the nimble KTM Duke. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7516[/ATTACH] The Royal Enfields though had a tough time with the weight and sand. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7517[/ATTACH] Still, it was all fun. On the return trip, I got a lot of sand in my rear brake pedal and jammed it. But a couple of swift kicks and some bending on a rock sorted it out. No pillions on this trail. The ones who had come in cars had to walk it! [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7511[/ATTACH] After another few metres, we just parked the bikes and walked the remainder of the trail to the beautiful Lake Bhardwaj. It was just worth it. Completely worth it. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7512[/ATTACH] Total peace and quiet, except for another small group on the far bank who were swimming in the lake. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7513[/ATTACH] And that kind of inspired our ZigDrive group to also get their feet wet. (@jijo malayil and [USER="1456"]Vaibhav Sharma[/USER] ) [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7520[/ATTACH] Some decided to hold an impromptu meeting in the water. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7514[/ATTACH] Some got more than just their feet wet. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7519[/ATTACH] While the others waited on the cliff side. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7515[/ATTACH] And time for a groufie! Not everyone is in this photo though. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7518[/ATTACH] And a parting shot of the lake. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7521[/ATTACH] ZigDrive III draws to a close. Stay tuned for more... ​

ZigDrive 3 saw us all switch four wheels for two. And with good reason. As you would have seen in some of the earlier photos posted above, the trail was really narrow, sandy and lined with thorny bushes. But the adventurous ride was well worth it. We saw three lakes - the first, where we just stopped for a photo op and at which point we had to ditch our support car. The second was aptly called "Death Valley" as there is really no way to get down to the lake - it's sheer cliff faces on all sides. And the third was Lake Bhardwaj - a pristine, spring-fed freshwater lake that one can camp by. The silence of the place was broken only by the excited banter of the group, making its way down to the lake. Here's a quick video of what the lake looks like: [video=youtube_share;QJXNBLFyQJo]https://youtu.be/QJXNBLFyQJo[/video]

It was awesome fun today (though quite hot). Here is [USER="1051"]mailsarkar[/USER] sharing his views about #ZigDrive III: [video=youtube_share;pk0ht39ivS8]https://youtu.be/pk0ht39ivS8[/video] [USER="1598"]Shakeel Khan[/USER] here shares his experience: [video=youtube_share;MN8W31z5D-0]https://youtu.be/MN8W31z5D-0[/video]

[B]The Royal Enfield Himalayan at Throttle Shrottle - I will ride it, someday. But the test track was sad, IMO.[/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7475[/ATTACH] [B]How do you like the instrument cluster of the Himalayan?[/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7478[/ATTACH] [B]Respect [USER="1051"]mailsarkar[/USER] ! Rode his Triumph Bonneville almost all the way to the end, seen here parked outside TS[/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7476[/ATTACH] [B]Ooooooooh, a Harley Davidson Fat Bob. At TS[/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7477[/ATTACH] [B]The first lake we saw as we reached Death Valley. Here's [USER="21"]JijoMalayil[/USER] trying to look cool[/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7480[/ATTACH] [B]The first part of the ride in to Death Valley was easy, the trail was sandy but manageable (even with fat people like me riding pillion). It got a bit challenging after that, the soft soil - eroded by natural elements and spinning tyres - led to challenging ruts which needed some aggressive riding to overcome.[/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7481[/ATTACH] [B]Some of the heavier bikes needed a little push to get them over some of the bad patches while going through the narrow trails in Death Valley - help was always at hand thankfully. Some people fell down too - but were soon on their feet and ready to take the next challenge. [/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7479[/ATTACH] [B]Also, a short look at the bikes which attended the drive[/B] [video=youtube;N_j6rh5qMN4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_j6rh5qMN4&ab_channel=motusid[/video]

Guys!! Please upload all pics and videos. Thanks:)

Continuing from where we left in [URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/topics/4x4-offroad/offroad-drives/6497-zigdrive-2-discover-your-4x4-on-march-18-19-2016"]Zigdrive 2[/URL]. This time, the turn was for some Bike off-roading. Here are some quick 10 second videos, ENJOY! [video=youtube;jug1i0CAqUw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jug1i0CAqUw&feature=youtu.be[/video] [video=youtube;CpUej6-ruww]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpUej6-ruww&feature=youtu.be[/video]

It was AMAZING!!! Thank you Roshun & Team for the Nice Company... [B]See you @ Next meet up :)[/B] Regards Arun Kumar

Thank You Roshun n team.......We got the opportunity to see the natural beauty in the lap of Aravali. Thank you for the nice company and guidance. Hope to meet u all again n again. Rgards n Love Shakeel n Rashmi

[B]ZigDrive 3 happened today and was indeed quite an event! After starting off from Vasant Kunj, we had a small stop-over at Throttle Shrottle, a small cafe on the GFR (Gurgaon-Faridabad road). And there was Himalayan put up for bikers to have glance at![/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7457[/ATTACH] [B]We were treated to a small test drive of the new Himalayan, on this small off-road track created by this dealership. Crisp performance, but felt a little heavy while tacking off-road patches.[/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7458[/ATTACH] [B]How about that? @throttleshrottle[/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7460[/ATTACH] [B]First stop, guys taking a look at the death valley from the road.[/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7459[/ATTACH] [B]Laid to rest.[/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7461[/ATTACH] [B]Got trickier and difficult as we progressed towards lake Bharadwaj. Majority of them made it![/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7462[/ATTACH] [B]@Gaurav taking a swim in lake Bharadwaj. What a place! Scenic, isolated and in the middle of NCR.[/B] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7463[/ATTACH] [B]All in all, a Saturday morning well spent :)[/B]

ZigDrive3 got off to an early start outside DLF Promenade at Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. I was a bit late for the briefing where our supermod [USER="6"]Roshun[/USER] where he explained the route and assigned [USER="136"]Nikhil Kalra[/USER]'s XUV 500 as the sweep car. The XUV 500 was loaded with refreshment for the riders. We set off from DLF Promenade at 7.14 am and headed towards Throttle Shrottle on the Gurgaon-Faridabad road for a chai break. [CENTER] Uber cool supermod [USER="6"]Roshun[/USER] briefs the riders the route[/CENTER] [CENTER] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7440[/ATTACH] Gearing up for the ride. We started our ride at 7.14am on a hot Saturday morning [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7441[/ATTACH] On the way to Throttle Shrottle [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7442[/ATTACH] A well restored Yamaha RD350 Cafe Racer with dual discs upfront and a rear seat cowl. Looks better than the Splendor Classic Pro for sure. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7443[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7444[/ATTACH] The sign says it all [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7445[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7446[/ATTACH] [USER="6"]Roshun[/USER]'s Royal Enfield Classic 500. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7448[/ATTACH] [USER="21"]JijoMalayil[/USER] at the second lake at Death Valley [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7449[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7482[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7450[/ATTACH] The path to the second and third lake was tricky... [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7451[/ATTACH] ..and all the riders helped each other clear the obstacles. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7452[/ATTACH] The group poses for photographs at Lake Bhardwaj [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7453[/ATTACH] ​...where [USER="489"]Gaurav[/USER] and others decided to go for a little swim. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7454[/ATTACH] [/CENTER]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n7465[/ATTACH]One of the three lakes where some of our boys enjoyed the swimming

Awesome. I'll be at Promenade, Vasant Kunj at 6.45am. Hoping all will assemble by 7am. We have a quick briefing and ride out at 7.10am. We reach Throttle Shrottle by 7.40am. A 10min break for chai and then we move on to Death Valley/ Lake Bharadwaj by 7.50am We should likely reach by 8.30am. We then spend time exploring the lakes and have some light refreshments. We will wind up by 10am as some of us have to be back in office post that. Guys, do take a lot of photos / short videos. Looking forward to some great photos and meeting some awesome people!

looking forward to this great ride...count me in...

count me in...coming on mu royal enfield..🙏🏻

I am in. And I will be riding with [USER="1614"]shairya[/USER]

Definitely IN for this, will be riding with [USER="136"]Nikhil Kalra[/USER]

[FONT=arial][SIZE=13px]I am in! And will bring my yamaha... [/SIZE][/FONT]:)

[FONT=arial][SIZE=13px]Looking forward to the ride :)[/SIZE][/FONT]

Thanks Roshun for the info.

[QUOTE=Ankit Shankar Giri;n7319]Hi All, Will a scooter like Jupiter will be rideable in the [FONT=arial][SIZE=13px]last 1 km[/SIZE][/FONT](sandy trail) ?[/QUOTE] Yes, it's not deep sand, it's just a sandy trail. We will be riding really slow for the last 1 km - so not an issue at all. In case you are not comfortable, you can park the scooters near the cars and walk or hop on with someone for the last km.

Count me in. Will try getting a bike/scooter.

Hi All, Will a scooter like Jupiter will be rideable in the [FONT=arial][SIZE=13px]last 1 km[/SIZE][/FONT](sandy trail) ?

[QUOTE=Aakash Sisodia;n7301]i have been there couple of time till now, have done swimming in DIMT 2, bharadwaj, and death valley too!! its always interesting visiting there drinking is must! LOL but yes it has beautiful view clean water, and the best part is silence. [/QUOTE] Excellent Aakash, then I'm looking forward to you being one of our guides if you are coming. It would be very helpful in exploring the three lakes. :D

i have been there couple of time till now, have done swimming in DIMT 2, bharadwaj, and death valley too!! its always interesting visiting there drinking is must! LOL but yes it has beautiful view clean water, and the best part is silence.

[QUOTE=Petrolette;n7292]Hey guys, I'll be joining too! ! question, can I meet you'll directly at Throttle Shottle?[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Sukhpreet Singh;n7293]I'm in! Will be joining you from Throttle Shottle with @hothatcher, [USER="19"]Gaurav Aneja[/USER], @nikkilauda... Will be getting a Gixxer SF or a Classic 350...[/QUOTE] Yes, I think that is pretty convenient for those who live around Gurgaon. So, we'll leave Vasant Kunj at 7.10 am or so and catch you folks at Throttle Shrottle at 7.40 am.

I'm in! Will be joining you from Throttle Shottle with @hothatcher, [USER="19"]Gaurav Aneja[/USER], @nikkilauda... Will be getting a Gixxer SF or a Classic 350...

Hey guys, I'll be joining too! ! question, can I meet you'll directly at Throttle Shottle?

I am in! And will bring my Jupiter :)

Finally a ride for bikes...Count me in:cool:

Heard Zoomcar has started to rent Autos now - can bring an auto? Or should we plan a #ZigDrive with Autos altogether? :cool:

I will be there...with my Bullet Dug Dug Dug Dug Dug !!!!

[QUOTE=Pulkit Singh;n7278]Will come for sure with my group...hope all type of bikes are welcomed in this ride..[/QUOTE] Look forward to seeing you there! Yes, all types of bikes are welcome. It's an easy ride for most part. The last 1 km of the trail is a bit sandy.

[QUOTE=n00b;n7217]I shall be there but no ride again. :confused:[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Kavya;n7230]I would like to come..but bike is a problem:( [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Nicky Sharma;n7274] you can come without bike too[/QUOTE] You can come in your cars, but do try and car pool, as there is not a lot of place to park cars. Cars can't come for the full length of the trail and will have to be parked about 1.5 - 2 km away from the lakes on the side of the trail. The reason cars can't come the full distance is that there are quite a few prosopis ([I]Pagal Babul[/I]) bushes growing on the side of the trail, and it becomes quite narrow after a while. It's easy for bikes, but cars will get badly scratched. Secondly, the trail is quite sandy in parts. To get down to the lake, you will have to park the bikes and walk about 100-150 metres to the lake. The water is fairly deep, so I would advise against trying to get into the water - we want you safe! Essentials to carry for the trip - your safe-riding gear, some drinking water, a bag for your litter (let's not leave anything behind), some snack, your camera and a sense of adventure. We are also looking at organizing some snacks & refreshments as well. These lakes are on the fringes of the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary, so keep a look out for Neelgai, Sambhar, Peacocks, Porcupines and a variety of pretty birds. But beware of the monkeys! They are not near the lakes, but about 2km before the lakes there's some abandoned building which has 100s of them!

Will come for sure with my group...hope all type of bikes are welcomed in this ride..

[QUOTE=Kavya;n7230]I would like to come..but bike is a problem:( [/QUOTE] you can come without bike too

Glad to know of this event, the previous 4 x 4 Offroad event was great fun ...will surely be part of this event as well, count me in :)

[FONT=lucida sans unicode][B]I'm in[/B].. don't have bike[I] but ill try to get one for this[/I][/FONT] :rolleyes::D

I will be there on my Thunderbird...... :)

I would like to come..but bike is a problem:(

I shall be there but no ride again. :confused:

I will be there...with my Bull

[QUOTE=Speedzilla;n7114]Can my yeti be a support car? Let me know. No bike for me[/QUOTE] Yeti can be a support car. But the Yeti can only go up to a point on that trail and will have to be parked about 1 km from the lake, as the trail becomes very narrow due to thorny prosopis bushes growing there. I did a recce yesterday with Black Fox (my black Scorpio) and had to stop at a point about a Km from the lake to avoid getting it scratched. Bikes can go further. So support cars will have to be parked about a Km before the spot - there's an open area that can hold about 3-4 cars. Hey, by the way, we really missed you at ZigDrive 2 - your Yeti would have had some fun there. Bring the Yeti, you can carry the refreshments ;)

Can my yeti be a support car? Let me know. No bike for me

Count me in! Looking forward :)

Looking forward to the ride! :D

Count me in too. I'm always looking forward to such exciting trips.

I will be there on my Bullet. It's been awhile since its been cranked!

[B][I]ZigDrive 3[/I][/B] is here folks! All those of you who want to take your bikes out for a nice ride and discover a fantastic lake in the heart of the NCR - Death Valley and Lake Bhardwaj, let's do so on April 2, 2016. Bring out your bikes and let's ride. Why ride? Well, the trails leading to the lakes are rather narrow, so it's easier on a bike than in a car. Plus, the views are simply breathtaking. [U]Here's the plan: [/U] [B]Date:[/B] Saturday, April 2, 2016 [B]Time:[/B] 7:00 am [B]Meeting Point:[/B] Outside DLF Promenade Mall, Vasant Kunj (7.00 am) [B]Chai Point:[/B] Throttle Shrottle, Gurgaon-Faridabad Road (7.45 am) [B]Destination:[/B] Death Valley & Lake Bhardwaj (8.30 am) [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7077[/ATTACH] Route map to get to Lake Bhardwaj below: [ATTACH=CONFIG]n7078[/ATTACH] There will be a couple of cars accompanying us to provide back-up support as well as water and refreshments, so just bring out your bikes and let's ride! Come in early, so we catch the soft morning light and not get toasted by the sun! [B]Please RSVP in the posts below[/B] Also check out our past ZigDrives: [URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/topics/travel-and-leisure/travelogues/5119-zig-drive-a-visit-to-the-heritage-transport-museum-manesar-on-sunday-february-28"][B]ZigDrive 1 - A visit to the Heritage Transport Museum[/B][/URL] [URL="http://www.zigwheels.com/forum/topics/4x4-offroad/offroad-drives/6497-zigdrive-2-discover-your-4x4-on-march-18-19-2016"][B]ZigDrive 2 - Discover your 4x4 & OTR[/B][/URL]