Events & Personalities
Ranji’s 4,808 kms ride
"One does not need very sophisticated expensive rides or vehicles to live one’s dreams of travelling," wrote Capt Rohinton Pesi Ranji who mounted his Honda Activa scooter in Bombay on February 3, 2016 and rode solo to the southern tip of India via 
Sholapur, Secunderabad, Tirupathi, Pondicherry, Rameshwaram, Trivandrum, Kochi, Mangalore, Kudal, Khed, Wai and Bombay, he informed Parsiana in an email. In 23 days he covered 4,808 kms, the longest single stretch being 578 kms between Secunderabad and Tirupathi in 12.5 hours, and the shortest being 221 kms between Trivandrum and Kochi in about five hours.
Sholapur, Secunderabad, Tirupathi, Pondicherry, Rameshwaram, Trivandrum, Kochi, Mangalore, Kudal, Khed, Wai and Bombay, he informed Parsiana in an email. In 23 days he covered 4,808 kms, the longest single stretch being 578 kms between Secunderabad and Tirupathi in 12.5 hours, and the shortest being 221 kms between Trivandrum and Kochi in about five hours.
Being on a budget tour, and totally self-funded, Ranji stayed at economical hotels and dharamshalas, where he paid a maximum of Rs 1,145 a day in Secunderabad and a minimum of Rs 450 at Tirupathi. His total expenses were Rs 28,000 of which Rs 7,645 was for petrol alone.
Capt Rohinton Ranji on his scooter, and above right
A detailed account of this tour as well as that of an earlier road trip to southern coastal Maharashtra, are available on his blog: http://my2wheelrides.blogspot.in
Ranji claims that he has not heard of anyone else riding such distances by scooter, though some may have done so. While in the south, he writes that people were surprised to see a Maharashtra state licence number plate and he was often asked with surprise, "Did you come all the way on this scooter?" Ranji cautions that one must consider the limitations of both the scooter and one’s body in order to avoid any mishaps. It is advisable to check the scooter at every overnight halt and have it serviced prior to departure and during the trip. He did not experience any breakdowns on the entire journey, not even a puncture!
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