Shankar Kanniappan

Passion : cycling, bike riding, travelling to different landscapes, Music ( Particularly Raja) avid reader, foodie.

After a gap of a month the knights were on the road again to an unknown destination Thalli also called “ The Little England” of India and Time and again I am becoming a kid as it comes to group bike riding and especially with the knights.

This time there are 30 riders all Honda CB350 awaiting the excitement and by sharp 4 am most of the knights were at the flag off point at motel highway for another rampage on the road . Ramesh the captain gave way for the new one Juggy to lead. We were split into 3 groups and there were 10 Ryders in each group. After the Ride briefing the bikes veered off on the national highway to Bangalore.

Thirty Honda CB350 Bikes

Imagine 30 Honda CB350 bikes on the highway ridden with utmost discipline in the early morning. It was a treat to the eyes and ears ( thud of CB350) had a tea break in 100kms and stopped for breakfast @ hotel Aryaas in pallikonda.

This group bike ride led by Ramesh, Santhosh and Varadhan always make a mark in their meticulous planning. Looking for every single detail be it Food , Riding Gears and the Accommodation. They are uncompromisable in that.

Enroute we got a pleasant surprise! It was Captain Ramesh’s B’Day and we celebrated in a Tea shop with a cup cake !!😄. Each bike was numbered and we maintained in the order through. People on the way came in for a pleasant surprise seeing 30 Honda CB350 bikes of similar make and the team The Knight Ryders with full armour. We got thumbs up cheer from them ! Just before Hosur we took a detour to the left to proceed to Thally 27 kms away and We were awestruck by the rustic nature and the weather enroute.

Little England of India

The British named the place as “ Little England “ for a reason!The landscape was beyond what I imagined. Thalli is located 1000 Mts above sea level. It has a rich Flora and Fauna with gushing meadows, cows and sheep grazing lazily, lakes, water falls a reserve forest with elephants and had never been to England but i have read a lot about it’s landscape. The gushing wind and the whiff of fresh air was a blessing in disguise. The serpentine roads piercing the rustic countryside was a treat to ride.We reached Rathnamala Estate, the property we booked for stay. It was a well fenced one with mango groves, coconut trees amidst the lap of Mother Nature.

It’s an eco friendly resort fully built of natural materials. It felt like I am in the English Countryside! 24* C in peak summer of TN is unimaginable.

We had good food served by the host Mr Ramesh thru the stay. Had a brief nap and ventured out to the near by Benki falls situated inside thick forest. We trekked thru to a high point where we can have nice bath. Returned to the resort and wound up for the day.

Day two :

Woke up next morning to discover deep inside the valley and rode up to Sangama in Karnataka to the confluence of two rivers Akravathy and Cauvery! Most of us had a nice dip in the rivers. Varadan’s drone captured the ride enroute in his signature style covering the Pristine and Rustic landscape. Do watch out for his rich Vlog ! Some of us treated our hunger pangs tasting the fresh catch of fish from the river. Rode back to the resort for lunch.

In the evening there was a bon fire and new riders were welcomed and got inducted as Knights in the club. Had a fun filled self introductory session with many of us sharing ourselves authentically. Each one of us of the team The Knight Ryders got to know of the others, their families, their love stories and marriage! This was quiet revealing as many things new unfolded!

We all got connected to each other at a whole new level. Every single ride unfolds like being born again to explore and experience the bounty of nature ! Went to bed with new memories filled and the next morning had to leave home back to routine.

The Knight Ryders, the exclusive bikers club for Honda CB350 is not just another riding club , rather it’s a culmination of people ignited with passion to ride, explore till the last mile. Inside the passion to ride and explore there is lot of Fun for everyone who wants to be part of this group. This is the uniqueness of The Knight Ryders !! Kudos to The Three Musketeers: Ramesh, Santhosh and TechWizard Varadan for their Unfettered love for Riding and for the Knights !