Today someone planning to break the record for riding along the Golden Quadrilateral asked for advice on a Facebook group. Since I had ridden this network of highways I offered this piece of advice.


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“I rode the GQ on my Harley-Davidson Fat Boy in Jan 2015. Not to break any record. Did it nice and easy in 14 days. Took the time out to experience the states I was riding through and spend time with people.

First off, I think you are doing this at the worst possible time of the year. Winter is the best time for long distance travel in India.

But if you must do this now then I recommend you pay very close attention to the highways on NH 2 (Delhi to Kolkata). Due to the high temperatures that this region faces the tar on the road melts and heavy trucks end up creating ruts in the right lane. These ruts can be quite deep, about 4 inches from the trough to the crest. They appear and disappear abruptly. If you are tailing a bus or a truck you can suddenly find your self in them without prior warning because you can’t see ahead.

If you do land in a rut you need to make a clean break. Keep both tyres in the rut till you find a point where the rut lessens in depth and then take a sharp exit to come out completely. Otherwise your bike with slide back into the rut and may go out of control.

Often you need to do this at 80+ kmph because there is fast moving traffic tailing you.

Whatever you do, remember that there are people waiting for you at home. All the best.”
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After I hit the post button, I started thinking about these motorcycle endurance records and challenges like Iron Butt. The current record for the Golden Quadrilateral is held by a dentist called Arnob Gupta who rode close to 6,000 kms in 92 hours and 30 mins. That's less than four days. I took fourteen. Read this article to know what he went through to break the previous record.

Here is what I think. I like it when people push themselves to do something challenging. As they say, get out of their comfort zone. Some also put their lives in danger to achieve something that they will feel proud of till the day they die. I have done my fair share of mildly stupid things as well.

People die trying to finish the Dakar rally. People die trying to scale mountains and stuff. While it's sad for their families, these people know what they signed up for. They and their families understood that disaster could be a possible outcome. So I'm actually ok with all this. I often hit the like button on Facebook posts showing videos of these people doing stuff I would never dare to even if someone put a gun to my head.

What I don't like is people doing stupid stuff that involves others who didn't sign up for their nonsense. A good example would be riding the Golden Quadrilateral in 92 hours and 30 minutes. Another would be trying to beat that record. I have ridden that route and I know exactly the kind of mayhem that goes on those highways. There are hardly any pedestrian crossings with signs and signals. People and cattle walk across at will. There is no way you can ride a motorcycle for that long a distance, for that less a time and not put other people's lives in danger. I'm really not bothered about your life. You have put it on the line anyways. I'm worried that some poor Indian family will lose their only bread earner because you broke all speed limits and a bunch of safety laws all because you wanted your name on a record.

If you really want to be famous or challenge yourself, go take part in a rally. Take your bike on a track and twist the throttle to your heart's content. Ride your motorcycle through a jungle on a difficult trail. But whatever you do, do it away from the general population. You have no right to ruin someone else's family. Just for a record.

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Deelip Menezes
www.deelipmenezes.com

Think you'll find Iron Butt people get booked for speeding just like everyone else

The Guinness Book of Records no longer accepts these types of records.

----------------- For some idea in the pub ...
If you calculate the distances by there speed limits - that will give you a minimum time without fuel stops. Add say 5% due to traffic? Add fuel stops .. say every 400km, 10 minutes. Then add food stops say every 6 hours, 30 minutes. Then add sleep stops ... every 18 hours, 6 hours. See where that gets you. Anything less than that

Warin, your calculations may work in a developed country like the US or those in Europe. In India, you would need a PhD in God knows what to come up with something like this. :-)

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Deelip Menezes
www.deelipmenezes.com

I've never been a fan of those seeking "records". Especially repugnant are those so called Adventure Motorcyclists who do such things for their own self promotion to sell books, movies and "Create" a career out of ... nothing.

Problem is, most can't write worth a damn, can't make a film and take crap photos. I'm especially UN impressed by speed records. Only one such event has ever got my attention ... the IN-Famous Cabo 1000 ride. Nothing like it ... ever.
No money, no fame, no book deals. Many of my crazy friends did this event for years ... I never did but was invited every year.
When Fast Seems Slow: The Cabo 1000

Nick Sanders is one guy who I see as "abusing" the ADV world with his BS, seeking only money and sponsorship and free bikes and fame. Just BS to me.

But don't ever confuse these common opportunists (dozens out there now!) with real deal guys like Ted Simon and other pioneers who rode dangerous routes long before it was "fashionable".

While Ted did have a commercial connection on his trips, I don't believe it was ever THE motivating factor for him and he was never out to set any records. One only need read Jupiter's Travels to see this.

I also admire Austin Vince, and his early improvised group travel aboard Suzuki
DR350's. It also helps that both Ted Simon and Austin can write ... and in Austin's case, know how to shoot and edit a film.

It's sad how many travelers include how many countries they've been to or how long they've been on the road or how many miles they've done ... and often they'll stick this info in their Sig line, top of their Web site or put stickers all over their panniers.

Travel shouldn't be competitive, zero point to speed records and collecting passport stamps and stickers is like Kindergarten.

Thanks for the link, I had never read this account of the Cabo 1000 before. My favorite is by Rachel Kushner, who was mentioned in the above link, it was in a book of motorcycle stories whose title I can't remember now. She is a good writer, has a couple of novels out which I have read.


**edit**: Now that I think about it, I did read that before, and I think you provided the link. Well, thanks again.

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Andy Tiegs
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/ts...lsouth-america

I know a bit about the Cabo event, being good friends with it's founder Ray Roy and knowing many of the participants. Ray is a kind of celebrity in San Fran Bay area. I got to know Ray on his many Baja rides he led the last 25 years.

Sometime in the late 80's Ray and a few friends got the bright idea to do the Cabo 1000. Somewhere there is a video of Tom Griffith riding a ZX-10 at around 170 MPH. Quite dramatic. Can't find it, it used to be online.

There are still lots of guys (and a few women) around who rode the Cabo. I know a lot of them and have heard MANY MANY stories about the antics and some of the tragic things too. The death of former BMW dealer and multi-time Cabo racer (and good friend) Randy Bradesku brought an end to the Cabo.

Here is a decent article on the event:
Baja Racing News LIVE!: CABO 1000 Rip To The Tip, Baja Racing News EXCLUSIVE

There are lots more stories and they are all true. Crazy stuff indeed.

If someone would pay me to ride around the world you bet I would do it in a heartbeat. Having waded in sewage, scrubbed urinals, fought fires, been kicked by all manner of ranch animals, smashed my fingers more than should be allowed, yup sign me up for a smile and a camera.
Good for those who find the easy way in life.

The Ones who bother me are the jack ass crowd, rich as hell for just being stupid.

I am with you Deelip in not supporting record breaking attempts on public roads.

Sadly, we have many such riders, including Australia's most famous exponent (Davo) who have come to grief exhausting themselves after many long days and hours in the saddle, or riding at high speeds on poor roads such as Molly's ex-friend Randy.

I honestly don't know how riders can stay awake - never mind mentally alert - for such longer periods and I do fear for them, and for those who share the road with them during such attempts.

I have ridden the Grand Trunk road, and many other roads in India, in the 1970s, ànd can clearly recall having to play "chicken" with oncoming trucks in order not to get forced into the deep, loose gravel at the side of the road 100s of times a day. In the '90s I narrowly avoided a collision at 5:30am with an oncoming truck in Australia where the driver had clearly fallen asleep at the wheel, and continued straight ahead across the centre of the freeway directly into my lanes, instead of taking the slight bend in the road. It ground to a halt and stopped literally 100 metres ahead of me, with the driver still asleep at the wheel when we dragged him out of the cab (no, he hadn't suffered a heart attack, he had just been driving 3 days straight). That section of freeway now has guard rails down the centre to avoid a repetition.

I love riding in 3rd world countries and have no qualms about mixing it with local traffic, but not when exhausted and trying to get somewhere in a hurry, or attemping a record time.

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Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

Long distance endurance rides like the Iron Butt make sense in first world countries which have 10 lane expressways with clean exits to other intersecting expressways. Here in India we need a few more decades to reach that level.

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Deelip Menezes
www.deelipmenezes.com