With the year-end work crunch what better way to destress than a weekend fling in Goa on a shiny red Ducati?

The month of December usually means a load of work at ZigWheels and that means we are running helter-skelter at the speed close to Usain Bolt's for the most part. And the end of the world rumours in the air meant it was no point working too hard if it was all to end anyway. But amidst all this year end frenzy it dawned on me that this would be the last time that we'd have a Ducati Monster 795 in the ZigWheels garage, if the Mayan predictions were spot-on.

I swiftly picked up the keys to the bike and headed in the direction of Goa, the great Indian watering hole. However, according to the bossman's directive, I had no more than 48 hours to live it up astride this Italian beauty. Sigh.

Wasting no time, I packed some basic belongings into a new and spacious Viaterra touring bag and left Pune at 11.00am. Taking the wide National Highway 4 to Kolhapur with its scenic landscape was the perfect idea, as the open highway would allow me to keep the Monster 795 running in triple-digit figures for most part of the ride, enabling me to complete Pune-Goa-Pune in less then 48 hours. With McDonald fast food for brunch and Konkani delicacies for lunch at Amboli, it was incredible how comfortable and fatigue free the first 300km were. Apart from the sheer thrill of an 87-horsepower motorcycle, the quick acceleration also makes covering long distances a breeze.

Moreover, the riding position is comfortable and extremely easy on a naked machine like the 795 – no aching arms or sore back. The wind blast however is something you have to learn to deal with. Riding into the wind at high speeds, can leave you with a case of strained neck muscles at the end of the ride.