February 25, 2008

It is about the bike.

[Foo Fighters - Best of you]

Its been a year and 2 months now since I brought my 1st bike. Well, don't read between the lines ... I have only 1 bike! :D :P ....

[RHCP - Under the bridge]
Jan'07, 23rd - I brought the new model Pulsar 150 with all the fancy digi meter, improved engine performance n all that ... now its 17th March'08. I have done 8500+ kms, gone for 2 trips... - one home, a crazy, fun-filled 500+ kms journey (one-way) and a trip to Ooty(2 weeks back... will be blogging on that later...). I have been commuting to office almost daily except when my n my roomie are going by his car - the count, which, is waay lesser than the bike's. I have been using it for a lotta trips around the city on the weekends. I have met with 2 minor accidents - one where an auto smashed into the rear when I was waiting to turn n the other was when a retard came through the wrong side and locked up with my bike's crash gaurd taking me down. The total cost of repairs - < 2500/-. The bike returns a decent 50km/l considering that I weigh in around 100kgs. :D

[ATB - Justify]

So, that Jan started a special relationship. One of a kind which only a true biker would understand. I read on another biker's blog - it's something like love. It's something a relation between a master and his/her dog. Also it's something like the always heard relationship type - boyfriend-girlfriend (who are committed to each other :P). The idea to be derived from the 1st is that of being a best friend. From the 2nd, it would the idea of trusting each other.

[Armin Van Buuren - If you should go]

My 2 long trips - which would easily take up 12.5% of the entire mileage of the bike. It hasn't failed me. I ride it hard. I rev it in the 5-6-7k range always, I shift pretty quickly, I brake hard n accelerate hard, I try to avoid bad roads - but many a times its unavoidable, sometimes I have pillion riders who are just as heavy as I. Trust me, my bike HAS BEEN RIDDEN well. The way it's meant to be, I believe, because till now - it's not given up on performing.

[Delerium - Lost and Found]

The bike and the trips its made come true has taught me n changed me. For someone who values experience and events above book-based learning, it's been a revelation. I have learnt to control aggression, think positive (well, even more), also be patient, thinking of round-about-ways, yet ethical n clear, when the straight ones seem blocked. I am not kidding. I am not saying that other experiences in life, being in a new city, living with new friends, earning money, be free of responsibilities of being at home - all these have had a significant impact on me. But the bike and the connection I share with it, I have learned to respect speed, value life, live more by intuition and heart in conjunction with logic and clarity.

[Cranberries - Linger]

I ride pretty quick, pretty free. I have this line for my friend, who I miss a lot now, 'I live to die another day' whenever she used to tell me to ride slowly, avoid night rides. I am sure, now, I've 'graduated' to a different level of biking which has a much fewer number of bikers than the common ones who are either over cautious or are rash. I am not in the elite group - I dunno if I would rank in those. That time would tell. But I am sure a safe rider who knows how to handle the ride. (This I've been ranked among my friends, amongst most of them, to the be safest rider among those they know. Thank u for that.)

[Rammstein - Feuer Frei]

There has to be a reason, right? Or maybe not, actually. The reason is that what just comes into existence when you start to love what you do. There is something about riding that makes it so vindicating. It might be the passion for riding and travelling. But I guess, thats what we need to do. Follow what we love doing the most.

[Poets of the Fall - Lift]

Imagine this: The highway, good traffic, smooth tarmac, it's past 9PM, n that wind blasting into my eye when u speed past that relatively slow moving vehicle infront of you, flash the headlamp, hit the horn once, shift that gear down(at times), rev hard to that screaming past the 9k mark and zoom, you are past it... @ over 110kmph! Night riding is like my stronghold. I am not as badly effected by the oncoming traffic lights. This helps me maintain good speed at nights, and I know the bike like the back of my hand, I know where it would stop, how it would accelerate. I don't know it by statistics , but its the feel. It's just like how I was able to learn UT2k4 and it's timing, I just know. that's it. It makes the experience so special. The scream of the bike, my accompanying friend's on their bikes, its something so special.

[Augustana - Boston]

I guess it's also the apparent risk factor. I would call it a myth or a twisted truth at best. Biking is just a dangerous as driving a car, bus, truck, flying a plane, navigating a boat/ship. Accidents, or worse, death can happen anytime. People say bikes are dangerous, tiring and long rides should be avoided. Wrong. The way it is put is wrong. A self conscious rider, a well maintained machine reduces the risk factor by 50%. The remaining is when u are mowed down by a retarded/braindead or drunk driver or when u have a malfunctioning vehicle.

[In Flames - Cloud connected]

Biking provides a feeling of being in connection with the road, with the world where the bike and the rider are not 2 separate entities, but 1 in harmony.The bike being the extension of the feet, the handlebars being the extension of the hand, the engine being the extension of the heart ... all this making a new breed of species. An evolution of man(and woman).

[Avial - Karukare]

Attaining nirvana is when you know, and you really DO know, your brain is in complete control of this evolved specie and you push this new 'yourself' to the limit and return safe to tell the tale, every damn time! I am immensely happy with this bike. Compared to my friend's bikes - it's inferior in performance, but I love it. I am not going to change this one nowhere in the coming 2 years.

"Live to Ride and Ride to Live" :)

Dedicated to all true bikers out there!.

Cheerio,
Suraj.


Note:
1. Always wear the helmet when u ride the bike.
2. Just as a faq - my favourite bike - easy, Yamaha R1.


A few pics: That's me with the bike.




Thats taken @ 110kmph.

Oh, it's 2.10AM now... adios!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your post reminded me of the beautiful days I used to have with my bro's pulsar 180.

One day I took it to Shyam's place and when I started it, his mom asked whether it is a padakkam. LOL.

Ah... that silencer was a beauty...

Nowadays, I prefer silence, control and stability and if I purchase a bike in the future, it would most probably he a Honda Unicorn or a TVS Apache RTR 160.

I really wish I had purchased a bike when I came here in Pune. But I had a choice. Either a PC or a bike, and I think the former choice was better. :)

Anonymous said...

Amen to that bro! 33,000 km and the enthusiasm hasn't dropped one bit! Although I've a mean set of 4-wheels now, nothing compares to the thrill of riding..

Screaming engines, an open road, the wind blowing on our faces, it's almost orgasmic...

Enjoy the ride dude!