Category: sgElectra

On The Move

I wrote this last night while coming back from Hawk’s place. I was with Neo, when we had to stop and wait for a railway crossing to open.

Waiting for the railway crossing to open. Midnight. Love this feeling. Life has come to a stand still here because thousands of other lives are on the move. Some moving towards their home. Some moving away. And some going nowhere. And yet everyone has something in common. Pursuit of dreams. Pursuit of reason. Pursuit of happiness.

My previous biking posts

Trip # 1: Thoughts, Trips and Tips

I plan to take a note of *all* trips I make on my bike. Let me call the ride from Neo‘s place to work as Trip 1. Not that this is something special (I had a bike till about three years back and I use to ride it to work in Delhi and Chennai) but I thought I would record how I felt about things on the dream machine. And I am itching to write.

Without further ado, in “bullet” points, are the thoughts.

  • A bike could be faulty. But like true fans, I excuse the makers for oil leak on day 1. Hoping to get it fixed soon.
  • The hair (or whatever is left of it on my head) goes for a toss because of the helmet. I still have to tie a bandanna before I can put on a helmet.
  • Mumbai roads are bad. Real bad.
  • If you do not use a pair of eyeglasses, your eyes would get about 2 kilos of dust and grime.
  • Your arms would tan by about three shades.

And here are few thoughts that I had in those 45 mins that it took me to ride from Vikhroli to Andheri.

  • I need to dig out my ipod and put all the travel songs on it. Music should be a mandatory accessory for biking. So should be a chewing gum.
  • Riding is real fun. After a point a sort of monotony sets in. This is the time when you start that journey within self that you always hear about. I was coming down the JVLR and I went in that mode for a few seconds. It was nothing less than bliss. It is worth all the effort and pain.
  • Biking does not change you overnight. But moment you put the machine in first gear, that change begins. We just dont realize it, till it takes over you. It changes the way you perceive things and act on them. And mind you, its not that you are looking for a change. It just happens.

On Bullet,

  • With a bullet, comes the famous thump. You feel it. There are no words to do justice to the sound and thump.
  • Never attempt to race with mortals. You should have your own speed. Your own space and your own ride. Never compete. Its not worth it. A bullet gives you the confidence that you control one of the best machines and it is not about winning against someone you dont know and never will.
  • With a bullet, you know that you are controlling a beast and when the beast responds, you suddenly are awed by all the power. Power that you can only exert over a machine ;P
  • And of course not to mention, all the attention you get from everyone on the road. Some are awed by it. Some are jealous. Some are inspired. Some are angry. Some pretend to be indifferent . Some pretend to ignore. But you know and they know and they know that you know that you are being watched. And obviously, you notice all the attention and you want to believe that you dont notice it. But you do. I do.

That’s it for the day I think. Keep tuned in for more. BTW I decided that I want to go for a Vipassana course. June is the earliest I can do. Lets hope I can do it sooner. And I need to improve my writing. My style is, too coarse. Tips?

No tips ;P

Royal Enfield Bullet Electra is here!!

After waiting for about 5 years (I thought about it first way back in 2004 when I was just joining MDI), and talking about it forever (like here, here and here), I have been able to muster enough courage (and save enough money) to get myself a Royal Enfield Bullet Electra.

This one is a Bullet Electra 5S, 2009 Model. Silver. As compared to classic Bullets, this one has 5 gears, brake on the right side and an electric start. There are minor upgrades in terms of disk brakes, steelwool in exhaust and oil controled shock absorbers etc. The engine remains the same. So does the thump. And so does the (in)famous sound.

I got it on 15th April 2009. So far I have done some 100 KMs on it. Couldn’t annouce it earlier because I did not get the registration and other documents. Finally, I am assured that by today evening I would be a free man.

Yes, a free man. A Royal Enfield for me is not so much about heritage, performance or durability. It is a dream I have cherished for a long time. Its part of the trip I am on. It is like my second life. For me its freedom from the boring routines that we call life. It takes me to a place where I will be by myself. I will be on the road discovering new places, knowing things like I have never know and experiencing the pains and pleasures of riding a Bullet. I plan to take long journeys on it, once I master the art of riding it. Lets just say, I will get in the God Mode (alternate definitions here), moment I am on a bullet.

BTW, we are calling it RajDulara (and Chetak for brevity). Named after Neo‘s RamPyari, finally its hum do, humare do. And please, no test rides. Will try to get my hands on a camera over the weekend and upload some pictures. Next on agenda? A trip to Leh perhaps?

P.S.: My last bike was Kawasaki Bajaj Caliber Croma. I had it for about 5 years before I moved to Mumbai. It was sold without me ever getting to know about it. I plan to make this one last for the rest of my life.

P.P.S.: Next todo is to create a trip poster for myself. These posters are just brilliant. Check them out.

Rampyari


Rampyari: spelt as ‘ra-m-pee-ar-i’

Definition: literally speaking denotes a car which is white in colour, is a 2000 make Wagon R with registration number of RJ145C 1491. on a metaphorical level, it is our getaway from the world on the weekends, where we become incommunicado with the usual trappings, especially the ones originating from office. The significance of Rampyari is so much that a highway and Rampyari matter more than the destination. All she needs is petrol and little care.