My decade of romance with Motorcycles
I often hear how my mother used to watch a lot of races on doordarshan(The only channel in the 90's) when I was about to be born. It has also been joked often that I didn't come to life with a slap to my back but by the vibrations of my Grandfather's AJS entering the Clinic's parking.
Jokes apart, it is also true that I am not a professional journalist. I blog on the weekends because it keeps me up to date with the information about bikes and cars. Also, it makes sure I keep things quiet amongst friends who warn often how I might not get that free cup of tea. Neither am I a racer. I have never raced a motorbike or car on the road or circuit (Video games are a completely different matter). But then one doesn't need these qualifications to love the art of motorcycling.
Until the time I was able to ride a cycle, I used to zoom around on a scooter, the one you ride by pushing it ahead with your other leg. I once remember my dad bringing home a Rajdoot from work. It belonged to the person who fixed his faithful Bajaj Chetak. That evening I was on the bike seat all day vrooming the steering left and right. What strengthened the feeling was the fact mentioned by dad that he himself had a similar bike before my grandfather made him sell it after my older sister was born. The Rajdoot was everyday Joe's 2-strok 175cc bike manufactured by Escorts under license from SHL (M11) Poland and not from Yamaha as thought by many.
The only thing stopping me from driving a bike was the legibility. In India, once cannot drive a bike under 18 years of age if it is geared or above 60cc. With the arrival of my 18th birthday, I had already started scouring through automobiles for what would be the perfect bike for me. The Yezdi's and RD350's had died years ago. The Hero Honda's were killing what ever little adrenaline Yamaha was able to infuse with the RX135's and RX-Z's with their onslaught of 90kmpl CD100 bikes. Two of my neighbors had purchased Yamaha's a year before. So it was evident I was looking at the 2-stroke rocket of a RX-Z which then sold for 60,000 Indian Rupees (1200 USD). But my parents were very worried about my safety because of the fellow foolish drivers on the roads. Since I was restricted to 100cc bikes, I bought the motorcycle that had just entered the market. The LML Adreno.
The bike was made by LML under license from Daelim of Korea. The 3 valves per cylinder 100cc single engine was alien tech back in 2002. SO was the Front fixed semi-fairing look.The bike offered 60kmpl which was decent for a heavy 100cc bike. But the best part was even at the max speed of 90kmph, it offered such stability other performance bikes including Hero Honda CBZ would commit suicide for. That my father was able to drive it comfortably to work and back was reason enough that he started taking it to work regularly. This left me with a big car to drive to college. Now at this moment, most guys and girls would be happy to get an air conditioned car to drive to college everyday. But, not the Boyracer. The narrow street leading to college was always packed and didn't help matters either. No, it was not about reaching college on time either (Not that I ever was on time, mind you. :P). A second bike was the need of the day. The time had come to promote myself from the 100cc motorcycle league. Enter Bajaj Pulsar 180.
The 180 was the fastest motorcycle of the time apart from the Royal Enfield bikes. The RX-Z again did cross my mind but Yamaha's dwindling fortunes and redundant dealer support led me to finalizing Bajaj Pulsar 180 right away. The 'Definitely Male' ad did work wonders. I did try to find a good well kept Yamaha RD 350. Various bikes had a going rate of 25-35K. But with parents restriction on used bikes, The Rajdoot 350 never saw space in my parking garage. Today these bikes have appreciated in value ten times. But pulsar was awesome in performance and handling. With the onset of Bajaj Pulsar I also got to install two KRP End cans on the LML Adreno which made the bike scream and feel twice as fast than it actually was. It was another case that I used to clean the motorbikes every day and wash them every week. The Bajaj in blue was not the usual Red black and silver and stood out in the crowd. The bike also saw wheelies and stoppies at each traffic light. Burnouts and skids were a regular thing too. Upgrading from 100cc to 180cc did no doubt feel great especially since the power had upped from 8.5 to 16.
Further education beckoned. This also raised the question of what would happen to the two bikes if not driven for two years. Sadly I had to see them go. My heart still skips a beat every time I see my Bajaj Pulsar 180 purchased by a pharmacist near my house. After finishing my education when I returned back home, I was already dying to drive a bike. It doesn't look good on profile if you have to borrow a bike to drive your girl around, does it? :D One evening, I was having an argument with my dad for purchasing a new bike. His valid point was the heavy traffic and the dumb drivers driving them. My good old school friend happened to come to my house the same time. Next day I was the proud owner of a 1968 Yezdi Classic. The best gift I've received to date. The all metal motorcycle was from Czechoslovakia was also my first 2-stroker.
The reverse reline on the seat was a Yezdi trait which made those riding pillion hold the driver close. The Bike was a 250cc two stroke with 16bhp at hand a torque that would shame a Maruti 800. Things improved further when I removed the end pipes (RTO ruled be damned!!). The power improved marginally but the sound improved drastically. One fine night at 2-00 Am when I was entering the place I stayed, the manager was waiting for me especially to tell me to not drive this thing so late since it disturbed others living around. Such was the impact of Yezdi. The bike had to go when further education beckoned again.
Some years later I returned. The need for an upgrade to Yezdi was felt right away. Thanks to the politicians for everything that is wrong in India, the prices have risen highly since the last time I purchased the Bajaj Pulsar 180. So I did not have many options at hand except the Royal Enfield Bullet 350, Royal Enfield Classic 500, Honda CBR250, KTM Duke 200 and Bajaj pulsar 200. Ultimately I settled for the Royal Enfield Classic 500 in the exclusive Desert Storm colour. The Motorcycle had a six months waiting period which felt like a decade. Finally, today I am celebrating my decade of romance with motorcycles along with the delivery of 500cc Royal Enfield Classic 500 Desert Storm. Hope the Upgrade keeps going up and petrol prices keep coming down (wishful thinking).
PS: I am an avid follower of safety precautions and I purchased my helmet before taking delivery of my first bike. The helmet has been faithful till date and also finished a decade of safety. Here's an appeal to all the motorcycle riders to wear a helmet while driving.
Jokes apart, it is also true that I am not a professional journalist. I blog on the weekends because it keeps me up to date with the information about bikes and cars. Also, it makes sure I keep things quiet amongst friends who warn often how I might not get that free cup of tea. Neither am I a racer. I have never raced a motorbike or car on the road or circuit (Video games are a completely different matter). But then one doesn't need these qualifications to love the art of motorcycling.
Until the time I was able to ride a cycle, I used to zoom around on a scooter, the one you ride by pushing it ahead with your other leg. I once remember my dad bringing home a Rajdoot from work. It belonged to the person who fixed his faithful Bajaj Chetak. That evening I was on the bike seat all day vrooming the steering left and right. What strengthened the feeling was the fact mentioned by dad that he himself had a similar bike before my grandfather made him sell it after my older sister was born. The Rajdoot was everyday Joe's 2-strok 175cc bike manufactured by Escorts under license from SHL (M11) Poland and not from Yamaha as thought by many.
The only thing stopping me from driving a bike was the legibility. In India, once cannot drive a bike under 18 years of age if it is geared or above 60cc. With the arrival of my 18th birthday, I had already started scouring through automobiles for what would be the perfect bike for me. The Yezdi's and RD350's had died years ago. The Hero Honda's were killing what ever little adrenaline Yamaha was able to infuse with the RX135's and RX-Z's with their onslaught of 90kmpl CD100 bikes. Two of my neighbors had purchased Yamaha's a year before. So it was evident I was looking at the 2-stroke rocket of a RX-Z which then sold for 60,000 Indian Rupees (1200 USD). But my parents were very worried about my safety because of the fellow foolish drivers on the roads. Since I was restricted to 100cc bikes, I bought the motorcycle that had just entered the market. The LML Adreno.
The bike was made by LML under license from Daelim of Korea. The 3 valves per cylinder 100cc single engine was alien tech back in 2002. SO was the Front fixed semi-fairing look.The bike offered 60kmpl which was decent for a heavy 100cc bike. But the best part was even at the max speed of 90kmph, it offered such stability other performance bikes including Hero Honda CBZ would commit suicide for. That my father was able to drive it comfortably to work and back was reason enough that he started taking it to work regularly. This left me with a big car to drive to college. Now at this moment, most guys and girls would be happy to get an air conditioned car to drive to college everyday. But, not the Boyracer. The narrow street leading to college was always packed and didn't help matters either. No, it was not about reaching college on time either (Not that I ever was on time, mind you. :P). A second bike was the need of the day. The time had come to promote myself from the 100cc motorcycle league. Enter Bajaj Pulsar 180.
The 180 was the fastest motorcycle of the time apart from the Royal Enfield bikes. The RX-Z again did cross my mind but Yamaha's dwindling fortunes and redundant dealer support led me to finalizing Bajaj Pulsar 180 right away. The 'Definitely Male' ad did work wonders. I did try to find a good well kept Yamaha RD 350. Various bikes had a going rate of 25-35K. But with parents restriction on used bikes, The Rajdoot 350 never saw space in my parking garage. Today these bikes have appreciated in value ten times. But pulsar was awesome in performance and handling. With the onset of Bajaj Pulsar I also got to install two KRP End cans on the LML Adreno which made the bike scream and feel twice as fast than it actually was. It was another case that I used to clean the motorbikes every day and wash them every week. The Bajaj in blue was not the usual Red black and silver and stood out in the crowd. The bike also saw wheelies and stoppies at each traffic light. Burnouts and skids were a regular thing too. Upgrading from 100cc to 180cc did no doubt feel great especially since the power had upped from 8.5 to 16.
The reverse reline on the seat was a Yezdi trait which made those riding pillion hold the driver close. The Bike was a 250cc two stroke with 16bhp at hand a torque that would shame a Maruti 800. Things improved further when I removed the end pipes (RTO ruled be damned!!). The power improved marginally but the sound improved drastically. One fine night at 2-00 Am when I was entering the place I stayed, the manager was waiting for me especially to tell me to not drive this thing so late since it disturbed others living around. Such was the impact of Yezdi. The bike had to go when further education beckoned again.
Some years later I returned. The need for an upgrade to Yezdi was felt right away. Thanks to the politicians for everything that is wrong in India, the prices have risen highly since the last time I purchased the Bajaj Pulsar 180. So I did not have many options at hand except the Royal Enfield Bullet 350, Royal Enfield Classic 500, Honda CBR250, KTM Duke 200 and Bajaj pulsar 200. Ultimately I settled for the Royal Enfield Classic 500 in the exclusive Desert Storm colour. The Motorcycle had a six months waiting period which felt like a decade. Finally, today I am celebrating my decade of romance with motorcycles along with the delivery of 500cc Royal Enfield Classic 500 Desert Storm. Hope the Upgrade keeps going up and petrol prices keep coming down (wishful thinking).
PS: I am an avid follower of safety precautions and I purchased my helmet before taking delivery of my first bike. The helmet has been faithful till date and also finished a decade of safety. Here's an appeal to all the motorcycle riders to wear a helmet while driving.
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