My Motorcycling Journey
I grew up in India and my introduction to motorcycling was sitting behind my mad cousin brother, on a Yamaha RD350. He was 16, I was 14. Sans helmet, clad in shorts and Bata chappals (thongs), doing 140KMPH on a potholed, rural Indian road with tears streaming out of our eyes. Neither of us could see anything except the speedo and the fizzing of the village belles staring at us from the side of the road. I was hooked!
For many years after that, I, like every other hot blooded Punjabi youth in the country, dreamed of owning and riding a Bullutt. Technically, its the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 but for millions of people across the subcontinent, from the milkman to the corporate executive, united in their common love of a motorcycle, it is endearingly called, "The Bullutt". The workhorse, the commuter, the tourer, the custom show bike. The Bullutt does it all, with class and passion, if not reliability!
My parents were dead against the idea of me owning a motorcycle so my cousin and I devised a scheme where he bought and kept the motorcycle but I could ride it whenever I wanted. And ride it I did, on many a himalayan trip over the next 6 years.
For many years after that, I, like every other hot blooded Punjabi youth in the country, dreamed of owning and riding a Bullutt. Technically, its the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 but for millions of people across the subcontinent, from the milkman to the corporate executive, united in their common love of a motorcycle, it is endearingly called, "The Bullutt". The workhorse, the commuter, the tourer, the custom show bike. The Bullutt does it all, with class and passion, if not reliability!
My parents were dead against the idea of me owning a motorcycle so my cousin and I devised a scheme where he bought and kept the motorcycle but I could ride it whenever I wanted. And ride it I did, on many a himalayan trip over the next 6 years.
Work sent me to Australia in 2002 with a month's relocation expenses. I bought a motorcycle with the money instead, 2 days after landing. It was an ancient Yamaha XJ600 that started if it felt like and cut out often. But I rode the shit out of it doing trips to Broken Hill, the Snowy Mountains and Byron Bay, on my own.
Bought my first superbike in 2005, a 2001 (pre V-TEC) VFR800, and kept it for 5, riding 40 thousand Ks on it. It was an excellent motorcycle.
Bought my first superbike in 2005, a 2001 (pre V-TEC) VFR800, and kept it for 5, riding 40 thousand Ks on it. It was an excellent motorcycle.
Then the "Go Fast" bug bit and I bought a 2006 Yamaha R1
I destroyed that beautiful R1 and realized that this "Go Fast" business had a bit more to it than just the twisty handle on the right.
I then bought a BMW K1200R, started reading about motorcycling, did a couple of track days and really started to learn how to ride a motorcycle (10 years after I thought I already had it down pat!)
I then bought a BMW K1200R, started reading about motorcycling, did a couple of track days and really started to learn how to ride a motorcycle (10 years after I thought I already had it down pat!)
A year or so later, in search of a lighter, more agile bike, I bought an Aprilia Dorsoduro 750. This motorcycle rocked my world. It took me back to basic, pure, elemental motorcycling. Light, agile, punchy and great fun, it advanced my riding capabilities no end by denying me easy access to big horsepower that my previous bikes had. Instead, I relied on the bike's fantastic suspension and brakes to improve my corner entries and exits. The most fun bike I have ever owned.
After owning the Dorsoduro for 18 months and 20 thousand KMs (see a pattern here?), I was seduced back into the world of sportsbikes by arguably the most beautiful bike ever made. Certainly the most stunning bike I've ever had the pleasure of riding.
The 2011 MV Agusta F4 is an Italian thoroughbred with impeccable credentials. 190 Horse Power with a top speed of over 300KMPH and what a stunner. Many people buy it just to look at but I rode it far and wide. For 2 weeks. And then, like a dickhead, I crashed this rolling work of art, on some gravel. To say I was devastated would be a start towards understanding how I felt but it was what it was. I sucked it up, made it a trackbike and promptly booked it in to do a track day at eastern creek, which is its natural habitat. My mate Tony now owns this bike and plans to race it but has generously allowed me to continue doing track days on it. This bike is so fast and so much fun on a race track that I'm kind of happy its a track only bike now. It would just make me do stupid things on the road!
At the Eastern Creek Race Track
I then needed a bike for the road but didn't have a lot of money to spend after blowing my motorcycling budget on the MV. So I thought I'd buy an old japanese bike for a couple of grand, do it up and see if that keeps me satisfied for a bit. Enter a 1998 Honda VTR1000 Firestorm:
I did a few little things to it and tried to like it, I really did. But unfortunately I never quite warmed to this bike and sold it after a few months.
My current A-bike is
My current A-bike is
a 2007 Aprilia Tuono. I've only had it a few months but I reckon its the best road bike I've had till date. It just does everything. For the first time in a long while, I don't have itchy feet and I cant think of any other bike I'd rather have.
In late 2014 I bought a second bike, a Yamaha XT660R, which is an adventure bike on which I hope to do some dirt riding and explore places off the beaten track.
In late 2014 I bought a second bike, a Yamaha XT660R, which is an adventure bike on which I hope to do some dirt riding and explore places off the beaten track.
So there we are.
I just love riding motorcycles, big, small, cheap, expensive, Ducatis and Hondas and Triumphs and MVs, I have no prejudices and they're all great to me.
Motorcycles!
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