A 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.

10 bikes we need in India

1. Norton Commando 961: Cafe racer bikes are still a rarity in India. But with the rise of motorcycle sales and popularity, hi-end bikes are finding many takers. Norton Commando 961 is exactly the bike which is not meant for the takers of Yamaha R1 and Honda CBR. Norton Commando 961 is more of a grown up and efficient competitor of Royal enfield bikes.

The bike looks like nothing on the market at the moment. While the Ducati Streetmonster looks a thousand bucks, the Norton has the charisma of a retro bike that is less archaic than the enfield and demands respect. The Norton F1 engine is a 961cc machine capable of 80 bhp and instead of being high tech, the engine boasts of the British spirit which makes driving cafe racers extremely fun.

Many might argue that the brand is not as well known as a Ducati for the same price, but all it will take is a drive on this Commando.


2. KTM 300XC: The last 2-strok motorcycle we got to enjoy in India was the Yamaha RX-Z. The bikes were sold in extremely low numbers and dealers did not even put the vehicles through proper PDI (pre delivery Inspection). But KTM along with ATK/Maico are the only major remaining 2-stroke motorcycle makers of capacities bigger than 250cc. KTM now owned majorly by Bajaj Auto is all ready to enter India with their Duke 200 model in the next 48 hours. This also opens opportunities to get to buy the KTM 300XC in India. The success of Hero's Impulse motorcycle is already proof that Enduro bikes are the in thing.  1-cylinder 2-stroke engine, water-cooled engine is so light, the bikes total weight comes to only 104kgs/ 229lbs.

A major drawback faced by this motorcycle would be the image of 2-strokes as gas sippers. Also the low capacity engines of 2-stroke machines may be found lacking on paper compared to its capability and Just like SUV's, this KTM is not going to see any endurance drives.

3. Moto Guzzi Griso: Unconventional is the in thing in India. Hence we need Moto Guzzi. The Griso stands out in the crowd of mass produced motorcycles and that is its primary USP. The huge cylinders coming out on either sides reminds one of a BMW boxer engines but Moto Guzzi is as Italian as it can get. We also need the bike because we only have the conventional Japanese trodding our streets and we have every right to style in a democratic economy.

The bike feels great between the legs thanks to the wide engine and fuel tank design providing a stance that is midway between a cruiser and a street biker.

4. Cagiva Mito 525: To be successful, a motorcycle needs three things. Rocket pace, good looks and heritage. Enter The Cagiva Mito. This bike is powered by a 125cc 2-stroke powerplant that makes 37bhp enough to put many basic 4-sroke 250cc bikes to shame with a whooping power to weight ratio of  287 bhp per tonne. For the laymen, imagine a sleepy TVS Victor beating the hell out of a Kawasaki Ninja 250cc before yawning. The smaller capacity engine also makes it cheaper to buy without compromising on the performance. And above all, The Mito 525 needs to be bought for the sheer 2-stroke wail emanating from that small exhaust.

5. Ural ST: We Indians Loved the Jawa. We still love the Yezdis. So we need the Ural ST. Yezdi/ Jawa's were sold as the 'forever bike, forever value' product. IMZ-Ural from Russia is precisely that. Apart from the URAL ST solo, all other motorcycles come with a powered sidecar making them 2wd. And, thr Russian army still uses which makes them invincible. The Soviet look and the reliability are the major selling points for this bike which can scare a herd of 20 splendors without a drop of sweat. Custom design option is a plus. The 745cc engine makes 40 horses which is only enough to humiliate a  Royal Enfield.

6. Moto Morini Corsaro Veloce: The 'I am friend with E.T.' name is enough to buy this bike before you actually look at the Sexy Italian design. The comapny has recently risen from bankruptcy (is the company logo a phoenix??) but the bikes are still fun to drive like anything Italian. Next time any superbike teenie tries to mess around with you on your streetbike, let the 1200cc v-twin engine with 117bhp on tap do the talking. That's the thing about Italian motorcycles. The suit makes you look smooth even when your paws are ready to scratch.

7. Husqvarna WR300 2-stroke-  Along with KTM, BMW has also kept 2-stroke development on fire. The hopes remain that one day people will stop worrying about Fuel Efficiency and refinement and give in to the urge for the rawness of the 2-strokes. This is also displayed in the designs of the now BMW owned Husqvarna WR300 2-stroke motorcycles. For years the big 500cc bikes always find a second place against this monster killer.

8. Husqvarna Nuda 900: The Swedes are the underdogs in the world of Automobiles which is evident from the fact that some of the best cars have come from the house of Volvo and Saab and some of the best bikes have come from the world of Husqvarna. Now owned by BMW, Husqvarna's designs still retains their quirky traits which is evident from the Husqvarna Nuda 900 streetbike. Never before have I heard a punchline as absurd as 'Mistreat the street' but it definitely works. This is also probably the first bike fused with 100% BMW technology and 100% Husqvarna performance as proudly advertised by the company.

9. Motoczysz E1PC: Electric motorcycles are the future since US will be left with oil but nobody to buy at their atrociously high rates. Realizing this An American company with backing from Bajaj Auto has made Electric bikes sporty and fun. The Motoczysz E1pC was the first bike to win Isle of Man TT championship in 99 years hailing from the land of Americas. With a 330V 12.5kwh battery and a complete carbon fiber structure this bike has a lot going in its favour. The C1 prototype has an engine with perfect balance and does not need a balance shaft. Some of the patented innovations include a slipper clutch with twin clutches, a unique front suspension, and many others.

10.Indian Bomber: Before there was a Honda, Vespa or Harley-Davidson, the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer was a company named 'Indian' which is now more than 112 years old. The company had saw bad times during the world wars and after bankruptcy some companies also imported various Enfield models from UK to be re-badged as Indian . Now owned by Polaris Owned Victory Motorcycles, Indian is still unique in the way its engines are specced and its body shells armed.