Motorbike

It was one of my dreams to ride a motorbike. Maybe it sounds silly to many, few might laugh at me, but that was truly my dream. I learned cycle easily in my child hood. However, I didn’t enjoy the real pleasure in motorbike riding until after my marriage.

When I was doing intermediate no one in my college had motorbike. Few used to come by walk to college and others come by cycle. Even I used to go by walk. One of my friend started learning scooter at his house. His father had a scooter, so it was an advantage for him to experiment on it. Like him few other friends also started learning it using their father’s scooter or motorbike. Since my father didn’t have either scooter or bike, I was not that much fortunate like others. I was skeptical about asking my friends to teach motorbike on their father’s vehicle. Soon my friends have gained confidence in riding a motorbike. They started using it outside. I was seeing them silently thinking when I would ride like them. I got dreams like riding a motorbike on a black long road, having a girl on back seat and accelerating super fast like a jet. One day, I dared and asked my friend to teach me. He was in a good mood, asked me to sit on his father’s Bajaj Chetak, and explained the basics about scooter like where the break will be and how to use it etc. That was my first lesson. After his lesson, he asked me to start it, and asked to release the clutch slowly. I started it, but due to tension I released the clutch instantly. The scooter gave big jerk, and I was not able to handle it, so left it on the floor. It felt on the floor making big noise. My friend’s father came from house because of the sound. One of the side mirrors got broken, so he got angry and yelled on my friend.

My first lesson ended like that. With this incident, my belief that I can ride a motorbike dropped drastically. I stopped asking my friends again, rather satisfied riding it in my dream.

During engineering, I bought a city-bike for my daily commutation. City-bike was nothing but the trendy cycle in that year, which has better looks than normal Hero cycle. Nevertheless, I got an opportunity to learn motorbike again during that time. One of my friends offered me to teach it. He had a Yamaha bike which was a dream motorbike for many young stars during that time. I went to the open ground to learn along with him. He asked me to ride, I always had a problem in releasing the clutch, after several trails somehow I managed to sync clutch with acceleration. I drove for some time, then all of sudden when I was making turn, it got unbalanced, and I felt on the ground along with the bike. My right leg stuck in between silencer and ground. My friend came and lifted the bike. By the time damage had happened, silencer burned my leg.

After that incident, I never asked one more time any of my friends in college. Some kind of complex developed in me like I can’t ride motorbike in my life again.

I finished my engineer and got a job. In my room, almost all roommates had motorbikes. Multiple times they tried to teach me, but all were vain. I was using company bus for office and BMTC buses for weekend trips. Whenever I sat on my friend’s motorbike on the back seat, I felt ashamed that I didn’t know how to ride it. One solace was few of my friends were also like me, afraid to ride a motorbike.

It passed like that almost 4 years. Many times I tried and failed. My biggest problem was synchronizing clutch with acceleration, was not able to do it properly. Slowly I realized that it was too late to learn bike, supposed to happen when I was doing engineering, so stopped my trails. I knew riding gear less scooter. I drove many times. But, it won’t give same thrill as like riding a motorbike.

I got married. It was imperative that I must have some vehicle after marriage for commutation. I thought of buying a Honda activa, which was a decent scooter without gears. Soon I quit that idea and started learning car driving. I took all lessons and got a license. After learning car driving, I did understand the mechanism about automobiles and few things about clutch, gears and acceleration. The basic mechanism is similar in the motorbikes and cars. I got some confidence and developed hope that maybe I can restart my trails of learning motorbike.

One of my colleagues came forward to teach me. That time I learned seriously, able to balance it. However, I scared to ride it on busy roads. My colleague told me that will come gradually. I thought I can’t wait until I became proficient in riding it, also afraid I may end up in big accidents. I decided to buy Honda activa. Along with few of my friends went to Honda show room to enquiry about the price and other details. That time I saw it. It was a Honda Unicorn, black model motorbike, proudly standing in the middle of the showroom. It was shining like a star, the silver coated 3D Wing mark Emblem was sparkling like a diamond. I was not able to turn my head for a moment, staring at it. I thought, at least in the next birth, I will try to ride it. We got the details about the Activa and came out of the shop. My friends felt uncomfortable about my decision. One of my friends said, “See! Honda Active is not at all suitable vehicle to you. Look at the bike unicorn. That is a perfect match to you. You better buy it”. I reacted quickly and said, “See the size of that bike man, can I balance it. Forget it”. But they convinced me like I rather buy at least Hero Honda splendor, which is small in size easy to control. After hearing all their advices, I dropped the plan of buying Honda activa.

Days are passing; I started reading reviews to figure out which motorbike to buy. Despite of many advices in Internet, from my friends, my mind was stick to Unicorn. I was not able to sleep few days properly. I struggled to get confidence that I can ride it, and thought let it take time to gain expertise in riding on traffic.

I took a daring decision, not looked back, went to show room and booked the Unicorn. Few days later, I got a call from the dealer that bike was ready to pick up. With the help of my colleague, I put unicorn in my parking lot. The bike weighs around 150Kgs; I strove even to park it properly in the parking lot which was a bit high from the ground.

My colleague helped me until I get some familiarity riding on it. During this process, I escaped several major accidents. Indeed, I end up on few minor accidents.

Days are passing, first few days I used it only in weekends. Gradually I used it to commute to the office. Within a month, I got some proficient in riding it.

One fine day evening, I asked my wife to come on my motorbike for a pleasure ride. Until that day, she was afraid to come because of my inexperience in riding bikes. It was an awesome weather, both sunny and cold, Jayanagar wide roads, almost whole street covered with tress, chill wind was blowing through my face, my wife was sitting back holding me tight, there was no engine noise from bike and I was riding Unicorn. That time I experienced true pleasure in riding a motorbike, I was flying as how Leonard Dicaprio and Kate Winslet had experienced on titanic ship. That movement I thought my dream became true. Later then, we traveled so many places on bike. Even my kid likes motorbike riding. However, she happily sleeps after some time.

Thus, if anybody still not experienced riding a motorbike go and try it once. I’m telling with my own experience you never regret it and lot better than a car. Another thing is, how small or silly your desire is, never give up and never think that it is too late. After all, fulfilling those small desires gives lifelong unforgettable memories to you.