One Heart - Two Wheels

I ndian roads, be it state, national highways, city roads or country roads, are all considered to be dangerous.   G iven this state of condition and the location of where I live and work (on highways), I have to take extreme caution and situational awareness in surviving the roads in daily commute. And adding several long distance motorcycle rides every few months, I am literally battling the odds in a number game to avoid accidents and have survived so far without any major accidents **touch-wood**. So with that level of authority, I can say that I am qualified to point a few methods and techniques that can be used to avoiding accidents on Indian Roads. >>The Definition of the Word Accident:   "an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury." The word implies that it can happen to anyone, can't be predicted. Means, it could happen riding a motorcycle or driving a car, or even when you are sleeping wher...

O wning a D390 has thought me many things, especially patience in knowing when to rip open and when to ride relaxingly. Therefore, I believe that my expectations for the Royal Enfield’s new 650 Twins, the Interceptor and the Continental GT were well placed. Also, having taken the D390 primarily for touring and offloading frequently, I do believe that I have the required aptitude to compare the KTM 390 to the Twins from a common man’s perspective. Expectations: - The Twins boast the cheapest Parallel Twin with a 650CC displacement paired with a SOHC, expected some cost-cutting. - The bore x stroke ratio is favoured towards the long stroke, like the typical Royal Enfield.     This means that the get-go torque will be high (reminded about the RE500)       But would lose pull/power at top end. - Being a Royal Enfield, the engine could vibrate, a bit sceptical even after multiple the ‘chai cup videos’ The Story Behind the Ride: A fe...

M y dear readers might be wondering why I am comparing two different pieces of technologies. Read on to understand the similarities and why bikes even use it when higher lap times could be made at times without them. There are two types of electronics/electricals that are used on the bike. 1) The components used to keep the bike running - Stator, RR, Ignition Coils, ECUs and more. 2) The components used to control the ride - ABS, Traction Control, LeanAngle Sensors and lot more electronics... Before we dive deep into why they are similar, let us understand what they are at first: ABS, short for Anti Brake-locking System is any electronic intervention in the brakes that will simply release a brake(disk) if it detects that the wheel is stationary (wheel lock) that will result in loss of control or skid. This is generally achieved by measuring wheel rotation and reverse pumping brake fluid if wheel rotation is found to be 0. More Info on Myths about ABS TC is short for Traction...

There is a lot of misunderstandings of what ABS is and what it does and more importantly, what it doesn't do. Let us discuss it with a listing of what I think are 3 facts and myths surrounding ABS and why it could save your life someday . ABS is Anti Brake-Locking System As the name implies, it prevents brake locks - the heart-stopping panicking moments of wheel locking up if we apply brake too suddenly. Brakes? Kinda are more important than the engine themselves. This can cause awesome skids which could be attractive if you are a stunt rider and are stunnting. Whereas, if you are trying to stop because you are riding head-on onto oncoming traffic; I have no clue why you would be; but that wouldn't spell good for you, so stopping the biking when you want it to stop is critical for riding. ABS is any system that prevents the wheel lock, by releasing the pressure on the brake disc, if it senses a wheel lock. This is done using motion sensors, which in turn...