One Heart - Two Wheels

Having had a fluffle of rabbits (Recently learnt: a group of rabbits are also called a fluffle) for a few months now, I have had the opportunity to learn a lot from them, and through them by retrospection. Of those, I am penning down what I felt were the most underappreciated and barely discussed life lessons. And yes, since this is a blog about love-and motorcycles, these do in a way also relate to motorcycles. So here we go. Lesson 1: Love Can be Perceived Differently by the Giver and Receiver.   I used to pounce on the rabbits initially to cuddle them and show them that I love them. Hold them in my arms and feed them treats. But they would just get scared and run away. My method of showing love was to cuddle while theirs is to nudge, lick and groom. They wanted to be left undisturbed in their space. Perhaps if you are patient enough, they might let you share their space. Imagine a legacy printer with a serial port to your new Mac with Thunderbolt ports. Yes, the essence is the s...

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...

On list of things to that can break me, there is a video game trailer that hits me hard. Artyom's Nightmare from the Metro Exodus.. The video shows Artyom, solider, reminiscing life events where he was helpless. People die as he watches without the ability to react. In some cases, he might have been the catalyst to the events and yet doesn't have the power to change the outcome. The video game is a piece of art that tells us his story. Through a silent protagonist, we see a world that no longer exists with any degree of hospitality and everything out there is set to kill you.  And yet, the story of Artyom is that of a soldier who steps out of safety every chance he gets with hope to see if the world has changed. This story, and the game, feels like a powerful tale not just because I am a video game addict but because the game resonates so well with the real-life that I live in. Every I throw my legs over my bike and switch on the ignition I say in my mind "please start...

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...

A breezy evening with nothing but romance and a long ride on my mind. My first love waiting to be taken out. Yet, the confusion arises as I step out. Who should I hang out with? Who deserves my attention? One is a lady, my lady.  One is a chick, but still mine.  Both of them love me to the heart's content and have treated me well. Yes, there has been fights, small misunderstandings but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a lovely Sunday spent with them. Both of them demand attention. If they are let alone for a long time, they either go insane or will refuse to love you the same ever after. But yet, I know that I should not favor one over the other. It just doesn't do justice. Or maybe should I? Does everyone have a favorite from their past? Or do they love what they have with them right now? Neither of them shares anything in common, except that they both show me a good time. But all I know, every guy always ogles at a beauty that they see on the r...

R emember the experiment that you did back in high school? The one using Tuning Forks and Sound? The engine's vibration has everything to do with this important experiment. But wait, are vibrations Good or Bad? How to prevent or overcome them if they are bad? And how are they related to some high school experiment? Read on to understand. Theory of unrefinement states that it is impossible to attain extreme refinement unless the word Yamaha or Kawasaki are involved - actually, I just came up with that :P The engine is a mechanical device that converts energy derived from combustion to kinetic energy of moving piston - which in turn gets converted into rotatory motion thanks to the camshaft. This can easily be seen by the image shown below. The Ideal Engine! But what you see above is an ideal simulation- an ideal that can never be achieved. The engine will always contain microscopic imperfections or the firing of the petrol will happen slightly delayed or advan...

D o you know what is most painful experiences that a bike lover can have? Imagining your bike lying in the parking because it needs repair work being done. If you are a college going youngster, you would probably curse your parents for not giving you enough pocket money; which is very natural -probably I did as well, back then. But if you are employed waiting for the next paycheck. The auspicious date will come by and pass, but some new expenses will always creep up. Making the bike lie in repair state even longer! This is it. Walking Past This Everyday without Repairing it. That is the Worst Thing Ever! There are a lot of people who confuse Cost of Purchase (CoP) vs Cost of Ownership (CoO) of a Bike.  There are a lot of wise wisdom filled quotes that ask you not to bite more than what you can chew. It applies very well to the principle of CoP vs CoO . Being able to afford the bike, its initial payment, the document, and all the rest simply me...

So last week some friends and myself were discussing an interesting topic: Which is more important for a motorcycle - Engine or Brakes? And which is the deciding factor when purchasing a motorcycle?. The discussions started with everyone praising Yamaha’s engine, which is praiseworthy - but it led me to retrospect why engines take up the limelight? Opps! Only if the brakes worked jussst a little better! Most people think that the engine is the most important part of the motorcycle, in fact the word motor itself stands for the engine. This I agree upon, but in a practical scenario- we are not just accelerating forward, but also accelerating backwards aka. braking to avoid being killed. Going one step further, Brakes actually out perform the engines on most motorcycles! How? Let us talk numbers to Prove Something: Motorcycles around 500cc (like Honda CBR650, Yamaha R6, Daytona 675 and lots more) 0-100kmph Usually around 3-5 seconds mark. 100...