Why Ride?

No rider has ever managed to escape this question! Why ride a motorcycle and risk your life when you could easily catch a train or bus to go from point A to B? I often try to brush aside this question with a smile! Mostly because the answer is partly philosophical and hard to explain in words.

Isn’t riding risky? Well, it is! But so is walking on road-side, travelling in a bus/car/train or even sleeping. Being on two wheels and controlling a damn machine requires some amount of skill and focus. Take necessary precautions, wear good quality gears, ride within your and your bike’s limits and you should be fine. On the road, safety of one self and all other road users is of paramount importance. It is not a race track where you are measured in milli-seconds.

For me, riding elevates myself to a different level of awareness. It is one of those things which make you realize how alive you are! All your senses sync up and that feeling is truly magical. As they say, everything looks a little more beautiful through the helmet!

If you need scientific proof, there have been researches that conclusively prove that motorcycling improves brain activity, making you smarter. It also keeps oneself fit (or at least keeps reminding you to work out! ;)). Personally, it has helped improve my level of focus and alertness in general.

Needless to say, it also leaves you richer with life experiences. Each mile clocked helps me become a better version of myself. Biking adds a new dimension to my personality, which is predominantly introverted. Each person you meet leaves you richer. The idea of sharing a bite somehow came through and has since been a major part of why I ride.  It is as if I am doing my small little insignificant bit to leave the world a better place.

I truly believe that the world would be a much better, happier and peaceful place if there were more bikers.

Need for Separate Licenses for Motorcyclists

I have no  glaring stats to throw around! But there is no denying the fact that we are losing precious lives to (careless) riding, every day.

In the recent times, India has seen a sudden surge in the motorcycle market – especially the performance and adventure segments. The entry of global giants like KTM, Triumph, Harley Davidson and many more have taken our roads by storm. Though the options have increased and improved, most of us unfortunately, haven’t matured enough to handle such performance machines.

It takes a whole lot of skill, focus and practice to handle such outright performance machines. Interestingly, motorcycles that are considered light-weight or learner’s bikes globally (the quarter-liter segment in general), fall under the performance segment in India. Credit should go to the manufacturers for keeping it that way. On the flip side, it also points to the riding skills of an average Indian, our road conditions and many more finer details.

We typically start off riding a bicycle, learn to ride a motorcycle during our teen years and then finish the formality of learning as soon as we obtain a driving license (usually by around 18-20 years). A bicycle and a motorcycle handles completely differently. Moreover, a whole lot of bad habits unknowingly creep into our riding and just stay with us. No conscious effort is put towards improving one’s riding.

Today, the law permits anyone who earns a decent income to buy one of those super performance machines and ride it on our streets. The riders’ skill or knowledge is not even considered. So basically, someone who got his license using a 70cc, sub-5 bhp moped can go on and ride a 1000cc, 200+ bhp monster of a bike with no additional training or know-how! Forget proper riding gears, there are riders who hit the streets even without a basic helmet, literally trying to kill oneself and probably a few others too!

There is no point blaming the manufacturers, road conditions or in some cases “parents for allowing their kids to ride”! It is high time to implement ladder-style licensing system in India to ensure safety of riders and other road users. Riders should progressively learn and prove themselves to go to the next level. It will at least help inculcate some good road manners! There could be a million roadblocks in getting this in place; but we are not a country that lack resources and definitely not one to lose its strongest to miserable accidents!

Meanwhile, I would love to see one of the manufacturers take a lead in this direction and NOT sell their bikes to people who could potentially be considered a ‘dangerous rider’. {Oh yes, I do have unreasonable dreams! :)}

[Image courtesy: Wikimedia]