Life at 100kmph
Its slow.
Darn slow man.
Specially if one has gone at twice the speed, and tasted the thrill of it. The wind hammering against you. You clutching on for fear of being blown away by the wind force. Exhilerating at the experience of it. Sneaking glances at the speedo to see your speed - and jerking back the eyes to the road to realize you missed an entire stretch of the road. Speed... nothing can thrill you more.
But 100kmph is safe on indian roads.
The people are not used to the speed with which a person can travel. Most people here ride at 40kmph and they just have no idea of how fast a person can go when travelling at 100+ kmph. I usually do all my riding with the bike's headlights on. They see the light from a distance and start to cross the road - thinking I am far far away. But at 100kmph I am travelling at 1.6km per minuter. So, the bike they see so far off is on them without noticing it.
I used to get all frustrated at these blokes. That was untill I saw the expression in the eye of an old man , inches from which I had stopped my bike - horns blaring. It was one of utter bafflement. How did this bloke on the shiny yellow bike come so close so fast was the expression in his eye.
Enlightenment came to me that instance. I have faith in my abilities. I can go fast - the bike does 135kmph. I can brake fast. But the junta does not know how fast I can come. They don't move out because they don't know how fast a bike can move.
People ( usually non riders) tell me I should buy an imported bike for my touring. I will be going faster ! Cover more distances. But I don't think that a bike that fast would be good for touring - people will just not get out of the way.
Yes, I will get a fast bike someday for that adrenaline rush. But for my touring, the bike I have suffices. Its not too expensive. Its from a company which has work shops in all parts of India in case something breaks on one of my trips. Its fast enough so that I can overtake most traffic on the roads ( except for the mercs). It handles well at low speeds of 20kmph also which I need to get round the broken roads and the cattle infested crowds of rural india.
I think that this bike is good enough , but I wish it was faster. I wish people understood the need that I feel. The need for speed. And get themselves off from the road when they see the bikes approaching. I wish... :)
Darn slow man.
Specially if one has gone at twice the speed, and tasted the thrill of it. The wind hammering against you. You clutching on for fear of being blown away by the wind force. Exhilerating at the experience of it. Sneaking glances at the speedo to see your speed - and jerking back the eyes to the road to realize you missed an entire stretch of the road. Speed... nothing can thrill you more.
But 100kmph is safe on indian roads.
The people are not used to the speed with which a person can travel. Most people here ride at 40kmph and they just have no idea of how fast a person can go when travelling at 100+ kmph. I usually do all my riding with the bike's headlights on. They see the light from a distance and start to cross the road - thinking I am far far away. But at 100kmph I am travelling at 1.6km per minuter. So, the bike they see so far off is on them without noticing it.
I used to get all frustrated at these blokes. That was untill I saw the expression in the eye of an old man , inches from which I had stopped my bike - horns blaring. It was one of utter bafflement. How did this bloke on the shiny yellow bike come so close so fast was the expression in his eye.
Enlightenment came to me that instance. I have faith in my abilities. I can go fast - the bike does 135kmph. I can brake fast. But the junta does not know how fast I can come. They don't move out because they don't know how fast a bike can move.
People ( usually non riders) tell me I should buy an imported bike for my touring. I will be going faster ! Cover more distances. But I don't think that a bike that fast would be good for touring - people will just not get out of the way.
Yes, I will get a fast bike someday for that adrenaline rush. But for my touring, the bike I have suffices. Its not too expensive. Its from a company which has work shops in all parts of India in case something breaks on one of my trips. Its fast enough so that I can overtake most traffic on the roads ( except for the mercs). It handles well at low speeds of 20kmph also which I need to get round the broken roads and the cattle infested crowds of rural india.
I think that this bike is good enough , but I wish it was faster. I wish people understood the need that I feel. The need for speed. And get themselves off from the road when they see the bikes approaching. I wish... :)
posted by Vibhu Rishi at Monday, August 08, 2005
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