Ride preferences

'So what kind of motorcycle rides do you like to do?' asked this chap who'd been a blog regular for a while – but I was meeting him for the first time. The question left me a bit stumped. To be honest, I've never really thought about it. I've been on a few long rides, and I thoroughly enjoyed those. Except for the photography, loo, and refreshment breaks, that is.

I absolutely love commuting, no matter what the weather or traffic is like. I've no problem with the urban crawl either. I have fond memories of the time I rode some motocross bikes to destruction (mine, not the bikes'), and while I am still a bit cowed when the prospect of riding hard in the dirt presents itself, I don't really think I'll ever say no to that. So what is my ideal kind of riding, really?

It's a great question to start planning the new year ahead with, no?

I think the chap simply meant, 'Which kind of touring?' As in, 300 km days strung out in a row, Iron Butt Association style 1,000 km or longer riding day – a test of staying power, if you will, or... what other kind is there? I really don't know the answer.

Personally, touring on motorcycles is not about the number counts that go with it. See the fuel gauge drop to quarter tank, refill and keep at it. In the ideal world, when my head would say enough, say 450 km later, a clean, functional hotel would pop right up on the roadside and that, would be that.

Also personally, I think riding in the night on our roads, especially over long distances is sheer madness. At the best of times, we can't ride risk-free in broad daylight. To do this equipped with a pitiful headlight and against merciless truckers and pathetic road conditions is just too much. I wouldn't. So, while I'd love to a 1,000 km day, it won't be in India anytime soon from whatever I can tell. Let us just say, that my risk appetite is much lower than yours.

Not that a 1,000 km day is all that big a deal either. On a big-inch machine, it's not all that much effort given good roads and good planning. Really, there's nothing to it. And that would be true even in our situation. Big engines make a lot of difference. The difference between doing Goa, 650 km away in ten hours in a Maruti Alto, versus in, say, an Optra diesel or something. The former is tiny, buzzy and far, far more stressful. The latter can, at the same performance/speed level, relax, operating at some measly 30 per cent of its ability. On smaller machines, like ours, though, it's a lot of effort. I know there are those among you who have done it. Repeatedly. And I respect you for that. But it's not my flavour of tea, if you get my drift. When the right bike comes along, I shall join your elite club too. But dragging a small motorcycle into a stressful, near-80 per cent of performance potential all the time, 14-hour riding day is not fun after a while.

But the lion's share of my riding, it has to be said, is commuting. And that's a complex thing to be good at. Working out the complicated dynamic equations that are operating around you, selecting the fastest and safest lines from the scores of options, making those kind of 'right' choices on a continuous basis separates the men from the boys. I've had the privilege of 'demonstrations' from a couple of masters and I swear it's like magic. I think I'm pretty good at it, but in a true master's hand, it's voodoo. Seriously. They always look dead slow. And gaps appear in traffic for them. It's almost as if they can get into the heads of ten or more drivers at a time and literally hand-pick them into giving up generous amounts of space for them. Totally in awe.

But again, is there a kind of ride that I do really lean towards? Well yes, the ones which make me smile when I remember them later.

Wish you lots of those in the coming year!