Many people have asked me that when I decided to buy a bike, why did I choose a Royal Enfield Thunderbird? Well, my answer is – I didn’t decided to buy a bike, I decided to buy a Royal Enfield bike and choose the Thunderbird among its offerings. So what inspired me to go for a Royal Enfield? And how I am finding the experience so far? Discover the answers to these questions in the following paragraphs.

During a ride

Long Distance Riding
I was always loved traveling and enjoyed wherever I went. But long distance riding on motorcycles was something which always excited me. I have always heard about how adventurous these trips can be, how wind blowing in your face can give you an exhilarating experience. Moreover, on my trip to Mashobra with my 99acres team in 2008, the tour was organised by one such person who used to organise motorcycle rides regularly. A biker dude… u can say!! We hit off somewhere during that trip and since he was also from Delhi and living not far away from my place, we became good friends. So he was the one who inspired me to try this out and really “live” life. To know more about him and his tours, please visit http://www.soultrailsmotorcycletours.com

Just Do It
After the motorcycle bug hit me, I used to follow up on any news / info regarding these rides. I thought of buying a bike many times, but always gave up, because of the huge financial cost of these bikes (Rs 1 Lakh +). As I moved to Bangalore soon after that Mashobra Trip, I tried a small bike ride on a rented pulsar to Nandi Hills and enjoyed it. But I could not find an option to rent Bullets in Bangalore. I kept postponing the decision for almost over a year, and finally, in September 2009, I decided to “Just Do It!”.

Doing what people believe you can’t do
For those who don’t know, it is one of the best bikes available in India and considering my built, nobody ever expected me to buy this as my first bike. After all, the weight of the bike is 3.5 times my weight, and I do find it difficult to handle when the engine is off. And whenever I discussed this with anybody, either they laughed or suggested that I took a lighter bike instead. But then, where is the fun? It is always fun to do something which others think you can’t do. Even now, when I tell someone that I have bought a bike and it is not a 100-150cc one but a 350cc monster, the look in their eyes is worth seeing…

The Over the Helmet View

So I just went ahead and bought my first bike. It was difficult handling it at first, but after a month of riding, I was feeling very comfortable. The weight is still a issue, and luckily, I have not had a punctured tyre till now 🙂 But whenever the engine is on, I don’t need to worry about its weight. And I think it is worth the pain of dragging it in case of a breakdown (which happens very rarely). And I can always ask for a little push from someone if I find it difficult to handle it!! And the results have been good, with 4000 km worth of riding done in 6 months.

In the last 6 months, I have done rides to Nandi Hills, Shivasamudram, Yelagiri and Bandipur. The last one was wonderful as I covered over 580kms in two days. It do takes you time to get used to riding long distances, but the thrill and adventure of cruising on highways is amazing. With riding, you are “in” the scene, not just watching it from a window of your car or bus. And the fun of riding with fellow riders is amazing. When 10 or more bullets pass thumping through any road / village / town, the bikers are the center of attraction and it is an amazing feeling, I can tell you.

Bullets, lots of them