Given my history of being irresponsible and at times utter careless about my belongings, everybody around me were skeptical whether I deserved the Bullet or not. Well I do agree that I am not one of those motor freaks who would take a spanner in their hands and get to work on their machines on hearing a slightest noise which is not normal to their trained ears. But then my Bullet is teaching me, it is making me learn and making myself worthy of it. And that is why I say much in the vein of the famous TV series of yesteryears: Man..Machine..The Bullet!!!
The first 3000kms (running in) are very important to determine the fate of the Bullet. Just like a good schooling to some extent is the foundation of your later life, the running in is of prime importance for the Bullet. It is advised not to rev the engine much and yes also not to go beyond the 50kmph mark on your speedometer. With all this knowledge, I threw caution to the wind and did what I always wanted to do. Within the first 3000km I was consistently clocking 80kmph and I even dared to make my first trip to Nashik this way. I knew I was rubbing it too hard but once the thump started, I just could not stop. It was as if I wanted more of it…more of it. The Bullet was teasing me, many times testing my patience and I gave way. The result, oil leakage, burning of oil in the engine leading to white fumes from the exhaust leading to indications of engine seizure. The block piston had to be changed (thank God this was covered under warranty), but the machine stood in the shed of the garage for a better part of the month mocking me and shouting “You LOSE!!!!”
After I got it back, I ran it in (taking the precautions I should have taken earlier) and every thump that time was as if the Bullet was laughing on me saying “..grow up mate…speed isn’t everything; learn to enjoy the ride.ha ha ha !!!!”
Getting your ride serviced regularly is also of prime importance and my Bullet was no exception. The riding manual advises to get the Bullet serviced every 3000kms, with the replacement of oil, changing of the air filter and other general checkup like the brakes, tightness of the chain etc. After the block-piston heartache I regularly visited my mechanic and my ride responded with no issues at all. I rode to Hyderabad for RM 08 and also rode to places near Pune. The ride to Hyderabad gave me a sense of pride and a feeling that yes I was finally a rider, deserving my Bullet but it was not to be.
Pride brought a sense of complacency in me and the visits to the mechanic started to be few and far between. Only when a ride was planned I visited the mechanic to get the ride serviced. I let the 3000km rule fly out of the window and the Bullet gave me a wake up call!!!
Returning from office with my roommate Aniket one evening, I hit a pothole on the road and the chain gave way much like in a bicycle. I had nothing but to kick myself. Hell the Bullet was due for servicing a couple of weeks back. “Suffer mate!!!”, said the Bullet as I parked it in a nearby building and got back home on my rommate’s bike ( a pulsar). It took me 2 days to find a mechanic who could get there and fix the problem before I got the ride to my mechanic for servicing. When I related this incident to him, he could not help but laugh. I was looking for someone to hide behind; but the onus was on me.
Then I even had a fall from the Bullet when in one of the ghats while coming down I took a wide turn and then slammed the front brakes as I saw that the ride was going off the road onto the gravel. The front wheel skidded and I came crashing down with my pillion finding an apt cushion in me. The guard in the front prevented injury to my leg and we were back up and riding. Not bruised but battered nonetheless. From that day I keep my turns tighter and less wider, controlling my speed also.
There are a lot more lessons to be learnt, lot more wakeup calls to be listened to before I can be anywhere near a TRUE RIDER but to get there I have only one way and that is to RIDE!!!!
And it is only after I feel that I am close enough to be one with my Ride that I will take the ultimate route to RIDER HEAVEN!!! You know what I am talking about, the route from New Delhi to Leh-Khandung la!!!
The ultimate route:
1 comment:
Yeah babe! Wooo hooo!
Post a Comment