Friday, October 22, 2010

What got you Started?

The idea of this Blog Post is courtesy Mr. Devesh Uba and I thought of compiling all ur stories and preserving them in one single place...

There is always a reason behind every passion and as you read through this post you would find the myriad reasons behind why each one of us got hooked onto this passion of motorcycling and hope to keep the flame burning the same way it is today...Amen to that...some of them are awe-inspiring & some of them are plain & simple yet interesting...read on to find more...






Devesh Uba



I used to live in Vikas Nagar, 40 Kms from Dehradun (I am sure you recall it from Chakrata ride) when I was a kid. That time my dad used to ride a scooter (LML Vespa) and my dad's best friend was a Bulleteer. We were a typical middle class family back then, where my dad was in a government job and everyone was content. There however came a dent in the content part, sometime in 1993-1994. I was in 5th standard and we were going for a trip to Kalesar (Haryana). My dad and myself on LML Vespa and Uncle and his daughter on his Bullet (RJP 7800). I can never forget that day, dad admitted that he always wanted to ride a Bullet and someday he will. As a kid I was already celebrating and it was registered in my mind that Bullet is a superior machine. And I got a few rides with uncle and I felt the respect it got from wherever it went.

That day never came (when my dad would buy a bullet) and we soon shifted to Jaipur where dad started his own business. I was still in love with Bullet. Once I finished schooling in the year 2000, I demanded a Bike. I asked for an Electra and everyone laughed. I was thin, 5'4 and I was not made to ride a RE. So I got a Hero Honda Splendor (ok, no one laughs here). So my college got over with 65 KMPL and it went well.

I joined Genpact after college (2003-04) and made an awesome friend at work - Navneet Singh. Navneet was a very unconventional Sardaar. He was almost the same built as mine but looked strong due to the Pagdi and beard. He used to ride a Machismo (the one before AVL engines, basically the iron cast engine), and I had a few rides as his pillion. Once I asked him "Navneet, sab tere ko bolte hain ki tu Bullet chala raha hai ki Bullet tujhe chalaa rahi hai". Navneet laughed and said "Behenchod Bullet chalaane ke liye jigar chahiye, height nahi". It got stuck with me. He taught me how to ride; I got at ease with the right side gear shift.

Then in 2009, after I got a job and saved money for bullet.... I bought myself a RE Bullet 350. 20th August 2009 was when this childhood dream was realized. And since then I have clocked 23 K KMS in 13 Months. I have tried Hero Honda Splendor and CBZ. I liked CBZ for the power it had, but I was always sold over Bullet's thump so I knew what i wanted ... I guess it was just a matter of time.



Che



I had an elder cousin brother...he had an RX-100 Bike and he used to give me rides as a pillion which were nothing short of scary...and I loved them holding him tightly and praying to God while he used to rip away to glory...

Sadly my brother died in a car accident in Brisbane, Australia on 28 June 1993...Speed got him finally one day...may his soul rest in peace...

He had a Sardaar friend named Moni with whom he used to go to the Akhaada and exercise (yes he never went to a gym) and his friend Moni had a standard bullet and he was a gunda of our locality so I was always scared of him...those days anybody with a bullet was a gunda for me due to the child like perception I had...

When I shifted out of North Delhi in 2004 Moni still used to ride his bullet and it was going strong...wonder where he is these days...

February 2000 was the time when I rode my Bhai's Bullet Machismo 350 for the first time and that ride was one helluva ride, I rode to the Kamla Nagar Market to have a Sutta at my regular Panwaadi, it stopped atleast 5-6 times before I reached and I had to kick-start it all over again and you can imagine how tough it is to deal with the Pressure & Ammeter tactics for the first time...infact that was the first motorcycle I rode in my life...could not have been better than that!!!

Bhai bought the Bullet in July 1999 straight after passing out from IMA and took it to Mhow where he was doing his young officers course and had an amazing time there, after that he got the bike back to Delhi and he went to Manipur where his unit was posted and his bike was in my safe hands after that till July 2001!!! He purposefully left it with me so that I could enjoy my College Days riding the Bullet and not my Dad’s Scooter…thanks to Bhai for that!!!

I used to pride myself in cleaning & polishing his bike and the chrome used to be spotless!!! I made perfect use of that bike roaming around in the North Campus of DU and I used to be very heavy then...almost 85 odd Kgs and the bullet suited my body structure perfectly!!!

To be honest I used to hate the bullet then as it was not in the best condition and I used to sweat profusely while starting it every morning...everyday some 25-30 kicks used to drain me out...and 5-6 times it got punctured and as all of you know pushing a punctured bullet is no mean task...it used to break down without any rhyme or reason and that’s why I never liked the reliability part of it...

Made countless trips with my then girlfriend around Delhi but never ever thought that I would become a serious Motorcyclist some 8 years later...

I went to give all my MBA Entrance Tests and MBA Interviews on the Machismo only...and I vividly remember going all the way to MDI Gurgaon from my home in North Delhi on my bullet and it seemed an endless journey...sadly I couldn’t get thru MDI but that ride would be always fresh in my mind...some 100 odd kms...my longest ride in a day till March 2008!!!

Once I got to Goa in July 2001 for my MBA the bullet was gone and I had my father's 1989 Model Bajaj Chetak with me for 2 years at Goa!!!

My Bhai’s bullet was parked at my home in Gurgaon from February 2005 till August 2007 but I never ever thought of riding it...I was happy with my Pulsar and didn’t even start the bike ever, it was duly covered and waiting for its owner(Bhai) to come back and collect it !!! So much so for the bad times I had earlier...

Inshallah my Bhai would be joining the Anniversary Ride to Chittorgarh in November 2010 if his leaves get approved and I would be so proud to ride with him...let’s hope he can come...

I dream of the day when my Nieces/Daughter(s)/Son(s) would ride The Mighty One...



Vikas Garg



My family never believe in bikes, papa always thought that jo bike chalaatey hain wo Badmaash hote hain Lafangey type and infact jin bhi mere cousins ke paas bike thi wo Lafangey hi they. So first when I sat on bullet I don't remember. One of my cousins had a bullet always and still he has got one. He use to be a dada in his college and I was studying in school a small kid. So whenever he comes to our house that was a treat for me as I always went for a ride with him and the sound of bike always pumped my heart beats as it does it now.

So after college got my first job and planned to by a bike. And the choice could not be diff. I somehow manage to convince my papa and he even financed some part for me which I would never be able to return him. I ride the bike only for commuting to office and back and always wanted to ride it for long but could only manage 100 km. I did only two rides with one of my friend (same on both) to Jaipur and Mathura that's it. After that I bought a car and parked my bullet at home for odd 4 years.

I always wanted to do long rides but didn't find like minded people or I never tried before. 2 years back I took it for repairing as family was pushing for selling the same. Which I could never do in my life.
So I thought lets make it run otherwise it would be sold and took the same for servicing to Pappu Bhai in Mahipalpur. There I even got it modified and did the design my self and still trying to complete it.

There I met other enthusiasts who were going for ride and did my first ride after 10 years of buying my bullet. I also find the BoP on Royal Enfield site and contacted Nishant Bhai and met the group at Offisial Attyachar.

After that rides are on and trying to go as time and job allows.



Aashish Francis



I must be one of the very fortunate few in this group to have been 'born and brought up' on the Bullet, and even more amazingly, the very same Bullet...

My dad came from a family with an inclination towards automobiles and workshops, and he spent much of his youth on a Bullet which he finally sold...so post-marriage, my mother put aside money every month and three years later, my father was able to purchase a Bullet. I still have the bill from a now-defunct Keviaar Agencies in Visakhapatnam for the March '83 purchase of Standard 350, ATV 5324, black, for the princely sum of around Rs.16000...

I was manufactured around the same time and saw the light of day in July '84 and the love story began soon after. As a toddler, I would cry non-stop until my parents put me on the Bullet and took me for a spin...and my poor mother must've cursed me then coz I would insist on suckling while we were riding...

My first vivid memories of the bike are of when I used to be around 3-4...when we used to go out, my place was on the fuel-tank with my feet up on the crash-guard...my job was to put the light on high or low as instructed by my father, and every now and then my attention would wander to the tiny bugs that carried out their kamikaze straight into the headlight as the bike pulled along, carrying my mum, my elder sis, dad and me...

Then from the tank, I graduated to the rear seat...I used to clamber onto the bike from either side and once, I even stepped onto the hot silencer barefoot while climbing on...that was not so memorable an episode...

By the time I reached 10th, I was still tiny (those of you who've met me will find it hard to believe I was 4'11" at that age) but I wanted to learn how to ride the Bullet...so in the interest of my safety (and more importantly the safety of the Bullet :D ) my dad told me to learn how to ride another lighter bike first...so I made my bones on a TVS, followed by a Kinetic, and geared bike on Suzuki Samurai...thankfully, by this time my hormones had also kicked in and I put on around half a foot of height...steeling my resolve with my new-found height and experience, I returned to my dad, at the ripe age of 16...

He now told me that before I learn to ride a Bullet, I should learn to clean one...and so I took up the cloth and bucket...and about a month later, I was ready for Bullet 102 - starting the beast...'You should stroke it like a cat...not kick it like a bucket'...armed with this wisdom, I surpassed that hurdle too...

And then it was time for my initiation...every morning I'd wake up dad at 6 and we'd head out on a beach road that ran for a good 25kms outside of Visakhapatnam...I learnt the basics of smooth acceleration, braking, banking, overtaking and anticipation...that was a rite of passage for me...I finally felt like a man.

Soon after, my dad left for a job abroad and I left for my engineering...I was banned from taking the bike with as I still didn't have a license...but as soon as I turned 18, I got my license and in my first term-break, rushed back to Vizag to claim the Bullet...she had lain idle for a year, but I pushed her started and she was roaring like she'd never stopped at all...I put her on a lorry to Kerala and unleashed her at my engineering college there...

No turning back since then...

The bike has done more than 3 lakh kilometres and is 27 yrs and many engine-overhauls old...frame, body and engine-casing are still the same...and the soul is still very much the same...just yesterday, I washed and polished her and she was shining like the grand old lady that she is...I would never think of selling her, and even now, sometimes my dad asks me to return him to her...she may be with me, but she will always remain my dad's bike...but, no...she won't change hands...she is still the best part of me.

I thank God and my dad for the good fortune of having lived and loved on ATV 5324...



Vibhor Bhardwaj




Okay so my story is like this … my father bought a standard way back in 1985… still remember the number DBE 7494. Dad drove it till 1991 December when he had a major accident but with gods grace he just had few bruises on his legs. My mother never allowed him to ride the bike again eventually the bike was sold. Ab jab mera time aaya toh my mother never allowed me to buy a bike so I was gifted with a LML Select in XII grade whereas all my friends rode bikes. After years of riding the scooter I somehow convinced my dad to buy me a Yamaha Rx100, the day was decided 26th Feb 2000 { My Birthday }. 2 days before my dad asked mom to call up Pandit & ask for a suitable day to buy the bike, now the story takes twist with my mother crying n convincing dad not buy me a bike rather buy him a car. After lots of argument it was decided that the bikes speed would be controlled not over 40. D day I love my dad for this instead of going to Yamaha showroom he took me to RE showroom in Yusuf Sarai where he had already booked a red Machismo 350 a week back. I love you dad. Now with butterflies in my stomach I had no clue how to kick the machine to my help my father did start the bike & drove behind me to home . After weeks training from him I mastered starting the bullet. Happy days I use to go for small rides to Sohna road, Delhi, to my factory in Bhiwadi day by day loved riding the beast. Rode the bike everyday to office n factory where in year 2004 my wedding year my mother sold the bike without my knowledge to the painter who took it without the papers. Didn’t spoke to my mom for 3 months till my engagement day when she apologized. Now the wedding & wife brings a lot of change in your life which I was enjoying in full swing till the day I saw my friend’s album of Leh. This brought all the dead Keedas alive in my body and there I go with one month of waiting bought 500 machismo in Jan 2009. Clocked 28000 kms in one year going strong & I am loving it.


Dhruv Malik



Mine was a bit different as I got my first feel of two wheels on my cousin bro's CBZ(old one) at that time it felt as if I rode(pillion) to something right out of this world as the only thing I knew was a scooter that my dad had and after that never got to feel the air blowing through my hair experience as we got a Maruti 800.

Back to that experience of CBZ my brother took me to sports complex to make me learn swimming, rather than swimming least he knew he made me taste a like for bikes. Soon i was in search for known people with bikes and struck my first chance in 9th grade to ride a Yamaha Enticer. Twisting the throttle was great fun with improper gear changes. Now coming to Bullet, I somehow considered it uncle type bike, I mean never heard about hard-core Bulleteers back then.

I got attracted towards a Bhaiya who lived just nearby and drove a Karizma and believed no bike can beat it, that is how I had my head down to search for a bike that beats his Karizma which mind you is always in top-notch even if he himself isn’t driving the service guy picks the bike from his place washes it and brings it back!! So came in the release of Pulsar 220 a red colored pic of the bike was released on the web and sales were to take place by July'07. Had my eyes fixed on it to buy it and bring it down to beat him on jail road where he usually goes for a fun round doing 130kmph just before the start of first flyover.(Yes, I did overtake him at the same place for which he took me to Karol Bagh to buy me a new helmet as he felt this bike could go fast)

Next came in my home scenario who till now are absolutely not in support of bikes but convincing them took long and finally approval came in at a condition of being legal age. So merrily took dad to Pro-biking at PVR Priya where it had their sole outlet for P200/220 and fish is what I could have said as I did not knew how to ride...next pleaded dad to just test drive to let me know his reviews, here the words from his mouth came in as soon as he sat on it "Where is the kick" the sales person said it is all battery operated, having no requirement for a kick!!....REACTION: immediately dad got down from the bike saying "feminine it is!".. Till date it is the same :-(

Asked me to purchase a bullet rather to which I said it is for me, as if I am going to buy a Bullet it would become your commuting vehicle for sure so please make the down payment and book the bike!! After some reluctance he did to my surprise. But there was more in store as even at delivery I did not know how to ride properly and had to plead dad to ride a feminine bike.

That was my story before buying the bike after that another 365 days wait and convincing parents before my streak of numerous rides began!


Saurabh Seth



My Grand Father used to ride Enfield Sherpa and after that bought a bullet in 1968. My dad continued the tradition and rode it till 1985. There are encounters of some serious accidents, in one of which my Grand Father had multiple fractures as well and was bed ridden for months. However, my family never discouraged me from riding. My Grand Father and Dad used to ride to Bharatpur from Delhi twice a week, they would still tell me the stories and I can see the spark in their eyes every time.

My first serious encounter with Bullet was when I was 3 yrs. My parents tell me that I would keep bullet keys with me always and would sleep with them. I was trying to kick the bullet / fiddle with it when I was 3 and probably because of loose stand or my sheer power J, bullet fell on me. I got few stitches near my eyes and still have those marks. My dad shifted to Ludhiana from Delhi and sold his bullet.

I came back to Delhi for my graduation in 2004 and used to stay in Noida. I always wanted to buy a Bullet but was discouraged by comments from my college friends who used to say “You will look like a fluttering Dupatta tied to bike’s handle” J Bought my first bike – Pulsar 150 in June 2005. My longest rides used to be to Gurgaon for a cup of Coffee or Maggi, visiting India Gate for Chuski or to Central Delhi. I still love to ride on the empty and green roads in Central Delhi @ night.

Enjoyed my time with Pulsar. Took it to Pune with me and enjoyed rides to Goa, Murud Kashid, Pune to Leh. I still have my pulsar with me. I remember, I was the only one in Leh trip whose bike would start in single kick even in freezing Pang and was the most fuel efficient amongst Karizma, FZ and Bullet. I got inspired from someone and created a list of 10 things to do before I die. Ride to Leh and buying the best bullet available were 2 on them and am happy to have done both.

After joining UHG in 2009 and getting a better package than expected, I decided to go for Bullet, Nishant suggested me to wait for Classic 500. I went with my dad to Bullet showroom to book the classic and chose red instead of blue per his suggestion. Smile on face of my dad and Grand Pa when they saw my bike says a lot about their love for the machine. I am happy to own one. Looking forward to more rides on this beast.

And thanks to B0P for the bringing keeping the passion alive. All these mail chains ensure I don’t lose the focus. This is something I wanted to do and am happy to be part of the group. My work commitments at times don’t allow me to be part of these rides.... but I am trying to improve.
Jai B0P!!



Diptinder Singh Chhabra



I never liked Bullet as a kid. I didn't like its thump, I didn’t like its shape. It looked ugly to me. Whenever my family used to visit our grandparents place in Karnal, we used to play on the Standard of my Mamaji. I can remember trying in vain to stretch the kick to its full length. Those were the childhood years. Then time passed. I had my Papa's Bajaj Chetak. Learnt to ride a two-wheeler on it. I still used to witness the military Bullets frequently, but it still didn't strike my charm. When the time came for a motorcycle, parents bought me Splendor. I chose it for mileage and comfort. Then to Karnataka College and still I wasn't fascinated by Bullet. Only one college mate used to own one and I feared the machine. thought it would be too heavy for me and too cumbersome to maintain.


After college, shifted to Mumbai and used only public transport. Parents had sold off the Splendor. two years later, shifted to Noida. By chance, my cousin in Delhi had his Bullet lying idle. It was the old Machismo model and in my opinion, the best looking till date. The thigh pads on the fuel tank add a lot of character. I needed some commuting means and brought it over. The test drive that day completely changed my perception of the Bullet, and my attitude as collateral damage. Had a tough time with it as it required lots of repairs. But the more I spent on it, the more I began to feel attached to it. It was getting personalized now. The thump had synched with the heartbeat.

Still it wasn't mine. I had to return it sometime later. But by now I was affixed. It had to be a Bullet only. When I shifted to Gurgaon and had enough money saved, I bought the 2005 Electra. Mind you, it was still being used for commuting, but I used to travel a lot within NCR on it. Then in July 2007, Nilu and Himanchhu came up with plan to visit Ladakh, which we did in Sept. An unknown rider instinct awakened inside me. And now, the instinct has completely taken over.



Rohit Saini



bahut puarana yaarana hai bullet se sabka…

mere chacha ke pass bullet hai , jabse mere ko yaad hai, and he is hero of me. main itna obsessed tha ki koi two wheeler hai toh bas Bullet, scooter etc .are for female and for male there is only bullet. but mere mom- dad simply says NO, kayi dino ke mere chutiyapoh ke baad ghar walon ne RX 100 la di, maine 2 saal usko nahi chalaya, as i said mardo ke liye sirf bullet,
SORRY bhaiyo, aaissa kuch nahi hai, sab chutiyapa hai, phir jab college me D.C. lagi tab jake yamaha uthayi, phir kuch yamaha ragdi, phir suzuki fierro, main chala toh raha tha inko but dil me bullet ka hi chutiyapa tha,


2008 me aake mere haalat aur dimag theek hua, aur papa se puch ke bullet le li, ussme bhi jayada dimag laga diya, nakli engineering wala, ki 5 gear means more , more.... aur kuch din chaley ke baad mujhe dikkat ho gayi, LHS gear shift se, phir doondhnaa shuru ki kaise gear right me karoon, Zaheer se mil ke gear box change kiya nayi bullet ka, bahut dil gabhra raha tha, but sab theek ho gaya,


baki abhi main aur meri bullet ke barey me aapko pata hi hai, par ek baat hardam lagi rahti hai :- " KI TERI BULLET MERI SE JYADA SAFFED(Thump, shining,BADIYA) KAISE "
But above all ye riding wala chhota sa keeda BoP me aane ke baad hi kata hai.
luv u all



Krishnatreya Brindavanam



ab hamari baari...i ride a 2005 Karizma...it's my bro's, but i have been using it regularly for past 4 years. my family has no culture or practice of biking....it is me and my bro who got into it first (m the only one with a passion for touring).....I started big, on the Karizma directly...bro had bought a Caliber when I was in 8th, and he wanted to teach me but I was least interested! 2 years later, he upgraded to Karizma, and I was all for learning it! I learnt to drive in 10th, but only got to drive alone in 11th, that too for barely half-n-hour....that half n hour was pure bliss for me...would take it to an empty stretch nearby, rip it (no more than 90, though) and come back....always yearning for more.....the road is such, u cant cross 90....there are two crossings, and then, the road ends...one fine day, I was in full mood to cross 90...I did, zipped thru crossing no. 1, spotted a speeding Innova, didn’t slow down, and CRASH! 7 months and 13k Rs. later, I was back, riving thru traffic now, a trifle saner than my earlier
version.....evenings were when I learnt the real knack of driving, zipping thru traffic with a bunch of friends (Ambition, Platina, etc)...it continues till this day, only the bikes are upgraded! touring i started last year only, though I had gone on rides with a club called RODS earlier....first tour was to Shimla with a Karizma club called DK2...the next was the Redstone Rockets...3rd was with another friend to Mussoorie (4-5 months ago)....very far from any of the riders here, but m sure I’ll catch up soon. I have a long way to go, and my passion for touring will never diminish…



Ajit Singh Bhullar



My father owned a standard and i still remember my burning my foot with its silencer and my cousin getting injured because it fell on him. It was always something else, something that stood apart from all others....

Then some incidents happened and the Bullet was sold…

I came to Noida, and my flatmate had a Thunderbird... I was totally in love with the bike ...Would take it out even more than he did himself…Then he moved to U.S and sold his bike.

As soon as I started working, I knew what I had to do... I scouted around for a Blue thunderbird and luckily found one in good condition, bought it and fell in love with it. And the love is increasing every day…

Then one fine evening I came across a group of bikers Bull rodeo who were having their meet at Film City Noida…
They welcomed me with open arms and taught me all that I know about riding.

You know the first time I went to Rishikesh, I actually stopped as soon as the hills started as I was just too scared to ride on the hills…
Slowly and steadily I started gaining confidence and doing more long rides and it came to a point where I actually started feeling something amiss if a month went by without a ride…

Got in touch with Dips thru RE website and met you guys at the Offisial Atyachaar event and rode with you the next morning to Renukaji...Have tried to attend every ride except for maybe a few since then and those too I had to cancel because of some other commitments...

So have been riding almost regularly since 2007…A little bit discovered ....a lot more left…


Saurabh Katar



After going through this long chain ail of inspiring stories, finally thought to get out of my cozy blanket (Yes, in Bangalore that’s the trend) and share about my part of teh story.

The story starts in 2003 when I was in class 11th. I came back from School at around 2 pm and saw one maroon Colored Thunderbird standing outside my home. Now before you all jump in to conclusions, that hey was that for u?,I would like to clearly say ,NO.

The machine was bought by my elder brother Chetan, who is six years elder to me.
It was his childhood dream to buy a Royal Enfield.
Some how he felt Thunderbird was more appealing, he neglected every other model. Yes, even he missed the 500CC limited edition Thunderbird.

I was happy to see his machine, hence I asked him for a ride and he gave me a short ride too.
But gradually, his passion started building towards the machine and he asked me not to touch his bike.
Today, I can understand his emotions. But at that time I used to even spit on this very same Thunderbird the moment I see that. Yes, I was very mean.

But then after a year, he decided to buy a car and gave the Thunderbird to me. Now that was the start of the journey.

Today, though I have not done so many rides, I can proudly say that I have rider friends all across this country. All because of this machine and the brotherhood that we all share.

One more thing, That made me come closer to my Sans Mcqueen (Name is changed now) ,is that in the year 2008 when i started my own business of dealing in RE spares and particularly the exhaust systems. gradually the business started flourishing and so is the love.


Phalgun Reddy



Ever since I was a kid, I had this Keeda in me ki I'm going to buy a Bullet. No logical or even an emotional reason, I just wanted to buy one. My parents never ever let me near ANY vehicle with an internal-combustion engine; as a result, I used public transport till I reached Delhi.

I do remember the desire for owning a Bullet got stronger in the second half of my year at MICA. I remember very clearly. I would keep telling myself, that I was gonna buy a Bullet. I would keep dreaming about riding my Bull sitting in my room there. A close friend reminds me how I told her as well once.

Only when I reached Gurgaon did I realize that buying a Bullet is a very expensive affair! It took me 5 months to buy it, after borrowing 10K from one friend, and 10K from the other. This was after my dad gave me 50K to buy the bike, and refused to take back the money! So in many ways, it’s my dad's gift to me.

My parents initially went hyper when I told them about my plans. They first threatened to disown me if I bought a bike itself. This was upgraded to a Bullet, and after a bit of sulking, they actually gave me half the cash for a Bull Mach!

My membership in BOP came at a very depressing time. I had the bike for about 6 months then, and was depressed 'cause I never went out and rode the bike to the hills and all that. I would keep bumping into some rider called Dips on the RE website but somehow could never contact him. Out of sheer depression, I drove to Lansdowne one weekend, and that was the time I had my first hill-ride, and the night I came back was my first BBB session, all thanks to KORA Bhai…

All I dreamt about was riding to the Himalayas on the Bullet. I’m really glad I've freaked out on that front quite a few times now.
Thanks to my kung-fu classes, I got acquainted with Arunima, and that’s how I met KORA, and that’s how I’m part of BOP!


Adit Sharda



My first stint with two wheelers started with a Bajaj Caliber in Bharthana (Etawah) which is my native village... I was probably 14 around then... However like any small kid reading auto magazines I always wanted to own an overpowered sports bike...

My cousin from Kanpur bought a CBZ(the first one) when he came to DU for studies and I rode pillion to Nayi Sadak to purchase books with him, however we reached its parallel road by mistake... That's where I took over to guide us to the right destination. So my first ride of a powerful bike of those times was on the fabled GB road where I heard women ready to sell themselves to us at a meager Rs 200 and I remember the road to home since then...

Mom had a problem with bikes so it was pretty understood I would never get to buy one but dad agreed to get me a bike if I scored a 90 in tenth standard... Studied hard but managed an 88.6, so the pulsar that I would have bought then was also cancelled... Fought a lot that I managed even this much without tuitions and I did the effort, but nobody heard my cries... So finally after a 2 year wait and completing school I decided to wait for Pulsar 220, rumors of which carried on for months... However, unable to wait, I chose to settle for the Pulsar 180 in December 2006... Did a solo ride to Manali after saving some 5000 rupees and stealing an equal amount from home, and nobody knows that I did it till date...

That’s when RODS was formed with Ankit leading the show... However the touring was temporary then as office life took over at the age of 18, thanks to the CA requirement of Articleship and biking again became small trips to Manesar and Noida on Sundays...

My first group ride was Corbett with Rods members and thats when I decided I needed a better group for touring, more responsible and with a broader thinking..,

That’s how I met Nishant sir at a meet of RODS where I saw him staying all the way till the end for the LCC guy we didn't even know and started having a liking for him...
And here I am, riding with BoP...

Have big plans for travelling places especially after all the inspiring stories we have amongst us... Dhruv specially, being a fellow Pulsarian... Bought a 220 after seeing him and Ankur, coz I found my 180 under powered for touring and also a bike I saved for over 10 months... That’s what makes my story...

4 comments:

Devesh said...

It is so good to see all these stories compiled here. I read all of them again ... and I will keep reading them again and again I am sure. Great Idea Che and commendable work indeed.

Kudos to riding.

B.K. Atreya said...

mazaa aa gaya jha saab...TV style mein....photograph, followed by commentary!
reading mine, i realized I may have miscommunicated something....the Innova crash was not a bad one..i got a few scratches on arms n legs and broke a couple of nails on the foot....the 7 months wait was for bro to come back and get insurance, as it is on his name....quite a pain, seeing the bike daily as a mangled heap outside my home.

The_Wanderer said...

Awesome idea, bro... :)

@all - keep the stories coming!

Neesha Roy said...

Good to get to know the riders finally!! A successful initiative at 'unmasking' what underlies each one's passion and bring to light what drove them to this.Was a great read.