Good morning and happy Mondays, friends. Hope everyone had a great Eid and a great weekend. We sure did.
I have this theory that the first set of wheels you learn to ride or drive is the one that stays with you the rest of your life. So, if you happen to learn to ride a scooter, motorcycle, or any two-wheeler before you learn to drive a car, you will be a biker for life. And, vice-versa, if you learnt how to drive a car or any four-wheeler before learning how to ride a two-wheeler, you will end up preferring cars to bikes for the rest of your life.
“In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.
On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”
― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
This is just a brain wave, an idea, with no evidence to back it up. The team and I would like to know your thoughts on this. Let us know how and why you became the sort of petrolhead that you are now in our revamped comments section, and we will feature the best comments in an upcoming feature story.
Speaking of upcoming stories, we have a great list of stories, reviews, features, and articles lined up for you this week. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say that this week will feature some insightful, informative, and quirky stories that you will hopefully like.
Now, excuse me while I go raid the office fridge for any Eid leftovers.
I don’t know, how, when and why but I somehow got fixated on bikes way before I could even pedal. But my first instances of sitting and riding a bike was way earlier than many kids. It was early than my legs could reach the ground while seated on a scooty.
This is a bit dumb. Only people who can both ride a bike, and drive a car as well can answer this. Car drivers who can’t ride really don’t have experience of bikes.. so will never be ‘bike nuts’. ANYONE who rides a bike will prefer the bike to the car. Bikes are pure thrill.. people just don’t make the transition for reason such as – time (time to learn), safety aspect (if they have family), cost (if they spend on a car already), practicality (if they want to ride to work, but can’t cause car is needed for business use).. etc.
Well, I started to drive a car first and after 4 – 5 years, I started to ride a motorcycle. But I am a biker at heart, simply because as you said above “On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”
I started with riding, before driving. So yes, your theory is right. The reason I started with motorbike first is because I just loved two-wheels more than four wheels. The thought of driving inside a metal box scared the shit out of me. However, after driving once/twice, I found myself enjoying driving; mostly because I could listen to music. Hahaha. But still, it can’t compete with the thought of being on a bike, riding it. You might say, I’m a biker for life. What interests me about riding is the adrenaline rush you get during high speed cornering. That feeling of accomplishment, the sweet taste of success at the end of the bend. I also like what you said, “Being in car is like watching tv whereas for bike, you are a STAR!!! Starring in it.”
My love for wheels started almost from the day I started walking. My cousin had a yellow try cycle in her home, and I had this friend (who was about 7-8 years old) and was always happy to push the cycle through all ups and downs of the backyard garden. All I should do was just steer the cycle (I was really weak to pedal it by myself 🙂 ).
Later, when I started going to kinder garden, it was my uncle who gave wings to my passion by gifting a Hero Kid (the smallest cycle u will ever get 😀 ) and my adventure time started. I hardly use to cycle on roads. We had a big farm land with lot of trees, ups & downs and narrow streams. That was were I learned to balance on two wheels. Oh yeah, scraped knees were always my companion and I still have very visible marks on my knees.. 😉 .
Time moved on and the Hero Razorback came to my life. Even if I grew up, the story of my roads were no different. As an add on, my cousin, a dear friend joined with me and farm lands were always our adventure zone.
I realized it was time to say bye to farm lands and hit the road, when i become 18. It was during my graduation time, my cousin got his first bike, a Puslar 200.. And it was the first machine that showed me how fun biking is… Later he got an FZ and once I rode it, It stole my heart. We use to save money and once its enough to fill petrol, we will just jump on and go for rides… No food.. No chai.. Just ride… 😀
I got an FZ pretty soon, my first bike and the biker in me was born. Now thats the answer for the “HOW” part from Motoroids. We together had a lot of fun and long drives and obviously the biker in me wanted more. Thus I ended up with KTM Duke 200.
Now the answer for the “WHY” part from Motoroids;
I totally agree with the “compartment concept” of a car and the “sense of presence”concept of a bike by Robert M. Prisig.
I am sorry to say that, Other than the driving experience I had with the driving school people for taking the 4 wheeler drivers license, I hardly have any 4 wheeler experience.
But recently I had a go karting experience. And few days back, I had a track experience on a go karting track with my KTM. So let me tell you what I felt from these experiences. The throttling, racelines, brake points all these things are almost same in both the situations. But when it comes to cornering, in a Kart all you have to do is just steer. But on a bike, you will have to take care of your lean angle, balance, put your knee down…. Man, its a real challenging thing to do… All I wish to say is when you take a corner, the fun which you get from a bike will be many times more than the one you get from a car. Infact, this is were “Four wheeler moves your body, two wheeler moves the soul” suits best….
And this is just an instance…
When you are in a car, you are in a much safer place, starting from a completely closed compartment to door locks, seat belts, air bags…. But when you are on a bike, you are in touch with the nature, completely exposed… (Safety gears are must… Well at-least a good helmet)
In short, becoming a car nut is about staying in your comfort zone. But becoming a biker is breaking it…. The option is yours, you can either wear your half pants, a sleeve less and a rayban, on the AC and drive peacefully on your car on a weekend or you can suit up in your riding gears, looks like a real rider, get into that hot sun or nasty rain, get drenched in sweat or rain, feel the real touch of nature and before you sleep, text to your riding buddies, “Man we just had an awesome ride….”
Ride hard, ride safe…..