My failures led to first bike trip!
“Everyone is working for extension of life but we shouldn’t forget it’s quality”.
I saw this quote in one of my friend’s WhatsApp status updates and it stuck with me.
For almost my entire job life, I have wanted to be perfect at everything, calling it “thirst for knowledge” but also realizing a fact, subconsciously, that it is an impossible feat. Being an arrogant person, the fact always remained hidden where it originally was and never saw limelight to help change my life outlook.
I spent countless hours and days, trying to be perfect, know everything, have all answers, become a “one man army” but recently by failing on a personal aspect of my life, which seem so easy for others, I realized, I have backed the wrong horse and it had tremendous downside for my life quality. The personal learning from this, which has also been spoken by many greats: One cannot know everything.
During pandemic, like many others, I got addicted to YouTube and watched and followed many moto vloggers, Itchy Boots being the favourite. As lockdown got eased, I wanted to go on my own bike trip but still hesitated. After recent realization of my failures, I gave up and my friend’s quote stirred up primal urge to do something.
I googled up best places for bike trip around Bangalore and selected Ooty as it is around 220 kms and since it is a prime hill station, I estimated, roads will also be in good condition. Since monsoon as not yet started (early April by the way), there shouldn’t be any wet roads or something and I should be able to reach there without any issues.
I invested good amount of money on my Apache 200 4v and got these:
1. Crash Guard
2. Fog Lights from Mad Dog
3. Saddle Stay with Top Rack
4. LED headlights
5. Mobile mount
6. LED indicators with Hazard lights (FlashX)
7. Visor
Then I went on Rynox site and bought myself a Touring jacket and Drystack saddle bags. I really needed a new Helmet and gloves too.
Bike accessories were fitted at Motodrift in HSR. Good work and decent price.
For helmet, I went to Powersports which is also in HSR. I went in and blurted,
I need a 2XL helmet as my head is very large. It was a silly request as person attending me calmly said, sure but let’s just measure your head first and we will find you exact fit. I was surprised as it never came to my mind, head can be measured too!
Actually, before going to Powersports I had been to 3–4 helmet shops and they showed me XL size helmets but all were very tight and I rejected them all but this was first time someone enlightened the fact of measuring the head first.
Anyway, after measuring my head with a tape he said, it is of size M. I was taken aback by this revelation and said, no way. Then he proceeded to give me a size M helmet and asked me to try it. I tried and it really didn’t go over my head at all and I showed him that. He said, you are wearing it wrong and he showed me how to properly wear a helmet, by starting from back and then pull front part over my face and size M, actually fits! So I proceeded to get that helmet. I discussed with on how to approach readiness for my first ride and he explained me a lot of concepts. Since he was an avid rider, I learned a lot in just few minutes of interaction and I also got a full gauntlet gloves.
Above whole incident and learning, felt like a cool breeze and that’s why I recorded the small story here.
This article is getting too long, so I will jot down about the trip in next one.
Bye!
