50. Saddlesore on an R1 !

I am sure most of you must know about the IBA or Iron Butt Association but for those who don't let me tell you what it is. The IBA is an association that is dedicated to safe, long-distance riding on motorcycles. It is a US based association with members from all over the world.  In order to become a member, one must complete a record breaking ride from the list of rides they have mentioned on their website, the most popular being the Saddle Sore 1600 in which one must complete 1600 km's of riding within 24 hours abiding to the rules they have mentioned.


To do the same on a tourer ( A motorcycle built for touring) is relatively easy but on a sportbike it's an entirely different ball game. A similar thought crossed the mind of a hardcore enthusiast from Bangalore, Ajay Ananth. He is the proud owner of a 2008 Yamaha YZF-R1. Now a 998cc, track-bred, supersport monster should most probably your last choice for completing a saddle sore ride but believe it or not Ajay(on his R1) along with his friend Manjunath M.R.(on his R15) successfully completed the SS1600 ride and became the first Indian to do so on a superbike.

From here on I am posting his trip's log as narrated by him -

Jan 8th was the chosen day for the ride since the 2 of us Manjunath and yours truly couldn’t take 2 days (1 ride and 1 rest day) off on a weekday. Our ride agenda was simple, cover the maximum distance in the first 12 hours and to get through the bad section between Haveri and Rannebennur in daylight.

We got our start witness forms signed and left Girinagar, Bangalore at 1pm in the noon to hit NH4 via the NECE Road, being an afternoon we encountered sparse traffic but the sun was breathing down on us. I stopped for fuel at Sira about 100kms from the start point since this BPCL provided an electronic fuel receipt, gulped some Gatorade, took pictures of the odometer and headed to Chitradurga.

This stretch is planted with windmills every where and I could think of an analogy between the 3 spoke alloy wheels of my R1 and the 3 blades of these monster fans. I was constantly clocking 120kmph + on these roads and had found that sweet posture which is the thin line between fatigue and pleasure riding.

My next fuel stop was at an IOC bunk at Davangere, a company owned 24 hours fuel station offering premium fuel. They were curious about 2 guys decked up like straight out a Star Trek movie on two similar looking motorcycles (The R15s have always acted as an decoy for the R1 which is good; saves me from answering the usual questions ) they were shocked to hear about our 24 hour challenge and wished us luck.

We rode on to encounter the bad patch between Haveri and Rannebennur which is under construction due to a railway track, got through this section to find some roads which can give an expressway a run for the money.

We met our beloved friend Avinash at the toll gate near Hubli , he rode along till Dharwad which was my next fuel stop.

We then stopped to tank up at Nipani, again a 24 hours station offering IOC Xtra premium throughout, having clocked about 570 odd kms we had just left ventured into the MH territory. Border cities or towns have always caught my eye since you can observe the change in the way people talk, their dress sense, food and the way they look.

Our routine while filling fuel involved munching on energy bars and Gatorade, but this time they didn’t suffice our hunger and we took our first major break of about 20 minutes at the Kolhapur McDonald for a quick bite.

We then proceeded towards our halfway point Kothrud (on the outskirts of Pune), the odo showed 869 kms, we stopped at an Axis Bank to take a time stamp since an ATM gives a precise date & location stamp.

We stopped for fuel at Varve on the way back just after the Katraj bypass at the BPCL bunk who provide an electronic bill which was about 1:30am. At this point we 12 hrs into the ride and slowly the symptoms of fatigue started to creep in.

Most of the time the R15 was ahead of R1 due to the lesser fuel stops and the late braking as compared to the R1.But on the way back we decided to stick together to take full advantage of the enormous headlights of the R1 which lit up every inch of the road giving us better visibility; the cars and trucks gave way even without me asking for it thinking that it must be a 4 wheeler.

The empty stretches of road with nothing to look around due to the darkness made me concentrate on the black ribbon of tarmac with the reflectors on the ends, which took me to a trance and a chance to look at all my past experiences, my decisions and my actions; suddenly I was no longer on a motorcycle but in a theater running the movie of everything I had seen and felt for as long as I remember.

I was woken up from this when Manjunath honked at me to indicate that the Ghat section was about to begin .I usually look forward to ride in the ghats, but this time I cursed on traversing this kind of terrain since I had to reposition every single time to tackle a corner of the ghats which meant more stain on my overall body and the wrists.

Adding to this pain was an MH State transport bus and a 6 wheeler truck trying to outrun each other like maniacs on the ghats and a BMW 320 behind me who was honking consistently at the bus to give way. The R15 sneaked between them and passed on indicating that he would wait for me at the end of the ghat section.

The truck fellow finally gave in, me and the BMW passed them and the next corner is what I can never forget in my lifetime. It was a right hander without barricades, no reflective pods or what so ever to indicate how deep the apex of the corner was, I was doing about 60-65kmph and thinking that I am yet to hit the apex I throttled a bit to reach 90kmph to realize that the apex is gone and I am heading towards the gravel and then into a drop into a valley , for the first time I being a bit sleepy helped in not panicking since my responses were delayed and I got a moment to think of what has to be done rather than just grabbing the brakes and locking the wheel which would have increased my chances of going into the valley, instead I down shifted and feathered the rear brake to straighten the bike as soon as I hit the gravel and missed the valley drop by an inch. The BMW behind signaled at me to ask if I was fine and I gave him thumbs up and we went our ways. I was happy to see Manjunath waiting for me at the end of the ghats and I told him about his incident and his response was ‘ Me too maga, what a f*****g corner it was, Sakaath (super) biscuit’ and both of us started laughing.

This for a while took my attention away from the odo reading and after a couple more kms my fuel light came on and so started my frenzy about looking for a fuel station in spite of having emergency fuel(which I had forgotten altogether, lack sleep was playing all the cards) and most of them offered only diesel, finally tanked up at Nerla(easily the worst quality of fuel I had ever come across), after about 5 kms the R1 started complaining; reduced throttle response, knocking above 7000 rpm and lots of misfires greeted Manjunath at the next toll.

The cold winds made me pray to god to advance the sunrise to 4am. Sleep was playing all tricks on me, I could see people sleeping on a nice cot in the middle of the road and imaginary bystanders inviting me to their houses to get some sleep.

The next 50kms I rode half asleep with my rear tyre all over the road. We decided that it was high time we get some sleep or find some chai to wake us up, so half asleep we wound up at a chai shop and had chai, it was after this we realized how dirty the place was and the water he used to make chai cannot be described, this awareness confirmed that we were back to our normal senses and we decided to step up the pace since we had to reach Bangalore before 1pm.

I stopped at the next bunk just to fill fuel for a fuel receipt (since it is easy for IBA to track our route) filled up for 100 bucks, but was surprised to see that they gave an electronic receipt.

About 7am the sun finally came out I was shouting inside my helmet with joy which lasted only a few kilometers since I was riding facing the sun with clear visor, the radiance of the sun made me to close my eyes and soon the instinct of sleeping took over which was a constant battle I fought till the end of the ride.

Some respite from this offered by a Tata Safari Dicor who mistook me for an R15 and signaled at me to race, I usually switch the left indicator and tell them to overtake me since I am very much against racing on public roads endangering the lives of other motorists and pedestrians, also I was too tired to accept it.

Suddenly I decided that I am going to show this idiot what an R1 is and overtook him at about 160kmph(any day a dumb decision, but the adrenalin woke me up), the Safari took it on and revved till kingdom come to catch me and for about 2-3  seconds we were racing side by side at 160+ kmph, I still had another gear to go whereas the Dicor had already peaked, next moment I am clocking 260kmph on my odo and could see the Safari disappear into the horizon.

My next fuel stop was the IOC bunk at Dharwad and the guys at the petrol station were thrilled to see me again and congratulated me assuming that I would reach Bangalore before the 24hr deadline. The tires needed air, the bunk had the air compressor but there was no power, the owner was courteous enough to fix a generator for the air compressor to fill up my tires and wished me luck; such instances of unadulterated goodness made me realize what makes touring in my country so special :)

From here on it was a smooth and boring sail (blame the monotonous NH4) to the end point via the NECE road to the ATM in Girinagar from where it all started. Manjunath had reached about 30 minutes before me and when I finally took the end receipt I was exhausted.

I had difficulty doing precision movements involving my hands such as inserting the ATM card or buckling the helmet; my wrists were shivering due to the beating and were begging me to slash them.

In the end he completed the the ride in 22 hours and 45 minutes while his friend Manjunath was half an hour earlier than him at 22 hours and 15 minutes. 

So what does it take to complete a Saddle Sore? Answer - Some careful planning and truckloads of endurance and will power. I wish to congratulate Ajay and his friend Manjunath on this outstanding achievement and hope they continue to perform many more record breaking feats, making us fellow bikers proud. All the best guys!

49. The DIAVEL

Name: DucatiFanBoy
Age: 36
Profession: Finance



1. When did your passion for bikes begin?

At about 10 yrs of age, when i rode a friends Luna for the first time ... it felt like magic, from cycling where you often concentrate more on doing the work (pedaling) ... you could now just look around and enjoy the breeze!


2. You've got a love for race tracks and cars too, tell us about it?

I have done a lot of amateur and competitive racing, though all on 4 wheels -- from the national karting races in India to driving supercars on numerous f1 and other racetracks around the world, including the old nurburgring with its 180 corners (unfortunately i had a dull and boring SLK350 with an autobox that day as my drive)


So here is my conclusion .. if you like automobiles (and love your life), a race track is a place to ride / drive them fast ... thats where you explore the limits - your own, the machine's and enjoy the feedback from the tyres and grip levels ... you learn so much in every corner ... the tyre tempratures change, tarmac grip levels change and you adapt your technique! What you experience on the road is a 10% of the excitement .. most of it from just going fast enough to scare yourself / risk your life! Of course riding with a mature group like GODS is an altogether different experience, where you are enjoying the ride within a disciplined controlled set of protocols rather than doing anything stupid like overspeeding / stunting. Its great to be out with a set of riding buddies and it doesnt matter that you dont use even 10% of your bike's power, cos you are on the public road.

And from all that driving/riding I can tell you, that steering a professional rotax go kart with a topspeed of barely 160kmph through fast chicanes and long sweeping corners with the rear suspension fully loaded is by far the biggest adrenaline rush in my automotive life .. way ahead of thrashing ferraris, porsches and lambos on race tracks .. driving supercars and bikes on the road is of course a distant third.

I cannot tell you how excited I am about the F1 track coming up in Delhi .. and I wish a lot of youngsters take to karting and open wheel racing (formula ford and formula maruti open wheel cars) and 250cc race bikes on the track (I will for sure!).



3. What bikes were in your consideration set before you closed on the Diavel?

It was a long 2 year period of jumping through options, from mt01, cb1000r, but pretty quickly through the process I got to a point where I knew it had to be a ducati. Just loved the 848 / 1198 and even booked an 1198 and then decided to cancel it. Current generation 848 / 1198 are just the most amazing looking bikes to me and and some day i'd love to own one of them as a piece of art (till then a scale model would do!). I also briefly considered an SF-S


4. What makes the Diavel so Special?

To be honest, #1 - that it is a bike .. i hadn't been riding actively for many years, so it was just great to be on a bike, any bike!
#2 Looks amazing .. now it isn't a sculpted beauty like the 848 / 1198, but it is one of a type and pretty darn mean looking bike
#3 You have to ride it appreciate how it makes the impossible possible w.r.t. how much easier to ride it is compared to even cruisers, how much faster on the throttle it is compared to superbikes and how stable it is in corners. Don't get me wrong .. a cbr600rr will take the pants off of it in terms of corner speeds and an 1198 will blow it in a high speed run ... and while you can take a diavel to the track, its not meant for it. But it has so far been impossible for 1 bike to do so much. And what that translates to is that it is a near perfect bike for the street (even handles a pillion really well) -- till you get to maintenance that is ;)
#4 It has all technology you have ever heard of, which also enhances the safety - 8 level traction control, abs, slipper clutch, riding modes, keyless ignition, the works.


5. Whats about the Diavel would you improve?

Besides wishing for a maintenance network nearby, i'd say ground clearence, a slightly more aggressive riding posture would go better with the bike's persona (maybe i should try a higher seat), maybe add some rocket launchers on either side ;)


6. Head to head between a race/supercar and the Diavel who would win?
On the road, the diavel anyday .. its much more fun to ride than to drive in general. On a track since I have a lot more experience on 4 wheels, I would prefer a supercar (though i'd prefer an open wheel race car over a supercar). But hopefully in next 2-3 yrs now I'd also get some level of proficiency on 2 wheels on the F1 track and then I suspect this answer will reverse too.


7. Any plans to accessorise the bike?

Well yes .. gradually, the bike comes really kitted out to start with .. but will keep adding nice bits as and when i find them. Exhaust is on top of my mind, but even the stocks are so loud that I am kind of unsure


8. Have you done any performance mods on it? do you have any plans to?

Not yet, just a sportster windscreen, which also does not reduce the wind blast much .. but looks cool!


9. The Diavel is a quantum leap from the traditional Ducati design, whats your take on it?

Thats the fun part .. it is and it is not. It looks so different, but is bloody light, sounds the same, goes the same, has same trellis frame. If you ask me they have managed to pull off a coup .. people on the ducati forums love it now (btw lot of them hated it before it was actually launched and available for test rides) and even the non ducati even non biking guys love it. I was quite nervous about the fact that I might really hate it if it ends up feeling like a cruiser - which I didn't want, but it worked out pretty well! This one is for keeps...


10. The dealer in Gurgaon is no more, who maintains the bike?

The ex-dealer in gurgaon and ducati mumbai sends someone. But it is a pain and this should be getting fixed soon by ducati setting up something in Delhi soon.


11. How has that experience been?

These guys are trying their best to help within the existing setup - they send somebody over from Mumbai regularly, the older workshoop guys are kind enough to let us use the facility / tools .. but overall it is not ideal and if this is not fixed then people will actually opt out of ducatis for just this reason (I already know people who did)



12. How serious is Ducati about the Indian market?

I think they are pretty serious. Remember its a small firm still .. but I have known some of the guys involved and been in touch with others who are getting involved .. it does seem like they are quite keen to do well here. And I think they will do well ... we often joke around that the market share of ducatis in GODS is higher than their market share globally! So see .. they have takers here .. just need to set up a stronger sales and service network (learn from Harley!)


13. Does Ducati plan to have a riding club? tell us about it?

Yes they are trying to set up India's first official ducati rider's club... though even before they set up an official club, there is an unofficial ducati riders india club which seems to be gaining traction, especially in Mumbai. I don't care too much about riding every Sunday with a Ducati riding club since you go out riding with your mates and not with just anyone who owns the same brand of bike as you! But if they do organize real events (again on track especially!) then they would gain serious popularity and publicity even amongst ducati and non-ducati owners


14. Whats your riding gear like?

Dainese full armour with back, neck, chest, shoulder and elbow protectors, ducati and joe rocket riding jackets and pants (leather for winters and mesh for summers). Dainese Boots and gloves, Arai corsair V matt black helmet.
More importantly I wear it all the time .. If i think it's too hot or too near to wear the gear, i take the car instead.




15. If you could buy another bike what would that be?

Now since everyone has a license to dream ... It has to be an 848/1098/1198 ... they look amazing and I could use it as a track bike! I just hope I don't fall cos any damage to the lovely fairing will give me an instant heart attack!
So in reality it might be whatever is the smallest track bike I can lay my hands on (200cc perhaps) ... and probably keep it on the track itself ideally (slick tyres etc)


16. Where do you park you bike? is it safe there?

In the basement parking, but always covered .. once it is covered people are less curious and so its generally fine. At the end of the day in India you have learn to accept that someone will scratch your car / bike with a key and it doesn't take away from how much fun you have riding it! Also that is a perfect excuse to buy a new accessory!


17. Whats your advice to young riders?

Never ride on the public road to go fast ... NEVER! Go to a racetrack .. On a public road enjoy the sunrise, the breeze, wear full gear all the time, use mirrors, look back often, expect the unexpected!

48. Will the Doctor rise up like the Phoenix?

Rossi burst into the world of MotGP in 1996. There has not been a single year since then that he has not won a race. 2011 has proven to be the hardest in his illustrious career, the legend is yet to be on the top step of the podium. Had it not been for a lucky race where he finished third thanks to other top riders crashing out, Rossi would never have seen the podium this year.

For a man who has tasted so much success all his life, getting comfortable with failure is an almost impossible task. At the end of each failed race you see the man’s spirit taking a beating. As much as he still tried to be the media friendly, crowd loving, larger than life rider the real story is now visible on his face. As a huge fan of the Doctor, I feel his pain too. I still hope and pray during each race that I’ll get to see the glimpse of the man who began on the 4th row of the grid chasing down one rider at a time to finally claim the race. However this season there has been none of that.

The internet is filled with articles on what went wrong. I’m no expert and I can’t really comment on what the engineers did right or wrong. I can only bring out the obvious. It just shows that the Japs build better rider friendly bikes that like to win on the track. Rossi and JB have done everything they knew to get the bike to behave like the M1 that Rossi loved to ride. They have gone through 4 chassis changes already and yet Rossi still thinks the bike isn’t ideal for him. As far as im concerned this year proved that Rossi is no superhero. I used to brag that put Rossi on a Pulsar and yet he will still win the race as no one has that kind of talent. I was truly wrong. Rossi is after all just a good rider. He isn’t GOD

What this year truly means for me is how under rated Mr Casey Stoner was all throughout his stint at Ducati. If he can get the supposedly un rideable bike to win the championship then it could only be with some seriously talented skills. I don’t ever remember Stoner making so many changes to the bike. He did mention more often than once that the front end does not stick too well but despite that he went on to win plenty of times. I think Its time we gave the man a bow.

Another entity that will be under a lot of pressure is of course Ducati. They were hoping that Rossi would help change the image of the company and the wins on the track would lead to increase in sales on the field. The amount of money they have invested in MotoGP is way too large for a company that sells only 40,000 bikes a year. They really need results and they need it fast. Everyone is hoping that the next season would turn things around, but one must realize that MotoGP rules don’t permit you to test the bike outside the season. There are only two occasions when you can test the bikes, one at the end of this season and one right before it. A lot of the next years bike will have to be ready before this season ends but going by what’s been happening to the bike I’m not very optimistic.

Having said that I’ll be a Doctor fan for life. I’d like to believe that the Doctor would rise again from the ashes and make the next year his swan song. I hope we get to see him in the budh circuit next year. I hope he wins and I hope he retires after next season with the quintessential smile on his face.

47. All About Engine Oils

One thing I can say with a lot of conviction is that not many mechanics nor riders know much about engine oils in India. I learnt it the hard way when I went to get my bike serviced for the first time.The best way to learn is to learn from ones mistakes and this is an attempt to help you guys not make the mistake I made.

The engine oil is the blood that flows though the engine. The role it plays in an engines life is very very important. To explain how an engine oil works I'll have to first explain some simple facts about the engine.

All engines contains hundreds of moving parts and these engines are designed to rotate at 10K plus rotations per minute.This means every second your engine is rotating close to 200 times. This is an incredibly high number. As with all moving parts, we know from our physics teachers that a force is working to stop the movement. this force is called friction and this is the number one enemy of the engines.

The most common way to reduce friction is to lubricate the moving parts and this is why fundamentally oils were created for. A few things one should know about oils is that there is something called viscosity. This is a measure of how thick an oil can be. Ill have to give you a simple example to explain this. On a winter day in Delhi if you ever tried to fry an egg, you ll realise that the oil feels very thick when you pour it into the pan. However once the pan heats up the oil begins to flow very freely. the same happens to engine oil. when cold the oil is very thick and when hot its very loose. this is the most important rule that applies. heat makes the oil lose its viscosity and the less viscous the oil is the less lubricating it will be.

Since all engines work on high temperatures the oil needs to retain its viscosity while at those temperatures without losing its lubricating qualities. Hence they invented multi grade oils. An additive is used in the oil that make the oil remain thick even at high temperature. now this is where I explain what the grading on the oil means

a 10 W 40 oil means that when cold the oil has a viscosity of 10 and when very hot an oil will have the viscosity of an oil which would be 40. this does not mean that the oil gets thicker when its hot. it means that if the additives were not used then the oil will have a viscosity of 10 when cold and say 2 or 3 when hot. but since the additives make the oil more viscous when its hot the oil now behaves like an oil that will have an viscosity of 40 when cold and 10 to 15 when hot.

Other benefits of oils

Keeping the engine well lubed is not the the only job that's expected out of the oil. It also does three other important tasks
1. keeping the engine cool by circulating oil throughout the engine
2. remove dirt/metal components that chip off from the engine
3. keep harmful acids at bay that get formed due to chemicals in the fuel.

Whats the difference between wet clutch and dry clutch

There are basically two types of bike engines, one where the clutch is wet, that means engine oil flows through the clutch plates. you will find this in almost all bikes today. the advantage is that the clutch remains cooler and its less noisier.

bikes that comes with dry clutches don't have any oils going through it. you will find a few Ducatis with this set up. the clutch would be noisier but they perform with far greater urgency that wet clutches.

The big question now is do both wet clutch engines and dry clutch engines use the same oil. This is where I made my mistake. The entire net is filled with articles On the same and most are divided on the actual truth. I for one would like to believe that both wet and dry require two different oils. most oils today come with something called moly which are friction busters that offer very high lubricating properties. These oils don't work for wet clutches as they make the clutch slip. as far as dry clutches go, you can go and use them without any worry.

On every oil container there would be statement called " energy conserving" in case they contain friction buster. look out for them. I for one believe in using Motul as they make oils only for bikes and there is no confusion

Synthetic Vs Mineral
Synthetic oils are designed for engines that have large amounts of stresses and the additive used to make the viscosity of oils increase dont break down in synthetic unlike mineral. hence synthetic oils have a longer life. In India many superbikes change their oil every 2k to 3K kms and for them it would not really matter what type of oil you use. However Id like to change my oil every 4000+ km and hence I use only synthetic oils

Whats the best oil for India

people are extremely divided on this one. however pls dont go by 10W 40 as temperature grades. they are not. hence I would say its best to use what your manual says.

Hope this would help...

46. The Riding Pledge

Rishab Gulshan, A very experienced rider has been kind enough to let me share this on the blog. Thank you Rishab.


With great power comes greater responsibility!

A lot has been written about the recent super-bike crash in Hyderabad that claimed the lives of two young fellow bikers. I have been reading about the incident, listening to the different news channels and browsing the general discussions on Facebook and BBM around this incident. One part of the media (the majority) has again used this incident to portray superbikes (or big bikes in general) as the dark force that is out to consume every rider. A different part of the media (clearly the minority) has been more objective and has used the opportunity to once again bring to light the risks of dealing with these machines in our context and highlight the importance of safety. Riders all over Facebook and BBM have expressed their sincere condolences for the departed souls and vociferously expressed their anguish at the former section of the media that has made the machines the "evil force".

Anywhere in the world, riding a big bike is inherently risky. That is the reason that in the western world, one has to undertake special training to be able to even procure a license to ride a large capacity motor-bike. Further, the insurance rates on big bikes there are significantly higher due to the inherent underlying risks. In India, our poor road infrastructure and general indifference to obeying traffic rules significantly amplifies this risk. Further there are no systemic practices in place to manage the underlying risk like there are in other countries.

Hence for our safety and for a promising future of big bikes in India, I suggest we take a simple 4 point pledge –


1. I will never ride a big-bike if I am not in the right physical and mental state !

Riding a super-bike requires you to be 100% alert and in your senses. The riding speeds are so high that one usually has a very short reaction time if there is some impending danger – so being mentally and physically in the right state is absolutely critical. Anytime you are not at your 100%, you are taking a grave risk.

2. I will never ride a big-bike if I am not in proper gear !

Proper gear means –
• Proper gear means a good quality helmet
• Padded jacket with back, shoulder and elbow protection
• Riding pants with in-built knee protection or external knee guards on top of jeans
• Riding boots with reinforced ankle protection
• Riding gloves with reinforced knuckle and wrist protection

3. I will always adhere to the riding code of conduct followed by my group !

We all ride with our fellow bikers in our groups. Each group has a certain code of conduct. To me the essential elements of this code are –
• There is a "leader" who sets the pace depending on road & traffic conditions
• There is a "sweeper" who rides at the back and ensures that no one is left behind. In case someone has a break-down the sweeper is there to notice and inform the rest of the group.
• There are 1-2 "marshals" who keep the whole group riding together
• There are specific warning and communication signals comprising hand gestures that everyone understands and follows
• You don’t overtake a fellow rider at close range (less than 5 feet radius)
• You don’t go zig-zagging from one side of the road to the other side of the road. You stick to your line and in case you need to change it, do it gently and with adequate signaling and not suddenly

If your group has a code of conduct, then follow it. If not, then make one immediately and then follow it


4. I will not perform stunts on my big-bike

Stunting (wheelies, stoppies, burnouts etc) put an even greater risk to an already risky passion. So please avoid these unless you are a trained professional and are doing these in a safe and controlled environment.


***


Some of you already follow this pledge as a part of your riding regimen….to you I offer my sincerest thanks !

Most of you might agree with the principles of this pledge, but don’t necessarily follow it rigorously….to you I appeal to imbibe it fully (100% every time) into your riding habits !

Some of you might feel this is a stupid idea and who cares….for you I can only pray !


A very seasoned and respected rider once said to me "if you are truly passionate about biking, then discipline yourself to ride long and not fast". This one statement has stayed with me and has become the underpinning of my riding passion. I hope you all see the wisdom in that statement and take to this pledge as a way to achieving it. This is the only way we as a brother-hood will make big biking safe and ensure it has a promising future in India.

Rishab Gulshan
A concerned Superbiker

45. Capt Wheelie King and his Gixxer

Name: Wheelie King AKA Capt Vineet
Profession: Airline Pilot
Age: 40
Club: G.O.D.S


1. When was the first time you ever “threw a leg over the saddle”?
a. 1985 and this was on a hero Honda.. I knew that very moment that my life was going to be all about speed

2. What was your first bike?
a. Hero Honda cd100

3. Was it your choice or just what you could afford?
a. My dad was kind enough to gift it

4. What bike(s) do you ride now?
a. Suzuki gsxr 1000 and an MT 01


5. Was it love at first sight or a product of long term research?a. Long time research is what I would say. I’ve had a 600RR and a 1000RR before this. They were very cultured machines. I thought it was time to get myself a hooligan and the gixxer just fit the bill.

6. How many bikes have you gone through till the present one?
a. 9

7. What modifications have you made to your stock bike?
a. Yoshi Full system exhaust 4 to 1
b. Alstare body kit
c. Puig double bubble and frame sliders
d. Harris grips

8. Have these modifications helped/improved ride and handling of your bike?
a. The exhaust has given it an unmatchable initial response, the mad bike just got madder

9. How long have you had the bike for and how many kilometers have you clocked.?
a. one yr and more than 8000km

10. How often do you ride – daily, fortnightly, monthly or just occasionally?
a. I fly with an airline company so Sundays are not necessarily free. Whenever I’m in town you’ll usually find me on the bike


11. What do you like most about your bike?
a. Undoubtedly the instant throttle response.

12. What don’t you like about your bike?
a. Well Id say that after being on the Honda for so long the gixxer feels a little less refined and the Honda just refuses to give up. I had to change the clutch pads on this bike after 5000Km while the Honda lasted 25000Km.

13. What has been your most memorable ride till date?
a. The trip with GODS on the Bikaner highway

14. What’s the maximum three digit figure you’ve seen on your speedo?
a. only 299 the bikes dont go faster. I would not advice anyone to do that kind of speeds ever. I had a chance to do it on a closed circuit and that’s the place one should try to push these machines. Not on the road.



15. Who maintains your bike – cleaning, servicing, etc?a. I prefer to do it myself. Its fairly simple

16. What fuel/oil do you use and why?
a. 97 OCT and MOTUL synthetic oil. no compromise

17. Tell us about your riding gear (helmet, gloves and suits/jackets/pants and other protective gear)?
a. XLITE- x802 and full leather riding suit with alpine star boots and gloves

18. What tips do you have for aspiring riders looking to pick up a super sports bike?
a. Grow slowly steadily on 200 cc and maturely ride on unforgivable superbike…DON’T COMPROMISE ON RIDING GEAR…..it cost less than 9% ok the bike cost but protects u 99.9%.......

44. Dont Stereotype the Super Biker

Dear Media,

Much has been written and spoken in the last week on the dark side of Super-Biking and the riders who own the machines. Barring a few articles here and there, most were blows below the belt. I'd like to point out that No, We are not the bad-boys you so love to portray us as!

I've been riding a superbike for the last whole year and I've been riding Indian bikes for the last ten years. With much conviction I can state that I've become a more safer, saner and mature rider ever since the time I bought my superbike.This is not an one off case, Id safely say the same for all the Super Bikers I know.

Its unfortunate that a young boys life was lost and you wake up to point fingers at everyone from the manufacturer, to the rider and the riders parents. I agree there was a fault, but its not fair to zero in on one person. Yes, 19 is too early to be mature enough to ride but great riders have started their careers as early as 12 yrs.
Yes, the manufacturer makes bikes that go blazingly fast but they expect you to respect that power. Yes, parents buy you a bike out of sheer love for you but they dont expect to get you killed on it.

I would strongly urge people to not gift a superbike to anyone. These machines should be earned and bought with your own money. We as humans have it in our nature to not respect anything that comes for free. Once you spend over 10 Lakhs of your money on a machine, you'll go a good distance to ensure that it remains in good shape. A tiny scratch on it would hurt.

An accident is always waiting to happen, the question is how prepared are you to face it or avoid it. Every rider I know is geared from head to toe and has many thousands of kilometers of superbiking experience. There is absolutely no question of being on a superbike and not being in protective gear. You'll never see a cricketer ever facing a fast bowler without the helmet and pads, you'll never see a doctor treating an infected patient without proper gloves but strangely you'll a few bikers without any gear but that certainly is an anomaly. I personally know so many bikers in India and each has invested a lot of money to ensure they have protected themselves.

We know that its easy to use the words like rash,reckless,crazy,immature,speed demon etc to stereotype us without realising that we are the same people who treat patients, fly your airplanes, manage your money, fight your law suits etc. If you see us in our regular office clothes you'll realise that we're just another face in the crowd who works hard for a living. So I urge you, before putting that pen to paper and begin to write another sensational story, do realise that its not a crime to own and ride a superbike in India. We might ride a little faster when the roads permit to do so and thats usually when you're fast asleep on a sunday morning. Dont believe me?Ask yourself how many bikers have you spotted on the road despite the fact that there are over 5000 of active riders in India. We go great lengths to live our passion because thats what we live for. That is our life!

Yours

A superbiker.

43. The AngaBUSA!!

1. What made you give up the Bandit?
A. Bandit was always meant to be a stepping stone. Always did have my eyes set on the Busa J

2. Was Busa the obvious next bike or did you have any other bike in mind?
A. Obviously, Yes ;)

3. How was the experience of waiting for the bike to be delivered?
A. Excruciating yet exhilarating. The level of excitement was close to what a guy would feel just before getting laid for the first time.


4. Before you got it made into the AngaBusa, you had some accessories on it. tell us about it.
A. Within the first week of purchasing the Busa, I got D&D Slip on Exhausts, Fender Eliminator, Red Sport Levers, Red Bar ends, LED body light kit, HID Xenon Kit for Low & High Beam and my very own signature decaling.

5. What inspired you to make it India's baddest Busa?
A. From the very beginning, I’ve always wanted my machines to look as different as possible from the others, hence the blingy/loud customisation. But wait for it….in time, there’s more to come :D

6. Tell us all that has gone into making it the AngaBusa.
A. A lot of effort, patience, time & MONEY. The list is extensive, but here goes –
Yoshimura R55 Limited Hayabusa Edition 4 into 1 Full System Exhaust,
Power Commander 5,
K&N Race Specific Air Filter,
Red Hayabusa Engraved Swingarm Extensions,
Red Chrome all round panelling,
Red Chrome Wheel Rims,
Red Chrome Front & Rear Foot Peg Hangers,
Analog Clock & Analog Temperature Gauge mounted on the Tank,
Hayabusa Engraved Tank Mount between the triple tree and tank,
Carbon Fibre Side Tank Protectors,
Triple Tree Nut Cover Kianji engraved,
Hayabusa Engraved Red Hand Grips,
Left Side Number Plate Mount,
Carbon Fibre Frame Sliders,
Red Sport Levers,
Red Bar ends,
LED body light kit,
HID Xenon Kit for Low & High Beam, and
My very own signature decaling

I hope I haven’t missed anything :p


7. Many of the work done on it was a "first" in India. Did you trust your mechanic enough for it?
A. I have blind faith in my mechanics.

8. What mod according to you is the coolest of them all?
A. To be honest, cosmetic mods are a personal choice and may be cool for some and not so cool for others. But technically speaking, I love the Yoshi full system with the PC5, it makes Angabusa sing like a Nightingale J

9. Has the longer wheelbase affected the handling?
A. Yes it has positively as well as negatively.
Positive – Straight line stability and ride quality has improved majorly. It feels a lot more planted during sudden acceleration rather than the earlier “oh damn not another wheelie” feeling.
Negative – Swingarm Extensions - The Steering feels a bit stiffer and I certainly have lost some confidence around corners. The usual knee down attempts around bends & corners are a thing of past. Cornering is a lot slower now. But, I take that as a positive, the slower the safer.


10.How much have you spent on it in aftermarket products?
A. Depends who’s asking and reading this. It’ll always be a closely guarded secret ;)



11. Where did you manage to procure everything from?
A. Except the Chroming, everything else was picked up online – eBay International

12. What made you freeze on the Yoshi 4 to 1A. Yoshimura is one of the only official certified/authorised by Suzuki aftermarket component manufacturing company. They’re one of the only Exhausts brand which are officially tested by Suzuki and then co branded as a Suzuki official product. Plus the fact that the finish, fit & quality of Yoshimura is one of the best in the market. But more specifically, I picked up the R55, as they are Hayabusa limited edition and they are the only exhaust that make the busa sound a lot like a litre superbike (somehow the roar of litre bike has always impressed me more than the deep growl of the busa, yet again a personal preference).

13. Is there anything more on the cards say like a turbo?
A. Would’ve loved to put a Turbo on, only if I was living in Germany and had the Autobahn to ride on, so that’s a negative. There are a few more things in the pipeline, but shall maintain my silence for the time being.





14. How has Suzuki reacted to the bike?
A. Suzuki’s (more specifically the dealer’s) response has been in a way overwhelming and yet worrisome. They like what has now become Angabusa and want me to part with it on non-riding days which is most of the week except Sundays, as they want to display it in their showroom as a show bike. And of course, as all would think correctly, I refused J

42. Why is MotoGP not popular in India?

It was almost ten years ago when I got hooked on to MotoGP. All credit for that went to one of Kerala's most obsessive rallyst, Binu John. He categorically told me that
watching F1 was a waste of time. I ,like many my age was an F1 glory supporter. When the race day was on, I pretended to be truly engrossed in the sport. When you're all of 20 years old,you do have a right to be a little bit of a poser. I exercised that right to perfection. Those were the days of the mighty Shumi. Usually the race was fought for second place as it was a no brainer that Shumi would end up on the topmost step of the podium. I never knew a sport called MotoGP existed.



I can clearly recollect the race that made me a Moto GP believer. It was another epic battle between the Doctor and his arch rival Max Biaggi. Suzuka GP in 2001. Rossi was close on the heels of Biaggi and he tried to make a opening, while Rossi was completing the overtake, Biaggi elbowed him off the track and pushed in straight into the dirt. Watching a man control a bike on dirt at over 200KM was a sight for sore eyes. Rossi got back on the track despite losing many precious seconds he still fought to get behind Biaggi and finally over took him not before giving him a one finger salute. He went on to win the race. I knew i'll never see this ever in an F1 race. MotoGP makes you see heroes, not some heavily paid entertainers.





There have always been some great rivalry in the sport.It always involved the Doctor.It began with Biaggi, then went on the Sete Gibernau who fell under the Rossi Curse. After a losail race Sete complained that Rossi won under unfair terms. Rossi, visibly upset, claimed that Sete will never win a race ever in his life. believe it or not Sete never ever got on the podium aftet that. The one time he almost did, his bike ran out of gas 200 meter before the finish line. He quit the sport a year later.



Today Rossi is fighting to find his place amongst younger talented riders. I hope the next season would be different. What makes me sad is that so few people in our country know anything about such an incredible sport and a great rider.

I've always failed to understand why a sport with so much excitement failed to take off in India. If I have to list a set of reasons why MotoGP is a failure in India the following would be it.

1. We dont have a robust superbiking culture.What ever we have is still in a stage of infancy
2. Biking companies see India as a great commuter market. Honda and Yamaha, companies with such great racing pedigree refuses to share that part of them with us.
3. The automotive magazines dedicate far too little time to truly bring out the beauty of MotoGP. I agree a page or two is dedicated to the sport but F1 is on the cover page.
4. None of the brands in India have biking enthusiasts as marketing heads. They simply dont have the drive and belief that MotoGP will have takers. I remember getting a call from Barcelona seeking sponsorship for a motoGP team. I did my best to convince my management to take this ahead. they did not budge.
5. MotoGP does not have a Vijay Mallya
6. F1 has a great PR machinery at work. MotoGP has a relatively poorer machinery
7. ESPN/Star don't promote the sport
8. MotoGP is dominated by Japanese.And Japanese are very matter of fact people. They believe in making the product good. they are hopeless at marketing it. F1 is dominated by Europeans who bring in all the glamour to the sport. An Indian is always enamoured by a Ferrari than an equally good if not better Nissan GTR

A lot also has to do with the Indian Rider. Many superbikers in India dont follow MotoGP at all, I know just one rider who bought his bike because of his loyalty to a team. In the west you'll find them to be hardcore fans. A Yamaha fan will only support his team and what ever happens buy a Yamaha only. We are years away from such a culture but eventually we should be there. However unless the big guys in the motorcycle industry sit up and take notice of this fact nothing would happen in the worlds largest bike market. Pity.

I've been fortunate to be connected with a few people who work with certain teams at the MotoGP. They have all confirmed that India is soon on the cards. I suggest that they get their act together real soon else they are in for a huge disappointment.

I keep saying this throughout the blog, We are living in very interesting times.Who knows what the future might hold.

41.Doc's Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade

Name: Arun Thareja AKA Dr Speed
Profession: Doctor and founder of GODS
Age:50
City: Delhi

1) What do you call your bike?
This bike in question is known as fireblade but I call it blade bcoz the first time I saw her ,she cut me thru like a blade & all my emotions spilled over mainly- lust, Got to have her!

2) How many Super Bikes have you had before this one?
This is not my first bike,had many & the list is very long but I will name a few- ninja 600 gpx; honda vf 750 interceptor; honda cbr xx blackbird; ninja zx 9r; yamaha thundercat; ducati 916 & the ninja zx12r.

3) Was it love at first sight or a product of long term research?
Thankfully im aware of bikes & before picking this one I knew all about it so as such no research was required,it was pure love like it had happened before also & I have never been monogamous when it came to bikes

4) how was the waiting period?
Like I said one look & I was floored & the only feeling was- gotta have it & it was a tough waiting period,the usual sleepless nights & the bike 24 hrs in the back of my mind.it was exactly like falling in love with a person,maybe more in my case.all the time thinking of sprucing up the bike with all the accessories I could think of & I even managed to procure some before the bike actually landed in my garage.

5) how was it when you finally saw it in the flesh?
First look was lethal,the bike of my dreams right in front of my eyes seducing me with her lines.it was drool drool all the way,had a tough time wiping my saliva off her

6)How long have you had it and how many KM clocked?
Its been with me for 6 months now & I have done about 4000 kms

7) Whats the best attribute of the Blade?
The best attribute has to be the power in a small package,it weighs just 180 kilos & makes around 150bhp.with this combo it just slices thru the traffic & flies on the highway


8) Anything irritable about it?
Thers nothing irritable about the bike but if I have to really point out something then it has to be the wrist & back strain on longer rides because of its hunched over riding posture


9)What Mods do you plan to do on it?
Like to change the stock sprocketing of the bike, 1 tooth down on the front & 2 teeth up at the rear.amazing initial & mid response though i lose out on top speed but the initial acceleration really tranforms the bike into a ferocious monster. The other thing I would like to change is raising the clip ons by 1 to 1 ½ inch for a more comfortable riding posture.

10)Tell us about your riding gear?
I have lots of riding gear mainly the padded jackets, riding pants,leather pants,riding boots-both ankle length & long ones,elbow & knee guards & tons of helmets of almost every makeim very comfortable in my icon,speed&strength & alpine stars riding jackets.all have protection. Im comfortable in my Answer riding pants & my icon riding boots though in winters I prefer my leather pants & full length nitro vega riding boots. One of my fav helmets is the arai quantum 2 & in open face I love my vr-1 helmet.

11)If you would ever cheat on her, with which bike would it be?
If I wud ever cheat then I wud elope with the ducati diavel

12) what accessories are on it?
O yes I believe in cosmetic customization & I have done the following mods- installed a mra double bubble smoked windscreen;removed the rear tail section plastics for a cleaner look & relocated the turn signals.installed the yoshiura rs3 exhaust,it improves the power,the sound & looks good. Have done minimal stickering without going over the top & have put a color matched rear seat cowl to make it look more sportier.



13) whats the best way to extract more power from the bike?
The best bang for ur buck mod to extract power is the sprocketing,I have dropped 1 tooth in front & gone up 2 teeth at the rear.amazing difference & for around 8000 bucks it’s a must mod. I have installed yoshimura rs3 exhaust, k & n air filters & a power commander3 for perfecting the air fuel ratio & the ignition timing.if somebody doesn’t want to spend on power commander then he can adjust the throttle position sensor(tps) after doing a proper research for his particular model on the net.readjustment to how many volts can be found out on various forums on the net. I have also installed the frame sliders(crash protectors) & the swing arm spools.

14) How expensive is she to maintain?
Shes not particularly high maintenance except that when she wud require the tyres I wud be considerably poorer but that’s true for every superbike bcoz the cost of the tyres is very high irrespective of the make, rest shes doing fine not troubling me at all with her outrageous demands,lets see how long this lovey dovey phase lasts


15)What fuel/oil do you use?Food wise she gets the best,oils from all the reputed companies are good but one has to choose between the normal & the synthetic & I feed her synthetic.right now I have put agip but I have also used motul which is equally good. Fuel wise I prefer 97 octane but due to its scarcity I go in for 91 octane to which I add octane booster.i have used plain 91 octane also & the bike runs well but its always better to achieve 95 octane as recommended by all the manufacturers

16)Who does all the servicing?
I do all the service on my own & I don’t trust the dealer coz I know more about bikes than him; being with bikes for more than 25years & having all the tools, thankfully I can tackle all what it takes to maintain a bike & some more.

17) Whats the max you've seen on the speedo?I have touched 280kmph on my kawasaki ninja zx12r,though its capable of touching 330kmph coz its an unrestricted model.

40. Maintaining your Superbike

When you spend all your hard earned money to buy a superbike, the thought of it not performing at 100% is a painful one. Today’s bikes are so well engineered that it requires very little maintenance for it to keep going. Having said that its a crime to neglect the bike. Truth be told you give it a little love it would serve you loyally for years to come, ignore it for more than it likes then you're in for a real hard time.



Maintaining a superbike in India comes with a few special challenges that our counterparts in the west don’t face. Firstly, We are severely short on good knowledgeable mechanics. The ones who are good are so short of time. It’s often hard to get a good second opinion also. Secondly, Our riding conditions are hardly ideal. I don’t even think the big companies ever test their bikes in conditions such as ours. Badly laid, pothole filled roads, Incredible amount of dust and grime are that of our roads. The weather is wet and humid and finally the traffic. These are exactly the conditions a superbike is not made for. However since we don’t have a choice but to live with these conditions its very important that the bikes are looked after very well.



Based on inputs from mechanics, owners and my personal experience the following are the issues to look out for.



Trouble due to poor fuel.



All superbike engines have high compression ratios. For such an engine to work optimally, it needs fuel that is designed for it. All bikes that are now sold in India require 95 octane or higher. In my experience I have not come across any brand but BP who makes premium fuel. Speed 97 is however not available in many pumps and often one needs to take a detour to just fill gas. Using regular fuel tends to make the engine knock. Certain engines have a knock sensors and will adjust automatically. The main issue with regular fuel is that usually its contaminated. This would lead to the injectors getting clogged, throttle bodies getting dirty. Bikes will refuse to start, sometimes they will start and immediately shut down and sometimes the idling gets erratic.If you leave the bike standing for more than a month, ensure that it’s topped up with fuel. Empty spaces in the tank can lead to rusting.



Tips to solve this

1.Use premium fuel as far as possible

2.Use an injector cleaner(STP etc) The will keep you injectors clean

3.Ensure the entire throttle body gets cleaned every time you service the bike.



Trouble cause due to dusty/dirty roads



Our roads are usually too dusty, dirty and filled with small pebbles. These will bother the bike in various ways.

Airfilter: The fundamental job of the filter is to keep the dust from entering the combustion chamber. They are usually made of high grade paper, Each filter is designed to last around 10000KM. But when it comes to our conditions they usually clog up in half the time.



Tips to solve this



Ensure your filter gets replaced every service and not just cleaned. Sometimes they spray a jet of compressed air to remove the dust. This does not work for the bikes. Else use a free flow filter like K&N. they let more air pass and can be re used. Its been argued that free flow filters don’t filter very efficiently. I have been using on for a 5000km. its been good so far.



Chain



A much ignored component on the bike is the chain. All chains come with lubrication on it. While it keeps the sprocket assembly in good running condition its also a dirt magnet.



Tips to solve this



Motul has a product called chain lube and another called chain cleaner. After every 1000 KM the chain must be compulsorily cleaned and lubed. In case the chain is running dry without any lube, soon it would start to rust and can damage your sprockets. Constant use of the bike will make the chain run loose. At every service ensure you get your mechanic to tighten the chain. Else this will lead to the chain wearing out too soon.



Radiator/Fairing Chipping



Small pebbles and other matter can prove to be vicious to the bike while travelling at high speeds. They usually begin to chip the fine grooves of the radiator and you’ll find loss of paint on the front fairings. While this is not completely avoidable there are minor solutions to it



Tips to solve this



Buy a pebble guard for the radiator. This is available as an aftermarket accessory. On the faring you can paste a 3M anti scratch clear vinyl coating. This will take the brunt of most of the damage.



Trouble Caused due to bumpy/uneven/pot holed roads



One major issue that crops up is the oil seal failure on the front suspension. This can be a painful sight to see and getting the oil seal is also not an easy procedure. One needs a trained mechanic to set it right also. Often the reason the oilseals gives up is not just the roads. It could be because of the suspension not being set up properly. Bad roads could take a toll on the tires and wear them out faster. In extreme cases this would impact the steering bearings and that is an expensive affair. As far as possible keep the bike on good tarmac or ride as slowly as you can on bad roads.





Troubles caused by traffic



These machines hate traffic, ideally they need to be ridden fast and the bike would thank you for that. Traffic leads to the engine heating up and its not uncommon for the engine to shut down completely for a while till the coolant temperature reaches normal limits. Most bikes have a tolerance of upto 125 degrees beyond that it would give up. However a lesser known issue thanks to traffic is the fact that the machine is always in low revs and the battery tends to not get enough charge. There is huge pressure on the regulator and alternator. Stories of bikes having a busted regulator is commonplace. Fixing this is an ordeal as any electrical issue can turn out to be a nightmare. Once a bike has electrical issues then the chances are that it would keep cropping up again.



Tips to solve this



Ensure you ride the bike for distance at decent speeds if you have spent a lot of time in traffic this will cool your engine as well as help charge your battery. Replace your battery if its showing sigs of ageing.



I’m sure there are other issues that I might have overlooked. If you have faced any such issues and know the solution to it, kindly post them in the comments. I read a line somewhere that goes like this… “Keep your bike well maintained.. riding shoes are not very comfortable to walk in”



With Inputs from Kaulson Racing(KRP).

you can contact them on kaulson@vsnl.com, else if your're in Delhi you could drop into their workshop in Naraina.

39. All about Riding Gear

If you are a superbiker the chances are high that you have not gifted yourself anything that does not have to do with biking. Invariable all you money is spent on two things. 1, customizing your bike and 2, collecting riding gear. Most of us believe that buying the bike is the most involving process, however once the bike is bought, one soon realizes that the desire to collect gear and accessories become an addiction.Hence like a kid getting lost in the candy store, a biker gets lost within Performance Racing Store, the place to be to satisfy all your biking needs



Almost every superbiker has been to this shop around the corner in Tardeo, Mumbai.Started in 2004 by Vivek Jaisingh and Prasad Divadkar purely because they realized that India is seeing a growth in the number of superbikers and no one had any access to riding gear and accessories. Being bikers themselves they labored to convince major brands to look towards India and the hard work has certainly paid off. This post is to educate riders on what components constitute good riding gear and what are the good to have accessories that your bike requires.



Let me start with Riding Gear and will do a post on accessories another time as it would be a huge post otherwise. When I began riding, I was of the opinion that riding gear meant just a Helmet. However owning a superbike and riding with a larger group exposes you to more mature riders who inspire you to be fully geared at all times. The picture below gives you a snap shot on what all components together make up a good riding gear.







HELMET



Lets begin with the Helmet. I bought a brand called BEON from Chopra Automobiles in Karol Bagh. It costed me around Rs 3500. Being a bulleteer all my life this was a princely sum for a Helmet. I presumed that it would do the job amazingly well. When I tried it on, it fit snuggly and the overall feel was brilliant. I was happy with my purchase till I tested it on my bike. The minute the speedo crossed 120 the entire helmet began to wobble and was unbearably noisy. I thought this was acceptable and all helmets will behave in a similar manner. I was wrong.

I had the chance to try on a friends ARAI and the difference was immediate. It was incredibly stable and ultra silent. Over and above, it was actually comfortable to wear for a long time. Helmets for superbikes are designed to perform at high speeds, they have to pass stringent tests to be sold on the streets. It might be five times as expensive as the one I bought from Karol bagh but trust me, it’s the first investment one needs to make. There are plenty of great brands in the market. A good way to judge if the helmet is great or not is to check if they are connected with MotoGP or WSB. If any of those riders can wear it then id say its perfectly good for you to use. Else look for the rating, if its made in the USA then it would be certified by DOT(department of transportation), In Europe it would be certified by ECE 22.05 Some of the brands you choose from SHOEI, ARAI, SOUMY,NOLAN, XLITE,SPARX,HJC,KBC,SHARK,AGV,JOE ROCKET,ICON, RJAYS and a few other equally good brands. The range of helmets begin at around Rs 10,000 and go all the way to Rs 40,000.







Few tips to keep in mind when choosing your helmet are the following



1. Ensure its a little on the tighter side when you try it on for the first time. It might be a bit uncomfortable for the first few rides but it would loosen up and become a good snug fit.The last thing you want is a helmet that hangs loose over your head.It could get very uneasy while at higher speeds

2. Never choose an open face helmet if you plan to ride a bike that capable of doing great speeds. I can understand that on a Harley they look cool but still, it wont really save your face in a crash.

3. Buy an extra visor, in our conditions they tend to get scratched too quickly and getting a new visor can be a pain.

4. By clear visors. Tinted visors are great in the sun but usually superbikers are up early and in the dark they can be of no use.

5. Straps. they usually come in two types. one is the quick release type and the other is the double D. the former is easier and more user friendly but most good helmets come with double D as they give a tigher hold to your helmet.



JACKET



The second most important part of your gear is the Riding Jacket. A good riding jacket is an armored jacket.This means that it comes with protective padding usually made of high quality plastic polymer. The shoulder/elbows and Spine are protected. The outer skin of the jacket is either leather or mesh depending on the climate. Leather jackets are heavier and offer a little more protection in case of a fall, however for daily riding in warm weather this could be task which will sap the joy out of biking. Mesh jackets are preferred by riders in India and they come with a removable warm liner inside that can keep the chill out if need be. The brands that make good Jackets are DAINESE, ALPINE STARS, JOE ROCKET, KOMINE, SPEED & STRENGTH, SCOTT, FOX, AXO,RJAYS and a few others. Couple of Indian brands that make very decent Jackets are CRAMSTER and PLANET DSG. The cost of the Indian Jackets would in the range of Rs 5000 and the international ones begin from Rs 7500 and can go all the way to Rs 20,000 if its leather.







tips to look out for in a jacket



1.look for your size, you rather buy a less cooler looking jacket that fits you perfectly than a pretty one thats one size larger. the paddings will fit snuggly only if the jacket is your size.

2.Leather is strictly for the track or if you are in Delhi in the winters.Else it would suck all your energy out and in no time begin to stink like mad

3.look for jackets which come with reflectors on them. In India that little strip can save your life.Most good jackets come with it as standard



GLOVES



The Third in the list would be a good glove. Riding gloves come with knuckle protectors that are made of either Kevlar, Carbon Fibre or Steel. Usually the first point of impact in a crash are your fingers so its extremely important to have a good pair of gloves. All the companies who make the Jackets make gloves too. The Indian gloves begin at Rs 1300 and the International brand start from around Rs 2500 and go upto Rs 7500. They come ventilated for summer and you’ll find the leather full gauntlets for riding in winters.







Tips to look out for in a good glove

1.Ensure they are well padded. As far as possible look for good quality padding like kevlar or carbon fibre. Rubber padding wont really help

2. gloves should be well ventilated,they can be leather as long as they are ventilated. Sweaty palms can make your ride most uncomfortable

3. Get your size right. Else the knuckle protectors wont sit over your knuckle and it will not do the job its meant to do.

4. A full gauntlet( one that has extentions over the jacket) is best when the weather is chilly else it would not let any air enter your jacket.



KNEE& SHIN Protectors



The next in your list should be a good pair of knee and shin protectors. This is an often ignored part of the gear. One reason being that its not a very comfortable accessory to have and second it tends to scratch the tank as its worn over the jeans. I usually wear them under the jeans. As far as Brands go, you will find them with AXO,FOX, CRAMSTER,ALPINE STARS and a few others. This again begins from Rs 1000 onwards.What makes this very important to have is that your knees are extremely exposed while riding and it could result in permanent injury unless protected.







RIDING BOOTS



Riding Boots come next and they are perhaps the most stylish of all the above mentioned accessories. A good boot today is so well engineered that it would take an extremely terrible crash to injure your foot. They are made from leather and specially researched polymers. Most good boots come with a toe slider. Not only do the boots protect your feet they also help in shifting gears accurately. The good brands are SIDI, ALPINE STARS, JOE ROCKET, AXO, KOMINE,RJAYS and a few others. A decent boot will start at around Rs 8000 and go all the way to Rs 25000.







Points to keep in mind while choosing a good boot



1.Never buy a boot that one size smaller, its better to have one that right fit or maybe a little bigger

2.Get ventilated Boots if your riding in warm weather.

3.Go for comfortable Boots, Style should follow comfort and not the other way around.

4.If you plan to tuck your jeans into your Boot then ensure the boot is big enough else you'll stress you ankle out and limit the blood flow to your feet.



RIDING PANTS



The other lesser used items in India are Riding Pants . While a good pair of denims and knee guards will do the job just fine, the riding pants is a more complete deal it comes with hip protection also. The only down side to Riding Pants are that the fit may not to be everyone’s taste .All brands that make Jackets usually make Riding Pants also. They begin from Rs 7500







A full riding suit is not advisable for everyday riding as its heavy and can be a pain in traffic for they are made of high quality leather and it could get extremely hot. However if you plan to ride on a track, A full suit is a must.







Performance Racing Store is the sole Indian distributor for JOE ROCKET apparel, ARAI and SPARX helmets and SIDI boots. All these brands make extremely high quality products. They have a fair amount of stock and choice with them at all times. If there is any product you don’t find in their store they will be more than happy to order them for you. As far as pricing goes they may be on the higher side but one needs to always keep the rule of 10% in mind. Spend at least 10% of your bikes value in Riding Gear for that would ensure you remain riding for all your life.



Vivek Jaising can be contacted on Vickyj@performanceracingstore.net

You could also check out their site www.performanceracing.in