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.