The VW Jacket Days

Last week, while on a trip to another city and some serious drinking there, I caught a bug. By the next morning, there was a frog in my throat and a few hours later, a fever came along. Once back in Bangalore, I searched through my old trunk, looking for something warm to wear and I found the old VW jacket.

As I was wearing it, reruns of the old days filled my mind's screen. Me, the VW Jacket and the Honda Hornet 250 made the picture complete. Monoshock ran as a website for a full two years and the blog is still online but there never was a story on the Hornet and me. There was a comparo though which featured the Hornet, written for BS Motoring but thats it. I never wanted to be seen as a guy who rode an import around town and had followers because of the 180 section rear and that seductive exhaust note. To me, Monoshock was a website for everyone, created and maintained by people who were like any other biker on the street. Lonely deep inside, sensitive, caring and a bit loony.

The Hornet is long gone and the zeal for the website has lost itself somewhere in the twists of this road called life. The VW Jacket still remains. Its on my shoulder as I write this. It still smells of the days gone by. The wife just came in and asked, "What are you doing wearing shorts and that jacket?"

"Just planning to take the Hornet out", I replied, transported to another day.

Poor Rahul, she would have thought as she walked out, must be going round the bend!

I saw the Harley Davidsons roll by!

Bangalore witnessed a great event lately. Great atleast for the bikers around. A bunch of men (as Ben would have put it) startled the city astride Harleys, the potato sound booming and bystanders gawking. Yes, I was one of them. Out on the road in the morning, running a small errand for the wife, I noticed these mighty metal monsters hogging up the road. It was a great feeling. Completely child like. I remembered the time when I had seen the P180 for the first time. And the time when I had brought home my very own Hornet 250. It was a humbling experience to watch engineered metal at its desirable best. I hear that the Harleys in India will be priced between four and fourteen lacs and I also hear that their market research claims there are enough buyers even at that price range!

Just awesome. If any one of you happen to buy one, lemme know so I can come over and ride one. No matter what I am told in that department, I need to feel it first hand!
- Rahul

Still Around

Almost a year has gone by since the last post. A year that was full of surprises, laughter, friends, struggle and hardships. The economic slowdown did little to uplift dampened spirits and emotions. I did go around though. Down the little green hills of Coorg and the cobblestone pathways of Pondy. I even drove up to Ooty and spent a whole afternoon gazing at the meadows from the verandah of the Ooty Gymkhana Club. A little bit of writing has happened too, albeit they are all notes. Some of them, have been penned down just to amuse myself. The hard drive has some new images as well, but they do not really fit anywhere on Monoshock!

To tell you the truth, I have carried my camera along to pretty destinations this year but, have often come back home without clicking a single picture. The biker in me, loves the "Midship" sticker on the new Yam. I think the new Zma sucks and Dubai was always over rated. But thats just me. Doing a round of the web, I see too much information on motorcycles. Tech Specs and user reviews pop up from the most unsuspecting links and everyone seems to be generally happy. There are also a few around who still email. Asking about a possible restart of the www.monoshock.in website. Thanks so much! Mean it from the bottom of my heart. I really have nothing to tell them right now.

Except that, I am still around!
- Rahul

Remembering an old friend!

The cellphone blurted out an alarm at 6 AM. It was a birthday reminder set for a few friends who mean the world to me. I looked up and saw it was Parikshit's birthday. (Doc to me). Memories flooded my mind's screen. That gentle genuine smile from behind the lid. The warm sparkling eyes. That fluid language straight from the midst of Freshwater East in the July 2007 edition of the Monoshock emag! I never endorse drinking or smoking but I raise my glass of rum for you tonight as I try and put my lonely self to sleep. Hope you had a great day, and continue to have many thousands more of them. Someday, we will be back again like the good old days doc.
Love
R