Gravel - When its between the road and rubber!

There are so many riders whose years of experience can help you train yourself to deal with tricky situations. With effort, discipline and practice, there is a lot you can do to save the day for yourself dost!

But we strictly believe that there are two kinds of situations when it comes to stability. The first one is when the conditions are normal and it is the lack of riding skill that gets one scenery + one rider + one machine mated in a gruesome threesome! The second situation is when there is an external element involved. Today is the day to warn you against gravel on the road. Whether you twist the throttle, corner well or brake hard, you must understand that your staying up has a lot to do with the chemistry between the tyres and the surface of the road. Gravel cuts out that chemistry in a jiffy and you suddenly have no traction and hence no control

Unless you are on a dirt bike in a controlled environment or frame of mind, gravel can be very dangerous. Rule 1) Avoid patches of gravel and if you can't, slow down to a snail's speed. Rule 2) Be alert, too much of throttle, steering or brake input will make you feel ripped off by your tyre manufacturer, but that is not the case. Even race designed Pirellis will not be able to help you there.

And falling on gravel hurts like mad! - Ride Safe

Stay Upright!

"THE REAR END SHUNT: Riding down a suburban road late on a Saturday night, you stop for the red light. You then hear the dreaded sound of the screech of tyres behind you. The impact from the rear knocks you onto the intersection. You have been hit by a well known brand of car that didn't see you waiting for the light. Maybe under the influence of some drug (the driver of the car that is)."

We found this site(Stay Upright) that is full of techniques and tips to keep the shiny side up and rubber side down while you are riding around town(s)!
Hope you guys enjoy it. And stay upright!

HORN Keep OK Distance PLEASE!

Separation Distances

The key to survival, unlike love relationships is distance. As a biker, remember that distance from the vehicle ahead and behind will keep that salary coming in every month instead of that bulk amount of your life insurance. Yes, sorry about being harsh but in India, you better watch your back because it is nobody’s fault. Every man for himself is the war cry!

Here goes:

At speeds of above 60 kmph, keep a distance of at least 60 feet from the guy up front. If traffic allows, make it even more. Generally, stick to the 1 foot per kmph rule. You will have enough reaction time to brake.
At speeds below 30 kmph, remember that half a foot per kmph is a good figure. Both in front and at the back of your bike.
We understand that tail gaters are aplenty here, but then again, distance from a dump truck or a bus which is raging war behind you is a good thing to do.

During rains, double the distance. If it is very heavy rain/ snow or filth on the road, leave the darn bike at home and take a bus!

While following large vehicles, keep larger separation distance so that:
- The large vehicle driver can see you in his rear view mirror and is aware of your presence
- You can see oncoming traffic, overtake starts as soon as the large vehicle crosses oncoming traffic. Sumos will swerve into action instantly and if you are right behind the bus or truck, it’s a darn head on!
- You have an increased field of vision once the need for overtaking arises.
- When you are approaching a bend with a large vehicle up front, increase the distance even more.

That should keep your family, your employer and your insurance company very happy!

- Ride Safe

One of the legendary motorcycle rides!

"France may have its vineyards, and Rome its ancient ruins, but America is the undisputed wonderland of roads. Here in the Land of the Free, the open road has long been a symbol of independence, and all the more so on a motorcycle." - Stephen Regenold

Great, what we have here is the 11-mile Tail of the Dragon route at Deals Gap, N.C., which is probably the most famous motorcycle road in the country, according to Bill Belei, editor of MotorcycleRoads.com. Indeed, "The Tail" has an amazing 318 curves, many flanked with precipitous drop-offs, creating an exhilarating, unforgettable ride. 318 curves eh? Hehehe. What else can we say?

Bums the word!

Lead conversion and running in!

Hi Rahul,

Based on your inputs and suggestions, I have finally bought a Red Unicorn.

I would like to ask three questions...
1) Is it really necessary not to rev my new bike above 50kmph before 1st service?
2) What I feel is the first gear gives even before 15kmph i.e. I have to shift to 2nd gear immediately.
3) Can you suggest approximately up to what speed can go on 2nd and 3rd gears.

Thanks & regards,

Kartik H. Shah

Hi Kartik. Awesome choice I say! The red one looks so smashing. The motor is too smooth for its own good. Can you write a 400 word ownership experience and send in some pics for the Monoshock E mag? Would be great!

About running in the Honda: Please note that running in is a stage which has a lot of myths going around it. The key is not to keep to low revs only. If you want a long lasting engine with great performance here is the bullet list.

1) When you start up your bike in the morning or first time for that day, just let it idle for about 2 minutes. Gently keep the throttle just twisted enough so the engine does not stall if necessary during the first 30 seconds or so.

2) Take the engine through the entire rev range, which means rev it to 8000 rpm once in a while and then go back to 5000 or 4500! Do it again, each time for longer periods starting 30 seconds and gradually upping the durations. Speed is a result of gearing and its immaterial what the gear is. Just watch the rpm and go go go!

3) Put in about 100 ml of 2T oil into the fuel tank and tank it up to the brim. Do this till your bike has done 2000 kays on the odo. Thats orthodox but it works wonders.

This 3 point program can turn your machine into a well run in beast! Enjoy!

Harley Davidson RR250

Yes, you heard that right. This Harley, won three world championships in the 250 cc class in a row! These high revving two stroke parallel twins were developed by H-D in Italy and were ridden by Walter Villa to win three world championships in 1975, 76 and 77!

These bikes boasted 246cc twins producing 53 bhp and were capable of top speeds of 225 kays an hour. They had bare basic body work, twin discs up front and a superb expansion chamber to be one of the quickest and fastest 250s of that era! A Harley eh? Not bad. At only a 109 kgs!

The Megola Racing Model

This, dost is the world's most unconventional motorcycle! Only 2000 (only?) of these were built between 1921 and 1924.

Designer Fritz Cockerell was heavily inspired by the rotary aero engines of World War I and came up with a 5 cyclinder radial mounted engine inside the front wheel! Now beat that. For each forward rotation of the front wheel, the engine rotated in the opposite direction 6 times.

It was a 640cc, 5 pot, 14 bhp machine that was clocked to a whopping 148 km/h! Darn, our heads are going round in circles...

Stop or my mom will shoot!

"We havent had that spirit here...
Since 1969"

Yeah, that is right out of an Eagles mega hit number, but why? You ask.

The Honda CB750 in the picture here was an inline 4, 736 cc 67 bhp motorcycle which could go upto 200 kays an hour! Not happy? But before you write this machine off and assign it a footnote in your knowledge base, please consider that the CB was produced in 1969! Darn! Right?

Oh, and why that heading for this post? The CB750 was the first production machine in the world to have hydraulic disc brakes!

Air Brushed

"We feel that the best answer to this is to go with what you can afford. As you get more involved and "better" you will want to move up in class accordingly. You will find however, that a lot of the airbrushes you will start with will work for different scenarios later.

For example, I went to one of these artist go away things for automotive painting, and as I was setting up I got asked if I was a t-shirt artist based on the fact that I brought a paasche (my workhorse airbrush). Now there is nothing wrong with being a t-shirt artist, and I do not go around with my resume, magazine articles, dvd and video game covers, etc. taped to my forehead. Bottom line, its not the airbrush, its the loose nut behind the wheel."

That is Wetcoats for you. A place where you can see some of the best cycle custom paint jobs. Take a cue from there and email them in case you need some help starting your own!

And this amazing skull on the tank is from Tommy, a guy known to go overboard with his colour schemes! You can check him out here!

Awesome eh?

Pair Up!

The best thing you can do on a long ride is find a buddy who can ride along with you. There are times when you need conversation and company. But the greatest thing it does is that it makes the journey more swift. Here are a few tips I can give you:

1) Choose your riding partner well. Nothing can be more crucial than this
2) My riding speeds often drop when I am doing long distances alone, but with Rahul its better than ever. One of you should always lead and change leads every half hour or so the other guy can relax a bit.
3) The trick is trust. The guy riding up ahead will give you a clear idea of the road condition. Potholes, slime, turns, oncoming traffic in a blind turn etc become much easier to navigate.
4) Keep a distance of 50 feet between the both of you. That way emergency braking can work easily. And just keep a look out for his brake light. (Brake light not working? What the hell are you doing on the road anyway?)
5) Keep a lookout for your mate behind after every turn and once in a while on straights as you go. Nod your head when you see something you like, it enhances the spirit of the guy riding a lot.
6) Never ever think that you are racing.

The road is an amazing place to build such a relationship, and with time and knowledge about each other, you can munch huge distances with a lot of ease!

- Nitin

Guys lets straighten things out!

Great riding is a lot about how well and how fast you can exit corners. So here goes some from us..
1) Look where you want to go. This is an old one guys but if you are looking 4 feet ahead of you on the road, you won't know what is coming your way. If you are looking at the distant scenery, chances are that you will mate with it, bike in tow! So focus on the bend!

2) Don't twist the wrist too fast. Too much gas may upset the rear wheel traction if sent in a jerk so hold that wrist (and save it for the end moment of the being your own best friend do) and throttle gradually and surely!

3) Hold the handle bars tight only during braking! Do not cling on to them tight otherwise. Have a relaxed grip and turn smoothly to reduce unnecessary feedback from the front about the hazards of it's job!

4) Be in the right gear always. Once you are leaning over, you do not want to go half a km that way for the revs to build up. Also, right in the middle of a right hander, you should not run out revs and contemplate shifting. Stay just below the powerband and shift up only once you are straight.

That should set the record straight! Ride Safe.

Cornering Part 2: Beware!

For those who gate crashed the cornering party late, the first part of the topic of discussion is here. . .

However, we would like to point out at this point that while you are riding into the countryside or the hills, corners will be aplenty and trust us about them being so tempting. But keep this 5 point bulletin in mind!

#1 Avoid leaning too much or going too hard into a blind corner, you never know what the other (and more importantly blind) end has in store for you.

#2 Avoid hard cornering on roads that pass through heavily wooded or forest patches. Animal poo can send you and your machine hurtling, rubber side up!

#3 If the road is very steep downhill, avoid it again unless you are a pro from the school of cornering. Gravity has a way to weigh things down heavily. Keep on a lower gear and do not use the clutch. Even if your revs reach the moon, the bike will be in control.

#4 If there is a sweep that needs the vision to cross a blazing sun, be careful. We have seen people lose control with that intense flash of sunlight. Its a big distraction. Imagine someone letting a flash gun go right in front of you while you are leaning!

#5 Do not look for lean when its not there. Very important. Judge each corner in isolation. They are not all the same and do not promise the same amount of fun!

Ride Safe

World's fastest motorcycle! The Bub Streamliner 7

Welcome to the world of pure functionality! Nothing about this two wheeler is 'cool'. We mean, its not something you can park beside a movie hall and expect to impress your date!

Get a load of this: Christened 'Seven' (it being the seventh streamliner Manning has designed in 40 odd years of holding and chasing the absolute Land Speed Record), the fastest motorcycle in the world features a purpose designed and engineered V-Four cylinder turbo charged 16 valve liquid cooled double overhead cam motor that delivers nearly three liters (158 inches) and close to 500 brake horse power to the technically demanding and notoriously difficult Bonneville surface via a custom designed and made monocoque carbon fiber and Kevlar construction chassis that provides the strength needed by the world's most demanding racing test.

Top speed attained: 354.832 miles per hour! Enough said. To hell with the movies and the date be darned!

Overtaking - A quick guide

Points to note:

- Never follow overtaking vehicles if you are relying on their safe judgement, skills and ability

- Beware of large slow moving vehicles. There may be a Maruti 800 or an Auto Rickshaw in front of it that you cannot see!

- If you have a new bike, be very careful before you have got the hang of it totally

- Understand fully well before starting the overtake that the vehicle in front of you will not slow down, brake or turn right. If need be, honk a bit to let him know you are there. Bikes are often missed out on rear view mirrors.

- Plan ahead and allow yourself sufficient time to finish the process

- Most importantly, make sure you have enough reserve power in your bike to accelerate and overtake fast. Remember, parallel is lethal!

- Do not cut back into the lane of the vehicle you just overtook. Give it a little time (ideally till you can see it fully in the left rear view mirror) and then swerve to the left gently

Do not overtake if:

- You are in doubt, it is unsafe or not necessary

- Your view is obstructed (Blind bend or something)

- Other drivers might be unable to see you

- There is not enough room

- The road narrows up ahead, or there is a crossing

- There is a zebra crossing or heavy pedestrian movement

- 'No overtaking' sign exists

- There is dead ground or the brow of a hill/ top of a bridge

- There is a continuous white line that you have to cross to overtake!

Ride Safe

Cornering: Part 1- Lets start

Out of all the thrills that biking promises, one of the best is cornering. There are no two ways about it. Words like getting it down, scraping the pegs and mashing the feeler bolts instantly light up a biker's eyes! Yes, there is fun in speeding, dragging and getting the front wheel up, but nothing comes close to attacking a corner. It is one of the most teasing activities for the mind. Now, as I type this snippet, I am closing my eyes, watching a rerun of a great corner I attacked a while back.

Once you see a bend approaching, the calculation starts. The eyes start their measurements. How long is the curve? Is it an increasing bend? Or a decreasing one? Is the surface alright? Any oncoming traffic? Goats or human beings jay walking? As you get closer, you start easing off the gas, making last minute adjustments with the brakes to get to the right speed and then you lean!

Fun to the hilt we say. Lets take it step by step for those who wish to start!

1) Identify the corner you wish to start on. Make sure that you know the road by heart here. Avoid broken patches on the surface and if its a blind bend in your friendly neighborhood, scrap it and look for another one!

2) Start early morning or mid afternoon. Traffic is low in most areas during these periods and you will have other things to concentrate on.

3) Approach the corner slowly and go about it like any other day. Did you lean? Yes, most certainly because no matter how slow you were, a two wheeler will lean. Ok we understand that you want to lean more. That is a function of speed. Try the same corner again with 15 more kph on the speedo. You will realise that you had to lean more as you did so. Aim to get the entire process smooth. Remember, what you see in Moto GP is a different ballgame. Dont try to hang off the bike. Most people just push themselves away from the bike (its the other way round actually) and feel that they are very close to the tarmac. Nope brother, stay firm and with the bike as you lean.

4) As you up your speeds slowly after getting the hang of it, break the corner (any corner) into 3 parts. The first, is to plan your approach speed. Mostly, this is fairly easy as the human mind will choose a speed below the maximum speed that can be carried into the corner. In most cases, the body realises the stability and sure footedness of a motorcycle much faster than the conscious mind. These parameters also kick in.

Secondly, approach the corner from the outside flank of the road or the middle, judge the bend as you go and come out from a line which is more to the left of the line you started the corner on!

Thirdly, as you are leaning and the gas is cut to the motor, keep judging for the right spot to twist the throttle again. This should ideally be after 70% of the leaning action is over (for starters only, regulars can start twisting their wrist after 30% too!) and the lug generated by the motor should assist you in straightening out of the bend.

Be yourself. Think while you are riding and never take unnecessary risks. As we take cornering further to higher levels, we will discuss braking during corners and lots of other tricks that will require us to unlearn and then relearn stuff!

On yeah.. Do not forget the full face lid, good shoes and a riding jacket before you start. Check air pressure and the tyre treads. If your tyres represent the ones on the GP bikes, chances are that you will wipe yourself out just like the treads!

Enjoy!