As children, my best friends and I would embark on bicycling adventures each summer. Our mums would pack some fruits, juice and water before we left to a nearby grove, where we would spread out a bedsheet and relax under the shade of trees.
As we grew older, we replaced the bicycles with gearless two wheelers. Once when we were extremely bored on a public holiday, my friend and I sneakily filled petrol in her mother’s non-geared bike and rode in the rain to the nearest hill fortress (Nandi Hills).
I have however, always been uncomfortable riding a geared bike, even as a pillion. I detested the idea of the high speeds that motorcycles were capable of reaching. I for one would never ride beyond 70 kilometre per hour.
And then I met Mr. G!
When we met, he had just completed a motorcycle trip to Leh- Ladakh in the Himalayas on his beloved KTM Duke 390. I knew then, that if we ever got together, I would have to embrace his passion for motorcycles.
As luck would have it, to celebrate our first Valentine’s Day together, G suggested we ride to Gokarna which was around 485 kms away from Bangalore. I always wanted to visit Gokarna; a temple town famed for its secluded and pristine beaches. But I wasn’t so sure I wanted to ride pillion, especially on his KTM Duke 390.
On the official KTM website, the bike is described as, “It guarantees a thrilling ride, whether you’re fighting your way through the urban jungle or carving your name into a forest of bends.” But one look at the seat meant for the pillion, and I knew it was going to be an arduous ride….
To ensure I got into the spirit of things, G gifted me a maroon coloured helmet. We then shopped around for a suitable riding jacket and found a faux leather jacket by Vero Moda.
Rookie Mistake #1- Finally, on 13th February we left Bangalore at around 5 am. The first few kms, I held him tightly around his stomach and rested my entire weight on his back. He stopped at a roadside tea shop, and corrected my stance.
Rookie Mistake #2- Over the next few kms, I turned fidgety; I was trying to adjust my helmet, double-check if my phone was still in my pocket and stretch out my numb arms and legs. This led him to stop at another tea shop and berate me for moving around and making it difficult for him to
balance.
Rookie Mistake #3- After visiting a beautiful waterfall and covering a few hairpin bends, the highway turned into one long stretch of tarmac. The repetitious scenery combined with the rhythms of the wind put me off to sleep. I dozed off with my entire body weight on him, thereby repeating RM #1.
This incident really shook G up. He stopped and told me to never-ever fall asleep while riding pillion.
Rookie Mistake #4- I hysterically waved my arms and pointed out to a restaurant and told him I was hungry. Again, he stopped and instructed me to never distract him while he is focused on the road. We then worked out a few signs such as gently tapping his thigh, if I wanted him to stop.
After almost 13 gruelling hours, we finally reached Gokarna. By the end of the 11th hour, my body turned numb from being in the same position for far too long, and I lost patience and turned cranky. But despite my frown and many rookie mistakes, G was super proud of me!
After an idyllic weekend spent basking in the sun and hopping from one beach to another, we prepared for our journey home. The ride back was not as bad since I improved my posture and got into the flow of things. But towards the end of the 485 kms journey, we hit a 146 kms per hour in order to reach Bangalore before sunset. G hated the idea of riding at night, when trucks of all sizes came out to play. He assumed I had no idea of the speed we hit, but unbeknownst to him, my eyes were fixed on the speedometer and my heart beat louder with every increase in speed. As we slowed down at a toll plaza, I got down the bike, burst into tears and rebuked him for riding so fast. He agreed that he would never ride fast with me as a pillion. I made him promise that he would never ride this fast with OR without me!
Before our next ride, I watched a couple of videos on riding pillion and how we can be of great support to the rider. I slowly but surely began to embrace the idea of going on long distance rides.
I learnt to let go of my irrational fear of motorcycles.
I learnt to embrace living in the moment.
I learnt to keenly observe the road and move in sync with G.
I learnt how to lean in the same direction as G when we are going around a corner.
I learnt to clench the bike with my thighs in order to maintain the dynamics.
Most importantly, I learnt to soak in the scenery come sun or rain or snow.
Today, having ridden almost 4,100 kms together on different bikes, terrains and even countries, my love for biking has grown immensely. I have a new found respect for G and the Duke. I could never ride pillion with anyone else apart from G, since I know he is a skilled motorcyclist.
As for the Duke, though her seat still makes me uneasy, my respect for her has grown immensely. She is a beautiful machine!
Mrs. G 