Old Fox

Its win-lose time these days. Almost all the time. And the stakes are always high, getting higher in fact, in the mind at least. The prime-mover being the urge for ‘exclusivity ’….being ‘different’. Either I am exclusive enough to be noted and admired by the majority (and all apart from the holy ‘me’ constitutes the majority) or I am just a pitiable social appendage. There is this almost primeval urge to get ‘better’ and ‘better’. Television gets real-time close-ups and anatomical autopsies of extreme excellence right at one’s doorstep. And reinforces the urge to emulate. To at least strive to attain that excellence. Mediocrity is almost a crime. (I can at least think like Rossi would…and that already makes me good at riding, doesn’t it?) Rossi’s 300 bhp crotch rocket and my little 20 bhp roadster suddenly appear to have a LOT in common. The ability to recognize this commonality is the first step towards ‘holy exclusivity’. Both have tyres (just how do I get max. grip here laddie? Soft compounds? Warm tyres?). Both have throttles (I so l-o-v-e to rip ‘er). Both lean into turns (I just gotta learn to get that knee down y’know) and so on. Of course there are commonalities. Because both are motorcycles. But then aren’t I and Bruce Lee both men? Aren’t the Nilgiris and the Himalayas both mountain ranges?

Equating my biking needs with Rossi’s is not about the urge to learn. In fact there’s a lot more to learn before I can begin to take lessons from the level riders like Rossi operate at. But the ‘equation’ shows my ‘deep understanding’ of motorcycling skills (pun intended). And a few knowledge-revealing snippets picked up from TV shows and auto-mags get thrown in for good. Its win-lose even in admitting who I emulate or learn from. The similarities are conveniently and selectively lapped up while the glaring and critical differences in scale, skill and situation are ignored. Sacrificed on the mandatory altar of ‘being the best of the best-at least’. Ambition is omni-present, right from chasing those zero’s in my bank balance to my speed through a turn.

Can’t something be done just for the sake of doing it? Is it really so that everything HAS to be done with an ‘AIM’? And does that aim always have to be ‘TO BE BETTER THAN THOSE AROUND ME’? Is being adequate such a heinous, disgusting crime? Why is being able to do something ‘just well enough to be able to enjoy it and no more’ so despicable? So lowly? C’mon, if we don’t have race-tracks to practice getting that knee down on a curve, is it REALLY so important to be able to do it that we risk our necks and those of others on public roads to do it? Is ‘not getting that knee down’ so unthinkable that we are willing to put our entire motorcycling lives at stake to do it? Just what will happen if you are unable to take a curve on a bike any faster than say 60 kph for the rest of your riding life? I know, I know…every Tom Dick and Harry can take curves at 60. How am I gonna be better than them? And different?

Can we ever muster enough courage and sense to choose NOT to be manipulated by what we think others might be thinking of us? Can we ever be free of these perceived opinions of others about us? The opinions that we want to ascertain always express awe and admiration for our actions.Think….especially think if a mere opinion is worth a busted limb, shattered confidence, grounded bike and a full-stop to motorcycling. A sizeable chunk of young motorcycling enthusiasts ride around for a few years, get married, raise a family and then, intentionally or not, move on to cars. Those years spent riding around on two wheels become a fond memory. Enjoy it while you’re at it. Don’t waste it chasing phantom excellence. The fun is in experiencing motorcycling for what it is rather than unthinkingly chasing those ‘at par with the best skills set’. Being an adequately skilled rider is not something to be embarrassed about. Don’t get pushed into biting more than you need to chew by this culture where excess is admired. Only a tiny minuscule minority of those riding bikes will 'need' speed to make something of their riding lives and they are/will be the ones who go professional as competitors. For the rest of us, just being able to ride well and safe is more than enough.

Read these words by a WW1 veteran, Farrar Burn, someone who had seen inexpressible pain, death and destruction in the win – lose game. "I guess we'll be amateurs at everything until we die, (but) you know a man can't have any more than this. The earth, this sea, a beach, food, companionship. This is all any man can get." Add motorcycles to the list and live it….!

OF

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shrinathrao

A eye opening article sir, its a write up which is the need of the hour as it puts a point in ones mind asking the question why and what choices we do in our lives and what we pay for it.

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dcs

Congratulating Old Fox or appreciating what he has written is almost a religion to me, something that I do duty bound.

Now when I say duty bound, it is not to be mistaken as something that gets me bread and butter or something that makes me be a part of xBhp. Nor should it be taken as an act that is done with hands or mouth with little or no inputs from the inner self.

Old Fox has always been a wonderful rider and an equally wonderful writer. His article are thought provoking, something that touches the soul before you see his "Idontletmymotorcycleinterferemymotorcycling"

What he has just said is something that a lot of us had in our sub-conscious mind some way or the other, but these thoughts, for any reason could never see the light of the day. And then, sometimes his write up shake you and take you way.

I couldn't have agreed more on it, hence all I am saying is:

Great Job!


All Cheers

dcs

Sunny

Very relevant and thought provoking. The wonderful thing is, this is not only applicable to motorcycling but every other field - professional and personal. Most of us are getting consumed by the desire of having more, getting ahead of our colleagues, having a better 'camera, phone, motorcycle etc' than our friends or foes.

It is becoming a melee of conflicting thoughts which is totally roughing the surface of our minds. Today not many people can answer when they are asked 'what do they want from life'.

The midlife crisis is slowly changing to quarter life crisis as more and more young people are dragged into the rat race as soon as they get out of school.

I would also appeal to everyone who reads this to focus on this point by Old Fox:

I am sure I am going to see men of all ages and profession trying to get their knee downs in the years to come on public, despite the fact that they are increasing the risk of severe injury by many folds. After public stunting, I think, this is the next real menace to come. It is just not worth it!

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Old Fox

@ shrinathrao: Thanks for your good words and am glad you see the meaning in a wider perspective than mere motorcycling.

@dcs: Thanks a million Rohit babu for the appreciation voiced or rather worded in your own unique inimitable style.

You've further added value and meaning to what I've said. Thanks.

The mid-life crisis is surely heading to the chronological south and thats really unfortunate. People are literally loosing the wit to actually absorb and enjoy one particular thing to the hilt before moving further. Attention spans are getting down to minutes, and those too can be counted in single digits. There's this poisonous 'hurry-up factor' in doing almost anything and everything....as if one is in a perpetual queue headed for the top and the devil is taking the hindmost! The 'exceptionals' seem to take short-cuts and so celebrity rules, be it even at the neighborhood level. The 'mediocre' might as well jump off the bridge and perish. A situation that even an 'extremist' Darwin would not have conjured.

How horribly true this could be if those involved don't check themselves in their antics. Stunting going wrong would usually result in minor injuries but a knee-down turn means high speeds necessarily. And it is the speed that kills.

Saying no to this would mean saying no to 'exclusivity'....to 'being the best'. The 'herding instinct' rules the roost and the herd decides the must do's. There's a severe dearth of independent thinkers. The sheep need to realise that even with a six figure income, the latest gizmo at hand and enough frequent flyer miles to take them twice around the world for free, they might be 'BIGGER sheep' but remain sheep nevertheless. Unless they have the wit to actually think, evaluate and then decide, the herd could be wrong and headed for the cliffs led by the proverbial Pied Piper.

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jd666

deep man... ill have to re-read it again and again,...

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augusta

Somehow I feel a bit ashamed but some realisation has happened.Thanks !

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pads

Nice write-up Old Fox....... Even nice points added by Sunny......

Its like Life is a Race and you need Bigger Bike to race it ...... But where is the fun in risking somebody elses' life....... Its better late than never.......

To the point Sunny.......

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AnuragAshok

Being among the members who has travelled the path leading upto the "Mid-Life Crisis" and now a proud part of the motely xBhp crowd, I can second this whole heartedly.

The cronology of life is the following for most:

- Out of School, sometimes scared, sometimes tentative and sometimes raring to go and take on the world. So far we have been protected by family and we are ready to blossom. Regardless of what social or economic background we come from, this is universal.

- Into College, some freedom and possibly; a ride, be it a scooter or a bike, is now ours. We enjoy the limited freedom more than the ride and go through the motions of college life without realizing the importance of either.

- Out of College and into the work force, tentative, rearing to go and confused at times. With a higher degree of freedom than before, we get into this phase and soon, life becomes a rut. A rat race which is difficult to keep up with. We Ride but dont enjoy it, gone are the carefree days, of riding with the wind in our face. The same ride now feels like a chore and the bike which we so enjoyed when we got our hands on, becomes a means of getting "there", is soon forgotten, as we have graduated to a car. It lies rusting or is sold to the highest bidder.

- Most of us are married now, the pressures of raising children, keeping up with the Jones's and making ends meet gets to us and soon, childhood and the carefree youth is a distant memory. Some of us enjoy it, others rue it depending upon the degree of economic freedom we have achieved.

- When we transgress from being a twenty something to a still young but tired thirtyfive is something we do not realize. the transition from 25 to 35 happens in the blink of an eye. We are well off now but still engrossed in life as we say it. We still have dreams to achieve and more zero's to add to our bank balance. We go on, as an engine pumping like a sledge-hammer, and hit 40!

- 40's is the Old Age of Youth and the Youth of Old Age! Mid life crisis hits and hits hard sometime between late 30's and mid 40's. We are approaching 50 and judging by how time flies (look back, how many of us realize how we moved from 20's to 30's and 30's to 40's?). We re-analyze our life, we suddenly start missing the care-free youth, the wind in the face, the long bike rides, the car does not make sense anymore... we want freedom from it all and to an extent, we can afford it too!

- We cut loose with a vengence, a desire to live life before we are not able to! We want to renew our relationships with not only our loved ones, but the wind, the sea, the mountains, the beauty all around us and we want to do it in a compressed form before we hit the Middle Age of Old Age!

- In comes the bike again, it was the the symbol of freedom in our youth for most of us, and it is this symbol most of us revert to. Others would may take to other means but one fact is a constant - We all hit the mid-life crisis - in the face and Bang!

To all the young turks of xBhp, learn from this and make a resolve to enjoy your life NOW. Do not fall in the RUT and mark my words, even knowing it, you will find it difficult to achieve it. Know that you sure can fight your own destiny and work towards changing it... and HOPE FOR THE BEST!

and finally, where is the room to be reckless? We have it in our own hands to make our life beautiful or miserable, We have a choice and it reflects in how we do mundane things, from trying to be a Rossi and breaking our bones or jeopardizing other people's safety in the bargain? Be thoughtful, enjoy your life as it is ment to be enjoyed and while you do need to challenge your limitations at all times, do it without being reckless.

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kurtrules

And he speaks!

Very thought provoking article OF. It is time that we all introspect and then sustain a level of satisfaction within our limits, and then begin to enjoy it. I know satisfaction may curtail the urge to progress, to gain that exclusive title, but it becomes necessary at a point of time where nothing less than our lives are at stake. It is road out there, and it is relentless!

Well written, sir!

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