sunilg

To begin with, let me thank you for all showing faith in me and stopping here to read a few random thoughts of a fellow motorcyclist. This is for the first time that I am going to write for something different, a magazine, which is going to be read by a much larger audience than I am used to and that very thought is giving me chills down the spine. The feeling is much like what I, and most of you, must have felt at the time of starting our very first long distance ride on our bikes. Fuel-checked; money-checked; gear-checked; camera-checked; route map-checked; almost everything that you need is there, yet your nerves are not in control. You suddenly start questioning your own ability but keep reassuring yourself at the same time. There are several if’s and but’s cropping up in your mind, but soon the excitement of discovering a new and yet unseen side of life makes you forget the nerves. And the rush of adrenaline takes over the fear of the unknown and you begin responding almost robotically. You do whatever is needed to be done, unperturbed by any external distractions and get really busy doing what you are originally programmed to do and put your whole heart and mind in it.

But then it is not just your own inhibitions and negative thoughts that are stopping you, there is the immense pressure from within to pull it off successfully. To show that yes, you can go on a 1000 mile ride and come back safe, bones and bike intact, more refreshed than ever before. You also know that by doing so you prove that the seemingly stupid idea of covering a distance on your bike that could have very well have been done in the comfort and relative safety of a car, bus, train, or airplane was perhaps one of the best decisions of your life. It remains so even if the things did not go as you had planned. Your parents, relatives, girlfriend/wife, and friends perhaps might never understand you and their doubts and inhibitions keep growing on you until you actually get on your bike and start your journey, nothing else works. The more you listen, the more negativity creeps in.

As a hard-core biker, I cannot but see parallels between my life and my biking. For me personally, leaving my 8-year-old job to join xBhp as a full-time team member was a decision wrought with feelings similar to what I have described above. Getting out of one’s comfort zone has never been an easy task for anyone and was no different for me. There was pressure from everywhere to stay and keep doing what I had been doing for so many years, but then my heart wanted me to go where I could do what I ‘wanted’ to do, and here I am, part of a team that is going to be a force to reckon with in the Indian motorcycling arena. And like I said, decisions like these are not easy ones, but you have to listen to your heart over your mind sometimes and walk on a path less travelled to reach a place of your dreams. Like the first motorcycle journey, you always start as a novice. You have to learn and unlearn a lot of things, improvise with every passing milestone, taking the feedback from seasoned riders, and hopefully come back home as a happy soul.

So on this note, it is time for me to wind up ranting and to let you enjoy the rest of the mag. I sincerely hope that you guys won’t hesitate to bombard me with your feedback and that together we will be successful in making xBhp the voice of Indian bikers.

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phanikar

let me start the bombarding
on a serious note,XBHP(as a magzine) has not only delivered what it was intended to do but also surpassed the expectations of many fellow bikers.It has not only spread(&promoted) the message of safe biking (though motorcycling has always been seen from the negative angle for ages) but has also managed to take head on challenge with other auto magazines who usually sign off with the motorcycle stuff in some 2 or 3 pages. I am not quite sure whether they(other mags) consider motorcycling as an integral part of most people's life or they consider the cage versions as the only means of "civilized" transportation.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the core team of XBHP for such an initiative, and would also like to mention that any help you require,you have the entire biking fraternity of India with you,sunilg.

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simba_smiles

Hi Sunil,

By all means, it was a mighty brave decision to leave that 8 year old "Comfort Zone" of yours, and tread on a path so less travelled. And I'm sure you won't have any reasons to regret your decision.

Yes, the initial "bumps", "obstacles" and "potholes" will have to be negotiated by you, and for a while, you may be uncertain about your destination. This is but natural when you go out to explore unexplored terrain, and vistas. But just as you spoke of that satisfaction upon having successfully reached that dream destination, the same is bound to happen here.

It's surprising how life in general can be compared to the experiences of a motorcycling enthusiast, and it's usually the difficult and daring decisions which give more satisfaction, when you look back at the end of a successful journey.

You've done an amazing job so far, and I'm sure that the road can only get better and better as the miles go by. Here's wishing you and the rest of the team all the very best.

.....Simba

pulsater

I was thinking of asking you whether you are with xBhp full time in my last PM. It definitely must have been a very tough decision indeed b'coz switching career is not welcomed very well in Indian families, no matter how successful you are. one can't live his life on his own terms that often. But i am very happy that you have pass that hurdle and I know very very well that you will do good in xBhp and for xBhp.

all the best sunil G

Edit: and yes, what ever you write from now on, please make sure its in simple english. I sometimes find hard to understand the notion by OF and other writers, not that they don't write well but coz i read amateurish

PS: are you also taking care of online mediums (like FB and twitter) for xbhp?

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bluevolt

Pulsator, I could not have said it better.
Sunil, make sure you read a lot - different authors, magazines. As Pulsator said, keep it simple and interesting. "light" is another adjective. Since motorcycling is sometimes technical, make sure you translate that into something which even a 18 year old biker could enjoy lying curled up in his bed.

I started a shoe review website a few years ago (which I now don't update due to lack of time) and tried my hand at writing and macro photography. I come from a technical background so it was tough to let go of all the terminology. But as I read magazines like Topgear, children's author like Roald Dahl, E Nesbit and gripping paperback novels, I realized that writing was all about storytelling, be it fiction or non-fiction. When one day I thought I was ready to give it a go, I started writing on my website. This is how my modest attempt at writing came out:

Solereview.com - athletic footwear reviews,community and more... - Zoom Vomero 3

While I do not follow a set formula, this is what I did before writing this one:

1) Structure: What goes in the beginning, then how do you get readers warmed up to your topic, and then dive right in. Then slowly start cooling down and come to the conclusion.

2) Story telling: How am I making the review interesting instead of popping in fancy english words and jargon? I drew analogies to show a few points...

3) Humor: I tried my best to infuse some humor, as do the Top gear guys everytime.

4) Pictures/illustrations: Long sections of text can get boring, so how do I add images to break it?

5) And most importantly, getting your point across with the tools I talked about. What is the message you want to put across? I think it is not a single sentence or a word or a paragraph, but the overall tone of your work should align with that.

And don't be afraid to pepper your writing with phrases or bits you liked somewhere else. Language after all, is a sum of parts!

sunilg

Thanks Phanikar. When you see that your hard work is being appreciated by people who matter, it is an amazing feeling. Thank you .

Thanks doc . I am loving riding on this road less-traveled now because its this road that has given me some of the best friends and some of the best moments in my life.

Thanks Abhinai

Trust me, it is never deliberate. In fact, I don't even think i can play with big words because i always find myself short of words whenever i sit to write something.

You may find some influence of OF on my articles because he's been the guiding light for all of us whenever it comes to writing about motorcycles and many more things about life

But, the point is taken and hopefully you won't find the new articles from me difficult to read or overloaded with heavy words.

thanks bluevolt for your valuable suggestions. points well taken.

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phanikar

Anytime Sunilg:-)

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Work life balance is like air fuel mixture
Life is too short for traffic, take the highway...........