ridermax

@jakrap, very valid and informative points there buddy. Its important for the older riders to keep the points you mentioned so that they can continue to enjoy the passion of riding and riding safe!!

psr

Thanks for the kind words....riding in city and NH is all about experience and how we use it judiciously....I wish for all XBhpians to ride as long as they can ,safely ,and enjoy the experience.
Age is a state of mind.

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Pinaki

I'm going to b 40 this year , been riding since I was 16 .I just remember all those falls and lost skin sore days when I have the urge to speed .No one ever forgets that ugly clatter of handles and leg guards grinding on the asphalt, ever . I still do speed , but not untill I see longer stretches of good open roads before me . Reflex is one thing that is definitely lower now , but more so my ability to take a crash and heal quickly is less . Moreover I have seen too much broken headlamp glass and shards of bikes and blood on street asphalt by now and have less female pillion riders to impress .

psr

Pinaki you sure have a long riding experience...and had seen many incidents like most long standing bike riders have.....do not let it mellow you down to the level you don't have great riding experience challenging and testing your abilities..I do understand that with experience and responsibility comes the "Mellowing Effect".The point on healing is very valid and your observation is very sharp,but looking at your image Pillion trouble should be there still No ? .Wish you many more joyous and safe years of riding..

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ridermax

You are right there Ramesh. After a few decades of riding myself, I find that I definitely have mellowed compared to the brash old days. But then there much fewer vehicles on the road those days though the highways themselves were much smaller. I guess after many many years of riding, you do a lot of things by instinct which experience has fed into you. Yes reflexes do get slower and more caution creeps in but you tend to make adjustments as long as the passion is alive!

Ride Long, Ride Safe
Cheers!!

aargee

This is a completely different league altogether. In the west, the driving or riding is more of process oriented that requires rider/drivers to remain overall less tension compared to the chaos in this country.

For example, once you enter a highway, one can choose to stay on the right most lane (left most on RHS drive) if one prefers to drive slow. They don't have the botheration of the big list of trouble one encounters here. Naturally, their tensions are less & mind is comparitively free. We'll get into indefinite debate (or rant rather) to discuss that

Also if you notice, the average median life of a motorcyclist has increased in US & I firmly believe the same is happening here too. As the median life increases, the safety aspects aren't increasing here, which is as good as...

That are precisely applicable & a lot more in this country. So I do agree upon that.

No it doesn't.

Does that mean, ppl driving cars are more attentive? The balancing act on two-wheeler can be a point to discard as we get old, but still, getting older affects both driving or riding isn't it?

On Ridermax point on reflexes getting slower, I've an incident to narrate...

I was talking to SriramEFunds yesterday who had a minor incident Friday evening. The issue was simple, as he was approaching a signal that was GREEN to him, some moronic cylist jumped his RED. He on the occassion of wanting to save the cylist & himself had a hard braking & unfortunately had a slip. Now I was suggesting him that, in this country, no matter if you've 101% right of way, you should still be cautious. While I was saying that, I also remembered as how I got that lesson in my mind.

Rewind...somewhere during 1997/98, I was at a junction at Anna Nagar signal waiting for GREEN to take right on a drizzling day. As soon as the GREEN was flashed, I took a right & while I was almost 75% complete, I was banged by another two-wheeler & fell on the road. Had minor wounds on elbow & palms, while my Max100 had suffered some scratches. As I lay on the ground, it took about few seconds for me to realize that...
- Its an accident
- I was not at fault
- I'm pretty sure I turned right on GREEN
- Must be the other guy jumped signal & banged on me

When I woke up & saw who'd hit me, the duo on other two-wheeler absconded from the spot immediately. I saw the cop in action - watching me get up & then continued regulating the traffic sitting inside his cabin.

So do I still speed up from the signal? Yes I do, but very cautiously, having a wide peripheral view to ensure nothing is moving, with my right hand on brake lever & right leg on pedal.

Am I having the reflex? I seriously don't know.

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psr

Answers in bold.

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Pinaki

Thanks , yes I still love riding bikes and intend to keep on ... infact i'm thinking of buying a bigger displacement one now for longer travels .. hopefully can rest my clutch hand on longer roads , i've bad left wrist pain owing to constant clutch riding in city traffic which I have to do daily .

psr

Same thought here as I am hunting for a bigger displacement bike for touring in comfort,and keep my KB100 for city riding.Do not grip the handle bars tightly, and try to negotiate turns by leaning and shifting weight...It had helped both in city and long rides.

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