Some where in 1996 for the first time I saw a huge bike which stopped a few metres from where I stood, I ran towards it and saw the word HONDA on the huge tank of that bike and asked the owner "When did Kinetic Honda launch this bike and if they have why is it that I seeing this for the first time?", As a curious 6th grade kid I literally drilled the bike-owner(Mr. Shankar and infact he actually ownwed a Kinetic Honda showroom cum service station) with questions, the owner offered me a ride as a pillion and those 5 minutes on that VFR750 changed my life.....
Fast forward 12 years and I am on my way back astride my R1 on NH4 and suddenly I realise that I have the same expression on my face(a bit more actually!!!) as the first time of my pillion ride aboard the VFR...

Atlast after convincing my parents(the convincing process started quite some years back)that it is absolutely safe to ride and own a SBK(has been an R1 since it was launched in 1998)with the full riding gear and sorting out the financial front, also the biggest hurdle of a Safe Parking Place..

Me,Vijay(Napster20), Goutham and Harish reach Belgaum to pick up my R1...
With a distance of 500+ kms to cover and to ensure that we dont encounter the weekend evening traffic which starts as we approach Bangalore we left at 5am, collected the bike from owner's house and got the pooja done at a ganesh temple and hit the butter-smooth NH4 with me astride the R1 and the others in the Lancer...


Riding a superbike for such a distance(500+ kms) for the first time was like graduating from Cessna to a fully loaded Fighter Jet...

Easy on the throttle for the entire journey and keeping the revs within 5000 rpm, one really starts respecting the immense power at your disposal and the lightnening quick ability of the bike to reach triple-digit speed....
But having said this, the R1 is also very comfortable to ride provided you get the riding posture right so that the weight of your upper body doesnt get on your wrists...
Akhil(Rossiter) and Pranay(Pranay) gave me some invaluable information on the riding posture for such enormous distances and I wana thank them for patiently answering all my stupid/silly questions about the R1...
I took frequent stops atleast once every 60-70 kms and kept telling myself to keep the revs within 5000rpm.The first difference I felt was the need to drink water very frequently especially after the sun really starts showing off...
The road was fantastic except the 40kms between Rannebennur-Haveri, which took a toll on my wrists, even though I had expected my back and shoulders to give way...

One has to get used to the questions onlookers ask which irritated me at the beginning, but now I have come to terms with these things..
the best one being "Sir Sakkat modification to R15 and I just nodded my head ".

But after everything at the end of the day a relished ride on "The One"
Finally reached Bangalore at 530pm and came home via the NICE road...