Help on the Highway

More often than not riders who venture out on the highways frequently come across stranded motorists with broken down vehicles ( sometimes bikes too) on the highway. How do most people react to such a scene on the highway? Many of them slow down to take a good look at the broken down vehicle and thank their stars when they see that its not the one similar to what they are driving. Well i know you made a good choice in buying the swanky Korean hatchback but this poor guy with a stranded with his 'Indian' car with an opened bonnet looking all around for assistance doesn't expect to be ignored so blatantly.


I am sure you are proud of your choice but don't blatantly use him as as example to illustrate what not to do! Have you ever though of stopping by and asking him if he needed help.


This is where Bikers differ from other motorists. See a biker stranded on the side and some one would definitely slow down, make a gesture asking what the trouble was. Someone would stop there and walk up to him and ask if he needed help. Why do bikers do this? because somewhere they know what it feels to be in the riding boots of the other guy. Motorcycling being such a hands on activity most bikers have got grime sometime under their fingernails, grease on their fingers and shirt cuffs. So there is a kind of association, some sort of affiliation towards another brother on the road.


A biker will certainly stop. Its an unwritten code, some kind of a bible we follow. Doesn't matter if you are the general manager of a major IT company, or the Brand Manager of another Auto Giant or just an unemployed student riding out on a shoestring budget. You see a fellow biker in trouble you slow down, stop, offer to help and do what it takes to get his set of wheels back on the road.


Do i do it? Yes I have done it a zillion times.


Has anyone else stopped for me? Of course !


Why do we do it ? I don't know! Guess i will never be able to figure out these unwritten rules of motorcycling and of the biker brotherhood which despite being so loosely organised is bonded by such strong underlying convictions

Men are but Little Boys !!

Someone has rightly said about we guys..that deep inside we are just little boys..fond of our toys..be them gadgets, cars, bikes, etc etc etc. Maybe true but arguable - what say?

This reminds me of one incident dating back to 1998. Had just moved to the city of dreams. First job. First salaries. Picked up a few scale model bikes and treasured them a lot. But couldn't resist taking them out at night and inspect them for details.

One such night late at about 1:00 AM i picked up the 1:12 BMW R 1100 GS and as lil boys would do..started playing with it. Rotated the wheels. Turned the handle. Checked the working suspension. and then did a trial run on the bed. felt nice. So now got off the bed and made an obstacle course out of the folded bedsheet, quilt pillow a few books and then 'started ' the bike at one end, trying to mimic the 'real' roar of the boxer twin. Then started off with a wheelie, bike in right hand slowly turning the bike to lift the wheel, accelerating and increasing the humming as i did and took the first jump across the bumpy pillow. Screeched to a halt at the other end of the bed. Blipped the throttle a couple of times..vroom vroom ..dumped the clutch and then blowing some imaginary dust sped ahead towards the other side of the closed circuit...braked hard..drifted and turned around wheelie again..a yank at the handlebars..and liftoff..followed by a nice impressive 'backflip' in slow motion (the FIRST on a BMW R 1100 GS ever ;-) ) and a hard landing on the bedspread..applied front brake..a rolling stoppie and as i slowed down..flipped the bike around to ready myself for the next jump......

I thought i head something behind me so i stopped. cut the engine ( stopped the sound i was making) and turned around. My Grandpa/Guardian Mr M L Joshi (Dada) and buddy Tushar were standing behind me. Sleepy but shocked. Jaws dropped. Trying to decipher what was happening. Dada mustered up some courage, cleared his throat and asked - "Is everything all right ? Should i call your mom?" I burst out laughing and showed them the bike, saying i was just 'practicing'.

Dada shook his head and muttered under his breath -"God help us!". I just turned back and resumed my motocross session. Well that was 1989 and this is 2011. years have passed. many more scale models have been added to my kitty since then but then even today when i hold a 1:18 Valentino Rossi Ducati MotoGp bike in my hand the instant impulse is to set the wheels on the ground, rev the engine and take off on a spin. sometimes starting with a wheelie ! Guess some things are NOT age dependent. Someone has rightly said, greys in the head may make your speech slow and your words heavier but there is nothing which will stop a man from realizing that actually deep inside he is but just a boy and perhaps behave like one.

You may agree with me..maybe you wont..but if you do see me with my scale models and try to 'exhibit' your smartness with that smirk of yours, it just wouldn't affect my enthusiasm love for these 'toys' or the impulse of wheeling them on ground..yes i may not play accident accident the way i used to when i was 5 but then..i wud definitely pick the bike up and spin the wheel... :-)

So till then...Hope you too enjoy your 'little' bikes as much as you do the 'real' ones !!

The Inside Edge

Couple of years ago on a weekend i was watching one of the epic races of Moto Gp and saw a certain italian racing legend trying to overtake another challenger. Now speed was something which both the motorcycles had. So was Power and perhaps both the riders were equally skilled. Lap after lap after lap they just kept gound round and round. The TV screen view kept flipping between cameras; bike mounted, helmet mounted, on the track. No change in the sequence of the riders !! The distance between the two bikers just kept increasing or decreasing by a few feet every now and then but it was clearly a stalemate situation.

Then came a tight..rather tight.. right hander and the lead rider slowly eased into it, practically drawing a concentric circle parallel to the edge of the curve slowly leaning inside. Confident that the lead would be maintained the lead rider eased on the throttle and dropped a few clicks per hour. Oblivious was he to the fact that the daredevil rider behind him was slowly creeping up closer. Like a bolt from the blue the trailing rider came closer and closer inching inside. He did what seemed like some foolhardy move and took the inside edge, knee moving closer to the brick lined side inches above the red and white painted stripes.

A sweat broke out on the brow of the rider who was leading. he thought - This guy who is taking the inside edge has to be nuts. serioulsy nuts. But then the challenger slowly and steadily held the throttle with confidence and slowly increased his speed as he emerged out of the curve through the inside line with barely enough space or contact patch of rubber but one thing on his mind. I have to take this. I have to win. I have to get ahead. I have to prove it to myself and the world and to my folks and to this moron who is blocking me...who is the champ here.

Time stood still, the curve seemed endless, his eyes blinked, small drops of perspiration trapped in between his eyelashes, creating the slightly misty view of the road ahead. The 4 cylinder engines roared as the trailing bike emerged ahead of the lead bike as the curve ended. The road straightened up into one smooth stretch of nicely grippy tarmac and a continued twisting of the throttle was enough to increase the lead from a few bike lengths to more.

The new winner looked behind at the once leading rider ducking under the small windscreen trying to build speed on the straight. Engines howling, redlining. A small smirk lit up his face. He had the inside edge and he took it. Now there is no looking back. Was there risk involved? of course there was! Was there a chance of a failure and a possible crash? Of course there was. But there was something bigger than that probability. It was the probabilty of taking the curve properly with skill with grace and most importantly with guts.

The world belongs to people who have it inside them. Who have guts. Who dont fear taking calculated risks. Running numerous mathematical formulae inside their minds before taking that plunge and the inside edge. Who are prepared to brace themselves if there is a fall. The world allows such people to win; maybe not effortlessly but definitely allows them to win. a victory they definitely deserve.

As the champ crossed the finish line he noticed the chequered flag waving frantically through the corner of his eye. He heard the crowd stand up and cheer aloud. He heard the engines roar and the winds howl. But above all of it he was still hearing his heart pound. The heart which pumped in those extra opunces of adrenaline spiked fluid to twitch his gloved fingers and tighten his butt as he slid into that curve on the inside. Focussing straight at the narrow yet achievable opening and came out victorious.

There shall come a time in your life when you will feel that the system is right there in front of you trying to block every move you are making when the conventional methods don't work and when corporate hierarchy stops you from speaking out your mind. Then its time to take the inside edge. To understand the risk and judge and believe your own capabilities. To overtake the person who is blocking your success by taking a risk. A well measured risk which would pay off as you cross the line. Its here on the inside edge that fear needs to be conquered. Its here that the handlebar needs to be held firmly but not tightly. No room for white knuckles here, that's perfect recipe for disaster. Its here when you need to resist the urge to open the index finger and pull in the brake lever to slow you down. Its here that the throttle and effort needs to be unleashed. Your true potential is NOT decided by who leads you but by how you take the curve even if it means taking it on the inside edge.

Next time before you say "Yes Sir" to your boss or agree to your peers blindly or even get discouraged by what your parents, spouse, and relatives say.. remind yourself, it was you who slowed down and let him go ahead on the previous curve; so now stand up say NO and take the inside edge. Dont get scared when the white and red stripes come closer. Dont shake when you feel the tyre is getting closer to the edge. Think of the world champ. If he could do it, so can you. So take the inside edge. Take a risk. Make your mark; because only ONE guy gets to stand tallest on the podium. One who recognizes his potential and one who is ready to take a risk when blocked by the system.

Be what you are. be what you want to be. Be what you deserve to be. Its all inside you. You just need to take the inside edge. Its tight no doubt but you can come out of it. Take it with skill and take it smartly. Most importantly take it with GUTS.

People will discourage you. People will play spoilsport. No one likes to be defeated. But you need to be the winner here. So do what your guts tell you. Do what you believe in and what you can pull off. And it shall be you out there spraying champagne on everyone.

Remember: The world belongs to those who know their potential and are ready to take the inside edge !!

My trusted Steed - Pulsar 180 DTSi Version 1 (??)

This is ME at Harrison Folly with Lightning AKA Chotu my latest motorcycle. A Bajaj Pulsar 180 DTSi V1. Warm Silver. Absolute Stallion. A Bad Boy to the Core.


















It makes an aggressive mount no doubt because of its SOLID MUSCULAR STYLE...


















Its a beast and a sweet chap..all mixed into one !

A Biker's Faith !!

Its often said that Man is the BEST creation of God and..God is the BEST Imagination of Man. So is God just a figment of our imagination, is it just a nameless entity whom we can blame for things going wrong or thank for things going right in our lives. Is it an entity which exists and flourishes under all circumstances or is it something which survives as long as we want it to?






















Lots of questions which lead us to think and try to decipher the concept called Faith. Its not defined by the small plastic image of Mother Mary that a bulleteer with tattoos all over his biceps, body piercings and a ponytail displays on the speedometer of his Thunderbird.


















Each year scores of people visit the Mount Mary shrine at Mumbai to pray for her blessings. For each of their wishes they offer a representative candle. people who want a home often offer a small wax bungalow, people also offer hands, hearts, legs etc for ailments. couples offer a candle shaped like a wedding couple for marital bliss.


















There are cars, airplanes, and what not. How can God ignore the wishes of a Biker then?

Yes i did offer a BIKE. prayed for an accident free journey in life. prayed for a fuel injected hassle free motorcycle. Prayed for the motorcycling spirit inside me and prayed that it remained intact all the time.

So that day i returned home, relieved, happy and feeling blessed. So what if every time i take my bike out i do focus on safety, wear a helmet, change oil but somewhere the BIKE candle i offered and the assurance that "mamma Mary" gave me is enough for me to venture forth and ride to the edge of the horizon !

Happy Independence Day !!

As i took off from Pune towards Mumbai, on the 15th of august i reflected upon how much did this day really matter to me and to us.

Did any of the people around react any differently to the whole 60 years of independence?

1. As I rolled into a petrol bunk, I stood in the queue to fill up. I was the 3rd one in line and I saw a localite, sporting a tricolour on his rear view mirror, zooming in from nowhere and as usual breaking the queue and standing next to the fuel pump attendant. - Smiling at him - saying in rural Marathi dialect - FILL ER UP!! - I couldn't help open my mouth and said - BOSS..kam se kam 15th August ko to aisa matt karo. Baki sab din to hum Indians har cheez ko lightly lete hain. Kam se kam aaj ke din ka to khayal karo. Needless to say, the attendant asked the guy to move his bike away. Feels nice to see that even in today's consumerism driven society, where people don't care for fellow human beings but we still have some amount of respect for our nation and its integrity so what if it’s only on 2 specific days. The attendant smiled at me and then handed me a small tricolour and a packet of laddoos - Happy Independence Day Sir! - Loud patriotic music blaring in the background at the fuel bunk I was happy to be an Indian. Really happy and proud.

2. Hardly did I move a 100 meters I saw a tricolour, obviously fallen off a reckless biker's rear view mirror stub, rolling across the road. I screeched to a halt and stopped broadside on the HIGHWAY to bend over and pick up the flag from the road. The speeding cars behind me saw the indicators flashing on my bike, and noticed what i was doing. Not even a single one blew his horn but couple of them just smiled at me. Surprising? Not at all. Deep in our heart we still ARE human beings and respect our country and people who respect the Nation and its flag. Had it been my cap or my bag, people would have run over it, or sworn choicest of words for being so careless and foolish as to stop broadside on the damn highway ....Faith instilled i moved off towards Mumbai

3. As i took a short break in Mumbai i read in one of the leading periodicals about the College Festival being held at one of Mumbai's famous colleges. I couldn't believe it when i saw that the FASHION SHOW had been replaced by a MOTORCYCLE SHOW. A 20 Yr old Ex-Collegiate had actually put up a show of modified bikes and had captured the hearts, minds and attention of the cool dudes and babes who were all on a clicking frenzy with their mobile cameras. No prejudice to the cat walking nymphets but is this a sign of the coming ages? Are we really focusing on different things from now onwards? Is India changing after this independence?

Thankfully to my relief before i could see tears brimming on the edge of my eyelids with emotion. i entered Mumbai and experienced REALITY. The beautifully laid FRESH potholes placed so nicely on the road that one had to be a swift snake going amazingly zig zag at 20 KMPH to avoid them. I managed to dodge a few but then overall had to go bouncy bouncy till my speedometer assembly started rattling loose.

Thank god i got the irritating vibrations noises back on my bike. Finally i again have a valid reason to visit my mechanic today. Tighten up all screws.

You know sometimes its good when such things bring you back to Mother Earth, it may leave you with despair but it definitely leaves you with HOPE..

Saala ek na ek din yahaan pe bhi ROAD ho jayega!

I am sure there are better times to come...Well!! I certainly do feel so! Have never had a happier independence day.

Here's wishing you all my biking brothers and sisters A Very Happy Happy Independence Day.

Wishing Independence from all Professional n Personal problems...from Motorcycle Troubles (Bikes really don’t bother us ...They are just moody...)... all Traffic Snarls...potholes...All highway Road Rash...

Vande Mataram - Bharat Mata ki Jay!!

Cheers - Praveen P Sathaye

P.S - Statutory Warning : - Please forgive the OVERKILL!!

Classic Weekend

Sunday Morning - Time to take out my polishing cloth and get metal and chrome to shine its best...

It was time to ride with the YJOCI..The Yezdi & Jawa Owners Club of India..on the Classic and Restored machines..the 250 cc Czech beauties. These machines have become a living legend with a alot of unique features and character.



Who would be accompanying me? Well...The older generaton belonging to yesteryears on yesteryears bikes. Its not that only oldies ride the 250 cc Jawa & Yezdi machines, but in Pune, most of the active riders are people who have reached the fag end.

Do i feel out of place with the ritered gentlemen. NAAAAH !! Bikers dont grow old..They just develop the habit of kickstarting their bikes with one additional kick..

When i met all of them, after a real long time, it was one helluva a reunion. The last time i rode with this gang was during the Jawa Day Celebrations in July.



We started off from Rajaram bridge on Sunday morning creating a sort of bluish greayish misty cloud everywhere..
..courtesy 2T oil from our twin exhausts. The first leg of the ride ended at Khadagwaasla where the group again stopped for refreshments. Goodies were dished out by liberal souls who made sure the riders were also well fed.



From Khadagwasla, the route was towards Panshet. The magnificient view at Panshet was worth the effort. It definitely is a good place for watersports and allied activities.



I also bumped into a group of neo bikers..coincidentally one of them happened to be my protege during my IT days..



A couple of FTII Pune students were with us trying to capture every bit of the terrain and the bikes, as they were trying to visualize the documentry they wanted to make on Bikers and their Lifestyle. I also took a alot of photographs and pot shots of most of the bikes assembled there. Never ever can i get so many WORKING classics under one roof...



A quick Brunch at Panshet and we were back on our own..riding back to Pune city.

Click HERE to view the pictures..

Until then Keep Riding !!