It was 2009 and I had just pulled off an ambitious effort of getting my first motorcycle. I did not know what it would do to me, nor had illusions of how the future would turn out to be. At that time, It was a ‘cool’ thing to have a motorcycle. After all, most of the boys and girls in college had their own motorcycles or scooters. I wanted one. I pursued the cause shamelessly (my father had to pay for the motorcycle). It is not a decision I regret.
My first motorcycle did wonders to my life. It showed me the road in a way I would not have imagined seeing. It did pretty much a lot of things well and I was satisfied with it. I took solo road trips to the highest roads in the world, faced some challenging terrain, repairs, solitude and misadventures on that bike. I did all that and I was just satisfied.
And for some reason, I could not build a feeling with this motorcycle. It did not have me dream. It was like the thing you want, but not the thing you need. I could not romanticise with it. I could not connect.
Something was missing.
In other words, satisfaction was not it was all about.
Which brings me to the question - Is it about riding the bike, or is there more to it than meets the eye?
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What actually is the value of a motorcycle?
Choosing a motorcycle is not easy, especially if multiple ones catch the eye when looking for an upgrade. But I had to pick one. The choices limited down to the green Kawasaki or the blue Yamaha.
I never tested the Kawasaki. I test rode the Yamaha a couple of times, and I was hooked each time I got on the bike and rolled on the throttle. The R3 was the bike 18 year old’s dream was made of. It was not like the girl you crushed on and wanted to have a fling with but the girl you wanted to be with and have adventures in life. The Kawasaki was better value for the money and (comparatively lighter on the pocket) but the Yamaha was the one that made my heart rev . The decision was made not by the mind, but by the heart. I would rather embark on the ride of my life knowing that love had chosen what I was riding and not the pocket or anything or anybody else for that matter.
The road trips I have done since then - they would not be the stories that I look back at today with great joy and happiness without the motorcycle I love. Because I do not want to ride a value for money motorcycle on the ride of my lifetime. I would want to ride a motorcycle I love. Because I want to ride my heart out every time, and I have to let the heart decide what the right bike is.
Because the value of the motorcycle is not what it offers for the best price.
A motorcycle is intensely personal (don’t ask to ride my bike next time) and the relationship shared with one is a relationship built out of trust, love and knowledge. It is just like the relationship with your girlfriend (or boyfriend). Such a motorcycle makes the heart sing and the eyes twinkle. They give goosebumps and shaky hands. They make things possible. They fill dreams with colour and drama. They blow the mind.
Because this… This is the real value of a motorcycle.
If you liked this opinion post, read more such posts via the links below:
Read some of my opinion posts via the links below:
Opinions - The other side of maximum fear
Opinions - The ecological cost of travelling
Opinions - Tourist or Traveler?
Opinions - The price of overwhelming freedom
Opinions - The similarity between motorcycle racers and fighter pilots
Opinions - Going fast to slow down time
Opinions - We need to travel to develop empathy
Opinions - The importance of anchors in our lives
Opinions - Our toys have not changed. They have only gotten bigger
Opinions - Of Mortal Dreams and Motorcycles
Opinions - Of motorcycles and love stories
Of Scuba Diving and Motorcycle Racers - A slow life between fast lanes?
About me:
Motorcycle Stories - How I got into Motorcycle racing
A high-speed crash and life lessons
Until next time.
