‘Bikes give a sense of solitude’

I picked up riding on a friend’s Kawasaki Bajaj RTZ when I was in college in Kochi. This was in the early ‘90s. I used to borrow bikes from friends and honed my skills on them. I was really attached to the RTZ; that was a great bike. It was very comfortable to ride. I decided to purchase the bike when my friend moved to Dubai. I had to save up a lot to buy it, but felt that it was worth the effort. I used to ride it a lot in Kochi.

However, I was forced to sell it within only three months, since the bike was too costly to maintain and I could not do so on a student’s budget. I do regret selling the bike so quickly. However, the second bike I bought has been my favourite. It was the Yamaha RX 100. I have always been fascinated with the RX 100. It is sad that the bike has now become a rarity and we do not see it on the streets any more.

I have always enjoyed riding bikes, though I’ve never been a huge fan of biking clubs. I feel biking is a deeply personal experience and cannot be enjoyed in a group. I used to like to go on long rides all alone, to reflect and think better. I feel that bikes are much better than cars. Cars work for large family units, but do not offer the sense of solitude that a bike ride allows for.

I do not drive or ride, especially on city roads. I live in Mumbai and the traffic is terrible; you keep shifting gears, applying the brakes and so on. By the time you get to your destination, you are exhausted and angry. I prefer taking an Uber/Ola or having the driver drive me around. I have not been behind the wheel for many years now. I have wanted to get back to driving, but get frustrated in bad city traffic.

As told to Nikhil Varma