Two wheels and an engine

The motorcycle has changed a lot in its century old existence. There have been hundreds and thousands of technological advances, countless changes in design philosophies, lots of ups and downs in the motorcycle industry, but the essence has remained the same - Two Wheels and an Engine.

Among all the various automobiles the motorcycle is the most expressive. In a car or something similar, you are enclosed in a claustrophobic cabin, way too isolated from the elements. On a motorbike you are free. You can be as close to nature as you want to be. They say that only a biker knows why a dog sticks it head outta the car window. The wind in the hair feeling is more than awesome. (The full face helmets take away most of this feeling, but safety is also a prime concern.. right).

I read in a book that the first bike race happened when two bikers met on the street somewhere. That is the spirit of biking. Today, bike racing is a huge sport, spread across various categories. And there is nothing like the sound of a high revving bike engine on an idle Sunday afternoon.

There are various types of bikes available on the market, the lean mean sports bikes with screaming engines, the muscular big engined bikes, and the cruisers with seats like couches and engines throbbing away in a chorus of rumble. Choose whatever suits you, it will be pure fun. Go on a brisk uphill drive on a winding road or let a bike stretch its legs on a long open highway, it will be pure exhilaration.

As I write this post, newer and more powerful bikes are being launched in India, with a lot more hope for the future. Some day, I hope to be able to ride a three-quarters engined bike here, and it might be sooner rather than later given how things are progressing.

This post was a tribute to motorbiking by the author, who returned to two wheels after more than a month of imprisonment inside four wheeled automobiles.