Monday, December 17, 2007

the rider becomes "the tester"

last saturday i met my good friend KJ who runs the Cramster gear co.... we were sitting and chatting about things in general, biking, bikers and the likes. i had dropped to his office to pick up a pair of touring gloves for my coming ride from Bangalore to Ahmedabad. well, he didn't have the gloves in stock :( phooey!

when i spotted a pair of great looking boots at his store, i asked him details about them and he said that this is the 'test pair' of the boots he is planning to launch soon! he just wanted someone to test them on a longish ride across different situations and terrains and give him an update on the same.

i guess lady luck was smiling extra hard on me that day, he offered the pair to me for testing upon the condition that i give him a proper feedback on the same....

BTW, if you want to know what all the boots endured read my travelogue here


so here is my feedback for the Cramster touring boots.

1) Quality - the build quality of the boots is pretty impressive, fits snug on the feet and rises all the way to the shins (just where the knee protector of the riding pants end) the grip is an anti-slip material, the similar we see on the tecnic boots.
2) Comfort - the boots have a breathable liner all along the inside and a water resistant 'rubbery' material on the outside so even if you ride through rains or put your foot in a puddle, there is no water slipping or seeping in your feet giving you the squishy-squashy feel.
3) Style - the most important aspect for someone like me, do the boots look good on me when i wear them? HELL YEAH! they are drop dead gorgeous! in fact, i already got too many offers from a lot of people to buy this pair from me.
4 VFM (Value For Money) - perfect! something that i'd buy and not regret later, and as far as after sale service is concerned, i've had really good experienced from this one brand so no hassles here.

a few things that i might suggest though for the coming models are:

> Toe gear shift plate - something like a small strip of rubber with deep grooves on it near the toe, so that the gears and the brakes can be engaged even with the side of the foot.

>detachable / or / smaller crash knobs - there are these 2 bulbs of plastic protuding on the external side of the boot which i guess should be detachable for the 'tourers' as they wouldn't scrape their bikes and their boots so low (IMO)i must say that these would be perfect for the motocross or the racing bikers tho.

>reflective tapes on the back - i feel that if the boots have a small reflective piece at the back of the boot just above the ankle, it might be really helpful for those who ride without a decent pair of riding pants, the reflector not only looks good but increases all the chances of visibility (which is very important for night riding)

well, i honestly can not think of more suggestions for this product, it is something you just want to wear and start riding.

kudos to Cramster once again!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Love with his Love

here is a pic clicked by a great friend... i liked the title he gave.... LOVE WITH HIS LOVE :-)

thanks so much for the picture Doc. Raval!!!!!

GOT TAGGED!!!!

So here I was rambling away at my comp trying to figure out what I was doing here and not having fun outside…. I get a flash msg on the screen “-XH- commented on your post” I check the comment and findout that this dude has tagged me… WOW! My first ‘official’ tag ever?!!

So now I gotta write about my new year resolution….


WTF? Resolutions? New Year? Haven’t done that in over 5 years now… well I do keep making stupid resolutions that I break most of the times but haven’t made a specific new year resolution in a while… don’t even know what to decide on.

Okay, so on a serious note… I guess I do want to make a resolution. And make sure I stick to it! This year (onwards) I want to start living for a reason… start thinking about the future! And stop my usual ‘live-for-now’ BS.

Want to be clear on what I want, when I want and what will I do to get it…

Have to start saving money for the future… want my parents to retire soon and chill at home; maybe send them out on really nice vacations and cruises! This is not a new year resolution but more of a five year plan (or maybe a life long plan) but I’ll want to stick to it :)

January 1 onwards, I’m gonna change a lot of things that are happening right now and start concentrating on my life, my family and my future…

Amen!

Friday, December 07, 2007

MEN - the 'blessed' sex :)

was having a conversation with an 'eternal feminist' about equality amongst men and women... personally i don't think too much abot it all! its just too much to decide who is equal or who is not... for me, if you can do the job do it, don't compare...

after the conversation though, i thought of these points that i thought will share...

Men Are Just Happier People. What do you expect from such simple creatures?

- Your last name stays put.
- The garage is all yours.
- Wedding plans take care of themselves.
- Chocolate is just another snack.
- You can never be pregnant.
- You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
- You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
- Car mechanics tell you the truth.
- The world is your urinal.
- You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
- You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
- Wrinkles add character.
- Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
- People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
- New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
- One mood all the time.
- Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
- A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
- If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
- Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
- You almost never have strap problems in public.
- You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
- Everything on your face stays its original color.
- The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
- You only have to shave your face and neck.
- You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look!
- You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife.
- You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
- You don't freakout when you go to a party and see another man wearing the same shirt,instead you become buddies.

No WONDER men are happier...!!!

Blog Personality

i've been having a bit of 'free time' on my hands these days and i utilise it on my own blog and surfing through random blogs and stuff.... stumbled across this link that tells your 'blog personality'...

hmm, interesting! let's see what they say for my blog?

Your Blogging Type Is the Private Performer

Your blog is your stage - with your visitors your adoring fans.
At least, that's how you write with your witty one liners.
And while you like attention, you value your privacy.
You're likely to have an anonymous blog - or turn off comments.



now, this is what they say about lil ol me!
Your Rising Sign is Aries

You're full of energy - and people look to you to get the party started.
Confident and honest, you'll be the one to say what everyone is thinking.

You are easily bored, and you always find unique ways to do things.
You don't just dream it, you do it. And that's why you're so successful.

Too intense for some, often times people are intimidated by you.
But you're usually smart enough to charm them anyway!

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Merry Christmas!

hey! Christmas is almost here... here is my take on the funny side of X-mas... as usual, will have a little dose of sarcasm as well! :)

BTW, no offence to any person/religion or Santa Clause is intended while the images are compiled... its just for laughs!!!

:-)


































Tuesday, December 04, 2007

man's best friend? maybe not!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE AND MAXIMISE IT FOR THE BEST VIEW!!!

Thought for the day

one more boring list

do you really enjoy doing these 'lists' that make no sense?

well, this one was sent by a dear old friend... simple... put an 'X' against things you've done...

here goes:

(X) smoked a cigarette
(X) crashed a friend's car
( ) stolen a car
(X) been in love
( ) been dumped
( ) shoplifted
( ) been fired
(X) been in a fist fight
(X) snuck out of your parent's house
(X) had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
(X) been arrested
(X) gone on a blind date
(X) lied to a friend
(X) skipped school
(X) seen someone die
(X) had a crush on one of your internet friends
( ) been to Canada
( ) been to Mexico
(x) been on a plane
( ) purposely set a part of yourself on fire
( ) eaten Sushi
( ) been skiing
(x) met someone in person from the internet
(X) been moshing at a concert
(X) taken painkillers
(x) love someone or miss someone right now
(x) laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by
( ) made a snow angel
(x) had a tea party
(x) flown a kite
(x) built a sand castle
(X) gone puddle jumping
(X) played dress up
(x) jumped into a pile of leaves
( ) gone sledding
(x) cheated while playing a game
(x) been lonely
(x) fallen asleep at work/school
(X) used a fake id
(x) watched the sun set
(X) felt an earthquake
(X) touched a snake
(X) slept beneath the stars
(x) been tickled
( ) been robbed
(x) been misunderstood
(X) petted a reindeer/goat
(X) won a contest
(x) run a red light
( ) been suspended from school
(x) been in a car
( ) had braces
(x) felt like an outcast
(X) eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
(x) had deja vu
(X) danced in the moonlight.
(x) like the way you look
(X) witnessed a crime
(x) questioned your heart
(X) been obsessed with post-it notes
(x) squished barefoot through the mud
(x) been lost
(x) been to the opposite side of the country
(x) swam in the ocean
(x) felt like dying
(x) cried yourself to sleep
(x) played cops and robbers
( ) recently colored with crayons
(x) sung karaoke
(X) paid for a meal with only coins
(x) done something you told yourself you wouldn't do
(x) made prank phone calls
(X) laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
( ) caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) danced in the rain
(X) written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) been kissed under a mistletoe
(X) watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(x) blown bubbles
(x) made a bonfire
(x) crashed a party
(x) gone rollerskating
(x) had a wish come true
( ) worn pearls
(X) jumped off a bridge
(X) ate dog/cat food
(X) told a complete stranger you loved them
(X) kissed a mirror
(x) sang in the shower
(X) had a dream that you married someone
(X) glued your hand to something
( ) got your tongue stuck to something
(X) kissed a fish
(x) sat on a roof top
(x) screamed at the top of your lungs
(X) done a one-handed cartwheel
(X) talked on the phone for more than 6 hours
(x) stayed up all night
(x) didn't take a shower for a week
(X) picked and ate an apple right off the tree
(x) climbed a tree
( ) had a tree house
( ) are scared to watch scary movies alone
( ) believe in ghosts
( ) have more than 30 pairs of shoes
(X) worn a really ugly outfit to school just to see what others say
(X) gone doorbell ditching
(X) played chicken
(X) pushed into a pool/hot tub with all your clothes on
(X) been told you're hot by a complete stranger
(X) broken a bone
(X) been easily amused
( ) caught a fish then ate it
(x) caught a butterfly
(x) laughed so hard you cried
(X) cried so hard you laughed
(x) cheated on a test
( ) have a Britney Spears CD
(x) forgotten someones name
(x) French braided someones hair
(x) been threatened to be kicked out of your house
(X) been kicked out of your house
(x) ever been to a concert
(X) been off the continent

really HONEST answers to a job interview

been thinking a lot since i started taking interviews for my current employer... would i also answer all the questions the same way?

well, here is my version of the typical answers... hope no head hunter reads them! :p

1. Why did you apply for this job?
> I have applied for many jobs along with this and you called me now.

2. Why do you want to work for this company?
> I have to work for some company who ever gives me a job, I don't have any specific company in mind.

3. Why should I hire you?
> You have to hire some one, you may give me a try.

4.What would you do if this happened?
> Well, it depends my mindset and mood at that situation...

5.What is your biggest strength?
> Basically, daring to join any company who pays me well, without thinking of the fate of company

6.What is your biggest weakness?
> Girls

7.What was your worst mistake, and how did you learn from it?
> Joining my earlier company and learnt that I need to jump to get more money, so I am here today

8.What accomplishments in your last position are you most proud of?
> Had I accomplished any in my last position, why do I need to change my job? I could demand more and stay there.

9.Describe a challenge you faced and how you overcame it?
> Biggest challenge is answering the question "why are you looking for a change" and I started blabbering irrelevantly to overcome that.

10.Why did you leave/ are you leaving your last job?
> For the same reason why you left your earlier job

11.What do you want from this job?
> If no work is given but keep giving good hikes

12.What are your career goals and how do you plan to achieve them?
> Make more money and for that keep jumping companies for every 2 yrs

13.Did you hear of our company and what do you know of us?
> Yeah, I know that you will ask this, I've gone through your website

14.What is the salary expected and how do justify that?
> Well, no one will change job for the same salary, hence, give me 20% extra than what I am getting and that is unpublished industry standard
(I know you will bargain on what ever I ask, hence, I have already hiked my current salary by 30%)

The rules of MANHOOD!

since i posted the GUY RULES, women are pretty clear about what guys want and how to deal with things...

here is the second installment which is targeted for the MEN! the rules that HAVE to be followed...

so here is my list!

1: Don't call. Ever.

2: It is OK for a man to cry ONLY under the following circumstances:
(a) When a heroic dog dies to save its master.
(b) The moment Angelina Jolie starts unbuttoning her blouse.
(c) After wrecking your boss' car.
(d) When she is using her teeth.

3: Under no circumstances may two men share an umbrella.

4: Be as ambiguous as possible..

5: If you've known a guy for more than 24 hours, his sister is off limits forever unless you actually marry her.

6: Moaning about the brand of free beer in a buddy's fridge is forbidden. However complain at will if the temperature is unsuitable.

7: No man shall ever be required to buy a birthday present for another man. In fact, even remembering your buddy's birthday is strictly optional. At that point, you must celebrate at a strip bar of the birthday boy's choice.

8: On a road trip, the strongest bladder determines pit stops, not the weakest.

9: When stumbling upon other guys watching a sporting event, you may ask the score of the game in progress, but you may never ask who's playing.

10: You may flatulate in front of a woman only after you have brought her to climax. If you trap her head under the covers for the purpose of flatulent entertainment, she's officially your girlfriend.

11: It is permissible to drink a fruity alcohol drink only when you're sunning on a tropical beach... and it's delivered by a topless model and only when it's free.

12: Only in situations of moral and/or physical peril are you allowed to kick another guy in the nuts.

13: Unless you're in prison, never fight naked.

14: Friends don't let friends wear Speedos. Ever. Issue closed.

15: Tell her you will call. Then, refer back to rule #1.

16: Women who claim they "love to watch sports" must be treated as spies until they demonstrate knowledge of the game and the ability to drink as much as the other sports watchers.

17: A man in the company of a hot, suggestively dressed woman must remain sober enough to fight.

18: Never hesitate to reach for the last beer or the last slice of pizza, but not both, that's just greedy.

19: If you compliment a guy on his six-pack, you'd better be talking about his choice of beer.

20: Never join your girlfriend or wife in discussing a friend of yours, except if she's withholding sex pending your response.

21: Phrases that may NOT be uttered to another man while lifting weights:
(a) Yeah, Baby, Push it!
(b) C'mon, give me one more! Harder!
(c) Another set and we can hit the showers!

22: Never talk to a man in a bathroom unless you are on equal footing: i.e., both urinating, both waiting in line, etc. For all other situations, an almost imperceptible nod is all the conversation you need.

23: Never allow a telephone conversation with a woman to go on longer than you are able to have sex with her. Keep a stopwatch by the phone. Hang up if necessary.

24: The morning after you and a girl who was formerly "just a friend" have carnal, drunken monkey sex, the fact that you're feeling weird and guilty is no reason for you not to nail each other again before the discussion about what a big mistake it was occurs.

25: It is acceptable for you to drive her car. It is not acceptable for her to drive yours.

26: If you don't like a girl, don't tell her. It's more fun to let her figure it out by herself.

27: The girl who replies to the question "What do you want for Christmas?" with "If you loved me, you'd know what I want!" gets an Xbox. End of story.

28: There is no reason for guys to watch Ice Skating or Men's Gymnastics. Ever. Any attempt to coerce a man into watching either is an instant pass for him to go to either the hardware store or the sporting goods store.

We've all heard about people having guts or balls. But do you really know the difference between them? In an effort to keep you informed, the definition of each is listed below.

"GUTS" is arriving home late after a night out with the guys, being assaulted by your wife with a broom, and having the guts to say, "are you still cleaning or are you flying somewhere?"

"BALLS" is coming home late after a night out with the guys smelling of perfume and beer, lipstick on your collar, slapping your wife on the ass and having the balls to say, "You're next!"

How to answer unusual questions asked to Indians!

a lot of friends off late are going 'offshore' to different countries and different locations... here are the funny questions they get flooded with, and my take of the answers you shoulg give...

keep in mind that once you give these answers they might never ask you anything EVER!

Q. What does that red dot on women's forehead mean?
A. Well, in ancient times, Indian men used to practice archery skills by target practicing by aiming at their wife's red dot. In fact, that is one of the reasons why they had many wives. You see, once they mastered the art of archery and hit the target....

Q. You're from India? I have read so much about the country. All the wonderful places, the forests, the snake charmers, the elephants. Do you still use elephants for transportation?
A. Absolutely. In fact we used to have our own elephant in our house. But later, we started participating in elephant-ride sharing schemes with our neighbors, to save the air. You see elephants have an "emissions" problem.....

Q. Does India have cars?
A. No. We ride elephants to work. The government is trying to
encourage ride-sharing schemes.

Q. Does India have TV?
A. No. We only have cable.

Q. Are all Indians vegetarian?
A. Yes. Even tigers are vegetarian in India.

Q. How come you speak English so well?
A. You see when the British were ruling India,they employed Indians as servants. It took too long for the Indians to learn English. So the British isolated an "English-language" gene and infused their servants' babies with it and since then all babies born are born speaking English.

Q. Are you a Hindi?
A. Yes. I am spoken everyday in Northern India.

Q. Do you speak Hindu?
A. Yes, I also speak Jewish, Islam and Christianity.

Q. Is it true that everyone there is very corrupt?
A. Yes, in fact, I had to bribe my parents so that they would let me go to school.

Q. India is very hot, isn't it?
A. It is so hot there that all the water boils spontaneously. That is why tea is such a popular drink in India.

Q. Are there any business companies in India?
A. No. All Indians live on the Gandhian prinicples of self-sufficiency.
We all make our own clothes and grow our own food. That is why you see all these thin skinny Indians -- it is is a lot of hard work.

Q. Indians cannot eat beef, huh?
A. Cows provide milk which is a very essential part of Indian diet. So eating cows is forbidden. However in order to decrease the population of the country, the government is trying to encourage everyone to eat human meat.

Q. India is such a religious place. Do you meditate regularly?
A. Yes, sometimes I meditate for weeks without food and drink. But it is difficult to keep my job, because I have to miss work when I meditate like that. But the bosses there do the same thing. That is why things are so inefficient there.

Q. I saw on TV that people there walk on burning coals. Why do they do that?
A. We don't have shoes. So we burn the botton of our feet to make it hard so that we can walk.

Q. Why do you sometimes wear Indian clothes to work?
A. I prefer it to coming naked.

the GUYS RULES...

here is something i had read a long time ago and comfortably forgotten... remember sending it to my wife...(trust me you don't want to know her reactions).

found it again today... hence sharing it with you all... mostly for the 'wemmen' readers...

i've seen a lot of women complaining on how the guys behave... so this is the guys' take on your complaints... here is what we call the GUYS RULES!

The Guys' Rules
At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down Finally, the guys' side of the story.
Please note... for priority purposes these are all numbered "1" ON PURPOSE!

1. Men ARE not mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat.
You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down.
We need it up, you need it down.
You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon
or the changing of the tides.
Let it be.

1. Shopping is NOT a sport.
And no, we are never going to think of it that way.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want.Let us be clear on this one:
Subtle hints do not work!
Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work!
Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly Acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only If you want help solving it. That's what we do.
Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem . See a doctor.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument.
In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you won't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't Expect us to act like soap opera guys.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are.
Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one .

1. You can either ask us to do something
Or tell us how you want it done.
Not both.
If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings.
Peach, for example, is a fruit, not! A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will Be scratched.
We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong.
We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear Is fine...Really.

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball, the shotgun formation, or motorcycling.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

1. Thank you for reading this.
Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight;
But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

saw something that makes sense!

i saw the following text as a blog on my mate -XH-'s blog... i've copied the body of the blog and made changes on how i'd comment on it :)

here goes...

Got a fwd email abt life – the things in bracket are my responses . A kind of small retrospection.

-----

Have a firm handshake.
(I do, but not to prove my 'macho' worth)

Look people in the eye.
(make sure they are not intimidated tho)

Sing in the shower.
(aaaiiieeeee)

Own a great stereo system.
(i hope a home-theatre and a worldspace receiver count in this!)

If in a fight, hit first and hit hard.
(try and avoid the fight, but if you hit... hit to draw blood)

Keep secrets.
(i beg to differ, my life is open, everyone knows everything about me... but, yes, i do keep secrets that others ask me to keep for them)

Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen everyday.
(waking up everymorning itself is a miracle!)

Always accept an outstretched hand.
(only if it's for friendship or asking for help)

Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.
(GRR! GROWL!!!)

Whistle.
(...)

Avoid sarcastic remarks.
(umm, too tough to do, i am sarcasm personified :( )

Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90 per cent of all your happiness or misery.
(ALL BULL! i met my life's mate and in 5 days we decided to get married... haven't regretted that decision even once!)

Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out.
(if they don't find it out, why will you do it?)

Lend only those books you never care to see again.
(if you like books, don't ever lend them!)

Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all that they have.
(true - this is something i care a lot)

When playing games with ! children, let them win.
(will try not to cheat next time)

Give people a second chance, but not a third.
(give a chance only if you believe that the person has a potential to improve...)

Be romantic.
(i am...)

Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
(just too tough to do sometimes)

Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.
(true - thing life taught me)

Don't allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It's there for your convenience, not the caller's.
(hmm, will remember it next time)

Be a good loser.
(but why?)

Be a good winner.
(no really, but why?)

Think twice before burdening a friend with a secret.
(if its a secret you care about, take my word... KEEP IT, DON'T SHARE)

When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.
(aise to chipke rahenge ghanto tak)

Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.
(heh thanks to my parents :p)

Keep it simple.
(also, keep it real)

Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.
(hmm, still to find someone like this)

Don't burn bridges. You'll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.
(i know... still regret burning a lot of them bridges)

Live your life so that your epitaph could read, No Regrets
(that's the motto of my life!)

Be bold and courageous. When you look back on life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the one's you did.
(but dont be reckless)

Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
(do that a lot!)

Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who helped you.
(i do)

Take charge of your attitude. Don't let someone else choose it for you.
(hmm, need to work on this sometimes)

Visit friends and relatives when they are in hospital; you need only stay a few minutes.
(will surely try)

Begin each day with some of your favorite music.
(thanks to WorldSpace)

Once in a while, take the scenic route.
(heh, heh, do you follow me home?)

Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them 'Someone who thinks you're terrific.'
(received a lot them, but never sent one... will do it this year)

Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.
(Anser only if you feel like, otherwise dont take the call)

Keep a note pad and pencil on your bedside table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m.
(i have a pen and a book :P)

Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job.
(very true! RESPECT!!!! give it to get it)

Send your loved ones flowers. Think of a reason later.
(haven’t send any one flowers till now)

Make someone's day by paying the toll for the person in the car behind you.
(never tried)

Become someone's hero.
(I am)

Marry only for love.
(dont think too much to marry... things usually fall in place if 2 'sane' people get married to each other )

Count your blessings.
(Always)

Compliment the meal when you're a guest in someone's home.
(muft ka khana hai yaar... taarif to karni padegi!)

Wave at the children on a school bus.
(some of them flip back a finger these days)

Remember that 80 per cent of the success in any job is based on your ability to deal
with people.
(that is the reason i am where i am )

Don't expect life to be fair.
(IT NEVER IS)

Thursday, November 29, 2007

The Bullet

A Hilarious clip that i saw somewhere on Youtube a few months ago... been hunting the movie since! hope you like it...

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

BN to Hampi?!!

You know it’s kinda difficult to try and sleep by 10:30pm and then wakeup by 3:15am!

Well, this was our plight if we wanted to make to the meeting point near Forum at 0400hrs that chilly Friday morning. We were going for the annual meet of Bike Nomads, one of the biker clubs that I’m part of… funny thing here is that this is one of those clubs that is not bike specific! So doesn’t matter if you have a 100cc chotu bike or a 500ccbull; if you have the passion for touring and biking, you can join in!

I was overly excited about this particular ride… main reason being that this would the first ‘long ride’ that we’ll be doing together (read more than 300kms in a day) and secondly, we never had been to Hampi, those of you who know me and ‘my better half’ would know that she is a big fan of history, archeology and the arts in general; so this would’ve been the best place for us to go for the weekend. The wifey and I had started preparations for it since a long time! A lot of physical workout and training for our endurance and stamina was going on. I took the RedEye to the mechanics and got her completely serviced to ensure that I don’t face any major showdowns for the ride.

I met the bikers from the Bangalore BN chapter a couple weeks before the ride and found out that none of them had a bull! They all were plastic riders! This brought the first question in my mind; do I really want to ride with the plastic crowd? I’ll get back to what I think now later… a total of 11 bikes were scheduled to leave Bangalore at around 5am on Friday the 23rd of November… this group also included a few newbie bikers who hadn’t done a single ‘long ride’ and some of the veteran bikers who had done enough to earn good ‘bragging rights’

Cut to morning of 23rd

I turnoff the alarm at 0315 (my special alarm theme for that day was ‘gonna fly now’ out of the movie Rocky) look around the room, the gleam of the night light and a few flickering lights on the laptop and modem made our bedroom look real cozy! I wanted to pull the sheets over my head and go back to my la-la land as soon as I could. But I roused my sleepy brain and asked my body to move, to get out of the bed and turn on the geyser, walked around the house once completely aimless trying to figure out why was I up so early, practically in the middle of the night? And then it dawned… we were supposed to meet in the next one hours’ time with the other BNers! I woke the wife up, she was strangely relatively calmer and focused when she woke up. We hurriedly freshened up, dressed, had some coffee, did a final check on the luggage that was packed the previous evening and stepped out. This was the first time that I was putting the saddle bags on my bike, was slightly confusing… but once I figured the front from the back, it sat on the bike like a charm and we were all set to roll!

This was the first time, both of us were riding through the area at this hour… forum was strangely only 10minutes away on the empty roads! When we reached there, the scene was awesome! There were already 7bikes waiting there and all the riders looked eager to ride, here I met Aditya who was the only other biker from Bangalore riding with his spouse, met Sapna and found out that it was her second longish ride with Adi… we waited for Prassanna till 0440 but he didn’t show up, finally I called him and we decided that he’ll catch-up at the second regroup point at Nelmangla.

I was the point rider from this point till Nelamangla where we were to meet Vaas, Aashish, Kaapi and the others… by the time we reached Nelmangla, it was already 0530, 15minutes late from our originally decided departure time. Vaas and Chamolibhai are the guys who I would call punctual; they were already there and had finished their first rounds of chai. We all ordered our chais, ciggys and other stuff… other riders rolled in by 6ish and we finally rolled out by 0630, already over an hour late…

What can I say for the roads? Amazingly smooth! As they say in Hindi – Makhkhan! Pretty picturesque, almost a straight line and no bumps at all! We all averaged pretty decent speeds and stopped post a town called Sira for our breakfast, the small dhaba there was just right, the only things available were idli and dosa. We all ordered our options, did a small photo-op there and rolled again… the next stop was Chitradurga. And this ended our ‘good, smooth’ roads… the road from here was almost nonexistent; I guess Karnataka has this specialty, after every good stretch of the road they put an equally pathetic stretch so that you can appreciate the good roads. We gazed at hundreds of windmills and rode on, onto the really bad roads. This stretch was just sad.

Finally we made it to Hospet and Hampi was just 15-20 kms away… by now, the bad roads had started taking their toll and most of us started feeling tired. The hotel looked like heaven when we pulled in the parking lot. All I wanted to do was just crash. Sleep for a while and then decide on what next…

The Bangalore crowd was the first to reach Hampi, we were expecting people now from Bombay, Pune and Hyderabad… on and a few unannounced riders from different locations. While the couples rested in the hotel, the bachelors and the enthu-cutlets went out for a short ride around Hampi to just explore the place… I somehow couldn’t sleep so after a while I stepped out in the foyer of the hotel to find Vaas chatting with a gentleman who smoked two cigarettes back-to-back… on getting introduced I realized that this guy was GR, the most witty, punny and soft spoken gent I’ve ever met! I just turned into a big fan of this chap when I realized that he is almost 40 and rode nonstop from Hyderabad to Hampi (not even bio-breaks!)

The second set of riders to turn up was Doc. Arnob and Prasad Themkar; these two also had done an almost nonstop ride from Bombay to Hampi… after they freshened up and came to the dining area, I discovered that Doc also is a very witty and jovial person! And Prasad was a ‘well built’ well mannered guy. I was actually realized that I was smiling more and more and my apprehensions were turning into dust as the people I got to meet were all much better than what I was expecting! Usually bikers are thought of as the typical of loud-mouthed, unruly and arrogant people, but here is a crowd of really nice, well mannered and genuine people!

While sitting and chatting, Doc. Prithvi Raval turned up… I must say that Doc is older that my dad! But his spirit for biking is just amazing! a very nice guy to know… I actually had heard a lot about him whenever I talked to rocky’da about the other bikers he knew and the ones he would recommend for me to know. We ordered dinner and sat in a nice big group in the chilly evening, having our dinner and sharing stories about names, tattoos, bikes, places to visit and almost everything under the sun!

We retired by around 11pm as Saturday was supposed to be a long day… woke up at around 7ish, got dressed and stepped out to have our breakfast. Strangely the wife hadn’t complained about anything and I could see that she also was enjoying our stay here, in the dining room we met Capt. Nandu Chitnis, the ‘ageless biker’ as we know him, he is I guess in his late 50s, a person with an enormous passion for a lot of things in life, who rode to Leh-Ladakh this July with his wife; that too on an avvy!!! I met him and instantly became an avid fan. I would want to be something like him when I grow old.

Slowly the other Pune, Bby people started pouring out in the dining room, another round of introductions, more amazing people introduced to each other and all I could think was WOW! So many people at one place, all here just to make sure that they turn up for the annual meet and all respecting each other so much! Amazing!!!

By the time we actually stepped out of the hotel, it was pretty late… so the whole ‘guided tour’ plan got chucked and we decided to see only the famous places at Hampi… we rode around the ruins, looking at whatever we could and whatever our brains could digest… there is just SO MUCH to see! By around 1330 we decided to break for lunch and meet again at 3ish at the hotel for our photo-ops… we all split into groups for lunch and my group was Capt & wife, Adi & sapna, Vibhu & Anu, Nav and 2 of us (my wife and I) we went into the by lanes of the Hampi bazaar looking for a specific place that Capt had talked about… it was a nice shack sorta place, good music, good ambience and only 2 people running it. When all of us started ordering for stuff the guys panicked… we actually waited almost 2 hours for the lunch (which could’ve been better) but by this time we were already late and had to rush back to the hotel.

Imagine 40 riders and over 25 bikes in one place!!! We clicked a few ‘formation parking’ photos at the hotel and then all of us left for the Vithalla temple; it was THE PLACE you come for at Hampi. It’s a huge, magnificent structure… a whole stone-pillared market place; musical pillars in the temple, a whole stone chariot in the compound… just breathtaking! We clicked some more pictures here.

(Image Courtesy: Harshad Sharma)

After the photo-op we descended to the TungaBhadra river, dipped our feet in the cool, clean water and just sat there till the sun set… from here we decided to go towards the TB canal and click some more pictures… but only 4 bikes made it till there, the others apparently lost their way and headed back to the hotel… the canal in the full moon light looked very eerie and a bit spooky. We didn’t spend too much time here, went back to the hotel and found everyone waiting there.

Now was the most interesting part of the meet. The ‘introduction’ round, I know, I know you’ll be thinking what’s so funny about the intros? The twist here was that one person stands up and the others were supposed to introduce him; now imagine you are standing there and people all around are passing comments for you, both good and bad! :-) was a gun session after which Doc. Raval pulled out the BN stickers from his bag… now we all BNers have a BN sticker on our bikes, helmets and for some even their cigarette packets! (Yes, Mayank from Sangli actually smokes BN brand ciggys now) after all this followed the dinner which was strangely tasting better than the previous evening’s

A desperate attempt for a campfire was next; but after around 20 minutes of pouring kerosene and Petrol out of Mayank’s bullet we realized that the wood was just too wet to light. We all said our good nights; Sunday morning people had to head back to their own destinations…. Bombay, Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore. We all said our goodnights and goodbyes and retired into our rooms, the single junta had a grand drinking binge (which I was kept out of)

Sunday morning came too early! We had decided to meet sharp at 8 in the parking lot so that we can roll out by 8:30… guess what? The people showed up only after 9! Then some of the junta suggested that instead of riding straight to Bangalore we should do a detour to the TB Dam and spend some time there… after too many protests I had to give in and ride to the damn dam… this pushed our departure quite a bit and we could get out on the highway only after 1230! This was scary for me… well; honestly, I am very scared of riding into the nights and always make a point of either reaching my destination by nightfall or stopover wherever I can. But NO RIDING IN THE DARK! Now, all my fears were coming to surface and I pushed my bike and the others to ride as fast as we could…

The lunch stop was at chitradurga, and I told Vaas that we now have to follow discipline in riding and take a break ONLY after at least 1hour of riding… he agreed to this and we pushed off towards Bangalore. But, darkness came too soon and we did ride pretty much in the dark for a long while, by now the order or the formation of the bikers was getting broken and we were into really small groups of 2-3 I was with Chamolibhai and Gaurav… we stopped only at Nelmangla, had a chai and started towards Bangalore again, after almost 2 hours we reached home at around 9pm. Tired, with sore bums and just wanting to crash.

Must say the wifey was pretty strong all through, she had a bit of tonsillitis before we started which got really aggravated and coupled with a bad cold, but she stayed pretty strong all though. Just made me fall in love with her all over again.

And another point that I’d make here is that bikers are not made by metal or plastic but only by the passion and drive that they have… I saw people ride 150cc pulsars, to 220ccZmas to 180cc Avvy cruisers; and all I could understand is that they all share a similar passion fro biking.

I liked it! Gave me a new direction to think and appreciate people the way they are…

Anyways, this post is long enough and I’ll signoff for now…

The pictures of the meet are here:

Capt. Chitnis ka album
Mayank's Pictures
Sameer's Pics
Vibhu (moderator's view)
Harshad Sharma - superb pics!

And my album!

me...




a closeup of yours truly clicked by his very talented wifey... cheers to her!

Monday, November 19, 2007

IronButt - officially :)

“Dude, are you awake or did you decide to chicken out?”
“Its only 5:40 yaar, we are meeting at 6:30 right? Tell me where”
“At the junction of Outer ring-road and Mysore road”
“thik hai, will be there… C ya”

This is a conversation that happened really early on the last Saturday, and I’m wondering how would it have felt, if I backed out of this ride???

Since the time that the wife had planned a one week ‘work trip’ to Ahmedabad, I’ve been itching to do a ride that was a bit longer than my usual 300kms a day day-rides. And I was clear that I don’t want to do a BIG group ride also, something sort of a cannonball run with a few bulleteers that I like to ride with. Sadly, all of them were either busy or didn’t want to join in and one of my old colleagues who I had lost touch with for over 3 years suddenly popped out of the past and said that he also wants to ride! My first reaction was, “what the hell? I don’t even ‘know’ this guy any more and he suddenly comes out of the blue suggesting that we ride together?” but, then slowly the saner me started taking over and said that boss, you didn’t ‘know’ him then also… just ride with him and see if you like the company and if he is a prospective member for one of your bike-clubs. I agreed.

Honestly, I was slightly impressed with his preparations for the ride and his enthusiasm! He actually went and got his tyre changed, his battery recharged before the D’day!!! The day for the ride was decided; we were to do a ‘iron-butt’ ride on 17th November (a Saturday) all the way to BR Hills and back… a ride of little over 500kms in a day.

We met on the Mysore road (I was late by 7-8 minutes) around 6:40am, his first reaction to see me on the bike was somewhere between a WOW and WTF… as usual, I was all prepped in my riding gear from top to bottom, the only thing missing still is a decent pair of riding boots… hopefully I’ll get them too! And he was in his denim jacket and jeans without even a pair of gloves!!!

Well, we started the ride, since it was still relatively early in the day, the traffic hadn’t picked up and we could do pretty good speeds! This is one of my favorite roads to ride on, smooth 4lane well tarred blacktop with enough visual consolations. Our first pit-stop was Kamat’s for a light breakfast and coffee… strangely, Kamat popped into the view even before I actually started the feel of the ride… we pulled over just to find a full house! The whole place was jam packed! We negotiated ourselves a table for 2 after buttering the head waiter there… breakfast was the usual Kamat junk, idlis made in the banana leaf and vada.

After the breakfast and a brief break we started again, the destination now was mysore-nanjangud… the roads were not too dense with traffic and we could manage pretty good bursts of speed well over 100 (sheer pleasure!) Mysore was in sight pretty soon… we were supposed to take the Mysore ring-road towards Nanjangud but I guess I was too focused on the speeding and forgot to take the turn… after around 2 kms inside the city Raam appeared in my RVM frantically flashing his head-light and honking like crazy, I slowed and he said that we were to take the other road for Nanjangud! Darn, took a U-turn and got onto the ring-road. This road is amazing! I straight smooth piece of road with lush greenery on both the sides… looks like a road leading to the horizon, into the unknown… the ring-road soon turned off into a 2lane highway, this was a decent road, not too bad and nothing too good… traffic had started picking up and we had to brake often to dodge crazy maniacs in their four-wheeled coffins… just before Nanjangud we saw a detour off towards BR Hills and decided to venture this road, this was our first big mistake of the day… the detour turned from a decent 2lane road into a stretch of sand, gravel and rocks… since I was solo and I was too enthused to show off, I stood up on the foot pegs of the bike and kept on ripping on the almost off-road ride, the bike took too much punishment here… after a while the road evened out to a smoother terrain and we decided to take a butt break as soon as we spot a chaiwallah. I guess god was on our side during that part of the day coz as soon as I decided to stop, I noticed a pretty decent dhaba on the road, we pulled into the dhaba and asked for some chai, I also had to update the wifey that I have been safe and in one piece till now… made the quick call and had chai, in fact the chai was soo tasty that we had one more round of it, we noticed some tame ducks and turkeys at the dhaba so played with them for a while. The dhaba owner seemed to be a pretty enthu cutlet! Maybe our dressing and the funny looking bikes aroused his curiosity; so he started talking to Raam in Kannada, I didn’t understand what they talked apart from who are you, where are you from, what are you doing here and why is the other bloke dressed in such funny costume? I tried to pitch in the conversation with my limited knowledge of the language but to no avail, my mate told me that the dhaba guy has suggested a different, much better and scenic route to the place, I was pretty impressed! But alas, this guy told me that we should stick to our predecided route and shouldn’t go any other way. Foiled, this is not the adventure of biking! This is not the motorcycling spirit! How can you keep going on and on over the overly trodden roads? Where is the fun of riding through uncharted territory? Phooey…


















And it turns out that the road we took kept turning from okay to bad and from bad to worse… in most of the parts, the road was completely nonexistent, but we kept going on… finally we reached the KGudi forest check post, the first thing the security guard at the gate insisted was that I turnoff my headlamp! I told him that I know it’s on and I’m comfortable riding when its on even at noon, but he insisted! One more phooey here… I turned it off, signed our names in the register, the forest officer appeared out of nowhere while we were writing in the register and picked up a conversation, again the same, where are you from? Where are you off? Why did you ride all the way when you can get a decent state transport bus? Why is this bloke dressed in such funny clothes? This was the limit for me! I started riding into the forest while Raam was still talking to the forest guard, taking this as a cue; Raam also rolled off… this was one scenic piece of land! Almost 4kms of straight road running through the jungle into the hills up ahead!

Well, the road did lead into the mountains also and we rode through some of the worst twisties I’ve ever seen! Really bad road, crater sized potholes on the road and we riding here trying to negotiate the potholes and making sure that we don’t ride off the edge of the road into the forest below! After around 20kms of riding into the jungle brought us to another check-post and this time I switched off the headlamp even before we reach there, the guard again asked the same questions that I was so familiar with, Raam was patient enough to answer all of them… after riding through this second check-post, I noticed the jungle lodges board. This just brought back memories of the time I spent in February, the 3 days I spent with the wifey for our honeymoon! I thought of stopping by and saying hi to Nahar who is a good fried and the manager of the KGudi resort. I rode into the familiar yet almost forgotten trail towards the resort. And what surprise! Nahar was sitting there in the sun along with Anant who was here when we had come for the honeymoon… what a bloody pleasant surprise! We sat there chatted for a long time, Nahar was more than kind to offer us lunch which we readily agreed to (heh heh, who would say not to free food?) after the nice food and some more chatting, we started on our way back around 14:40… Nahar suggested we take the route through the jungle past BR Hills and ride towards a town called Yellandur for our way back, after Yellandur there apparently are 2 different routes for Bangalore.








We bid adieu to Nahar, His wife, to Anant, to Vikrant and to KGudi (with a silent promise in my mind to return back soon!) the start for the way back was overly shaky the forest department had started working on the roads and forgotten about it, so the whole patch of the road was dug-up but we managed to ride through it… a few kilometers later… HEAVEN! Smooth tarmac, single lane road, lush cool forest on both sides! And amazing twisties! We spotted some chital, wild dogs and a few mongooses on the way… this patch of the road got over in a flash and we were at the final check-post to signoff and bid the place goodbye…

After getting out of the forest, we took the ‘immediate right’ turn towards Yellandur, the road was again not too good and not too bad, I guess I had gotten used to the bad patches of the road by this time after over 50kms of ‘almost’ offroading. Through Yellandur we were to reach Malavalli but in the spirit of riding we missed the turn that we were supposed to take… eventually after 20-25kms we realized that we are going ‘wrong way’ turned back again and got on the proper route to reach Malavalli. Malavalli brought us two routes to Bangalore one was via Maddur, on the Mysore highway again and back to Bangalore, the other was via Kanakpura into Bangalore… dunno if both of us had lost our marbles at that moment of time… we decided to go through the Kanakpura road, BIG MISTAKE! The road was nonexistent, complete butt-breaking offroading adventure for over 20kms, stopped for chai and to loosen the taut and aching joints, checked with the chaiwallah how long will the bad road last and he happily smiling said “saar, 18 more kms” darn, I hated my life at that moment! I was so frustrated with the bone jangling ride by now that I was begging for a ‘normal’ road… after a few kilometers the road conditions finally improved a bit, instead of the dirt offroad, we had a patchy road with a generous proportion of potholes… after bouncing off so many bumps and crossing over crater sized potholes my bike’s rear end had started giving issues… the tail light and rear indicators didn’t work, the tyre started wobbling like crazy and the air-pressure was almost nil! But the ride was still on!!!

Darkness came too early! Just to remind us that the battery work that Raam had gotten on his bike didn’t work. Result? His headlamp was dimmer than a candle. So I had to cut my speed, and make sure that he is almost tailgating me and riding off my bull’s headlights… wasn’t I happy for putting those auxiliary headlamps that illuminated the way ahead? The speed that we had maintained throughout the day had drastically reduced to 50-60kmph here also the heavy vehicles wanted to showoff their brighter and much better headlamps to they blinded us almost running us over… anyhow we reached Kanakpura missing a lot of turns on the way and taking the longest route back to Bangalore. The journey was not over yet!

Slowly, painstakingly we finally managed to reach into Bangalore, I stopped at a gas-station to get my tyres inflated and some gas in the tank… Raam missed looking me turning into the gas-station and kept riding on… we got lost again! He was on some road and I was somewhere else! Coordinated where to meet in Bangalore via cell-phone (don’t I love technology?) and I started into the town alone. My brain had gone numb of the excessively long ride and most of my joints were actually screaming for some rest coz of so much offroading adventures. Thinking of going home soon, I took a wrong turn and got lost in Bangalore!!! This was the final straw for me… I couldn’t believe that I actually managed to take a wrong turn and instead of going to south Bangalore I was bouncing around the streets of east Bangalore… thankfully I managed to reach BTM after 1hour in the city! Found Raam there, had some dinner (sorry guys, I was so tired that I don’t remember what I ate) reached home, parked the bike, she looked like a wounded soldier; tired, bloody, messy and broken down.

This was the butt-breaking, ironbutt ride that I had, over 540kms in a day and over 200kms of really bad roads managed. I was tired, sleepy and aching, but I was proud that I could ride ‘alone’ when I had to. I was satisfied that I rode so much and I saw so many good sights on the way. I was glad that I did what I had been thinking since over a month finally happened.

Finally I earned myself some bragging rights of riding so long in a day and over such varied terrain… I have earned my smirk for this one ride :-)

Thursday, November 15, 2007

feet



These are the feet that walked into my life... walked all over me and changed who i used to be (for the better!)

ain't i glad that they walked to me???

Without her…

Warning: the below post is written under a spasm of loneliness and has more mush than recommended to ‘normal’ people; read at your own risk! I am not responsible if you lose your mind and start ripping your hair out by the time you reach the end of this post.

You know it’s really boring to wake up all alone in the morning!

I keep telling myself that its just a matter of one week and she will be back even before I realize that she’s gone; but somehow every evening when I unlock the door and step into the apartment, I realize that life itself has completely disappeared from here! The ‘lively’ ‘warm’ and ‘loving’ home suddenly has transformed into a cold, crummy, chilly and lonely place.
Funny part is that I was so used to my loneliness, my solitude, ‘my space’ just a year back... and now suddenly I got so used to being with this stranger who has become the most important piece of my whole existence!


I actually stay in bed in the mornings instead of jumping off to make the honey-lemon concoction and starting my workouts… I haven’t worked out in a week… when I felt too guilty about not taking care of my body, I wrapped that heating belt around my waist and sat like a lump of lard for an hour hoping that it’s gonna eat up all the flab from my body.
Is it possible that a person you didn’t even know existed, becomes so important in less than a year’s time? I mean, I always said that I need to ‘know’ the person before I decide to spend my life with her and here I’m brooding my heart out missing this girl I just met less than a year ago.
Well, all I can say is ‘I miss you’


Living my life off dreams,
Enjoying every moment just with my whims
Taking people for granted was acceptable
Even the loser drunkard next door was respectable…


I met you, and life took a u-turn
I don’t have that cruel glint in my eyes
And I don’t sit and say, burn-baby-burn


Smiles started coming easy
Life found a reason
My creativity had fled
Now I have a better vision


You are the reason
The reason to smile,
The reason to live
Just for a longer while…


I miss you,
I miss you bad…
Never felt so forlorn
Now I’m lonely and sad.


Come back to me,
Bring me back to life
Let’s smile together again
Come back my loving wife…


… I miss you

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

She is pretty


Darn, i get high just looking at her... Wonder if every other biker would be this obsessed?

Clutter...Colors


PENS IN A COFFEE MUG...

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

My Red-Eye

on Sunday i rode with RTMC (a bullet club in Bangalore) well, half-way i had to turn back with Rocky and on the way i clicked a pic of my red-eye with the fone cam...

The beast the bullet
Pretty decent pic! :)

Thursday, October 25, 2007

BIKER SLOGANS - borrowed stuff

  • Never confuse the map with the journey.
  • Its the attitude, not the altitude
  • My Life is a blur...
  • Some people measure their adventures in miles or days. I prefer "horizons crossed".
  • While some people are choosing between chicken and fish, my choice is between dust and mud (with rocks on the side).
  • Getting there isn't easy. And that's the best part.
  • When someone says, "let's go" , you shouldn't have to ask, "where?"
  • On my way to nowhere ... and proud of it".
  • Sometimes the morning commute can get a little bumpy.
  • Every lane is a passing lane.
  • I do my flying on the ground.
  • Addicted ? Possesed is a better word.
  • Who needs a stereo when you've got a throttle ? ( Time to turn up the volume.)
  • Its out there somewhere. And we're going to find it.
  • Where does this road end ? Never.
  • We can stop anytime. But who wants to ?
  • Hobbies : Riding... Interests : Riding... What I do for fun : Riding... You get the point.
  • Been there. Doing this.
  • My job? Just something I do between rides.
  • So many rides. So little time.
  • Most people take the subway. Have fun most people.
  • If you need a reason to ride,You are not on the right bike.
  • The destination is one thing.Getting there is everything.
  • Grasp life by the handlebars.
  • Years ago someone told me that life is a journey.Obviously I took it to heart.
  • One question we've never heard is, "Are we there yet?"
  • I don't know where the bike ends and I begin.
  • The faster we go, the more life slows down.
  • If speed is a sin, I am guilty of It.
  • Cars Suck !
  • We ride two wheels..sometimes one wheel..but not like dead body carried in 4 wheels
  • The Journey is the destination
  • Where there is a wheel, there is a way.
  • I would rather be riding my motorcycle thinking about God,than sitting in a temple thinking about my motorcycle.
  • I don't suffer insanity, I enjoy every minute of it - I RIDE
  • One life live it!!!!
  • I'm a cowboy;A steel horse I ride...I'm wanted...Dead or Alive
  • If heaven doesnt allow bikes, I will ride mine straight to hell
  • Only a Biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window
  • Life is not a journey to the grave with intentions of arriving safely in a pretty well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming ... WOW! What a ride!
  • Getting high on life.. down the never ending road.. just me and my ride..
  • Roll on the black road on a red machine
  • Rover, Wanderer, Nomad, Vagebond... Call me what you will.
  • Just Twist The Wrist!!
  • Destination Anywhere
  • Live life on empty roads
  • Beyond Good and EvilSome take drugs,Some do bungee jumps,Some become monks,I do motorcycling......!
  • The truth is out there. Get out of ur couch.!!!
  • No riding, No fun. Know riding, Know Fun
  • Speed is an Illusion
  • Never ask me for directions if you're in a hurry to get there
  • Lean into the corners and whisper something dirty to the pavement
  • Its not about the number of wheels, its about the degree of freedom
  • I Ride. Why don't you ?
  • We talk in KMPH not KMPL
  • Life begins at 40, but it doesnt get any interesting till 150
  • We talk in MPH not KMPH
  • The Holy Trinity: Traction, Torque and Tarmac.
  • What you ride is what you get. How you ride is who you are.
  • Work-Life balance is like Air-Fuel mixture.
  • I run it lean...in the corners.
  • Running-in is all about self-control. How you ride is what you get.
  • Safety is a state of mind, neither influenced nor restricted by how you ride or what you wear.
  • No matter what bike you ride or how deft you are at handling it, accidents are caused by this notion of certitude.
  • Every Day I wake up, if I don’t feel like riding, I go to work.
  • If the ride is so smooth, u are in wrong lane.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

MY Tattoos - My PRIDE :)

I am a proud tattoo collector and i always look for reasons to add to my collection... a lot of people have asked me a lot of questions about my tattoos so here is an answer to most of the questions about the designs:




My first tattoo was a tribal/Celtic fusion design with an eye in the center… to remind me that someone is always watching you...

The second tattoo was the sun design… when observed closely; you’ll notice a moon in that! Its two faces in one… something that I am “a perfect Gemini”

The third tattoo was a bit complicated… it’s a dream-catcher, with a yin-yang pattern to signify proper balance and grizzly bear pugmarks to represent the majestic yet gentle nature of the grizzlies. (this combines the Native American and the Oriental patterns together)



Monday, October 22, 2007

Things you REALLY don't want to hear your mechanic say . . .

  • Uh-oh...
  • Oh S***!
  • What the heck?!?
  • That's SOOOOO bizarre.
  • Wow!! Look at this...
  • Hey!! Bullets don't do this!
  • Mechanic's certificate of training? What's that?
  • Well, it's doing SOMETHING...
  • Wow...that seemed funny...
  • I got a better job at Honda...
  • State inspection rules say...
  • Sorry, the parts you ordered are no longer kept in stock by The Company.
  • Damn! It didn't do that a minute ago...
  • Damn, and I just bought that Coke...
  • I removed a gasket and now there's LOTS of clearance.
  • Hey, do you smell something?
  • Hmmm! What's that grinding sound?
  • I have never seen one do THAT before...
  • I don't think it should be doing that...
  • I remember the last time I saw it do that...
  • My vacation starts tomorrow.
  • Oops! (said in a quiet, almost surprised voice)
  • Hmm, maybe if I do this...
  • Hmmm, curious...
  • We're standardizing on metric.
  • Wonder where THIS nut goes?
  • (Looking at your T-Bird) What's this switch for anyways?
  • If I knew it wasn't going to work, I would have tested it sooner.
  • The air cleaner isn't supposed to leak brown gunk, is it?
  • Boy, it's a lot easier when you know what you're doing!

Biking and Things...

these are a few random thoughts that I've rummaged through the internet and compiled as a list of things that i read and smile...

  • Midnight bugs taste best.
  • Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need
  • NEVER argue with a woman holding a torque wrench
  • Never try to race an old geezer, he may have one more gear than you
  • Home is where your bike sits still long enough to leave a few drops of oil on the ground
  • Routine maintenance should never be neglected
  • The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rearview mirror
  • Never be afraid to slow down
  • Bikes don't leak oil, they mark their territory
  • Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise
  • Pie and coffee are as important as petrol
  • Sometimes it takes a whole tankful of fuel before you can think straight
  • Riding faster than everyone else only guarantees you'll ride alone
  • Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town
  • Never mistake horsepower for staying power
  • A good rider has balance, judgment, and good timing
  • A cold hamburger can be reheated quite nicely by strapping it to an exhaust pipe and riding forty miles
  • Never do less than forty miles before breakfast
  • If you don't ride in the rain - you don't ride
  • A bike on the road is worth two in the shed
  • Respect the person who has seen the dark side of motorcycling and lived
  • Young riders pick a destination and go. . . Old riders pick a direction and go
  • A good mechanic will let you watch without charging you for it
  • Sometimes the fastest way to get there is to stop for the night
  • Always back your bike into the curb - and sit where you can see it
  • Work to ride & ride to work
  • Whatever it is, it's better in the wind
  • Two-lane blacktop isn't a highway - it's an attitude
  • When you look down the road, it seems to never end - but you better believe it does
  • A rider can smell a party 5,000 miles away
  • Winter is Nature's way of telling you to polish
  • A motorcycle can't sing on the streets of a city
  • Keep your bike in good repair: Motorcycle boots are NOT comfortable for walking
  • People are like Motorcycles: each is customized a bit differently
  • If the bike isn't braking properly, you don't start by rebuilding the engine
  • Remember to pay as much attention to your partner as you do your carburetor
  • Well-trained reflexes are quicker than luck
  • Good coffee should be indistinguishable from 50 weight motor oil
  • The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome
  • Learn to do counter-intuitive things that may someday save your butt
  • The twisties - not the superslabs - separate the riders from the squids
  • When you're riding lead -- don't spit
  • If you really want to know what's going on, watch what's happening at least five cars ahead
  • Don't make a reputation you'll have to live down or run away from later
  • If the person in the next lane at the stoplight rolls up the window and locks the door, support their view of life by snarling at them
  • A friend is someone who'll get out of bed at 2 am to drive his pickup to the middle of nowhere to get you when you're broken down
  • Catching a June bug or yellow jacket in your goggles or honeybee down your shirt @ 70 mph can double your vocabulary
  • If you want to get somewhere before sundown, you can't stop at EVERY tavern
  • There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer
  • Don't lead the pack if you don't know where you're going
  • Practice wrenching on your own bike
  • Everyone crashes. Some get back on. Some don't. Some can't
  • Beware the rider who says the bike never breaks down
  • Owning two bikes is useful because at least one can be raided for parts at any given time
  • Don't argue with a 18-wheeler
  • Never be ashamed to unlearn an old habit
  • Maintenance is as much art as it is science
  • A good long ride can clear your mind, restore your faith, and use up a lot of fuel
  • If you can't get it going with bungee cords and electrician's tape - it's serious
  • If you ride like there's no tomorrow - there won't be
  • Bikes parked out front mean good chicken-fried steak inside
  • Gray-haired riders don't get that way from pure luck
  • There are drunk riders. There are old riders. There are NO old, drunk riders
  • Thin leather looks good in the bar, but it won't save your butt from "road rash" if you go down
  • The best modifications cannot be seen from the outside
  • Always replace the cheapest parts first
  • You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze
  • No matter what marquee you ride, it's all the same wind
  • Patience is the ability to keep your motor idling
  • And the Bountyman's favorite. . . "Only a Biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window"