[Akash_1806]

Hello everyone,

I take immense pleasure in sharing this review on behalf of my friend, Ritwik who owns a 2022 RE Hunter 350. In his words,

I have been the proud owner of a Dapper Grey Hunter 350 for 18 months now. I purchased and took delivery of this bike on 24th October, 2022.

Purchase Experience:

I booked the bike during the month of September, 2022 via the Royal Enfield app for a refundable amount of ₹5000/-.

Upon conversing with a showroom near me, I was intimated that my bike would be delivered within a span of two months, which was true since my bike was delivered within 1.5 months. The booking and delivery experience with my Royal Enfield dealership was smooth and unremarkable.

First Impression:
Once the Hunter was home, I was like a child with a new toy. I couldn’t stop thinking about it all the time or clicking photos everywhere I parked it. The Hunter carries immense personality for a bike its size, being the smallest and lightest amongst its Enfield siblings; this personality stirred my interest every time I took it out even for a milk run. I made several observations in my initial days of riding that I have listed below: -

The Positives:

1. As aforementioned, it is the lightest Enfield available on the market and therefore an excellent beginner bike for those looking for an Enfield to be their first, as it was mine.

2. The J platform 350cc engine paired with the lightweight build, delivers a smooth and peppy ride in the city, maintaining the fun of riding a motorcycle no matter what traffic situation you find yourself in.

3. Royal Enfield engines, known for their low-range torque, paired with the compact form of the Hunter, make navigating city traffic a breeze.

4. The stock exhaust is quite melodious and loud. One might argue it needs no customization on that end.

The Negatives:

1. My routine does not involve pillions but, the few times I have given a ride, I’ve received comments about the rear seat not being able to support the pillion against the torque.

2. The Hunter is factory fitted with halogen headlamps which have decent illumination but, since I live in Gurugram, I frequently face high beams from aftermarket lights due to which I also switched to LEDs.

3. The clutch lever is significantly hard to pull and takes some getting used to. People with small hands would find comfort in investing in riding gloves.
Considering the above, I am content to say my initial month with the Hunter was extremely fun and enjoyable. It fulfilled every expectation even though I had bought it with my eyes shut and thought nothing about it before it arrived.

My Experience post 7000km

In the first 10 months of owning a Hunter, it became my primary mode of transport and my vehicle of choice for meets and joyrides and I’m very content with the fact that it has never failed me on either job.

After these months I have made more observations about the Hunter, as listed below: -

1. Stock RE brake pads are short-lived and have an abysmal initial bite. Pair it with the RE Anti-lock Braking System which kicks in too early and you can find yourself hurtling into an unfavorable situation pretty soon, as did I.
My suggestion would be to upgrade to ceramic brake pads to have a far better initial bite and to increase the rider’s confidence on the braking, as did I. I have found Vesrah ceramic brake pads to be to my liking and they are currently employed in the front brakes of the Hunter.

2. Past the first service, I have noticed it seldom but surely tends to miss a shift but, this only happens to be a mental scare since the torquey engine prevents stalling and you can have another go at landing the right gear.

3. I am in no manner a perfect rider and have had crashes that needed a part to be replaced. Here is where I have noticed delayed procurement of parts by the dealership. Apart from which, I have faced alignment issues upon receiving the bike from service which was fixed upon simple notice but, I believe shouldn’t be a point of discussion and therefore leaves much to be desired from Royal Enfield service.

4. Another issue I have faced as a newbie rider is dropping my bike. The gear shifter lever and the rear brake lever have a tendency of bending inwards to an extent that renders them unusable and a long flat tool is all you need to fix it. I only mention it because I have faced it a bit too many times and I think new Hunter buyers will benefit from such knowledge about the Hunter.

5. After the first month or so, upon a friend’s recommendation, I started filling it with XP95 instead of standard petrol and the difference in performance and mileage has been significant; to this day I always fill it with 95 octane.

Conclusion:
The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is a decently capable, fun to ride, mildly comfortable and easy to handle and maintain compact city cruiser. The machine leaves nothing to be desired and fully asserts its tagline: “A SHOT OF MOTORCYCLING”.

Ending this review with 2 beautiful shots of this amazing machine. Until next time

[Amby955]

I too have bought a Dapper Grey RE Hunter about month and a half back. Always wanted to buy a RE for a very long time, but was not convinced I could handle a RE. Well Hunter seems to be different, easy to handle and quiet peppy. Just reaching 1100 km, its been a great experience owning this but of course I had some niggles as well.

1. First being the LHS mirror finding itself loose every week or so.

2. Second was a weird one the fuel hose from the tank would come off and spray fuel over the engine and the rider (me) before the engine shutting down due to fuel starvation. Its easy to plug back in but this happened for the first time when I was in a busy street in Chennai and it was a great inconvenience, took a minute for me to find whats wrong and push the plug back in and rode fine for that day. Same happened again a few days after, fixed in right away without even getting off the bike. This happened at around 500 - 600 KM mark and never happened since then.

3. Finally, false neutrals and difficulty in finding first gear when downshifting are somewhat common with the bike. I was worried initially, now learning to live with this, guess this is RE characteristics.

After the first month or so, upon a friend’s recommendation, I started filling it with XP95 instead of standard petrol and the difference in performance and mileage has been significant; to this day I always fill it with 95 octane

Good to know, will fill my tank with XP95 as well.

[Hritik007]

Originally Posted by Akash_1806

1. Stock RE brake pads are short-lived and have an abysmal initial bite. Pair it with the RE Anti-lock Braking System which kicks in too early and you can find yourself hurtling into an unfavorable situation pretty soon, as did I.
My suggestion would be to upgrade to ceramic brake pads to have a far better initial bite and to increase the rider’s confidence on the braking, as did I. I have found Vesrah ceramic brake pads to be to my liking and they are currently employed in the front brakes of the Hunter.

Hi, I have completed close to 10,000 Kms on my Rebel Blue Hunter 350, and I was wondering how long did your brake pads last? And where did you procure the Vesrah pads from?

[co_rubbi]

Originally Posted by Hritik007

Hi, I have completed close to 10,000 Kms on my Rebel Blue Hunter 350, and I was wondering how long did your brake pads last? And where did you procure the Vesrah pads from?

Wow. Much respect for you. I personally didn't even have 5000 kilometers on it, I had to buy new ones.

[hawker350]

Originally Posted by Amby955

I too have bought a Dapper Grey RE Hunter about month and a half back. Always wanted to buy a RE for a very long time, but was not convinced I could handle a RE. Well Hunter seems to be different, easy to handle and quiet peppy. Just reaching 1100 km, its been a great experience owning this but of course I had some niggles as well.

1. First being the LHS mirror finding itself loose every week or so.

2. Second was a weird one the fuel hose from the tank would come off and spray fuel over the engine and the rider (me) before the engine shutting down due to fuel starvation. Its easy to plug back in but this happened for the first time when I was in a busy street in Chennai and it was a great inconvenience, took a minute for me to find whats wrong and push the plug back in and rode fine for that day. Same happened again a few days after, fixed in right away without even getting off the bike. This happened at around 500 - 600 KM mark and never happened since then.

3. Finally, false neutrals and difficulty in finding first gear when downshifting are somewhat common with the bike. I was worried initially, now learning to live with this, guess this is RE characteristics.



Good to know, will fill my tank with XP95 as well.

I’m so sorry to reply so late to your comment. I recently had my Team-BHP membership approved and I'm excited to post on this forum under my own name, moving forward. I wasn’t expecting such a strong response for my writing from this wonderful community. As for the niggles you have come across, I have faced some of them too and will address each point below: -
1. The mirrors loosening themselves is trademark Hunter affair. For me, the stock mirrors weren’t fashionable either and I was already looking to get bar-ends. The constant self-deletion by the stock mirrors accelerated this process which led me to consult Royal Enfield servicemen who quoted me 6000/- for the bar-end mirrors after which I just started the bike and rode to Karol Bagh where I picked up the pair for a mere 1300/-, including installation.
2. I never faced this fuel hose issue on my Hunter, neither have I heard it but I do suggest getting a look-over from a trusted mechanic that is NOT on the Royal Enfield payroll.
3. The “which gear is it” game is indeed, Royal Enfield characteristic and I imagine it would definitely have a fix, I just need to keep an eye out for someone who solves it first.

Originally Posted by Hritik007

Hi, I have completed close to 10,000 Kms on my Rebel Blue Hunter 350, and I was wondering how long did your brake pads last? And where did you procure the Vesrah pads from?

My bike’s rear brake pads became unresponsive around 4000-4500 Kms, after which I had Royal Enfield replace it with new stock pads. The front ones went soft around 6500 Kms after which I ordered the Vesrah pads online. I will PM you the details.

[hawker350]

With an unexpectedly great receipt of my ownership article, I have decided to type out another one of my experiences with Hawker (my bike’s name). This is the story about my accident.

13th of August, 2023, Sunday.
I haven’t slept all night in excitement of my great plan for the morning. I had convinced all my gearhead friends to run a convoy ride from Mandi House to Khan Market. Me planning and heading the entire convoy of nearly 4 motorcycles and 2 cars made this a huge deal for me.
6:40AM
I get up from my computer, I didn’t feel like sleeping the entire night and instead spent it rewatching both the Pacific Rim movies for the nth time, I can’t keep track anymore. I wash my face, brush my teeth, wear my gear and head down to Hawker with a cloth. Wipe her down well, including the wheels so she can shine for her big day.
7:20AM
I start her up, let her pick up the oil a bit while I wear my gloves and drop the first gear. I head out of the society, riding like I usually do, joining NH-8 at Rajiv Chowk.
7:30AM (approx.)
NH-8 is three lanes. I am in the rightmost lane of a flyover before IFFCO chowk, behind a brown sedan. I decide to switch left and go faster in the middle lane, since it’s all empty anyway.
I accelerate and switch lanes at about 90kmph, notice a tempo parked dead center of the highway (I do not know how it was not noticed before this maneuver). Pull in both my brakes, as well as the clutch. I remember coming down to about 70kmph as it got close and bang! I black out.
7:35AM (approx.)
My misadventure is noticed by a policeman, he pulls my unconscious body off the vehicle and takes off my helmet. He stops two men on a bike in an attempt to transport me to a hospital but I can’t be seated because my knee won’t bend. He looks again at the empty Sunday morning highway and notices a Maruti Eeco van coming into sight and signals them to stop. They pick me up along with my belongings and lift me into the back seat of the vehicle.
I wake up and the first thing I say is “papa ko bata do, unka number lo” (tell my father, take his number), I black out again. He takes the number down and informs my father about my accident and that he will inform him other details as soon as he gets me to a hospital. I remember opening my eyes a few times during this ride to the hospital; seeing my hands carefully placed on my crotch and my right leg straightened out on the seat.
I open them once more being lifted out of the Eeco onto a stretcher. I understand I am being wheeled into a hospital and doze off.
8:25AM
I see my mother at the end of my bed. I can’t move my body. I notice about 5 fluid lines attached to me. Several nurses and hospital staff come to check on my fluids and vitals. Other family friends join in and hype me up.
8:40AM
A team of doctors comes in, introduces themselves as the ortho and sports medicine team and lists out a number of X-rays and scans.
I’m taken in for my scans and I can’t feel much pain with a new bottle of painkiller being attached to me every half an hour or so. Doctors come in again and look at my scans to say I have some dislocated bones that need to be put in place first. I’m given a sedative that DOESN’T make me unconscious neither could it stop the pain or the string of very strong words. The doctor starts his practice and the entire ER is made aware of an accident victim in bay 8.
I have broken 11 bones across both wrists, both thumbs and my right shin. Along with other torn cartilage and muscle.
I get shifted into the surgical ward and my parents are briefed to keep me empty stomach in the morning so they can perform surgery around 11AM.
14 August, 2023
I’m hungry and the surgery is delayed because they notice my right scaphoid is also broken and they need to re-prep the team and get the consent form signed by my parents. I finally am taken in for surgery at 1PM.
The entire ordeal lasts around 5 and a half hours after which I wake up while being wheeled back into the ward. I meet a few relatives after which I try to sleep.

All of the story above has dates and timestamps because I thought it adds more clarity since I have never gone into such detail while explaining it to anyone till now. The few days after the accident passed very quick as I tried to process what had happened. How did I make such a mistake? How did I not notice a whole tempo in the lane I was about to enter? Do I even remember it correctly? These questions messed with my mind along with the pain I faced and the lack of sleep because my back just couldn’t take the lying down for so long. I was shifted to another hospital soon and then was sent home for recovery. The boredom of lying all alone on a bed and not being able to get up was near fatal in itself. I had my friends, relatives and music to keep me going.

The most uneasy part of this ordeal was the inability to sleep properly. In the initial days at the hospital, my body would try to enact a dream and jerk me awake, thereby causing immense pain in my broken wrists. Once I came home, I was out of comfortable positions to sleep in due to what my condition was and would have trouble falling asleep and waking up in the middle of the night due to pain. Apart from all this, the back pain was a daily battle as well.

Through all this, the one man making sure I ate well, rested well and didn’t abuse my pain medication was my father. He made sure I was getting the right food at the right time, carrying me to relieve myself and making sure I was clean and hygienic. Apart from which, he made sure that I didn’t use Instagram reels as my only escape from boredom. We had movies, series and articles that he would make me read so I could exercise the only part of me that wasn’t injured, the brain. He made sure I had my exercise in order every day, some of which he had to help me do so my muscles wouldn’t go too weak.

Doctors gave me about 3 months before I could stand and another 2 before I could walk. I stood up and walked within 2 months. I even kept a date-wise progress of my recovery, noting down whenever I performed a task all by myself whether it be eating, drinking or wiping my ass. I was making progress!! As a part of recovery, I had to walk as much as I could and therefore took frequent strolls in the evening while I saw Hawker waiting to recover as well.

Enough of me though, time to talk about Hawker.
Hawker was recovered from the highway by a close relative of mine and delivered to my house.
She stood still, untouched for 8 months while I recovered from my injuries, attended the gym and studied for college. I didn’t want to give up on her or the bike life.
Finally on 8th April, 2024 I found a mechanic nearby who offered to come home and have a look. Navjot Chaudhary, who runs a workshop by the name of Billu Bullet Workshop at Subhash Chowk. He came home about 20 mins after our conversation on call and gave me the assurance that he can take it away to have it repaired, which was carried out by the evening. Hawker was stripped down to the chassis by the night and he closed shop.
Hawker got a proper look over the next morning and was diagnosed with:

1. Bent in twin pipes that anchored the engine.
2. A very frightening angular bend on the main spine of the chassis that also had some tearing and rust on the underside.
3. Bent suspension on the front right with a crack in the lower tube.

We loaded the chassis into his car and I rode with him to Dabri, where we handed it to another workshop to straighten out. The shock absorber cylinder was handed to a person in Janakpuri to cut off the damaged piece and engineer a new one to weld on and make it like nothing ever happened. Several days passed with my daily routine being to call Navjot up and ask about the status of the parts, and his to tell me that they are a bit delayed for whatever reason.
Finally, the chassis and shock absorber arrived and I was thrilled to see the workmanship on these parts. The shock absorber’s tube was like new and the chassis was completely straightened out. Time for them to be spray painted.
The very next day he started putting my bike together again. I had already put in the request for a change of handlebars, Yamaha R15v3 to be precise. The handlebars were procured but the shops that sold the fork extender/handlebar riser were closed for multiple days. This infuriated me but Navjot yet again had a solution handy. He lowered the T on the fork to make space for the handlebars and bolted them on, sacrificing some ground clearance for my little café racer dream.
As we kept going, we kept facing minor snags concerning multiple parts: -

1. The tiny silver crown on a clutch wire near the lever was missing and therefore needed a replacement, but Royal Enfield said I will have to purchase the entire lever assembly and so I did.
2. The entire headlight dome and the outer ring had been altered into something not that and therefore, had to be completely replaced with new stock parts. I never liked the stock halogen headlight though, and even during the rebuild I requested him to install a minus DRL headlight.
3. The accelerator cable lining had split and was fraying the cable inside. Hence, replaced.
4. The bracket for the front mudguard was bent and was also replaced.
5. The key had been cut in half with part of it left embedded in the lock. Hence, the lock set was replaced as well.
6. The original Hunter meter on my bike had disintegrated on impact (as many people claim it is prone to do so even in minor accidents) and therefore needed a replacement. Since the meter’s history of crumbling to fine dust is widely known, the stocks at Royal Enfield spare parts never last long. Therefore, to go ahead we would need another meter. I spent several days looking up different bikes on the internet to see whose meter looked good enough and was affordable. None of them really suited my needs. At the time Navjot was in the market, he picked up a chrome meter from a Meteor 350. We then decided to place it in the center unlike the garbage idea of placing it on the left. To do this, he cut-up a new bracket to put on the T and install the meter.
   The clip-on handlebars provided a much more stable ride and maneuverability than the stock bars.
7. The BIGGEST AND MOST INFURIATING part of the build came when it had all been finalized and he took it for a test ride.
   The meter wouldn’t read speed.
   It showed all the stats for my bike, connected to the ECU and told the kilometers on it as well but it wouldn’t read speed or measure distance traveled. Instead read “ERROR” on the odometer.
   We started with the obvious solution, cleaning the sensor on the front caliper. Didn’t work.
   He got down to the next solution and took a look at the battery wiring to check if something hadn’t been connected properly. He came to the conclusion that it was.
   We double checked with Royal Enfield engineers by sending them images of everything from the fuse box to the battery terminals and we were given the AFFIRMATIVE that all wiring had been done perfectly as recommended by factory.
   As a Gen-Z kid, my move was to check the entirety of the Royal Enfield Reddit forum for a matching solution. I found the same meter code problem, but couldn’t find a solution.
   The next obvious pocket-pinching solution was to replace the sensor and so I did. Went to the nearest Royal Enfield showroom and picked up the new one. Came back, had it installed and it STILL DIDN’T WORK AAUUUGHHHHH.
   At this point I was at my limit of patience. It had been two days of every possible knowledge gathering and hardware renewal and we didn’t even know why it was happening, much less what to do about it.
   That’s when I requested Navjot to pull apart the wiring once again and check it. So, he did, and guess what.
   THE RELAY WAS ON BACKWARDS!!! We had a long moment of silence after he put it on and spun the front wheel to see the meter work but, hey! At least my bike was functional again!!!

I paid him the following day and rode my bike back home, the very same day I headed out towards Noida to meet Akash and show him the machine.

The 9 months I spent in recovery paired with the 2 weeks of Hawker being rebuilt was a wait that was absolutely worth it. If not me, at least she was back better than ever. The accident goes down as a part of my “Rider Lore” with all the stitch marks that bear my resilience in the face of one of the worst accidents one could be in. I hope the story about my recovery encourages those recovering from a mishap or the story about Hawker’s rebuild helps those who face the same problems as I did during the build. I thank this forum for giving me an outlet to get my story out to all those who read it.
Below are all the images throughout Hawker's breaking and building.

[Full_Minchingu]

I came here to congratulate on your beautiful bike, however as and when I continued reading the thread I was shocked to see you in that ordeal. The first 2 pictures of Hawker and the last picture (with broken headlight) are exponentially opposite.
Glad to see that both you and the Hawker are recovered and back on the roll. You are one brave person to get this experience behind you and continue your journey forward. Hat's off to your father's care and concern, if not that I think you would have taken more time to recover.

Just to dig in more, while I was reading I got couple of questions in my mind, what all riding gear did you wear and how did that help you to reduce the impact and injury?

Regards,
-Badri

[saitvsk23]

Originally Posted by hawker350

With an unexpectedly great receipt of my ownership article, I have decided to type out another one of my experiences with Hawker (my bike’s name). This is the story about my accident.

Hello Ritwik,

Hope you're doing well. Reading about the accident and just the way it plays out all in my mind, it is scary to the tee. It was like I was on the saddle and felt the impact at 90kmph. I could feel the face going numb at that impact and blacking out. The way you've put the flow of things happening to you, it is scary and was reassuring as well. They way your family has supported you, especially your father in making sure you're well fed, relieved and safe, just almost brought me to an emotional state on a routine office morning. From one person to another, I would like to salute the efforts your family (especially your father) has put in to get you back upto speed on your physical health. I understand that in these kind of circumstances, being in the best of your mental state is quite the challenge, but I assume that you've fought for it all the way along!

Coming to the Hunter, it's amazing that you've put in all the efforts and resources to get the bike back to life even from that state, when it was picked up from the side of the highways. If it was someone else, their mom would've made a huge outcry that it's because of the damn bike and most owners would write it off by using their insurance policy. I really respect the efforts you've put in to make it yours once again, functionally and physically. That damn tempo being in the dead middle of the highway, had no business being there. But again, Indian highways are unpredictable. We just have to take it in as that particular moment was not in favor of you. It just had to happen, somewhat like a Canon event.

But again, hope that you're doing really well after all that you had to go through.

Ride safe brother!

[hikozaru]

Originally Posted by hawker350

13th of August, 2023, Sunday.
I haven’t slept all night in excitement of my great plan for the morning. I had convinced all my gearhead friends to run a convoy ride from Mandi House to Khan Market. Me planning and heading the entire convoy of nearly 4 motorcycles and 2 cars made this a huge deal for me.
6:40AM
I get up from my computer, I didn’t feel like sleeping the entire night and instead spent it rewatching both the Pacific Rim movies for the nth time, I can’t keep track anymore. I wash my face, brush my teeth, wear my gear and head down to Hawker with a cloth. Wipe her down well, including the wheels so she can shine for her big day.

I have done this far too many times in the past and I must say I feel a lot better these days as I do not do it anymore. If it means I need to deal with an extra of hour city traffic, clutch feathering and 40c temps, that is fine by me. I can only chug two cans of red bull a day after all. Nothing worse than noticeably yawning under the lid on a two lane single carriageway (no median) with econoboxes coming onto my lane trying to overtake another econobox and other such shenanigans, all while deluding myself that I will nap at a rest stop.

Originally Posted by hawker350

I accelerate and switch lanes at about 90kmph, notice a tempo parked dead center of the highway (I do not know how it was not noticed before this maneuver). Pull in both my brakes, as well as the clutch. I remember coming down to about 70kmph as it got close and bang! I black out.

Hawker got a proper look over the next morning and was diagnosed with:

1. Bent in twin pipes that anchored the engine.
2. A very frightening angular bend on the main spine of the chassis that also had some tearing and rust on the underside.
3. Bent suspension on the front right with a crack in the lower tube.

We loaded the chassis into his car and I rode with him to Dabri, where we handed it to another workshop to straighten out.

As a previous hunter owner, this is what made me sell the bike, knowing that there is simply no way to stop the bike at the speeds it does. I ask you to reconsider your choice of ride and get something with much better brakes. I admit I do not understand why you repaired the bike either, especially going so far as to repair your chassis instead of taking out a simple insurance payout. No offence to your sentiments, but it is not like the bike is some kind of homologation special, you could have got the same bike in same colour.

In any case, congratulations on your recovery. Stay safe and have fun

[hawker350]

Originally Posted by Full_Minchingu

Just to dig in more, while I was reading I got couple of questions in my mind, what all riding gear did you wear and how did that help you to reduce the impact and injury?

I had an SMK Typhoon Motorhead helmet, Rynox Helium GT gloves and a pair of Raida Tourer boots. None of the injuries were a result of the impact; in fact, the only part of me to bang into the tempo was my head which was completely saved by my helmet, nothing on X-rays and MRIs (even wrote a thank you letter to SMK since it saved my head after being banged at 70kmph). All the broken bones were a result of the inertia crushing them all together, then these bones came tearing up out of my wrists. My leg, the tibia and fibula, snapped with one end planted on the brake and the other applying extreme force at an angle due to inertia.

Originally Posted by hikozaru

As a previous hunter owner, this is what made me sell the bike, knowing that there is simply no way to stop the bike at the speeds it does. I ask you to reconsider your choice of ride and get something with much better brakes. I admit I do not understand why you repaired the bike either, especially going so far as to repair your chassis instead of taking out a simple insurance payout. No offence to your sentiments, but it is not like the bike is some kind of homologation special, you could have got the same bike in same colour.

My first thoughts coming back home from the hospital and in for a month or two of recovery was that I should never have gotten a bike and that I should sell it for scrap now and beg my parents for a car. Once I presented this idea to my mother, she said "the car is definitely not possible after your hospital bills and if you are going to drop riding just out of fear, then know that you are going to drop many things in life for the same reason. Do you want to live like that?"
That statement was enough to make me realize "it happens, that's life" and I thought more about the bike as it was before the accident, my first machine love that never bothered me for anything, taught me everything I know about the automobile life, got me into groups with likeminded people, even got me onto this forum. I realized my love for the machine is greater than an insurance payout and I would never want to replace it, even with itself. I know people probably think I'm nuts. Many riders have left biking just because they dropped it once or twice, I have all the reason to do the same but, I won't. I'm too blind with love.

[Ashdel]

Originally Posted by hawker350

My first thoughts coming back home from the hospital and in for a month or two of recovery was that I should never have gotten a bike and that I should sell it for scrap now and beg my parents for a car. Once I presented this idea to my mother, she said "the car is definitely not possible after your hospital bills and if you are going to drop riding just out of fear, then know that you are going to drop many things in life for the same reason. Do you want to live like that?"
That statement was enough to make me realize "it happens, that's life" and I thought more about the bike as it was before the accident, my first machine love that never bothered me for anything, taught me everything I know about the automobile life, got me into groups with likeminded people, even got me onto this forum. I realized my love for the machine is greater than an insurance payout and I would never want to replace it, even with itself. I know people probably think I'm nuts. Many riders have left biking just because they dropped it once or twice, I have all the reason to do the same but, I won't. I'm too blind with love.

It was amazing to see you buddy in todays meet. Things happen and we learn, absorb and move on. Keep Driving