Contd…
She has since been christened, ‘Angelina’ and there must be some sort of a connection that we share, because by the time I had picked her up late in the evening on the 30th, there was a rumble on the sky. Then 5 minutes into my ride home, the heavens decided to open up. It rained the day of my wedding and it rained the day my kids were born. So as far as I’m concerned, this was an omen!
Riding in the rain, on a machine I hadn’t ridden in the better part of 4 years, was a challenge I must admit. But what was astounding was the ease with which everything fell back into place. Each person rides a bullet in his or her own way and old habits came flooding back like I had never stopped riding! Using the heel of the right foot to engage the 1st gear. Swinging the legs outwards, to clear the foot-pegs, before placing them back onto them….the lazy riding at 45-50 kmph, allowing everything under the sun (well almost!) to overtake you, but secure in the knowledge that a twist of the throttle will let you ROAR past most of what has gleefully gone past!
To get back to the events of the day…it poured and I KNEW it poured because everything AND I MEAN EVERYTHING
was drenched to the bone… she felt skittish because I was the one unsure, but thankfully by the time we were about 3/4ths the way home, the cold, lashing rain stopped and within the next 10 minutes or so, I was as dry as when I left home 6 hours ago! Rediscovering the joys of motorcycling, and discovering for the 1st time the addictive low end grunt of the CI engined 500, on more than one occasion, I let the throttle in just a little more ‘spiritedly’ then others at the many traffic lights!
One thing that I did notice, was that pretty much every bike that went past me, knew that this was NOT a standard 350, because they would all slow down to peer at the stickering and then with a shake of the head and a big smile directed at me, signifying, ‘I knew it’…would carry on their merry way!
As I rode her out of the rain, my confidence started to come back and I leaned into a couple of turns on the roundabouts that blight central Delhi roads. The bike would dart in eagerly, hold her line beautifully and then exit the turn balance like a ballet dancer. The previous owner did nothing to mar the aesthetics of the motorcycle and she was as stock as she was when she came out of the RE factory. What I did sense was that she seemed to be starved of power when she got into the 70-80 kmph range. I put it down to a clogged air filter and/or fuel filter, to be rectified as soon as she went for a complete service. Also that the vibrations at even 60 kmph made my right hand and fingers go numb every couple of minutes. This was something I did not remember from my 350 days....
Reaching home, my elder son demanded a ride and since we were dining at my in-laws, I needed very little coaxing to ride to dinner with the son. A quick shower to clean up the dirt of the day, a fresh set of clothes, helmets strapped to our noggins, off we went. The in-laws were horrified and awed at the same time that someone with 2 growing children would actually go out and decide to buy a bike! However, after commiserations and congratulation in equal order, "oohs" and "aahs" were heard as ‘Angelina’ was given an approving look over.
Dinner finished and I relished the thought of riding back home. Being on almost empty Delhi roads, I then rode her the way she likes to be ridden. Top gear, trundling lazily along, smack bang in the middle of the centre lane! Pulling into home, she was parked in the driveway and finally put to bed. The end of an eventful and fulfilling day....
She would be introduced to her older 'siblings' tomorrow!!!!
To be contd….