The Crash Course.

With a tank full of fuel and a hot, combustible chamber between your legs, riding motorcycles is fairly a risky business. But that’s what probably makes it so exhilarating too!

Unlike cars, we don’t have a cage of metal or airbags to protect us nor the comfort of heaters or air conditioners. Yet, we get on our bikes, sharing the roads with juggernauts, battling the weather, knowing that one mistake could cost us our lives. Riding isn’t instinctive to us. It’s more of a skill that you hone over the years with practice. Lots of practice. I have had my fair share of crashes. Each of them turning me into a better rider.

After getting the RC, the first ever group ride we planned was conquering those sultry curves of Lavasa! It was definitely not the right time to go since we did not have riding gears except for good helmets. But we were young, brash and cocky! While returning from Lavasa, the rider in the front low-sided and crashed. With vehicles coming from the opposite lane, I had no other option than to brake hard and crash so that I don’t end up running over my friend. Luckily we did not have any vehicles behind us. Though we weren’t speeding, I ended up with scraped knees and bleeding palms. The friend suffered minor injuries to his shoulder. My bike ended up with a broken gear lever and mirror along with some scratches to the fairing. We tried fixing the gear lever at a local garage but it came off in a few kilometres. Stranded in the rain in the middle of nowhere, we ended up towing my RC with the friend’s Apache for the next 40kms. We learnt our lesson the hard way and immediately started purchasing our riding gears.

I had been crashless for over a year and used to be extra careful during rains. It was Diwali night and we planned to ride. With empty roads and pleasant weather, I was clocking decent speed and instead of seeing the city in its high festive spirits, I encountered two squids in high ‘ festive spirits’. The rider swerved from the third lane to the first lane causing his bike to lock with the handlebar of my bike. I was flung off the bike and after a short superman style flight, I crashed on my right side and just like the man in the red cape filled with rage, got up to knock some sense (and knuckles) in those drunk riders. However, they had learnt their lesson and were taken to the hospital. I walked off this crash without a single scratch. All thanks to the leathers! My motorcycle had a broken rear brake lever and few scratches.

Fast forward to April 2017. It was a hot summer afternoon. After enjoying a movie, I was headed home, enjoying the highway. I was in the 3rd lane and no vehicles ahead in my lane. Out of nowhere, a Honda civic from the first lane shifted to the 3rd lane and came to a dead stop. I tried my best to dodge but couldn’t. His antics had caused a massive confusion and other drivers and riders behind me tried shifting lanes too. I fishtailed and hit the car. In a blink, I was halfway under a stationary bus in 4th lane. This time my motorcycle took quite a beating. The mirror was dangling, the front end was smashed, the handlebar was bent, the fairing was broken. I came out of the whole thing without any major injuries. My leg had banged against the bus wheel, so this caused some bruising on the knee. Turned out I was a collateral damage of a road rage scene between the civic and the bus driver. The civic had shifted lanes to have a showdown with the bus driver. Upon sensing what stupidity he had done, he sped away. I picked up my motorcycle, rode it in 3rd gear for 30km in the terrible condition and dropped her at the service centre.

So what have I learnt from all the crashes?

When you are crash-less for a while, you tend to get lordly. And if you don’t fix this, broken bones or bruises will surely do. Chances are, riders or drivers aren’t even aware that you are there. You need to be cautious. Especially with the increasing number of texting zombies at the wheel.

Secondly, always wear your riding gears. Apart from saving your skin and bones, there’s no denying about their aesthetic appeal as well. So don’t save your riding gears for the long runs or weekend rides. Use them as every time you hop on your motorcycle.

Ride safe and cautiously. Save your body for the countless rides that lie ahead!