The First Big Trip
It was the first week of August 1999. I had just started learning riding a geared two wheeler. It was my father's colleague's TVS AX 100 R. A red coloured bike, similar to the one our neighbour had. My father had borrowed the bike for two days.
Reason? To teach me how to ride a bike.
Wow! I suddenly started feeling older than the seventeen I was. Two days was all the bike was available. I could take it only in the evening when my father returned home. He taught me the basics. How to hold the clutch lever, and switch gears, and slowly release the clutch, and gradually rev up the accelerator.
It felt fantastic. The learning part was the most blissful experience. In my college half the toads knew to ride. I felt really bad that I couldn't. Now I am their equal, is what I felt.
The practise track was a couple kilometres away from my home, on Sathanur Road, with bushes and wild plants on the road side. Because of those bushes, you face a swarm of insects and mosquitoes. Those were days before mandatory helmets, and therefore, for a brief moment in my happiness, I turned a non-veggie (that too oriental one), even if unwillingly.
Why all of a sudden this learning? We were take delivery of our first geared vehicle, another Suzuki MAX 100R. From where? Not at Trichy, but from Chennai.
The plan was to ride home the vehicle from Chennai to Trichy, with me and my dad swapping positions.
On August 12th 1999, night, we left Trichy by Bus and reached Chennai the next morning (13.08.1999).Went to Ramkay Agencies at Adyar, checked up with an executive out there (whose name I am not able to remember), who said that we can take delivery the next day i.e. on 14th August.
On 14th Morning we went to Ramkay Agencies the next morning, and after some documentation, by around noon took delivery of the Maxer, in my favourite colour - Black. My father rode it till Perungalathur (where we were staying at my uncles place). I couldn't sleep the entire night. I was all too excited about riding the bike, our own bike.
When half my bigmouthed classmates were talking speaking about biking from Trichy to Tanjore (a place barely 55 kilometres away), I was at Chennai all set to ride for more than 300 Kilometres. What an initiation to biking!
Next day, on the Independence Day, at around 7.30 AM in the morning, we left Perungalathur and hit the NH 45. Never in my life, I felt that better. It was an amazing feeling. Roads were wide. The morning air was brushing past our face. I raised my hands and did a victory gesture. I was all smiles. My father was riding the initial stage. Since the bike was new, we did a constant 40 kmph.
We reached Chengalpet in about an hours time. We took a break. My dad bought me softdrinks and after a few minutes time, we had hit the road once again. My father once again riding the bike. After covering some eighty odd kilometres, we swapped positions.
I rode our bike for the first time. I switched gears, and released the clutch in some urgency, bike jerked forward and stopped. Second try also ended in the same result. Third try was successfull and, voila, I was riding the bike. I switched gears and moved into fourth and started doing the constant 40 kmph. Heaven!
I faced hell whenever any bus or truck came in the opposite. I didn't know how to control my bike. I invariably drove it out of road to the bushes. Everytime bike stops, and I start, it took three or four attempts for me to get it right. I realised that I am getting the maximum practise on an Highway, with Trucks, Buses and Cars zipping past me at 100 kmph.
Of the total 320 Plus kilometres my father was riding for 220 Plus me for some 100 kilometres. We reached Trichy at Seven in the evening. From Central Bus Stand we gave a call to home to tell that we will be home in fifteen minutes time. (Those were days of Landline only, mobiles were beyond the common man's pocket) My uncles (my first heroes) had also come.
As we entered our street (70 metres long and containing barely 6 houses), I saw my uncle holding a camera and recording our entry into the street, and into our home. Everybody had smiles on their face, smiles wider and larger than their face.
It was a very happy moment. Very very special.
It was an experience which was simply special because it was my first big trip on road and thereby starting a biking love affair, on and off (Off, whenever I put my helmet down because of the persistent neck and back pain). The journey had just begun.
It was also special for another reason, a kind of thrill of having done something bad, which should not be done.
I had not turned 18 at that time. I was yet to get my license.
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