[Zangetsu]

So, Im Zangetsu.
Mech Engineer by degree, dropped an year, will give MBA entrance exams.

I come from a very humble background and no one from my family gives a damn about engines.

See that's what its always been about. Engines. Ever since I was a kid.
Engines fascinated me. As a kid it was almost unbelievable, you pour in some pungent smelling liquid and vroooom!

Slowly but surely my interest matured. I started reading more and more, everything I could find, everything I could understand. It was never about motorcycles or cars. Engines. Could be a truck for all I care.

So anyway, got my first ride in 2016, an Activa 3G.



And suddenly, all the things that I read, you know? Speed? Thrill? I felt them.
And then, some nuances. Learning how it felt at the side of a tyre, learning when it would give way.(Not recommended on a scooty, very small tires). I was a stupid kid.

Then through the years, I learnt how to ride a motorcycle from friends, rode pretty much everything from Splendor to RC390.

And then finally, on Christmas 2020, I took delivery of Sakura. My beloved MT-15 in Ice-fluo Vermillion.



Sorry for the bad pictures. I lost my phone and all good pics with it.(No I did not back them up on drive)

I've always been a sucker for radical styling and sharp edges and the MT is just that! With its alien eye- headlamps and on-your-face colors, it was almost a no-brainer.

I had considered the 250 twins from Husky, the Duke 250 and apache 200 4v.
But I had a very strict budget constraint of below 2L. So obviously everything from the KTM stable had to be dropped. Between TVS and Yamaha, my heart was set.
The apache is a good bike, dont get me wrong. Very smooth, sounds good but there's something about the MT's boyish character that pulled me away.

Coming to the bike itself, it's a hoot to ride 'round the city and occasional highway rides give a chance to properly open her up.
Its an awesome feeling. You very much sit "on the bike" rather than "in the bike" and its got that hypermottard-y stance with pretty cool GC which makes "kaccha rasta" riding pretty fun.
First 1000 kms(notice empty fuel)



What I want to upgrade to? A KTM 390 ADV or a Continental 650. Why?

In the MT i have experienced naked riding style and some very light off roading(some half a kilometer stretch on my daily commute, completely made of dirt and rocks which very soon turn to mud when it rains.)and I really liked the type of riding it offers. I feel the 390 ADV will be a spiritual successor to my MT, very natural. Everything the MT did, the KTM will do better, and faster.
Continental 650? Because in an upgrade I wanna upgrade everything. The RE gives me a power upgrade, an upgrade in weight class and also engine class!
Also I'd love to experience the kind of riding it offers.

Aspirational targets? A Ducati Hypermottard. I mean just look at damn the thing!

Pulled the picture from Pinterest. credits to the owner(s).

Cars? I have taken a course and that's about it. It was an alto which vibrated like crazy and the only adventurous experience was when a dog walked in front and I had pull out some crazy maneuver off the top of my head because my Instructor panicked.

So yeah that's my journey so far. A big thanks to the entire community here as more than half of my knowledge I've picked up from Team-BHP itself!
I hope as I go forward, I can contribute my two cents too.

[ChiragM]

Hello and welcome to the forum Zangetsu. Please do share ownership reviews of your MT-15 and whichever bike you plan to buy next. Hope you get the Ducati soon.