What a long, strange trip it's been

HereticHermit · 14th March 2023, 15:30

Hello Team,
I don't think I am much of a lurker here, but I found the discussions meaningful. Esp reading the long posts of @Jeroen I saluted his dedication with which he goes about his auto hobby.

I mulled over for long to register and did apply one fine morning only to be culled out. It happened many years ago and then i gave up. When i came back again, i am not sure, in between either the Mods tampered down or my writing improved! But i was determined to register after I went through the Do's & Dont's primer because it became clear to me that this perhaps last refuge of hobbyists where they actually string and compose a proper sentence rthr thn killin it wit sms lingo n participtin in onlyn debete 'my hero honda is fass thn 1 ltr class busa becz i pop wheelies on it'.

I cannot say I am a serious petrol head (a tall claim esp when you tumble over 50s) but i do feel I have been hanging about for long enough to have some handle over 'auto' things. What do i say by way of introduction? In no particular order - when i was teen i revered Gordon Jennings because he was God of 2 strokes and wanted to act in films because jackie the Hero gets to ride the Yamaha twin 350B and Amitabh Bachhan low fly on his Black RD in night.

I learned to open/repair/shut the Yezdi engine with a basic toolkit because my first trip to Leh was in 1985 and we counted nearly 60 water fords on way.

Got into serious argument with a friend when he rode his RX100 with Japanese 'seal pack' engine even when his STD piston was well past the service age and he didn't want to 'ruin' the engine by opening. He called me an insensitive grease monkey and I called him ignorant idiot. (We became sworn enemies or 6 months).

Drove my RD350 to the ground and buried every single Royal Enfield that we found on highway. Made cardboard cutouts for mild steel sheets and fabricated zero joint exhaust pipe for RD, asbestos heat wraps for band pipes and all the jazz. Taught my uncle how to identify the drug smuggles playing between J&K/Punjab/Delhi route on RDs with blue bands (they invariably use to drive non stop in high RPM).

Had an RX100 and then RXZ to punt around town and till this day, in spite of being over 50 I am still a 4 stroke virgin

But sold them all off when i realise I need to stand like a darban in front of shopkeepers at Karolbagh if I needed any spared and keep pleading with them. I love bikes but I cant be as blind to pay Rs 1200 for a pair of piston rings when I use to buy them for like Rs 28 for my RD.

Discovered what low 'compression' motor really means when cousin brigade drove the old Amby to rally madness and engine ceased due to a puncture in radiator. Passing through Haryana interiors we could muster only 2 eggs but lot of Mustard oil for free which we liberally poured in engine and egg white into the radiator. Family didn't allow us the car keys for next many years.
We didn't knew anything about advertisements or sponsorships but that didn't stop the 'Bro Team' from modding a Suzuki Supra and fitting NOS solenoid just so we can make a 'record' of riding to/over the 5 highest motor-able passes in the world within 24 hours. And we didn't cheat with mapping. The first high pass was to be ridden 15 KM before the summit and last Pass was to ridden down for 15 KM before calling it a day (24 hours).
I was there only when I saw young Kenjiro Shinozuka passing huge rolls of adhesive tape under suspension and over the engine bay/glass joint to keep the car suspension from falling apart in a competition section of Himalayan Car Rally. I did saw a jaywalker seeing a Nissan driven by Jayant shah and thinking oh he is too far away and i will just skittle over to the median by the time he comes here. Shahs was doing 140+ and sliced through the joker within 2 seconds. The poor cycle that took the first Tbone hit saved jaywalker and shah from a death that day and this fellow was flung high in air, which Nissan rushing under him and he falling back on road bang in middle of Nissan tyre tracks.

Some year later on, Rahul Koka Rao almost drove over my foot because he was 'driving', but in reverse gear, after having lost the front movement on his Gypsy. But evening was more fun when visibly tipsy dicky gill couldn't hold his horses (or drinks in this case) and let it became known very vocally how he is going to finish off Navaz Bhathena tomorrow and avenge the day's poor performance by him.

I never competed but that didn't stop Bro team from toppling over the Gypsy and rolling 150 feet down. Recovering and nursing a broken lower rib at PGI Chandigarh we inform folks over Telephone that our 'holiday' plan is extended to another 10 days and from Simla, we are going to Manali now!!

Like all good things, fun came to an end the day I realised I cant be cheating my first love by having corporate dalliance. So sensibly i committed myself to career away from workshop and over the time I forgot even basic of basics so that is why I am here. To learn and understand from you all the today's auto scenario and how to be a self sustaining DIY person.

Happy motoring to all of you, drive safe and enjoy in good health.

Aditya · 15th March 2023, 10:36

Hi,

Welcome to Team-BHP. Good to have you on board.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HereticHermit

but I found the discussions meaningful. Esp reading the long posts of @Jeroen I saluted his dedication with which he goes about his auto hobby.

There are lots of great discussions going on all over the forum. Jeroen is one of our best contributors.

Going through your experiences, I can definitely classify you as a petrolhead! You have had fun with some of the craziest bikes of their times and been close to the rally scene.

Quote:

Happy motoring to all of you, drive safe and enjoy in good health.

Looking forward to some meaningful contributions from you.

See you on the forum.

HereticHermit · 16th March 2023, 10:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aditya

Hi,

Looking forward to some meaningful contributions from you.

See you on the forum.

Thank you Aditya. I am rusty and away from scene for long but I will try to contribute meaningfully in the forum.

14th March 2023, 15:30	#1
HereticHermit BANNED Join Date: Nov 2022 Location: Delhi Posts: 57 Thanked: 164 Times Infractions: 0/2 (12)	What a long, strange trip it's been Hello Team, I don't think I am much of a lurker here, but I found the discussions meaningful. Esp reading the long posts of @Jeroen I saluted his dedication with which he goes about his auto hobby. I mulled over for long to register and did apply one fine morning only to be culled out. It happened many years ago and then i gave up. When i came back again, i am not sure, in between either the Mods tampered down or my writing improved! But i was determined to register after I went through the Do's & Dont's primer because it became clear to me that this perhaps last refuge of hobbyists where they actually string and compose a proper sentence rthr thn killin it wit sms lingo n participtin in onlyn debete 'my hero honda is fass thn 1 ltr class busa becz i pop wheelies on it'. I cannot say I am a serious petrol head (a tall claim esp when you tumble over 50s) but i do feel I have been hanging about for long enough to have some handle over 'auto' things. What do i say by way of introduction? In no particular order - when i was teen i revered Gordon Jennings because he was God of 2 strokes and wanted to act in films because jackie the Hero gets to ride the Yamaha twin 350B and Amitabh Bachhan low fly on his Black RD in night. I learned to open/repair/shut the Yezdi engine with a basic toolkit because my first trip to Leh was in 1985 and we counted nearly 60 water fords on way. Got into serious argument with a friend when he rode his RX100 with Japanese 'seal pack' engine even when his STD piston was well past the service age and he didn't want to 'ruin' the engine by opening. He called me an insensitive grease monkey and I called him ignorant idiot. (We became sworn enemies or 6 months). Drove my RD350 to the ground and buried every single Royal Enfield that we found on highway. Made cardboard cutouts for mild steel sheets and fabricated zero joint exhaust pipe for RD, asbestos heat wraps for band pipes and all the jazz. Taught my uncle how to identify the drug smuggles playing between J&K/Punjab/Delhi route on RDs with blue bands (they invariably use to drive non stop in high RPM). Had an RX100 and then RXZ to punt around town and till this day, in spite of being over 50 I am still a 4 stroke virgin But sold them all off when i realise I need to stand like a darban in front of shopkeepers at Karolbagh if I needed any spared and keep pleading with them. I love bikes but I cant be as blind to pay Rs 1200 for a pair of piston rings when I use to buy them for like Rs 28 for my RD. Discovered what low 'compression' motor really means when cousin brigade drove the old Amby to rally madness and engine ceased due to a puncture in radiator. Passing through Haryana interiors we could muster only 2 eggs but lot of Mustard oil for free which we liberally poured in engine and egg white into the radiator. Family didn't allow us the car keys for next many years. We didn't knew anything about advertisements or sponsorships but that didn't stop the 'Bro Team' from modding a Suzuki Supra and fitting NOS solenoid just so we can make a 'record' of riding to/over the 5 highest motor-able passes in the world within 24 hours. And we didn't cheat with mapping. The first high pass was to be ridden 15 KM before the summit and last Pass was to ridden down for 15 KM before calling it a day (24 hours). I was there only when I saw young Kenjiro Shinozuka passing huge rolls of adhesive tape under suspension and over the engine bay/glass joint to keep the car suspension from falling apart in a competition section of Himalayan Car Rally. I did saw a jaywalker seeing a Nissan driven by Jayant shah and thinking oh he is too far away and i will just skittle over to the median by the time he comes here. Shahs was doing 140+ and sliced through the joker within 2 seconds. The poor cycle that took the first Tbone hit saved jaywalker and shah from a death that day and this fellow was flung high in air, which Nissan rushing under him and he falling back on road bang in middle of Nissan tyre tracks. Some year later on, Rahul Koka Rao almost drove over my foot because he was 'driving', but in reverse gear, after having lost the front movement on his Gypsy. But evening was more fun when visibly tipsy dicky gill couldn't hold his horses (or drinks in this case) and let it became known very vocally how he is going to finish off Navaz Bhathena tomorrow and avenge the day's poor performance by him. I never competed but that didn't stop Bro team from toppling over the Gypsy and rolling 150 feet down. Recovering and nursing a broken lower rib at PGI Chandigarh we inform folks over Telephone that our 'holiday' plan is extended to another 10 days and from Simla, we are going to Manali now!! Like all good things, fun came to an end the day I realised I cant be cheating my first love by having corporate dalliance. So sensibly i committed myself to career away from workshop and over the time I forgot even basic of basics so that is why I am here. To learn and understand from you all the today's auto scenario and how to be a self sustaining DIY person. Happy motoring to all of you, drive safe and enjoy in good health.
	(9) Thanks