[ringoism]

Originally Posted by Parishrut

I thought North America was a haven for riding! I follow Reddit and there are so many nice posts from there. I guess the photos don't tell the entire story?

Well, there's some good riding available but sales of motorcycles there peaked a long time ago and have been in steady decline ever since. Millenials seem to be very safety-conscious, and it seems the majority of bikers these days are, eh, older guys... like 50-ish.

Very few people there ride daily, most are "weekend warriors", and thus often are riding bikes of immense power / speed potential that they are not actually all that familiar with / expert at handling. That and the fact that drivers of four-wheelers are not really accustomed to watching out for them, there are so few out on the roads during the average commuter hours. Here in India, one's presence is likewise largely ignored, but at least you expect that when riding and drive a lot more defensively than people there are typically trained to. Main thing is that a two-wheeler there is almost always a second vehicle, and people are much more familiar with driving cars. And IMO you just can't ride a bike the same way you drive a car, especially over there where speeds are high and you are in such a minority position.

To answer your question, I ride a few bikes - threads on all of them here on T-bhp - check them out - but the one alluded to is a rather crude old Bullet Machismo 500... which despite its lack of ABS I chose over the option of a second-hand Dominar... but not without wondering sometimes if I'd made a mistake!

-Eric

[Cool_leo_guy]

Originally Posted by Parishrut

I hear so many stories about CBRs doing close to 2 lakh kms, and never giving any issues, and then I feel sad thinking that my Dominar may never see even half of those milestones.

Oh! She will . If she is as good as the 2002 model pulsar 180. Which served me flawlessly for 1.75 lakh km. After which with slightly heavier maintenance she lasted me another 50k kms. So yes your luna will last. Provided you pamper her a bit now and then

[Parishrut]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

So after going through my experience with Bajaj and Hero Honda, if you still feel sad for owning a Bajaj over a Hero/Honda then my friend, I cannot be of help.

Edit: My buddies and fellow enthusiasts are tired of hearing my infamous quote 'Once you go Bajaj you'll never go Back' not sharing the idiom I got the inspiration from fearing a ban from TeamBhp.

Originally Posted by Cool_leo_guy

Oh! She will . If she is as good as the 2002 model pulsar 180. Which served me flawlessly for 1.75 lakh km. After which with slightly heavier maintenance she lasted me another 50k kms. So yes your luna will last. Provided you pamper her a bit now and then

For last few days, after meeting Honda and Yamaha owners, I've been feeling sad. But now after hearing about your experiences, I will sleep in peace.

[Parishrut]

Originally Posted by ringoism

Well, there's some good riding available but sales of motorcycles there peaked a long time ago and have been in steady decline ever since. Millenials seem to be very safety-conscious, and it seems the majority of bikers these days are, eh, older guys... like 50-ish.

Very few people there ride daily, most are "weekend warriors", and thus often are riding bikes of immense power / speed potential that they are not actually all that familiar with / expert at handling. That and the fact that drivers of four-wheelers are not really accustomed to watching out for them, there are so few out on the roads during the average commuter hours. Here in India, one's presence is likewise largely ignored, but at least you expect that when riding and drive a lot more defensively than people there are typically trained to. Main thing is that a two-wheeler there is almost always a second vehicle, and people are much more familiar with driving cars. And IMO you just can't ride a bike the same way you drive a car, especially over there where speeds are high and you are in such a minority position.

To answer your question, I ride a few bikes - threads on all of them here on T-bhp - check them out - but the one alluded to is a rather crude old Bullet Machismo 500... which despite its lack of ABS I chose over the option of a second-hand Dominar... but not without wondering sometimes if I'd made a mistake!

-Eric

Interesting observations regarding riding in North America. I think bigger bikes are also available much more easily in their superior used market, right? New-Bike-Day posts on Reddit are full of 10-15 year old models as well, all looking superb!

[Hells_Fury]

Beautiful write-up Parishrut. Seems like you really put your heart and soul into it. The pics are beautiful too. And kudos to your decision to buy gear before the bike.

[4G93T]

@Parishrut - your post reminds of my own college days when I tried everything to switch from a commerce background to take up engineering (since my love for cars and engines had taken me over completely) but things didn't pan out as intended. But hey I still get to read, discuss, explore, research, ride/drive my passion everyday

Brilliant write up man! Though a little late (year and half late), Congratulations on your first bike!!

[Parishrut]

Originally Posted by 4G93T

@Parishrut - your post reminds of my own college days when I tried everything to switch from a commerce background to take up engineering (since my love for cars and engines had taken me over completely) but things didn't pan out as intended. But hey I still get to read, discuss, explore, research, ride/drive my passion everyday

Brilliant write up man! Though a little late (year and half late), Congratulations on your first bike!!

Haha, thanks man!

As I understand from my own experiments, you don't need an engineering degree to tinker around with cars and bikes and their engines, you just need a mechanic who doesn't ask, "What do you think you were doing?"

[4G93T]

Originally Posted by Parishrut

Haha, thanks man!

As I understand from my own experiments, you don't need an engineering degree to tinker around with cars and bikes and their engines, you just need a mechanic who doesn't ask, "What do you think you were doing?"

Very true! Or confuse him with so much gyaan that he feels you know something

[Rob UK]

Originally Posted by ringoism

Very few people there ride daily, most are "weekend warriors", and thus often are riding bikes of immense power / speed potential that they are not actually all that familiar with / expert at handling. That and the fact that drivers of four-wheelers are not really accustomed to watching out for them, there are so few out on the roads during the average commuter hours.

Some Americans don't seem to take the risks and experience level needed on big bikes very seriously. One US biker YouTube channel I drop in on features a very unlucky Triumph Speedmaster that has been crashed twice on camera in 3 years by 2 different riders - both got target fixation and went off on the outside of corners at speeds good riders could have taken them at with one hand on the bars.

The "all the gear, all the time" thing is quite a northern European attitude. You see a lot of idiots in the US riding at highway speeds in shirt sleeves. In Southern Europe you'll often see guys on sports bikes with an expensive replica jacket but wearing non-armoured jeans or trainers or no gloves - I followed a whole group through the mountains in Spain on 600-1000cc sports bikes and not one had a full set of bike gear on - we were getting peg feelers down on the best corners as well

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by Rob UK

Some Americans don't seem to take the risks and experience level needed on big bikes very seriously.

Well, the same thing's happening in Gurgaon these days...



On YouTube you'll find some insane stunts being done by completely unprotected U.S. riders - most impressively girls / even couples on big-cc sportbikes going down interstates at 100mph... sometimes with police running helplessly alongside, etc... It's just nuts - They are extremely skillful riders, and they are apparently not the least bit afraid of death. I used to regularly see [members of a certain minority racial community] out on the winding, descending Schuylkill Expressway in Philly, weaving through traffic at very likely 120+mph (x1.6 for kmph) with helmet hanging on the side and a chick in tight pants hanging on the back, hair flowing in the wind...



Ah well, to each his own...


In Pennsylvania they finally enacted a helmet law in the mid-90's I think - and then repealed it after a couple years... I believe because it was un-economical for the State to have riders become paraplegics / "vegetables" and have to be cared for decades on, vs. just getting killed on the spot from a head injury.



Kind of sick to think about, but there's something to it... and given the choice, I suppose I'd prefer the latter too.


-Eric