[pcpranav]

RIP the departed soul.

I also have put the helmet sticker (with blood group), as posted earlier. Many riders put blood group sticker on the bike itself (windshield, side panel, etc). I have also put such sticker :



(for ref, this is Size = Small)

https://mayastickers.com/name-and-bl...=blood%20group

Coupon Code for 15% discount across Maya website = LIFETIME15 (hope it still works)

I have also made some ID with the PVC luggage tags, that I put on my bag (say hydration backpack). Details are printed for each family member, and put a cello-tape to prevent damage. They look trendy too. (Got those from Amazon.in)




regards,
Pranav

[DirtyDan]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Would totally disagree, however! What else is life worth living for, if not for passions?

Knowledge. Real knowledge.

[autoholic]

Video uploaded today by Fakira Riders regarding this mishap

https://youtu.be/CBncxjKJ6Z0

[alisajid]

Motorcycle is a vehicle intended to be used for specific purpose and conditions like helicopters.After all the whole thing is designed around just two wheels designed to be balanced.I still do not understand the long touring motorcycle design philosophy.

The way helicopters are not designed for acrobatics and 8g manoeuvres same way motorcycles are not meant for long touring and difficult terrain.People will fall off as its balanced on just two wheels, any road undulations and the whole design dynamics becomes redundant even with the best riders on it. We can see some bike fall videos for evidence.

Long touring on motorcycle is a tiring and stressful activity even in the best of health. I came from Chennai to hyderabad on a rainy night on bullet and it was horrible even with the appropriate gear and on one of the better roads in South India.

May the departed soul rest in peace but this touring should be discouraged , its a public hazard and people who return safely from such adventures are plain lucky. Ladakh will remain the same even if we go in car or on horse. Its our perception of how we look at it and those lovely mountains will echo back in the same vein.

[ani_meher]

What’s with non-bikers (or retired ones) spewing their half arsed version of a safe and protective bubble of a world, that too on a sad news of a departed motorcycling brother who fell prey to a natural calamity?

Those who feel the need to be cocooned in their glorious safe soft world, stay happy where you are. We bikers mourn such unfortunate events and try to be as protective ourselves and about each other as possible. Rest, kindly save your condescending gyaan for some other time, and try to remember this is a forum of grown-ups, not toddlers to lecture.

[simeonovitch]

Originally Posted by alisajid

same way motorcycles are not meant for long touring and difficult terrain.

This might seem a bit cliched but, as the popular saying goes
"Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul."
There's also one by Oscar Wilde "If I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand"

There are a lot of people here who have done a lot of riding, and they are a testament to the motorcycle as the most appropriate means of touring.

My cousin's done Ladhakh on a Rapid, but he still yearns to go on a motorcycle. The experience, IMHO, just cant be compared.

[marcussantiago]

Originally Posted by alisajid

Motorcycle is a vehicle intended to be used for specific purpose and conditions like helicopters.After all the whole thing is designed around just two wheels designed to be balanced.I still do not understand the long touring motorcycle design philosophy.

The way helicopters are not designed for acrobatics and 8g manoeuvres same way motorcycles are not meant for long touring and difficult terrain.People will fall off as its balanced on just two wheels, any road undulations and the whole design dynamics becomes redundant even with the best riders on it. We can see some bike fall videos for evidence.

Long touring on motorcycle is a tiring and stressful activity even in the best of health. I came from Chennai to hyderabad on a rainy night on bullet and it was horrible even with the appropriate gear and on one of the better roads in South India.

May the departed soul rest in peace but this touring should be discouraged , its a public hazard and people who return safely from such adventures are plain lucky. Ladakh will remain the same even if we go in car or on horse. Its our perception of how we look at it and those lovely mountains will echo back in the same vein.

With respect, this entire comment is a load of absolute nonsense.

Long-distance adventure travel has been around longer than the internal combustion engine. People have traveled the world on bicycles, kayaks, motorcycles, cars, jeeps, trucks, planes, hot air balloons, you name it.

And there's not one but several categories of motorcycle types specifically devoted to medium to long-distance travel on two wheels and an engine: the adventure (BMW GS series, the KTM Adventure, etc), the enduro (Suzuki KLR, etc), the road touring cruiser (Honda Goldwing, Indian Chief, Harley Road King, etc), the sports tourer (Hayabusa, etc).

Are you saying all these manufacturers should be legally banned from building and selling all these bikes because sometimes accidents happen?

By that logic not only bikes but cars should be banned because people get killed in car accidents too. In fact, statistically, you're more likely to die in a car accident than any thing else barring natural causes in old age.

There is no form of travel that is absolutely 100% safe. Trains derail, planes crash, buses can fall off cliffs, ships can sink, you name it. You can get into an accident commuting to work, and it happens all the time on our chaotic roads.

That said, of course going to places like Leh / Ladakh, where the roads aren't built up and there are rock slides etc has an element of added danger. But that's why it's called "adventure travel" and not "going on a boring vacation".

You plan a trip like that same as you plan your ride to office daily: you take precautions, wear the best safety gear you can afford, don't take silly chances, stay alert, etc. But despite the best planning, life can still throw you a curveball. It happens to the best of us.

So does that mean we should never leave the house and live in perpetual fear that the universe is out to kill us?

[streetfighter]

Let us not derail from the original motive of this thread... that was there any lapse on the tour organiser's front, should he also be held responsible, was he operating legally and had the safety, first aid and insurance needed for such an adventure trip, did he take the correct steps post the incident... so many questions are still open.
Bikers often travel in groups, and so is this one. Where were the others in the group when the accident happened, was this guy left behind and trying to speed and catch up with the rest of the group?

Being on the road always carries some amount of risk, one should plan and prepare for eventualities. Here in this case, since the tour operator (or tour enthusiast as Fakira calls himself) was experienced with the altitude, terrain and risks, should have planned better and should take some of the responsibility for the mishap and unpreparedness.

I was part of a Leh Ladakh tour in 2017 (with Indian Photo Tours & Sony), we were 18 photography enthusiasts and travelled in 5 Innova. The organiser had a "pulse oximeter" (device to measure oxygen levels in blood), oxygen cylinders in each vehicle, ample drinking water, dry snacks and first aid box. The organiser was also aware of the primary health centres (run by the army) along the way. All vehicles travelled in a convoy and never out of sight. Eventually, one guy did fall sick at Pangong, but since we were prepared, we administered him oxygen night and day, did a primary checkup mid way, and we returned to Leh after completing our trip. Going with a well prepared operator was life saving and very assuring.

[sagarpadaki]

What a farce of a video. The fellow bikers are hell bent on building a theory that is pleasing to them by asking questions to the truck driver like "What was the speed of the bike?"," How did he get hurt so much if the rider fell on one side?" blah blah. We all know that it is difficult to understand the accident without knowing the complete picture. And the fellow riders need to understand a thing or two about the momentum of a empty truck moving at 30-40 kmph and what will happen even if it grazes a bike at the speed.

[ranjitnair77]

An extremely farcical video. If the intent was to clarify, then the video obfuscated more details than clarified. The man just kept rambling and not addressing the immediate questions. So many questions unanswered.

• What exactly happened?
• What was the action taken?
• Why was there a delay in informing the family?
• Why did the organiser himself not call? He delegated such a critical and sensitive task to someone else.
• Why did he not clarify the issue of lack of paperwork?
• Why did he not accompany the body himself?

What pained me tremendously was how the tour went on after a fellow rider passed away. I find the insensitivity of that mind boggling. Shame on those riders and the organisers.

Accidents happen when motorcycling. Nobody can be blamed for that. However the manner in which you respond to an incident shows character. This individual was a complete fail on that front. I'm sad to see such individuals becoming popular YouTubers. I'm sad to see people comment in support of such individuals on their YouTube channel. I hope that this person will, one day, see beyond his immediate self interest and develop some empathy.

[marcussantiago]

Originally Posted by ranjitnair77

I'm sad to see such individuals becoming popular YouTubers. I'm sad to see people comment in support of such individuals on their YouTube channel.

Wow, you weren't joking... literally hundreds of comments, not one of them asking this guy any of those questions you listed. Does he pay for comments or something? Or as the whole world lost their sense of empathy and common sense? :(