[thefastelephant]

Really enjoyed reading this. Quite a varied choice of motorcycles here. If you ever plan to visit Pune, I'd love to take you out on some nice trails around.

[sukiwa]

Originally Posted by RiderZone

Things only went downhill from there as the new bike excitement quickly died away.

Recollect your post on Xpulse thread.
Timing of your thread reminds of your famous blog post on RE bikes, it's co-incidence that Rider mania is happening later this week or was it intended?

After months of frustration, I finally spoke to a friend who is really into off-roading.

By the time I read this, I thought you have handed over your Xpulse to Prianca. The way she rides, she will definitely need another bike :-).

“Maybe off-roading is not for you”.

Perhaps you should come over to Pune for off-road training under Ashish Raorane.

[RiderZone]

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Recollect your post on Xpulse thread.
Timing of your thread reminds of your famous blog post on RE bikes, it's co-incidence that Rider mania is happening later this week or was it intended?

By the time I read this, I thought you have handed over your Xpulse to Prianca. The way she rides, she will definitely need another bike :-).

Perhaps you should come over to Pune for off-road training under Ashish Raorane.

Haha! Believe it or not I was planning to be at RM this year, but had to cancel due to family commitments. That would've made for some article. This post going up when it did was a coincidence though.

I have thought about it multiple times, at least she can make some use out of it! But she's moving on to better things, Xpulse is beneath her

Too far man, too much work to get there, plus arrange for a bike and the gears etc. For now I'm satisfied just crashing willy-nilly into the bushes, once the frustration gets too much I'm sure that'll push me to some real training.

[nutcracker]

From one Dark Souls player to another: fret not, oh Undead, for there is humanity to be found in these challenges.

I'm just saying, DS3 is nothing in terms of difficulty compared to Dark Souls and Demon Souls.

Yet, I think people and the media make too much about Dark Souls being a difficult game. The game is not about difficulty. The game is a form of meditation where you anticipate, execute, while staying calm and composed the entire time. In that sense, it is a great analogy to offroad riding: Stay calm, anticipate and execute.

Dark Souls is and will always be the best game I have ever played, and it has impacted my life in ways that no other game (or any other form of media) has. But Dark Souls only reveals itself once you get past the first 10-20 hours of pure torture. Maybe that is a sign for you OP, when it comes to offroad riding.

Also, I did Spiti on a rented Bullet 500. So in a sense I can understand where you're coming from. The XPulse is meant to be ridden differently, unlike how our beloved REs and the likes are meant to be ridden. The who dynamics of riding change when you're on an XPulse, and it takes a while to actually get it, but once you do, there is no turning back.

[MobileThunder]

Loved your writing style. I have just migrated to the stock Xpulse after 14 years on the Thunderbird. Both the vehicles are as different as chalk and cheese, and it required a bit of un-learning and re-learning- But I thoroughly enjoyed the process. I was contemplating changing the stock tyres to Maxis, for more adventurous trips, and maybe we could swap the tyres..
Looking forward to more write-ups from you.

[SidharthaN]

Originally Posted by MobileThunder

Loved your writing style. I have just migrated to the stock Xpulse after 14 years on the Thunderbird. Both the vehicles are as different as chalk and cheese, and it required a bit of un-learning and re-learning- But I thoroughly enjoyed the process.

I own a Thunderbird and Xpulse both.The Thunderbird is clocking 1,25,000kms on the odo and the Xpulse is at 3000 since it's purchased recently. Definately chalk and cheese, but the Xpulse is not exactly a great tourer as the TB on open straight highways. The suspension on the Xpulse is way better in comparison on the highways and makes for an overall better experience, that's where it trumps.

[gharika]

Well if seat height is the major issue, it's a small challange to be overcome. I was amazed and inspired by this.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=sHm_wizutuA?feature=share

[WasherNut0402]

Originally Posted by RiderZone

To justify the Xpulse, to make use of the Xpulse and the wonderful abilities it has, you need to work hard, exercise and train regularly, push your limits, and find out there’s so much you don’t know about motorcycles. It is not fun, it is tiring, it is frustrating, and most of the time it hurts. It is a serious piece of kit that demands your attention and respect, and it is a beautifully rewarding experience when you finally start taming the beast and getting in control. I mean I’ve heard it is beautifully rewarding from other people, I’m too lazy to find out.

Seriously dude! Dark soul of bikes Sorry to hear your plight, But from what I know having ridden this bike, I feel once you master the wheels you cannot get down from it without extending your ride by 20-30 kms.
All the best to you!

[aniketnvkr]

A very well written and entertaining article.
It was refreshing to read something so creative after going through so many articles ranting about poor services from automotive companies.

Thank you for this piece.
Looking forward for more of such content.

[lancersfx]

Originally Posted by RiderZone

I’m 5 foot 7, 5 foot 8 on a heavy breakfast. With the Rally Kit, I can just about put the tip of my left foot on the ground. This is with the stock seat, if I put on the rally seat, the bike is basically a horse.

@RiderZone, I'm in tears and literally on the floor reading your experience with the Xpulse. A fabulous writeup. I'm currently torn between what really to get. Especially, My experience "off roading" is 'mild trails' which in my eyes is hardcore. So I get you bro, it's relative. I'm wondering why did you not get the std variant as that is way more manageable atleast to get better at offroad handling. Then depending on need add the rally kit.


Xpulse std variant - Good for anyone to ride but I know I'll always want the rally pro. I'm 5.9 btw. Main con again tube wheels. I'd won the lottery on a rental bike (older himalayan) when it got punctured luckily in a town but unluckily nowhere i could find a spare tube for Himalayan. I don't mind the power issues on highway with the Xpulse. 80-90 is still OK by me.


Xpulse Rally - Yes, I've had conversations with bus driver Not the volvo which is lower but the normal city buses. Literally and they (passengers and driver were amused and wondering who got a camel in Bengaluru) :-) . Main con again tube wheels. I don't mind the power issues on highway. 80-90 is still ok by me. Also, there's no engine temp indication if the engine is overheating.

New Himalayan - Everything is awesome about the bike. Except the weight and its price. Nearly twice as much as the xpulse. So I wonder should I get the pro and use the extra money saved in fuel/accessories.

[RiderZone]

Originally Posted by lancersfx

I'm wondering why did you not get the std variant as that is way more manageable atleast to get better at offroad handling. Then depending on need add the rally kit.

Hey! I got the bike with a rally kit because it looked fabulous, and I severely overestimated my offroading capability, or the desire to improve said capability.

If I had to choose between the Xpulse and the new Himalayan, it will be the new Himalayan, because of the power. I want to have fun with bikes, and it's much easier to do that with more power than it is with lower weight. The Xpulse is a pure offroader, the Himalayan seems to be a far more useful bike, good for highways too.

[rep_movsd]

There is no shame in not being able to use a motorbike like the Pros do.
I think you can sell this off and get the Himalayan 452 with the lowered seat.

Ultimately there is no need to take on misery involuntarily just because of the "Ride the bike to its and your max potential" trope

Misery is only fun when voluntarily taken for the sake of learning, in small doses.

Biking is about fun, nothing else.
Even pro riders stop riding competitively when they stop having fun....