Riding is not just about ‘Bored of work?? Let’s go for a ride this weekend’ thing. It’s certainly so much more than that. It is a disease, it is a self-obsessed job, it is a contract that a man has signed with his conscience to devote his youth to his machine, and to the beauty that nature has to offer. A rider is like an obsessed lover, who can see no reason or logic behind following his crazy dream. You can yell at him all you want, you can tell him it is not safe, it is not sane, but you still can’t stop him from getting up at five in the morning and push his lady to the petrol bunk, fill up the fuel tank, and hit the highways without any destination on mind. You can’t force him to go and take some rest because he hasn’t slept for the last two days straight. He knows it isn’t safe to ride without sleep, but crazy that he is, he will still go out.
I call it a disease because it is infectious. It easily gets transferred from one friend to another. And it is a disease because it can make you forget your other duties and responsibilities towards the rest of the world. It can make you selfish, it can cloud your brain, and your heart. A rider is like the crazy person who knows no reason or logic, he knows just how to start his bike, and disappear for the long day ahead.
And then they call him immature, and irresponsible. They say he is selfish. He doesn’t give enough time to his near and dear ones, puts his and other’s lives in danger, and is irresponsibly fast on the roads, and too dangerous on the curves.
But that is how amateurs are, not the real riders. An amateur will easily look up to the bike commercials on television, and start believing that bikes are all about speed. Yes, I agree speed thrills. It gets your adrenaline rushing, lets the bad blood get out of your system, and cools down your mind. But the question is how long are you going to run? You have to reach the finishing line someday. Then what? Are you not going to slow down even after crossing the finishing line?
If your answer is No, then you are not even worth sitting on your bike. You don’t even deserve to call yourself a Rider. Yes, you can call yourself a Biker, but not a Rider. There is a difference between a biker, and a rider. Anybody can become a biker. All you need to do is buy a fancy bike that has the capacity to take off on the road whenever you want it to, and then buy a stylish biking jacket and gloves, and a flashy helmet, wear a tee with some strong and bold quotation written over it (That is because you need the tee to scream out your attitude for you. You can wear the tee, but not the attitude).Yes, now you are ready to hit the roads, do a few dangerous stunts on the road, show off to the girls on the road, and you are ready to proclaim yourself to be a Biker with a super bike.
But are you a Rider yet?
Do you have what it takes to be a Rider?
Are you mature enough to tell yourself ‘No, let the kids pass. Let them fly. They are in a hurry, not me.’ Do you trust yourself so much as to take your pregnant wife for a day’s outing, or tell your five year old kid “It is okay son, you can hold me tight, and fall asleep. Daddy will take you home safely”.
A rider knows his and his bike’s limits. He knows what he can do, but shouldn’t do. He has the power in his hands, but he won’t do it, because he knows ‘with great powers, come great responsibilities’. He knows Fear, he doesn’t yell out boldly “I am not afraid of anything on the road”. He has fallen down countless times, and he knows what pain is. He knows how it feels like to see the tears in the eyes of your near ones. He knows how heavy the burden of the guilt feels like, and what it can do to you. He knows fear; he has been afraid; he has seen and felt pain, but still he is not afraid to take out his heavy bike, and disappear for days on the road. He is not afraid to take decisions in life. He knows how to take risks, but only when he knows his risks are going to give him results. Taking unnecessary risks seems foolish to him. He still doesn’t care much for himself. But he does care for the fact that others care for him now.
A rider is Calm. Whatever might be the situation, he always keeps calm. He might lose his way, his fuel might dry up in the middle of nowhere at midnight, but he will never fret. His mind is at peace with himself, and his brain works normally even in the most adverse situation, and it will keep on searching for the alternate solution. He will make mistakes in real life too. But he will never wait to cry over his mistakes or lament over the past. He just looks ahead, just like he does when he is on the road. He will keep himself on his toes, and keep thinking ‘What can be done next’. Even if somebody insults him, he will not insult him back. He will not be a dog with the dog.
A rider knows Respect like no one else does. He respects his bike, and knows it is his only means to reach home safely. He will never intentionally hurt his bike. He knows how to respect people and their feelings, and would never hurt them intentionally either. He respects people for what they are, and will accept them with their mistakes and follies. He has respect for the truck driver who helps him overtake, and signals him of approaching vehicles from the opposite side of the road. He has respect for the young kids who run amok on the road. He respects them, and slows down whenever he sees kids or old people on the road. He respects the traffic rules. He respects the system, and the laws of the land. He respects his parents, his wife, his children and his friends. He has a respect even for his enemy, and acknowledges his qualities and strong points.
A Rider is always Responsible on the road. As a rider he will know his duties and responsibilities on the road. He will never be a threat to anybody else, nor would he let anyone else be a threat too. As a person, he will never shy away from his duties in the society or family. At any cost, he will do what he has to do. Even if it means he is causing himself a grave loss, but he will never leave his responsibilities unattended. He will pay his taxes on time, pay for that loan his father might have taken, or take care of his sick mother, support and help his wife, and protect his children at any cost.
He is always confident. He is always clear about what he has to do, which road to take, or what decisions to make. He fears no one. But he still respects the feeling of fear. He is never confused about his actions or his decisions. He knows when to speed up on the road, and when to slow down on a bend. He always knows what he has to do, and when to do, and how to do. You will never get a ‘maybe’, ‘let’s see’ or a ‘I don’t know’ from him.
A rider is not afraid of loneliness. He knows he came into this world alone, and he will go from here alone. He doesn’t keep his own decisions hanging on the course of actions of others. If he wants something, he goes and takes it, alone if required. A rider always believes in Selfism. He doesn’t wait for others to show him the way. If he wants to go to that village he once saw, he will go there, whether anybody comes with him or not. He will never say ‘I’ll go if she goes’, or ‘I’ll do it if he does it’. He knows what he wants, or what he has to do, or where he wants to go. He will go there at any cost, alone if necessary.
A rider enjoys being silent. He doesn’t always go on blabbering about unnecessary topics which no one else bothers to hear. He knows only intelligent men know the importance of being silent. He knows how being silent sometimes, brings peace to the mind. He thinks more clearly when he is alone, and is surer of himself. He likes to get away from the ever banging loud music in the pubs and parties, and the irritating honking of horns on the city roads. He likes to get way from all those, and be at peace with himself, and seek peace. He doesn’t talk nonsense. He knows what to say, whom to say, and when to say. He doesn’t bark at the barking dogs. He lets them bark, till they are tired of barking, and then he makes them realize that all their barking has been useless and futile.
A rider knows himself and his bike very well. He knows and respects each of their limitations and strengths. He will never outstretch his or his bike’s abilities, and will take advantage of only their strengths. He will always stick to what he believes in. He knows that everyone in this world is different, and everyone’s thoughts vary in nature too. He won’t easily get affected by what others say about him. If he knows he is right, and believes he is on the right road, he will never change his road just because some passer by told him that the road is difficult. He will ride the difficult stretch of road, just to see how bad it is. He has been on worse roads before, and he will wait for the bad stretch of road to get over, and to hit the nice road again.
All the same, the rider respects others views, and listens to them. If somebody points out a genuine mistake in him or his bike, he will listen to them, respect their views, think over it, and then take his own decision. He is not ashamed to admit his mistake, and say Sorry when he knows that he was wrong. If there is a genuine mistake in him or his bike, he will put all his might to correct that mistake, and wait for the results.
A rider never lies, or cheats. He is faithful to his bike, and himself, and to all the people in his world. He believes only weaklings have to lie. He is strong enough to always say the truth, and he is not afraid to face the consequences of speaking out the truth. Truth to him is like finding extra fuel when your bike was just to go dry in the middle of nowhere. He hates lies, and hates people who lie. He believes facing a harsh truth is easier than hearing a sweet lie.
It is not easy to be a Rider, and not everyone can call themselves one. It takes a lot to be a true Rider, and it is not easy. But as they say, when you are destined for great things, you have to start early. You will reach there eventually, one day or the other.
We are not yet a Rider, but we are on the right way, and we know we will grow up to be a Rider one day, a true Rider who has all the above qualities, and many more. We will always have power on our hands. But what differentiates us from the bikers is how we use that power. A Royal Enfield has almost more than double the muscle power than any other hundred fifty cc bike on the road today. It can easily make mince meat out of them, if it so wants. But tell me my friends, have you ever seen a RE running uncontrollably on the road, like a wild banshee, creating trouble for himself and for others? It is always the weak who make the louder noise, and are always revolting, and complaining. The strong ones grace the roads with glory and splendor, like a true king.
Running around madly is passé. That is for the Boys. Now let the Men take over.
Happy Riding. Ride safe.
