Are You Your Bike?

We’ve heard of couples beginning to look like each other, and even people looking like their dogs, but are there bikers who are like their bikes?

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you were at least a little bit intrigued. Funnily enough, I began thinking along these lines when my mum, seated behind me on Fedora, my 390 Duke, was yelling to me to go slower, and I realised at that point that a certain amount of speed is imperative to maintaining a cool head and a functional and effective thought process. Much like Fedora.

You see, like my bike, I too need to be travelling at a certain speed to have the necessary mental balance. Go too slow, and I start getting frustrated with traffic, no breeze, getting hot, the works. It’s the same with the 390 Duke. You can’t go slow, or else she’ll just heat up and cook me along with her. She needs to go fast to stay cool. Both of us can’t stand heat and hate to be slowed down by other meddling road users, who, at that point of time in (probably, both our) mind(s) don’t have a clue about what to do or what the function of that mysterious accelerator-shaped thing is.

What really had me in guffaws was the fact that Fedora has a 10-litre tank and needs a fill-up every 300-odd km. Of course, I too need either a) a substantial breakfast or equivalent substitute or b) the water of half-a-dozen coconuts; fuel, if you will, to go further without a hitch. It’s uncanny now that I think about it. We both aren’t perfect, we both take a little getting used to at first, but we’re both fun once you get to know us. Of course, on hot days and when hungry – for fuel or coolant, we don’t make the best company… It fits!

Of course, not every element needs to be identical, but what matters is that it can paint a picture fairly well. What I mean is, while I’m not natural hooligan, any more, like I know Fedora is, deep down. I know full well that I ride well within my limits and have eyes all over the place over-calculating every possible variable in my peripheral vision – with our kind of traffic, you can’t blame me, now, can you? Of course, the urges to indulge in any such hooliganism are countered entirely by me, and not her. And that’s how we’re different.

I’m sure there are many of you have bikes that you can relate to that are similar to your personalities in terms of, well, normal functioning. An image of an off-road enthusiast splattered in mud with a BMW F 650 GS similarly splattered in mud comes to my mind as I say that. I don’t usually say this, but, comment! Let us know what bike you have and how you are like your bike. The most interesting answers will get featured in the magazine. Or, at least, I’ll try to have a word with my Editor and have them make a section of sorts. Oh, and don’t forget to send us pictures too.