Live to ride. Ride to live. (Image courtesy of wallpapercave.com)
In the 1920’s, anyone spotted riding a motorcycle could be taken for granted as a patient and helpful fellow. Patient, because motorcycles broke down a lot and you carried a box to tools to kneel at the side of the road and fettle away. Helpful, because they would stop and help you fix your motorcycle when you broke down too.
In the 1960’s anyone spotted riding a motorcycle was taken for granted as a wanderer escaping from the grind of society or a free spirit setting off on an adventure. You could hop on the back of their motorcycle and ride with them across the open road. At night, you could share supper and exchange tales of the days gone by. In short, only people who loved the experience of motorcycling would take the effort to buy a motorcycle, work on it and take the risk of riding on public roads back in the days of bad roads and lack of protective gear.
In present-day India, motorcycles are largely used as an inexpensive and convenient way to commute. Therefore, the convenience of motorcycles as a means of transport has largely eclipsed motorcycles as a gateway to the unique experience of motorcycling. You see, every person who owns a motorcycle isn’t a motorcyclist in the same way that everyone who owns a violin isn’t a violinist. Motorcyclists are a rare breed of people who continue in the tradition of being friendly, helpful, free-spirited and putting up with the various associations and tags that come along for those living on two wheels.
True motorcyclists are champions of safety and make it a point to wear proper riding gear, follow traffic rules and educate themselves on riding techniques. They maintain their motorcycles well and ensure that they are courteous on the road. Passion also drives them to sacrifice a lot of luxuries in life to continue investing in becoming a better rider and having a better motorcycling experience overall.
(Image courtesy of bigbiketours.com)
Passion drives motorcyclists to put up with bad weather, bad motorists, bad roads, nagging family members and a general step-motherly treatment from various quarters of society to continue to experience their motorcycle in its fullness. Motorcyclists share a bond that can only be felt when a fellow rider helps you fix your bike or shares his lunch with you. The life of a motorcyclist is the meaningful pursuit of being a good human being and responsibly indulging in the thrill of motorcycling.
To make running into true blue motorcyclists a common occurrence rather than a rare occasion, a bunch of such kindred souls set up Custom Elements. Custom Elements is an ecosystem for motorcyclists to meet, share, learn and help each other become better. Whether it’s checking out riding gear, riding techniques, discussions or stories, we welcome every motorcyclist to continue to experience the motorcycling lifestyle with us. Visit www.customelements.in to know more. Keep on riding!
