Our first ever motorbike ride - First Gear - Dec 2015

05 Dec, 2015
It was getting too monotonous for us. We wanted a break and we needed it very badly. I was saturated with only photographing the shore birds around and she wanted to wander other places to get inspired for her paintings. The only way we both do it together is to start traveling around. We get to see new places, meet new people, keep happy the foodie inside us and more than anything else, we will get to spend a lot of time together. So getting out it is!! But where, when do we get time, how do we manage the expense, how do we just go out, just 2 of us?? This was probably the third time I had to think seriously - 1 when we got married, 2 when I decided to buy a new camera and now when I thought buying a motorbike to go around! :) 

Just within 3 weeks we both settled down with all of our discussions and she said 'YES' for the bike (read it as motorbike from here onward) :) We went ahead and booked the one we loved - the Avenger Cruise. The deal was agreed only after I promised her to teach how to ride a geared bike. Oh ya, she can ride now in the empty open grounds!

Even before the bike was delivered, we were on our toes, planning our first trip, going through other itinerary, planning what to buy for the first trip and jolting down every expense we will have to bear. We were so happy on the first ride from the bike shop to our home. We hugged and jumped around in excitement. 3 weeks passed since we were handed over with the keys and the longest trip we made was a 40KM to the Mangalore city. The big plan (and it is still on papers) for the first long ride was to drive through the entire south India! A bit unrealistic for someone like me who is a first time owner of a bike? I wanted to test myself how far we can ride in one day, how comfortable we will be after the ride and how much the bike can take. We needed a 1 day ride, to get an understanding of these, but we never planned for one. 

A quick doodle by her on the sketch book she carries around

It was a Friday evening, I had just come back writing my semester exam and we had met with a small accident on Tuesday while riding the scooter. Both of us half sleepy, around 11PM, I murmured in her ears “Shall we ride to KundadriHills, for the sunrise tomorrow”, she happily hugged me and said “Yes” and I just could not sleep the whole night!

During the first few days of the bike ride

I was memorizing the route map with the help of Google, dreaming of the long roads through the heart of western ghats, mind mapping the things to take and where they are scattered, planning the stop overs and framing the photographs which I would take along the ride. The hourly beep of my digital watch at 3AM sounded like it was 4; I reluctantly slept back to only wake up and see it was still 3! The alarm was set to 4:30AM but I could only manage to sleep till 4. This is one of those times where I wanted the time to just cruise and stop at 4:30AM. I just could not hold myself; I was too excited for the first ride. 

Ah, morning, had a quick bath, stuffed all my things, camera and her paints, brushes and rolls of drawing sheets. Eyes bloomed big when I started bike. Helmets on and we were off for our first ever bike ride.

To be continued in :  Our first ever motorbike ride - The 300