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The "HOG life" was starting to feel more like a
religion
The Beginning: My First Bike exhilarating experience. I quickly revelation—a bike that could
and the Early Years became involved in the Harley handle everything from tight
Owners Group (HOG), attending corners to high-speed stretches
e t m e s t a r t a t t h e
beginning. It's been 27 meetings, participating in with a grace that was almost
Lyears since I bought my custom-building competitions, unfair. In fact, it's still one of the
first bike, a Yamaha YD 125, and even riding Route 66 with best sports bikes ever built, and
purchased with my own money. fellow Harley enthusiasts. I had the fact that it still commands a
That feeling of riding a brand- two Harley-Davidsons over the hefty price tag on the used
new bike was electrifying. next few years, and the market is proof of its lasting
Unfortunately, I didn't keep it for experiences I had were nothing quality.
long. My brother got a job that short of spectacular. From long Despite the euphoria of riding the
required frequent travel, and my road trips across the country to Daytona, I came to a strange
YD 125 quickly became his customizing my rides, I was fully realization. The bike was so
commuter. But with the money immersed in the Harley lifestyle. f o r g i v i n g , s o p e r f e c t l y
left over from a housing loan, I However, as time passed, I engineered, that it never scared
purchased an old Enfield began to feel like I was stuck in a me. For me, a motorcycle should
Machismo 350 in 1997. I poured rut. The "HOG life" was starting make you feel alive, even a little
everything I had into that t o f e e l m o r e l i k e a scared when you push it to its
bike—purchasing it for ₹25,000 religion—everything was about limits. I realized that I wasn't
and spending another ₹50,000 Harley-Davidson, and there was feeling that rush with the
modding it to perfection. I lived an almost militant intolerance for Daytona—there was no edge.
for fuel and parts, my savings bikes of other makes. The So, I decided to sell it after
account a distant dream. obligation to attend rides and putting in 10,000 kilometers in
events began to weigh on me. It less than a year. It was a fantastic
By 2010, I had moved homes
multiple times, from Kochi to felt like I had to live and breathe ride, but I had to let go.
Bangalore, then Mumbai to Harley, and honestly, it was The Break: A Motorcycle-
Chennai. But my Machismo 350 starting to get a little too much. Free Life (Sort Of)
stayed with me, until one day I Harleys were supposed to be a
moved to Hyderabad and lifestyle choice, not a way of life. After selling the Daytona, I took a
decided to visit a Harley- break from bikes entirely. It was
Davidson dealership. I walked in s t r a n g e — s o m e t h i n g w a s
ready to buy my first Harley but missing. I began to notice a
left after a lackluster experience subtle shift in my personality. I
with the sales staff. Still, seeing wasn't as adventurous, as daring
the Harley-Davidsons out on the as I used to be. I lost my swagger,
road kept tugging at my that intangible confidence that
heartstrings. And so, in a fit of only a biker knows. It's hard to
nostalgia and excitement, I explain, but without a bike, I
returned to the dealership with a B r e a k i n g F r e e : T h e started to feel like a part of me
cheque in hand, beginning my had disappeared.
four-year Harley journey. Triumph Daytona 675R That's when a close friend, who
In 2014, I made a radical change. had recently bought a Triumph
I traded in my Harley-Davidson Tiger 800, convinced me to join
for a Triumph Daytona 675R, a him for a ride. His insistence on
sharp departure from the laid- having me ride again was the
back cruiser world into the catalyst that pulled me back into
blistering fast world of sports t h e f o l d . I b o r r o w e d a
bikes. I swapped out my leather Thunderbird, a Harley 48, and
jackets and half-helmets for full- his Tiger 800 for the weekend,
face Arai helmets and Dainese and I was hooked. I found myself
gear. I studied sports bike back in the saddle, loving every
techniques, watched countless second of it.
YouTube videos, and even built The Second Steed: The
up some muscle in preparation
for the intense riding experience Triumph Tiger 800
The Harley Years: A New that awaited me. In the years that followed, the
Chapter The Daytona 675R was an Triumph Tiger 800 became my
Owning a Harley was an a b s o l u t e g e m . I t w a s a trusty companion. It was a true
all-rounder—perfect for long-
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LHR Motorcycle Magazine Issue 09 January 2025
