Sunday, December 12, 2010

RX100

"The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself."

"In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.

On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming."

— Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values)

When you move around in a car with all the windows closed, there are only 2 vehicle exhaust sounds that you would distinctly hear inside the cabin -one is, of course, the Bullet and the other is a Yamaha RX100. The sound is so apparent that my normally vehicle/gadget illiterate dear wife would stir and ask me, ‘That is a Yamaha, right?’ of course she is right (isn’t she always right?), for the heartbeat of an RX100 is very hard to miss. Whenever I hear that sound, I immediately go back by some 20 years, when I had the pleasure of driving around my very own RX100 -a black RX100 (I had to choose and would not take any other bike or any other color).

The day I took my RX100 to college, I became ‘somebody’. Guys I have never known before wanted to be friends with me; I became a sort of mini celebrity (yes, I am exaggerating a bit, but not much). But, one still has to capitalize on this newly acquired status, and I realized this couple of years later when a colleague, exclaimed, “I never thought YOU will be driving THIS!!!” A good way of thanking someone who offered a lift, in the middle of the night!

I took great pride and took great care of my RX100. Used to wash it and shine the chrome every day. Will be tuning and adjusting the idling or scraping the carbon off the spark plug. If I had to sit somewhere I would normally put my bike on centre-stand and sit on my Rx100. I took it to the best mechanic in town, who specializes in Yamaha and also someone who loves bikes (the second attribute was every important). Today, I sometimes wonder where that passion has gone; it is true that I am quite detached when it comes to my car and view it as just a mode of transportation. I am reminded of the quote I read somewhere, “Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul”; that probably explains!

Recently I had the opportunity to drive my old RX100 (I can’t say ‘my’ as it is currently owned by a cousin, who was kind enough to let me drive for a while – of course with a thumping heart I am sure), the old bugger was as good as it was 20 years ago. Obviously between the two of us the RX100 had aged more gracefully! They don’t make bikes like this anymore!

There are many memories associated with this bike (with great reluctance I call it with a lack of identity –Bike). I vividly remember the day I took my wife (then fiancée) out for the first time and it was on this very vahana. We went around from Nungambakkam to Greams Road and the bends around the crooked College Road is still fresh in our collective memory.

A quick anecdote to end this blog; one of those days when zipping down the Bannerghatta road at Blore, my best friend (Happy Birthday, Irshaad ) was sitting behind, tears streaming, he hollered, “I don’t know how you are driving, I can hardly open my eyes!”, and I hollered back, “close them, just as I have closed mine!!!”....

Cheers to those many rides.

11 comments:

  1. hi Krishna nice tribute to the Queen of motorcycles (Rx 100) (king being the BULLET),Recently i heard one of my friends say "want to live your youth again get a bike and you get your life". Maybe you can consider gifting yourself one on your B'day..

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  2. yes, u were very keen about filling up petrol from a good bunk, i remember going religiously to Halls road to pay for the re-bore and repaint of the bike.despite paying top dope,the mechanic took his own sweet time.i remember u had to pay the amount twice, some 4k twice in 1993-94 was a fortune those days.the fluorescent white sticker around the tank was a high light and distinguished it from others.i remember pushing it once almost through RK salai from kannagi statue till the petrol bunk near nilgiris when we ran out of fuel, coming back from beach, on the way to Rajkumar's home.i thought the 110 kmph , eyes closed driving was near IIM when u were going on Rama's red yamaha, during the 898 days, but whenever i recall that, it never fails to bring a smile! nice recap.

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  3. Thanks Ankur... that was quick! Yes, i sometimes wonder if we could be able to recapture those days... but sadly I have realized that you can buy a bike, but not those (g)olden days!!

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  4. Thanks Rajan... there are many memories associated with this bike. We could never forget the flood after that dinner at Thaiyeef... we had to literally swim near Kilpauk Garden but the RX100 did not fail us! The wonderful Mysore trip and the (anti) climax rub with the cops...unforgettable...

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  5. Hi Krishna,

    A Trip down the memory lane???. It was good to read. I remember once we were returning back from work in RX 100 from Infy KEC and had a near miss accident outside madura coats shop. Luckily we escaped unhurt...

    //‘That is a Yamaha, right?’ of course she is right (isn’t she always right?), //

    Humour comes naturally to you and this one was no different....

    Thanks

    Venkat R

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  6. Thanks Venkat for the visit and comment...Yes I remember the incident!

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  7. Krishna,
    I still remember the night we had dinner at Thayif. Rains lashed and the roads and subways were water logged. Without stopping anywhere, without getting choked we reached homes. You confidently in your RX100 and I doubtfully in my LML Vespa.

    Very good post.

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  8. Visu.8:21 PM

    Nicely captured memories, Krishna. Most of my [ our ! ] day-dreaming, 'talking to self' happened in bike rides. One more.. Aimless rides can happen only with bike!

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  9. Muthu7:02 AM

    Krishna-
    That RX100 was part of golden days at Bangalore... there were many things in which it was the Hero..
    One should read "The Zen and Art..."(Its a long title), to understand the "In the Scene" feeling and also should ride a two wheeler to realize it...

    In US: Human body is like this: Head, torso, Legs and just below it Car. It is an extension of the body...

    I never drove a convertible (not yet)... do we get the same feeling as that of a two wheeler drive? I doubt...

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  10. Anonymous7:57 PM

    S on those College days some x with RX100 will become friend within a day by jimmicks. There will be lot of advice regarding beautification of RX to ZX to make it. They were like aliens but beautiful with two horns when they horn.there were two category of students one slept with silencer sound other slept with silencer itself driving with closed eyes.

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  11. Roshan10:05 PM

    Nice memories captured Krishna

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