5. My first Solo Ride
Greetings everyone. This is Vehify and I am very sorry for the delay. I have been busy with not only work but also recovering from a small illness. Today I will talk to you about my first solo bike ride that I did from Ajmer in Rajasthan to Buddha International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh in order to witness MotoGP live which I will discuss with you in the next video. So without waiting further let's begin:
WHY
The simplest reason for me to do it was that I was planning a ride for years but there were obstacles chief among which was that I didn't own a motorcycle until a year ago.
Important thing to note here is that I didn't plan any other specifics like destination, No. of days or even expenses but I kept saving money as I knew it will happen one day.
Now for you guys, there can be many reasons and none is better or worse than the other so the important thing is that you have a reason and desire to do it which is why you should definitely go for it as it can be a life changing experience. IT WAS FOR ME.
Mine was that I wanted to get out of my daily routine and away from everyone and be with myself.
HOW
Before I talk about how I did it I want to put out a disclaimer that there are a lot of things I say that a lot of seasoned/experienced riders may not agree with. This information is something I gained through practical experience so it is bound to be somewhat different from others. If you have suggestions, kindly be polite about it. Let’s begin.
Just like any activity or a hobby you need the right set of tools to do it and riding is no different. The basic tools you need are:
Motorcycle with fuel
Safety Gear
Luggage
A water bottle
Luggage fasteners
Smartphone with calling and internet connection
If you don’t possess a smartphone in today’s day and age for some reason, you can replace it with basic phone, a map and a camera
Now this seems like a very obvious list but I am going to share my tools and how much I spent on them. The following is my list:
Motorcycle - 2015 TVS Apache RTR 160
Safety Gear - Studds Helmet, Police Leather Boots, Studds Gloves, Triumph Riding Jacket
Luggage - Travelling Rucksack
A water bottle - Metallic 1 litre
Luggage fasteners - 4 bungee cords
Smartphone with calling and internet connection - Redmi 6A with Jio connection.
My average speed was 60-80 kmph as that is a good speed to move reasonably quickly while giving me good fuel efficiency as well.
The reason for recommending a Metallic bottle is that in changing temperatures Metallic bottle will not only keep your water clean, but are much more durable.
Following is my detail on spending for better clarity and understanding:
Motorcycle - 2015 TVS Apache RTR 160 - ₹55,000
Safety Gear -
Studds Helmet - ₹1200
Police Leather Boots - ₹700
Studds Gloves - ₹750
Triumph Riding Jacket - ₹15000
Luggage - Travelling Rucksack - ₹1280 (current price on amazon)
A water bottle - Metallic 1 litre - ₹250
Luggage fasteners - 4 bungee cords - ₹200 (₹50 each)
Smartphone with calling and internet connection - Redmi 6A with Jio connection - ₹6690 (price on flipkart)
Total - ₹81,070
Now this may seem like a large number but keep in mind that all these are just a 1 time investment as you don't have to buy them repeatedly.
Next let me show you the cost of this ride:
- So this was for a 5 days trip of 1432 kilometers and I obviously estimated higher because I didn't know the place and cost there.
The best way to save on event related trips like these is to find a partner to stay with and eat with because if I had not done that, my accommodation cost would have been double compared to what it was as my stay got stretched by an extra day.
So the total cost of the trip was 81,070 + 9740 = 90,810 or 91,000.
Finally I will end this section by saying that if you don't want to buy a motorcycle because this will be a one time thing, there are places where you can hire a motorcycle from and keep the cost lower.
However, one must understand that the cost of fuel and repairs will still be yours so make sure you thoroughly inspect the vehicle before finalizing as you are unaware of its riding behavior.
I will put these costs in the description if you want to read.
WHAT
What you should keep in mind:
Start early in the morning as there might be unknown roads and traffic will be less in the morning.
Make sure you remain in speed limits and follow traffic rules as a small incident can hamper the great time that you are suppose to have.
Ride with complete concentration on the road and the moment you feel like you are getting tired and distracted from riding, it’s time to take rest.
Most importantly, riding isn’t about how far and fast you can go. It's about the experience and learning you gain along the way because like I said, IT'S LIFE CHANGING.
What did I learn from it:
A clearer understanding about my riding capabilities and how I could have been better prepared.
Better understanding about my motorcycle and the changes I would make to it in order to make it better for the next ride.
I didn't need a bigger or brand new motorcycle to have a good time as it is not about which motorcycle, it's about how I used it.
Got a chance to interact with a lot of people along the way and made some new connections too.
Will I do it again? ABSOLUTELY!!
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