Adventure & Wildlife Magazine - Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 | Page 113

ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
Take a ride
Aritro Ghosh
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page- Saint Augustine
G
ood luck is a residue of preparation. Preparing for a motorcycle trip is, by far, an activity that is best described
as “to each his own”. In my experience, motorcycle travellers prepare based on past learnings. If you faced heavy
rains out of nowhere in your last trip, you are pretty much going to make sure you carry rain gear on your next. So plan
well but don’t plan all. It sure helps to travel light. Here is a list of things to look out for, based on my experience and
observations. I am sure that it will mean something to all the budding (and some experienced) fellow riders out there:
1. Get the motorcycle serviced: Before doing anything, please get your motorcycle serviced at an authorized service
centre or your buddy mechanic a couple of days before you start. Tell them that you are headed for a long tour. Please
don’t overlook this. You can cut costs elsewhere. In fact, this will help you save money on fuel and repairs on the go.
2. Plan a Route: While ‘exploring the unknown’ may be intriguing, attractive, adventurous and a lot more, it is best to
plan your route and decide on a few stop points beforehand (Thanks to the advancement of technology and a blessing
in the form of GPS, this has become way easier than it used to be). Of course, once you are on the road there may/
will be some changes to it. Sometimes it’s even good to carry a printout of the route. There’s an old world charm to it.
Important thing is to also inform some of your near and dear ones of this planned route and keep ‘checking in’ at stop
points on social media. I don’t really need to mention the safety angle to this.
It is also equally important to start early, and finish early to munch those miles early. On the side, I don’t want to get
into the specifics of how incredible it is to see the world waking up from the saddle of a motorcycle.
3. Travel Light: We all tend to over-pack for our first few rides. As time goes by and we grow in experience, we start
taking useless items off the list and in the process, liberate ourselves.
Usually it is wise to just carry your basic tool kit, a puncture repair kit, first aid box with water purifier tablets,
mosquito repellents (in India, you can escape the wrath of God, but not the mosquitoes), change of clothes (depends
on how long you will be on the road), flashlight, and something to defend yourself with…. yes something that you can
use effectively and will not be snatched from your hands.
Vol 1|Issue 5-6|Nov 16 - Jan 17
113