BIKERS CLUB MAY 2019 ISSUE | Page 18

THE INTERVIEW BC: What made you want to ride a bike ? Have you done any long distance rides yet ? VR: When I was a kid, in my area where I used to live, there was a cop, who used to ride a bike which I came to know later that it was RE, but I didn't know then, but I always used to admire the sound of that bike "Dug..Dug..Dug.." and I always used to get fascinated by that. In my dreams I used to ride that bike, so since childhood the dream of riding bike was always there. And when I got my artificial limb and my father came with the leaflet of Hero Honda bike and expressed his dream of me riding bike, that thing stuck in my mind and I decided then, that I would learn bike and ride and in my dreams I always imagined myself, I am riding that bike, that deep desire of me to ride a bike made me to commit to the world of biking. The longest ride I did was always solo, because that time I wasn't aware of any riding clubs or groups so to name the few rides... Mumbai - Shillong in the year 2000 Mumbai - Bengaluru in 2007 & 2008 Mumbai - Rajamachi in 2009 Mumbai - Leh Ladakh in 2011 Mumbai - Mysore in 2014 Mumabi - Musoorie - U.P - Uttara Khand in 2016 Mumbai - Leh Ladakh in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Mumbai - Chhattisgarh in 2016 Mumbai - Nagpur - Gadhchiroli - Amravati in 2016 & 2017 Mumbai to Goa from 2010 to 2018 (every year) for Riders Mania And there are few short rides too... RIDE HARD RIDE SAFE - VINOD RAWAT BC: Currently how many bikes you own ? And Which is your favourite bike & Why ? VR: I have two bike Hero Impulse and RE 1980 standard 350 cc. And of course RE is my favourite bike, I feel Royal on that bike, bcoz the RE which I have is the old model where gears or on the right side and break is on the left. BC: Any particular bike you dislike ? And Why ? VR: As a biker I always tell people that it's not the bike who rides the biker but it's the biker who rides the bike, I like any damn two wheeler, and I don't differentiate between bikes, to me bike is bike no matter which brand what's the engine capacity. BC: How do you plan a new ride? What are the basic things you keep in your mind before a new ride? And how do you select your routes? VR: It all depends how much capital I have and how many days I have ? accordingly I design my rides. I am bit bad with technologies and gadgets, I write write it down on the paper, whichever destination I choose, then I do have lot of riders community in touch with me so before I start my ride, I ask my other rider friends and thats how I gather my information related to rides. Many a times I ask that particular rider club who are locals in that particular state in which I am going, so thats easiest and best way for me to plan my any ride, since it's been 20 years I have been riding, so all the major riding clubs knows me in every state of India. BC: Any new Long Distance Ride (LDR) are you planning currently ? VR: Currently I am planning a ride for my second home which is Leh-Ladakh, I have been riding every year to Leh-Ladakh since 2011. But this time it will be quite different, I will be hiring a bike from Manali instead of riding from Mumbai, because I am lack of money and time this time (He laughs..) BC: What do you prefer SOLO or a GROUP ride and why? VR: I prefer SOLO, it's not that GROUP ride is bad, in fact group ride has it's own pros and cons but I prefer freedom in riding, whereas in groups you have to ride according to other riders, so sometimes it becomes frustrating. So usually for LDR, I prefer SOLO riding.