ISSUE 11 | NOVEMBER 2019
BC: Tell us about your first ride?
SR: My first long ride was from Prayagraj to Kolkata
on my Yezdi. It took me 3 days for it which included
some sightseeing on the way. Distanced about 800
kms. Before this I had done rides between
Jullundur - Ambala - Chandigarh number of times.
That had given me an insight of the roads and
taught me dealing with traffic on the highways. For
our honeymoon I rode to Kasauli and Shimla. The
roads were narrow i.e. Single lane. Yes, the traffic
then was much less. Barely came across a puncture
repair shop. In fact, used to keep in mind the
location of puncture repair shop as I came across
one. Just in case it was needed.
On return journey had carted the bike by train as
the period of leave was limited.
BC: How do you manage long distance rides (LDR)
at this age, I suppose you are 70+
SR: I love riding bike and what I like the most is
long distance riding i.e. Touring. I do not advocate
riding for gaining a certificate for having covered a
specified distance in a specified time.
YOU DON'T STOP
BIKING AS YOU AGE,
YOU AGE WHEN
YOU STOP BIKING
LT COL SOHAN ROY (RETD)
First you are breaking traffic rules from the start to
the finish. Secondly there are no long stretches
available for speed ride. There is heavy traffic at
places and the urge to complete the ride in a time
frame has led to many fatal accidents leaving a
widow, fatherless children and dependent aged
parents behind. The biker is also forgotten by other
bikers in their busy schedule.
God willing, I should be completing 71 years this
year end. There are many racing tracks available
today for speed riding. That's the right place to
learn and test your riding efficiency.
BIKERS CLUB | MAGAZINE | PAGE 17
BC: What type of rider you think you are? Aggressive
or Conservative?
SR: I would call myself a disciplined rider. I like to
follow rules and not block Right of Way of others on
the road.
BC: What special arrangements you do when you go
for a ride?
SR: I prepare my ride schedule on day to day basis.
Select places to visit and places to stay. Carry
clothing as per weather conditions. Carry old
clothing which can be discarded if you are unable to
wash them. Emergency food and water and first aid
kit are amongst few essentials. Keep help line
numbers and also of friends enroute. Service the
bike a few weeks in advance. Don't feel shy in
changing bearings, brake shoes, tires etc before a
long distance ride. Carry spare engine oil to top up.
BC: Any new rides are you planning?
SR: Immediate plan is going for the NORTHEAST
RIDERS MEET (NERM) in Aizawl, Mizoram. I am
planning to tour in Tripura before attending the meet.
I begin my ride from Guwahati, Assam.
BC: You are a Lt. Col Sohan Roy (Retd), tell use
about that, why and how did you join Indian army
and how many years did you serve the nation and in
which regiment / battalion, how was your
experience?
SR: Joining the Indian Army was my dream from
childhood. I joined the 'Officers Training Academy' in
'Chennai' and was commissioned in 1972 into 15th
Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment (Indore) as 2nd
Lieutenant. I retired in 2001 with almost 30 years in
uniform.
Experience in the army particularly in the infantry is
the experience of a lifetime. During field tenure we
serve in the most hostile terrain from snow bound
areas, jungles to the desert and plains. Some places
we are deployed in EYE Ball contact with the enemy.
Life has been filled with varied experiences in the
Infantry. Infantry is foot soldiers and also known as
the "Queen of the Battlefield." Apart from ensuring
the sanctity of our borders with patrolling, ambush
etc, in an event of hostilities, Infantry is first to attack
the enemy physically and also first to defend in event
of enemy attack. Imagine yourself as guardians of
your nation at the very edge of your country
separated by another country.
BC: From where did you graduate for defence? And
where did you do your army training?
SR: I graduated and trained from the Officers
Training Academy, Chennai.