I remember the day like it was yesterday, the joy of owning my first bike knew no bounds. The first thing i used to do every morning was look out the window and make sure she was fine. I religiously followed the service manual and made sure that every tantrum she threw was taken care of. I remembered the day i caused a scene on the road by yelling my lungs out at the cyclist who cut me off, making her skid on the hard concrete road. And i also remember the very next morning when i brought a can of black paint to cover up the scratches she had suffered after that incident.
It was because of my discover that i was introduced to the world of touring. She was by my side on my first long ride to the hills where i was more nervous than she was. It was because of her that I took an interest in photography. She did live up to her name and helped me discover the beauty of nature that lies in the remote areas of maharashtra, goa and gujrat. From the plains, to the hills, to the beaches, she never let me down, even if it meant making the most of every drop of fuel while riding in reserve through a forest in the middle of nowhere looking for a petrol pump, or riding alone through a lonely highway in the darkness of the night with not another soul in sight. Together we have traveled a total distance of 23,000 km but sadly this is where the journey ends. I sincerely hope the next owner would take good care of her and let her ride into the wind. As a tribute, I have created a collection of photographs from our various trips together.
When she was new
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| From my favourite shots |
On the way to malvan
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| From my favourite shots |
At Tarkarli beach
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| From my favourite shots |
On the hills of lavasa
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| From my favourite shots |
After an offroading session at tungareshwar
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| From Trek to chinchoti falls and tungareshwar |
On the way to goa
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| From Ride to goa |
At malshej ghat
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| From Ride to malshej |
At panhala
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| From ride to panhala |
At Saputara
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| From ride to saputara |
At Mulshi lake - tamhini ghat
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| From ride to tamhni ghat |
At Naneghat
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| From Trek to naneghat |
At Amboli
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| From Ride to amboli |
At Mahabaleshwar
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| From my favourite shots |
As i sit here typing this, the time is soon approaching when I have to bid her goodbye forever. All the pampering that i had given her over the years paid of and in return she gave me no trouble at all no matter how had i pushed her. Heres wishing her a safe journey ahead.
Using a few words from roger waters, I'd like to conclude this post by saying -
Ride on you crazy diamond!!
