Spirit – i.e. strength, courage, character, guts, will, force, fortitude, moral fiber, determination, chutzpah, heart, mettle [Do you find anything that the Bullet doesn’t represent or doesn’t have?]
Probably no. And all these attributes are imbibed by most riders of the RE Bullet who have the spirit. I do find that in most Bullet riders that I met, they have a personality and passion, which is extra and different - and are a class apart.
I’m not talking only about my Bullet Club pals. Yes, beyond doubt they are a class apart. I’m talking about people from other walks of life too, that I have met and found these qualities. I’m of the opinion that owning, caring and riding a Bullet makes a person more responsible, powerful and rich in spirit. And once you have the spirit – Life is an easy ride.
I have been riding motorized 2-wheeelers ever since I was about 12 years old. I started out with my Dad’s Vijay Deluxe (1977 model) scooter in Goa. It was good. Real good. I liked it because it was different from other 2 wheelers on the road or what my friends Dads had. – Priya, Lambretta …. And the ubiquitous Bajaj. I never really like those scooters. Why ? Well Lambretta was pretty bulky – I always felt it was wearing a coat 2 sizes larger. As for Priya and Bajaj scooters, their huge curvy sides created a distaste in my mind. (However, now I have a different opinion on curves after knowing about the female species!) Somehow I always felt that Vijay scooter was slim and could go faster. A child’s Perception probably.
Anyway I fancied the Vijay scooter a lot that I did take it to my +2 days in college also in 1989. Those were the glory days of the Yamaha RX 100. Dad migrated to Vespa T5. I was probably the only guy with the Vijay scooter in college. Dad refused to buy me a motorbike at that time.
Flamboyance - Most Adolescents want that. So did I.
So I got my Vijay Deluxe painted fine in complete dark blue. The wheels hubs were bright yellow. I can still see the picture in my mind. I did make my mark at Chowgule College with that scooter. Mileage was something I never looked at with petrol prices at Rs. 10 per litre.
There was one hardly 5 ft, thin guy who used to come to college on a shiny Black Royal Enfield Bullet occasionally (– because he borrowed the bike to show off to chicks). Yeah he was successful in impressing the chicks. No doubt that the RE Bullet had a major contribution. Many times I wondered how thin and short guys could manage to take a Bullet around? Or was it the other way round – Was the Bullet riding these puny people!
That did give me confidence, if they can ride, then I too should be able too. I used to visit my uncle once a year in Kerala. He was my only relative with a Bullet. I asked him about riding it. He said. If you can push it around and put it on the center stand then you can ride it. True. The Bullet fascinated me – No doubt, there was an inner thump.
I came to Kerala for my graduation. In 1994 my lodge mate happened to be a Bullet owner. He’s not tall – probably around 4 feet or slightly more. To better describe it, in bulletictionary, when he sits on his Bullet, his feet don’t fully touch both sides of the ground. He rides it wonderfully. Probably for him the Bullet signifies POWER. And riding it makes him feel powerful despite his height. This power is transcended in all his activities and in his personality.
My inner thump continued, when I proceeded to New Delhi to do my MBA. One of our senior successful guys in the firm I worked was a Bullet fan. He owned a classic bullet. I too considered buying a new Bullet in 1997…the red, black chrome Machismo was awesome. But then changed my mind due to work reasons.
I never wanted a second hand Bullet and finally got myself a brand new Bullet in 2002.
So do Success and Bullets go together?
Well it is a debatable topic, but I have found that those who are passionate about their Bullets are a class apart and a Bullet helps them through their personality to be successful in life.
Each one has a different definition of Success. One person may define success if he is able to afford a Bullet and ride it in the city, whereas for another person success could be a position in the workplace, or for someone else it could be purely materialistic – owning a posh house or Mercedes.
I have a piece of advice for the successful people who do own a Bullet and are passionate about it. If you are successful and in that endeavor a Bullet helps you, don’t hesitate to mention it given an opportunity. For example, if in making your music video or documentary, you have used a Bullet – mention it! If you are getting an award, show your passion on stage.
DON’T wait for your passion to be sponsored...... passion needs no sponsorship. It is natural. Otherwise maybe its really not your passion ! :-)
Happy Thumping
My wife and I put on our RE – T’s and headed to Town on the Bullet. We were proudly sporting it. People definitely took notice of us sporting same T’s. The logo is similar to the Bullet logo on the RE Standard bike fuel tank.
