Riding to work !

Do u ride to work ?

There have been some prejudices in society with people riding motorbikes and most people do not look at bikers as nice folks just touring a place on a motorbike. There have been biker gangs with tattoos and a rash social life which have inspired a lot of movies etc. However despite all that there are many who prefer to ride to work! So will this affect you as a professional in your career if you ride to work?

I have had the opportunity to interact with some leading top-notch global executives who ride to work and have shared their feedback on my blog -

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http://www.planetbt.com/royalenfield/ridetowork/ridetowork.htm
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Interested folks can view them !

Happy new year 2009 !

Cheers !

BT

pics:Katee Sachof in photoshoot for Interview mag.

Royal Enfield-Choppers special !

Everybody likes to customise motorbikes to suit their own tastes and comforts. I have not done much on my Royal Enfield. I came across some pics of Bullets modified into choppers.aka US ishtyle.Personally I am not much in favour of wild modifications unless safety factors have been considered and is legal so that you can ride free without looking out for cops !

Click below for more pics and details on customized Royal Enfield Choppers !

http://www.planetbt.com/royalenfield/chopper/choppers.htm


Happy Chopping !

BT

Blast from the Past ! - RE Advertisements

Blast from the Past !- Classic Royal Enfield Motorcycle Advertisements

I have always liked advertising and its creativity. I came across some classic Royal Enfield motorbike advertisements dating from 1930s onwards.If anyone finds these ads boring there are some ads featuring girls towards the end :)

Please click link below (5 pages of old RE advertisements !)

http://www.planetbt.com/royalenfield/ads.htm

Cheers !

BT.

Washing my motorbike

You may call it partiality, discrimination or crazy. There is a guy who washes my car daily. But I don’t like him washing my Royal Enfield motorbike. No way. That’s one thing I would rather do myself unless it’s given for a grand service with a spray wash and a diesel spray etc.

Talking of washing, few tips to bore you ….. but you can pass me your own ideas , if good enough - I shall add it here.
N.B. It is assumed that your bike is averagely clean and has NOT come from a muddy dirt track or a very long tour. (If ‘Yes’ …psssst (give it to the service station !)

You might have seen motorbike websites telling you how to wash your bike by having 3 or 5 buckets of water with different ingredients in different buckets! Well folks …. I don’t advise that – we are washing a motorbike here – Not making colorful Indian curry with exotic spices!

You will need soft cloth/chamois cloth … still don’t get it ? Arre yaar that ‘yellow cloth’ in the service station/petrolpumps !

Hope u also have got some mild detergent !

Get a bucket of water! (Make sure the water pipe is nearby so that you can get more water!)

Splash the water with a mug so that the whole bike is wet! Some international bike dhobis….. sorry ‘bike washermen’ have told in some websites that high pressure water spray in service stations will damage the bike ! (SO wash it urself ! means “start your own service station”)

Now that the bike is wet, mix some mild detergent in a mug of water and clean the wheels thoroughly and get wheels shining! Pls throw that cloth away as it will be dirt’ful’!

Now with a new cloth dipped in mild detergent water clean the painted parts, wipe away the dirt.

You could use ur old toothbrush to reach out to nooks and crannies of your bike engine. Cleaning the greasy parts, oil leaks etc, use some cloth dipped in petrol and wipe away and clean with soft cotton waste. If you feel sad using petrol, ask someone in US/UK to get a Degreaser ( I dunno if you get one which is cheaper than a litre of petrol in India Rs.50 – a.k.a. 1$ ) Beware some strong cleaners/degreasers not only clean the bike but take some paint off too ! (Lucky they don’t ride away with the bike !)

After that you can wash those areas with mild detergent to make the bike smell and look clean!


Splash water and clean the bike so that there’s no detergent remaining on the bike. Dry ur bike with the soft yellow ‘clean fella’ chamois cloth so that its dry!

Now take your bike around for a spin so that water inside drips off due to the breeze and slowly apply brakes in pumping action incase water has got into the brakes.

I don’t recommend using wax polish for bikes as most do take some paint off, then only you get some shine.

Please do all the above in the shade. –

However some Lucky dudes get their bikes washed as below!
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Cheers n Good luck!

BT


Pics: 1. BT's bike and 2. wash scene from Eliots blog

Batmans motorbike - Batbike

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I always liked Batman comics and the first Batman movie I watched was way back in 1989 featuring Michael Keaton was simply superb. The Prince soundtrack was a great hit at that time too.

Last weekend I went for the Batman sequel – The Dark Night. An excellent movie I must say and captivating performances by Heath Ledger as the joker. I was thrilled by batmans motorbike - the Batbike(Bat Pod?). More dope on it below.

Even actor Christian Bale(Batman) did not get to ride the Batbike because they did not want him to get hurt. It is another fact that it was very difficult to ride the Hub-centre steering, twin engines - one mounted in each wheel hub bike. It was so difficult to ride it that only 1 stuntman could do it on the sets. The machine – has been described as a steamroller combined with a motorbike and atomic missile !

For ur eyes only !

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***** A Delicate balance.....






*****VroooooommmMMMMMMM!



*****Naked bike :-)





*****Closeuppppp !!!!!







***** Batman






***** Heath Ledger@ it !




***** Another view



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From 2 wheels to 4 thats the Batmobile during an exhibition run in UK



Hmmm now that leaves me wondering if i could make that kind of bike with Royal Enfield Bullet 500 cc engines or a couple of Harley engines !

Anyways dudes..watch the movie ..... a great one !

Hahahahaaaaaaaaa ... from the 1989 Batman soundtrack by Prince

"Oh, I got a live one here!"
Get the funk up!
BATMAN
Get the funk up!
BATMAN
Get the funk up!
"Go, go, go with a smile!"
BATDANCE
Do it
Keep bustin' !

Cheers,
BT

Motorbike movies

If Im not riding my bike, a good alternative on a lazy Sunday would be to watch good movies involving motorbikes in a big way.I came across a couple of good ones last weekend on the Boob tube. Of course you cant call the TV the boob tube these days with flat screen and LCD TVs.So what u call them - "Flat Man 'chester' tubes? Anyways...


Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de motocicleta)
Release Date :24 September 2004
Director:Walter Salles

The movie is about exploring the vagabond spirit within all of us and how a motorbike exploration leads to a person finding his inner calling.

Based in the 1950's , Guevara,a 23-year-old medical student, and his friend Alberto Granado, a 29-year-old biochemist set out to travel across South America on an old motorcyle - 1939 Norton 500, dubbed La Poderosa - "The Mighty One". While watching
the movie, the Norton bike sound does sound great.

Ernesto "Che" Guevara (June 14,[1] 1928 – October 9, 1967), commonly known as Che Guevara, El Che, or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, politician, author, physician, military theorist, and guerrilla leader.



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Wild Hogs
Direcred by :Walt Becker
Release Date :2 March 2007

This movie explores adventures on a motorbike tour and standing up for friends.
A John Travolta movie.Four middle-aged friends decide to take a road trip from Cincinnati to the Pacific in order to get away from their lives.Taking their motorcycles, these "Wild Hogs" tear up the road and eventually stop in New Mexico for a drink not knowing that the bar belongs to the "Del Fuegos", a mean biker gang. When the Del Fuegos cheat and steal a bike that belongs to the Wild Hogs, the four men form a plan to steal their bike back.The motorbiking scenes are beautiful and a treat for all bikers.I enjoyed it!

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Folks aware of any movies on the RE Bullet ? I know of one about a solo trip to the Himalayas , but the Bullet or Royal Enfield bike was not mentioned anywhere. Of course one doesnt have to..... but if I were to make a movie i would mention it for the love of the Bullet!

THUMPing view ON!
Cheers
BT

Heights of Bulletism - Legendary Royal Enfield Bullet

Many of us are proud owners of an RE Bullet.We love our bikes so much - below a 'take' on heights of Bulletism:






Heights of The Legendary Royal Enfield BULLET !

1. If any motorbike has 5 litres petrol and a BULLET has 5 litres petrol,the BULLET has more Petrol than the other bike.

2. There is no theory of motorbike revolution. Just a list of jap-crap that the BULLET has allowed to live.

3. BULLET is the reason, Tata's after buying Jaguar are still afraid to enter the motorbike segment.

4. When a BULLET moves forward, it is not moving.It is pushing the Earth backwards.


5. If you Google search "BULLET bad bike" you will generate zero results. It just doesn't happen.


6. Contrary to popular belief, the Titanic didn't hit an iceberg. The ship was off course and accidentally ran into a BULLET which was thumping some sea waves!

7. The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed... unless it meets the BULLET

8. There are only two things that can cut diamonds: other diamonds, and BULLET.

9. The BULLET can go around the earth so fast, that it's headlights can read its rear numberplate in one throttle.

10. Riding Bullets on Beachsides has been banned. The tsunamis were killing people.

11. The 11th commandment is “Thou shalt not piss off the Royal Enfield BULLET” This commandment is rarely enforced, as it is impossible to accomplish.

12. The RE Bullet is "The best a man can get"

Thump PROUD folks!

Cheers,

BT

Early morning ride-Indiagate

Riding a motorbike is more pleasurable when the weather gods are cool. New Delhi(India) has been hot lately with temperatures ranging over 41+ and the weekend rains prompted me to feel the cool breeze on my Royal Enfield Bullet motorbike on Sunday morning. An Early morning ride to India Gate was the perfect chill out.(Around 8.00 am)



Roads in New Delhi are excellent for riding if theres no traffic...greenery is lovely along many roads
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Thats as far as they allow the bullet !
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Massive --one word is enough !
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Long shot.....
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Adjoining gardens have excellent architecture too
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Cool lake to chill out ....
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Men in uniform rehearsing
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Bull looks on.....
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Kids have a ball in the water
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Next to Amar Jyoti
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Sun is peeping out... got to go ! Cheers
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Thump ON.
BT

Loud pipes save lives?

The roar of an open throttle supplemented by a loud exhaust pipe makes heads turn….. ! RE Bullet enthusiasts probably don’t need a loud pipe …. They automatically turn around listening to the bullets thump.

Loud pipes save lives? Well – see what the Hurt report says - 76.8% of all accident hazards are straight ahead of the motorcycle accident. While only 3.2% are coming from behind the motorcycle. So then loud pipes should face towards the front to save lives !

I guess we all ride our bikes and we would all like to sound nice as we ride. I was recently in Karol Bagh looking at exhaust pipes and found many exhaust pipes which were plain pipes.. no mufflers or fill-ins. These kind of pipes roar like hell – I must say just noise. They are perfectly fit for the 18 year old who wants to let everyone know that hes got a license on 2 wheels and others who just want attention! I suggest to folks who want ‘some’ noise go for a BSA Goldstar kind of exhaust- called Goldie in biker circles or the bigger regular short pipes for bullets. The advantage of these pipes is they make noise only when you really pull the accelerator and at other times it’s a medium thump! You can say it’s the best of both worlds. (Kind of Flexi –thump!).



Well so do “Loud pipes save lives” ? Well you can decide on that as its highly debatable! New laws are coming to tackle noise pollution and we have some groups saying loud pipes warn other motorists on the road and other groups saying motorbikes should only whisper as they pass by! (I think we can see a lot of jap-crap already whispering on Indian roads!!!!!).I personally prefer a medium level of thump to my ride.No thump = No punch!


Thump on!

BT.

Cargo your Bullet

Hi guys,

Glad to blog again after a break of near 50+ days ! I was down in Kerala for a couple of days in Xmas 2007 to cargo my bike to New Delhi. My bike was unused for 7 months since I was away in UAE.The bike was covered, though i didnt take any extra precautions. Uncovering the plastic .... Voila!

----- Unused Bullet 7 months! (Rock solid)



I called up Murugan who promptly sent his bro to get the bike started. I could have tried it myself, but didnt want any delays since holidays were around!The only things he did to get the bike started was to replace old fuel with new fuel and clean the spark plug!

----- Shotgun Murugans bro Ranjit emptying old petrol!




I tried sending through Railways and truck companies and finally settled on Gati cargo - Rs.3400 + 400 for packing by their outsourced agents (Now packing also got BPOs?)However you get a chance to check the packing to ur satisfaction before the bike is sent(i didnt get time to check it ..also forgot the thermocol to pack the petrol tank.). Trivandrum -New Delhi took 7 days(i got it on 31st dec!)

----- Bullet lands at Janakpuri (Home delivery ;-)





----- Scratched petrol tank :-( ..GRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!!!! What the F@#$!



I m p o r t a n t : Dudes... when you guys cargo ur bike i would advise you to use thermocol,along with the hay and cardboard the guys use.
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Well riding in 5 degrees temperature in New Delhi has its own mazaaaa - ginger tea is best after a cold ride! Happened to visit the Surajkund Handicraft mela !


----- Dance !!!!!




---- Cool Handicrafts .... i picked up some exquisite clay pottery !




----Ya , finally i managed to change my original 2002 exhaust (corroded) - (Check the long exhaust below folks..its extinct now) RE makes medium ones now.





I got myself a short exhaust from Karol Bagh, the mecca of Bullet parts here.I checked with an authorised RE showroom and he didnt have the original short exhaust...and i lost my patience so Rs.425 i got this fitted below!Pls mind its the same old original long pipe,only the end is changed !

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----- The new exhaust makes a louder thump and great pick up. But in the cold weather it makes a good sound once it overcomes the 5 degrees temperature comfortably!

Ending this post with a smile : How do you know a fast food joint is run by Mallus a.k.a. Malayalis ..... check the spelling of Petrol PUMP i found in Abudhabi, UAE!



Cheers!

Thump ON.
BT.