I brought home a new Pulsar RS200 last Saturday. I was getting used to to the attention of onlookers on this new muscular bike, happily answering any questions and letting the one-off person taking pics. This happened on Sunday evening while I was waiting at a red light on JVRL, Powai, Mumbai. It was night around 10 pm. The traffic signal still showed 20 seconds when a guy on an R15 stopped besides me.
He gave a full throttle to his bike to indicate his intention to invite me for a drag race. I looked around, the traffic was minimal. I looked at my bike's tachometer: It had the range to set the road on fire. I exchanged looks with the junior Rossi on the wheel. Then I gave a nice throttle to indicate my desire too. Looks were exchanged a second time, this time with a higher level of venom.
The traffic signal went 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Green.
The wannabe Rossi sped away with speed.
I drove calmly, shifting gears at 4 rpm (still in run-in), enjoying the cool breeze of Powai river to my left and saw the wannabe race away out of sight.
Sorry dear, I don't race.
I narrated the incident to my wife laughing and she asked me: "What's the point?" My reply was: "Why should Trolls have all the fun!!!"
When I sat back late in the night thinking about the street racer's mentality, I came up with two sentences that sum up his thinking and mine:
"You think you are a better rider AND want to prove it.
I know I am a better rider BECAUSE I don't want to prove it"
He gave a full throttle to his bike to indicate his intention to invite me for a drag race. I looked around, the traffic was minimal. I looked at my bike's tachometer: It had the range to set the road on fire. I exchanged looks with the junior Rossi on the wheel. Then I gave a nice throttle to indicate my desire too. Looks were exchanged a second time, this time with a higher level of venom.
The traffic signal went 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Green.
The wannabe Rossi sped away with speed.
I drove calmly, shifting gears at 4 rpm (still in run-in), enjoying the cool breeze of Powai river to my left and saw the wannabe race away out of sight.
Sorry dear, I don't race.
I narrated the incident to my wife laughing and she asked me: "What's the point?" My reply was: "Why should Trolls have all the fun!!!"
When I sat back late in the night thinking about the street racer's mentality, I came up with two sentences that sum up his thinking and mine:
"You think you are a better rider AND want to prove it.
I know I am a better rider BECAUSE I don't want to prove it"