Urban Adventures

We have always said that having fun on a motorcycle doesn't mean heading out for days on end looking for some obscure trail in the middle of nowhere (Though we all know how awesome that is). So after hearing us drone on about that Ducati decided to call us out on it and sent over two identical Ducati Icons to go and enjoy some Urban motorcycling.

I picked the bikes up last week and brought them home but left a few hours later for Goa. Now I am back in the city and looking for a reason to take them out and go riding.

Keep an eye out here and on our various social media channels for all the Urban Adventures we get up to.

Oh no there are no tomatoes in the house I need to ride to the vegetable man now to get some.

Who says chores have to be boring?

Look out for bikers! Find Out How You Can Help Keep Riders Safe.

Challenge Accepted

My WhatsApp starts pinging like mad. I check instantly because I am stuck to the phone surfing Instagram all the bloody time these days.

Other Person :"Vir What are you doing between the 1st - 3rd Feb"

Me: "Nothing" 

Other Person : "Wanna ride a motorcycle?"

Me:"Do the wheels of a bus go round and round?"

Other Person : "HUH!!!"

Me: "Yes"

Other Person : "Ok then we want you to ride to the Harley Davidson 6th HOG Rally in Goa and well do your thing but only with your GoPros." 

Me: "Challenge Accepted"

Other Person (GoPro India): "Killer we cant wait. Someone will be in touch about the motorcycle."

So the idea was straight enough. Ride a new Harley Davidson 2018 Street Bob from Mumbai to Goa and have fun while doing so. Spend a few days with the HOG crew partying in Goa and go back home. 

This is what I got. Tell me what you think? Did we nail it or not?

How to draw A Royal Enfield Himalayan By Motoholic Works

Sometime in November we posted a great Tutorial by Motoholic Works on how to Draw a Royal Enfield Continental GT. Well here is an update to that as here is a Proportion study on how to draw a Royal Enfield Himalayan.

We would love to see what you guys come up with. Email any drawings you do to us. 

A post shared by Motoholic Works® (@motoholicworks) on Feb 4, 2018 at 7:47pm PST

Harley Davidson University

As Indians motorcycles and scooters or what we call two wheelers are just second nature to us. When I gave my test for my car license the authorities looked at me and said of course you can ride a bike and ticket the box for both. It’s just a given it’s like second nature to us.

But the funny part is it’s not second nature to us to fix our own motorcycles. There are so many roadside mechanics over and above the trained company ones that it’s just cheaper and faster to take your bike to one of them hand them the keys and come back when the work is done.

Ok let’s be honest I have spent many years riding motorcycles and spent many many days at mechanics and at Garage 52 watching stuff being done but never have I had a chance to take apart and rebuild and engine. So when Harley Davidson India invited me the attend two days at the Harley Davidson University learning to tearing down and building up a brand new Milwaukee Eight engine I jumped to it.

The Harley Davidson University is a school for all Harley Davidson technicians to come and learn and hone their skills. It was a first that a group of 40 odd motorcyclists (who don’t work for Harley Davidson) would be allowed in and allowed to run amuck.

To keep us in check they called in the big guns John McEnaney. An employee with Harley Davidson for almost 20 years he helped set up the India service operations and was technical lead for the longest time. When I asked him what bikes he had he said “every Harley since 42 and I rebuilt me all and they run” (it was some year like that I had a few beers in me when we had this conversation). So no better person to guide us in this operation.

We were given a new bench, a full set of tools, the official manual, step by step instructions by John and two of Harley India’s best mechanics to help us through the two days. John was a trooper he explained every step and came and lent a hand every now and then. Even when we snapped the bolt to the timing chain - because someone may have torqued it too much. He stood there took a deep breath and told us not to worry carry on but to put the torque wrench away as we were done for the day.

The two days on the bench working on those engines was such a brilliant experience all motorcyclists need to have specially here in our county. Thank you Harley Davidson for letting us be a part of it. Now to get some shut eye as I am riding at the crack of dawn to Goa for the 6th IHR and incidentally I am riding a new Milwaukee Eight Street Bob with the engines I now know how to put together. 

So if I break it I can fix it. 

But let’s hope I don’t have to.