Biking was never just about the machine. It was about a dream, freedom, about overcoming fears, and about finding new reasons to ride.
BHPian drive.helios recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Biking was always something personal to me. I grew up among my elder cousins who taught me to ride a bike at age 14 (Class 7 school vacations) and always fancied owning a bike. My parents are the typical working class who would want you to earn everything in life, and their staunch belief in horoscopes and astrology meant they would never get me a bike, or will allow me if they are informed.
So It started in October 2013 when I surprised my family with a brand-new Royal Enfield Classic 350 after landing my first job. No test rides, no other options evaluated, and just went ahead and booked it. That first ride,the surprised face of my brother and parents, and my mom asking me to drop her at the school she worked the next day—it was everything I had dreamed of. In hindsight, I should have gone and got the Bullet 500 instead of the Classic 350.
Making the purchase was a tough affair especially given that I had just started working in Nov 2012 with a meagre in hand salary of 18000. Thankfully there was a wait time for the bike (nearly 6 months) and that allowed me to save the 35000 for the down payment and then HDFC bank processed my vehicle loan for the balance amount. 1,35,000 something was the on road price at that time.
But life had other plans.
Just two months later, in December 2013, I met with an accident—not while riding, but while crossing the road on foot. A biker hit me and drove off without stopping, the hospital misjudged the fracture and I was bedridden for 3 months and off the bike for nearly 6 months. Then something inside me changed. I still rode, but the carefree nature had shifted to being cautious on the road. It took about 3 months more to eventually build the confidence back to handle the weight of the bike again.
Then came 2019. A speeding taxi hit me at a four-way intersection. This time, it was bad. The accident wasn’t just physical—it shook my confidence to the core. I parked the bike at home, unable to bring myself to ride again. But even though I wasn’t riding, I couldn’t let go of it. I kept maintaining it, keeping it in perfect shape, telling myself that someday, I’d get back.
The Restoration
During the Covid years, with nothing but time on my hands, I decided to restore the bike completely. It was left unattended in an open parking lot in Bengaluru while covid started as i have moved down to Kannur, and after a few months, i got it transported to Kannur. It was stripped down, rebuilt piece by piece, brought back to life with new parts and fresh paint. Even then, it was just a project, not a return. The fear still lingered. I spent about nearly 40000 in the repair, repaint and labour charges, i also overpaid and experimented on a few things like the off road crash guard which i removed after a week, and kept the bike naked after.
Bike after the restoration job.
Then, something unexpected happened.
A New Beginning – With A Partner This Time
After getting married, my wife took an interest in biking. She wasn’t just curious—she wanted to ride. Watching her enthusiasm, I realized I couldn’t keep running from this. If she was ready to start from scratch, I had no excuse. We rented out a Thunderbird X where she learned to ride, and further polished her craft by attending a women only riding class in Bengaluru.
We fixed up the bike one more time, together. This time, it wasn’t just about repairs—it was about reclaiming what I had lost. I spend nearly 30000 this time fixing the bike, with the changes including a new RD350 handle bar ( the original handle bar had bend in the accident and i liked the raised handlebar a bit more), new set of suspension, new set of wheels, an overhauled wiring system, electrical parts, a new bend pipe (old one had started showing rust, thanks to the coastal air in Kannur) and the general maintenance. I also swapped the stock seats to ensure pillion comfort. During the covid break, I had switched to synthetic engine only and continued to use the same. And when the bike was ready, we took our first road trip.
It wasn’t just a ride—it was a moment of closure. Years of hesitation, self-doubt, and fear were finally left behind on the road.
Full Circle
What started as a solo journey turned into a shared passion. From buying the bike as a surprise in 2013, losing confidence over the years, rebuilding it during Covid, and finally returning to the road with my wife by my side, it all came full circle.
Biking was never just about the machine. It was about a dream, freedom, about overcoming fears, and about finding new reasons to ride. And this time, I knew—I was back for good.
Continue reading BHPian drive.helios’s post for more insights and information.
