Date A Guy Who Rides Motorcycles

So, it was kind of a boring Thursday afternoon with nothing much to do, other than sit around and let the wound of the recent surgery heal properly. Since there isn’t any television to watch, there wasn’t much inlet of news from around the world (not that TV is any good these days, with news not really being NEWS. More on that in a different post).

And when it gets boring enough, I turn to Twitter to entertain me in more ways than one. The quips, the humor, the instant news, the gossip sessions, the abundant flirting, the cribs... oh well, you get the drift. Therefore, it was on twitter that I posted this. Then I waited for some suggestions to pour in. In came a suggestion from one of the most experienced riders this country has seen, Gaurav Jani.

The suggestion was about a post, which followed the format of “Date a Guy/Girl Who...” which has been doing the rounds on the internet for a while now. I wouldn’t have read it, hadn’t it been for a thought that was seeded by “Bhatku”. That set the wheels rolling, and my idle mind got to work.

We are riders, Gaurav and I. “Bhatku” does the solo bit pretty well, while I on the other hand am a club rider. And you know what, it doesn’t matter whether you ride alone or with a pack, the point is... you ride. While a lot of professions have been explored under this format of posts, no one in our knowledge had done this for Motorcycle Riders.

Motorcycling has been a very integral part of our existence. Having heard the best and the worst about this love of ours, it dawned upon me that a lot of people have varied impressions about riding and riders. So I thought, “why not?”. Let’s write about this!

So here goes:- Date A Guy Who Rides Motorcycles

• Date a guy who has ridden across the length and breadth of the country. He’s the best storyteller you will ever meet.
• Date a guy who will jump on his motorcycle and ride off in any direction, only to realign himself with this world once again. Respect him for this, because every time he is upset about something, he’ll make sure it doesn’t spill-over at work. Or at home. And when he comes back, he’ll be more sorted than he was earlier.
• Date a guy who knows how to fix a punctured tube. Or broken gear box. Chances are, he’ll be able to sort out a lot of problems in his own life as well as yours, if you’re close to him. Without taking external help. You can rely on him for most of your problems. Unless they’re medical in nature. In that case, visit a doctor. (He’ll take you to the doc on his motorcycle.)
• Date a guy who is as comfortable spending a night at a gas station in the middle of nowhere as he is in the plush comfort of his house. Adaptability is something we as humans are kind of running short on these days.
• Date a guy who will always, without fail, stop to help when he sees another one of his kind broken down on the road. For that matter, even if he sees car drivers. He understands what you’re going through at that moment.
• Date a guy who gets excited at the mention of hitting the highway and riding off to the hills. The curves on those roads teach him how volatile life can be. In addition to that, he knows how to respect curves. Of all kinds. (You know what I mean).
• Date a guy who can actually break each bone in another man's body who is looking for unnecessary trouble with him, with just a wrench. But he won’t, because he knows it’s not worth it and it’s not the solution to any problem. Yes, he respects everybody's opinions. He won't force his on you. Just make sure no one pushes him around too much.
• Date a guy who will ride 300 kms just to have that awesome breakfast that the road-side diner offers in the town next to the one you’re in. If this isn’t adventurous enough for a mundane day, what else do you think is?
• Date a guy who will get so excited before each ride that he won’t be able to sleep for a minute, even though he has done this a million times. He knows how to keep things fresh. Always.
• Date a guy who makes sure he packs in everything that he might and most probably will need on a long motorcycle ride. He pays attention to detail. Chances are he’ll be sorted in most of the things in his life.
• Date a guy who will never ever ride his machine without wearing a helmet. He knows his life is not just his own.
• Date a guy who will pause and skip a few heartbeats every time he sees the sun rise over the horizon, or comes across a waterfall at the next turn in the hills, or lays his eyes on the first snow-capped peaks in the ranges. He admires nature. The same nature you have chosen to ignore sitting in your cubicles.
• Date a guy who will ride just for the heck of it, because it makes him feel free and liberated. Honestly, he is more free than anyone else, because he turns that throttle, puts the bike in gears and grabs that freedom.
• Date a guy who would rather be sitting on his motorcycle thinking about God, and not sit in a temple and think of his bike. He has his priorities in place.
• Date a guy who has seen the dark side of motorcycling and has survived. He’ll give you tips and lessons you didn’t even know existed.
• Date a guy who will go to any lengths to spend some quality time with his "brothers", even when there is no obvious blood connection. He understands brotherhood much more deeply.
• Date a guy who can go wild on his motorcycle trips and can make everyone have a great time. With his music and his stories. What's there not to like about this?
• Date a guy who will look back at his life’s achievements and mistakes while riding his motorcycle. He will chuckle a bit, smile a lot, sometimes shed a tear or two. And that’s what builds character.
• Date a guy who has crash and burn marks on his self. Warriors aren’t pretty. Barbie dolls are.
• Date a guy who can keep his motorcycle like any other man would treat his wife. He’ll treat his wife like a queen.

I could go on and on about this, but I guess these should be enough for you to look past through that tough exterior of Motorcycle Riders and know that there is a tender heart and a loving person underneath all that grime, dirt and grease.

And in case this wasn’t enough, come, spend some time with us. Ride with us, to see us closely.

Until the next time, ride safe.

Love, Peace & Harmony

Sam.

© Prateek Sharma May 2013