It was an interesting birthday today. We have a practice in my family to buy clothes for every birthday (and Diwali). For one reason or the other somehow it did not materialize this time. Perhaps first time in my life. Ironically for the first time again perhaps, I couldn’t buy me clothes last Diwali too. But that apart, today was a day to remember.

As a perceived potential customer, thanks to some of my earlier visits to Triumph Motorcycles, they invited me to a half a day course on off road riding. I couldn’t say no to this opportunity and immediately signed up. I did a course on car racing in an authentic racing track earlier in Chicago when we were in St Louis. To their existing BMW customers they offered this. I felt benefited from that training not only of experiencing racing but taking away some tips for my daily driving. So expecting a similar benefit, I signed up for this course immediately. And what a beautiful timing that this had to be on my birthday which was coinciding with a weekend!

So here I go early in the morning braving the January winter, out to Shamshabad international airport in which area this was organized. I had a blast with an early morning ride and me touching a 100 kmph on the airport road. 

We had a theory session followed by few practice sessions. I did about half the event. One track I did not do fearing a fall from the boulders. And I couldn’t do a hill climb ride as that session was delayed and I didn’t feel like waiting longer after 1 pm with my wife waiting for me at home for lunch.

Here is a guy, a certified Iron Butt having done 1640 kms in single day, one if the trainers.

The bike I rode was Rs. 14 lakhs+ with 98 HP. It was a big bike. I did not have much of a challenge riding it but certainly knew it would be hard when I had to put my foot down on a not level ground. That’s why I decided against doing the ride on the boulders. I said to myself I will stick to my limits and do what I can not pushing myself too hard. After finishing the rides with that huge Triumph Tiger 800cc bike, when I got on to my so called big Royal Enfield Continental GT, it felt like a ‘toy’ bike :).

On my return, with my renewed confidence of riding on difficult terrain, I had an even better blast riding on tarmac roads touching 110 kmph!

On reaching home, Komala offered a sweet that she experimented . . . successfully 🙂

Sure it was a good day, that I may cherish and remember!