A jack of a lotta trades and a master of some, I am an avid motorcyclist from Mumbai. My love for motorcycles has grown over the years and after burning several rubbers over close to two decades, I am assured that there is no better stress buster than cruising on two wheels. In the fast-paced urban life, we often surrender to the mundane lifestyle of eating, sleeping, working and repeating that over and over every single day. But as they say, the older you grow, the wiser you become. The moment of that realization came to me when I bought my Royal Enfield Classic and came face to face with the cult thump. Motorcycling has made me know myself better in every aspect of life and has taught me to face my fears.
The general perception of a motorcyclist in the society is a fearless man revving engines on the road but ironically that is truly not the case with all men on two wheels. In my initial days of riding the Classic 350 outside city limits, I learned that I was afraid of going too fast. That made me curious and I researched a little on why I couldn’t match the speed of my fellow riders. It was a moment of shock when I learned that I suffered from a syndrome called Tachophobia. Simply put, it is the unwarranted fear doing something too fast including driving, biking, sitting in a roller coaster or even simple activities like walking too fast. I was taken aback and lay in my bed for weeks doing nothing. But the true Mallu inside me whispered ‘Go and show them what you are capable of’. Though I still have the Tachophobia, today I have clocked multiple lakhs of kilometers on two wheels across India. I challenged myself ride after ride and decided I will not let myself down with phobia, instead I found a way to enjoy the phobia. I watched my fellow riders go faster and reach hours before me, while I took my own sweet time enjoying the view and capturing millions of memories on my camera. I can safely say that riding is not just speeding, it is also about going slow to meet locals, eat local and more importantly seizing the moment.
For the rest of my life, I have decided to look at everything positively and find a reason to smile in all situations. Motorcycling has not just given me freedom on the highway, it has made me a stronger person in every personal and professional aspect of life.
