6 lessons I learned in my bike ride from Pune to Bangalore

7 min readJul 10, 2021

I love highways, I love roads and I love machines that help us travel on these roads. And while cars are amazing, riding for hours on a motorbike is more meditative, life-altering and blissful for me. It could be the challenge, the oneness with nature or the limits you push. Whatever the reasons are, bike rides have always been an exhilarating experience. Here are some interesting lessons I learned from my last ride from Pune to Bangalore, on one of the most beautiful highways in India (the Mumbai-Bangalore Highway) on one of the most exciting motorbikes by an Indian manufacturer (the Bajaj Dominar).

https://youtu.be/usksGVw3Wd4

Lesson 1: Prepare, plan but be flexible

Every time we set out to do something big in life, it is imperative that we prepare well. Preparation helps get the cobwebs out of one’s system. It creates an innate sense of confidence that we might not have till the time we’ve done enough to feel like we are almost there. It radiates a certain inner strength that is otherwise not even visible.

In my bike ride, prep was of three kinds ->

The bike needed to be serviced, and some parts needed to be fixed
The luggage had to be loaded appropriately
The rider (me) had to be of sound mind and body

I also like to pack, and keep my riding gear ready the night before so that I can just wake up, brush my teeth, spend some time exhaling (in more ways than one) and leave as soon as possible, without any anxiety.

Once all that was set, on the morning of the ride I realised that I had forgotten to pack my bright red city helmet (I love it) and there was no space left in my tail bag! I contemplated leaving it in Pune, giving it to the hotel staff (it was early in the morning and I did not feel like waking up any of my Pune friends at 5am on a Monday). But then, I decided to do some jugaad and strapped it on to my backpack. And it’s now here with me in Bangalore.

The poor helmet was hanging on for dear life for over 850 kilometres

Even with the best of preparation, some things will fall through the cracks. It is okay, think quietly, don’t get flustered and move on with whatever you think is the best solution in the given moment.

Lesson 2: Keep your tools top notch and trust them

No, it is not the latest apple product or that new car you so want in your garage. In life the only tools that matter are our body, and our mind (we’ll let our soul be for now). Most of us should be putting in a lot more effort than we do, to take care of these amazing tools. They’re the only things that help us perform at a level that helps us do more and rock more!

My mind was already excited beyond words, but I spent some time prepping my body (fitness levels needed to be super good) and the motorbike (the engine, the various moving parts and the auxilliaries).

Body and Motorbike, both getting ready for the journey, in their own unique ways. (Yes, body prep looks way funnier)

Everything was looking good in the morning.

Around the half way mark though, I started hearing some weird noises from the rear end of the bike and I started fearing the worst. I thought something was wrong with the chain sprocket or the rear tyre or even the engine itself. I couldn’t believe it, the amazing White Tiger (okay that can be a temporary name for the bike) was giving up on me. It didn’t seem right. I trusted it.

Anyway, so I stopped and started examining the rear end. Lo and behold, the new mudguard that I’d gotten fixed a day back had broken from one side and it was scratching against the rear tyre. I heaved a sigh of relief. The bike was OKAY! A quick spurt of adrenalin or dopamine led me to break the entire mudguard off and I was on my way again.

Do your best, and trust the process. There has to be a logical (and simple) solution to most things that go wrong in life too.

Lesson 3: Explore new things, don’t let it be about the end goal ONLY

Every time I’ve been on a road trip, I’ve always thought of the end destination and how I can beat the time shown by Google Maps. I’ve never really enjoyed myself thoroughly. While I have enjoyed the rides and drives because of the fun of driving, I’ve not explored the places I travel through. My only focus has been the destination. Always. It’s a bit of a bummer if you come to think of it, because you’re crossing some of the most beautiful stretches of land without even stopping to admire the beauty.

In life too, many a time, the end goal becomes so big in our heads, we lose sight of the exceptional journey we go through. Once we reach the goal, we remember the nice journey, the moments we had and the emotions we went through. It’d be so nice to enjoy those moments when we are going through them. Just ‘being’, in the present and ‘being’ mindful.

This time around I decided to explore this town called Belgaum, that I’ve crossed so many times (Pune-Goa, Goa-Pune, Pune-Bangalore, Bangalore-Pune). It was so nice, spending those 15 minutes, riding through the town, absorbing its culture in my own quiet way, and having some coffee at a petrol pump. Was lovely, to say the least. :)

Lesson 4: Stop to appreciate the view, don’t be in a rush

This is probably a follow-up of the previous lesson. In the mad rush to complete our to-dos or life goals, we sometimes forget to take in the surroundings or enjoy where we are, right now. I loved going from call to call, calendar invite to calendar invite, from early in the morning to late in the night. There was no stopping the run. And I’d started enjoying the lack of thinking. The mind was only focused on ‘what’s next’.

During this ride, I decided to stop and admire the beauty around me a lot more. And it was worth it.

I think we should all take breaks in life, tell ourselves that it is okay to be free and without an external calendar guiding our lives (You can choose to have an internal calendar to ensure you do the things that help you grow).

Lesson 5: Never push the limits constantly, but don’t be afraid to touch them every now and then

Riding a motorbike (or driving a car) is all about knowing when to slow down or stop. The brakes and the process of deceleration are the actual cornerstones of a fruitful ride (or drive). It is okay to push one’s limits, at times, and enjoy the adrenaline and exhilaration that accompanies speed.

Go, touch those limits, cross them even. But always slow down and relax too.

Similarly, it is almost imperative that we push ourselves in life, every now and then. Helps us become better, up-skill and grow. Growth is all about expanding the bandwidth of our mind. A CEO gets a lot more done in a day than an intern. The difference is that CEOs pushed their limits thousands of times. Good CEOs also took time to refresh, slow down and realign.

A break can also be a good chance to catch up with your loved ones. :)

Speed up, touch limits, cross those limits, improve your skills, but always keep a margin of safety and take time to rejuvenate.

Lesson 6: Never become complacent

Finally, never ever become complacent or lose focus. Yes, your attention might dwindle in life or during a bike ride. But what’s important is to be aware, about yourself, about your environment and about your tools. Complacency can be a bit of a bother, especially if it happens when you’re criss-crossing the country or delivering that presentation to a potential multi-million-dollar customer.