Goodbye... Old Friend

It was a frantic morning. The tow truck driver called 5 min ahead of his arrival. The truck came. The bike was loaded and strapped. He drove away and I walked home to attend an interview.

While the whole send off was unceremonious and emotion less, I was heart broken nonetheless. Just didn't have the time to grieve.

For a partner that had literally cruised with me on the magnificent Pacific Coast highway scores of times, and helped me get through some highs and lows of life, I felt I was being ungrateful.

"I am sorry! I promise, it's not you... It's me... It's this world."

4 years in CA with over 30k miles and no speeding tickets.. 1000 miles in WA, 2 tickets, a broken 5th gear and frustrating weather.

Now I get why, most motorcycles I saw on the roads in WA were either, cruisers with hip hop blaring,  or hordes of squid mobiles with mo-hawks and skull etched on them.

Everyone around neatly fell into a bucket or a kind.There were set unwritten & unspoken protocols on how they should act. How to fit that mould, and any detractors were outcast because they weren't unique enough to be a part of the "elite" club. See the irony?

If you get the feeling, I am no longer talking just about motorcycling, you are not completely wrong.

I have always believed that for the kind of lifestyle I have worked hard for, I hit a jackpot in CA. It doesn't get better than the Bay Area. Yes, the chai lattes and constant overselling of "distruption" in technology can get annoying. Not to mention the general trend of increasing costs and homelessness is heart breaking. But, it is also a place that genuinely promotes creativity and individuality.

From a motorcycling stand point, the Pacific Coast highway, the loops around the Rockies, the racing in AFM, MotoGuild and just the, "gear up, shut up and ride" culture. I mean this is a place that has statistically proven that lane splitting reduces the motorcycle fatalities and legalized it.

So yes, my friend and partner was perfect. While it did weigh a hefty 575lbs; with a low center of gravity and enough power and torque to kick start a mini planet, the K1200S was the perfect GT motorcycle. I remember those crazy winter rides on New year's Eve, yet my hands would be warm thanks to heated grips that never failed me. 

While the electronic suspension wasn't as advanced as the new ones that changes the compression and rebound 10times a second, it made just the right amount of difference in each setting. When in sport mode, you better make sure to load the front before you tipped it in, otherwise, you gonna feel it drift and not stick to line. Switch it to rain and I can remember twice when it saved my ass when the heavens opened up.

We travelled together over 35,000miles across 3 and a half years. Saw most of the west coast of America and it helped me discover so much about the land and myself.

I am still in denial about the departure. I haven't had the time to fully grasp the void that is there in my garage and my heart. But I am sure it's a matter of time when the guilt will overwhelm me.

Maybe I could have kept it a little longer.. fixed that gear and things would have been okay. Maybe I get to start riding and enjoying my rides again. But at the moment I was keeping it trapped in a cage with a heavy heart and the guilt of not setting it free.

As I said before .. "it's not you... It's me"

I'll miss you friend. I really will.

"Patience will get you far... " - Master Shifu

I have been spoilt rotten by first car....

They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. As much as 300 hp and 300 lb-ft was intoxicating every time I buried the pedal to the metal, it didn't make me a bag of bad habits on the road, diving between lanes.

If anything, I believe, it made me learn & appreciate the art of driving. Teaching me the right time to apply the right amount of force, on everything from the accelerator, brake pedasl, to the steering wheel or even the gear lever. Every action had a proportionate reaction augmented with the force generated by the enhancing systems in the car.

Yes, considering it was a car built only 10years ago, and with things like, ABS, traction control, climate control, rain sensing wipers and push button seat adjustments, a lot in the car was electronic. But, from a pure driving experience standpoint, every necessary system was mechanical.

Hydraulic steering, 6 perfectly "ratio"ed gears operated by a lever ergonomically shaped and with just the right amount of throw, 3 perfectly spaced pedals as God intended and that sweet singing naturally harmonic straight-6, slapped with 2 tiny little low inertia turbos in parallel..... It was perfect.

Oh yes, I forgot the kick ass stereo system with no blue tooth trickery. My iPod was plugged in with an old school AUX cable. I know kids... It's so #Basic.. but then what road trip is fun without the perfect sound track to accompany?

It took me 30 years before I could learn driving and afford a second hand car. And, I wanted the ideal driving experience every time I drove a vehicle. Between the price point (for a car with 78,000 miles) and my auto spec-sheet nerdiness, the 335i fit the bill exactly.

I didn't commute to work in that car. I didn't waste my time in traffic in that car.  I got in, drove where I wanted to, in a speed I wanted to (without breaking the law), I reached my destination revived and revitalized from the experience and got on with life.

So you can imagine my confused expression, when I read 4000 on the tach in 3rd and the car I was driving was doing only 40. In the 335, I am probably feeling my stomach being sucked inside with the thrust at 2000 rpm where, 80%of the torque is available. 4000 and still nothing.

No I wasn't holding up traffic, and the car I pulled away from, was already a spec on my rear view. But the sheer un compelling and un hurried acceleration performance felt like a zen master saying to his disciples, "that is just about enough".

But I want more.... I need more... I want it NOWW..  I want to be in absolute control of how much power gets delivered and I WANT IT ALLL NOWWW.. .....

What have I done?? Did I buy the wrong car?

I rant about this to my partner and she responds.. "As the great Master Shifu said.. Patience... will get you far.. ". Now I don't know if Master Shifu exists except in the movie KungFu Panda or if she made it up, but she has a point.

Everything in this new world, in Seattle, seems to move slower than what I am used to. From work projects to traffic on the road, seems very measured and calculated. Not to mention the culture seems slightly closed. I am not commenting on whether, it's conservative or not. I haven't lived here long enough to know that either. I am just saying it's more hush hush and protective. And for a free spirit, who ran a million miles an hour all the time, the slowing pace is unsettling.

But going back to what Master Shifu said, maybe it's time for me to change a little. Maybe for all the big dreams I seem to nurture, I should slow down a little, take time, be measured in my efforts. Calculate the right steering inputs, necessary to change direction and not rush to make changes without seeing the outcome. In 90% of the situations that I am stressed in, seems to stem from a self driven sense of pressure. The obsession to be exemplary doesn't have to be pushed to an extreme. The "balance of doing things and not pushing to either of the extremes", that I spoke about in one of my earlier posts, applies here too.

So, the next time I feel the gears are too widely spaced between 2nd & 3rd, or should I feel that there ain't enough thrust as the revs climb; I must remind my self that the world ain't perfect. For all the things this new car lacks, it has a lot of utility. It gets the job done and then some. I mean the seats fold down in a jiffy and can fit in a pet cow, if I had one. And, ain't no potholes scraping the transmission case with 9 inches of ground clearance. 4WD, heated seats, cheap parts/maintenance, and still 3 pedals that bring me joy. But more importantly, I am fortunate enough to be able to afford one.

And who knows this new lifestyle might even help me prepare mentally for racing motorcycles.

But, for now, I bid adieu to my trusty "old"ish friend and welcome my new buddy...

It starts with a simple Oil Change

I did an oil change last weekend...  in Seattle... in a DIY auto garage.

If you know my obsessive passion to be self reliant, meticulous and procedure oriented, you know the weight and significance of that simple task. Especially, since, I have had to re establish my base after 5yrs in CA. 5 years of rebuilding a retro motorcycle, to rebuilding 2 race bikes and fixing the brakes, differential and transmission in the car and endless hours of perfecting the art of vehicle maintenance on a budget, while not compromising on the quality of the finished product.

It is more than just changing oil and it sure as hell isn't about posting pictures on Facebook and Instagram, to make it a "cool" thing. It's about having the right tools for the job. Torquing every bolt to the right spec. It's about having access to the right space and environment to learn and do even the simplest of mechanical tasks. And when completed, to kick back, be satisfied with a job well done and relish the fruits of the labor. 

I believe the DIY attitude nurtures ingenuity and forces one to do more, with less. It cultivates innovation at the most fundamental level. I believe it is the most innate way to think outside the box.

But, the DIY culture is becoming a niche. Much like over priced "Artisnal" coffee is just an excuse for a latte or cappuccino done right.

Back to the oil change..

You see oil to the engine is like blood to the body. Often people misconstruct a metaphorical reference of gasoline to blood.

If anything, gasoline is exactly like sugar/glucoses

, synthesized from other complex hydrocarbons (Carbohydrates and sucrose incase of glucose). It is very important, as it helps produce the energy the body needs. But, have too much of it and all you end up with is clogged arteries, diabetes & obesity. Similar to how a 427 Cu Inch big block V8 didn't necessarily make the car go any faster, than a lithe, straight 6 from Europe or Japan did, in the 1960s. It was inefficient, lazy and more often than not clogged up the headers with unburnt carbon.
 
Now engine oil on the other hand is the most under appreciated fluid in a motor. It is just like blood in a living organism. While it definitely doesn't function in carrying gasoline to the cylinders directly, it ensures that all the mechanical parts in the motor run smoothly. It helps spin the crank smoothly and that inturn spins the belt to the alternator, which in turn recharges the battery and consequently powers the fuel pump to continue pumping gasoline. It lubricates all the moving parts, regulates temperature and ensures that all ancillary components are working seamlessly, so that, your car steers or you stay cool when the world outside is melting at a 120F.

In other words, the easiest way to ensure that your vehicle lasts long, is to do timely oil changes. 

Now the task itself is very simple. Open the drain bolt when the engine is warm. Drain the oil. Remove the filter. Put in a fresh one(pre soaked in fresh oil), close the bolt and fill up with fresh oil. Start engine and let it go through a full cycle for a few mins. 

The oil change was my introduction to be mechanically self reliant on my motorcycle and car. It was a simple task that made me comfortable handling a wrench, working with greasy palms, knowing what is important and what isn't important while changing stuff and the concept of torque. Or the fact anything in excess isn't necessarily a good thing.

It started with an oil change on a 95 CB1000. 2 months later I rebuilt the clutch on it; a month after that the forks and the rest is history.

I know my previous post was quite gloomy and somber. I was just writing the state of my mind at that point. 

But things have changed and just like how I felt I got a second chance at life in July 2015, I feel I ve been given a second chance to do it better this time. Santa, kept me waiting but did get the approval notice for my VISA on the 26th at 9:36 am.

And hence the oil change.. 

A new start. A new beginning.

Combine that with my belief that this is the right place with the right environment for not just my dreams and passion but also to sustainably derieve happiness, and suddenly, the significance of this extension to stay is huge. Now I am not saying it is going to be easy. I still have to execute on a lot of plans.

However, it give me a chance to make it count. A higher probability to achieve the goals I have set out.

I am heading for a short break to India now. And when I am back, I will start to chronical the Washington chapter of this motorcycling journey and ofcourse, it will start with an oil change... for the K1200s. 😊