Seven lessons from the weekend bike trip

Last weekend we rode to Yercaud, a hill station some 250 Kilometers by road from Bangalore. Here are seven lessons I learned from the bike trip. This is mostly elementary stuff, just in case you don't know already. Will wax lyrical about finer aspects of the trip sometime later.

1. If you are new to road trips, always wear a jacket and cover as much skin as possible. The sun is usually very intense on highways and can cause severe burns. Sunscreen is not a bad idea either.

2. Two wheelers don't have to pay toll. You can pass through the left most lane.

3. Get your bike serviced before you leave. Check air pressure, oil and fuel. When filling oil, in bikes like Splendor, be extra careful. The chamber can easily accommodate over 2 liters of oil but that doesn't mean you should pour so much into it. Pull out the oil cap and check the dip stick. In a splendor, ideally the dipstick should show you not more than a centimeter and a half of oil in the chamber. Go by the marking on the dipstick.

4. Drink lots of enough water to prevent de hyderation.

5. Take short breaks and enjoy the ride. It can be  lot of fun even though your ass pains after a few hours.

6. And yes, careful on the road. Don't go overtaking too many cars. No need to show bravado.

7. Get the directions right. No point getting lost.

Book recommendation- Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance: 25th Anniversary Edition. Buy from Flipkart.com