Kawasaki Bajaj KB100 !!!

I bought my first Motor bike, when I was 22. I had just passed my MBBS and was waiting to become an Intern in Stanley Medical College & Hospital.

It was year 1991 and the bike was actually bought for me, by my hard working, earning parents, on the assumption and exaggerated promises and false assurances, given by their doting son (!), to persuade them to buy one for him.

The plan goes something like this; that I would be able to save at least Rs 500, every month from the stipend money as an Intern ( needless to mention, out of Rs 750!!!); and also, by doing few extra shifts, here and there! The bike was around Rs 12000, and with monthly premium of Rs 500, over next 3 years, would come around Rs 18000.

I was lured by the then famous ads of Kawasaki Bajaaj on Television, before agreeing for the above plan. The ad would exceedingly demonstrate the ease with which the engine tank eventually would transform itself in to a Tiger’s head, before start purring and roaring away, literally!! Albeit, this ad was also a constant source of excitement and jokes, bubbled and cracked at our Intern parties.

The other ad which literally excited me during this time, apart from the one Kamasutra (this girl died recently) and the other Bombay dyeing( with Lisa Ray) one, was that of a good looking, well built gent on a white dhoti, riding his Royal Enfield Bullet, on a country alley. Who could ever forget the lovely drumming noise, like dup…lup…tuk…, emanating out of that beautiful machine, which they call with the same name?

I absolutely adore that machine and it has been my dream motor bike, since then.

Well, I or we bought the bike and needless to utter that I was the happiest person on the globe, during that time. My brother already owned an Ind Suzuki one at that time and therefore my classes started well before the purchase of the new one. My vision got bigger, literally and my vanity and pride. Not to mention about my ego!

I envisaged so many dreams during those days and especially during nights, trying to pull a few many, good looking birds along the way; rescuing my birdie classmates in white cotton clad saree, in a distress call, nonetheless, rescued and riding on my bike; taking them (birdies) out on dates; out for a quickie, night movies in mount road cinemas, with good earned friends, so on and so forth. 

However, never in my dreams, or when I was awake in reality, I dare to or thought about or planned the multitude ways for repaying the monthly premiums from my own penny pouch!!!

The days became enjoyable and the night became durable, then on, in medical school, as a bike riding Intern. Regarding the dreams, possibly few were achieved; not many with birds though.

Though I owned a KB 100, I was nonetheless notorious for running more or less skimmed most of the time with my packet money, during that time. Most of the stipend money would be spent on the very first day on, booze, Ponnusamy (meal) and on a movie; petrol too. Thereafter I would be bereft of any money during the next three weeks of the month and would entirely depend upon poor amma, and also friends, fuelling the engine, thereby, giving them (friends) a ride to cinemas, parties and at times biked on loan, focussed towards on their targets!!

There were many days, after a night movie outing, during this time; stories abound with, many ways with which me and my friends were left napping, stranded helplessly, on many alleys of the great Chennai, for lack of fuel or petrol bunks, in the early wee hours of morning.  I am sure Hari (Friend in Bolton, UK) would have some vivid details of many such stories, especially the one prolonged, arduous journey heading back, after attending our classmate Uma’s betrothal in Villivakkam.

Well, a year went on and I had moved on to work in a 24 clinic in Teynampet after my Internship, for few months, before shifting on to a ENT hospital in Lloyds road and eventually in Isabel’s CCU in Mylapore. Needless to say the mallu figurines most of my dreams during this time and my bike rides too (in dreams!!). The days became more enjoyable and the nights definitely endurable, during this time, albeit, was short-lived!

Here I stayed on until the Deepavali of 1993, and packing for good and started preparing for PLAB exams!

It is a paradox, that nothing good or bad lasts for ever and was with my Kawasaki too.

Plans were hatched to sell the bike to pay back the remaining money, however, before my eventual trip to London, the Kawasaki and the in built TIGER was sadly part exchanged with my brother, for his then almost dying Suzuki!!

Well, back again to the good part; bought a bi (ke) cycle, few weeks ago, aiming to improve my fitness, attached this time with no strings or big dreams. However, definitely on the road to buy an ENFIELD BULLET, when I settle back in Chennai and possibly re-live my dreams on a white dhoti or vetti, in few years down the pipe line!!!!