How I Started Riding A Big Bike Seriously

Greetings,

Allow me to share my not so funny story, in case I lost my memory.

In the beginning, I was afraid to ‘make a left turn out of the paved road and into the back road’. This term is use by me when relating to adventure riding. Stick to the paved road and ride slowly.

I started seriously in big bike riding back in 2009, when I was ‘given’ with a normal old motorcycle. I ‘found’ the bike covered with canvas at the corner of the garage.

I just leave it there for few months.

One fine day a dear old friend of mine told me that he bought a brand new Fireblade and asked me to come to check it out. I was like wow! A 1000cc Honda CBR. Rode a few miles to test it and he started to ‘poison’ me to get one. For me to get a motorcycle at that time is quite impracticable since I’m working hard to pay for two cars. Then I remembered about the sleeping bike under the canvas at the corner of the garage. Went home straight away and had a check on it.

I don’t know what type of bike or how many cc the bike has. All it has is a Honda logo and a smeared ‘V-tec’ sticker at rear swing arms. Is this a joke?! I thought only Honda cars had V-tec. Somehow I found the key and I gave it a start. Sounds like a normal 125cc moped. After a few info and images searches on Google, that bike is a Honda CB400. Great, the cc just been upgraded from 125c to 400cc.

Well, 400cc… I will definitely eat smokes and dusts if I ride with a 1000cc Fireblade.

I TOLD YOU: Just look at that 'stupid sticker' on rear swing arm.

After the engine warmed up, the sounds have changed, not like a 125cc anymore. Slowly crawled our way out of the garage and into the road. Yeah, it’s a normal bike. Back to the garage again and had a closer look. Who on earth placed that V-tec sticker on that bike. Not appropriate. Took a screwdriver and scraped that sticker. It doesn’t come out because that V-tec word was engraved on the swing arms. A big V-tec engraves with the column size about 2x7 inches.

Not appropriate, and ridiculous.

Tossed away the screwdriver, found a helmet, and rode it on the main road. Road that leads to a highway. I stopped at the highway roadside to start a fresh ride from 0 to 100. Not so busy with traffic. So, there I went… First to third gear was a smooth ride with clunking sound of shifting gears. Then it wasn’t smooth no more when all I heard in the helmet is a full minute of swearing and cursing came out from my mouth.

That not appropriate and ridiculous V-tec has kicked in! I have no idea. During shifting into fourth gear, I twisted the throttle little bit more than I should, causing the RPM revved beyond 7,000 rpm and that’s where the V-tec started to works. Did I mention I wore only a t-shirt, short pant and sport shoes for that particular test ride session? Not cool, because of that V-tec kicking in, I almost lose control of the bike. From a sightseeing speed of 70kmh I was launched by the V-tec to 140kmh in less than 4 seconds. Double the speed. I want you to know that the time is relativity; it’s what I think I felt that moment. Maybe less than 4 seconds, maybe more. But I did look at the RPM and speedometer.

I’ve been in a fast car full of safety measures with the seat-belt on, but not that kind of crazy on a bike. At least on that afternoon, my level of craziness isn’t present and I still valuing my life. The bike was launched forward and I just keep holding the handle when I was pulled behind by the acceleration force. And by trying to keep my body on the bike, I hold and twisted the throttle at maximum and no chance to throttle off for a minute (again, the relativity). Luckily it’s a straight path highway and the cars you could count with both hand.

Managed to throttle off and stopped at the side. Half panic. Balls moved to I don’t know where.

The rest is history, and I became addicted to that stupid V-tec… 

PERSONAL WOLF PACK: Mostly I rides with the CB400 group. This was in 2010.

ADDICTED TO VTEC: The sounds, the feel. Mine was a Honda CB400 Vtec Spec I.

Be safe & ride safe. Till next time.

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KHAI The Adventure Rider

Instagram: @khai_advrider

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Email: khai.advrider@gmail.com