tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250995932024-03-19T10:35:11.133+05:30The Sagittarian AngelRashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-70052163847994512252010-06-01T17:47:00.002+05:302010-06-01T17:50:54.747+05:30Raindrops are back!After a lot of teases every now and then for the last few months, it's finally here. Yesterday, on my way back home I wiped the first official raindrops of 2010, off my helmet visor. It was a wonderful feeling yet again. After a gruelling hot summer and an even hotter office, the cool wind carrying little raindrops feels good to the skin. When I left office a small drizzle wet my palms, but as I hit the highway the hot sun was back, reflecting off the shiny glass surface of the Wego's instrumentation. The drizzle felt like just another one of the rain god's teasers as I sighed inside my helmet. But as I rode closer to home things suddenly changed!<br /><br />A sudden shower hit me. It was as if a south Indian movie director shouted 'Action' and the artificial rain showers were left loose on a bunch of dancers.<br />I wanted to take cover somewhere for I was least expecting such a downpour. After my iPhone went into coma last month I didn't want to risk losing my iPad and my laptop to the rain monster. But the sad state that we are in today, I couldn't find a single tree that could provide shelter. I quickly flung my bag off my back and onto the scooter's footboard to try and protect it from the rain. I stooped forward to give the bag some added protection, thus looking like some kind of a loser clerk that Shahrukh Khan would enact in a 'Rab ne bana di jodi' sequel. But the stooping didn't help much either. In fact the helmet's tapering chin channelized a stronger flow of water onto the bag that now sat between my calf muscles. However, the Wego's broad apron avoided too much water from reaching the base of the bag. <br /><br />I somehow managed to reach home within ten minutes of the shower ambush. But that time was more than enough to soak me to the bone! I ran up the stairs to my apartment to take out all the gadgets and get them to dry out immediately. Fortunately for me, the water had just managed to dampen the covers of the iPad and the laptop - but a lil more riding in the rain could have got me into trouble. Looking at the state of the bag, I couldn't believe my luck though. Probably the cockroach I saved from drowning last morning gave me some blessings :P...<br /><br />Anyway three things to remember from my experience today:<br /><br />1. Always carry your gadgets in a waterproof bag and don't keep your laptop on standby mode all the time unless you desperately need to.<br />2. A cool (not cold) Oreo shake tastes better after getting drenched, than a hot coffee.<br />3. Don't be a stubborn ass and continue riding in the rain with vulnerable stuff inside the bag. If you can't find a tree, take shelter under a building! After all, its not everyday that you find cockroaches that bless you...Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-49660246582815522122009-12-19T23:16:00.001+05:302009-12-19T23:20:55.890+05:30Wish-list for 21st Dec. 2009 to 21st Dec 2010If any of you noble souls are planning to gift me something for my birthday, then please refer to following items for the preferred gifts :) -<br />- Shoei Helmet<br />- Alpinestars 1-pc suit<br />- Engine performance kit for my R15<br />- DiRT2 + Assassin’s Creed I & II for PS3<br />- 1.5 Terabyte external hard drive or 500 GB portable drive (original, not Palika Bazaar)<br />- Apple Macbook (Pro/Air welcome!) (willing to give my Acer in a buy-back)<br />- 10-22mm Canon lens<br />- Any Canon full-frame D-SLR<br />- 32” LCD Monitor (Sony BRAVIA acceptable) (willing to give my 22” Viewsonic in a buy-back)<br />- Logitech G25 Steering Wheel<br />- 2003 Honda City V-TEC (willing to give my Palio in a buy-back)<br />- Nike+ Chip for my Nike+ Shoes<br />- Sony Si12 HD Handycam<br />- 1 year subscription to TATA Indicom 2 MbPS Unlimited connection<br />- Windows 7 Ultimate Retail (original)<br />- DRI clearance for my VFR800<br />- Treadmill (Yes! I promise to use it)<br />- Studio apartment at Lavasa<br />- One year membership of Solaris/Golds/Endurance<br />- TATA Xenon (207 DI will also do)<br />- Sponsored trackday at the Nurburgring/Laguna Seca/SuzukaRashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-54019100269477140992009-10-05T00:55:00.003+05:302009-10-05T01:00:11.797+05:30A boy, a doll and some tears...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><div>Once I was walking around in a general store, when I saw a cashier hand this little boy some money back. The boy couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old. The Cashier said to the boy, 'I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll." Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him and said, ''Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?'' The old lady replied, ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.'' Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly. The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand. Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give that doll to. 'It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for Christmas…She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her', said the boy. I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and not to worry. But he replied to me sadly. 'No, Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my daddy so that he can give it to my sister when he goes there.' His eyes were so sad while saying this. 'My Sister has gone to be with God. Mommy says that Daddy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that he could take the doll with him to give it to my sister.'' My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and said: 'I told mommy to tell daddy not to go yet. I need him to wait until I come back from the mall.' Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then told me 'I want daddy to take my picture with him so that he won't forget me. I love my daddy and I wish he doesn't have to leave me, but mommy says that he has to go to be with my little sister.' Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly. </div><div><br /></div><div>I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. 'Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll?'' <br /></div><div>'OK' he said, 'I hope I do have enough.' I added some of my money to his, without him noticing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money. The little boy exclaimed, 'Thank you God for giving me enough money!' Then he looked at me and added , 'I prayed last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that daddy could give It to my sister. He heard me!'' 'I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my daddy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose. My mommy and daddy love white roses.' A few minutes later, the old lady returned and I left with my basket. I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started. I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind. Then I remembered a local newspaper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a car, who hit a bike being ridden by a young man with a little girl on the pillion seat. The little girl died right away, and the father was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-support machine, for the young man wouldn’t be able to recover from the coma. Was this the family of the little boy? Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young man had passed away…I couldn't stop myself from buying a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young man was exposed for people to see and make last wishes before his burial. He was there, in his coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in his hand with the photo of his little boy and the doll placed over his chest. I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed for ever. The love that the little boy had for his father and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine. And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away from him. Please DO NOT DRINK & DRIVE. </div><div><br /></div></span></span>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-62719942516490895722009-08-11T10:59:00.001+05:302009-08-11T11:01:22.157+05:30Swine Flu screening centers in PMC & PCMC areas<div lang="EN-US"><div><p><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: black;">PMC has opened 15 swine flu screening centres to ease pressure on Naidu Hospital. Centres won’t collect swabs, only conduct check-ups, counselling </span></i><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></p> <p><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;"><span style="font-style: italic;">PMC AREA:</span><br /></span></b></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"><br /><b>Karve Road<br /></b>Erandvana Hospital, Contact: Dr Sarita Ganala (9764000939)<br /><b>Mhatre Bridge<br /></b>Late Anandibai Narhar Gadgil Hospital, Contact: Dr Jyotsana Khole (9422987953)<br /><b>Ganj Peth<br /></b>Late Balaji Rakhmaji Gaikwad Hospital, Contact: Dr Sandhya Bahule<br /><b>Narayan Peth<br /></b>Late Kalavatibai Mavale Hospital, Contact: Dr Nila Limaye (9881385015)<br /><b>Lakshmi Road<br /></b>Late Mamasaheb Badade Hospital, Contact: Dr Swati Joshi<br /><b>Raviwar Peth<br /></b>Hutatma Babu Genu Hospital, Contact: Dr Dinesh Bende (9421018878)<br /><b>Koregaon Park<br /></b>Late Bapusaheb Ganuji Kavade Hospital, Contact: Dr Jaya Bhondave (9922504428)<br /><b>Ganesh Peth<br /></b>Late Rohidas Kirad Hospital, Contact: Dr Chandrashekhar Gujar<br /><b>Kothrud<br /></b>Late Jayabai Nanasaheb Sutar MaternityHospital, Contact: Dr Shyam Satpute (9823217047)<br /><b>Alandi Road<br /></b>Siddharth Hospital, Contact: Dr Bhagwant Gagare (9423004811)<br /><b>Sahakarnagar<br /></b>Late Shivshankar Pote Hospital, Contact: Dr Vidya Rajwade (9422520930)<br /><b>Aundh Road<br /></b>Late Baburao Genba Shavale Hospital, Contact: Dr Madhuri Gare (9823224789)<br /><b>Yerwada<br /></b>Late Damodar Ravji Galande Hospital, Contact: Dr Ujjwala Khristi (9730571404)<br /><b>Shukrawar Peth<br /></b>Dr Kotnis Health Centre, Contact: Dr Asmita Bhoi (9850992960)<br /><b>Shivajinagar<br /></b>Late Jangalrao Kondiba Amrale Hospital, Contact: Dr Aparna Gokhale (9823214103) </span></p> <p><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></p> <p><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></p> <p><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></p> <p><b><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: italic;">PCMC AREA:</span><br /></span></b></p> <p><b><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">n Yashwantrao Chavan memorial hospital, Sant Tukaramnagar, Pimpri </span><span style="color: black;"><br /><br />n Jijamata hospital, Pimpri<br /><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">n Municipal hospital, Bhosari </span><span style="color: black;"><br /><br />n Municipal hospital, Akurdi<br /><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">n Municipal hospital, Sangvi </span><span style="color: black;"><br /><br />n Municipal hospital, Thergaon<br /><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">n Municipal hospital, Yamunanagar, Nigdi </span><span style="color: black;"><br /><br />n Talera hospital, Chinchwad</span></b><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"></span></p> </div> </div> <span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-52851070720658155652009-08-07T13:44:00.000+05:302009-08-07T13:45:16.723+05:30The great Indian newspapersThe Times of India is read by people who think they run the country.<br />The Economic Times is read by people who think they own the country.<br />The Hindu is read by people who are not sure who's country it is.<br />The Indian Express is read by people who shouldn't run the country.<br />The Statesman is read by people who think they ought to run the country.<br />The Asian Age is read by people who think someone else should run the country..<br />The Hindustan Times is read by people who think Delhi is a country.<br />The Telegraph is read by people who think Bengal is the best country.<br />The Malayala Manorama is read by people who think Kerala is their country, and God's ... zimble !<br />The Mid-Day is read by people who can't think in this country.<br />The Pioneer is read by people who think the Brits ran this country better.<br />The Tribune is read by people who're more bothered about the country-side.<br />The Dainik Bhaskar is read by people in the country-side.<br />The Bombay Samachar is read by people who'd rather be in some other country.<br />The Saamna is read by semi-literates who think, tujhi aiee chi, everyone should fx%k off from country..<br />The Femina is read by the fat wives of the rich in this country.<br />The Stardust is read by people who care a shit who runs the country as long as ... .<br />The PuneTimes is read by some people who think the pub is their country.<br />The DNA is not read, but used to pack footwear by people going out of this countryRashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-44621931412821483422008-10-06T17:59:00.007+05:302008-10-06T18:41:47.158+05:30Praveen and his Scale Models...Praveen Sathaye is one of the heartiest bikers I have known so far. And apart from riding motorcycles, we share another common passion too - scale models! However I'm no where close to the humongous amount of scale models that he has. So here are some (pun intended) words on my friend and his scale model collection!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4TAin2jLESxo8pE2TWVGPm0SbV1i00HT7pfXoAqrgj_5lpuimJJwRl8zzZusVNMvwIZ0Qmxuf4Bi9Uf5bd9xCqrEB4mbnEesLF_GnabmLPGEaPJCXsZ1P-J_cdRhaXfkMJIPwQ/s1600-h/Scale+Model+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4TAin2jLESxo8pE2TWVGPm0SbV1i00HT7pfXoAqrgj_5lpuimJJwRl8zzZusVNMvwIZ0Qmxuf4Bi9Uf5bd9xCqrEB4mbnEesLF_GnabmLPGEaPJCXsZ1P-J_cdRhaXfkMJIPwQ/s400/Scale+Model+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254023994169106242" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Praveen with his motorcycle scale model collection</span><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">Praveen's tryst with scale models began when he received his first toy car at the age of 9. Since then he has been actively collecting scale models, cars, bikes, aeroplanes, commercial vehicle et al. Initially getting them as gifts and prizes for birthdays and other occasions as well as for performing well in school and later on using his hard earned pocket money to add to his collection. The collection activity got serious with time and with the advent of proper scale models of motorcycles into India. Ever since these models have been launched in India Praveen has been painstakingly putting together his collection hunting for these models all over the country, sometimes taking help of his friends and family to acquire some of them. The collection today has more than 125 Bikes ranging from old vintage Harley Davidsons to the latest state of the art big superbikes too.<br /></div></div><br />What he has been able to put together is a collection that would draw gasps of envy from any avid biker and that's why he keeps it pretty closely guarded in his house. The collection is broadly categorised as per continents and eras. His largest collection however is of the Japanese motorcycles, coming from the big FOUR Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki. The beauties from the far east also include a vintage Yamaha TZ racer , the burly V-max, Roadstars, TDM 800, to the latest R 1, and the small Kawasaki 600 ninja all through the family of zx 7, zx9, zx 12 to the ZX 14 heavyweight. This also includes the Nicest Bike manufacturer with Honda contributing in the form of a Blackbird, 3 versions of the CBR 600, 2 versions of the CBR 1000 RR and couple of low slung Valkyrie cruisers.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksz5xmDIRrmLQi1lUEkTOISKpikkqosCzz_sogiwF8ThdoXk4p9UuZqYzv6XKnmvgQ3-tCiM1s6qJ5wwpck9uwDRGi4faBFzv293UgdmfjpjXbYTYuOEQuUQAlT8v4WtAHrAAFQ/s1600-h/Scale+Model+3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksz5xmDIRrmLQi1lUEkTOISKpikkqosCzz_sogiwF8ThdoXk4p9UuZqYzv6XKnmvgQ3-tCiM1s6qJ5wwpck9uwDRGi4faBFzv293UgdmfjpjXbYTYuOEQuUQAlT8v4WtAHrAAFQ/s200/Scale+Model+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254024945441881442" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">He also has the big four Japanese dirt bikes in the traditional motocross colours, Yamaha with blue, Honda in red , Suzuki in Yellow and Kawasaki in it trademark Kawasaki green.</span><br /></div>With the Japs taken care of how far would the hot Italians and Germans be. Europe has also produced legendary bikes and this collection has quite a significant chunk of the same. Starting from the Ducati series ranging from 748 to the 100s Multistrada, Ducati itself accounts for about 14 o his bikes. Not to forget Cagiva, MV Agusta, KTM,and the massive Munch. British bikes are present in the form of the legendary 1960's Triumph Bonneville and some of the modern speed triples and Daytonas. The German marque BMW also has significant presence in the collection in the form of the Paris Dakar winner GS series of dual purpose bikes as well as the Funduro and the legendary Cruiser R 1200.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8DUQ4rkMyQmzbrtxh7qBYsg3puKaIOosztf2atwvy8FfCuJH6fIbLG_E3LFv8D_UrgG_GTIwwbXcQMJO-D0NxhZSk0VEJVyoHF3_s8gOceWFlkoeuYxXwfydLoaYPDLAdwu5-mw/s1600-h/Ducatis.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8DUQ4rkMyQmzbrtxh7qBYsg3puKaIOosztf2atwvy8FfCuJH6fIbLG_E3LFv8D_UrgG_GTIwwbXcQMJO-D0NxhZSk0VEJVyoHF3_s8gOceWFlkoeuYxXwfydLoaYPDLAdwu5-mw/s200/Ducatis.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254025134299887890" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">The Ducatis</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Last but not least, How would a bike collection be deemed complete if it doesnt have the BIG FAT Cruisers. Yes, there are Harleys and tons of them. Starting from the 1940's Panheads to the 2005 Screaming eagle flagship model Road king. The fully loaded and massive Ultra glide to the fast drag racing inspired V-Rod. he has immense admiration for the Milwaukee manufacturer and definitely does dream of perhaps riding one such beast in metal n chrome at least once in his lifetime.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgtlJR-zRSbhiXjBpfxv5t2X7ChyphenhyphenLLRguCfFfmMrP8d0Y77cQT6IWRyI_dm4m-DPgNkRNY4lH3bkXeY5VpU4kARkbyT6VnG4nryKP12uupDaRgpOdNeJj041waorYsIbV4lEB3w/s1600-h/Scale+Model+4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgtlJR-zRSbhiXjBpfxv5t2X7ChyphenhyphenLLRguCfFfmMrP8d0Y77cQT6IWRyI_dm4m-DPgNkRNY4lH3bkXeY5VpU4kARkbyT6VnG4nryKP12uupDaRgpOdNeJj041waorYsIbV4lEB3w/s200/Scale+Model+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254024950373083970" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">The Cruisers</span><br /></div>Does he play with them or simulate a biking environment? Definitely yes, till some time back. he remembers many an occasion embarrassingly when he has been caught moving the bike on the floor making revving sounds while his parents have just stood there wondering what may have gone wrong with their grown up boy, a management graduate and a responsible family man. Yes Praveen is married and his better half has been responsible for a huge amount of his collection too. Not only does she permit him from diverting some amount of his earnings into the model collection but sometimes even goes out and buys the same for him.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLf93UBHDVuBoLcll5AvTWgbXWQU4o9ML17yaVyJ5TZmFla-YfwcN-rfnSxsVKhbT-_Xqch6VprrJfb3wCHoSR4MaYpTXza9MoPAvotvyUQRBmzObjOwtwdSPuJ4_Rguz2da6Fw/s1600-h/Police+Bikes.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLf93UBHDVuBoLcll5AvTWgbXWQU4o9ML17yaVyJ5TZmFla-YfwcN-rfnSxsVKhbT-_Xqch6VprrJfb3wCHoSR4MaYpTXza9MoPAvotvyUQRBmzObjOwtwdSPuJ4_Rguz2da6Fw/s200/Police+Bikes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254024954759155762" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Police Bikes</span><br /></div>The way he has procured some of his models is also as exceptional perhaps as his collection. he picked up a scale model of the India Chief as he saw it in a shopping window on his way for a business meeting and landed up late for the same. Of course when he explained the reason and showed glimpses of his collection to his client, things took a different turn altogether. he also picked up the model of the Bajaj M 80 at a village fair on the outskirts of Mumbai, pretty strange place for such a thing as a detailed and authentic scale model.<br /><br />Not Just bikes he also has paid attention to scooters too, be it the vintage Vespa from the 1950's, starring in the Gregory Peck movie Roman Holiday to the Yamaha T Max or Honda Silver Wing large scooters. he also has managed to land himself a LML Vespa Select, which he picked up from some narrow alley in pune. Concept Bikes also form a part of his collection, be it some designer stuff from Arlen Ness or orange County choppers or simple the Dodge Tomahawk, the largest displacement motorcycle concept.Some of the model bikes also come along with their tiny designer helmets also, which are on display alongside the bike. This Collection however is by no means just a random selection of motorcycles. Every bike that makes it to his collection has a legendary value. Take for instance the BMW R 1200 from the James Bond Movies, or the Hayabusa and Suzuki Bandit from the Indian Blockbuster Dhoom.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwj9EqPepty3BV37aodNsjOOhCDkp5KHAfW0AU1VAOfQ6QTGftFx4v69lGJ0N4u29A5HIbGwXZwKmzG5Om096casmiLGY2wZyW7j0V-XspJm6uKLjF2LC_1AhpI8RNCX5kcHdIxA/s1600-h/Hyperbikes.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwj9EqPepty3BV37aodNsjOOhCDkp5KHAfW0AU1VAOfQ6QTGftFx4v69lGJ0N4u29A5HIbGwXZwKmzG5Om096casmiLGY2wZyW7j0V-XspJm6uKLjF2LC_1AhpI8RNCX5kcHdIxA/s200/Hyperbikes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254024962666027138" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Hyperbikes!</span><br /></div>An ardent fan of motorcycling racing, he has his own Moto GP lineup.The Bikes lined up at the grid include the bikes of the likes of Valentino Rossi, Marco Melandri, Casy Stoner, Carlos Checa, Sete Gibernau, Dani Pedrosa et al.<br /><br />A personal visit to his home is what would reveal the massive scale of the collection, as one only notices cars and bikes neatly arranged all over the house. “I’m running out of space now, so I have to keep some stuff in boxes,” he says. Although his collection is absolutely priceless, his favourite is a small wooden bike model gifted to him by his 7 year old niece, who too identifies her uncle with model bikes. This entire collection is carefully marked out, maintained through a detailed excel sheet containing particulars of each bike. The records contain such details such as the year of purchase, the model, the model maker, place of purchase and so on. “I can remember exactly where any particular bike is kept, and can locate it within minutes' states says Sathaye, a management professional Praveen who otherwise pursues a career in management with an with an e-learning company.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioLwh0f358F9PBRkrTa_J33Caspud5MKQi2tRJNpRSxoEu72POZ6RVGOdpa3WPFRD5PO8Ed8bmWXV4_-MWCIIyETP_1xJ11cw7gq2WTq2aIQe6fJSlgJoH4haV3WLc91A6vK4FA/s1600-h/Yamahas.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioLwh0f358F9PBRkrTa_J33Caspud5MKQi2tRJNpRSxoEu72POZ6RVGOdpa3WPFRD5PO8Ed8bmWXV4_-MWCIIyETP_1xJ11cw7gq2WTq2aIQe6fJSlgJoH4haV3WLc91A6vK4FA/s200/Yamahas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254024953659844258" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">The Yamahas</span><br /></div>Even as he is aiming to complete a 1000 scale models in the near future, what does Praveen have in mind afterwards. Does he plan to exhibit these collectibles. Well, his plan is to open a Motorcycling Hall Of Fame with inspiration from his late father, (who was himself an enthusiastic biker), where in all these models shall be displayed each with a one pager detailing their history and significant contribution to the world of motorcycling.He also has a collection of all motorcycle movies, whether it is the legendary Che Guerra in Motorcycle Diaries or the rebellious biker gangs in Biker Boys or Torque.<br />The proposed Hall of Fame shall also have a small theatre, alongside where car and bike related movies will be screened.Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-11058067216366651412008-08-29T14:23:00.005+05:302008-08-29T15:00:14.373+05:30Why 'Rock On!!' is a must watch for bikers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdLzJdULu0o2ljTcl3iB7r9dD1M9sEkYrpylk3X-VqNOZUwWRaM89NdfnnUV7fKWtuCQE3q5aZNZqZ8iD3FqUIh_2OG5Lyoy_UJqWm8c0QEFIDZwlZIgkVGPwkYgK1ziKHAVWew/s1600-h/roc9e.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdLzJdULu0o2ljTcl3iB7r9dD1M9sEkYrpylk3X-VqNOZUwWRaM89NdfnnUV7fKWtuCQE3q5aZNZqZ8iD3FqUIh_2OG5Lyoy_UJqWm8c0QEFIDZwlZIgkVGPwkYgK1ziKHAVWew/s400/roc9e.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239862451833304658" border="0" /></a> <w:worddocument><w:view></w:view><w:punctuationkerning><w:validateagainstschemas><w:compatibility><w:breakwrappedtables><w:snaptogridincell><w:wraptextwithpunct><w:useasianbreakrules><w:browserlevel></w:browserlevel> </w:useasianbreakrules> </w:wraptextwithpunct><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><p class="MsoNormal">Being a dyed-in-the-wool biker, all of you sometime, somewhere come across stories or movies or even incidents in your everyday life, where you can correlate them with your biking life. I’m no different and it happens to me a lot of times too. However, I somehow found the new bollywood flick, ‘Rock On’ to be one great story that a lot of bikers can correlate to.<br /><br />The movie starts off with a rock band comprising of four members who have the spark and the zest of the early twenty-year olds. The four are passionate about ‘music’ and spend the better part of their time and money composing new tracks that portray their fervor. After a while they stumble upon a contest where their band, ‘Magik’ outperforms the competition to win a one-year contract with a music house and the chance to make their own music video. When this dream is about to be realized, the lead singer suddenly shoots up to fame and overshadows the rest of the groupies. As fate would have it, things start getting sour with ego clashes and self esteem coming into play. The band breaks apart and all the dreams of stardom are shattered. A decade later the members coincidently meet up again and decide to put to rest, all the unfortunate happenings that plagued them. The band comes back together and they plan to enter the same kinda competition that their band won a decade back. As liberty of cinema would portray, the band wins the competition again and their dream is realized – thus making for a happy end.<br /><br />Now you may be thinking, that I will try and establish some kinda relation between rock music and biking. But no, I aint planning anything on those lines. The movie however has a much larger message for us bikers as well – if we decide to correlate that is. Just like the band members of Magik spent their early youth nurturing their passion, most of us bikers spend all our dough for the love of two wheels. From taking your girlfriend for a movie, to commuting everyday and from going for those weekend rides to being a part of some biker club – a bike becomes a part of our everyday life. Biking becomes such a big passion that we cant think of anything else. But a time finally comes when the college life ends and we are thrown into the world where making money becomes superlative. And just like the members of Magik, we too get on with materialistic needs and the passion is locked into the store room. For some it’s the job, for some its the differences between fellow bikers, for some it’s the lack of money and for some it’s the want of it. Whatever the reason, it’s the biker in you that suffers. You know down within, that you are making a compromise – living a life on terms dictated by your surroundings; forgetting the very basis of biking – freedom.<br /><br />What the movie tells you though is that no matter what you choose to be your career or your way of life, there is always a way to keep your passion alive. As its rightly said, ‘where there is a will, there is a way’. I agree, that earning your bread and butter and much more is an imperative need, but it is not so difficult to get into your gear and onto to the saddle of your bike. Spending time with your better half on the weekend is definitely necessary to keep the spark of our relation alive, but the relation will be complete only when you as a person will feel complete about yourself. It is important to meet up with friends and relatives whenever you find a holiday from your busy schedule. But biking is a passion which can be exploited whenever you find time – no matter what the clock shows, no matter what the weather man says. For all those fellow bikers who have drifted away from this passion, it’s my sincere request that you watch the movie; and I’m sure it will ignite the same ‘want’ to get back to your passion as what happened to the four band members in the movie. The passion that you nurtured throughout your youth still waits for you to come back. The bike that always stood by as your better half and your best friend will be elated to have you back on the saddle and controlling the leash. All that is expected of you, is to take control of your life, dictate your terms, forget about your work when you leave office and ride!<br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://rubbersmokinangels.blogspot.com"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjLHhTNo8P60SQIXTzfgiPsU2p6sYV_4VbSZwvFG21S88hhzfpRZbl7vClyncTO9YO0k8QZubBZv2bHW2CgA9D-85Y0cAMpcXf0c270psh-LwawjTVjlaRzKcxPQNLy7gL_or1w/s320/RIDE02.0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239863031202233634" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></w:snaptogridincell></w:breakwrappedtables></w:compatibility></w:validateagainstschemas></w:punctuationkerning></w:worddocument>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-3557824636982006462008-08-01T21:16:00.002+05:302008-08-01T21:23:30.195+05:30http://100octane.blogspot.comHi ppl,<br /><br />For all of you who have been following my blog - I'm sorry!<br /><br />I apologize for the lack of updates for all this while. But it should change now as a lot of things on my schedule have now fallen into place. However, all the automobile related content will now be posted on <a href="http://100octane.blogspot.com">http://100octane.blogspot.com</a><br /><br />This blog however, will still be active but will have all the other stuff that I'll write about. As for my first contribution to the <a href="http://100octane.blogspot.com">100 Octane blog</a>, I'm posting a complete story of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">R15</span> that I have experienced so far - from track and road use to the positives and negatives. So what are we waiting for? Head over to <a href="http://100octane.blogspot.com">http://100octane.blogspot.com</a> and update your bookmarks!<br /><br />Regards and thanks<br /><br />-<br />Rash<br />rohit.paradkar@gmail.comRashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-45216818316984475412008-04-21T22:54:00.003+05:302008-04-21T22:58:06.496+05:30FWD.o.t.D: Side Effects of the Tata Nano<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstBnjSX-_aUZLv7AH3hIFU03tbLjGihxs6oCApxls1RgZT2pulmwiuJoRZUc8nzqoYrRYslWB-2q-2PL9Ex5XmCtGVXB1SnrTHU7AosEqZ_OK1OSZ1LwuFA7a2qZ0N6m0NnVnjQ/s1600-h/Nano_Side_Effects.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstBnjSX-_aUZLv7AH3hIFU03tbLjGihxs6oCApxls1RgZT2pulmwiuJoRZUc8nzqoYrRYslWB-2q-2PL9Ex5XmCtGVXB1SnrTHU7AosEqZ_OK1OSZ1LwuFA7a2qZ0N6m0NnVnjQ/s400/Nano_Side_Effects.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191751516017505410" border="0" /></a><br />click on the image to enlargeRashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-21911110844207355062008-04-20T12:18:00.001+05:302008-04-20T12:38:13.197+05:30F1: Force India: Fisichella happy with current form<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJU9sp5VnJTaGssD2jbuklCVkAXUbwR6Lw15Dws01F80YH6qih0M4m8uXH2BLz8s6shnbSQf8aZ7YQ08KMRy4ogH2lST1jm7m-1N4d03xS1WneRNJPZfr9RCakDjGQzPGu_dTPGQ/s1600-h/Force+India.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJU9sp5VnJTaGssD2jbuklCVkAXUbwR6Lw15Dws01F80YH6qih0M4m8uXH2BLz8s6shnbSQf8aZ7YQ08KMRy4ogH2lST1jm7m-1N4d03xS1WneRNJPZfr9RCakDjGQzPGu_dTPGQ/s400/Force+India.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191218158388753394" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Giancarlo Fisichella who is driving with the Force India team for 2008 recently expressed his vindication towards his current form. He was happy during the Bahrain GP that he was ahead of Nelson Piquet – the driver who replaced Fisi at Renault for 2008. Nelson himself has been struggling to come to terms with the Renault R28 and that reflects in his unsatisfactory performance in the season so far.<p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3c8_m50EN4XYpnp1JIID-d3y_uNhmYKwoMJdY7LXFIGf0Glqu7VV3Yg-fUCBjf0vZJPSuZmvDo4EnliMPkYhWrwzt6w6lOOjNryrHD2FtXsLv6Bf0qqAaUShRM3gLuyrxQwJJkg/s1600-h/Fisi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3c8_m50EN4XYpnp1JIID-d3y_uNhmYKwoMJdY7LXFIGf0Glqu7VV3Yg-fUCBjf0vZJPSuZmvDo4EnliMPkYhWrwzt6w6lOOjNryrHD2FtXsLv6Bf0qqAaUShRM3gLuyrxQwJJkg/s320/Fisi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191220073944167426" border="0" /></a> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Force <st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region> on the other hand is overjoyed with the improvement that the team is making, considering their former iterations – Spyker, <st1:city st="on">Midland</st1:city> and <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Jordan</st1:place></st1:country-region> had struggled a lot without any fruits. The 12<sup>th</sup> place finish for Fisi in both <st1:country-region st="on">Bahrain</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Malaysia</st1:place></st1:country-region> after staring at the tail end of the grid on both the occasions highlights Fisi’s driving abilities further. His vast experience along with Force <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s urge to improve will definitely bring them good results in the future.</p>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-18735710737384910312008-04-19T15:45:00.000+05:302008-04-19T16:13:04.976+05:30Chopper Tattoos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkIu9uPfE2WRp2TwiyhmAPjYTCI7yiCBvEUb8wTwUHrWKyQLUMYBlpVhpJw8xTkgi1tb43ToEfPgJrD1ja4s2sPc7EbiPuCOBdxNwvoTQWd-9w_ritmRv0TlRYJxIlOemCM0MUQ/s1600-h/CT.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkIu9uPfE2WRp2TwiyhmAPjYTCI7yiCBvEUb8wTwUHrWKyQLUMYBlpVhpJw8xTkgi1tb43ToEfPgJrD1ja4s2sPc7EbiPuCOBdxNwvoTQWd-9w_ritmRv0TlRYJxIlOemCM0MUQ/s200/CT.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190904484042224498" border="0" /></a><br />If custom choppers with tribal, abstract of air-brush art fascinate you and so do tattoos, this is one website you need to visit...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.chopper-tattoos.com">www.chopper-tattoos.com</a>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-6255966774906132502008-04-19T14:28:00.000+05:302008-04-19T14:33:59.603+05:30FWD.o.t.D: LIVER & CHEESE<span style="font-size:85%;">Three handsome male dogs are walking down the street when they see a beautiful, enticing, female Poodle.</span><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:85%;" >The three male dogs fall all over themselves in an effort to be the one to reach her first, but end up arriving in front of her at the same time.<br />The males are speechless before her beauty, slobbering on themselves and hoping for just a glance from her in return.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:85%;" >Aware of her charms and her obvious effect on the three suitors, she decides to be kind and tells them, 'The first one who can use the words 'liver' and 'cheese' together in an imaginative, intelligent sentence can go out with me.'<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:85%;" >The sturdy, muscular black Lab speaks up quickly and says, 'I love liver and cheese.'<br />'Oh, how childish,' said the Poodle. 'That shows no imagination or intelligence whatsoever.'<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:85%;" >She turns to the tall, shiny Golden Retriever and says 'How well can you do?'<br />'Um. I HATE liver and cheese,' blurts the Golden Retriever.<br />'My, my,' said the Poodle. 'I guess it's hopeless. That's just as dumb as the Lab's sentence.'<br /><br />She then turns to the last of the three dogs and says, 'How about you, little guy?'<br /><br />The last of the three, tiny in stature but big in fame and finesse, is the Taco Bell Chihuahua.<br /><br />He gives her a smile, a sly wink, turns to the Golden Retriever and the Lab and says.... <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:85%;" >'LIVER ALONE, CHEESE MINE'</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSX1-rcM5_dZhutC9JIVV0FSIl1m9vQNwFfjnuRtTDPeYYI5PbZKFbqsD7_jEc237ctjmfR6YASdwMgkq07MaxbS5kLXPoeAgnEa8DO84GPpa50aneSsG8FCqn2R6fX-An10IKQ/s1600-h/Chihuahua.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSX1-rcM5_dZhutC9JIVV0FSIl1m9vQNwFfjnuRtTDPeYYI5PbZKFbqsD7_jEc237ctjmfR6YASdwMgkq07MaxbS5kLXPoeAgnEa8DO84GPpa50aneSsG8FCqn2R6fX-An10IKQ/s200/Chihuahua.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190878997706290018" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-65096077784550790932008-04-19T14:03:00.001+05:302008-04-19T14:26:07.065+05:30FnF4 coming!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsKn_fGwi9DzCvfJMkhfdMmaR9XGlFK-knrr1xMHddZAeSy0x3oGp68Pzov9ZvyX2huRUWGT3MIG50gi9QScUE6fbkMvHDOGrBzyh5SYH98QBuWUu4KshCo6naXKTJhokvmxf_w/s1600-h/FnF.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsKn_fGwi9DzCvfJMkhfdMmaR9XGlFK-knrr1xMHddZAeSy0x3oGp68Pzov9ZvyX2huRUWGT3MIG50gi9QScUE6fbkMvHDOGrBzyh5SYH98QBuWUu4KshCo6naXKTJhokvmxf_w/s320/FnF.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190871911010251602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I</span></span>f you are a fan of ‘The Fast and the Furious’ series of movies, its time for you to rejoice as Universal Studios, who produced the earlier iterations of the movie are getting ready for the fourth installment. The movie will be titled ‘Fast and Furious’ (sans the ‘The’) and will mark the return of Dom Torretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker). The plot revolves around a common enemy that the two will fight against together. The movie is slated for a release in June next year. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Info on the earlier FnF series :</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal">The Fast and the Furious:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0232500/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0232500/</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal">2 Fast 2 Furious:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0322259/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0322259/</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal">The Fast and the Furious: <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tokyo</st1:place></st1:city> Drift:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463985/">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463985/</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-28253892586983991622008-04-19T11:59:00.000+05:302008-04-19T14:12:40.468+05:30Going for a Japanese kill?<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >G</span>erman giant BMW has been doing quite well with their motorcycles in recent times. Though they haven’t matched the Japanese in terms of styling or pricing or even sales figures, they have always been a making a name for themselves. This time however, the Germans have decided to take the battle to a new level. With the new prototype that BMW has displayed, the company has made its intentions clear. The entire package intends to go directly for the throat of the Japanese litres. Take notice people, the beast is called a BMW S 1000RR. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTT8_6-V7CEYrdBjN4Uf2teWPJFZCxp6-Hq8ikkRYH6fqqL8zkW51GHaKL7nt3ECkIIOM4U8UbNpwM4kqhFTr6hIj5vPKat7YST_mBxMuBLngqyCqFVWUTxrIf3lq_kMZARZToQ/s1600-h/S1000R_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTT8_6-V7CEYrdBjN4Uf2teWPJFZCxp6-Hq8ikkRYH6fqqL8zkW51GHaKL7nt3ECkIIOM4U8UbNpwM4kqhFTr6hIj5vPKat7YST_mBxMuBLngqyCqFVWUTxrIf3lq_kMZARZToQ/s400/S1000R_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190840530224179794" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">The proto in first glance looks quite impressive. The all carbonfibre body makes it look like a serious contender for the track – and the image below advocates the fact. The exhaust system on the prototype is made by Akrapovic. The brakes are designed by Brembo. The suspension system (along with the radical damper) comes from Ohlins. Making the bike even lighter are lightweight alloys from OZ. Last but not the least, the windshield (visor) is manufactured by the famous German company MRA. Lets wait and watch how the bikes takes shape for production..and most importantly how it performs against the fierce competition.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVT1iY6mqF28G_gUXeONXzk7IQtjhidWB2KyVCAvphhAyVVaNV78GyVFXx20E1J2PY5-BjVRh2CUOFWl9luLfOgHQvifElEY5fQtf0c-fImyvlZfp0lFbZLZYkG-k2qaFnJyGxA/s1600-h/S1000R_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVT1iY6mqF28G_gUXeONXzk7IQtjhidWB2KyVCAvphhAyVVaNV78GyVFXx20E1J2PY5-BjVRh2CUOFWl9luLfOgHQvifElEY5fQtf0c-fImyvlZfp0lFbZLZYkG-k2qaFnJyGxA/s320/S1000R_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190840787922217570" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-20013868935587094782008-03-09T19:40:00.000+05:302008-03-09T20:57:23.859+05:30Empire Rising : Honda<span style="font-style: italic;">Honda's market share is rising by the day. The phenomenal growth is heading Honda towards market dominance. Time for the market to take notice ?</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWR0roU4Qh5W0K07gXKPWS65zNeFe1TLxqVUVaLl_B95qQCRZZTVwGUitapoH15_KxP8tn0JvWKBlgnYeEeDZ2aTVlEXmAOOA8lQ5SuCCNo64KKO0N-vGoyfUudYvGLXdiw0neA/s1600-h/H-T.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWR0roU4Qh5W0K07gXKPWS65zNeFe1TLxqVUVaLl_B95qQCRZZTVwGUitapoH15_KxP8tn0JvWKBlgnYeEeDZ2aTVlEXmAOOA8lQ5SuCCNo64KKO0N-vGoyfUudYvGLXdiw0neA/s400/H-T.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175761337661687666" border="0" /></a><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >A</span>t the end of the 2007 calendar year – a year of shrinking market share for individual automakers, Honda registered record sales yet again, not only in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place> but also in over 85% of the European countries. The highest sales gain came from the Civic and CR-V – highlighting the popularity of Honda’s new models. The Civic is one of Honda’s most successful models and is now a brand name in itself. Today the Civic has become the class leader in every market that it has entered. In 2007, Civic registered a whooping 41% sales gain in <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place>. Even its 1.8-litre Indian counterpart is churning out equally good numbers after being voted the ‘Car of the Year’ when it was launched. The CR-V also registered some phenomenal sales in <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place> with a 77% and 72% gain over last year for the petrol and diesel variants respectively. The CR-V, even after attracting a 130% import duty outsells everything else in its segment, which is a feat in a cost conscious market like <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>. Honda is now mulling producing the CR-V in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>, and it’s sure to be a runaway success if it’s manufactured here with the famous i-CTDI (to be replaced with the i-DTEC soon). What makes the i-DTEC special is the fact that it’s been declared legal in all the 50 states in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place>, unlike other diesel engines from even Mercedes-Benz and BMW. This should further boost sales for the company in the International market. If the engine comes to <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>, it will be Honda’s first diesel variant in the country.</span><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br />A mention of <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Toyota</st1:City></st1:place> is almost indispensable wherever the name Honda appears. Honda and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Toyota</st1:place></st1:City> are two words often associated with the term ‘boring vehicles’ (sarcasm intended). These automobiles are often termed so because their robust and reliable engines go on and on clocking kilometres upon kilometres without any hassle. They don’t give the owner a good enough reason to sell them and upgrade to something else. Hence, Honda and <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Toyota</st1:City></st1:place> today have become the most preferred brands across the globe. Both these giants entered the international markets together during the early 1950s. Since then it has been more of a ‘tortoise and rabbit race’ with <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Toyota</st1:City></st1:place> being in the lead with its faster development, thanks to its healthy cash reserves. Honda on the other hand has epitomized the fact that ‘the one who keeps moving is the one who goes places’. Though their track record has been overshadowed by <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Toyota</st1:City></st1:place>’s fast development, they have been moving positively. Honda has always launched precisely what the customer and the market needs. Hence their brochure has a lesser number of models to showcase instead of having an unnecessarily big product line up that takes a huge toll on investments but doesn’t reflect with equally good individual sales – something <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Toyota</st1:City></st1:place> is famous for. Honda has never stressed much on platform sharing either. They believe that platform sharing doesn’t make production cheaper, instead makes products look cheap. The result is an array of reliable and technologically advanced engines across models that different markets around the world demand. Since their entry into our sub-continent about a decade back, Honda’s reliability, quality and design have created benchmarks in our market – all at a competitive price. Further, Honda hasn’t kept the Indian market deprived of any world class technologies either. The fuel efficient yet powerful i-VTEC engines are now at the heart of every Honda available in the country. The soon to be introduced i-DTEC diesel engines will see even healthier sales gain worldwide. With such committed technical innovation, steady and productive development and the reliability to match, Honda sure seems to be heading for greater success. At this rate, it won’t be long before the ‘boring tortoise’ matches pace with the helpless rabbit. </span>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-36180812487411112132008-03-09T18:36:00.000+05:302008-04-19T17:12:04.888+05:30JAGUAR - TATA - LAND ROVER<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiO-634UaxE_wly1l5e-TY3Jq_OaZC1AafqU7nSiiCVHL_EpbnjTXzb_8kAUExOLWMsUWYu6xvrRGz-RpKCAkPCKetKvEeYA0qS2LGBr54mbTrGLp0lVhsk4XVKRFhi1jyK7AoBQ/s1600-h/T-J-R.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiO-634UaxE_wly1l5e-TY3Jq_OaZC1AafqU7nSiiCVHL_EpbnjTXzb_8kAUExOLWMsUWYu6xvrRGz-RpKCAkPCKetKvEeYA0qS2LGBr54mbTrGLp0lVhsk4XVKRFhi1jyK7AoBQ/s400/T-J-R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175738552860182258" border="0" /></a><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:180%;">2008</span> <span style=""> </span>will go down history books as one of the greatest buy-outs on the Indian automobile front. Over the past few months the financial news has looked quite similar to pages from some automobile magazine with the TATA-FORD deal blazing the headlines. Tata have been nominated favourites for the buy-out of two Ford-owned brands – Jaguar and Land Rover. However, the food for thought now remains, as to what will be the after effects of these acquisitions ? What does it mean for Tata and the Indian Market ? Read on…</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>Tata Motors is known for its expertise in the commercial segment with an array of trucks, buses and other load-bearing vehicles. It also holds the spot for the second largest medium and heavy bus manufacturer in the world. In 1991, they launched their first passenger vehicle – the Sierra, while the next notable indigenous effort that changed the face of Tata Motors came in 1998 with the Indica. The car became such a run away hit that its success story is now a subject of study in quite a few management schools across <st1:place st="on">Asia</st1:place>. In between though, Tata got into a joint venture with Mercedes Benz and rolled out the E Class models in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>. The company has always been a fast learner and is known to gather a lot of know-how from its technical collaborations till date. I reckon that the story won’t be different this time around either. With this buy-out, Tata will definitely have a knowledge boost for their current and future range of automobiles. The company has already tasted foreign waters with the City Rover, which has given Tata the knowledge of foreign markets, their requirements and behaviour. Along with this, Tata will also study as to what factors have affected sales for these two brands till now and will work towards rectifying them before giving these brands a make-over in the International market. From a financial point of view, Tata is the only Indian Automaker to be listed on NYSE. The news of the acquisition had a negative reaction on the stock market with Tata losing its value by close to 9 Rupees at the BSE and Ford losing value by about 15 cents at the NYSE. Sales in the U.S for Jaguar and Land Rover however had mixed reactions with a drop of 24 % and gain of 3.7% respectively for the two British icons. But steps in the right direction should see Tata’s graphs on an upwards scale with respect to sales. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDC4dHo8jgzDIs3WcpUxOfbKB3L3aIvJ6z8_gyf6FdDnHn9LaOw41x4lYWV5RGy4lrZw2ow5PyQmBnd-7Xt_fWV1XsbdsLSmHNtDJvL-jVgK04qYMbwo7fwZPwWmTK0UjULN3uOg/s1600-h/LR.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDC4dHo8jgzDIs3WcpUxOfbKB3L3aIvJ6z8_gyf6FdDnHn9LaOw41x4lYWV5RGy4lrZw2ow5PyQmBnd-7Xt_fWV1XsbdsLSmHNtDJvL-jVgK04qYMbwo7fwZPwWmTK0UjULN3uOg/s200/LR.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175742607309309794" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The Land Rover will definitely feel like home to Tata considering the company’s affection for SUVs / MUVs. It’ll not only help Tata enhance their indigenous products from the similar segment, but will also lay a path for building a strong R&D and a stronger road-map for their vehicles in the Indian as well as the International markets. It won’t be long before Tata’s new lessons will reflect in the Sumo and/or even the 207DI. I’m speculating the Range Rover and its variants will come to <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> with the high end SUV segment gaining some momentum now. At the same time we can’t rule out the possibility of Land Rover’s CRDI engines and related technology filtering down to the smaller Tatas. Proper pricing for the Land Rovers should pit them directly against its former parent BMW’s SUVs on the higher end and current parent Ford’s Endeavour at the entry level, in the local market. Internationally, Land Rover still holds the pride to be one of the few true off-roaders amongst a gallery of soft-roaders. Tata has to make sure that Land Rover lives up to this pride in its future models as well, no matter how many gadgets its vehicles decide to adapt. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegh61EgH-8TJUINkAKxAFJHiCBD4fsZmDOtOYbBTG-aA7tMZC2SAjsEGqexOFrDjQArvKuUMxSnlZ1hIlrCgTIk6Ki9MURA7_qFPcK8crMGBPm2yrbMyn7zH1kCLialjVtqj1sQ/s1600-h/Jag+Logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegh61EgH-8TJUINkAKxAFJHiCBD4fsZmDOtOYbBTG-aA7tMZC2SAjsEGqexOFrDjQArvKuUMxSnlZ1hIlrCgTIk6Ki9MURA7_qFPcK8crMGBPm2yrbMyn7zH1kCLialjVtqj1sQ/s200/Jag+Logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175742293776697170" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Jaguar however will need some serious inputs for the future models considering the ever increasing threat from the Germans. Ford’s financial woes had further weakened the cat’s ability to leap forward. Jaguar should benefit from Tata’s strong financial background as far as research and development is concerned. It still holds a shiny brand image though and a great fan following in <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place>. Tata should capitalise on these facts and consider introducing this species of the cat to Indian waters as well. The company will have to face its German rivals here too. But with a sensible pricing and clever marketing and penetration, the Jaguar range could single-handedly hold a candle to the likes of the 5 series and the E-class. It wont be an easy task though as these cars have set up their base quite well, but then again, the battlefield for all these International brands in India is still fresh. The models we think will come to <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> are – </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Though Tata will now own these two brands, getting them down to the country won’t be an easy task. The homologation, the import procedures, the price points for the vehicles and their marketing are hurdles that are imperative. But the primary objective of Tata in this case would be setting up a strong after-sales service, spares backup and customer care to be on par with their International rivals. Tata’s well knit dealer and service network however will work strongly in their favour. Only time will tell what Tata decides for these two brands and which models will come to <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> or if at all they will. But I can happily conclude that these acquisitions will significantly improve Tata’s technical know-how, their product range and its image as an automobile manufacturer in the global market.</span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I wish the following models to hit the Indian tarmac (and ground as well) –</span></p><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" lang="EN-GB"><span style=""></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;" lang="EN-GB">Land Rover:</span> <p style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Range Rover<span style=""> </span>-</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmlHTFAqW8KhOmqxIS_bU6hpCXC0TbRXVIhsMpVK7JMwzAR6DW8A6La4URTuFk6S46syY4LACCi40-54pEmJf3Lu1Aj-5gQYwbIVJtbJNv9cC8yQbX585C4Sgv5VKEPLU2lQT9A/s1600-h/RangeRover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmlHTFAqW8KhOmqxIS_bU6hpCXC0TbRXVIhsMpVK7JMwzAR6DW8A6La4URTuFk6S46syY4LACCi40-54pEmJf3Lu1Aj-5gQYwbIVJtbJNv9cC8yQbX585C4Sgv5VKEPLU2lQT9A/s200/RangeRover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175735868505622210" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><span lang="EN-GB">The Turbocharged Diesel Engine and the Supercharged Petrol Engine options will make this SUV a serious challenger for the European competitors in <st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region>, like the X5, M-Class, Q7 and <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Cayenne</st1:city></st1:place>. Going by the International pricing of this vehicle, it shouldn’t be hard for Tata to compete with the Germans on the price point too. If Tata can just about pull it off, it can even take on the Japanese competition – The Montero and the Prado.</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />Discovery –</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2dSpOuwuIEUzwEXw31gobNhIMCjxfqCSK4xcVbEfFEvuM5OryrY9XE3rwyG1W1WrlnGw3U5Jh0FKVe9eI4O6e-zbZnr_PEHBD6k-QxDxB77oSQxhm80mZTkA_7WgYw0pcb7SUw/s1600-h/Discovery.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2dSpOuwuIEUzwEXw31gobNhIMCjxfqCSK4xcVbEfFEvuM5OryrY9XE3rwyG1W1WrlnGw3U5Jh0FKVe9eI4O6e-zbZnr_PEHBD6k-QxDxB77oSQxhm80mZTkA_7WgYw0pcb7SUw/s200/Discovery.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175735576447846066" border="0" /></a></p><span lang="EN-GB">The powerful Turbo-Diesel V6 and the rugged Land Rover build and styling can mean serious competition for the likes of the X3 and the 3 Lt. variant of the Q7.</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Defender –</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxRV6v-9d7hM2NMJw6g7EN1FFUPB_ZU_GOe54w42aU-UQpcCu4ODx_S41ppu12ohxCBJ7G3zjQn6hIFFKZVaTfB5yTAy3ROa-gvrpKDuycywpK1fdav6ZwZRVApNJpyk1tBLBHw/s1600-h/Defender.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxRV6v-9d7hM2NMJw6g7EN1FFUPB_ZU_GOe54w42aU-UQpcCu4ODx_S41ppu12ohxCBJ7G3zjQn6hIFFKZVaTfB5yTAy3ROa-gvrpKDuycywpK1fdav6ZwZRVApNJpyk1tBLBHw/s200/Defender.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175735267210200738" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">If Tata can manage to bring this vehicle down to the country and price it at a point lower than 20 lakhs, it can give the Endeavour, Pajero, Tuscon, X-Trail, and Honda’s new CR-V a run for their money.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />Jaguar :<br /></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">XJ -</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3X-Tqx-_RqHJ2fuuGYu4SO3KyxK4NHDEmSjW2wvNsEiD3wvts1uO5M8oAUbe6v2fLngKn_kPXDPWHbo_5ILNUaWKSaBGy8Zh9Wf2di-8avftUSPEAhmlgFsaX9Ho9pKDZLwYTxw/s1600-h/XJ.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3X-Tqx-_RqHJ2fuuGYu4SO3KyxK4NHDEmSjW2wvNsEiD3wvts1uO5M8oAUbe6v2fLngKn_kPXDPWHbo_5ILNUaWKSaBGy8Zh9Wf2di-8avftUSPEAhmlgFsaX9Ho9pKDZLwYTxw/s200/XJ.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175739167040505618" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">This model in its 3 Lt. and 2.7 Lt. engine variants will compete with the Audi A6 and the Mercedes Benz E-Class. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-weight: bold;">XF -</span><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAmRkYhjDQNWdHQWTWEZmyAEoUg7LbCXd45Dqrf_4eIkqEbt7KLI2Qh2TsAD_bfdgnHDq4M3RyPeNx7tnxrVuUHJNZhQz5Doaf6TZ2TBQqaQJBBblNAA_hAZQ7nOfvSQqfx7SXQ/s1600-h/XF.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAmRkYhjDQNWdHQWTWEZmyAEoUg7LbCXd45Dqrf_4eIkqEbt7KLI2Qh2TsAD_bfdgnHDq4M3RyPeNx7tnxrVuUHJNZhQz5Doaf6TZ2TBQqaQJBBblNAA_hAZQ7nOfvSQqfx7SXQ/s200/XF.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175736409671501522" border="0" /></a><span lang="EN-GB">With a variety of engines at its disposal, this car can be a serious contender against the performance crazy 5 series. Given its aggressive styling, it’s a sure seller.</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">XK -</span><br /></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytgaEEcIQJSB7EBVWWzuewkB0Q1V4ptzKONpI8R4SvVgnisqH4dzIYUjyGL7MtYolBDjI8Qd4KGQ4mb1VSwppZ1zY_fdjErTxYg5eA94js5fBNSn5sLL5oTX3p9GRpRibkOYUYg/s1600-h/XK.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytgaEEcIQJSB7EBVWWzuewkB0Q1V4ptzKONpI8R4SvVgnisqH4dzIYUjyGL7MtYolBDjI8Qd4KGQ4mb1VSwppZ1zY_fdjErTxYg5eA94js5fBNSn5sLL5oTX3p9GRpRibkOYUYg/s200/XK.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175736800513525474" border="0" /></a><span lang="EN-GB">This car, if priced well, has the ability to give the Mercedes Benz SLK and the Porsche Boxster a run for its money. This is one car that we would definitely like to see on the Indian tarmac.</span><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">(*ALL IMAGES DISPLAYED FOR THE MODELS ABOVE ARE DOWNLOADED FROM </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >WWW.CARWALLS.COM</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">. FOR HI-RES VERSIONS, LOG ON TO </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >WWW.CARWALLS.COM</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">)<br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">(ALL OTHER LOGOS/NAMES USED ARE TRADEMARKS AND/OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE RESPECTIVE COMPANIES AND/OR ORGANIZATIONS)</span></span><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-60701502357584806402007-03-26T16:14:00.000+05:302007-03-26T16:25:44.738+05:30Seven<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8NEOrW_cO3xzRMcNV82KysS2KDW88P4v5-ZzIhqDIg8Hd5f3alu9yisVGzpazsOksooLcHje9qixOEFOuJZPjdXnvNMkTgWXAg0iZJeEX4_v1yrb0Zvtqy-VSbjaSW5fbc2sLQ/s1600-h/7.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8NEOrW_cO3xzRMcNV82KysS2KDW88P4v5-ZzIhqDIg8Hd5f3alu9yisVGzpazsOksooLcHje9qixOEFOuJZPjdXnvNMkTgWXAg0iZJeEX4_v1yrb0Zvtqy-VSbjaSW5fbc2sLQ/s320/7.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046182812709240146" border="0" /></a><br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">RIDE</span>, a four letter word, which for many holds equal or more value, as compared to other four letter words like LOVE, SEXY or even FUCK !!! A ride in itself can be classified into a lot of types like breakfast ride, long ride, overnight ride etc. When we ride, our destinations are a chosen few – so few that they can be counted on your finger tips. Many do complain about the same too, because the destinations get repetitive over time. But what is being forgotten here is that it’s not the destination we are riding for, it’s the journey. A journey that consists everything starting from city roads to highways, slow and tight corners to 100+ kmph sweeps and most important – an experience that fits together better than a jigsaw puzzle with single, twin and even four cylinders revving together.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">25<sup>th</sup> March 07, a day we would never forget for a lot of reasons. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The time period we went on the ride, coincidently is also the time period the movie ‘300’ has been burning the Indian box office. Yes, I know you are already thinking that I’m about to start comparing the ride and the movie. You are right. This idea may sound insignificant and mad. But this isn’t madness, this is RSA <span style="font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="">J</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What happened a night before Sunday, was a RSA Dinner. The regulars were there and a few newbies too. The Sunday ride was planned quite some time before the dinner. Discussions happened about the plan, the probable members who would come for the ride were also being short listed. According to the new rules of the group, Rides and Stunt meets are to happen parallel so that the Stunters get their weekly dose of action and the Riders can enjoy theirs, before mother nature decides to wet the roads later in the year.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The downside of this though is that turnout reduces significantly. Nevertheless, the members enjoy what they joined in for.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As Sunday morning dawned, people started exchanging wake up calls. They all wanted to ride, together. Everyone was very excited about the ride. After gathering at the usual meeting place and waiting for all to do the same, we found that the number of members who had gathered was not very encouraging. Just the way a handful of Spartans went against the rules and prepared for war, we did not let our excitement die down. We had to go ahead with the ride and make the most out of it. Just the way the 300 odd Spartans were some of the finest the land had to offer, the members who had come for the ride and their machines were some of the finest one could imagine riding with -</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A bike journo who believes that the handlebar is mightier than the pen – Speedy on a P180C</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A racer who wants to undo the fact that the racer should not get his hands dirty in the pits – Kiran on a P220DTSFi</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A rider aboard a 1000cc bike that wears the uniform of one of the best racing machines ever built – Sam on a Repsol Replica 1000RR</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A car guy who thought bikes were uncomfortable, until he started riding one the way its meant to be ridden – PriyuB on a Karizma</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A family man who found his long lost love, away from his family – Morpheus on a CBR 600RR</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A tuner form downtown, better known as ‘Mad Bawa’ aboard a technical masterpiece – Mad Bawa on a BMR R1200</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And finally a guy better known for his crashes than his achievements, clinging onto the fastest bike in the world – Rash on a GSX1300R Hayabusa.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The start of the ride made the highway sound like an Orchestra Pit, with the seven bikes playing their favorite musical notes in tune with each other. Though is sounded mesmerizing to many, to us it was like the sound of the battle horn. It had begun and there was no turning back. Like the Spartans, we would die but would not be frightened of the hurdles the roads or the ride had to offer us. The first setback came when the Repsol pulled over complaining of a loose right handle bar. But with some quick help from the Tuner-Racer Kiran and the Mad Bawa, the problem was overcome and our march continued. As we took the Katraj by-pass, the open roads were a sight we had been dying for, for quite a while. As the Busa with its free flow ‘can entered the Tunnel, the sound and its reverb was enough to frighten the mortals who were moving around like slaves in their cages. Whenever the traffic used to slow us down, the puny single cylinders would find small spaces to penetrate through them. In this way we could stick together in terms of the road covered. Our next stop was at the re-fuelling station to feed our might beasts. After that every biker was on his own, only waiting to regroup at the next stop – the Toll Booth before Khambatki.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The route to Khambatki is quite tricky. Why I say this is because, though it offers some beautiful high speed sweeps and straights, its often very crowded. As it is the only route from Pune to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Bangalore</st1:place></st1:city>, all the commercial vehicles use the same. To add to that, it is also the route to one of the most famous hill station – Mahabaleshwar and that adds a lot of family vehicles to the traffic. 80 kmph is fast enough for the family cars and legal enough for the right (fast) lane. But for us who like to see the needle above 100 kmph all the time, it’s a hurdle, a big slow moving hurdle !! And this is even before we get down to things like sudden lane changes, improper brake / turn signals, illiteracy of highway ethics and the like. Alas, its better left unsaid. Whenever I take a higher capacity bike on this route, what I generally wait for is the last few kilometers before the famous toll booth. This section offers some of the fastest straights and coincidently I have been lucky with scarce traffic on these sections every time I have taken a ‘big’ bike. What we managed yesterday was 4 gears red-line and 5<sup>th</sup> gear 9,000 RPM on the Hayabusa. The 600 on the other hand clocked speeds in excess of 200 kmph. The Busa was very confidently grounded even at those speeds and returned some excellent feedback. But still the sheer velocity was enough to send cubes of ice down my spine even under the hot circumstances. I was the first to reach the toll booth. I had done a similar run on the Fireblade a couple of times before this. But this experience was something that I’ll never forget for times to come. My pillion tells me that we hit the 300 kmph mark, a benchmark that many wouldn’t even dare to think of in our country. I could say nothing. A couple of tears did roll down my eyes, inside the helmet. But that was it, I didn’t have any room for softness. The emotions would have made me weak. There was still more to go. A bigger task in front, that of taking a Tourer through the curves of Khambatki, as if it were a race bike. Kiran and Priyub hadn’t stopped at any of the small regroups that we had in between nor at the refueling station. It gave them enough advantage to cross the Khambatkis before we reached the toll booth. We all regrouped at the toll booth and we rejoined by Kiran and Priyub. Khambatki was waiting for us. It was waiting to throw at us, some very good curves. We were ready to take them with the same affection we have every time. What was different this time though was, gravel on the curves, slow moving traffic on the fast sections and even some slippery coolant on one of the corners that usually has a very fast entry. But we dealt with it with some very good riding, and more important, very good team work. The leader as usual was indicating hand signals wherever required. In spite of all the hurdles Khambatki was conquered in no time and not a single rider was lost. The heat was getting worse as the hands of the clock moved. It was time for some refreshments. The regular Dhaba we sit at welcomed us with open arms again. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">While the food and drinks came, we were all very excited about the way the ride had progressed so far. What had been planned earlier was, multiple laps of the Khambatki and back home. But because the ride till now was done in good time, we started toying with the idea of marching further into the Wai ghats and conquer some more land. Without doubt, the idea was soon turned into practice and we set out for Wai – Panchgani. As we approached at the at the foothills of the Wai ghats, its was time to refuel the beasts with gasoline. With the riders and their beasts refreshed, it was time to set these ghats on fire as well. Unlike the Khambatkis, these ghats offer an even greater threat – two way traffic. As you climb uphill, there is a much faster army of illiterate family cars and public transport vehicles heading down straight for you on the narrow road. If you intend to go fast on these curves, you need to follow a fast line, which is very difficult considering the oncoming traffic follow none. The route till Panchgani was finished at a very fast pace with not much traffic attacking us. What was going to be difficult now was the route to the final destination – <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Mapro</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Garden</st1:placetype></st1:place>. The Sun was slowly getting over head as noon was approaching. The route to Mapro is tarmac laid through woods. The tall trees and their arrow headed branches and leaves were blotting out the sun rays. We had to ride in shade. Such scattered shadows can be very dangerous particularly because its gets very difficulty to analyze the curves, their banking, the bumps, the pot holes etc. which are some of the worse enemies when it come to high speed riding. But we were not to be beaten here. We took the road and we took it fast. I was red lining the Hayabusa even in the curves and my pillion was hanging on for his dear life. Every bump and pot hole was sending enough rebounds to lead to tank-slapping, but we were still going flat out tackling them with as much strength I could use in my wrists. It wasn’t a different story for the others riders as well. The rest of the body weight was being used to tackle the steering of the bikes as the curves got faster and faster. The traffic was increasing and so was the denseness of the shadows. As the reading on our trip counters was increasing, the reading on the Mapro milestones started decreasing. We reached Mapro finally. So far so good. Along with me, it was Priyub who had reached. The CBR 600 followed. Kiran and Speedy were racing each other and went all the way till the end of the Wai ghats stampeding everything that ‘didn’t’ move. As I, Sagar (my pillion), Priyub, Morphues and Yatin (his pillion) decided to settle, we got a call from Mad Bawa. His brake hydraulics had suddenly failed and he ran wide on one of the curves. He was a little shaken up and didn’t want to ride further. Sam was with him at that moment. I and Sagar mounted the Karizma and went back to look for them. Thankfully, we found the rider and the ride standing on their feet. There was no physical damage on either of them. It was Mad Bawa’s confidence that was majorly damaged though. I rode the Beemer back to Mapro. On the way we saw Speedy and Kiran coming back for us. We regrouped and returned to Mapro. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At Mapro, Bawa opened his tool kit and started healing his beast while the rest of us decided to grab more refreshments. Speedy was busy ogling at the beautiful Oracles the great Mapro-land had to offer. Loki (another pillion), in the meantime, had decided to take Bawa’s case and was enjoying every bit of it, while Mad Bawa hated every bit of it. After some good time at Mapro and some good refreshments, we decided to head back to mother land. I was the first to leave among the group as I accelerated through the straights connecting Mapro to the ghats. After some ‘Isle of Mann TT’ kinda ride through the ghats, down to Panchgani, I was stuck in traffic. Kiran gained advantage over me and joined me in Panchgani. The Hayabusa had developed some altitude sickness till then. She had started fluttering and was not delivering much power. However, she had enough power to hit the road downhill. I and Kiran were feeling like kids with wooden swords. We fought all the way downhill. Sometimes like kids, sometimes like pilots in a dogfight and sometime like racers on a race track. We reached back to the foothills safely. My wrists were paining as if they had gone trough some third degree police torture. Talking of police, as soon as we reached down to foothills, some traffic police had caught some over-loaded people carriers. We parked in the shade of a tree and got off the beasts to relax till the others came back. The cops came, not for any legality, but to check out the bikes, the armor we were wearing and the likes. They were overwhelmed to see such stuff. By the time they back to the ground, the other bikers reached. Finally, Wai had reached the same fate as that of Khambatki. What followed after that was quite and slow ride back home. The roads had been conquered, unbelievable speeds had been reached and great team work had been showcased. Once again it is proved, that what has been written or said above, cant be understood easily, until you RIDE WITH THE ANGELS.</p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Xeqx78w-8xVwvzH0ZoDZl04BXSbb9BmtLAyXAebTE-ivcQHAEL6VpiHa_06ph2HjfbCqcEfj82H3hxZSzNzaRIXw4Nzyt0kaj1ATpOwMhK9L_4-Tr8elqIJejpuvpy3BPbr4Jg/s1600-h/25032007214.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Xeqx78w-8xVwvzH0ZoDZl04BXSbb9BmtLAyXAebTE-ivcQHAEL6VpiHa_06ph2HjfbCqcEfj82H3hxZSzNzaRIXw4Nzyt0kaj1ATpOwMhK9L_4-Tr8elqIJejpuvpy3BPbr4Jg/s320/25032007214.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046184062544723298" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">The SEVEN riders and the beasts<br /></p>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-11639874729188840002007-03-05T08:41:00.000+05:302007-03-05T08:49:39.988+05:30You, the fire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZUrg8NKjGzLBTLqQgqxoEdhE2_JsNl69icXWypOmNlTCADVa2QmS58MmWgh95V1Of7pHCSs-ftzer2mTqe6JC9aUhe_UdKkPU1sVYuDBnirt5_PDvGDK2gePpRK5vWRaF7VwvA/s1600-h/Fire.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZUrg8NKjGzLBTLqQgqxoEdhE2_JsNl69icXWypOmNlTCADVa2QmS58MmWgh95V1Of7pHCSs-ftzer2mTqe6JC9aUhe_UdKkPU1sVYuDBnirt5_PDvGDK2gePpRK5vWRaF7VwvA/s320/Fire.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038274507649148562" border="0" /></a>U may have eyes full of fire,<br />that depict a lotta things,<br />from an ambitious desire,<br />to the brightness of eclipse rings...<br /><br />Like fire is ur zest,<br />burning till the last particle,<br />a zest that transforms into actions,<br />sometimes brilliant, sometimes impractical..<br /><br />Like a slow burning fire,<br />I feel ur presence,<br />a comforting warmth,<br />and a bright enough luminance...<br /><br />unlike the wildfire in the woods,<br />u spread happiness all around,<br />its not the grass but the sorrows u burn,<br />but even that makes me run like a frightened hound..<br /><br />The words that u use when u fight,<br />just like a flame, r so sharp,<br />but the way in which I hear ur words,<br />to me they sound like a well tuned harp...<br /><br />I know u resemble the fire so well,<br />and like fire u like to behave indeed,<br />but remember that for a fire to dwell,<br />just like a human, even it needs to breathe...Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-940054021699893422007-03-05T08:40:00.000+05:302007-03-05T08:41:21.160+05:30Facts to remember<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >L</span>ife is like an algorithm,<br />as things r dependant on each other,<br />the right action at the right time,<br />can guarantee that the flow of life is smoother..<br /><br />everything happens for a reason,<br />and the reason can sometimes be unknown,<br />but life will always show u a signal,<br />its u who should understand whats shown..<br /><br />Everything around u evolves,<br />and u r expected to do the same,<br />as time will wait for no one..<br />The one who moves on is the winner,<br />the one who lingers is lame..<br /><br />Time heals everything - they say,<br />but time can also hurt,<br />hence ur inner strength is what will help u stay,<br />else be ready to bite the dirt...<br /><br />As blades wait to cut ur throat,<br />I want u to gather all ur strength,<br />cause Life today is a battle of sorts,<br />u have to fight before ur soul rots...Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-75551967386812836352007-03-05T08:29:00.000+05:302008-03-09T22:52:09.663+05:30Chill and Warmth<span style="font-size:100%;">On a very chilly night in early December 2006, I was returning home late from a friend's place. It was so cold that I had a very hard time even crossing 30 kmph on Karizma !! Hence I got my cell phone out and wrote down my experience with a little rhythm to it and with the same feeling of 'insane love' that I have for all my bikes.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Chill and Warmth</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />Its a cold night out here,<br />and roads have no life,<br />its just me and my dear,<br />trying our best to thrive..<br /><br />I see trees by the roadside,<br />and they exhale a cold breath onto me..<br />I slow down on the roads which were fast before,<br />n every detail on them I can see..<br /><br />she knows how much I love her,<br />n she journeys with me thru this cold night,<br />still talking in her smooth voice,<br />as she rotates every step further,<br />without a hint of fright.<br /><br />this night is really cold n dark,<br />as the stars too hide behind a black blanket..<br />her heart beats to create some warmth,<br />enough warmth to provide some comfort..<br /><br />but the chill is winning,<br />as it grips every finger n thumb,<br />her warmth cant reach my hands,<br />hence they start going numb..<br /><br />I know her balance depends on me,<br />and hence I fight against all odds,<br />but now I wish this road to end,<br />and that is all I pray to the gods..<br /><br />This aint the last time,<br />when we journey together,<br />but lets go home today,<br />cause I cant see u wither..<br /><br />Tomorrow is a new day,<br />and we start a new journey,<br />and thank you for today,<br />good night, I love u my honey..</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-15343650256233060772007-03-05T08:18:00.000+05:302007-03-05T08:29:30.397+05:30For the Fireblade...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7YQYhCxQofj9I0NlngZ-wf-XsD183BfdBEY58S8rkH_hUHIzdJ_LiOHlzDsCLlnpoX0FbHJJzxfczyQkB9McsRxZq4AtmkyYmB8oCXnStnz04b-8ZD-QWrnEHlbob62Bf8tQZQ/s1600-h/929.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7YQYhCxQofj9I0NlngZ-wf-XsD183BfdBEY58S8rkH_hUHIzdJ_LiOHlzDsCLlnpoX0FbHJJzxfczyQkB9McsRxZq4AtmkyYmB8oCXnStnz04b-8ZD-QWrnEHlbob62Bf8tQZQ/s320/929.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038268473220097666" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">These are some more thoughts I wrote in regard to the 929 RR Fireblade :<br />(Ppl close to me might relate a lot to what I have wrote)<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">The Insanity is back !!</span></span><br /><br />From the bowels of Earth<br />and the fires of hell<br />she's taken a re-birth<br />as she cracks open the shell<br /><br />she is hungry for long<br />and I have hibernated through time<br />I have so missed her song<br />as she sings in a melodious rhyme<br /><br />that sparkle in that grin<br />those eyes full of pride<br />her strength till the brim<br />in her they still reside<br /><br />The roads will burn and so will souls<br />with so much force that the body rolls<br />in her there is no power lack<br />beware all mortals, the insanity is back !!!<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Intimacy</span></span><br /><br />Do u understand the language,<br />the language that goes vroom..<br />If u havent heard it yet,<br />then hear me when I zoom..<br /><br />I talk to her now and then,<br />and ask her out everyday..<br />And never has she said a 'no',<br />letting me enjoy all that I may..<br /><br />Her beautiful skin,<br />and her sleek curves,<br />one sensual touch of mine,<br />and she red lines into endless shivers..<br /><br />I kiss her a good nite,<br />and greet her a good morning,<br />with great joy she cranks up,<br />and jumps around roaring...<br /><br />her loyalty knows no bounds,<br />far superior than 'bitches' n hounds,<br />a love for me as always narrated,<br />in all love-stories that are top rated..<br /><br />I love her more than you all,<br />n by now u consider me insane,<br />but if u dont understand the language of vroom, buddy,<br />whatever u speculate, is in vain..<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /></div>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-76186286385421073632007-03-05T00:10:00.000+05:302007-03-05T00:13:03.865+05:30Angelic SatanAs the darkness falls upon me<br />I can hear the Satan's chant<br />Just when I thought I was born free<br />'U r a slave' is his rant..<br /><br />They say there is light at the end of the tunnel<br />but all I can see is brightness getting scarce<br />my life feels bottle-necked going down a funnel<br />all around me is reducing space..<br /><br />I wish he had a heart that could understand emotions<br />but he knew of heart breaks so he took his precautions..<br /><br />They say he believes in God like we do<br />mayb thats why he is after us<br />for God's creations he wants to undo..<br /><br />Lets hope we can survive in the reverse pentacle<br />cause just like us, Lucifer afterall is a fallen angel...Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-1166370023851480112006-12-17T21:06:00.000+05:302006-12-17T21:28:07.650+05:30Change !?You think I have changed a lot,<br />this is something the world says too,<br />its just a phase in life my friend,<br />its hard to find whats false, whats true..<br /><br />You say my way of talking's changed,<br />and silence rules my tongue much more,<br />its not my way of talking, friend,<br />its just my throat thats gone sore..<br /><br />You say my eyes are now red with hate,<br />and love n care r left aside,<br />but its not what u think my friend,<br />they r just red stains of sorrows inside..<br /><br />You say my attitude towards life is different,<br />and I've started behaving like a pessimist,<br />what better proof of optimism can I give,<br />when I even welcome a dense fog like a morning myst..<br /><br />Dont call a 'phase' a 'change' my friend,<br />'cause there actually is no change in me,<br />'cause if I do change then you will see,<br />what a change in me can really be...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8080/2616/1600/556812/Change.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8080/2616/320/432916/Change.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-1165203068034879892006-12-04T08:56:00.000+05:302006-12-04T09:01:08.036+05:30Negative MetamorphosisSome time back I told I love you<br />but for you these words were nothin new<br />nothin now remains of what I said<br />'cause my love for you is turning to hatred...<br /><br />A thousand things I did for you<br />'cause all this time I deeply loved you<br />to nothin' positive these things have led<br />n slowly my love now turns to hatred<br /><br />I have cried several a time<br />but you dont give a dime<br />no more tears now will I shed<br />as my love for u turns to hatred<br /><br />For you I have gone through a lot of pain<br />through summer, winter and heavy rain<br />I lay on a thorny bed of roses red<br />as my love for u turns to hatred<br /><br />Now I have to give some time to me<br />a lot more in this world is left to see<br />you showed me how harmful love can be<br />what an illusion it was to think of 'we'<br /> <br />I never ever felt this day would come<br />when apart from u I would think of some<br />I promise, Tomorrow when I wake up in bed<br />All I'll have for u is hatred...Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25099593.post-1165202759405080232006-12-04T08:55:00.000+05:302006-12-04T08:55:59.416+05:30The Wait<div style="text-align: center;">I felt lonely,no one in sight,<br />to call my own,someone just right,<br />a whisper,I always heard,<br />which in a way,is weird.<br />'coz for years i searched and sought<br />for answers in vain,<br />but all I got was a tormented heart and a lot of pain,<br />A soul here and a soul there,some tiny reflection reaching the core,<br />A scattered pattern,a kaleidoscope of emotions,yearning for more.<br />Amidst this,I stand,seeking solace,<br />just waiting for you or deaths embrace.<br /><br />----<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8080/2616/1600/524746/Turbo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8080/2616/320/586667/Turbo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">written by my close friend</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">TURBOCHARGED</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">a.k.a</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">PRAVEEN BHADE</span><br /><br /></div>Rashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371606922076084063noreply@blogger.com0