Aug 31, 2007 11:50 AM
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Ride Guide to America edited by Greg Harrison; Whitehorse Press; Price: Rs.1, 125; 288 pp Although annual sales of automotive two-wheelers across the country are zooming, rising from 430, 000 in 1991-92 to 7 million in 2005-06 (79.19 percent of all motorised vehicle sales), the vast majority of Indian bikers use motorcycles for commuting to and from work.
However there is a small but growing tribe of serious bikers who are beginning to take advantage of subcontinental climates to ride undaunted up mountainous slopes, down deep valleys, testing deserts and other unfamiliar terrain. With India belatedly entering the era of cross-country multi-laned highways, daredevil young bikers are beginning to criss-cross the country on zippy new generation motorbikes flooding the Indian marketplace. But the new-age Indian biker is largely unaware of the hazards and pitfalls of biking.
Unruly truck drivers, bandits, vehicle thieves, naxalites and terrorists are among the dangers that lurk on the nation’s unpoliced highways. Moreover there’s a serious dearth of journals, blogs, books by Indian authors on the subject of cross country riding, with most automobile magazines devoting their columns to technical mumbo jumbo.
Only recently have some young entrepreneurs promoted motorcycling websites such as https://xbhp.com, https://oktatabyebye.com, https://indianbiker.com, among others to disseminate information about roads, rides and associated trivia. Against this backdrop Ride Guide to America offers a good model for Indian publishers to follow. It features over 200 pages of information about best motorcycling trails in the the world’s largest motorcycling nation.
From California to New England, Rocky Mountain High to Texas, Ride Guide to America informs readers about the most rider-friendly roads and highways in a country blessed with the world’s best road and highway networks. A unique feature of this compilation is its detailed maps and point-to-point outlines for each of the 36 excursions recommended.
These proposed rides across the US offer bikers challenging trails along scenic shorelines, mountainous terrain and into deep valleys and deserts. All excursions are illustrated with high-quality, full-colour photographs. RGA also offers 40 detailed, topographic road maps to help riders follow recommended routes and anticipate the terrain they’ll encounter in the Pacific Northwest, California, Rocky Mountains and the Southwest, Texas, the Appalachians and the mid-Atlantic, and New England. Admittedly RGA is of limited utility to Indian bikers, as it unfolds the exotic roads and rides of America.
But it is likely to stimulate footloose and fancy free bikers to visit and experience America’s amazing highways. The chapters titled ‘Loaded for the Road: How to carry stuff on your motorcycle’ and ‘Ride smart: Tips for street survival’ are particularly interesting for riders worldwide. These chapters discuss and differentiate various types of backpacks, tank bags, rear-seat bags, saddle bags and other motorcycle paraphernalia useful for long distance, cross country bikers everywhere.
Neatly sub-divided into six sections based on the regions of the US, RGA also contains a compilation of travel articles published in the American Motorcyclist, written by experienced bikers for bikers. To aspiring travel writers and publishers intent on cashing in on India’s automotive boom, RGA provides an excellent template, with valuable information, maps and biking advice.
Particularly interesting is the section on a biking excursion on the Big Sur Highway through the rugged Rocky Mountains and down into Texas hill country. The route like all others in the book, is brought to life with attractive colour photographs and evocative descriptions.
Topographical maps illustrate the highs and lows of each ride, and easy-to-follow point-to-point directions project distances and help to keep riders on track. This marvellous compendium also features utilitarian articles for biking enthusiasts.
Essays on safe riding and touring, packing luggage, listing of best equipment suppliers and manufacturers make RGA a valuable resource to make motorcycle trips complete and exciting. For Indian bikers gradua-ting from the commuting to biker era, the market is ripe for a similar compendium detailing the country’s most biker-friendly highways, given the fact that more than half the nation’s population is below 24 years of age. This group needs to be encouraged to travel and gain supplementary learning on the road.
