Motorcycles- 2 stroke or 4 stroke

Got into a interesting discussion with a new colleague of mine about motorcycles. He is young and like many young enthusiasts looks at motorcycles as "power" machines. He is one of the worshippers of two-stroke machines purely on the premise of the so-called power. 

Over the years of riding my bike, this is what I have come to believe- even a monkey can twist the throttle and as one grows up, things like bike dynamics, cornering action, wider powerbands, long distance touring, reliability, decent fuel economy and a concern for the environment- all factor in. I would have no problems accepting a 2T bike that offers all of this but the current crop of 2T bikes are worthless in that regard. They may be fast but dont offer anything beyond that. People have to let go off the past and accept new technologies and in fact believe that being a "petrolhead" and a environmentally conscious person is not a dichotomy anymore.

I have never been a speed junkie though I do enjoy bursts of it (albeit responsibly), but like Rossi has proven, to win races one need not be the fastest, he just needs a cool head. And always remember, even monkeys can twist the throttle.

Ride safe.

Judgement Day- September 30 2010: My two cents about what it should be

Too much has been said anyway, so this is only about what I want. Wishful thinking yes,  but it stems from a hope for my country and for our generation.

This is the eve of the judgement day for the Ayodhya dispute. The Allahabad High Court decides tomorrow the fate of the issue that has been raging on for many decades now. An issue that shouldn't be an issue. Why should religion be such a big issue in the 21st century? Why should this supposed "dispute" be more important than any other issue, like say, education or poverty? Why should the parties involved get so much undeserved attention and publicity for something destructive? The reasons, also the reasons for halting India's progress in the modern world, is that people in India are too attached to religion, castes and what they call "tradition". 

If any of these fanatics or even what one could consider a "religious" civilian ever tried to understand history, they would know that traditions and religion have been very fluid and not one concrete entity. So what are they defending? A hollow and empty vessel- too much noise, little substance. In our country, most problems stem from people's attachment to these illogical beliefs, ideologies and self-imposed dogmas, from female infanticides, honor killings or even in the choice to be a vegetarian. The Ayodhya issue is created by politicians and jobless religious crazies bent upon trying to influence people on things that needn't be paid any attention. India has come far- the new generation is balanced in its beliefs and mostly knows how stupid these "issues" are. I hope this reflects tomorrow in the verdict. I hope religious fanatics lose on both sides and on the site, a school or hospital is ordered to come up instead.

Dont bother to comment if you want to teach me a lesson in "traditions"- 'cos that would mean that you have no idea what you are or I am talking about. Have fun living in your dark ages.