For this third-year BA (hons) psychology student of Ambedkar University, New Delhi, Taranpreet Kohli, his bike Yamaha R15 version 2.0 is very special as it is his first. “The brand name also makes it special, as Yamaha is the second best company in racing bikes after Kawasaki,” he says.
When his parents presented him with a bike, it took him two long years to save his pocket money and modify it according to his desire, to get the best out of his machine. Money and patience were his biggest challenges. While he had some knowledge about modifying bikes, his friends pointed out good mechanics to modify the bike. Like every other passionate biker, he too connects with bike groups and has been on trips to Murthal, Agra highway and a few other places which this 22-year-old says was “very adventurous and thrilling. But I could not remain in those groups as they started ultimately started racing, whereas my idea was just to ride and not race.”
He has a custom-made racing cowl, which was the first ever for an R15 version 2.0, a K&N stock replacer air filter, a Daytona exhaust, an NGK iridium spark plug, original Yamaha levers (from Billet), a tank pad and a wider rear tyre than the factory version. Taranpreet is specific about using branded parts and says quality matters much, as the usage of original parts not only gives performance, but also increases the life of the bike. Taranpreet’s safety measures include using a wide rear tyre and always wearing safety gear, like knee pads, elbow pads, gloves and helmet. He advises people not to opt for less quality spares and not risk on safety. “Wear proper gear before riding and follow traffic rules. Life is precious, don’t speed on busy roads,” he warns, quoting the well-known line of traffic police’s safety campaigns, “speed thrills but kills”.
— malavikkasridharan@gmail.com