Short breaks, light diet, engaging chats with co-riders must to avoid accidents: Expert rider

The recent accident on the Meerut Expressway in which a pillion rider from Nagpur fell asleep and died has once again brought to the fore the issue of safety on lesiure or adventure trips primarily by amateurs. Seasoned rider Nikhil Lanjewar, who quit his job as a software engineer to pursue his passion, shared his expertise with TOI on the various factors that make riding pleasurable. The 37-year-old strarted going on solo trips in February 2021 and since then, has covered over 40,000 kms, riding 10,000km on his 17-year-old Bajaj Pulsar 150. He is always on the lookout to connect with locals over food, stories and jamming sessions.

Excerpts from an interview...

Q. In what way have you gained from riding?

A. It has given me freedom because during Covid times I felt very restricted due to non-availability of public transport. I can go to any place. Riding has also made me responsible. Looking forward and looking around is what I ride for.

Q. What are the reasons for the many accidents on highways?

A. No matter what, you must take responsibility. It does not matter if you are riding solo or with someone. If you are feeling sleepy, it is your duty to take a break. Our body always gives us early signs. There may be other factors too like a heavy meal. The ideal diet before riding should be anything that is light and preferably simple to digest. But again, you should align all this with the purpose of your ride.

Q. How can one control hallucination?

A. If your landscape changes, your visuals change and you will not feel fatigued as your vision refreshes. Before a ride, if you are sleep deprived, if you have consumed any intoxicants, if you are going through some mental stress then you have hallucinated. On one of my trips, I was not in the right frame of mind but due to some compulsion, I had to take that ride and my bike came very close to a truck. After that I took a 15-minute nap. To break the monotony, one should speak with someone, listen to music or sleep for some time. There are times when your body does not support you. Whenever you get any sign, just stop. Last week, on the Meerut Expressway, a pillion rider fell asleep and fell from the bike and died.

Q. Can accidents be avoided if a rider has a Bluetooth helmet communicator to chat with his co-rider?

A. I don't think technology helps anybody. Ultimately, it is a human being who is operating the technology. If priorities are not set then I don’t think technology can help. I did a Spiti Valley ride with my 8-year-old daughter last year. How can one teach her Bluetooth or related products? We did not use any system to stay connected during the ride. I told her that if she feels sleepy, she needs to tap my shoulder and we would stop and take a power nap. I even told her that falling asleep is perfectly fine as it’s a body response and she doesn’t have to hide it. I feel technology is not here to solve problems, it is here to make things better. The basic thing while riding is that you must take responsibility. You need to know what you are riding for.

Q. What precautions should one take before and during a ride?

A. There are two aspects to riding — the human and the machine. Both should be treated with utmost respect and care. One should not be sleep deprived, intoxicated or in a bad state of mind before the ride. Similarly, your machine should be ready with all the check-up done to perform well. During a ride both human and machine must take periodic rest. Rest allows you to re-calibrate the distance you are targeting in the next lap and plan the next stoppage accordingly. Riding for more than 90 minutes is counter-productive — it is not good for both the machine and the rider. I take a 15-20-minute break. It also depends on what time of the day you are riding. If one is riding around noon then it is better to take more breaks as the engine heats up and you may feel dehydrated. I do not travel between 12pm and 4pm. I usually take a break at a roadside dhaba with a cot (khatiya) and take a nap. For me, the best time to ride is early morning and late afternoon to night fall. You must ride in the night only if you are confident. Night riding is okay as the road quality and bike mechanism has improved with the presence of the anti-braking system (ABS). If one is on a long ride then every 500km lubing is a must for your machine.

Q. In what way does a riding gear help?

A. Initially, when I started riding, I used to wear a cotton shirt and a four-metre dhoti thinking it is comfortable and that the loose piece of clothing was a feel good factor. The fine dust that touches our skin at high speed causes fatigue and to avoid that, a riding gear is a must. Riding gear means the full body is covered including hand gloves specially designed for biking. When all these things are taken care of then the rider feel protected and rides with a free mind.

Q. What kind of safety gear would you suggest for riders?

A. One should always opt for certified accessory or add-on gears. Such products are tested thoroughly, and a lot of research goes into it before the product enters the market. In the US, it is more regulated and there is more awareness. Unfortunately, in India, we do not follow much of such standards and we also do not preach. On the positive side, we do have CE-certified gears. CE stands for ‘conformité européenne’ (French words for ‘European conformity’) and is a global authority which certifies gears for different levels.

Q. How important is luggage testing before embarking on long rides?

A. Luggage testing is an exercise I follow before my rides. In my next targeted ride, I am keen on camping. Generally, I carry my tent, but I have never used it much. But this time, I want to camp somewhere at the Malshej ghat. It’s important for me to dry run all the scenarios like checking ergonomics — while parking, like what I will need first if my bike gets punctured, what I would need first in the morning, so on and so forth. Every rider should do luggage testing before starting the journey.

Q. Do special add-ons in vehicle insurance help?

A. These days, everyone has life and health insurance. And as a biker, it is good to have separate accidental insurance. Even my Chartered Accountant advised me to have this insurance looking at the way I am living my life. Insurance is made for the worst case scenario. And in that scenario, you yourself do not know what will happen to you. So, it is better to have insurance for your bike and yourself. I have travelled 40,000km so far and touch wood, I have not had a single skid or a fall. It is not like I ride slowly. If I get an opportunity, I touch 120kmph. Slow does not necessarily mean sluggish. Slow means mindful and safe.