IT FELT STRANGE. ALMOST WRONG.

After two full days in Goa, I was yet to spot a rider or driver ambling down the wrong side of the road. That is really bizarre, since, if my memory of Indian history serves me right, the State of Goa became an integral part of the Indian nation quite some time ago. AD 1961, right? How on earth are the Goan riders and drivers then staying on the correct side of the road? It just doesn’t add up. If Goans are Indians, then, logically speaking, they should be behaving in much the same way as other Indians across the country do. In other words, they should have the same healthy disrespect for all rules, especially traffic rules. And even more so, if those traffic rules relate to an awkward concept called ‘safety’. I mean, look at the city of Pune, for instance. Or Gurgaon (where I stayed for two years). Or even Mumbai, for that matter. Would you really think twice about pattering down the wrong side of the road because the cut in the divider is just too far ahead? No. Yet, the people in Goa think nothing of heading down to that distant cut in the road and then taking a U-turn. The point I’m trying to make then is if a bunch of people in one State of the Indian nation can do what is correct, then why can the rest of us in other parts of the country not follow suit?

In other news, it appears that two Italian brands are going to start retailing soon. The first of the two, and probably also the lesser known of the two – Benelli, have launched their products on 19th March and enthusiasts can now choose from an array of motorcycles that are not produced by the Japanese big four or have not come from Korea. At we have had the pleasure of riding five Benelli motorcycles and we can tell you that each one of those impressed us with its respective strength. Of course, there are areas for improvement in each of them, but for what they are meant to offer to their riders, the motorbikes are pretty good.

The other Italian manufacturer slated to enter the Indian market bears the iconic Ducati name. We have ridden several of their motorcycles over the past couple of months, ranging from the entry-level Scrambler to the Diavel Carbon (ride reports of which may be read in this very issue) to the range-topping 1299 Panigale (which we were the only ones from India to get astride and ride around the very technical Portimao Circuit in Portugal). We can tell you with some authority that these machines are phenomenal. Since riding them, we were convinced that if Ducati were to price their range right, then they would be tough contenders in the burgeoning high end leisure motorcycling space. Given the recent leak in pricing, competitors should take note that the Italians might just come fighting to the fray with a competitive set of figures. So, best of luck to the Indian leisure motorcycling space. As for me, more bikes to ride. Hmm. Life couldn’t be better.