Friend, Philosopher and Guide

Hope this letter finds my BI family in the pink of their health and happy.

Here is an interesting story I would like to share with everyone about my 10-year-old daughter, Ishaanvee. She has been in love with Bike India since the age of two (about which I had written you a letter which was published in the October 2008 issue of the magazine) and has a great liking for bikes. A few months ago, I borrowed the Yamaha RD350 belonging to a very close friend of mine and I took my daughter for a ride. After a few kilometres something suddenly triggered her to ask me to increase the speed, whereupon I turned towards a stretch without any traffic. She shouted, urging me to ride even faster, which I didn’t and explained to her that it was not safe to ride so fast.

When I asked her what made her urge me to ride fast, she simply said, “Sheer power and that sound of the RD. I want to listen to it more and more.” From that day, she has become totally RDfied. She has recorded the sound of the RD350 in my mobile phone and listens to it as if to a lullaby. She swears by the RD (we just have to say, “RD ki kasam,” and she is ready to do anything), compares every bike with the RD, and even used to call me ‘RD Papa’.

Now I have to keep borrowing the RD350 from my friend and I plan to gift her one of her own. I’m proud that I’m the father of a biker-in-the-making and hope that one day she makes a name for herself in the biking world. I thank you also for igniting the love for bikes in her and hope that in the coming years she gets featured in your magazine as one of India’s most skilled bikers.

Thank you, Bike India, for being our friend, philosopher and guide for the past 11 years.

Rahul Mehrotra, Allahabad

Dear Rahul,

We are glad that young Ishaanvee is such a big fan of bikes, and the RD350. As passionate bikers ourselves, we can easily relate to her adoration for the RD. Long may it continue. We are also happy to see that she has a helmet of her own.

except the axles. I have used a fourinch headlight with a yellow lens for a retro look. The battery is relocated under the tail cowling. The seat is shaped by hand from waterproof foam to give a low profile and comfort. All the designing, cutting and shaping was done by me, except for machining and welding. We are impressed by the amount of work you have put in. You have definitely transformed that commuter completely into a café racer. Keep up the good work!