For the longest time, I had successfully convinced myself that I didn’t need a motorcycle.
My logic sounded perfectly reasonable.
I already had a good car. It was comfortable. It was safe. It had air-conditioning. It protected me from dust, pollution, heat, and unexpected rain. For long drives or city errands, it did everything I needed.
So in my mind, the case was closed.
Why buy a bike when a car already serves the purpose better?
But life has a funny way of quietly rearranging our beliefs.
The Ride That Changed Everything
A few weeks ago, I met my college friends for a reunion. Instead of the usual coffee-shop nostalgia or dinner conversations, we decided to do something a little crazy.
We went on an 1100-kilometer motorcycle ride through the Himalayas.
And that ride changed something in me.
Anyone who has ridden through the mountains knows this feeling. The moment the engine starts humming, the wind brushes past your jacket, and the road snakes through valleys and forests—you realize that riding a motorcycle is not merely transportation.
It is an experience.
You feel the terrain.
You smell the pine trees.
You sense the temperature dropping as the altitude climbs.
You notice things you would completely miss inside a car.
There is a rawness to it. A freedom.
Somewhere during those mountain curves and long stretches of open road, a thought quietly crept into my head:
Maybe I should buy a motorcycle.
The Midlife Realization
I have just crossed the halfway mark of my life.
That realization makes you reflect on things differently.
When you are younger, life is full of “somedays.”
Someday I’ll travel more.
Someday I’ll learn that skill.
Someday I’ll do that adventure.
But as the years pass, you begin to realize something important:
Someday must become today.
And that’s when I decided.
It is time to add a little thrill to life.
Buying a motorcycle is not about practicality for me. I already have a car for that.
This bike will be about joy.
About adventure.
About occasionally heading out on long rides, maybe exploring farms as part of my 100 Farms project, or riding into the hills with friends.
The Kind of Bike I Want
Once I decided to buy a motorcycle, the next big question appeared.
Which bike should I buy?
I had a few clear criteria in mind.
First, the bike should feel manly and bulky.
I don’t want a slim commuter bike.
Second, it should have presence. When you look at it, it should have that oomph factor.
Third, it should be powerful. I want enough power to comfortably cruise highways and overtake without stress.
Fourth, I did not want the old-school “dug-dug-dug” Bullet style engine feel. While those bikes have their charm, that’s not the experience I am looking for.
With these filters in mind, a few bikes were automatically eliminated.
The First Contender: Himalayan 450
The bike that immediately caught my attention was the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450.
There is a lot to like about this motorcycle.
It is a beautifully designed adventure bike.
It looks rugged and purposeful.
The suspension is excellent.
It is designed to handle rough terrain.
And it has received fantastic reviews from riders.
Most importantly, it looks like a bike meant for exploration.
And I love that.
The Himalayan 450 also feels like a safe decision.
It is already in the market.
Thousands of riders have tested it.
The issues have been largely ironed out.
If I buy it today, I know exactly what I’m getting.
The price also sits comfortably around ₹4 to ₹4.5 lakhs, which feels reasonable for a premium adventure motorcycle.
So logically, the Himalayan 450 should have been an easy decision.
But there was one small thought nagging me.
The Shelf-Life Question
The Himalayan 450 is not brand new anymore.
By the time I buy it, ride it, and keep it for several years, it might already be approaching the latter half of its lifecycle.
I prefer buying something closer to the beginning of its product lifecycle.
Because I only plan to buy one motorcycle, not keep upgrading every few years.
If I’m investing several lakhs, I want the bike to feel relevant and fresh for a long time.
And that’s when the second contender entered the picture.
The Temptation of the Himalayan 750
Royal Enfield is working on a larger Himalayan 750.
This upcoming motorcycle promises something very exciting.
More power.
More torque.
A bigger engine.
Better highway performance.
For someone like me who enjoys long rides, that is a big attraction.
A larger engine means:
Easier overtakes on highways
More relaxed cruising
Better performance when carrying luggage or riding two-up
A bike that feels effortless even at higher speeds
The expected price is somewhere around ₹5.5 to ₹6 lakhs.
Which means for a little more money, I could potentially get a much more powerful motorcycle.
That was tempting.
Very tempting.
What I Don’t Like About the 750 (So Far)
However, the Himalayan 750 is not perfect in my eyes.
In fact, there are a couple of things I’m not thrilled about.
First — the looks.
To be honest, the current spy images make it look like a nun wearing a black veil.
I know that sounds harsh, but the design doesn’t excite me the way the Himalayan 450 does.
The second issue is the missing motocross-style front mudguard.
Adventure bikes traditionally look more aggressive with a raised front mudguard. Without it, the 750 feels slightly less adventurous.
And then there is the front wheel size.
I personally love the 21-inch front wheel on adventure bikes. It handles rough terrain better and gives the motorcycle a taller, more purposeful stance.
But the Himalayan 750 is rumored to come with a 19-inch front wheel, which is slightly disappointing.
I sincerely hope Royal Enfield releases a more hardcore adventure variant later.
The Risk of First-Generation Bikes
There is also another concern.
Royal Enfield’s history shows that first versions of their motorcycles often come with teething issues.
Over time, they improve dramatically through updates and iterations.
So buying the first batch of a new bike always carries some risk.
But sometimes, life also rewards people who are willing to take a small gamble.
The Final Decision
After weeks of going back and forth in my head, debating with myself, reading reviews, watching videos, and imagining different scenarios…
I finally reached a conclusion.
I will wait for the Himalayan 750.
Yes, it might take a year before the bike launches.
Yes, the first version may have minor issues.
Yes, the design may not be perfect.
But the larger engine, the additional power, and the longer product lifecycle make it worth waiting for.
In the end, this decision came down to one powerful idea:
Delayed gratification.
Instead of buying what is available immediately, I’m choosing to wait for something that aligns more with what I really want.
And sometimes, the anticipation itself becomes part of the joy.
The Adventure Begins Before the Bike Arrives
Interestingly, the adventure has already begun.
Not on the road.
But in my mind.
Every time I see a long stretch of highway, every time I watch a motorcycle ride video, every time I remember that Himalayan ride with my college friends…
I imagine the day when I’ll start my own engine and head out on a journey.
Maybe into the mountains.
Maybe across farms.
Maybe just into the open road with no destination.
Because sometimes the best journeys start long before the wheels begin to roll.
And for me, that journey has just begun.
