The Desert Bandits

The title is used with apologies and (I hope) the permission, of the small band of die-hard bikers in Dubai, who comprise this group.

I started this blog more than 4 months ago and I cannot believe that I have not written on a topic that is so close to my heart. It has been almost two and a half years since I got my riding licence and a motorbike, and a bit shorter since we started our Friday morning rides. For those of you, who do not indulge in this activity, a lot of what is to follow will not be very interesting and you are free to surf further or choose another blog to read. For the rest who persist in reading on, this blog will try and illuminate my fascination with getting onto my "iron horse" and thundering down the highway of life. How else can one describe the feeling of being on an open road, just after dawn, with the black ribbon of freeway stretching ahead as far as the eye can see, and the speedometer needle inching further right than it should. The wind whips pieces of loose clothing into a frenzy, and pushes any exposed body part into the most aerodynamic form, as you slip through the air with a rapidity that is simply exhilarating. As you twist the accelerator upwards, the tiniest movement becomes increasingly difficult, and above 160 kph, only your eyeballs can swivel with ease.

A lot of people appreciate fast cars - but for me it has always been bikes (all bikes). Just the sight of a motorbike at rest increases by heartbeat, the sound of one, gets my heart racing. Many a times I have been fortunate to have had a near-miss, because I was so intent on following the path of one passing me by, that my attention was not where it should have been. A bike gives you the feeling of being one with nature, exposed to the elements, with differences in temperature and wind, dictating your progress. Very unlike a car where you are cocooned from the elements and quite often oblivious to the small wonders around us. Riding can however be extremely unforgiving as it punishes (sometimes severely) any mistakes or lapses in judgement.

Consisting of almost 20 regular members, this group has grown (unlike other such groups) only through personal introductions. There is no affiliation to a manufacturer or a make of bike. With so many riders, it has now become big enough to have its own momentum and the Friday rides continue through the year, even if only a few riders are present. The only impact the changing seasons have is on the start time of the rides in the morning (earlier in the summer!). Biking has built a fraternity of like minded individuals, who meet up, indulge in their passion, talk about their machines and enjoy each others company. One of the great pleasures is to stop for breakfast, at a "mallu" joint for some "saada chai" and "omelette naan". The more refined amongst us have a soft drink and a sandwich instead.

Very often the route is decided in the morning at the meeting place, and varies from a distance of 150 kms to 300 kms round trip. These rides have ensured that we have covered almost all 7 Emirates, and the vistas that I have been privileged to see, have quite often blown me away. The group varies in size from 3 to sometimes more than 10 riders on any given Friday. Even now I can picture in my minds eye, all these bikes either as a line of bright headlights in my rear view mirror if I am leading, or as a formation stretching away for kilometres ahead, if I am trailing the group.

To join this group there is no requirement to own a particular brand of bike, or even a similar type. The Desert Bandits have sports, mixed-utility, cruisers and touring bikes. All are welcome and all are taken care of. Every one rides at the speed they are comfortable with, and no rider is left behind. The group includes speedsters as well as others who prefer to stick to the legal limit. Personally these rides are a way to escape the quotidian stresses that our way of life imposes on us. As my vision narrows through the visor of my helmet, my mind frees itself in tandem, from its minor burdens, and the faster I go, the further behind my worries seem to get. At that moment nothing else matters other than the road, the bike and me hunched into the bubble of my fairing, to be as aerodynamic as possible. Very little noise seeps in through the protective cocoon of my helmet, and in fact a lot of my fellow riders have earphones piping their favourite music.

We have not yet managed to get the wider involvement of spouses and families, whose presence would only enhance the overall experience. I cannot count the number of times that I have wished that my wife were there to see the beautiful scenery unravelling in the early morning. The blues, ambers and reds of the sky and the different hues of the sand, that I otherwise would never have seen. Many is the time that I have stopped to capture the rugged scenery, but the resultant photograph never does justice to the grandeur of the vista as seen through our eyes. Actually, quite similar to trying to pen down, in this blog, the sensory overload of riding a performance machine – it has to be experienced first hand!

The first snap is of the original trio (all riding different bikes now) who decided to explore the Nations highways and byways rather than sleeping away Friday mornings. What started out as an occasional ride, has now transformed into an impromptu group affectionately called "The Desert Bandits", who share a common passion. The logo of the Desert Bandits is a work in progress (courtesy Neville Deboo), and the last photo shows the increase in our tribe (may we flourish).