Of Handlebars And Hills

On His First Tryst With A Harley Davidson, A Biker Experiences The Dips And Highs Of The Catalonian Countryside

- Shail Desai

HAVING TAKEN MY HUMBLE BIKE THROUGH VARIOUS TERRAINS, FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF UTTARAKHAND IN EARLY SPRING WHEN the snow is just melting, to the sandy landscape of Rajasthan and the Indo-Pak border, I consider myself a seasoned biker. So, on a rainy day in Mumbai in September last year, I signed up for what I thought would be the pinnacle of my riding experience. After all, it is not every day that a biker is asked if he’d like to ride a Harley-Davidson through the picturesque hills on the outskirts of Barcelona city. Keeping me company on this trip organised by Harley-Davidson would be seasoned riders who tested bikes for a living, all of us astride models of the bike to be launched next season. There was only one catch: I had no experience of riding a Harley. all the kilometres I’d endured so far were on the pockmarked roads of India, on a bike with the temperament of a girlfriend I’ve wanted to break up with time and again. My plan now was to tail the seasoned bikers and make most of the experience.

For decades, Harley-Davidson has been a symbol of royalty in the world of biking. Even before the brand entered the Indian market, the bikes were well known for their rumble and the attention they demanded on the road. And this reputation—along with the fact that it is many a biker’s dream ride—was one of the biggest reasons I made the trip. Of course, there were also the sights of Spain.