Safety tech: the good, the bad and the scary | ThisConnect Ep 02 

Safety perspective at age 30: I had my first scooter (Bajaj Super) accident when I was 18. Skid on sand (hard brake) and hit my head on the pole. Saved by the helmet, which I put on to keep myself warm on a winter morning. That changed my perspective on Safety, Fortunately very early. After that I was saved two more times due to gear. But tbh, its not possible to wear riding gears for commutes everytime. I think the helmet, shoes and the attitude of not being stupid is what I rely on now a days. Recently bought a car, the 5* punch mainly for long distance commutes. Still in the process of discovering the last 20-30 bhp. Safety is unfair. Its like a game, where we have to give our best for 365 days a year for something that may or may not happen. But it takes 1 second for the opponent to defeat us. But then, who said life is fair. 🙂

In an era where our young bloods are having a smaller retention than a gold fish , these gizmos are most welcome. I love these podcast series, something better than 15 secs of dopamine. Thank you 🙏

Hello guys, good going! I am 37 with a new born baby girl. I have never been into biking but I use Activa for my daily commute. I recently got fixed the left rear view mirror which was shaking a lot! In an overcrowded “Always in a hurry and never on time” city traffic, I believe having vibration free good rear view mirrors at both the sides on the bike is extremely important! These podcasts will definitely bring such awareness 👍

At 25.55 shumi quotes atomic habits so naturally … that shows how in-depth these two gentlemen are and how educative are every words they speak . That’s one of the reason one keep visiting their podcast again and again to learn something new …

Awesome conversation 2 things I would like to share: 1. Touch screens are not that great for interaction while driving, it requires a constant glance to check whether you did it right or not (secondary distraction) whereas with hard buttons and knobs , we can have muscle memory built..without looking at the console it can be correctly used. 2. I am 34 and have a 3year old baby. I bought the Tata car precisely because of safety and Car seat was in place before he got old enough to sit in that. I have been riding bike since 18 but now I consider spending more on safety then putting LED in tyre pressure valve.. and there are so many things which I consciously do now then before. Thanks to you people for sharing the knowledge and spreading awareness. A big thankyou 😊

This feels like Shumi and Kartikeya having a conversation while I being present there. Love the candid nature. Keep it up guys. God speed!

I envy those who are REAL friends with Shumi !! Whenever I hear his thoughts, it all becomes so relatable. Like I am listening to my own thoughts. As far as my perspective on safety is concerned, I am 51 now and I learned to ride back in 1989. And from the first day I got my learning license, I am wearing a helmet. My uncle brought it for me from Delhi as there were no helmet shops in my locality. And from then till now I have only improved on my safety gear as my budget permitted.

Shumi is more than meets an eye., his intellect is admirable. He is the guy I want to sit down with a beer and talk about life and happiness.

The dark jokes are the reason to stick to the end in addition to everything else.

One thing I am absolutely loving about this podcast, is that I have seen glimpses of these topics and conversations in previous videos that Shumi and Kartikeya have done together, and I always wanted to hear more about what those conversations looked like in private when they discussed in detail So privileged and happy to be able to hear them through this series

I'm 31, and love going off-road. I always was listening to shumi talk about protecting ourselves on the motorcycle and why there should be no compromise in it. I have heard stories of people getting into really slow speed accidents and how their skull cracked open like a coconut. So cut to last Sunday where I was on the flat track and had a really bad high side, my 25k leatt 5.5 body protector saved my shoulder from a fracture. Nobody in the family understood the importance of it and thought I was a posh fellow with money to spend(I'm broke). Now they know I saved at least 50k in hospital bills and 6 months of my time pain-free.

I am 19, i have been riding since just before turning 18. My first vehicle was a fascino which i brought on the recommendation from a friend, put 7k km on it in the first three months and knew i needed something better. I was in the market for an mt 15 cuz of all the reviews, yamaha was very appealing to me, I knew my commutes are long so I also wanted something with good mileage and mt 15 was just fitting quite nicely in it also the price was good. I went to the showroom i didn't know how to drive manuals at the time so didn't took a test ride, put some advance for the booking, came back the next day with my mom, looked at the r15m moto gp edition, it was just sitting there staring at me and i knew that this is what i want. So went ahead and bought that. Just while taking the bike from the showroom to home, mind you i had no prior experience of driving a manual, on my way itself, i decided that i need a helmet as i was using a half helmet from steelbird at the time, so i just stopped at a shop nearby brought a studds thunder and some probiker gloves. I didn't know anything about sizing, fit, or any real way to evaluate gears but i brought that and i drove to my home stalling only 7 or 8 times in a 5.6km stretch. Fast forward one or two month later, i found out that bikes had a lot more than just going fast straight and traveling from one place to another and i was getting more enthusiastic about bike and i wanted to use it, i wanted to push it, all while trying to know more about it, i got exposed to all of these good content from motojitsu, yammienoob, powerdrift, revzilla, etc mainly to get my skills better but safety and everything was slowly getting ingrained into me. I would wear my helmet and my gloves everywhere. I knew i wanted a better helmet, and also better gloves. So after a while i went and brought myself an axor devil or something like that this time around i knew i am supposed to get a proper fit, i tried all the sizes, only the xs was like fitting me properly so i brought that. Rode around wearing that helmet for 2 months or so, it was a good helmet, but the view from it was really bad, it made me feel claustrophobic, it would get loose too even though it was an xs, it had good features, i couldn't see a lot of stoplights and stuff so after two months of trying to make use of 5k that i spent a an 18 year old i gave up trying and i knew that this isn't for me and it's doing me more harm than good. Around the same time i also got an axor gloves, they have been really good i still wear them to this day. So after switching back to studds for a month maybe, i decided to buy the mt blade sv4, i saw a lot of good reviews for it and it felt good, i went again to buy it and mt stocks are very low here so i had to travel 35km from where i live only to find out the place was like 11kms only. So i did do that and i brought a m sized mt blade sv4, i overspent on it but it is something that i don't regret to this day, it fits me properly gives me good vision, is comfortable and is honestly something i enjoy wearing rather than dread having to wear it. After a while i also got a rynox storm evo jacket, i was again not going with the intention of buying this i wanted a basic entry level jacket but this was a good product and it made sense for me and later on i brought a rynox storm evo gloves and i knew that i need to have boots too so i brought a bbg boot. The boot and gloves took me a little time to get adjusted to but it was fine and i also got a carbonado gt3 bagpack mainly because of its features and its compatibility with riding. Fast forward to a month ago, i got into a major crash, i have had two crashes before but they were not major, both happened on the fascino i had good helmet and gloves so i was saved with minor scratches on my knees and elbows. So this major one, i was going on an empty flyover this is a good flyover that is usually empty with good amount of twists and turns, i come here usually to just have fun as it's a very controlled environment for me, as there is very little vehicles, no pedestrians, well maintained roads and all. So i was going back home through the flyover, i could see this ktm from 1km before i got on, that it was trying to sort of race me, i didn't want to race i was just minding my own business as i usually do, going efficiently, trying to manuever properly with more confidence and hopefully speed too without risking anybody including me. So i get into the flyover there is a curve i am going like 95ish and i start rolling off the throttle to go in the curve and i feel that the control over the bike is just gone, and i crash then and there, my bike did made the corner ending up into a crash on the left side into the left barricade of the flyover, thankfully no one was hurt, i flew straight from the bike and managed to lodge myself in between two barriers for the ongoing and incoming lane, i got out of the hole i guess i can say that. I was literally just hanging in air i held both the barricades with my hands there was nothing below my feet, and i first tried getting up using my feet and i had this eerie sense that my leg is broken because i could not feel it pushing on anything, thankfully it was not my leg there just was nothing. Beneath me and i got out got to the side, got the bike up. My carbonado hardshell saved my insta 360 that was inside it but got ruined in that, my gloves tore in half with just a little bit of aftermath left on my right pinky, i would have lost my head, my hand, my left feet, if i was not wearing riding gears. But i only got hurt in my legs, thighs i have a good scar. I was able to start riding three days after the accident. What happened in that accident was that the ktm rear ended me. I wear my riding gears almost everytime I can since I brought them, it's inconvenient sometimes, it feels bulky and stuff. Its okay, you can be careful all the time and it's just 1split second that can make all of that useless. So if you have gears wear them, if you can't wear those gears and if you are fortunate and able enough to get gears that are comfortable for you do it, it doesn't make sense to buy a gear and not wear it or to wear it just to show off. Try wearing gears everytime you can, get gears that are comfortable for you and that work for you no matter how many good reviews that piece of gear has. Get gear that you'll wear Wear the gear that you have

Hey there, Mr. Shumi and Mr.Karhikeya I'm a 19-year-old who's been catching your awesome content on YT, both PowerDrift and Motor Inc. Lately, your insights have totally revamped my outlook on motorcycling, handling traffic situations, and road rage. Been riding more responsible and your podcast on speed limits...man thats pure fire...helped me gain a lot of clarity on maintaining the correct speed at the correct situation. I'm stoked to put your advice into practice in real life, and I aspire to reach your level of skill. Your perspective on motorcycles is beyond amazing! Best regards and keep rocking!

Great to hear this. Enjoyed thoroughly. I am 34 years old, riding for about 13 years now. Here are my thoughts on SAFETY: I am only a rider (never a driver). I am going to base this on Motorcycles solely. I do account for the safety features when I am deciding on a motorcycle. If I see that a bike (used) does not have ABS, I am going to take a pause and think it over. In my opinion we are in a Perfect stage of motorcycle Safety Tech Intrusion (Yes, I called it Intrusion). Currently every Safety Tech is protecting a rider for the "After", it lets you make a mistake (the "Before"). And I think that's the best. Whether its ABS, TC, RWLP. It all gets involved AFTER the rider makes a mistake. They separate the whole experience based on the 'Control Mechanism', a Rider is in complete control 'Before', it is only once the situation gets out of human capacity that the Tech gets activated and takes control. i.e. ABS can be achieved by a human by rapidly pulling and letting go of the brakes according to the corresponding speed and friction level of the contact patch of the wheels, but it is humanly impossible to do so. Hence, ABS does that for you. I like the current level of intrusion by Safety Tech. I do know that soon there is going to be more tech involved in it than we anticipate. For now, I am in control and that should be the only thing that matters. Can't wait to tune in to the next podcast. Keep riding, Keep being awesome.

Hello guys, loved the perspectives and conversation!! I am 30 year old, I have a 125 CC motorcycle and recently purchased a BMW 310GS, a steep upgrade :P. For me safety is so important that the day I booked my bike, I got a good helmet post thorough research and spent 11k for it and also got a riding gear, spent 16k. Have been advising all my friends who are getting bikes to invest on good helmets and riding gear. Recently on a ride with the bike fully loaded, I was making a small turn at 2 or 3 kmph and due to the road conditions, it slipped and eventually had to drop the bike while I hit the ground with my palms and knee peeling a layer of sand on the ground. Thanks to the gloves and the knee armors which took all of the impact. A fellow pillion (on another motorcycle) who was also geared up fully except for the gloves got inspired by the incident to wear gloves all the time. My drop was an awareness!!

I'm 39 and as this conversation goes on, I can't help but look back at how rash, brazen and absolutely ultra confident I was in my 20s. Jeez. And I have sobered down with risk taking but not with speed. Jeez. Age and experience does bring a lot to the table.

Loved this episode... So much to learn... I am 37 and I got a ₹ 8k helmet instead of my planned ₹ 2.5k and this happened only because of Shumi...

The chemistry between these two are incredible, Its feels like I am seating there

Something I learnt early on in my riding days is that you crash not because of anyone else's mistake, but every time you crash, irrespective of how many wheels you are on, it is always, always your fault. And this message being hardwired into me has caused me to be a calmer rider/ driver, because I cannot control the other variables, but I can control my motorcycles and my throttle and brake input and anticipate the thirty different things that the cars/ motorcycles can do around me which in turn forces me to be proactive, and not reactive. Forget about safety features, my motorcycles barely have enough brakes on them😆, and whenever I am riding, I have zero safety nets to fall back on, which is where I think both the bikes have made me a calmer, faster, better rider than what I was when I started riding a couple of decades back. But, and this is a big one, I usually ride alone, and this is why I am OK taking that risk, but when I have my partner with me, I will drive, no two ways about it. I have a Mahindra SUV, with the basic safety features of ABS, EBD, Twin airbags and an ISOFIX child mount. This I think is enough. One ADAS feature which I really think is important (for me), is the driver drowsiness detection feature, because all the others, at my age (pushing 41) are the learnings that we grew up on, and to me, seem gimmicky at best, and downright dangerous at worst. You guys are absolutely right, addition of safety features does not take away from the fact that stupid people will continue to do stupid things, just now under the misconception that they're now going to be saved because of these safety features. Case in point are all these cars with sun roofs and the kids standing out of them, or people putting their kids backwards on motorcycles/ scooters or parents making their kids stand between them when they are riding. You know what blows my mind? These same people reproduce, with absolutely zero consequences or penalties, merrily gallivanting around, snickering about what a daredevil their son is. Just... Anyhow, just loved the open laughter, Shumi and Karthikeya. Onwards and upwards, guys!

Loved the direct and honest points from Shumi and the deep breaths from Singhee visualising stuffs 😅 This podcast felt much more natural than the last one. Keep up the good work guys, waiting for the next one!

It's beautiful! Period. One suggestion is to increase the podcast timings as it is just Bliss to the ears. Kudos you both of you for educating us all. My cycle of life at 24: 1.5 years of owning Duke 390 and for safety, I follow Shumi's rule, I try to buy the best safety equipment that I can afford and save then upgrade and repeat.

Brilliant podcast, these topics are not discussed in the same way right now openly most of the time anywhere online, so to see an extremely well thought out intelligent discussion on the same is refreshing.

I could endlessly listen to you guys have these discussions. It’s a great topic, need of the hour; looking forward to the next episode.

Hey people , I'm 23 years old right now ,I'm a graduate , unemployed , i own a bike , i asked my dad to get one for me , thankfully he could afford it , for me in motorcycling Safety will be one of the most important parameter for me to decide , whether i should buy this product or not , apart from the value , i make sure that it meets the necessary standard for today's world , because down the line after few years those safety standards would obviously improve , so it would be dumb for me to ignore that as a cost cutting , when i can make my family buy a car/bike , i can always urge them to spend a few more money to buy and get that extra safety , so that both myself and my parents can feel safe while I'm on wheels . this my view on the product side , on a personal level as a motorcycle enthusiast , its more about how we feel connected to our machines , obviously I've had fun while driving at high speeds , i do that only when the road is empty and when i get the confidence to go that extra speed , when i consciously know that its unnecessary , yet i tend to satisfy my desire in a safe way , when there are bikes and cars around me , i always commute at the speeds that the roads allow and permits , rules and regulations are there to ensure our safety , there's no fun in being absolutely rash in a road , we may drive for fun , but for other people , their lively hood may depend upon this drive . i always ensure that my driving is in a state , where i can enjoy my ride and not to disturb any others with my enthusiasm . and once i got beyond the phase of speed and distance , driving slow and safe is more pleasurable than to rush in a hurry . 14:27 man that is dark , yet it's the bitter truth !

I am a father of 4 year old, I avoid two wheelers since my daughter's birth, sold my bike still kept the scooter for convenience. When I do ride it I keep my speed limit to 40-45 kmph even on comparatively straight and empty roads. In simple words, I over-compensate for others too. I live in outskirts of the city and If I have to travel for more than 7-10 kms(or outside locality) round trip with my daughter, I strictly choose car over two wheeler. In last one year I heard around half a dozen two-wheeler incidents where no driver was at fault and still received serious injuries. One broke his shoulder to undulation in road over a bridge(Bangalore), two other were victim of kite threads(Jaipur). I agree with you both, your priorities do change as you progress through life. For me Safety is the first and non-negotiable feature in any travel.

Thank you guys for making this video. I am loving this podcast, and I love the approach Shumi had at the beginning of the conversation. I think safety is a important topic to discuss not only form the perspective of safety gears but also form an idea about what I can do and what I cannot and what I should do and what I should not in a certain situation. I read a very nice quote somewhere "you may not ride like Rossi, but you can slide like him, so it is better to be prepared." I am 29 years old and I am going for a long trip which will be more than 5000 km, so I serviced my motorcycle(Yamaha FZs V3), changed every possible things (which were necessary) and replaced with a new one. Attached one handlebar riser, replaced the break pads with a sintered brake pads. And carrying some spare parts also. Still figuring out if any thing needs some attention. P.S. : I did not service the motorcycle for this trip only. I always make sure that I keep it maintained, while I am riding for long distances or city commuting. I think it is a very important to keep me safe on the road.

28 years old 2 wheeler perspective: Understood that my head is not worth the risk, haven't bought my own bike yet but got a AGV K6 and Alpinestar GPX2 because I knew that once the bike came into the picture I would put the money somewhere else rather than on the safety gear(since i m still not earning as much). I mean i would spend money on it but not as much as i did now for the helmet. Along with the bike still looking for a good budget jacket and riding boots then i would go for the riding pants when my budget allows me. My order of priority for riding gear 1. Helmet 2. Gloves 3. Jacket 4. Shoes 5. Pants Having said that on a bike abs is a must and once close to or beyond 400cc tcs should be an option i feel. 4 wheeler perspective : I studied a subject called Car body Design and Aerodynamics and everything that you guys said was according to what was taught in regards to weight and safety. I share the same feelings as Mr. Kartikeya but what people fail to understand or identify is that what are you using your car for. Is it to go from point A to point B (with in the city or long distances) or is it for track use or some spirited driving around the suburbs based on what you want to use it for the considerations for safety and the type of car would change for me.

11:20-11:40 that's a really good point. And it holds true for 99% of the riders in India. That made me think a lot about how I ride my motorcycle and in the end, made me smile. coz I used to think of myself as a 7 but I'm really a 3-4. I'll be more cautious from now on.

I started riding/driving at an early age. Rode like a speed high kid, had about 3 slipoffs to realise life is important. Hence promised myself before buying a d390, cause i knew, if i behave like before, i ll end up with most of my bones broken or probably dead someday. And d390 changed me to a very controlled, responsible motorcyclist. I approved my riding skills. After a few years, when i drive cars calmly my friend appreciated how smooth the ride was, he almost felt like the manual car was an automatic transmission and a lot of other things. Safety is the motive now. And driving/riding smoothly is a pleasure. When i hear you guys, the content is so relevant, the thought process is so much similar. I hope the community realises the importance of safety. If you look at people driving abroad like Japan/Europe, they are so disciplined. The entire story started at 15. Purchased 390 at about 24 when i shifted myself to a safer rider. Buying a xuv700 cause its more safer and spacious. Seltos was crossed out because of its 3* rating. About 31 now!

Loved every single bit of the conversation 😊 At the end I noticed that the video was about 40 mins long, could have listened to you guys for hours and learn from every bit without ever looking at the clock. ❤

I did insane amounts of research before buying my riding gears, and got my ECE-rated helmet ~1.5yrs before & CE-rated gloves a few months before I finally got my first bike. I've gotten so many stares on the road riding an old Pleasure with a SMK helmet and gloves. Got my jacket and pants soon after my Vstrom SX. Dropped it twice, and whenever I see the scratches on the palm sliders, I think that would have been my palm otherwise. I got Decathlon Trek 100 boots as a temporary fix till I can get a pair of riding boots that I really like, and this too saved my left foot once when my it hit a stone at slow speeds in a construction zone. Now eagerly waiting for RExTCX boots to restock.

Shumi's perspective about the world is so much different. 🙏

Answering that last question, I started with riding with no helmet until I realized importance of safety and bought a helmet later, then upgraded to a way better helmet, riding gears like jackets gloves etc. also even in city I never ride without shoes atleast.

Great going guys!!! I usually can’t wait and listen to these long videos/ podcasts, but Both the thisconnect videos have kept me hooked to the screen. Just feels like two very experienced people having a very open and casual yet honest conversation. 👍🏼

Taking about safety, my wife never used to wear seatbelt until I had a crash in my Ford Figo in 2019. I was at about 90kms and there was a Mercedes Benz C220D in front of me. I felt that spidy tingle and told my wife to wear seatbelt. My elder son was sleeping in the backseat and my wife was holding my younger son. Thankfully she listened to me and wore the seatbelt and not less than 2 mins after that, The Mercedes decided to randomly stop in that stretch. I slowed down but not enough to stop my car and I crashed into the Merc at about 75kms. SEATBELT saved my wife and my son. So yeah, Seatbelts are extremely important. I'm 34 now and I ride a lot. For safety I've changed my helmet and my riding shoes for my daily commute and when I go on rides, I make sure to wear proper riding gear and overall ride enthusiastic but also be responsible on the road and now act like how I used to when I was 18.

There are so many RU-vid vloggers (on perceived car safety) who need to watch this video immediately.

An awesome podcast, love shumi's brutal take on safety. I started riding at maybe 14, joy riding mopeds (TVS 50) in empty blocks with a big grin on my face. At 18 got my first bike, A Yamaha fazer which I used to ride around with a basic helmet (that was all the safety I had back then) . At 23, got an aspida L1 jacket and continued to ride the fazer. I'm now 27 and moved on to a KTM Duke 390 which scares the hell out of me 😂. With the ktm, I have now moved up to an MT thunder4 helmet and in the process of getting an L2 riding jacket & pant. I would very much like to keep my skin on me rather than on the fender of someone else's ride or the tarmac. Big thanks to shumi and PD for enlightening me about safety gears.

Two of my favorite auto reviewers on one platform.. Just waow. I am following you guys since you guys were on many different other platforms in the past.

Wonderful podcast. Loved the perspective on risk. I’m a Risk Management guy, very corporate and white collar. I remember being 18 on my pulsar 220 and thinking I was immortal and crashing at 135 kmph. That incident didn’t scare me (although the ghost of mistakes past does visit my wrist every winter). I bought a bullet 2 years later and kept riding that. It was only When I started actually making good money and contributing to my family that I thought that my safety is something that matters (self worth attached to the salary situation) and this went on for about 6 years. I lived in a weird state of fear. Not accepting risk as it is. I’m 31 now. I’ve got a wife and a 3 month old baby. And just last week I bought myself an RR310. It just felt like something that I absolutely had to do. The only difference this time was that I was looking at risk mitigation as a concept and fact of life. For the first time in my life I bought a serious riding jacket, gloves, boots, top spec helmet and riding pants. I may not be as light or as nimble but I know a lot more and riding a bullet for 11 years has made me a very patient rider. If it’s my family that’s travelling we’ll be in the car with seatbelts, child seats and airbags. But me,… I just want to fly once in a while. And come home in one piece to play with my son.

Loved the podcast !! I am 27, started riding 1.5 years back. Since then i have upgraded from a half face helmet, to a full face, to a ECE and DOT certified helmet (saving up for a shoie or arai now). For me crash is not a question of "if" but "when" and I just want to delay then "when" as much as possible. And "when" it happens, just want to reduce the damage (Will keep upgrading the riding gears). I totally relate to Shumi when he said motorcycle socks can make a difference even if it is 0.5%. I just changed my riding pants because the ventilation was not good in previous one.

I started riding when i was 12, and driving when I was 13 I was thrilled with all that power with no education available as it is today we had a guru (chapri pro max plus) in those old days who use to teach us how the machine works. I am now 32 and my mentality has drastically changed, I always liked a helmet when I was a teen cause it was fancy and I had the Valentino Rossi edition, slowly and steadyley I got a glove but that was it for almost 10 years. i ride crazy on the streets did everything that I shouldn't have the only thing we lacked back in the time was education. I am so glad to have folks like you who exist and carve out your experience in a entertaining way. I recently have spent around 54K on my gear but iwas happy doing that yes I had to cut corners with my budget for other things and I feel good when I am riding with my gear. i have passed the same sense to my child who has his helmet on whenever he is on a ride with me. Thanks Shumi & Kartik sir for such a wonderful podcast waiting to see more

Going through the episodes from S1 and I’m constantly grateful this exists. Just wish these had been longer 😊

Am at age of 32. i feel Safety is on us as how we ride and how we learn to be better at it.Bought the expensive helmet by going out of my budget.and i am going to add a best quality Riding jacket and shoes.Having a normal riding shoes but still i am planning to have it.The quote from f&f - i am living my life for that quarter mile 😉

I just love Schumi. The way he carries the conversation seriously while making kartikeya uncomfortable is really enjoyable. As for safety, I am into vintage motorcycles so only 2 of my bikes have abs or tc. I believe that one should trust ones best judgement, that has worked for me so far.

I really don't mind what the topic is you already know when these two talk there will be high concentration of knowledge Keep it up guys always there for listening ❤️

Very insightful conversation! I had a lowside skid while riding a couple of years ago, and safety gear definitely saved me that day. @Shumi, I remember DMing you on Instagram immediately after, and thanking you for the awareness about helmets and safety gear you'd generated through your PD podcasts back then. Here's looking forward to more insightful podcasts like this one!

Hi Shumi I have been searching for you after your sudden absence from Powerdrift. I was there only for you. Now you are here and so i am here. Thank you

I like this studio set up and more relaxed style better than the latest set up and formats.

13:43 im so glad Kartik mentioned this. This has been my argument all along with people on instagram. You are driving at a much higher speeds than the tests.

Learning so much thank you guys!! Next time I hit the o would definitely be a wiser rider all thanks to you. Lots of respect. Thanks for my changing perspective towards the electronics . 🙌🙌

This is such a brilliant episode! Absolutely love the conversation between the two! Kudos!

Smooth as butter conversation - sharp, knowledgeable and full of wit. Such a pleasure to listen to you guys discuss safety. Audio quality is great too! Keep 'em coming!

Every bit is worthy! Driving Classic 350(11yr old) - feels unsafe on open highway as reckless tech. loaded vehicles (as I can only control my part right) are around but feels super confident while touring on internal road like Costal road even though ghats and road curves. So absolutely agree on 'Know your limits'.

I'm 37 and have a Honda City (4th gen) and a triumph street twin. I had my first motorcycle fall on my Bajaj Avenger in 2006 when my helmet saved me. I bought the Honda City only for the mileage 7 years ago but my next car I'm definitely considering better safety. I always wear a helmet while riding my street twin, helmet is a Vega that I had during my RE days. Planning to upgrade to an MT soon. I had a little mishap when the motorcycle tilted while reversing it to get it out of my home, couldn't control it and ended up on my feet. I was saved with some swelling however Lesson learnt- do not wear crocs while on the motorcycle and had to buy basic riding shoes. in one of your podcasts, u mentioned, you have only two legs. Used to be careless about wearing a helmet and riding boots but now it's kind of a mandate on every ride.

What a thoughtflow @shumi....it made me hook to the screen though it was 30+ min video....just wow!!! to the way u put it across through seamless words

truly great video , learned a lot , (a bit late to respond as watching today after you have completed the series ) but at age 28 about to step into a married life , i truly feel safety and the way i think about it changed over time ,at 19 i used to be a very rash driver always trying to reach a wide and empty roads trying to do a wheelie or a stopie , later at 22 it got worse i was trying to do same on a busy roads, had some accidents too eventually learned my mistakes(never hurt anyone in the process though) , at 25 it was all about speeds and over taking cars and other vehicles , now i try to keep my self alert as much as possible always following road laws every where whether it be empty or crowded one , seat belts are a must on cars, and helmet on a bike ,i keep it clear the same for my pillion and co passenger , never cross the speed limit the car i chose is 5 star rated despite a less output engine ,as shumi said in later videos about how not getting on bike unless you are wearing complete bike gears well i cant do that yet as not reached to the point where i can afford those but aiming for the day to come .

Good job motorinc . Please keep it a pure pure enthusiast place .♥️

I am 25 years old, the way I ride and drive now, compared to myself at 18 years is so different. I seem to enjoy the quality of the ride. Now that I am DRIVING around the city often, I understand the necessity of the riders and drivers around me and respond accordingly. No more road rages. A lot more to learn, but yeah, enjoying this journey. There is much more to riding/driving than just speed. I recently got myself a pair of gloves and intend to buy a new pair of riding boots as well. Also doing a track day soon! Cheers you guys! :)

16:57, well said Mr Shumar

Age 40: Bought a Honda City Automatic, feels like it makes me drive more defensively, and happy with it, one hack i use is to put a "L" sticker in the rear, as there is no way i can get more space in the rear, as i could get as much i can in the front, but not in the rear, I have on quite a few occasions, people coming from behind, would be more alert, and use dipper or horn when they want to cross by.. which i felt is nice, which does not happen normally. I do ride a himalayan with a MT helmet. I completely agree with Shumi's words about finding risks and overcoming them makes us human, and empowered .... Keep connecting :)

I'm 40 and i feel like Karthik and i are similar in the way I used to insist on wearing seatbelts and helmets before it started getting enforced like it is now I'm not too concerned about safety tech in motorcycles cause they are, like Shumi said, the are invisible for the most front. We, as riders, need to become smarter. Cars, on the other hand, are getting so smart, were running the risk of drivers becoming complacent and unaware of their surroundings.

Ok, this time I made sure I had 2 cups of tea ready and on standby. Safety perspective at the age of 32: First actual ownership of a vehicle at the age of 27. Crashed it 4 times , the first being cocky and over estimating my skills like Shumi said. 2nd 2 wheeler after 2 years. Crashed it twice due to variables which I could not processed. 1st car at the age of 30 and had one accident when a truck decided to inch over to my lane in a 2 lane road while taking a corner. 3rd motorcycle at the age of 30 and no accidents till date. Every single time I got into a bigger & newer motorcycle, I did observe an increase in my riding skills being employed while riding. Something as simple as getting the perception and the feeling on the tip of the finger as you press the brake lever. Helped me go from 3 to 2 to single finger braking on the road. As for the latest purchase which I think I made a step towards more safety on the road would probably be my car. Since it was rated 5 * from the Global NCAP, I felt that my wife would have a better time adapting and sitting inside the cabin while I drive. I am yet to make a new purchase which would ensure a safer riding environment, but seeing that I am putting together a plan to do a track day, there will be a list of purchases which would take place soon.

You can learn something new everyday if you listen. This video was my learning for the day.

Good audio this time around. Had a question. Do you think that a low purchasing power is the main reason people don't spend on safety equipment or is it a combination of other factors as well and if so what could they be? Great podcast, loved it and all the best for the future!

I am 39, started riding a bike in 2004, driving a car in 2007. First thing that my dad told me when I got my first bike (Bajaj Pulsar 150) was to make sure that I never ride without a helmet. I have a crash or two, once a major one in 2008 where a bike guy randomly comes in the opposite lane and I hit him head-on. My helmet saved me. I have been riding long distances maximum being a 3000+ km ride in 10 days across South India. I do not ride without a riding jacket, a good helmet (I use AGV K5S now as I am able to afford it now). Even for a small 200-500 meters ride I make sure I do not go out without a helmet. I ride with my friends now over weekends and I ensured my friends bought a good riding jacket, a good helmet, riding pants, boots, gloves etc. I feel safety comes from inside us and we as people need to make sure we are taking care of ourselves. I love changing my bikes almost every 2nd year. Started from a Pulsar 150, moved to RE Thunderbird, then KTM RC 390, then to a Kawasaki Vulcan 650, then an XPulse 200 and a Ninja 650 and now post marriage :) :) I am riding a KTM Adv 390. Also looking at the safety ratings of cars, recently sold my Maruti (Nexa) XL6 and bought a Honda City. Happy Motoring Everyone :)

The best automotive content coming out of India rn.

Hey guys, thank you for bringing this topic up, I recently have been researching a lot about helmets and how the genuine ones can be differentiated from a counterfeit. My current helmet was an MT helmet with a sharp-5 rating/ece-22.05.p, and that's what I always thought was true and i had paid 9k to get this well rated helmet 5 years ago. While recently researching I found out that all ECE tested helmets have a label on the chin strap which indicates in which country the helmet has been tested. The interesting part is, the helmet that I currently have, does not have this label, and i was shocked to find this out. I'm not sure if this is a new rule and I might have bought my helmet before this rule was endorsed by the ece commission. It would be great if you guys can help me out on how I should go about getting my next helmet and with all the chaos created in the current market, which brands still sell their products in our country matching their global standards. Thank you :)

Safety perspective at age 24: I have a 150cc bike and was just ok to ride with gloves and helmet earlier. Sometime back I got a riding jacket and army boots for longer rides and the feeling of safety has increased by leaps for sure.

Polo was a 4* car with airbags. Euro spec was 5* My perspective about risk taking on the road started to change while I was in the last year of university. I just calmed down for some reason, maturity and experience perhaps Have always used seat belts and anybody who sits in my car has to wear one, even the rear passengers. It’s a rule. On two wheels, I believe in ATGATT generally, but helmet and gloves are a must even when going a kilometre.

Well firstly loved your conversation.. it indeed makes your audience think. I generally do not comment or participate in discussions but the last question from Shumi really made me comment here.. I can so much relate to the topic. I am 29 years old now. I loved bike/cars since my very early age and I cannot describe through words how much because of my limitations over English language. However I never attempted to drive/ride them maybe because of fear(safety) and obviously my parents never encouraged me to have one for the same reason. Though we did get a car(celerio) when I was in college but my attempt to learn driving failed miserably though I was in college and my brain is young enough to handle and manage the risk. I may be drove for 2 -3 months and crashed every now and then. I was terrible on it. Now, coming to present my life is completely different..I live in Hyderabad currently which you can consider one of the busiest city in India. With my current job and also that I run a small eatery it became necessary for me to get a commute. I was very afraid of getting one because of my past experiences, however I did gather some courage and bought myself an old avenger 220 cruise 2012. A commute that I thought would perfectly fit my 5'5 of vertical distance .lol. yeah I am a short rider too.. :( now calling myself a rider why because I started learning last October and during this period whenever I took it out for a ride I felt the best time of my life. I try developing my skills to eliminate self induced mistakes as much as possible but external factors is what makes me a nervous rider. I now feel more responsible than I was back in my driving days. I am more cautious while i am on road and I hardly can rate myself around 2-3 out of 10 as per my skill. May be this is what keeping me from becoming a better rider. But as I mentioned earlier it's the passion for automotive what I love to experience either visually or physically. I am yet to discover a lot from my avenger and understand it's full potential and I believe the learning curve will just go up and help me be a better rider everytime I hit the road.

First of all, love you guys and great to see Shumi again on YT. Well I'm 20 and ride my pretty motorcycle passionately. My approach towards safety is like that though it kills the fun, its necessary. What all I do for is like, my motorcycle hasn't got ABS, till I don't get it I never get to a situation where it can skid or slide, while killing the fun of going fast. Going fast is volentary, but staying intact is almost compulsary to continue to ride I feel.

Shumi has unbelievably good sense of humour!

What a brilliant second episode! Close to my heart as well. I could really relate to the electronics being seen as a safety net. I grew up riding motorcycles with absolutely no aides. So I learnt how to throttle out of corners without traction control or how to go from 80 kmph to naught with ABS. Since I skilled myself on those, my Multistrada 1200S’ innumerable electronics rarely kick in. And this is despite the fact that I am pushing myself on that bike to my abilities (not the motorcycle’s). And when I hop on to the 848, while I am scared for sure, I can manage to have fun despite not even having ABS. What have I done to ensure safety? The first car I bought was the Polo Highline back in 2012 because only the top end version had airbags in it. It was then an upward journey only from then. I have always bought the best riding gear I could afford. Always threw out foam protectors and inserted CE Level 2. Finally, I don’t think we will ever arrive at a funny autonomous scheme of things. It might happen on major highways or even some city roads 5 decades later. But think of the dense countryside network of roads we have. It will take a million years at least to eliminate the conventional vehicles and replace them with autonomous.

Well, I am planning to buy a bike. And there's something I remember from the channel Fortnine, and also from a forum. If you're planning to buy a motorcycle, buy safety gear with the money you have, and use the rest for the bike. Shumi also had a Simplified video, where he said buy the best gear you can, and don't worry too much if it's not exactly what you have heard of. I realise very well that buying the entire equipment for motorcycling in the most proper manner means about an 80-100k expenditure which I can't afford. So I got an SMK helmet which is compliant with ECE and ISI, and a good pair of gloves first. Both of these are far more expensive than I would buy if I didn't research things. People at my workplace get a great laugh out of it, because I'm buying motorcycling gear, but there's no motorcycle. But I feel that I'm not wrong on what I'm doing, so hopefully, I'll have the minimum amount of gear to ride my bike when I buy it. I'm 26, and this will be the first vehicle, rather the first big thing I buy from money I've earned. I think we should all do what we can to be safe but idn the end, the only way to be 100% safe while driving is to not get out to drive at all, so that's never gonna go away.

Lovely conversation. I’ll play. Safety is relative. As Shumi said, one’s perception of it can vary across a lifetime. Also like Karthik pointed out, car safety tests while being good aren’t really reflective of real world conditions. In fact, there are a couple of situations where airbags didn’t even open leading to grievous injury (search Team BHP). So I take tests with a pinch of salt. When I bought my car, I specifically looked for variants where they didn’t offer the touch screen and instead offered tactile buttons because.. a.) I wanted knobs that I could operate without taking my eyes off the road. b.) Any time a call came in, I did not want the big screen in the middle to light up and startle me out of my concentration on the road. c) I didn’t want my kids in the back seat destroying my peace of mind as they fought over who gets to reach over my shoulder and touch the screen to do whatever. Big bright screens are terrible for kids in the car. d.) More than the points in a., b., and c., I realised that I needed a touch screen for absolutely nothing at all. I didn’t want to check email or messages or even take phone calls when I am driving. All the basic conveniences I needed were already there in the car and they needn’t be operated thru a GUI. In motorcycles, I started riding after a hiatus of almost 2 decades. I immediately went and bought the very best gear that cost almost 60% of the price of my bike. I rode with all that gear for a long time. Then the COVID years changed my perspective. These days, I don’t bother with anything other than a helmet, and an open faced one at that. I have caught a lot of preaching from people about this. But I made a conscious decision to abandon gear for all rides that are less than 120 kms from home. 1.) The gear was simply stifling me. It killed all spontaneity and by the time I pulled everything on I had, most of the time, I had lost all interest in starting the ride. More so in our horrid weather. 2.) Ironically, a lack of gear (other than my helmet) has made me a far safer rider. And no, I am not just saying that. Where I would previously have done 80 or 90, I now do 55 or 60. I am now acutely conscious of the tarmac and never allow myself any complacency. Not wearing gear has opened my eyes to the journey and to everything along the way because I now seen no point in going anywhere fast. 3.) An open face helmet is admittedly less safe and I would certainly like the safety of a full face helmet. But my open face helmet gives me two things. First, the wind in my face makes me feel like I am actually on a motorcycle. Second, and this is more important, my OF helmet gives me unparalleled peripheral vision to sense the road all around me; and the reduced bulk on my head allows me to do frequent head checks without feeling like I am about to be decapitated. My open face helmet is a relatively expensive one. For the area of the head I choose to protect, I have chosen to do so with a helmet that exceeds ISI standards. But that is my choice alone and I don’t expect everyone to choose similarly. All in all, I choose safety aids and equipment that allows me to be safe through prevention (by behaviour modification) rather than by protecting me during or after the fact. It is all a trade off. If I wanted no risk at all, I’d better stop riding. Or driving. Or crossing the road for that matter. 100% agree with what Shumi said at 6:00 and at 36:24. We are rocketing into a future where we are trying to eliminate all risk. Not just in driving / riding; but in every aspect of life I might add. Asking that girl out and getting rejected was half the joy of journey. Now everyone wants a sure thing. No one wants to fail. Ever. I can’t imagine what joy is going to remain for my kids in their prime. The one point I want to make is that you can’t legislate intelligence. If people choose to ride sans a helmet and expose their main body part to fatal injury, then let’s please let them. I mean, the downsides of smoking are well known and we still let people smoke. So how is this different? Even using a fraction of your thinking bandwidth is enough to realise the positive difference that helmets make. So if you are choosing to ride without one, it is obviously a conscious choice. So why on earth are we burning tax payer money to protect idiots from themselves? (By the way, the smoking analogy is not entirely accurate. Smoking in fact directly risks the health of non-smokers around the smoker. Not the case with helmets. If anything, smoking is what should be banned and then thoroughly enforced.) Some incidental comments: @shu_mar… hey me too 😊; (architecture + urban planning) long abandoned = some other career stream. Now I am starting to understand why I like listening to you. All kidding aside, the study of architecture and urban planning is disproportionately deep as compared to the rewards that careers in them offer. But such study gives one an undeniable skill of going from big picture perspective to deadly details and then the other way around. Although I have never been a professional architect, the analytical and visualisation skills I learned there have ported beautifully to other areas and I use them to earn my living. @Karthik… I have always liked your videos. But in all honesty, I feel like I am seeing you for the first time. All your review videos, especially ones from way back, they all felt like theatre. Now this feels truer. Congratulations on that journey. You look settled, thoughtful, and there is definitely a deeper sense of humility visible here that was absent in your earlier videos from your previous orgs. Like for instance, you come across as being calmer than Shumi, which honestly amazed me; because he is thought of as the calmest of your clan. And don’t worry about your dad not giving you credit. That’s how the cookie crumbles. Mine still thinks that I am the world’s perfect idiot. And hey, maybe he is right.

My perspective: Age: 31. I use both cars and motorcycles. Cars mostly with my parents, cousin's families as passengers. Got my father to purchase a Vittara Brezza instead of a swift as it was a safer car. I purchased a bs4 r15 back in 2014 inspite of a bs3 option available for a lower price as my part for reducing atleast a little bit of pollution. I upgraded my helmets to a slightly better quality and change them every 2-3 years.. and invested in riding jackets and gloves. Safety Aids: Nay (in current state) I have always had my concerns about both manufacturers providing driving aids as well as using the term 'autopilot' to describe what is basically varying variations and combinations of lane monitoring system, collision prevention system and adaptive cruise control. Companies are marketing these things to avoid accidents by human error but as a professional software tester what really bothers me is that the layman doesn't recognise the potential for mass level accidents if a high severity bug was to reach the production environment (or the end user). Even if a bug has a probability of one in 10 million chances of occuring.. it will still result in multiple crashes within a week considering the number of cars plying on the roads for long periods of time. And what happens after a bug is identified? Should all the cars affected be grounded till the defect is fixed like in the case of aeroplanes? Who will and how will this grounding of vehicles be enforced? What will car owners have to do till said fix is provided? People have gained such premature confidence in technology that they are taking things for granted. Like always.. they only tend to remember their 'rights' and conveniently forget their 'responsobilities'. People forget that they still have to be vigilant behind the wheel at all times! They cannot take their eyes off the road. I strongly believe that there has to be a testing system which deems a person whether he is suitable for using a AI driven car similiar to a driver's license test or just add that to existing testing regimens.. how that has to be tested.. I do not know. I also believe that driver aids make drivers lazy and even make bad drivers more confident and relaxed about driving. Although the aim of AI is to make the latter part possible, I think there are negative sides to it considering that such aids are still in their nascent state and have not been tested thoroughly. Rigorous testing has to be done in line with airline software testing and manufacturers have to be held responsible for letting glitches creeping into the real world and also have to be held responsible in the manner in which they market their technologies and products. And there should be also be a fool proof legal framework which clearly defines who is liable for such incidents happening? The driver or the manufacturer or both? And how such crimes will be classified? I'm willing to wager that if such laws are ever made.. manufacturers will lobby heavily to classify such incidents as 'industrial accidents' instead of manslaughter - refer Will Smith's "I, Robot". If people do not wake up to this soon, there will be dire consequences. Also, when it comes to integration of "technology" into cars.. like telephone calling and touch screens. I have seen my cousins and friends take their eyes off the road because they're operating the touch screen or something like trying to stop their kid from meddling with the screen. Don't even get me started on viewing text messages on the car screen! Except for navigation, a screen is a dangerous'aid'. It makes me anxious to see people using the screen while driving.

Though new safety tech(ADAS n like) in automobiles is good, not sure if it's still useful in Indian driving/riding scenarios... From safety perspective i still think everyone 2/4 wheelers should drive/ride responsibly. Also not to forget our road infrastructure. Some tech like ABS are useful though

Also, thank you for calling out the helmet law for what it is in this context. I recall your PD (or was it OD) video on the helmet law and I didn’t agree with that end note at all. Its NOT a step in the right direction in my mind.

Cycle of life : 26 & bachelor. Perspective on safety : 40% of our safety depends on better roads, stringent lane rules and people behaving themselves. The rest 60% is on us, i.e., a calm head, traffic anticipation and always on the alert. What have i done to feel more safe : Upgraded helmet from 22.05 to 22.06.

Very relatable. I had a bike (Naked Gixxer 155 in the MotoGP livery) but sold it off due to safety issues when it was just 8 months old (in 2019) and with 10k kms on the clock. Very well enjoyed machine and now it's in good hands. Bought a car (MS S-presso) in Jan 2020, honestly one of the first S-pressos in Pune because I used to get a lot questions from people, passer-bys and glances. It served me well and was a step-up from a bike in terms of safety. But sheet metal was unbelievably thin - it would flex if someone would lean on it too hard. Nonetheless, did 25k kms in 2 years and decided to sell it off and go for the Vitara Brezza (March 2022) for its tried and tested safety and most importantly ISOFIX anchor points (for when we have a baby). Just completed 10k kms on the V. Brezza and it's really serving me well.

Hey. I'm at 20 currently. I learned bike at nearly age of 18. It was dad's Hero Honda Super Splendor 125cc from 2012. You don't need 1000cc bike thrill when you're just starting to enjoy freedom and thrill of riding bike of your own, 125 cc does it at first. I was wearing helmet with no riding gear, I was at 75 on a 2 lane road in a colony. I used to do that often that time. I nearly avoided a head on collision with the most reckless way possible with a pick up autorickshaw filled with 20L bisleri jars on a turning. Since that day I sobered up. I don't overspeed in general and if I do I'll be very responsible even if it negates thrill. Recently i came back from an interstate car drive on Renault Kwid, I just learned car driving recently like 2 months back, topped speed of 125 once, very unsafe I know on that car, yet my mother said I now drive more soberly and calmly than my dad with 30 years of driving experience. That's really an honour for me. Oh also I'm looking for Volvo car next when I'll be able to buy car. Bcs i heard it's the safest car you can ever have.

My perspective of safety at my age of 19 is that it's more about spatial awareness and the control I have on my motorcycle. Beign probably at the very start of the learning process as an enthusiast, I feel my safety is something that concerns not just me but how I view others or my surroundings while on the bike, as for the control, it's something that influences my ride every single day. My last purchase concerning safety were a pair of riding gloves I bought from royal enfield with the scholarship money I got from college. I'm proud of them and wearing them gives me a better sense of safety (these are my first riding gloves).

I am 9 days late exactly to comment on this video, coz I am that late in watching this one. Age 48, returning rider to bikes since 2019. Last upgrade for safety - better helmet. I remember multiple bruises when I was 18 and riding Vespa NV "special".. 😀.. not sure what was special. I still feel a couple of more things that our governments can stress for safety are - better roads, quick response to potholes, lane marking, qualification of road contractors, more mandatory things in vehicles for example in cars such as even dashcams (in China, as densely populated as our country, there is no settlement by insurance companies if there is no dashcam, there is even a challan on not having a reverse camera. The rules direct our state of mind in driving better - the necessity of it. Excellent "this-cussion".

Great podcast. One thing i would like to add is something for the manufacturers to think about and am sure others too will agree to this from a drivers standpoint. I found the passion of commuting and travelling through driving my kwid. From a safety standpoint point that car has negative safety rating if you ask me. But i always had the best and calmest and amazing trips in the car with my friends and my family. I went to Chennai to kanniyakumari and retuned the very next day. And my mum who especially enjoys travelling in an suv and only feels comfortable in an suv she relaxed a lot in the car as it mainly came down to driver to make the difference for her experience in that car which she refused to get on at the beginning of the trip. Common sense should not be a skill for driver to have but to be a driver u must have common sense otherwise you are just a nuisance to other commuters and fellow travellers in the expressway heck even in your own street. Second thing I want to say is soemthing i came to conclusion during the same drive. This was a week after we tested virtus for my neighbor and the neighbour told me the car having capacitive button to control ac is futuristic. The same guy didnt know how much he is pressing the plus side to increase temp he wounded making all of sweat in chennai heat. After that incident i went on that trip. I took a pee break and i saw plan go by. And started driving again few minutes after that. I was suddenly wondering what the pilot would be seeing out of his dash. And suddenly it hit me how insensible these capacitive buttons are to the car world. Its like controlling a submarine with a xbox controller. Thats how stupid it was maybe on paper it could appear has cool but from a user experience standpoint its quite frighting. Coming back to the pilot what i realized was if you could see in a pilots cockpit there are displays to show information but there are hundreds of tacticsl buttons for every single operation the plane could have. Every fine tuning is easier with a tactical feel rather than a using touch interface to control the levels. If you switch all the tactical buttons and knobs and leavers with touch screen no country will have a functioning airline anymore coz all of them become submarines pretty quickly. If so much safety and fine tuning is required a simple requirement such as adjusting the temperature should be effortless. It was effortless for me on the kwid to adjust the temperature as i go but the small distraction you get whilst using a capacitive controller can be fatal. What if someone steps hard on the break. Your reflex is taking a nap because your mind is concentrating on oh my back is sweaty. Even if you have 5 start rating car if you are distracted you might not be just killing yourself but you will end up killing a lot more innocent bystanders as well. All formula 1 drivers can drive as fast they can but jts the million buttons on the steering wheel thats enabling them to go much more fataer because its easier for them to fine tune it because after driving it a few laps there is a muscle memory so it because part of the driving its lot more intutive and the key word here is muscle memory. Am damn sure that muscle memory wont happen in a touch screen and lack of it has a huge potential to get distracted and involve in a crash.

Perspective at 29: I got my first bike Gixxer SF 155cc in 2015, initially I was damn excited about riding it faster, gapping between vehicles etc etc… once I rescued a girl who jus met with an accident she was not fast she was around 30-40 kmph, she was on gravel n tried to climb back on Tarmac road… unfortunately she skid n fell… her right hand glazed over the corner n when I picked her up I could literally see the bone… her muscles were all over my shirt… like a mini melts ice cream…. That’s when I realised how lucky I have been with all my stupidity… I feared running out of luck… the next day on same road I drove cautiously n it exactly took same amount of time to reach my college… of course I missed the thrill of being fast… but I knew I m not skilled enough to enjoy that thrill… I think acknowledging the fact u don’t have the skill to handle something is the first big step in being safe!!!

I can vouch for this 7:14 . I was sceptical about abs as well. I hadnt ridden enough motorcycles by the time i was out to get one for myself and abs felt to me as a restriction. I was adamant about getting dual channel abs and was more about saving the 20 grand until it saved my ass big time. On the way to IBW in the ghat section, a bus over shot its turn and came over into my lane forcing me to go off road and grab both the brakes. ABS kicked the moment i hit gravel preventing a crash. All facts spoken i honestly dont know how you could improve perfection further XD. Will definitely let you know if there is anything :)

This is so comforting, i watch it in my break from work, just takes away all the stress, kudos to you guys!❤

The biggest take away was that the safety depends on the nut connecting the seat to the handlebar. Who am I: Mid thirties, have a wife and a 3 yr old daughter. What I did? I am a biker but I didn't let my wife get a scooter. Because I love her, she didn't insist on one, and driving the car is safer for her and the child (in her car seat). The problem I face now is that we have spent a lot of money, she did her driving lessons, hit a scooter by pressing the accelerator instead of the brake, did her lessons again at a different school and she is still nowhere close to where I would want her to be in terms of driving ability. So now I am not much concerned about her safety inside the car and now I am more worried about the remaining road users outside of the car. How do we fix the bad learning environment that doesn't teach fully.

That's a wonderful connect.

With a spinal chord injured patient at home.. (a safe driver, who had a day of lapse without a seat belt). Can't agree more. It is our skill that is more contributing than any of the safety systems in place. That is the reason why I never listen to anyone who commenting on how I reach a destination 30 mins later than others. I am willing to lose that 30mins any time. ⌚

Let me give you a good laughter by sharing an incident and how I changed my riding after that. In my prime 20's I bought my first Motorcycle - Yamaha Gladiator. For me it was a mean machine then. Quick to throttle response, light and fast, it was versatile. One day when my blood rush was high, I met with a accident on it, jumped over a blind speed breaker right after a left turn at 50kmph, breaking my teeth (thanks to my helmet that it saved the rest of my face). That's when I decided that this bike will keep me always make me ride this way even if I want to slow down. That's when after a year's worth saving I bought my first RE Classic 350 (1st edition, 2009). It was heavy, slow to respond, no ABS, after 80-90 vibrated like crazy - all these parameters made me ride slow, and with this I became more responsible rider eventually. I behaved well on road, gave way to faster folks, calculated speed and braking power and made better judgments... Learnt a lot over the last 15 yrs... Now in my late 30's, I'm planning to shift to Himalayan 450. It's a chance I'm taking. A RE completely opposite to my 350cc. Will I continue to ride responsibly like I'm doing now or will I ride like 15 yrs ago - I'll need to wait and watch. 😅

I totally agree with that Octavia with touch screen AC button. I drive a 2021 Octavia. But indeed the car is awesome to drive.

Totally agree with Shumi here, my small little CB350 having traction control has saved me a number of falls and skids. Not at all a deterrent in my experience

Great podcast 😊 Just a happy observation - Karthikeya looks a lot more comfortable on this one than the first podcast... Keep growing 🎊

Come for bikes... Stay for life lessons ❤️

Enjoyed this video. I am 44 and it is true that the perception of safety has changed for me since 1997. I have been riding a motor cycle since 2010 after a break of 10 years. I also own a car and it i am still learning to become a safer rider and a driver. I enjoy riding the bike and driving the car. I have been spending a lot on riding gear for the last 12 years. I own a riding jacket icon Contra 2 jacket which i upgraded from a previous icon contra 1. Have a Alpine stars summer riding pant and touring pant from Powersports, have a mesh short cuff glove which I use for short commutes, when its too hot or raining. A full gauntlet leather glove which i use for touring. I have 3 helmets- 1 vega which i used earlier. AGV Sport Modular which is my goto helmet these days this is the most expensive gear i have purchased so far. 1 hjc rpha 11 which i rarely use these days.

I'm at my 20's, 23 actually and I ride a vehicle which does not have any electronics to help me with......but I learnt one really important thing, that if we make silly mistakes on road, like drive rash or drive just outside our skill level we maybe pass that situation for once or twice luckily but, LUCK does not will be with you all the time and at that time when luck doesn't show up there's a high chance that you'll also not show up in fit condition.

This is really enlightening conversation. Many thanks to you guys. Please discuss on overall indiscipline that we see on Indian roads and that is in turn making everyone's driving unsafe. Which makes all these safety equipments much much less useful.

At 24 : For me I am completely responsible for my safety, bcz as Shumi said way back "there will be idiots on the road & you need to accept it" & I have. In riding for 22 months. Used just THH helmet & gloves for 17 months, now using Axor Venomous, Rynox Tornado Pro & Pro Biker's knee guards.

As a teenager all I did was be a road Rossi, that too on a Thunderbird. In 2010, crashed head on into a stoplight, paralysing my entire right side. 6 months in the hospital and 3 years of physiotherapy, to this day i am still epileptic. Yes machines have become safer, but as always it’s our decisions that matter. A simple thing like maintaining distance between vehicles can make a huge difference and in India space is a valuable assets. At 36, I still find that i am not mature enough and at times behave like i was in my teens. I seriously need to grow up..!