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TRIP 0 KM ‘Damn, this isn’t exactly a small cruiser, is it?’ I said to Kyle with my eyes set on the generously proportioned Suzuki parked outside. To my brain, a smaller Intruder was something much smaller. This isn’t small. This is a full-size cruiser. ‘Rides well, though, and definitely looks the part’ said Kyle. First impressions without a kilometre on it? Well, it’s got the quintessential modern-day cruiser look down pat – shiny V-twin taking centre-stage, ginormous chrome pipes providing vocals, plush seating, flowing lines and a beefy, raked-out front. I promptly kit up, hop on and the heft doesn’t escape my attention. Thumbing the starter, I awaken the engine with a low, muffled thrum and ease it towards the gate. Kyle leaves me with a ‘Ride safe, man!’ shout-out, in a manner only true-blue Bulleteers can manage.
TRIP 0.02 KM Exit the gate and there’s chaos outside, courtesy the Mumbai metro project. This could well be a war zone in the middle of Libya, and yet, it’s somehow functioning. Rickshaws pass by within millimetres and commuters cut across my path, but it doesn’t matter – I’m already at ease in the M800’s saddle. This is good.
TRIP 24 KM Office was 17 km of heavy traffic, but it felt more like 3. All I could come up with to say to myself was – ‘This is so darn comfortable!’ on loop. The saddle is more like something Ikea would offer you as a couch, the ergonomics are spot on for any rider of average height and the V-twin, though not exactly the strongest around, is responsive and enjoyable. The suspension eats up pretty much everything our roads can offer (and they do offer a lot) but the raked out front has a tendency to flap hard over rough surfaces. Onwards!
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