IT WAS a motorcycle the size of the Derbi Terra Adventure that sparked my bike craze 20 years ago.
While my friends and I have progressed to bigger, more powerful bikes, I still have a soft spot for smaller motorbikes.
They are nimble, easy to maintain and light on fuel. So much so that I keep one even today.
It's a 200cc dual-purpose, four-stroke Honda, which has taken me to places like Phuket and to Terengganu on assignment to cover the Malaysian elections last year.
But why endure the saddle for 15 hours when you can do it in half the time on a big motorcycle? Well, it's about the journey, not the destination.
My aim has never been about whizzing past the landscape in a blur. I like to ride unrushed and relaxed, especially on long-distance journeys.
My love affair began in college, when I was asked to look after a 200cc Honda XR for a friend waiting to get his licence. It started a three-month-long love affair as I ventured off the beaten track in Singapore. It took me places.
Like the Chinese villages of Dairy Farm Road, the long trails linking Pierce Reservoir to Mandai and secluded fishing spots on our East coast.
Those were happy days.
Of course, all that was before forest rangers were equipped with dirt bikes to chase trespassers. Sadly, such a journey of discovery can be found only across the border now.
There are plenty of riding trails on private land there, provided you ask for permission first.
Covering the Malaysian elections on a motorcycle gave me a real perspective on the social and political landscape in Terengganu.
Most Malaysians were willing to share their stories with me, more so, when they learnt that I had come from afar on a small bike.
They felt their voices were important because a journalist had made such a journey to hear them.
There were practical reasons too, for my choosing this mode of transport. Some kampungs in Terengganu were accessible only by motorcycle.
The quickest way to get to a riot or rally was on a bike. I just could not depend on a taxi driver who may not want to risk being caught in something like that.
Almost Perfect
Yet, my bike was far from perfect.
Unlike the soon-to-be-auctioned 125cc Terra, it did not have carrying capabilities.
I can imagine venturing north on the Terra, which produces power similar to a 200cc motorbike.
Your belongings are safe in the three well-secured hard-shell Hepco and Becker boxes. Even after loading your gear, there is space for a pillion rider.
The tall windscreen shields the rider from some rain,wind and kamikaze bugs.
The Terra's dual-purpose tyres are useful for medium off-road riding, especially to remote villages or riding on gravel.
And should you meet with a spill, the Barkbusters handguards can absorb the impact.
So can the skidplate protecting the lower part of the chassis. Just kick the handguards into place and you're off again.
If I get a chance, I'll go long-distance on the Terra. You can too, if you are the lucky winner of the TNP$ auction of the $16,000 Terra Adventure.
