Coelacanth's Final Ride

[AgentX]

When I got to India, I was greeted by Matt at the airport.  Great dude and we had a lot in common.  He joined my search for a motorcycle when the idea seemed crazy to every other American we knew; he was a rider (and a moto-journalist) from way back; I was a newbie/lifelong-wannabe.  I jumped first, on a 2010 UCE twinspark 350.  Reliable and easy.  He followed up with a death blow...a classically gorgeous, custom-built black and gold-pinstriped 2002 with red enamel between the fins of its polished drum hubs. 

And, months and much agony and many spare parts later, he had a sweet-running bike.    He named it the Coelacanth, since it was a non-evolved relic running around the [sorta] modern world.  It took him to work and back and on long rides in the area and beyond, including our epic Ridermania and Rajasthan trip with the local bike club.

Yesterday, alas, was the Last Ride of the Coelacanth.  Matt's leaving the country and arranged to sell her to a friend's father, who promises to take good care of it.  We had a morning to make it good.  So we took a moment to replace a missing exhaust bolt (a classic Coelacanth move) and headed out in the morning.

Rode through the old fortress and headed out to the country to find a particular temple where people make a certain wish that we found amusing.  Skirted a gorgeous lakeshore that we didn't even know existed just a few miles from our homes.  Rode across a dam in the morning light, and found our temple.  Then we roared down the 2-lane highway until we decided to take the plunge into the real country and hit the tiny roads and dirt tracks you find out there.  Returned via another highway and a huge system of overpasses which give a fantastic view of the city and make you feel like a bobsledder.

Alas, we were light on the pics, since we were generally just having too much fun to stop and take them.  But here are a few I thought I'd share; most are Matt's own.

Stopping by the lakeshore and its Clash of the Titans scenery



Coelacanth basking in the morning light



My street-tracker becomes the nomad-tracker courtesy of tank bag



Matt and the Coelacanth pause for a moment with Shiva



Finding our way



Srinivasa Cool Point. I did not find it so.



Hitting the country roads, where I do my thing





And the astoundingly nice pavement, where Matt covers hours tirelessly and gives the Coelacanth its quiet mid-week send-off.

[Jack Leis]

 Great story and even greater photo's.