Genesis...

This blog will be a record of my personal experiences in riding around Sri Lanka, beginning with Colombo and Negombo and any further adventures I get up to as the ride goes on...

Sri Lanka isn't exactly motorcycle friendly even though the majority of the population call a motorcycle there personal mode of transportation due to mostly economic reasons. What I mean by this is that the traffic and the uneducated motorists pose a very high risk when riding in Sri Lanka. It can be said you invite danger when you decide to ride a motorcycle, and some may say it's part of the appeal of riding one...also wherever in the rest of the world one rides, it is a dangerous undertaking to be sure.

I'm not complaining, but telling it as I see it...Another issue being the restrictions on registering motorcycles with higher capacities than 250cc...In most countries people would laugh at the restrictions we face here...Supposedly now there are legal ways to register motorcycle's up to 1000cc but involves hefty sums, political connections, clearance from the Ministry of Defence and other such ridiculous things that motorcycle enthusiasts in Sri Lanka are all too familiar with.

I still haven't been able to clearly get an idea of what is involved in getting a motorcycle of 400cc registered legally, which is my planned upgrade from the 250cc I currently ride.....and speaking of current ride, let me introduce her? it? him?...(I haven't bothered to name my motorcycle, even though it being my first will have a very special place in my heart).

I currently ride a Suzuki Volty 250 (2008), since July of 2013. As my first motorcycle it has been the most forgiving instructor. And when you get up there with the throttle it doesn't pull any punches. In short the perfect first motorcycle. Quite a lot of these in Sri Lanka but rare enough that you only see one once in a while. My heart says to keep it even though I plan get another higher capacity motorcycle. But the reality of that would be one of the motorcycles going into disuse and disrepair.

This first post has gone longer than I intended to write. So I will end it for now with a small note on the blog title I have chosen to use. Any fan of motorcycle culture around the world and especially of outlaw motorcycle clubs will know what a One Percenter is. Wikipedia summarises the meaning succinctly as follows,

'Some outlaw motorcycle clubs can be distinguished by a 1% patch worn on the colors. This is claimed to be a reference to a comment made by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in which they stated that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens, implying that the last one percent were outlaws.'

I will go into why i chose this phrase as my blog title in more detail another time...and till next time

May your knees, be in the breeze today!