Ataco

Bought on April 6, 2026 from Jaipur — the showroom's last 400cc piece before the lineup in India moved to 349cc. You can't buy this exact motorcycle fresh anymore. I didn't plan the exclusivity; I'll take it.

I watched YouTube riding content for years before I owned a motorcycle. The shortlist kept growing: Yezdi Scrambler, Royal Enfield Scram, Himalayan, Classic, Hero Xpulse. Each one had a nickel I couldn't swallow — not enough power, or spoked wheels which means tubed tyres, or in Yezdi's case, after-sales support that just wasn't there. The TVS RTX 300 made the list too, but no showroom could give me a test ride. I don't buy a motorcycle I haven't ridden. That rule is non-negotiable, so that was that.

I took delivery in April, which in Alwar means riding straight into a furnace. Who rides summers in India? Most days it just stood parked. Still clocked about 1000 km in the first three months — rides around the city, the occasional run to Delhi. Bigger trips wait for weather that cooperates.

I ride in the daytime, full stop. At night, on two wheels, any animal can appear out of nowhere. In daylight at least we see each other coming.

Haven't dropped it yet. Came close once, parking — I'd turned the bars away from the side stand. The stand holds the bike so upright there's barely any margin in the stance. Lesson burned in: bars go toward the stand, every single time.

Rode the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride on May 17, 2026 — classic and custom motorcycles raising money through Movember for men's mental health. A month into ownership and already part of something.