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I enjoy motorsports of all kinds - four wheels good, two wheels better. And while watching them on TV (okay let's be honest Youtube, who even watches TV nowadays) is fun, getting to partake in anything even remotely resembling it, even in a highly truncated, totally superficial manner, is even more exciting. Earlier this year, I did a short 2.5 day off-road riding 'tour', and it was easily the hardest, most physically demanding 2.5 days I've ever spent on a motorbike. It really gives you a deep appreciation of people who do this professionally - riders who have mastered both man and machine. Enduro riding is particularly difficult - riding long durations off-road is physically and mentally challenging, and it also requires a skillset I most certainly do not have. I have mad respect for off-road riders. But then, there's also something called Hard Enduro. This might be the most ludicrous extreme motorsport of them all. It's literally in the name: Enduro, but harder. And by the looks of it, much, much, much harder. That cover photo of the above video perhaps tells you everything you need to know. It's described thus: "hard enduro puts riders and machines on tracks that many would find difficult to simply walk". I cannot for a moment fathom how these people do it. It's extremely high levels of riding skill, physical endurance, mechanical knowledge, but the sheer bravery and guts is something I still struggle to wrap my head around. However, something else about it fascinates me. Perhaps because there's so much inherent 'failure' built into this particular form of the sport, participants seem to also make much more effort to be mutually supportive, even helping each other when the need arises. And the fact that spectators are so close by, often also involved in picking bikes (and bikers) up, seems so bizarre. I cannot help but wonder if this collective supportive spirit is born out of an innate acknowledgement of the ludicrous, almost Sisyphean nature of Hard Enduro (sometimes quite literally as they are charging up an impossibly steep hill). Anyway, Hard Enduro is absolutely mad. And absolutely captivating. ~ Desmond

Have you ever found yourself obsessing over a fad or an object that you grow tired of after a few months, or even just after a few weeks? You feel as if you're entering one passing phase after another. When one ends, you feel tired and empty at the same time, yet you can't help but seek the next thing to occupy your mind. Is this a product of our connection/addiction to social media, in our endless bid to find the next entertaining or educational reel? Is it all just an attempt to find the next dopamine hit we constantly crave? (Disclaimer: I am not a psychiatrist.) About three years ago, a colleague of mine told me about how he, along with a few other guys in the office, went through this phase where they all got into the same hobbies at the same time. One such hobby was folding bicycles. Once one of them tried it, the rest of the group decided they should also buy foldies, so they could go on group rides after work. It's all about team bonding, after all. Photo: Dimon Blr, Unsplash However, if you don't make this part of your lifestyle, the novelty soon wears off. By this point, one of them had purchased more than two foldies, which are currently residing in his bomb shelter. Dissatisfied with the weight and performance of the folding bikes, my colleagues then acquired road bikes so they could clock faster average speeds. Cycling, however, takes up time. Time to gear up, time to ride, and time to put the bicycles on racks so you can ride in new places. So, another hobby was needed. Enter in-line skating. Why bother transporting bicycles when you can literally strap wheels onto your feet? Easier, right? Right. Photo: Naomi Tamar, Unsplash Next, someone suggested that apart from outdoor activities, they should also have a relaxing activity they can do at home. Hence, the obsession with aquariums. Water, filters, PH testing, air pumps, tank decorations, fish and fish food... they got into it all. Maintaining an aquarium is complicated (duh) and unless you learn how to maintain this ecosystem, the inevitable will happen. The poor fish slowly died out as the passion for the hobby fizzled. Mea culpa I'm just as guilty of getting into things and tiring of them quickly. When I bought my first full-frame DSLR, I was obsessed with a 50mm f1.4 lens, thinking it was all the kit I needed. It was – for a while. But I have my limitations, and soon found myself wanting a longer focal length for better 'compression'. Also, it's not always possible to get close to a speaker at an event. Or so I told myself. The 50mm lens fell out of favour once my 24-70mm lens arrived. Sure, call me lazy for preferring the 'softer' zoom in place of a 'crisper' prime. My 50mm entered a state of semi-retirement. The writer's passion for photography still continues to this day. Photo: Chuttersnap, Unsplash Next, I became obsessed with Nikon's 135mm f2.0. Purpose-built for portraits, creamy bokeh is its calling card. I had to have one. After fawning over it (while saving the moolah needed), I took the plunge. To justify its cost, I also used it to shoot cars. It didn't matter if my teammates said it was inconvenient because of how far away I'd have to walk to get a car in frame. I loved using this solidly built lens and its metal body. But reality hit home. It was not very practical unless I'm shooting portraits, which is... once in a blue moon. The 24-70mm lens was still the most used because of its convenience, so like the 50mm, my dream 135mm lens sits idly at home. Since then, I have learnt to obsess 'sensibly', which means looking intently, but not buying. This saves money, but not necessarily time. For instance, I was once obsessed with acquiring a scooter, for no other reason except I hadn't really tried one. "Bro you should get one! Just twist and go, it's super-easy to ride in traffic! You won't regret it!" "Buy, buy, buy!" Hearing stuff like this made me want one even more. So, to the irritation of my better half, I spent weeks trawling online ads, often even while she was trying to tell me something important. I considered everything from a Honda PCX150 to a Suzuki Burgman to a Sym GTS. My scooter phase ended when the missus told me that my scooter would only sit in the carpark gathering dust. Since I only get to ride my bike twice a week, getting second two-wheeler would have been foolhardy indeed. The writer is unlikely to own a scooter, as he still enjoys the engagement a motorcycle requires. Photo: Pedro Pereira, Unsplash Another thing I stopped myself from buying is a gaming laptop. My last one is over 10 years old and no longer works. With a library of games on Steam and my work laptop not having the hardware to run them, a $4,000 gaming machine must be the solution. Fortunately, I had the sense to pause before spending so much money. After spending the entire day at work (in front of a computer), I realised the last thing I wanted to do on weeknights was sit in front of another computer. That means I'd only use a gaming laptop on weekends, presuming there were no plans to meet with friends. It also dawned on me that a gaming laptop would contribute to a sedentary lifestyle. So, I should be spending money on a gym membership instead. And a nicer bicycle that could lead to improved fitness. Right? Right? Oh crap, it's happening again. – Jeremy

Hi everyone, I am sure almost everyone would have noticed this. When u stop at traffic lights, even though u may be the very first car, some motorbike would come in from the side and then queue in front of you and sometimes in front of the stop line even. Still worse, they go slow and u are forced to go even slower for fear of hitting them. This sort of behaviour sometimes is irritating but nothing much we can do. anyone got anything to comment?

Almost langgar into one today. Should the practice of allowing M'sian bikes to deliver pizzas even be allowed to carry on? I doubt the authorities have any ways to catch also.

Hi Are there any websites that one can sell motorbikes online? SGcarmart only for cars leh...

wah... so can those car cam videos of motorcycles in Lane 1 be sent to TP as evidence??? Esp peak periods and lots of Johor bikers! Source: Asiaone