What the Ride Means to a Member of Euroscoot

As I surveyed the field of riders headed out for Laoag City that cold and damp Thursday morning, I remember going over each rider's profiles and my experiences with them in the past. This was an unusual pre-ride ritual for me but then I had been given the task of being one of the ride captains, so the safety and well being of these 17 intrepid souls that dared share this apparently foolhardy endeavor were literary in my hands. Hence that information was now vital. As I scanned the group animatedly getting ready for take off, I remember looking over at Jong Dalupan and thinking, among these guys, I know Jong least of all. Sure I remember riding with him on medium jaunts before but I haven't really gotten to know him much despite that. Maybe it's because, on the surface, we seem to have not much in common. Our interests are different. So are our temperaments, friends, backgrounds, habits, vices, etc, etc, etc. This discrepancy in my experience now left a wide gap in my information as I also had no idea of his riding skill, having paid no attention to it before. What was needed here was some sort of common ground where the playing field, so to speak, would be even. And the only thing we ever had in common was Euroscoot. Now, Euroscoot would intervene in both our lives to try to correct this discrepancy. And the playing field would be the entire national highway system from Ortigas in Pasig to Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte.

Those four days that I worked as ride captain gave me ample opportunity not only to observe Jong's riding abilities but to get to know him better as a person, as well. When you are given the responsibility of taking care of a group of guys, observing them becomes habit. And just as I watched them riding like demons unleashed on their bikes, I would watch them when they were off the bike, the way they moved, laughed, sauntered around making nuisances of themselves, like children let loose in a giant playground. I got to watch Jong a lot during these times and I learned a lot from what I saw. I learned he was game enough to ride fast with more experienced riders to the point of putting his engine's welfare at risk. And when he had to put his bike on the truck, he gladly accepted a ride from Phil and Simon rather than ride the truck, preferring to experience everything that we would, to live that day the same way we would, rather than living vicariously later on through the endless road stories we who did the riding eventually would tell. As a result, he enjoyed the ride the same way we did, experienced everything we experienced. And he earned the right to tell the same stories we tell, from our point of view, the point of view of the road warrior. He showed persistence and the ability to take advantage of what life throws you and made the most of all of it. An admirable quality, indeed, and quite valuable to a club like Euroscoot.

Another thing that I have learned about Jong was that he would always have a camera ready for any occasion. Actually, I have already seen him do so before, in meetings or parties, but on this ride Jong was true to form. Every stop and you would see Jong out with there his trusty digicam, taking pics of just about anything and everyone in site. Now I own a camera too and I will be the first to tell you that taking pics is more work than fun! Not only do you have to work the thing, you also have to compose and focus. Then you need to scramble to suit up while putting the damn thing away. Now I took about 90 pics, half of them of really deplorable quality but I imagine Jong took five times that amount. And from what I have seen of his pics in the past, most of them could really be quite good (at least, better than mine). And that's why I ended up taking less pics than I should because every time I would think of bringing out my camera, I would see Jong already busy clicking away and I'd think maybe I'll just ask some copies from him. At least in his picks I can see shots of myself!

The other thing that I learned about Jong was what an adventurous guy he really is. Sure he showed how game he was by joining this epic ride, especially since he was the only one of the "magkapatid brothers" who joined. Now, let me tell you that having your brother along to share such a ride is one hell of an experience! Imagine, having someone to share such wonderful experiences with during family reunions, someone who can understand and appreciate what you went through and what you are talking about. I should know. To ride without my brother along takes away a lot from my comfort zone on these rides. Jong must have probably gone through the same thing on this one yet he still showed up. That to me speaks volumes, specially with regards to commitment to this magnificent lifestyle that we have chosen. And to top this off, his participation in that unforgettable night of the living dead is solid proof of his game status. Imagine, having to suffer that agony like the rest of us! Yet there he was the next day, up early, very much alive, all the wiser for his experience, yet remaining just as cheerful and as expectant as he was on day one, as if what happened the day before was all part of that great adventure! How can you not admire such spunk and optimism?

I'll admit that Jong and I never got a chance to get to personal things. Sure we would talk once in a while yet much of it was about the ride, as you would expect. In truth, much of what I know about Jong I learned from the rest of the guys. Like the fact that he's an engineer who has the talent and precision to align a helmet cam to give you what Reggie would call the perfect camera shot: not too much sky and as much road as you can capture. (And that same skill may prove useful in diagnosing the problems that constantly plague the X9 PICS system, a wonderful bonus for me!) There is also the fact that he lives in San Pedro, Laguna, and had to make his own personal mini-epic ride just to get started on this epic ride then had to make the same mini-epic ride at the conclusion of this one! If anyone needs proof of his commitment, this may be the greatest evidence to date!

But the point is that if Jong did not join this ride, I would not have had the need to observe him and get to know him. Thus, I would not have discovered just how much of a cool guy he really is and what a valuable addition to the ranks of Euroscoot he will turn out to be. Maybe even someone whom we can look forward to taking care of the club in the future. This new found relationship was created not because he owns an Italian scooter, although that was the beginning. Rather, this relationship was forged out there, on the cements and asphalts of Luzon's national highways, baptized in rain, mud, and road filth and forged in the blazing heat of the infamous Central and Northern Luzon weather. Out there, riding at average speeds of 50 kph and top speeds reaching 115 - 120 kph, battling pothole infested highways, enduring half constructed bridges, suffering through tricycle infested towns populated with pedestrians having absolutely no idea about highway common sense, and surviving more than 1000 kms of road travel, a man cannot help but be what he truly is inside. For only by being what is natural to him can one truly cope with the rigors of long distance scooter travel. Pretensions go out the window. The man is consumed in the crucible of the road and what emerges is as close to his true self as he can get. The result is best explained by a dictum lawyers use called, "res ipsa loquitor". Translated, it means "the thing speaks for itself". What you see is what you get. I know I learned a lot about myself, my capabilities and limitations, by enduring so much of Euroscoot's epic rides. That is why they are so sacred and special to me. For me, it was never the about destination. It was about the ride and the comrades who shared it. And just as one can learn a lot about oneself under such trying circumstances, so can one glimpse a little of the truth in other riders who choose to share this ordeal with you. "No man is an island," the popular saying goes, and that becomes obvious especially on long rides such as this. That is what I saw in Jong and hopefully, he saw a little of that in me during that ride, as well. You cannot get that kind of relationship over drinks, or night outs, or short rides that are too easy and meant for posing and picture taking. You have to go out there, on that long, winding, dusty or muddy, pothole-scarred wasteland we lovingly call highways to find meaning like this. I count myself very fortunate indeed to have been able to find many such relationships in Euroscoot, all forged in that crucible of the road. That's why it is called a brotherhood, the brotherhood of the road. And it makes me proud to acknowledge Jong as my brother and I look forward to our next long ride together.

And that is why I believe, gentlemen, that to be a bonafide Euroscoot member you have to share the road with us, complete with all the trimmings. It has nothing to do with personalities or backgrounds or who you choose to call your friend or what you do to amuse yourself. This club was born out of the love for this machine and what it is capable of doing. It is a road machine and on the road is where it belongs, ridden hard, far, and fast, taking it to its conceived of limits in terms of power and performance. What better way of paying homage to these toys we so lovingly take care of. In fact, the idea for this club's existence was forged on one such epic ride, this one to the far reaches of Naga City, Bicol, attempted in the face of a signal #3 storm, with all the participants going on to become some of the original Euroscoot members.

I know it won't be easy. It never is. It takes a lot of resources to achieve: time, money, physical effort and endurance. Trust me, I know. But if you do choose to ride with us, I promise you adventure and rewards galore. You shall have the company of men whose love for life is mirrored in the passion they have for their scoots and for the open road. You shall reach limits that you believed you were incapable of achieving had you done so on your own. You shall be enthralled by the wonder and beauty of the Philippine countryside. You shall be privy to a treasure trove of stories accumulated over the years by a collective consciousness rooted in the ride mentality. And you shall have earned the right to tell those stories on your own, for others not of our persuasion to contemplate, thereby further boosting your reputation as a wild man of mystery and adventure.

So be there at the next take off point, when once again these hybrid creatures of flesh, leather, metal, and rubber follow their semi-annual migratory routes to explore the east, west, north, or south of this great island of Luzon. It represents a doorway to great fun and adventure. It is also an invitation to an exclusive brotherhood, a chance to learn something about your fellow riders and to bask in their camaraderie and friendship. And it is also a chance to discover the kind of man you really are, the stuff you truly are made of.

If scooter riding was a religion, Euroscoot would be its missionaries, the long ride its cathedral, and the open road its confessional, where only the truth shall prevail. May we all worship there together the next time the church bells toll.