Yesterday I sent my KTM bike to the workshop again.

Mechanic looked at me and asked,
“Boss… what problem this time?”

I laughed.

“Throttle twist jam already.
One small cap also hilang.”

That was the official opening for another repair bill.

Let me explain to non-bikers.

I ride off-road.
Not smooth highway type.

This one is mud, rocks, slopes, and fall-down-then-pick-up-your-own-bike type.

My bike is a second-hand KTM 300cc.
New one can be around RM50,000+.
Second-hand, maybe RM25,000 to RM35,000.

And yes… no key.
Just press button and start.

Maybe the European manufacturer thinks Malaysia is very safe.
Or maybe they think if I ride this kind of bike, I am already living dangerously.

This bike also not simple.

Every time I pump petrol, I need to top up T2 oil. Forget it, and the engine may suffer and even can start my bike.

Then there is servicing.

This is not the kind of bike you ignore for six months and still expect loyalty.

This one needs regular attention.
I always say I don’t own the bike.
I am in a “monthly” maintenance relationship with it.

Why did I send it in yesterday?
Because I fell.
Again.

After more than 2 years riding off-road,
I still fall,
I still misjudge terrain,
I still make mistakes.

Experience, apparently, does not stop gravity.
Lucky this time no major injury.

The funny part?

When I fell, after checking that I was still okay,
my next thought was:
“Eh… this one repair how much ah?”

Standing there beside my scratched bike,
a bit tired and a bit sian,
I realised something.

Off-road riding is
my workout,
my stress relief,
my connection with nature.

But it is also a very honest hobby.

The bike does not care about confidence.
It does not care how long I have been riding.
The moment I get careless, too confident, or simply suay…

Down I go.

For non-bikers, you may not understand why a grown man pays good money to ride into mud, fall down, and then pay again to repair the machine.

But maybe you will understand this.

Some hobbies do not make me look smart.
They just help me stay sane.

And maybe that is the real lesson.

Life is not about never falling.
That one impossible.

The real skill is to stand up,
check what is broken,
laugh at yourself a bit,
and still make your way back.

Some rides clear the mind.
The repair bill is just part of the therapy