It just so happened that I got assigned to travel down to Bangalore, alright, Bengaluru if you must, to drive the all new Volvo B9R 9400 bus. It's the latest offering from Volvo Bus India Pvt. Ltd and I should mention that it also happens to be the largest and most powerful bus available in India today.
It is hard to control the excitement that comes with the offer to drive a bus. I, for one have been an avid bus lover and there is a certain aura about these behemoths that make them so crave-worthy for auto enthusiasts. Let alone the fact that I have secretly harboured the intention of getting my hands on a bus, any bus for that matter, when lady luck smiled upon me, I was offered to drive the best, biggest and most powerful one so far!
Bus driving isn't about speed. Now I don't need to tell you that. What it really does drain out of a driver is the ability to make his way through traffic. Luckily for me (and my insurance company..hehehe) I was driving the B9R 9400 on a test track near the Volvo Bus factory. This bus comes fitted with a 9 litre, 350 Bhp engine that churns out more than 1600 Nm of torque, so I truely got more than I bargained for.
I managed to do 2 laps of the 2.5 km course plus a little extra in terms of driving it back to the 'lunch-stop'. Around 7km is all i managed to get on my log book, but it is a memory that I will take to the grave. The sheer mass, when it moves is so fluid and I was taken aback by how easy it is to drive this around the track. Not once did my wheels leave the tarmac, and when you consider that I was navigating a 13.7 metre long vehicle around a hairpin bend, that is pretty damn good for day 1 in bus driving school!
Now I managed to hit only 4th gear and reach only 45 km/h on the speedo, but it was an exhilirating experience none the less. Shifting gears at 1200-1500 rpm, using the retarder to slow down and accelerating on the straights while keeping an eye out on the rear view mirrors to ensure that the bus is in line and positioned well on the road. Going around corners was what my main worry was, but the trick is to use the rear view mirrors to make that rear judgement and in doing so keep the wheels planted on the road. Of course it would have been a whole different experience to drive this bus in traffic, but honestly I don't think I am ready for that yet. Maybe I need to enroll in the Volvo Bus Driving School first, get a certificate and then pursue a side business of inter-city coach driving!!
Anyway, having driven a bus, it is one topic I can cross off from my long list of "Things to do before I die"....now to get my hands on a Abrams Tank!
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1 comment:
It would be wonderful if companies like Volvo could have an enthusiast day so that other people could also get to drive vehicles like the B9R (hope that is the right code). I know it is not much in the way of advertising, but it could definitely go a long way in terms of customer appreciation of the products that companies like Volvo bring into the country.
I am sure you will be able to find enough auto enthusiasts who also want to drive this vehicle and share the experience that you have had.
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