Adrenaline junky, biker, long distance runner, tourer and an animal lover – words rarely used to describe a Miss India winner or a sizzling Bollywood actress. I caught up with the gorgeous Gul Panag and tried to solve the mystery of how she became an avid biker.

With a hint of nostalgia in her tone she talks about how bikes are in her genes. Her father was in the army and owned a prized classic bike – the Indian, way back in the 1960s. Later, when Gul was at an impressionable age of seven years her cousin sisters were one of the first girls who rode bikes – most women preferred scooters then. She animatedly explained how her cousin sisters zoomed on a Yamaha RD 350 at 90km/h in a busy market street leading a pack of biker boys. She says, “The sound of the RD was like music to my ears” with respect in her eyes that only a biker can have.

So does she ride big bikes because men find tomboy, biker chicks hot? She detests being tagged like that and clarifies that she has been riding bikes way too long to do it for the cool biker chick image. She rides because the kind of independence and free spiritedness motorcycles offer is second to none. And we second that!

The ‘Dor’ and ‘Manorama Six Feet Under.’ star is a safe rider and does not ride bikes for sheer speed, at least not any more. Now it’s about enjoying the whole ride and that is why she has not had any major falls. Touch wood! Recently the dimpled beauty skid her Bullet Electra due to wet roads but thankfully the leg guards did their job well. Her other minor fall was when the actor had gone riding to Leh Ladakh on a BMW Funduro 650 (!!) with a group of friends. She stopped to see where the other guys were but the bike tilted for about 10 degrees and then she couldn’t do anything about it as everything happened in slow motion.

To think of it, this hottie went riding all the way to Leh Ladakh and some people feel that it’s not safe for girls to ride bikes in Indian cities. Well, she begs to differ and puts it in her own witty way. Ms Panag feels that girls on bikes are the safest. Since all the men are eyeing them, no one will knock them off by mistake! The saddest thing that happens to bikers is that car drivers are unaware of bikes on the road. Her advice to riders - always wear a helmet and a jacket.

I had to ask her about the obvious – her dream bike. And knowing Gul, I realized her choice would be any thing but the obvious. Her pick is a new bike manufacturer from the US called Victory and the model that excites her is the retro styled Hammer – something like BSA-meets-RD. But, eventually this Punjabi kudi wants to own a Harley-Davidson someday. Gul, the day you get it, you know who to call first!