The joyride of their lives

The sound of their motorbikes going vroom, vroom, vroom is music to their ears. The whiff of country air against their skin feels like a loved one’s caress.

The Hardcore Brothers Jimmy Barinaga, Butch Llige (yes, the TV director), Noel Lazaro, Bong “Pandesal” Diaz, Shadrach Barinaga, Ebong Joson and British national Joe Davies romance their respective motorbikes as if it were their girlfriends or wives. The bikes are their constant companions in smooth or rugged terrain, in fair or foul weather, under the sun, the moon and the stars.

Shadrach stands in awe when he visits history-rich Vigan, with its cobblestone and warm townsfolk, on his bike. Noel wants to salute the men and women of the Banaue Rice Terraces for their homespun ingenuity.

“I learned how the women are assigned to plant rice and harvest them since the townsfolk agree they are more organized,” reveals Noel. “The men, for their part, do the manual labor, like carrying heavy loads. Yet another proof of the people‘s ingenuity are the fishponds in the middle of the rice fields. The fishponds provide another means of livelihood and maximizes use of the land.”

The guys didn‘t stumble upon these unexpected joys by taking it easy. Every little thing comes with a price. In the Hardcore Brothers‘ case, it takes many forms: An engine oil leak, a busted radiator, a broken handle bar. 

Worse, it stems from human frailty: Fatigue, lack of sleep, the onset of even the slightest cold. But the eight-member team is unfazed. In fact, these hurdles drive them to ride their bikes over unknown terrain and climes even more.

After all, they already said their temporary good-byes to family and friends and dropped everything to take this eight-day ride of their lives all over Northern Luzon.

At first, it was hard. Everyone was on their mobile phones talking to his parents, girlfriend, wife, children, etc. But as days wore on, the bikers learned to put their phones aside and stay focused on the road.

“We don‘t want our loved ones to worry about us,” explains Noel.

All these — the human drama, the spectacular sights, the local color — are there for the viewing on The Hardcore Brothers Easy Ride, a colorful travelogue that airs Sundays, 12:30 p.m. on Studio 23.

So far, no other show quite like it exists. Where other shows simply pan the camera to a place and pack up after a few spiels, this one not only accompanies each biker, say to Isabela, but talks to the townspeople and its young governor, Grace Padaca. You end up feeling you‘ve actually lived there, smelled the flowers, partook of the native food, conversed with the townsfolk. You‘ve gone beyond the tourist stuff.

The Hardcore Brothers get off their bikes, swim in the crystal-clear waters of a wayside lake, eat the native food with bare hands.

Along the way, they learn priceless lessons on survival.

Shadrach almost got kicked by a horse hadn’t he veered his motorbike the other way just in the nick of time. Noel almost ran over a dog (“Cats are more swift-footed,” he says.).

Fast reflexes, you see, are musts for bike riders. So is utmost attention to safety. The Hardcore Brothers never leave home without their helmets, small medicine kit (they have to travel light) and water bottle. Each of them also keeps an extra pair or pairs of pants, a few shirts, a face towel, a change of socks and toiletries at the back of their bikes. Again, the key phrase is “keep it light.” Otherwise, keeping one‘s balance on the bike is impossible and packing and unpacking takes forever.

“You also appreciate the environment more,” Noel chimes in. “We have never seen such breathtaking beauty as the ones we saw where the South China Sea meets the Pacific Ocean near Aparri.”

This close communion with nature reminds the Hardcore Brothers — who first met in Jimmy’s motor shop in Makati — of a Divine presence. That’s why they always start every trip with a little prayer.

Shadrach, whose Mohawk hairstyle belies his Sunday school teacher background, attests to the prayer’s power in keeping them safe.

“Jimmy’s handlebar suddenly broke,” he recalls. And it was too late to fix it. “Someone up there must have been watching over him, since he arrived at our destination, Banaue, safe and sound,“ Shadrach recounts.

Praying men on bikes hardly fit the stereotype of leather-clad bikers riding roughshod in the streets and preying on innocent, hapless people. Yes, our Hardcore Brothers are not your notorious Hells Angels.

“We’re careful about projecting a wholesome image,“ explains Jimmy. “That’s why we make sure the viewers don’t hear a single cuss word in our show. We’re even planning to hold a motorbiking clinic someday to teach others safety measures in riding the vehicle, among other things.”

Talk about being good role models, especially for the young who are just as crazy about motorbikes as the Hardcore Brothers are.

So forget the Hells Angels. Push away thoughts of bike-riding rascals robbing you of your valuables. The Hardcore Brothers will show you how to take the joyride of your life on motorbike. Best of all, it will show you how to do all these without getting a single scratch on  your body.