Journalism of Courage
The Grand Indian Roadtrip (TGIR) which concluded on April 29 saw six bikers riding bikes ranging from 1200 cc to 250 cc to 27 cities across the country. Last month also witnessed two-day long India Super Bike Festivals held in Pune with 250 participating bikers from different parts of the nation. The event recorded over 15000 footfalls. Delhi-based Sundeep Gujjars brainchild xBHP.com,one of India’s biggest biking portals boasts of over one lakh subscribers. Around 40 members of the Mumbai-based group called Harley Owners India (HOI) come together once a month to set out on their bikes to an undecided destination.
An oddball trend like this hitting the roads reveals that the culture of biking is gradually garnering more interest. The reasons are varied. While for a majority of bikers,the sport is about the pure adrenaline rush and the feel of the wind,for others it is about responsible riding. There are also those who aim to bring super bikes back into the limelight. They all have one thing in common a love for bikes and biking.
Bikes weren’t the most coveted vehicles especially in the last couple of years. People would complain when they heard loud bike noises especially Harleys. There were also news reports a few years back about how the bikes were illegally obtained; so people were scared to take out their bikes, says Freddy Pithavala,an administrator for Harley Owners India (HOI) explaining the slumped popularity of biking.
The launch of affordable bikes by high-end bike makers has changed the biking landscape. It has stopped the problem of illegal imports to a great extent, says Sahil Bhandari who had organised the India Super Bike Festival.
The online magazine of xBHP.com features bikes across genres including a normal 250 cc bike to the high-end superbike of 1500 cc and has a major fan following especially in the metros.
Last year,biker Venkatesh Khanna,became the third Puneite to receive the Sore Saddle certification,given by the 30,000-member strong Iron Butt Association. He got the certifications for completing 1000 miles in 24 hours on May 15. He says,A number of bikers from all over the country are attempting to complete these feats; which,I feel is a positive sign, he concludes.
