Get your adrenaline pumping astride a two-wheeled power house Everytime these motorcycle lovers ride the ‘big’ machines, they feel a shiver go down their spines
T here are bikers, who love the thrill of riding big, powerful machines. For them the hum of a 350 or a 500 cc engine is pure music. Taking inspiration from Peter Fonda in Easy Rider, these motorcycle lovers are moved by the roar of the engine. Whether riding within city limits or going on long trips around the country, they simply love to ride.
Royal Enfield, the maker of bikes like the Thunderbolt and the Bullet, has its own fan following, Reds, being its official India online club.
Numerous Enfield clubs have sprung up all over the country and biking afi cionados get together once a year for “Rider Mania.” Held in a dif ferent city every year, it is an op portunity for rid ers to meet and share their pas sion for bikes. Be sides, the look of a bike is important too. And a Harley Davidson (though not available in India) ‘look’ remains a favourite. Delhi, too has its share of biker clubs, who ride the Enfield. Thugs: Short for Thunderbird Underground Slickers, it is a group of 18 men, who started off in July this years. Under the leadership of Kushagra Aggarwal, the only requirement to be a part of this club is to have a Thunder bird. “We love talking about bikes and bike modifications, besides sharing a general sense of camaraderie, ” says Kushagra. The members of the group have been riding around the city, and have also taken trips to Karnal and Gurgaon. Soon, they will be off to Jaipur. Nomads: Imran Khan aka ‘Mountain Tamer, ’ the group leader, has been biking around for six years. Nomads have travelled around the country, and there have been times when they have spend nights in front of ATMs or even on sidewalks. “Riding my Thunderbolt is a thrilling, revitalising experience, ” says Imran, whose girl friend Mahima Nijhawar, is also a part of the group. This club comprising of 28 people, can never stay in Delhi for too long.
“Like nomads we keep moving from place to place and though we do not usually have a particular destination we just head in a certain direction!” says Imran. When in the city, they usu ally hit Central Delhi. The group has ridden to Chennai for the ‘Rider Mania, ’ while Imran plans to participate in the Raid de Himalaya later this year.
Also in the pipeline is a trip to America through Pakistan and Turkmenistan. Royal Beasts: This bunch of bikers has been in Delhi for five years, with the Qutub Institutional area being its weekly hang-out. Members of this club have ridden to as far as Ladakh and Goa.