Opinion Of ‘HOGs’ and other ‘pigs’

Bangalore Pandhis (pandhi is pig in the language of nearby Coorg),a cheeky take on the US’s official HOG or Harley Owners’ Group,is not a one-off. India is in the midst of a great leisure motorbike riding movement.

Across cities,motorbike owners are bonding over their shared passion for brands of motorbikes by joining exclusive leisure riding clubs. Clubs have sprouted up for Royal Enfield,Bajaj Pulsar,Hero Honda Karizma and TVS Apache motorbikes,and even clubs catering to imported brands like Ducati,Suzuki,Kawasaki and Hyosung.

Nothing captures the trend of leisure motorbike riding better than the revival in sales numbers of that British-era classic,Royal Enfield,in the last two years. Six months ago,Eicher Motors’ Royal Enfield motorbikes sold at the speed of 6,000 every month. These days,monthly sales average over 9,000. From 54,000 motorbikes two years ago,Royal Enfield expects to double sales numbers this year. The factories in Chennai cannot keep up with the demand,leading to a six to eight month wait on some Enfield models.

Something is afoot,says Chennai-based Venki Padmanabhan,CEO of Royal Enfield,describing India’s new love story. Padmanabhan,a returnee to India after a two-decade career overseas,is well-perched to provide insights.

The relative affluence of the 20-35 demographic in India is definitely rising. This age group of professionals and entrepreneurs has the financial muscle to indulge themselves,he says. Some of these bikes are not cheap. Royal Enfields,for instance,cost between Rs 1 to 1.7 lakh.

But it’s not just about the money. Well-off Indians want to find interesting ways to enjoy their leisure,says Padmanabhan. “The thinking is,I’m doing well. Now I’d like to enjoy my leisure in interesting ways with friends.” In India,where choices of meaningful,authentic leisure activities are limited,motorbike riding is all the rage. “After all,there are only so many three-hour-long Bollywood movies you can watch,” he says.

Nothing can be more relaxing than riding out of the city on weekends with a large group of like-minded friends,says Venky Rammohan,a founder of Bangalore Pandhis. Like him,many in the group rode motorbikes in their college days and are looking for a touch of nostalgia on weekends. “We are born-again riders,” describes Rammohan.

Alongside the new affluence and a choice of buys,another factor is conducive to the growth of leisure motorcycling in India. “A half-hour out of any big city and you find long stretches of good roads now,” says Rammohan.

The 125 members of Bangalore Pandhis certainly belong to India’s elite: a Harley-Davidson can cost anywhere between Rs 6.5 and Rs 40 lakh. They are weekend-only lifestyle motorbike riders who come together on Facebook to chalk out their Saturday morning breakfast and coffee rides — driving out to nearby towns to grab a bite and a coffee at a wayside café before riding back — and their once-a-month overnight rides.

Love Joshi,a Bangalore-based investment banker,is a member of the 800-member club called Bike Nomads. This club has a mix of owners of various motorcycle brands. “Our commonality is that we ride for the joy of being out on the road,” says Joshi who abandons his car and jumps on his motorcycle on weekends. Bike Nomads meet for a monthly ride within a 500-km radius of Bangalore and an annual ride to Goa. Nothing like a bike ride to beat the work stress,Joshi says.

In keeping with all the revved up activity in leisure motorcycling,a group of riding obsessed entrepreneurs will open a one-of-a-kind Biker Village spread across two acres in north Bangalore. That will have a biker themed café,a retail zone for riding gear,events and a custom shop and multi-brand servicing centre.

It seems that thousands of Indians belonging to motorbike riding clubs have discovered a healthy way of going out and having a good time.

saritha.rai@expressindia.com