India Bike Week: A daredevil ride

The upcoming India Bike Week has put the spotlight on stunt biking, which is picking up in a big way around the country

Over 38 biking clubs from across the country, including a large chunk from Mumbai will duel it out this weekend at the India Bike Week at Goa. But it is not your usual race to the finish line we are talking about, rather the competition will be on who among them has the best moves on two wheels.

Stunt-biking has over the past few years exploded in India and at the forefront of promoting the format as a professional exercise is the India Bike Week, which draws more than 4,000 bikers on an average from across the country. And from handlebars to burnouts, the IBW this year promises to present the biggest stunt biking spectacle with its annual Stunt Biking Championship. For a motor sport, which until 10 years ago in the country, was only restricted to stoppies and wheelies, the format seems to be getting a lot more traction as a serious sport. We find out more about how big it is in the country from the bikers themselves.

“It’s not just big, it’s huge,” says Martin D’Costa, one of the organisers of India Bike Week, about stunt biking. While the exercise has often been seen as borderline illegal and has come to be associated with amateur biking enthusiasts performing stunts on the streets, the perception has changed drastically, according to Martin. “A major reason for why stunt biking has become so big is because overall biking culture in India is changing. Unlike in Western countries, bikes here were only mostly seen as a commute option and not a part of a pronounced culture. But now, thanks to the entry of big brands such as Harley and Ducati in the country, more and more youngsters in the country are taking up biking as a serious exercise and the same goes for stunt biking as well.”

Started with around 7-8 clubs participating in the first edition in 2013, the Stunt Biking Championship has come a long way as well. Martin adds, “This year is the first time we selected entries through an elimination round from a number of cities. So essentially, this will gauge who the best stunt bikers in the country are.”

Telling us how far stunt biking has come from just the occasional wheelie and stoppie, professional stunt performer Sachin Khengle, who is a part of Mumbai-based stunt biking club I Stunt, says, “The Stunt Biking Championship at the IBW is the biggest event of its kind in the country and the fact that there is such a huge professional platform for stunt biking signifies how far it has come. When I first took up stunt biking 10 years ago, there weren’t many who were doing it and everyone used to look at it as something bad. But now it has come closer to international standards.”

Telling us about the intricacies of stunt biking, Sachin says, “The thing is, unlike what many people think, stunt biking is not just about who can perform the best stunts. In a professional circuit there are a number of other parameters that are considered to gauge how good you are. Here the competition is between various clubs and so the synergy between stunt bikers within a group is essential as synchronisation is one of the most important elements for a professional group stunt. Apart from that, the parameters that are taken into account are the flow, which is how seamlessly you can change from one stunt to the other. Another important factor is your aggression and body language. Which is essentially how comfortable you are with your stunts. Ultimately it is a performance sport so keeping your audience and judges entertained with your stunts are very important.”

One of the other stunt bikers participating in the India Bike Week’s Stunt Biking Championships is Anirudh, one of the few stunt bikers in India who perform stunts on a scooter rather than a sports bike. About the rigours of performing stunts on a scooter, Anirudh says, “There are pros and cons both, to stunt biking on a scooter. Since it is a non-gear vehicle which is aimed at commute and not sport, the aerodynamics are not entirely suited for stunt biking. Nonetheless, it is a format within stunt biking that many others are taking up as well.”

While there are a few others events focussed on stunt biking such as the Stuntbrawl, the IBW presents the biggest platform for stunt biking. Elaborating on the aim behind organising a dedicated event for stunt biking, Martin says, “We are actively trying to change the perception surrounding stunt biking in the country and making it more and more professional.”

With expected participation from around 12,000 bikers from across the country, the India Bike Week’s 2016 edition will be the biggest biking event in the country so far. And with music, food, bikes and a lot more than activities apart from stunt biking, the intention behind the event is to make biking be seen as a lifestyle more than as a commute option. Says Swati Mohan, one of the co-organisers, “IBW has grown over the years and today has become a celebration of not just biking, but also a Mecca for experience seekers and travellers. It is a meeting ground for passionate bikers, collectors, riders, tourists and their friends. The fact that IBW has only grown over the years, assures us that we are striking a pretty special chord with this event and the people, passion and fervour that comes with it. This year we are confident of extending our outreach to a diverse group of bikers as we look forward to building the culture for biking in India.”

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