Addicted to Bikes

They have great looks and hot bodies, with the power to match. Superbikes and cruisers are fast gaining a fan following among India’s rich and famous

You need not own a Cayenne to show your affluent muscle. You can do it with a two-wheeler. The addicts call it the Bike: two wheels that spell power, pedigree and pelf. Well, here’s the sexiest gang: Suzuki Hayabusa, Kawasaki Ninja, Honda CBR, Harley Davidson and the Ducati, which is the most popular of the lot.

Bike importer (anonymous), who owns a Honda CBR 600cc and a Suzuki Hayabusa, has his ears to the ground: “Earlier, we used to get a few orders; now we import at least two high-end bikes a month on average. Depending on the make, these bikes cost anywhere between Rs8 lakh and Rs16 lakh.”

Cars may be ultimate mobile luxury, but a two-wheeler is also a proxy for affluence. Bike professional the rise of the trend, “The aspirations and affordability quotient of people has gone up, so luxury bikes are now in demand. Bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja and Honda Fireblade are a better bet than a luxury car, which can run into a few crores.”

IT capital Bangalore is the newest pillion rider. Say an e-learning company engineer, and a Kawasaki Ninja owner.

“I was in the US for 15 years; there, I rode a Harley Davidson and a sports bike. I see a similar trend in India. In Bangalore, about five years ago, there were about only 25 superbikes; there are about 150 now.”