Indian
motorcycle stunt riders
As far as motorcycle stunt
clubs in India are concerned, there are more than a dozen in the country. Names
like BanDit Bikers, Outlawz, Polacafe, Devil Roadiez, Ghost Ryderz, Team RPM, Throttlerz, Team Coasterz, Freaky Bikers, Stunt
Infected, Team Insane and Steel Silencerz are some of the many stunt clubs
spread across India. Besides these clubs there are several individuals who on
their own do stunts just to earn a name for themselves in the world of
motorcycle stunts.
“Yes you have thousands of
stunt riders and enthusiasts in the country and some of them are riding really
well. So at least a few of them should be reaching the top level globally,”
says Red Bull athlete Aras Gibieza.
Anam Hashim, a very popular Indian female motorcycle stunt rider says
stunt riding is not considered a serious sport in India. “My advice to
youth interested in stunt riding is to urge them to follow their passion but
learn under the guidance of experienced stunt riders. Private companies and even
the government should work hand in hand to encourage this sport. It is
important that aspiring stunt riders do not stunt on main roads and disrupt
public activity but have a safe practice arena with appropriate permissions and
safety gear. In the near future, I intend to work towards setting up a
federation for stunt riding in India and promote the sport through exclusive
events,” says Hashim in an email interaction with Motown India.
Hashim says that while there
are a lot of stunt riding groups and initiatives, there is a dearth of
established training schools or federation focused on stunt riding in India. As
of now, most of the aspiring stunt riders learn by experience, videos and
observing experienced riders. “I hope we can soon change that,” she says.
Hashim owns a TVS Scooty Zest
110 cc and TVS Apache RTR. She used an Apache during her training and she
stunts on it as well. She has conquered the world’s highest motorable road,
Khardung La Pass (18380 feet) on a TVS Scooty Zest 110. “Riding to Khardung La
is not an easy task but it is also every rider’s dream. TVS Motor Company came
to me with an interesting proposition to fulfil my dream on a Scooty Zest 110
cc. All apprehensions vanished during my week along with the TVS Scooty Zest
110 cc which I rode through Pune and on the ghats of Lonavala. Riding to Khardung La tests both the rider
and the machine so I had to prepare well for it. I gym regularly and maintain a
strict diet which was an advantage,” she points out.
“Post Khardung La, my relationship
with the TVS Scooty is a special one and I sometimes stunt with it. I aspire to
stunt on a BMW bike someday,” she adds. Now TVS Motor Company has launched
Season 2 of ‘Himalayan Highs’, inviting
entries from women riders across India to ride to Khardung La Pass on TVS
Scooty Zest 110
“The image of stunt riding is
really pathetic in a country like India. When you pursue something you love,
either it destroys you or it takes you to the pinnacle of success. In the beginning we used to see stunts in movies
where people used to do wheelies and stoppies.
As for the international videos on stunting, well even today we find it
difficult to achieve those levels. But watching that was kind of madness and
our brains were blow away by the stunts people performed,” says Bunty Godara of
a little known club in New Delhi that goes by the name of Mototycoonz.
Speaking to Motown India, Bunty confesses that people
do not take stunt riders seriously. “They think we toss around motorcycle s and
jump on them. But when people perform motorcycle stunts in movies, the crowd
cheers for them. And when we do that
individually, people think we are mad. When stunt riders from abroad come to
India to perform they are treated as ministers. When we perform, they simply
treat us as we are some vagabonds,” he says.
Bunty is happy that after a
long time TVS Motors sponsored him and his boys. “We got a brand new Apache.
That was a great feeling. There was a
time we did not have our own motorcycle and we used to pick up one that belonged
to a family member. Now we do our stunts
on our bikes and we are not scared of anyone,” he notes.
Manninder Singh of Mototycoonz
says he was inspired by his elder brother who used to do stunt riding. Singh
once took his brother’s bike without his knowledge at night and the police
caught him doing stunting on the roads. He had to cool his heels for the entire
evening in the police station.
When his brother died in a
road accident, Singh was pressurised by his family to quit doing motorcycle
stunts. But he refused. “I have not learnt anything else in my life, except do
stunt riding. This is my life. As long as there is life in my body, I shall
continue doing stunt riding,” he signs off.
It is this undying spirit that
motivates hundreds and thousands of boys and sometimes even girls to pursue
motorcycle stunting in India. It is now time for the sports authorities in the
government and even the corporate world to provide a right platform for them to
hone their skills further and make it a right career for them.