Part 4: Eight Types Of Indian Bikers, Which One Are You?

This is the last and final chapter of our four-part series based on the Belgian study conducted to help identify the various kinds of bikers there are. The report identified eight kinds and we’ve looked at six of them. See, despite being an international study, we Indian bikers not only slot into these categories, but also, have our own unique quirks. Hence, we thought of breaking down these eight kinds of bikers, but with an Indian twist. For the final chapter we will be looking at the multimodal rider and the day-to-day rider. That said, I would like to drop a special mention of the new crop of women motorcyclists of India who are pushing boundaries to scale new heights in the world of motorcycling.   

Types of Indian bikers part - I
Types of Indian bikers part - II
Types of Indian bikers part - III

The ‘multimodal rider’ rider

As per the study, a multimodal rider is someone who’d ditch the comfort of four wheels on a nice sunny day and head out for a soulful ride. This is a rare breed of riders in India. Two wheelers are intrinsic to India’s mobility. Hence, meeting someone who looks at riding motorcycles like smoking a cigar, it’s like catching a shooting star. You’ll catch only a few in a lifetime, and the moment will be worth it. I once met this man, a customer of mine from my old job as a moto-tour operator. Met him in his house to discuss a car tour. In his seventies now, this self-made man had earned every square inch of his opulent lifestyle. He and his wife love driving, even more so since their retirement a decade ago. Hence they have a nice BMW SUV parked in the driveway. But behind that, tucked away behind heavy tarpaulin is a Harley Davidson. See, this is a man who enjoys a fine drink on a Tuesday afternoon wearing a nice linen shirt. He’s paid his dues, done his time and rides only to enjoy the moment.

The ‘the day-to-day’ rider

This is the segment of riders that we see all around us, everyday. In fact, if you ride into work today like I did, we’re both one of them. Come rain or shine, it’s very hard to imagine myself not riding, either for a need or for pleasure. I grew up with both a car and a motorcycle, but ever since I was a child, something about being on two-wheels fascinated me. So I stuck with it. In college or through my twenties working in different cities, having a motorcycle was both a privilege and necessity. Yes, owning a car is not difficult but a motorcycle’s convenience is simply unmatched. That said, I'm not as single track about convenience over comfort. I am thinking of buying my first car soon, and I’ve realised, motorcycles have somehow rubbed off on my taste buds. I have a type now, I'm constantly drawn to compact looking cars. See, even after getting my first car, I don’t see myself swapping it for the Ntorq 125 frequently. I like to ride day-to-day.

Women who ride

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It’s amazing to see how many women there are now in Indian motorsports. From professionals to rookies, they are queuing up. And the story is the same off the tracks and on the roads as well. From enthusiasts to those just exploring possibilities, women are buying motorcycles and riding them to cool places. A decade ago, there were a handful of motorcycle training schools, leave alone with courses tailored for women. Today, we have specialised coaching, camps and small outfits teaching on go-kart tracks to backyard farmhouses with dirt tracks. And every week my instagram will have a group photo from some event, and each time the number of women sharing the space with men would get healthier. It’s finally great to see the term “biker” actually become gender-neutral, just like it was always meant to be.
             
Remember, whatever your motivation, when you ride, it’s all about you. Hence, it’s nice to know there are eight general types of bikers, but if biking is the culture, our practice of it will always be unique.