The long road ahead, a bike and yes some solitude.
For a certain kind of individual it provides an emotionalhigh that perhaps equals the kick of a nicotine surge or other substances. Theconstant here we must add is the bike. This two wheel vehicle has inspired muchprose and some poetry. This however is a look at another aspect of this culturethat is developing strong roots in India.
As the number of brands in the motorcycle industry hasincreased the choice has automatically increased. This however does notnecessarily mean that prices have reduced. For the discerning customer, aHarley Davidson, a Triumph, a Honda or an Asprilia may be beyond his budget butit would not necessarily mean it is not achievable.
Bike customisation is an industry that is growing steadilyin the country with several players now making serious money. At the recentlyheld Rider Mania in Goa, several Royal Enfield bikes were exhibited that weremodified denoting various styles like the cruiser and the chopper to name afew. .
Gabriel Zuzarte, owner of Road Rage Customs Builds a companybased in Mumbai who was present said “This is a trend that is growing inpopularity and I can say that everyone in this business has work. The budgetvaries depending on the nature of work. It is not unusual for someone to spendanywhere between 1.5 to 2 lakhs on the customization of a bike. We work onvarious brands.”
This trend he said was also growing in popularity in Goawith him entertaining several queries from interested parties. He said “theyknow what they want and I am now presently negotiating with several parties whoare based in Goa. The people who are interested in this you should understandhave the money. So it is not for everyone. This is not a necessity but aluxury.”
Asked what the customer was thinking when he comes in tomeet him, Gabriel said “they want something that no one else has. It is amatter of ego. When they drive down the road they would like to have the eyesof everyone on their bike”.
Another major player in this business is Adil Dumasia ofTransfigure Custom House also based in Mumbai. Adil works on bikes above 350cc. this means Enfields, Hondas, Harley Davidsons can be modified as perrequests. The cost for modifying an Enfield can strat at Rs.1.1 lakhs and cango up to Rs.3.6 lakhs. Work he said was constant with people from all over thecountry coming into make modifications.
In this industry, there are two types of jobs that are done.Either to improve performance or to enhance the physical presentation.
A local enthusiast based in Margoa who did not want to beidentified said that it was quite common for those who purchased the possibleto buy the Harley Davidson Superlow model which is 883 cc and then purchaseparts to enhance the power to 1200 cc. There were a couple of individuals inMargoa who were involved in the redesigning of bikes but were not keen onbringing publicity to their work. Thisin an essence highlights the severalquestions this activity raises.
Adil Dumasia said “Asper the law it is important that the client make the necessary changes to hispaper work. If the colour of the bike is changed that has to be reflected inthe paper work. We do not touch the machine. The chassis and engine numberremains the same but even then if we make modifications, like we do to thephysical design it has to be registered again”.
It is estimated thisbusiness is worth approximately Rs.15 to 20 lakhs per month for the companiesinvolved in the business. It may not be a constant but for the operators in thebusiness these future looks exciting with more people looking at an individualtouch to strike a different chord.
