An Indicator of Evolution
The jury round for the Bike India Awards 2024 for two-wheelers launched between 01 December 2022 and 30 November 2023 was held last month. There were 34 contenders, comprising motorcycles, scooters, electric scooters, and electric motorcycles. Of these 34, there were only three motorcycles below 200 cc along with three electric motorcycles and nine electric scooters; the remainder being big motorcycles. This shows how the Indian two-wheeler market has evolved over the years. It may be recalled here that when the very first Bike India Awards were presented in 2005, most of the bikes were of a capacity below 200 cc.
We had the very first Indian Supercross League and it was witnessed by a large number of spectators who were thrilled by some exciting racing. It was great to see international riders perform and it was evident that there was a big difference in the standard of riding between the Indian boys and their international counterparts; why, even the boys from Thailand were far quicker than our boys. I hope this exposure helps the Indian riders to improve their skill. The only way to improve one’s riding skill is to ride with riders who are quicker than oneself. In my own case, that was what helped me when I was racing. My thought processes ran as follows: if he can go through a corner so much quicker, then why can I not take that corner at the same speed?
There is a desperate need to have training schools for two-wheeler riders to teach them the basic dos and don’ts of traffic rules to which most riders are oblivious. We need an enclosed space where one can teach learners the basics of how to ride a two-wheeler. As the situation obtains today, more than 99 per cent of the two-wheeler riders are not fit to be on the road in the first place.
Aspi Bhathena
Editor
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