By Richa Kharshandi
Give me an adventure and I will ride it. — Melissa Auf der Maur
Bikers always catch our fancy for the adventures they ride through. Youngsters find them cool and the not-so-young cautiously admire them lest they end up encouraging road rogues.
But members of the North East Riders’ Domain, or NERDS, say a biker’s life is more than just cool and often comes with social responsibilities unlike what is perceived by others.
NERD, which will complete one year this July 14, is the first superbike group in the region and it already has 50-odd members who ride for a cause. The superbikers travel from place to place promoting road safety.
The group president is Johanan Nongrum, who rides a Harley Davidson Iron 883.
Daniel Thangkhiew, a member of the group, says the objective of the group is to promote awareness on safe riding.
“We held our first meet in Shillong in August last year and many young enthusiasts participated. Few of our senior riders spoke at length on safety measures while riding on city streets,” says Thangkhiew.
Terry Kyndiah, the 30-year-old rider from Shillong, says the journey on the beaten track started when a group of friends went for a ride on a weekend and decided to form a group of superbikers. “The journey from a group of few friends to a full-fledged flock has been amazing,” says Kyndiah.
A superbike or sports bike is a motorcycle optimised for speed, acceleration, braking and cornering on paved roads, though at the expense of comfort and fuel economy. The speed of a superbike varies between 180 and 400kmph depending on the kind of bike one is riding, says Thangkhiew.
Sashank Sharma from Guwahati says NERD is more than a biking group for him. “For me, it is family. NERD symbolises brotherhood. We also give priority to safe riding and wearing helmets,” says the 25-year-old adventurer and proud owner of four superbikes — Triumph Daytona 675R, Yamaha R6, Harley Davidson 48 and KTM RC 390.
Sashank, a national level superbike racer, the only representative from the North East, says even he hesitates to race on the street because safety comes first.
NERD already has more than 18,000 followers on Facebook. When asked how it feels to be a superbiker, Thangkhiew says, “It is awesome and it really boosts your morale and confidence as a group that is just a year old. It feels nice to see people all over the world follow and like our page on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. We want to set a good example for the youth and encourage them to buy superbikes as they are safer and more reliable.”
“People gather around the bikes and admire them. Sometimes they even take pictures of the bikes. The loud and eye-catching features of these bikes draw attention,” says Kyndiah, who owns a Kawasaki Z800 and KTM Duke 390.
A superbike maybe an eye candy but maintaining one is certainly not an easy task as service engineers or mechanics have to be summoned from metro cities in case of a technical glitch. The machine parts are expensive and once the warranty period is over, the owner has to cough up a large sum for replacements.
But nothing is a deterrent for the passionate NERD members who go out on a trip away from the congested roads of Shillong almost every weekend. Thangkhiew, who rides a Harley Davidson Street 750, says there’s a “huge difference riding a normal bike and a superbike”.
“With superbikes, the heat from the engine is unbearable due to the cubic capacity of the engine and its horse power. In the city, we have no option but to wait till the traffic clears and start moving as fast as we can so the bikes won’t overheat every now and then,” he adds.
The senior rider has a word of caution for youngsters who are always keen on performing stunts with their bikes. “I would like to advice the riders not to turn the street into a racing track. Ride safely and save lives.”
He also advises riders to wear proper riding gears, which include riding pant, jacket with guards and paddings, helmets certified by DOT or ISI, gloves and riding boots.
Speaking on frequent road mishaps in the State, Thangkhiew says, “This is a very serious issue and I would sincerely request the Government to look into this aspect with utmost sincerity and urgency as many lives were lost due to accidents on two-wheelers.”
He also urges the public to take precautions for safe riding. “It is the duty and responsibility of each rider to respect the law. Obey traffic rules and respect other riders and vehicles on the road,” he says.
NERD has requested the Government to build a racing track in Shillong or Guwahati so that those who want to race or ride fast can do so on these tracks with proper training by professionals.
The superbikers have recently released their official trailer and received an overwhelming response from fans and well-wishers. The video was shot at the first India Bike Week meet in Cherrapunjee in April this year and also at the National Highway Fourlane from Shillong to Guwahati. The video features superbikes like Harley Davidson, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, Benelli, Ducati, KTM and Triumph, among others.
“It was amazing to see how the trailer came up. The final video will be released shortly,” says Thangkhiew.