NEW DELHI // When Debraj Banerjee founded the Royal Knights Motorcycle Club eight years ago, it consisted of himself and a friend — two men who wanted to ride their motorbikes together on the roads surrounding Bangalore.
Now its membership of Royal Enfield owners exceeds 700 and even Mr Banerji is astonished by the growth of the club, which has extended its excursions as far as the Himalayas.
“Last year, we had a ride with 100 Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles, going 300 kilometres — a group ride, just as they do with Harley-Davidsons in the US,” Mr Banerjee, 33, said. “Imagine that!”
India’s leisure motorcycling boom over the past five years has been built on the rise of a middle class but also on the Enfield, the country’s most iconic motorcycling brand.
Royal Enfield sold 175,000 motorbikes in 2013, up from 50,000 in 2010. In India, they range in price from US$1,500 (Dh5,510) to $2,500 (Dh9,183).
The expanding market has also lured foreign companies to Indian shores. When Harley-Davidson first came into the country five years ago, Anoop Prakash, the company’s managing director in India, spotted an aspirational middle class that had more money to spend on leisure activities.
“There was also a broadening sense that the infrastructure was improving, so that people could enjoy travel and adventure activities,” Mr Prakash said. Roads got better, transforming the average motorcycle ride from a spine-jangling experience to a smooth one.
Travel agencies, like Vintage Rides in New Delhi, have begun to specialise in motorcycle holidays while Mr Banerji, who runs his own software company, has been encouraged enough to start another business that sells biking gear and accessories.
Last year, the first India bike week, held in Goa, attracted 6,500 motorcycle enthusiasts to a festival that featured race tracks, food stalls, live music and stunt zones. This year, the same event held last week, drew more than 10,000 bikers.
“The culture is growing so fast,” said David Courbon, a French executive at Vintage Rides. “In a way, it’s a reverse of what’s happening in the West. In Europe and the United States, there used to be a real bike culture, but that’s fading, and people are buying two-wheelers only to go to work and come back. In India, it’s the exact opposite.”
Vintage Rides was established in 2006 by two Frenchmen, Alexander Zurcher and Alexander Le Beuan, who pitched their motorcycle-themed package tours to French tourists visiting India.
The company’s clients still come primarily from France. But Mr Courbon increasingly handles Indian customers who wish to explore not only their own country but even Europe and the United States.
His Indian clients always own leisure motorcycles of their own, Mr Courbon said, and in almost every case it is a Royal Enfield Bullet, India’s classic leisure motorcycle.
The mid-size category — to which the Bullet and Royal Enfield’s other motorcycles belong — is a good position to occupy, said Siddhartha Lal, the chief executive of Eicher Motors, which builds Enfields in India. “A motorcycle isn’t functional anymore,” he said, and the simpler, lighter commuter bikes do not provide the visceral thrill of biking.
On the other hand, heavier and more complicated motorcycles, Mr Lal said, “are extravagant and unmanageable. They have more poser value than true riding value. The guys are basically just putting them in their garage, coming out occasionally, wearing their fancy gear, and not even actually riding them that much”.
Royal Enfield’s sharp growth has been entirely in the mid-size category, and Mr Lal expects it to continue. The company predicts that it will manufacture and sell 250,000 motorcycles this year, growing that figure to an annual 500,000 in the near future.
Last year, the Royal Knights Motorcycle Club organised 20 trips, Mr Banerjee said. He credits social media for helping to generate interest in motorcycling.
“Motorcycling is essentially a group activity, but earlier there was no platform by which to meet other people who had the same passion,” he said. “Now there are these ways by which we can reach out and find each other.”
“And there are plenty of us out there,” he added. “After all, everybody looks for a little adventure in their lives.”
ssubramanian@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20profile
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THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
The Word for Woman is Wilderness
Abi Andrews, Serpent’s Tail
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Company%20Profile
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RoboCop%3A%20Rogue%20City
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETeyon%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENacon%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%205%2C%20Xbox%20Series%20X%2FS%20and%20PC%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Nashrah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Mutaqadim, Riccardo Iacopini, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Jose Santiago, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Dalil Al Carrere, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Jayide Al Boraq, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The Cockroach
(Vintage)
Ian McEwan
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
If you go
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Sour%20Grapes
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Mental%20health%20support%20in%20the%20UAE
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Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.