Hooligans or Motorcyclists: An Evolution of the Genre

The term ‘Biker’ is slowly changing/ evolving. And I fail to understand which
term to use!

It was the ‘good old biker’, travelling distances on his trusted old machine
which he used to wash and polish himself each weekend. Oil stained jeans
and a thick textile jacket, if not leather, to beat the cold. Big leather boots
and a scratched open-face helmet with a scarf hiding his, otherwise would
have been visible face! Each time our good old rider passed on his machine,
heads turned - Mostly in delight and a few in displeasure, as some were
shocked by their dressing & attitude and detested the bikers, branding them
as “hooligans”.

We all knew of at least one such biker. He wasn’t just a biker. He was a
traveller, a story teller, a wise soul full of experience and knowledge. A
down-to-earth person we could all relate to. He was a kind-hearted
individual who would not miss an opportunity to help. ‘He’ was the ‘biker’,
the human we all looked up to. An idol, a Guru for many of us.

This idolising brought forth many younger enthusiasts and their gurus
carefully guided them on their individual machines. Some became
exceptional race-riders, some went touring the farthest of destinations and
some became Gurus themselves, handing down their knowledge to the
deserving ones.

As these youngsters ventured out, nationally as well as on foreign grounds,

learning and sharpening their skills, the importance of safety and
responsibility started sinking in. They acquired and modified their riding
styles. Good quality helmets, riding jackets with armour and boots formed
the biker’s safety gear. This not only brought about a change in their style of
dressing but changed their entire persona itself!

Their behaviour improved along with their riding as they mellowed down
from being ‘rash’ to ‘skilled’ riders. Society not only accepted them but was
proud to acknowledge them and their achievements. Commoners started
taking notice of this, especially the ones that had shown their displeasure
before, and bikers started gaining the respect which they had never known
earlier.

With success comes glamour. Fashion and trends came in. The age-old
legacy of motorcycling got a face-lift. Each boy dreamt of riding a bike and
every girl dreamt of a rider! Learners chucked aside their insecurities and
aimed to be professionals one day! Motorcycling groups started taking shape
and tyres and pistons were hot topics for discussions across coffee tables.
In the process of being accepted and liked by fellow riders, youngsters went
on to the extent of imitating their favourite sports-rider. They sported similar
clothing and fashion accessories. Painted their bikes to match their hero’s
machines. Tried too hard to ape their rider icons yet, couldn’t.

The reason behind this was the inspiration but sadly they were only
imitating fashion but not their riding techniques. Their icons had undergone
professional guidance and after tough training and hard trials had they
reached where they stood tall. Without acquiring any riding skill set, these
bunch of youngsters started calling themselves as ‘Bikers’ and also came up
with colourful names for their ‘Biker’ groups.

These groups not only exhibited rash riding but were termed as ‘anti-social’
owing to their unruly behaviour and senseless acts of hooliganism. Without
much experience, big bikes were being purchased at an early age. Result?
Increase in road accidents. Fatal crashes. And a lot of tears.

With many international motorcycle brands flocking in, customers have a

large variety of bikes to choose from. Most of these are high-powered
machines and require specific skill sets and experience apart from spending
big-money! Yet, we see many youngsters riding these superbikes. It is
nothing less than criminal of parents to let their young ones buy these high-
powered bikes at such an early age. Ideally, the youngster should get a
learner’s license and practice on a smaller two-wheeler before upgrading to a
higher model. Once a permanent licence is acquired, the rider must practice
very well on a 100cc bike and upgrade to higher ones as and when he can
comfortably handle the smaller bike on all terrains, at all times.

The motorcycling community as of today is very large and comprises of

many types of riders, like Track-racers, Tourers, Endurance-riders, Off-
roaders, Commuters and ‘Posers’, to name a few. While the rest are busy
doing what they are best at, it is the posers who are hard to deal with!
Rallies and Auto expos are filled with these wanna-be’s or as I would call
them, ‘Mock-stars’!

Yet again, it is time to realise and stop what is wrong. We, as riders are
responsible not only for ourselves and the society but for the entire biking
community! Being responsible is quite simple for those who want to be! Just
a few reminders to keep in mind such as, NO OVER-SPEEDING, NO RASH-
RIDING and FOLLOWING TRAFFIC RULES. We, the bikers of today don’t
wish to be labelled as ‘Hooligans’ as were our predecessors.

Ride Hard. Ride Safe.

Sheetal Bidaye