Soup up my ride: Looks, not performance, drive Delhi's bike modifications

New Delhi: The death of a young stunt biker in the city following an unfortunate run-in with the police, has turned the spotlight on the burgeoning population of youngsters who swear by their snazzy bikes. The incident also brings to light the expanding business of bike modification that caters to the demands of the young and the restless in the city. And the general opinion of those in the trade is that the young usually want a bike that looks great, and biking is more about showmanship for them."I would say that only one out of 80 to 100 riders really wanted their bike modified for performance. On the other hand most customers want to modify their bikes for its looks," Bobbee Singh, owner of Old Delhi Motorycles in Naraina, told Firstpost. Manu Mehta, owner at Dreamriders in Mayapuri Industrial Estate, agrees, "I have worked in this profession for 6-7 years, and maybe 1- 2 customers out of 50 have asked for a performance enhancement modification for their bikes," Mehta said.[caption id="attachment_999697" align="alignleft" width="380"] Stunt bikers. AFP.[/caption]However, both Bobbee and Mehta say that interest in motorbikes, both buying and modifying them, is witnessing an exponential increase."While there is a huge demand, the vision of buying a bike has changed. It's not just a mode of transport for many, anymore. It's a passion and a love of the ride and the road," Singh said, "In India the scene has changed 180 degrees from what it was 10-15 years back. India is one of the largest growing motorcycle industries and the budget and desire that people have can be compared to the 1970s in the US."The budgets, according to Bobbee, have also increased from when he first began pursuing his passion as his profession."When I began working, budgets for modifications were between Rs. 60,000 and 70,000. Now that budget has gone up to Rs 3-4 lakhs. Even most look modifications require the changing of most parts, not a mudguard here or a seat there," he said.Mehta said that when he started out six to seven years ago, there were only five to six people and places that were into modification and remodeling of bikes in Delhi. "Now there are more than 200, many of who of who are design graduates. The way the industry is going, it is opening up options for formally trained people. However, the ones who are also skilled but have no formal training are being thrown out of their jobs," said Mehta.Karol Bagh-based proprietor of Inder Motors, Lalli Singh, told Firstpost that this trend can be attributed to various factors. "Firstly, people have more purchasing power. Secondly, there's more awareness about modification of bikes and various businesses are catering to those demands. The domestic market has begun to see an increased level of activity. Most importantly, modifying the looks of a bike to keep up with the popular trends is more affordable than buying new one.""Five to six years ago when we showcased our bikes in expos, people always thought they were  from abroad. A lot of people used to think we are crazy. They used to tell us, 'Itna padha likha ho ke, yeh karma karta hai' (after being educated, this is the job you do!)," Mehta said.Mehta's Dreamriders has modified and built 130 bikes in the past 6-7 years, with each bike priced between Rs 1-2 lakh.Explaining why bikers don't hesitate about spending a little fortune on enhancing the appearance of their bikes, Bobbee told Firstpost, "When I started out, I would not even get one request for modification a day. Now a days I sometimes I get as many as three to four requests a day, with an average of two requests a day. At times, I have to turn down customers. "It takes an average of three months' work to give a bike a new look.From a modification point of view, Mehta told Firstpost that it's unreasonable to increase the horsepower of a bike beyond a point."A typical Royal Enfield has a 150CC engine and between 18-22 horsepower. They are only built for cruising efficiency. How much of power can one force into them?" he asks. "Yes, there may be a slight change in performance of the bike after it is modified for looks, but that is in terms of handling and not power," he said."A majority of our customers come to us and say 'make my bike look great' and not 'make the engine power based'. Indian mentality is not there yet. Neither are India's roads ready for powerful bikes ," Mehta said.