Superbikes in India: How millennials are turning high-speed riding into a lifestyle
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
The story is the same on most weekends. The quiet chill early in the morning is broken by the roar of burning dinosaur juice. Cubic capacities spit fire and turn the wheels for riders in search of peace. India is witnessing a surge in the popularity of high-end bikes.Clearly, as the Indian economy grows, so has the appetite for premium experiences. Riders are increasingly drawn to not just the machines, but the full package — cuttingedge tech, safety and a vibrant riding culture. Among superbikes, models like the Yamaha YZF-R1 BMW S1000RR and Suzuki Hayabusa are all finding fans around the country. Adventure bikes like Triumph Tiger and tourers like Honda Gold Wing bookend the high-end bike market.According to data from Jato Dynamics, Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Triumph have together sold around 6500 bikes that cost upwards of `10 lakh since 2023. Motorcycle manufacturers have responded to demand with more accessible models and upgrade paths that let enthusiasts evolve from casual riders to high-performance explorers. Local assembly and innovation in electric and hybrid superbikes should drive further adoption.Beyond speed and engineering, high-end machines have become a symbol of lifestyle and community. From nippy weekend group rides to leisurely cross-country road trips, the culture around biking has deepened. Destinations like Leh, Spiti, Tawang, the western ghats, Wayanad and coastal routes of Tamil Nadu and Goa have become pilgrimages for these modern nomads.The rise of riding schools, track days and official biking clubs has given structure to the culture. These events build skills, strengthen bonds and help riders experience their machines to the fullest. More importantly, they are making superbiking a shared passion.Manufacturers are investing in this growing culture. Ducati, for example, highlights its Ducati Riding Experience (DRE) events and has seven active Ducati Official Clubs (DOCs) across India, with more on the way in Chennai and Kochi. 'These rides are not just leisure; they reflect the spirit of our brand and strengthen community advocacy,' says Bipul Chandra, MD, Ducati India.BMW Motorrad India is equally committed, planning over 72 rides in 2024 through its Weekend Escapes and BMW Safaris. 'We're not just selling motorcycles — we're creating unforgettable journeys,' says Vikram Pawah, president and CEO, BMW Group India.As a result of all of this, India's superbike accessories market is witnessing a surge, with motorcycle enthusiasts seeking enhanced safety, perfor mance and personalisation, says Vivek Jaising, founding partner, Performance Racing, a leading accessories major. Brands are also introducing high-quality riding gear tailored to Indian consumers, Jaising points out.The dream ride for every adventurous biker, passing through high altitude regions of Baralacha La and Tanglang La, with scenic views of the Beas river and Suraj Tal.• Distance: 474 kms approx• Estimated riding time: 2 days• Suggested route: Manali › Rohtang Pass › Keylong › Jispa › Baralacha La › Sarchu › Pang › LehOn this route, bikers can explore the surreal landscapes of the Rann of Kutch — a vast salt marsh in Gujarat — and Modhera Sun Temple, a 10th-century architectural marvel.• Distance: 400-450 kms approx• Estimated riding time: 7-9 hours• Suggested route: Ahmedabad› Viramgam › Maliya › Bhachau › Bhuj-Dhordo (Rann of Kutch)Lush valleys, misty Kanchenjunga mountains, and vibrant culture all come together to make this one of the most beautiful routes.• Distance: 97-125 kms approx• Estimated riding time: 3-5 hours• Suggested route: Via Teesta Bazar or via Lamahatta, a slightly longer but scenic route.Cruising along the Bay of Bengal with glimpses of the sea almost the entire way, lined by coconut groves, fishing villages and backwaters make this an ideal biking route on a weekend.• Distance: 155 kms via East Coast Road (ECR)• Estimated riding time: 3.5-4 hours• Suggested Route: Chennai › Mahabalipuram › Kalpakkam › Pondicherry via East Coast RoadOne of South India's most picturesque routes, offering a blend of smooth highways, dense forests and the famous 36 hairpin bends.• Distance: 270-300 kms approx• Estimated riding time: 6-8 hours• Suggested route: Bangalore › Mysore › Gundlupet › Bandipur › Mudumalai › Masinagudi › OotyA motorcycle journey across the deserts of Rajasthan and its different landscapes, cultural richness with stops at Ajmer Sharif Dargah and Mehrangarh Fort.• Distance: 652 kms approx via NH48 and NH62• Estimated riding time: Around 10.5-11 hours• Suggested route: Jaipur › Kishangarh › Ajmer › Beawar › Pali › Jodhpur › Phalodi › JaisalmerThe drive from Delhi to Jim Corbett National Park and Nainital is a blend of winding hill roads and immense scenic beauty.• Distance: 245-290 kms approx• Estimated riding time: 5.5-7 hours• Route 1: Via NH9 (Delhi › Gajraula › Moradabad › Kashipur › Ramnagar) is the fastest and most popular route.• Route 2: Via NH9 and NH121 (Delhi › Hapur › Garhmukteshwar › Amroha › Moradabad › Kashipur › Ramnagar) is slightly longer, but you get a mix of heritage sites and scenic beauty.Similar to the Jim Corbett route, this one has plenty of twisty turns.• Distance: 300 kms approx• Estimated riding time: 6-7 hours• Suggested route: Delhi › Hapur › Garhmukteshwar › Moradabad › Rampur › Bhimtal › Nainital
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
23 minutes ago
- Economic Times
He has his reasons for saying so...: Shashi Tharoor on Rahul Gandhi's 'dead economy' remark
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday refused to comment on party leader Rahul Gandhi's endorsing US President Donald Trump's 'dead economy' remark about India and said the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha may have had his "own reasons" for saying so. The remarks came after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday agreed with US President Donald Trump's statement that the Indian economy is "dead" and said he is "glad" that the US President has stated a fact. Speaking to the mediapersons, Tharoor said, "I don't want to comment on what my party leader has said. He has his reasons for saying so. My concern is that our relationship with the US, as a strategic and economic partnership, is important for us. We are exporting around 90 billion worth of goods to America. We can't be in a position to lose that or have it diminish significantly.""We must wish our negotiators strength to get a fair deal for India. We should also be talking to other regions for exporting our goods. Then we could make up for some of what we might lose in the US. We have to support our negotiators," he added. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday agreed with US President Donald Trump's statement that the Indian economy is "dead" and said he is "glad" that the US President has stated a fact. Speaking to reporters, Rahul Gandhi said that the whole world knows the Indian economy is "dead" except for the Prime Minister and Finance Minister."Yes, he is right. Everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. Everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact. The entire world knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. BJP has finished the economy to help Adani," Rahul Gandhi Wednesday, US President Donald Trump made a shocking statement on his social media platform Truth Social after the announcement of 25 per cent tariffs against India and threatened an additional "penalty" for importing Russian oil.
Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
India ramps up US energy imports as Trump pushes balanced trade
Washington: India has dramatically increased its energy purchases from the US since Donald Trump returned to office in January, with crude oil imports surging 51% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to data cited by people aware of the trade specifics between the two nations. The surge follows a February agreement between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, where both leaders committed to expanding energy cooperation. (PTI) The energy buying spree reflects New Delhi's commitment to rebalance trade ties with Washington, a key demand of the Trump administration. Liquefied natural gas imports have nearly doubled from $1.41 billion in FY2023-24 to $2.46 billion in FY2024-25. The surge follows a February agreement between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, where both leaders committed to expanding energy cooperation. India pledged to boost American energy imports to $25 billion from $15 billion in 2024, while bilateral trade is targeted to more than double from $200 billion to $500 billion by 2030. 'The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to increase energy trade, as part of efforts to ensure energy security, and to establish the United States as a leading supplier of crude oil and petroleum products and liquefied natural gas to India,' the joint statement said. The momentum has accelerated significantly. Indian crude purchases from America jumped 114% to $3.7 billion in the first quarter of FY2025-26 from $1.73 billion in the same period the previous year. In July alone, imports rose 23% month-on-month, pushing America's share of India's total crude imports from 3% to 8%. 'This trend is increasing further from July this year. So, in July 2025 India imported 23% more crude oil from the US compared to June 2025,' said one of the people who analysed the data. 'Also, in India's overall crude imports, while the US share was earlier only 3%, in July that share increased to 8%.' American LNG has emerged as particularly attractive to Indian companies. 'Buying LNG from America is a very attractive proposition for many Indian companies,' said Prashant Vashisht, senior vice president at ratings agency ICRA. 'Firstly, US LNG, which is priced based on the Henry Hub benchmark, is very competitive price-wise compared to other sources. Second, a large number of LNG projects are coming online in the United States, which will mean that more Indian companies will look closely at the American market for tying up long-term contracts.' The timing aligns with America's plans to rapidly expand oil and gas exports. Trump reversed the Biden administration's pause on processing LNG export licences soon after taking office. The US Energy Information Administration expects North America's LNG export capacity to double by 2028, with America providing most of the increase. India's growing appetite for American energy comes as the country is poised to become the world's largest driver of oil demand growth. The International Energy Agency estimates India will surpass China as the major driver of global oil demand growth by 2030, with LNG demand expected to jump 78% to reach 64 billion cubic metres annually. 'Additional long-term LNG contracts worth tens of billions of dollars are being discussed. Indian oil and gas majors are in discussions with their US counterparts for long-term purchase of US oil and gas,' another person familiar with the matter said. 'India considers the US as among the most reliable partners for India's energy security.' However, energy ties remain a point of contention, particularly regarding India's continued purchases of Russian crude oil. The Trump administration has pressed New Delhi to reconsider its energy relationship with Moscow to pressure President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
India receives final C-295 military aircraft from Spain; 40 to be manufactured locally
India on Saturday received the last of its 16 Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft from Spain, marking an important milestone in strengthening its defence capabilities, the Indian Embassy in Spain said. India's ambassador to Spain Dinesh K. Patnaik along with senior officials from Indian Air Force poses for a group picture while receiving the last of the 16 Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft at the Airbus Defence and Space assembly line in Seville, Spain. (@IndiainSpain) The C-295, a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology, is set to replace the ageing Avro aircraft of the IAF. Indian Ambassador to Spain Dinesh K Patnaik, along with senior Indian Air Force officials, received the last of the 16 Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft at the Airbus Defence and Space assembly line in Seville, the Indian mission posted on social media. "The delivery, two months ahead of schedule, marks an important milestone in strengthening India's defence capabilities," it added. The aircraft, with a flight endurance of up to 11 hours, is a versatile and efficient tactical transport aircraft. India signed a contract with Airbus Defence & Space, Spain, for acquisition of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft for IAF in Sep 2021. Under the C-295 programme, a total of 56 aircraft are to be delivered, of which 16 were to be delivered directly by Airbus from Spain, and the remaining 40 will be manufactured in India. Spain fulfilled that commitment on Saturday by handing over the last of the 16 aircraft. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sanchez, had jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft at TATA Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) Campus in Vadodara, Gujarat, in October last year. TASL is responsible for making these 40 aircraft in India. This facility becomes the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in India. It will involve the full development of a complete ecosystem from the manufacture to assembly, test and qualification, to delivery and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft. Apart from Tatas, leading defence public sector units such as Bharat Electronics Ltd. and Bharat Dynamics Ltd, as well as private Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises will contribute to this programme.
