Team viva tracks down some of the bike rental companies in the capital and learns about the details you need to take a short trip
The plans are on, you know you have been on it for months, your rucksack is packed with pals waiting for you round the corner. It’s just a matter of time that you would get on your bikes from the rental company and vroom off to the nearest little heaven ladakh, to catch on some respite from the sweltering Delhi. Renting a vehicle for a short quick trip is nothing new, what is, however, is the demand for a leaner, sleeker and slightly more visually appealing mean engine. Summer happens to be the busiest season for these bike centres in the city with several local and foreign tourists planning biking trips to the mountains. We spoke to a few companies in the business who gave us neat details about the trend catching up lately.
Know the rules
According to Khomendra Singh, owner of Stonehead Bikes the process is pretty simple. The requisites to book a bike are identification proof, a valid driving license and the right biking equipment. “If customers want, we can provide them with helmets but the rest of the gear will have to be arranged by them,” he said. This is pretty much the standard procedure that all bike rental companies follow. “A customer is needed to submit all necessary documents along with a security deposit which varies from company to company but generally starts from Rs10,000 and can go up to Rs25,000,” said JP Manchanda, owner of Mukesh Motors in Karol Bagh. But if you are at Stonehead Bikes, you might just have to shell out as much as Rs45,000, refundable, though, just for the security deposit.
What’s your choice
You may prefer a Royal Enfield and your friend might want a Harley Davidson and there are chances that you will get both in one of these places. “Usually, we have two to three pieces of every model so that a customer doesn’t lose out,” Rajiv Yadav, of Royal India Bikes who has around 60 bikes in all. When one is on a tour, it is inevitable that the person is going to let his coordinates know about it through social media. But with that comes the need to show off the ride, too. So what are the brands of bikes most in demand, we asked. “The Royal Enfield is most popular among riders with both 350cc and 500cc calibre. Other popular models in the higher range are Harley Davidson, Kawasaki Ninja and Honda R15. In the lower ranges, one generally rents the Bajaj Avenger or the Bajaj Pulsar,” said Manchanda.
Where do you goIJ
leh ladakh, Manali, Uttarakhand, Auli are few of the places that riders frequent during the summer. But we come to know that hardcore riders go up to as far as Nepal and Bhutan. “They also look beyond the conventional places for biking trips with groups of serious bikers travelling to places like Sikkim and Nagaland,” said Chris Harlen, owner of Bullet Wallah, who aims to promote a free culture of riding across the country.
loosen the purse strings
Be ready to loosen the purse strings if you want some fun. If you can shell out anywhere between Rs1,000 and Rs5,000 a day then you have got yourself one cool ride. However, with companies and bike models, the price tag differs. And if you have luck by your side, you can even negotiate with a few companies.
Even though these bike rental companies are a bit expensive, and not burning a hole in your pocket entirely, chances are the lure of it all might just get the better of you.
The prices might sting your pocket, you might not get a leave off work or even those partners in crime ditching you the last moment but should that stop you from having some solo funIJ Well the choice is totally yours. For the love of riding on those untouched beautiful terrains you might just say yes. After all you only live once.