[saikishor]

I'm not starting this thread because of some superbike crash that took place recently, this question kinda ponders in my mind looking at the influencers that exist in today's social media pages.

What is biking? What do motorcyclists do? Who are motorcyclists? The one person who I feel is apt for a passionate motorcyclist is Mr.Subhabrata Marmar aka Shumi from Motorinc. I stumbled upon his new channel very recently and have been hooked since. The way he explains and displays stuff makes his intention clear. I mean, you can tell that man was born for motorcycles. That kind of passion is what makes someone a true biker or a true motorcyclist. Another name I can recall is Zohair Ahmed but now he has moved to cars and no longer does motorcycle content.

So yes coming back to what is biking and who are bikers? In my opinion, bikers are people who are passionate about riding and their bike ONLY. Bikers don't and shouldn't care about stuff which is not related to bikes. Those were the things which I associate to bikes.

Now if I know what biking is, then why am I starting this thread? Well as a young guy, who loves his bike to the core and goes nuts whenever he parks it and looks back at it, I feel the biking culture is being diluted and the terms biking and biking culture themselves are being diluted. These so called influencers are conveying wrong stuff to the younger gen like me. I mean, biking in India has become more of a show off kind of thing nowadays. Biker meets are all about showing off your expensive bike with its triple expensive accesories, photos, videos and what not. Photos is still fine but showoff IMO is not fine. These showoff guys are conveying the wrong image to the younger gen.

See I'll take my example. I am 20 years old, currently in my engineering 2nd year. Buying a bike and going on good rides was a dream since I was 13. I finally got my first bike when I was 19. My dad paid for it, and he pays for my petrol, maintenance, gear etc etc. All is good till here. I know my limits mentally and financially, so I do what ever is feasible for me(gear purchases, rides etc). So now what happens when a guy like me wants to buy a bike for himself or lets say has a bike with him already, but now he watches some influencers video, gets hooked and wants the same expensive stuff on his bike too? If he's someone like me who relies on his parents for his stuff, won't his parents feel pressurised? Is this how biking culture is meant to be? Absolutely not. Biking is all about self rejuvenation, reclamation and what not; atleast that is what it is in my mind. You ride a bike to soothen your soul, not to look cool or showoff whatever you have to people who dont give a rat's ass about bikes.

Another example I have in my mind are biking groups. I am a kinda silent member of 2 biking groups. I joined one in January, and the second one quite recently like 2 weeks ago. Situation is the same in those groups also; there is a lot of spam instead of actual bike talks. I might get kicked out after someone reads this from the group but it is what it is. I feel like exiting them, lets see I will if I find it pointless in being there.

Sorry if my post went too long but all I want to say is, biking culture is a literal joke in India at this point. I mean, look at content creators like Fortnine, Motorinc etc and look at other chapri content creators (no offense).

And lets not talk about guys who started with motorcycles as their thing but now do home tours, babysitting videos and what not.

I would like to hear others views and see if there is a possibility of changing this to a small extent atleast.

Mods please move or delete if found unnecessary.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by saikishor

...I feel the biking culture is being diluted and the terms biking and biking culture themselves are being diluted.

Boss, we were having these exact same conversations 25 years ago in engineering college! And I'm sure 25 years before that, people at that age would have been having similar conversations.

So it's nothing new and not limited to bikes. It's about the age you are at and trying to find your identity. It's the basic human need to find a 'tribe' and prove (mainly to themselves) that their 'tribe' is 'better'. It's the same sentiment/urge that allows politicians to manipulate people based on nationality, and makes us so suceptible to marketing and advertising through pop-culture, whether it's Royal Enfield, Justin Bieber, Live free XUV, etc etc.

Do what works for you. If you like riding alone, go for it, if groups work for you, go for it. Just be wary about people trying to sell you a product, packaged in emotion. All the brands do it. And now even people have become personal brands.

Spend more time on the bike than off it, and you'll be just fine.

[bf1983]

Biking culture is being diluted no doubt about it but you still get a good number of bikers who love biking for the sake of biking.

Just last week I went for a bike ride and our group consisted of two Ninjas, two KTM 390 ADVs and two retro bikes (an old Bullet 500 and a Honda CB350). So we had a great mix of bikes and nobody was trying to show off. Whoever would go ahead would stop and let everyone catch up before traffic dispersed us again. This is not something new and we see such groups all over Mumbai. So biking culture is still very much alive and we shouldn't let these chapris who call themselves youtubers dictate their version of biking culture.

[Ironhide]

Sai,

What you have brought out is genuine and from the heart. Motorcycling was all about exploring new places, taking in the sights and sounds and feeling the wind in your hair. Instead, what it has turned into is a kind of Social Media oneupmanship in colourful filters.

Your observations about Fort9 & Shubhabrata Marmar are spot on. They are genuine motorcyclists and their content is well researched, engaging, entertaining and carries the weight of experience. Another guy with similar content for travel goes by the name of Toll free traveller. His travelogues on a Thunderbird earlier and now on an X-Pulse are a delight to watch. Why go too far, in our own forum we have riderzone who writes beautifully and passionately about all things motorcycle. Even Dileep Menezes, another BHPian writes beautifully about his explorations - on a Xpulse (though he has a Tiger too). There are motorcyclists of all hues on our forum itself - from the likes of Ashvinprakas who used to do interstate trips on his eminently capable CT-100B and is a DIY enthusiast when it comes to motorcycles, to aargee & vijayanand who are veritable authorities on CBR 250R to the indefatigable rb2399 who munches miles for breakfast, lunch and dinner on his V-Strom.

So don't let all the made-up, and phoney balderdash that passes for biking culture on social media bother you and keep you from doing what you love - motorcycling. Ride safe, travel, explore, and enjoy the sun on your face and the wind in your hair.

Happy Motorcycling !

Cheers !

(PS : Here's another link that ought to interest you
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...moves-you.html (Why motorcycling moves you?) )

[SoumenD]

Was an avid 2-wheeler tourer back in 2007-2011(did some 22k kms across India) when social media wasn’t as influential yet. Yes we had forums like xBhp(been more than a decade I last logged in) where I learnt about safety gears(still have my DSG mesh jacket somewhere) & long distance touring. But by 2010/11 itself this show-off thingy had started and I remember discussing these same things that you mentioned.

Personally I feel if someone is getting influenced by wrong folks(again what’s wrong for me might be right for someone else), there’s very little we can do. An adult is expected to choose his own poison judiciously. I don’t care about the social media influenzas doing their thing. Its a free country, people can do whatever they like, follow whoever they want to.

For me motor-biking is a very personal thing which is liberating. Still see it that way and hope to get back to it soon

[GTO]

Originally Posted by saikishor

What is biking? What do motorcyclists do? Who are motorcyclists?

So yes coming back to what is biking and who are bikers? In my opinion, bikers are people who are passionate about riding and their bike ONLY. Bikers don't and shouldn't care about stuff which is not related to bikes. Those were the things which I associate to bikes.

All I can say is:

- We should stop being purists.

- We should stop being elitist, even indirectly.

To me, anyone who loves to ride is a biker. Whether it's Manson on his 954RR, or the banking clerk who enjoys his Splendor. Axe77 on his Triumph, or a student on an Activa. I reiterate, anyone who loves to ride is a biker.

I follow a similar philosophy in the 4-wheeled world. In fact, this thread was my idea - link (Is it necessary for "fun-to-drive" to only involve fast + tight handling cars? I don't think so!). This one (When smaller, cheaper cars are more fun-to-drive than bigger & expensive ones) was my idea too.

Me, Aditya, Omkar & gang are as much of car guys as anyone on the planet. We drive 50 cars every year between the three of us. From economy hatchbacks to deadly-fast EVs to 8-cylinder mean machines. Yet, if you see our real-life experiences & comments on those threads, we also enjoy driving Corollas & Hectors.

Anyone who loves to drive is a car guy, IMHO.

[2legit2quit]

I echo GTO's opinion. We should stop gatekeeping this wonderful passion of biking. While I laud the OP's maturity regarding knowing his limits and not being influenced by social media glittery, lets not forget that everyone starts somewhere. Whether they do it for the love of biking or for the perceived coolness that's attached to it is a conversation for another day.

Regarding biking culture being dead in India, I wouldn't look at it with such a negative lens. For every 10 squids you point out, I can point out 1 person who bikes for the pure joy of riding. If you do want to educate people to pursue this hobby the right way, by all means, go for it! The scene will only thank you for doing what you do. That being said, I see you're based in Hyderabad. Hit me up if you ever want to go out trail riding or for a coffee run. Cheers!

[R-Six]

Hi Saikishor,

I echo with GTO's sentiments! Everyone who ride a bike is a biker!

And in India, biking culture doesn't necessarily always mean, the breakfast rides or the most coveted ride up to the Great Himalayas! It is also about the milkman, a regular 9-5 Joe who couldn't yet afford a 4 wheeler, or that middle-class family man who manages to accommodate his entire family on the splendor so that he doesn't have to shell out extra for a taxi. Its about those too. They have their own stories as well! Bike culture for a little kid could even mean, that fun joy ride within the society before his/her dad goes to work in the morning.

So lets not try to narrow down the biking culture to just those long rides, instagram worthy pictures and reels or the youtube videos. Its much more than that for a country like us.

But we do hear your concerns though. All the motovlog culture and the easy accessibility to the electronic devices have made it looks like biking is all about the fancy rides to beautiful locations. Lets accept it, it is there on the internet because there are people who are ready to consume such content. They offer what sells, And if we look at it that way, whom should be blamed in the first place?

Originally Posted by 2legit2quit

Hit me up if you ever want to go out trail riding or for a coffee run. Cheers!

And the above quote sums up what biking brotherhood is all about! You get to meet strangers on your rides and who knows, he is going to be your riding partner for longer than you imagine!

Anyway, I see you are quite young. Still trying to find out where you fit in. Take your time, go for joy rides with your riding groups, no harm in that. You may ride solo too. Sooner or later you will figure out what sort of rider are you. And that is how you'll begin your biker journey!

Until then, ride safe and yes, keep riding!

Best,
R-Six

[rajshenoy]

To me a true biker(or car lover) equally enjoys their ride and connects with them, there is no peer pressure or a point to prove that they own more cc or bhp.

Do not let a bunch of YouTubers define what biking is, most of them are busy selling some paid content or perfumes and are just trying to earn some money or fame.

When I am on road, I love to connect and feel with my machine and it’s limitations, be it my 15 year old scooty or a year old cb350, my alto AMT is equally fun to me as compared to other cars I have driven abroad.

[AtheK]

I think somewhere the young generation is completely getting confused between biking and influencers, please treat them as two different things and things will look better.

Biking scene has never been better in India, with better bikes, better roads, more destinations to cover and in between finding like minded people. What you are focusing mainly is on rotten eggs, I personally left all riding groups, and we created a small one but with like minded people and we let in people selectively. That is the only group I ride with, we are 20 odd after 2 years, but each one is a purist.

There will always be a race, point is which race you want to pick, and do you then want to enjoy it or just want to always try to come first. It’s your battle to pick and your decision to make, ignore influencers and groups which add no value, find good channels and good groups and enjoy the ride.

Also call me old school but the only bike your parents should buy for you is your first 150cc bike which gets you started on the journey, from there carve your own journey and fuel your passion with your own earned money. If anyone puts there parents on pressure to pursue what they desire they are anyway not a biker, because if you are a biker your 150c bike is enough to take you to 70% of places in India.

[GreyNomad]

I think the OP is confusing social media with real life. It’s not just about biking, this make believe world of social media has created an image trap where engagement and reach define your mettle - as a biker, traveller, cook or even a human!

I echo GTO’s sentiments - if you love to ride, you’re a biker. At the core, it’s a connection you form with the machine and how it opens up possibilities and experiences that you’ve never experienced before. And of course a dash of risk and it pretty much mimics the adventure of life. Whether you want this experience all by yourself or with 4 more ppl is a personal choice. But yeah if you’re staging it rather than living it, it’s your own loss.
Don’t get bogged down by semantics, just live the ride and if that floats your boat consider yourself a rider.

[Oppanna]

I am sure OP has confused between social media influencers and bikers. It is two different worlds altogether.

Even today we have hardcore bikers and who do long distance touring, breakfast rides, weekend rides, overnighters and all other formats of rides too but yet choose to stay away from the social media talks. Are these set of people not considered as bikers?

On other side we see a lot of influencers on social media who do none of the above mentioned but yet post a lot of pics, ride only to nearest CCD to click tons of pics and reels content. If you look only at this then the pure form of biking is no where present!

This is what happening today!

I have been into motorcycling since 2006 and having owned couple of two and four wheelers i can confidently say that there are hardcore bikers out there and not everything you see on the internet is true and it doesn't depict the correct picture.

[man_of_steel]

Biking Culture in India: Does it even exist?

Very much yes! Infact more and more (both young and born again) people have started to enjoy biking in a safe and sane way and are investing in proper riding gears too. Infrastructure too is improving while the same cannot be said with the commonsense of road users (another topic entirely). I am sure these squids OP is referring to were present all along, but unfortunately these squids are getting more visibility through social media now a days. Let's not confuse them with what actual biking is.

[Axe77]

GTO has summed it well. I think we should firstly not be such purists in our definitions. In any case, why does it even concern you whether someone is or isn’t a biker (conforming to some self created standard “you” believe “they” should adhere to).

In my book, if someone loves piloting a two wheeler - he is a biker. Then its irrelevant what he rides, whether a superbike or a scooty. Its irrelevant whether he commutes on it, rides long to tour for the sake of it, rides as a means of living for Zomato or races on a racetrack. Its also irrelevant whether he has other passions simultaneously. Some of the most passionate motorcyclists I know are also car guys and cyclists (me included). But most importantly, while this could be a definition, I’m not spending my waking hours judging who is or isn’t one.

Speaking of content, there are decent high quality motorcycle content creators in India just as there are overseas. Similarly there are enough junk content creators in India - again, just as there are overseas. Same goes for responsible riders vs reckless riders stunting on streets. I don’t think our country is any different in this regard than anywhere else overseas. For every reckless YouTuber here I can show you a video of small / large groups of riders riding helmet-less or popping wheelies while riding in groups. Not my circus, not my monkeys, as one of your favoured journo might say.

My final 2 cents:

- Focus on your motorcycling and find joy in it. Ignore what others are doing.
- Focus on the positive content and ignore the garbage. Spread the positive content if you feel so inclined. It supports those creators in sustaining their content creation. Ignore what you disapprove of.
- Whatsapp groups are the same everywhere. I am on as many super disciplined groups which enforce zero tolerance on posts outside of the subject matter (whether bikes / running or whatever), as I am on focused interest groups that tolerate anything and everything. Archive them if they make you upset. Exit them if you’re losing sleep over these posts.

[Indraneel Bhat]

This may sound very idealistic, but here goes anyway. If all motorcycle riders, especially the "bikers", use the road in the right spirit, it won't demonize motorcyclists. And maybe family members won't have apprehensions about their family member going out on rides with a group. Their biggest fear is "death due to road racing".

A lot of people encourage these YouTubers who try to break the 200-250 kmph marks on their high end machines and try to emulate the same. However, ask any real motorcyclist in India and they will tell you how chhapri this behaviour is! However that does not seem to discourage new riders or fanboys encouraging videos (inadvertantly) promoting reckless riding. Riding unsafe for views and popularity turns off the saner people from even trying out motorcycling. Because reckless speeding is all that they see on YT.

My other big irritation on the road when riding? When a few Bikers (typically RE / Superbike riders) start clearing the road because the main group is coming up from behind riding in formation. This makes them hog the road and cause a lot of irritation to other people. This gives ALL motorcycle riders a bad name. This has happened to me and my fellow rider twice and hence I know that it happens.

I am all for democracy in riding. But a few groups tend to behave like royalty which is wrong.

I ride in a group which has all types of bikes. The only rules are you should use Basic safety gear (Helmet, gloves, Elbow and knee pads to begin with) and you should ride safe. Reckless riding is not appreciated. If all biker groups are motivated by common sense and not showing off, the motorcycle culture in India will spread for the right reasons.