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The 22-member team, headed by Baljeet Singh, is all set to start their trip from city to Udagamandalam (Ootty), a hill station in Tamil Nadu, a stretch of 2,500 km, on their Bullets for the seventh edition of 'Rider Mania' on Wednesday. 'Rider Mania' is an annual event organised by the Bullet lovers, where all the enthusiasts meet.
"Though there are risks involved in the ride, we are used to it. We have been going for these sorts of expeditions for the last seven years," said Baljeet Singh, who owns a restaurant in the city.
Singh said they are facing mainly two challenges - breakdowns and keeping everybody together. "As we are riding for 350-500 km at a stretch, it is tough to keep everybody together Everybody needs to maintain the same speed and also have mutual understanding. The other biggest problem is breakdowns. Anything can happen to bikes at any time, so we should be prepared. We always carry a complete tool kit with us so that we can repair the bike even in case of engine trouble," he said.
The love for riding had brought together like-minded persons not only from the country, but also from abroad. Bhaskar Khatri, a native of Kathmandu in Nepal, is an active participant in the event for the last two years. "I came to know about the event through my friends. When I met these persons, I understood that we all have a same liking- the love for bikes and riding. It is a good experience and provides us an outlook of the country. In our journey, we come across people who belong to various cultural backgrounds," he said. Roadshakers, one of the oldest Bullet clubs in the country, was launched in 1996 by the Royal Enfield company in a bid to promote the bikes. In 1998, the company dissolved the club and since 2001, the events are being organised by various private clubs.
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