Bikers always catch our fancy for the adventures they undertake. Youngsters find them cool and the not-so-young cautiously admire them lest they end up encouraging road rogues.
But members of the North East Riders’ Domain or NERDS as they call themselves, say a biker’s life is more than just cool and often comes with social responsibilities unlike what is perceived by others.
NERDS is the first of its kind super-biking group of the northeast comprising super sport, naked and cruiser bikes. The group was formed out of a shared love for biking; individual sports bike owners from different parts of the northeast, all belonging to different fields, collaborated out of shared beliefs.
The super bikers travel from place to place promoting road safety. Vivek A Dharan, a member of the group, says its objective is to promote awareness on safe riding and to let people from outside the region know that there’s more to northeast than just hills and greenery. Vivek rides a Triumph Daytona 675R and has been associated with NERDS since its inception.
NERDS held its first meet at Queens Resort, Shillong in August last year wherein around 20-25 young enthusiasts participated. Few of the senior riders spoke at length on safety measures while riding on city streets. It was also the first time that the bikers physically met each other; all previous conversations had taken place over phone. The event named The First Superbile Meet of the Northeast, 2016, witnessed massive turnout with the “Colours” band performing live.
The association that began with a group of a few friends has grown into a full-fledged flock. Currently, there are more than 40 members in the group, aged between 18 to late 40s, including two female members. NERD already has more than 21,000 followers on Facebook. When asked how it feels to be a super biker, Vivek says, “It is an awesome feeling to see people all over the world follow and like our pages on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. We want to set a good example for the youth and encourage them to buy superbikes as they are safer and more reliable.”
The group has organised and been part of many events including Auto Expo 2016, 2nd Northeast Auto Show, Independence Day Rally, and the India Bike Week Meet. They’ve gained recognition in northeast as well as other parts of the country. They were recently invited to an event organised by the Government of Meghalaya too.
Biking as a sport has gained recognition far and wide. But it hasn’t yet been seen the same way in Guwahati or Assam as a whole. Bikers from the state are not given due support and respect, as they get in other regions.
Commenting on the current scenario of Assam for super bikers, Vivek explained, “If you’re riding a sports bike and wearing proper gear, people from Assam assume you to be a racer. There are many stigmas associated with motorcyclists here and we’re not expecting them to change any time soon. But we try to do our best in erasing the negative stereotypes by promoting safe riding and we’ll soon be organising safety awareness campaigns too.”
He further informed G Plus about the support that NERDS has received from other states and how cooperative the cops from Meghalaya have been to them, providing them with necessary help and escorting them to venues. While the public of Guwahati look down at the bikers, the Meghalaya public cheer them and encourage young riders.
People gathering around a sports bike with admiration is a common sight. Sometimes they even take pictures of the bikes. The loud and eye-catching features of these bikes draw the attention of many. NERDS wishes to use the attention it has been getting for the greater good and use its power to spread awareness and urge the public to take precautions for safe riding.
Speaking on frequent road mishaps in the state, the rider had a word of caution for youngsters who are always keen on performing stunts with their bikes. “I would like to advice the riders not to turn the street into a racing track. Ride safely and save lives.” He also advises riders to wear proper riding gear, which includes riding pants, jackets with guards and paddings, helmets certified by DOT or ISI, gloves and riding boots.
NERDS has also requested the government to build a racing track in Shillong or Guwahati so that those who want to race or ride fast can do so on these tracks with proper training by professionals.
The super bikers have recently released their first official video that received an overwhelming response from fans and well-wishers. The video was shot at the first India Bike Week meet in Cherrapunjee in April this year and also at the National Highway Fourlane from Shillong to Guwahati. The video features superbikes like Harley Davidson, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, Benelli, Ducati, KTM and Triumph, among others. The trailer for the video was released way back in April; it was then that NERDS started to gain recognition nationally with its Facebook following increasing drastically overnight.