The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR), which is all about dapper suits, classic bikes, lots of laughter and men, takes place annually in over 220 cities worldwide on the same day. The only event of its kind, the ride is dedicated to raising funds to combat prostate cancer, a disease that affects one in eight men worldwide. This year it will be held on Sunday, September 24.
“We, at Triumph Motorcycles India, are very happy to have collaborated with the DGR for the third time in a row in India, which gives us just the right platform to provide our esteemed customers and brand patrons with a complete riding experience. The entire process of following a dress code and riding in harmony with fellow bikers is quite an enthralling experience and also helps with breaking the stereotypes the society associates with men on bikes whilst raising funds for men’s health issues,” says Vimal Sumbly, managing director, Triumph Motorcycles India.
Riders taking part can be awarded Most Distinguished Motorcycle, Most Distinguished Couple, Most Distinguished Gentleman, Most Distinguished Lady, Most Distinguished Support, Most Distinguished Moustache, Most Distinguished Beard and Most Distinguished Junior.
The ongoing decade has been a biker’s paradise for two-wheeler enthusiasts. While homegrown bike brands like Royal Enfield (RE), TVS, Bajaj and Hero, as well as popular Japanese brands Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda and Kawasaki largely catered to a mass market of practical use bikes within the 100 to 200 cc range, except for RE with their trademark 350s, it was the higher displacement segment—500cc and above—that was ripe for the picking.
Harley-Davidson clearly saw the bright hue of a rising sun on the horizon and quickly made their presence felt with their iconic bikes and trademark showrooms. Other brands which were in hesitation mode, unsure of what Indian bikers wanted or what the country’s administration would fling at them, threw all caution to the winds and rode in gallantly.
BMW, DSK Benelli, DSK Hyosung, Ducati, Indian, KTM, Moto Guzzi, Triumph and UM started their jostling for space in the welcoming Indian market place amidst the afore mentioned brands already available in India. Clearly the strategy was not to notch up huge numbers of sales statistics but to cater to discerning Indian riders who could afford it and who, in any case were importing them for their indulgence.
Now, many of these, especially H-D and Indian, were not into racing or for that matter, sporting activities. They were cruisers and leisure riding bikes and the outdoor activists among bike enthusiasts grabbed them readily. Buying became easy, after sale service got better, spares were readily available and the community became stronger.
Along with all this, the need for safety was being advocated. Bike riding clubs of Royal Enfield, Triumph and H-D insisted that their riders who took part in weekend rides, were well-togged up with safety wear. This brought about a segment of fashionable and stylized safety riding gear for the use of riders, both for casual as well as sporting activities.
An avid biker and acclaimed editor of car and bike magazines in India, Pune-based Adil Jal Darukhanawala, says in the latest issue of Fast Bikes, which he currently edits, “You may have just put your money on your first Harley-Davidson….but, if you aren’t clad in Harley-Davidson apparel from head-to-toe, you aren’t truly (in) a HOG - Harley Owners Group.” It is so true, not just for H-D, but with every high-end sports or cruiser bike in the world.
The Reddy brothers, Srinivas and Kumar of the H-D dealership in Bangalore and Goa, agree wholeheartedly with Adil’s view. Both, at the drop of a hat or at the slightest excuse, get on to their Ducati or H-D and head for the wild, blue yonder, of course, clad in jackets, boots, knee guards, gloves, helmets…the works. “I will not be seen dead without the safe riding gear, whether in the city or on the highways. Now that we are also master franchise in India for the world-famous Dainese riding gear and AGV helmets, we tend to wear these as well. It provides a combination of safety, style and comfort,” says Srinivas.
Sports anchor on TV, Suhail Chandhok is a biking enthusiast and unwinds during long weekend trips on the highways on his super bike. “But I am always clad from head to toe in safety wear, despite the fact that in summer it is quite uncomfortable. But life is precious and I need to enjoy every moment of it,” says Suhail.
Besides the bike branded riding gear, independent labels such as Dainese were hugely popular among world-class riders, including riding champion Valentino Rossi who endorses the brand. “Along with my brother, I have taken part in several Harley Owners Group rides and I always wear H-D gear for safety. My brother’s favourite head gear is an AGV helmet as worn by Valentino Rossi,” says Kumar Reddy.
Biking brotherhood
The Harley Owners Group (HOG) is founded and sponsored by Harley-Davidson Motor Company. HOG was established to offer motorcycling benefits and services to H-D enthusiasts throughout the world and to develop a close relationship between the rider, dealer and company.
Speaking about the importance of safe riding, Salamath Sharieff, regional director, HOG, South India, says, "The HOG brotherhood takes safe riding very seriously and we believe that sporting riding gear lies at the core of the subject. We conduct several rides through the year to encourage stronger awareness around the importance of safety and wearing appropriate riding gear."
Consequently, as a relevant brand extension and to advocate safe riding practices, H-D introduced a whole range of gear for H-D bike owners. “Our Swat II Leather Vest is mid weight cowhide leather with perforated cowhide leather panels on front and back. The Tactful riding jacket has polyester mesh body lining. In the men’s Denim range, the Slim Fit Black Label Jeans is 98 per cent cotton, 2 per cent elastane 9.75 oz. denim and has the classic five-pocket jeans styling. Our Sunder Ultra-Light J02 Half is made of fiberglass, fiberglass hybrid/composites and carbon fiber. The Saddle Mesh & Leather Gloves are100 per cent nylon mesh with perforated goatskin leather palm and fourchettes. It has Tricot lining and ergonomic thumb and 15-degree pre-curved fingers,” informs Sharieff.
An Indian icon
The iconic homegrown brand of Bullet from Royal Enfield has always held a pride of place among biking enthusiasts. As an extension of their brand equity, RE formed a dedicated division to get into apparels and accessories which their hardcore fan base gobbled up readily. Says Samrat Som, head, apparels & accessories, Royal Enfield, “There are lots of new products that have been introduced in the Royal Enfield Gear collection. While we have augmented our Riding Gear line-up with quite a few new items, we have also fortified our Lifestyle Gear collection with jackets that have inside pockets on the shoulders and elbows and trousers with inside pockets in the knee for protective armours. We have introduced new gloves more conducive for riding in the city in warm weather.
“In helmets, we are, of course, producing ECE standard helmets, mainly for exports. We also sell some of them in our select stores; there's one made in Carbon fibre which is a special favourite and we are observing growing, still small but definitely growing, demand for these kinds of special products. We strongly believe that safety has three fundamental aspects to it. The gear needs to be a) Protective b) Comfortable and c) Stylish. We also believe, if it's not stylish then one would tend to wear / use it only when it is absolutely necessary; e.g. during long rides. But we tend to skip it in short city rides. So we continue to build an assortment of products that are suited for various levels and occasions of riding, encouraging every rider to stay protected.”
Specialist brands
Independent brands such as Dainese and those belonging to motorcycle brands, are designed by renowned designers, as both aesthetics and safety features must be incorporated in a delicate balance. For instance, Ducati’s urban wear is designed by Aldo Drudi in collaboration with Dainese, Rev’IT, Spidi and TCX. Urban riding gear is available with leather jacket and fabric jackets designed by Aldo Drudi. The TOURING collection consists of the CE-certified Strada jacket and trouser which have been designed for long-range rides in any climate. It is durable, waterproof and ventilated thanks to the high-performance materials used to make it: Gore-Tex membrane, durable and elastic Mugello fabric, and Nanofeel fixed lining. The inner thermal lining can be removed and worn only in part once off the motorcycle. The garment is equipped with light and ergonomic Pro-Armor protectors that mold to the body thanks to body heat. Made by Dainese and designed by Drudi, the jacket is also available in a version for women, and can be combined with the Strada trousers using a zipper.
Triumph
The Triumph range of riding gear includes Raven 2 jackets and gloves, Rowland jackets, Lothian and Warwick gloves, Stoke and Dadlington boots, Triumph Tour Adventure boots and Andorra quilted jacket amongst several others in the vast range. There is the McQueen range of jackets, gloves, T-shirts licensed from the Chadwick McQueen and the Terry McQueen Testamentary Trust, as well as a collaboration between Triumph and another iconic British brand Barbour International, sharing a unique historic synergy.
Each Triumph product is designed and developed in their state of the art facilities in Hinckley, the UK. Their dedicated development team ensures that the products are developed, manufactured and tested to meet specific performance standards. Triumph clothing is all about the ride and the lifestyle that comes with that. Their philosophy is that the clothing should not only perform and function well for riding but also look authentic, iconic and stylish and be easily worn off the bike.
Triumph uses a selection of key fabrics within their garments and each one is tested prior to use within the range. Some of these tests include abrasion resistance, tear and tensile strength, colour fastness to light, water and rubbing, rub resistance, flex and finish adhesion.
Motorcycling as a leisure activity started gaining momentum around late ‘40s and early ‘50s when the machines were a much-improved lot after all the research and innovation during the war years. Motorcycling also started becoming a cheaper mode of private transport. And motorcycling clothing remained inspired by the early users who were military men, explorers, adventurers, rebels and revolutionaries. Classic motorcycling gear borrowed a lot from military clothing, aviator jackets in leather and military field-jackets in waxed cotton and cavalry pants, boots, leather gloves and leather helmets. Leather was the preferred material for its high abrasion resistance, but leather also has its downsides. It is heavy, becomes heavier if gets wet, difficult to wear or maintain in warm and humid weather. There came waxed cotton jackets with leather patches at impact areas. They were designed to be lighter than leather, provide protection against rain and retain the high abrasion resistance at impact areas through the use of leather. But leather continues to be the material of choice for race-tracks.
