Bike enthusiasts have their day out

BANGALORE: The city has a rapidly growing band of bike enthusiasts eager to lay their hands on high performance bikes. And some of this enthusiasm is currently visible at the Times Auto Show in Palace Grounds.
On Saturday, there were many who were checking out the latest Yamaha R1, priced at Rs 16 lakh. Some couldn't take their eyes off Hyosung Motor's cruiser bike ST7, priced at Rs 6.80 lakh.
"Though India is a big market for high-end bikes, customers want more bang for the buck," said Zubair Ali Jung, who runs Torquetraders that markets preowned imported bikes.
Harley Davidson, known for its heavyweights (bikes over 750 cc), has created quite a stir in the Bangalore market already. The American bike maker offers 15 models priced between Rs 5.5 lakh and Rs 38.66 lakh.
Suzuki Motorcycle India recently launched its cruise bike Intruder M800, an 805 cc machine priced at Rs 8.8 lakh. The Yamaha FZ1 got a face-lift recently and comes at Rs 10.70 lakh. The auto show also has an array of SUVs,hatchbacks and sedans. Sanjay Shankarappa, CEO of Nispaara Solutions, was checking out a Mitsubishi Outlander . "I travel to my farm in Hassan frequently," he said.
The biggest attraction of the show will be the Dirt King Championship for 2-wheelers , 4-wheelers , SUVs and jeeps . It is open for two days starting December 17. The Times Auto show, which concludes on Sunday, has more than 25 exhibitors.