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There is good news for bike racing lovers in the country. As companies like Ducati, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha are cruising in with an array of power bikes, efforts are also on to bring the premium MotoGP racing event in India.
For speedsters, who can afford the 'lakhpati' bikes - priced between Rs 10 and Rs 50 lakh - but do not know where to run them, this is indeed a pulse-racing development. As millionaires in India are rising, companies are pushing hard to get this prestigious event and set up special track to create excitement and make these top-end brands more visible.
“This is the right time to enter the market and India is set to become an important destination for premium bikes,” Ducati CEO Gabriele Del Torchio said after the company introduced a series of iconic bikes with prices ranging from Rs 14 lakh to nearly Rs 50 lakh for the flagship super brand '1098R'.
Ducati is not the only one to count on India for power bikes. Yamaha has already introduced its 1670cc MT01 cruiser and 1000cc R1 racing bike, both priced a little over Rs 10 lakh. Suzuki also plans to get its power bikes and so does Honda.
Torchio said he has already approached Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holder for MotoGP, to organise this event in India. Ducati's India CEO Ashish Chordia said companies have already raised the matter with the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and a senior functionary of the association said the matter is under discussion with the government.
Vicky Chandhok of Federation of Motorsports Clubs in India (FMSCI) said there is a need to have specialised tracks to promote safe racing in India. “We are exploring the options to get the MotoGP in India and the upcoming Formula 1 track at Greater Noida (being built by the Jaypee group) could be a possible site.”
“It would make sense to use that track not only for the designated F1 event but also for MotoGP and other motorcycling action like Superbike events. Also, it could well be a place where amateurs could fulfil their biking thrills for as low as Rs 300 for half a day,” he said. Currently, there are two private racing tracks in India - in Coimbatore and Chennai. But both lack the necessary safety standards and the requisite infrastructure to run the bikes above 300 km/hour.
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