Burning rubber, and police patience

Motorcyclists gather at Delhi-Gurugram border for weekend rides, facing increased scrutiny from law enforcement due to stunts.

Before the first light of dawn, motorcyclists begin to show up at the Delhi-Gurugram border, gathering into a sea of riding jackets and helmets. This has been their ritual for 16 years now — a peaceful assembly near the now-defunct 32-lane toll plaza — before setting off on their weekend ride. They will ride out 50-70 kilometres, returning in a couple of hours after breakfast.

However, this morning held an unexpected twist. As the riders of the Delhi Bikers Breakfast Run (DBBR), which has done monthly Saturday rides since 2009, exchange greetings and wait for other riders to join in, a police car pulls up, and officers step out.

One of the police officers, a lean, tall man in a thick, quilted khaki jacket, walks up to the riders instructing them to disperse immediately. He says the area has become a hotspot for stunts and hooliganism. The officer, with a calm yet firm voice, says they have been receiving many complaints and have instructions not to allow any form of gathering of motorcyclists.

Even as more riders from the group arrive, Karan Sood, 36; and Brijesh Raju, 40, two of the lead organisers of the group, summon the over 100 riders who circle around them. There are men and women across ages.

Before imparting the safety protocols for the riders, which include a bunch of hand signals and even the use of legs when the hands are busy, Karan lays out to the riders that they had been facing increasing scrutiny from the authorities due the actions of “a few”.

“You guys know what’s circulating on social media. Because of a few unruly bikers, everyone is being cornered. We have never been associated with such behaviour. DBBR rides will continue,” Karan shouts, to thunderous applause from the riders.

An increasing number of Indian riders are documenting their motorcycle rides on social media. Some perform stunts and post them on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. While this subculture is seen as entertaining by some, they have also caught the eye of law enforcement agencies who view them as promoting unsafe behaviour on the road. A direct offshoot of this is the blurring of lines between hobbyist motorcyclists and unruly riders in the eyes of the police, leading to widespread crackdowns across Delhi-NCR.