Nagpur youngsters give their old bikes a makeover

It won't be wrong to say that bikes have become a fashion statement for the youngsters today. City youngsters are going an extra mile to give their old motorbikes a new look along with adding a personal touch to them through trendy makeovers. We trace this fad in the city, which has gripped the biking enthusiasts.
Whether one has a 175cc bike from the 80s or a 350 cc of now, youngsters are not shying away from spending extra money to give a new lease of life to their bikes. Shahnawaz Khan, who specialises in modifying bikes, has at least 12 customers every week who come knocking at his garage for a makeover for their bikes. "People spend anywhere between Rs 44,000 to Rs 1.15 lakh for a bike makeover. designs like beetles that have a vintage touch and fishtail mufflers are quite popular. Most of the accessories are handcrafted and made of steel sheets at my garage."
Besides replacing the old engine of their bikes with new ones, bikers in the city are increasingly opting for colourful makeovers of their bikes. Altaf Hussain, a garage owner at Sitabuldi says, "Our patrons insist on giving their bikes a bright and colourful look to make them really attractive. Also, many come to us with new bikes and demand us to give them a vintage look. In fact, they don't spending anywhere between Rs 55,000 to Rs 65,000 just for this kind of makeover. When it comes to replacing the old engine with the new ones, the cost even goes up to one lakh."
In the sports bike category, youngsters are crazy over the ninja style, especially curated on a 150cc with electric start followed by the thundercat and bull-dog styles. A biker, Mehul Pandey says, "I have a special attachment with my father's bike from the 1980s, though the model as well as the engine of the bike are quite old, I didn't want to sell it in a throwaway price. Instead, I had invested Rs 65,000 to give my bike a sporty makeover. Without taking away the essence of the bike, it looks new and attractive. And I use it for my various outings in and across the city."
Swearing by the mantra, 'why should men have all the fun', women biker Rucha Kale quips, "While for men, their bikes are an extended part of their personality, for women bikers too, it holds the same position. Bikes have become a way to represent oneself today and I recently gave a makeover to my 250 cc bike. I transformed the look from a commercial bike to a vintage one. It took me `50,000 and one week to get that done."