Bengalureans discover the thrill of quad biking | Bengaluru News

On the edges of Bengaluru, far from the chaos of mundane yet busy life, lie some rugged terrains, waiting to be conquered, not with running shoes or bicycles, but with the tough love of four wheels of quad bikes aka ATVs or all-terrain vehicles.While the city stretches do offer some off-roading experience, with all the potholes and unscientific speed-breakers, it is never fun as it usually drives up the motorist’s blood pressure.If one is really looking for an adrenaline rush or a dirt-splattering challenge, there are uneven trails amid nature beyond the city outskirts, making for a quick and refreshing getaway.Anjan Das, a 28-year-old software engineer, was looking for things to do in Bengaluru when he came across the to-do list with one of the entries as quad biking at Dirt Mania, off Kanakpura Road. Anjan, who likes to break free from the tech world once in a while with some outdoor activities, quickly made plans to visit the track with his 30-year-old fiancé Garvika Bansal, an operations manager. “It was a surprise for her. She didn’t know where we were headed until she saw the sign board of the place,” he says. What waited for them was an unexpected, high-octane adventure through the 12km trail to the scenic hilltop view, says the couple who’s also into mountaineering. “It was our first time riding quad bikes. The journey was filled with bumps, tilts, and an authentic off-roading experience. It was truly fun.”The two got training before touching the throttle. “There was a 30-minute technical session, which included a briefing on the mechanics of the quad bike, how to properly ride it, common challenges and techniques for maintaining body balance and steering on uneven terrains,” Anjan adds.Quad biking in Bengaluru was not new for Syed Vikhar Ahmed, who took the 3km ride about six months ago at Nandi Adventure Park, off north Bengaluru. He has tried various adventure sports across the world, with his family, that included quad biking in the sands of Saudi, feeding sharks in Maldives and cliff jumping in Bali. The 40-year-old emcee says each experience is unique. “At the Nandi trail, the way they mapped the route, with several ups and downs, was good. In a lot of other places, the track is plain, so rides are usually very simple,” he says. “There were mild and pro tracks for the beginners and seasoned riders respectively. ” Adventure sports is not just a casual hobby, but a family philosophy. Syed’s 10-year-old daughter rode a quad bike for the first time here.“ATV is a four-wheeler, but it has handles like a two-wheeler. So, people are fascinated by it,” says Ameen Ali Khan, founder of Global Adventure.The local adventure operators say they get on an average 200 bookings a month. Raj Kumar, 42-year-old CEO and founder of Dirt Mania, says most people find the place through Google when they look for fun things to do in Bengaluru. “At least a 30% of them are all repeaters who have visited us a couple of years ago. I get first-timers and also people who have tried quad biking in Bali and other countries.” A motorhead since childhood, Rajkumar started the ATV ride venture in 2009 with only half a kilometre lap. “It was a three-acre land I had rented out, and I charged around Rs 300-400 per ticket. We had five of the Chinese quad bikes and two of the Yamaha sport quad bikes,” he recalls. In 2013, he expanded the venture with partner Jay and better bikes.Now they offer longer rides throughout the day and year but Raj says the experience is different in each season. For example, when it rains, there’s usually a lot of slush and people find it thrilling.Safety is paramountRaj reminds that quad-biking is not a time-based, but kilometre-based activity. Since the ATVs can flip quite easily, the tracks are designed with a lot of focus on the safety of riders. “These bikes can flip over when you’re riding them on natural terrain. So, if you’re not able to focus on the handle and if your bike goes off your pathway, then it can flip over,” he says.Safety gear like jackets and helmets are a must. “During the training, I check how people ride. In a group of four, if two ride fast and the others are very slow, then we send two pilots, who are my trained staff. If there are couples coming in, we ensure the girls go first.”Aleem, also a certified ATV safety instructor from the ATV Safety Institute, USA, trains safety guides who work on the field at resorts and adventure parks and give instructions directly to clients on how to handle the machines. He also runs a safety institute, Indian ATV Safety, in RT Nagar and conducts safety audits on land adventure products.Raj said it’s easier for children and non-bikers to learn riding quad bikes, compared to Indian bikers and two-wheeler riders. “Bike riders have to unlearn and learn a lot. Unlike the bikes where you tilt the body sideways while taking turns, in quad bikes, it only requires focus on the handle, which is operated with a push and pull method.”When Covid hit brakes on ATVsFor some, the Covid-19 pandemic took a toll, forcing ventures like Go Bananas to move their base to other places like Goa. Harsh Bhimani, partner, Go Bananas, recalls that before the pandemic, he used to have 500 to 600 bookings a month on average for quad biking through tie-ups with different properties, offering 6km and 12km trails. “When the pandemic was officially over, bookings in Bengaluru dropped to 150 to 200 per month. So, in 2022, we decided to move to Goa where there is more demand.”Raj sees a slight increase in demand year-on-year, but rues the fact that “corporate team outings have reduced as they look for more activities with lower budgets”. Twin constraintsFinding space for trails and the maintenance of quad bikes are the two expensive challenges trail owners face. Ameen has been importing Euro-certified ATV bikes from countries like USA and Taiwan in bulk, for the last two decades for B2B sales to resorts and properties in Bengaluru and India. “We don’t import cheaper Chinese bikes due to safety concerns,” he says. Raj says if an ATV is bought in another country for Rs 2 lakh, by the time you bring it to India, it costs Rs 5 lakh. “If you want to buy a basic Polaris quad bike in Bengaluru, the cost starts at about Rs 8 lakh. These are the reasons why it is not popular in our country.” The quad bike makers include Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and KTM.The tracks need to be maintained regularly for better and safer rides, which adds to operations costs.