Costly craze behind modified bikes puts Chennai city at risk

Bike Stunt The roar of a high-speed bike, a ‘wheelie’ or ‘stoppie’ on a busy road — behind every one of these illegal road stunts is a modified motorcycle violating many a clause of the Motor Vehicles Act . Two weeks ago, at least 50 bikers gathered on Valluvar Kottam High Road and performed stunts, including wheelies, stoppies and drifts.

Greater Chennai Police tracked and arrested at least 21 of them. All their bikes were ‘modified ’, costing several lakhs of rupees. Factory-built motorcycles are calibrated to balance power, torque, fuel efficiency, emissions and safety while complying with Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) emission norms.

However, changes to the exhaust, air intake, and engine settings can alter performance and potentially affect emissions, reliability and safety. Arjun Kumar, a pit stop owner in Pudupet, said, “Customers aged between 18 and 25 come to us for changes to the exhaust or engine tuning, though it could affect mileage and engine life if not done properly.

Modified bikes are not covered by insurance.” “More than speed or appearance, riders want a bike that reflects their personality and responds differently when they accelerate, brake or take a corner,” said R Karthik, a track rider from Coimbatore. However, modifications can cross the line from customisation to violations.

Section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act restricts alterations that make a vehicle’s registration particulars differ from those specified by the manufacturer. Under Section 190(2), violations of prescribed safety and noise standards can attract a fine of up to ₹10,000 and imprisonment of up to three months for a first offence, besides possible licence disqualification.