Sixty days ago, India left China in a trail of dust to become the largest two-wheeler market in the world. But is our nation of 1.34 billion people ride ready? According to previous reports from the National Crime Records Bureau, 29 per cent of road accidents occur to those on two-wheelers! Alarmed by this statistic and the lack of adequate information on motorcycle safety apparatus, two Mysore-based bikers, Chetan Rao and Pramod Nath, launched RideMaterial.
Gear up
By providing comprehensive and unbiased assessments of biking equipment—be it helmets, jackets, gloves, boots or riding pants—this duo is an authoritative voice on ‘whatever you need to make your motorcycle ride better’. “We hope to raise the safety consciousness amongst Indian riders. Gear is not just for bikers who are headed on long road trips or for those who ride hi-end motorcycles, it’s for everyone,” explains 30-year-old Chetan, who has been a long-distance biker since he came of age.
So what sets their gear news/review site apart from active players like OverDrive or sites like Amazon/Flipkart? “Our site is updated weekly and currently features over 100 products available in the market. A painstaking amount of research/road-testing is done on each product to generate 30 in-depth data points on each piece of equipment, to ensure that you’re getting your money’s worth,” concludes Chetan, who cites the 17-year-old American biker resource website WebBikeWorld as an inspiration. The website evolving into an online marketplace is a future possibility that the founders envision.
Slippery when wet
Here’s a paraphernalia list, as recommended by the founders of RideMaterial, that’ll get any biker monsoon-ready, whatever their destination.
*Rynox Raid Motorcycle Riding Pants
While the CE-rated armour and 600D Cordura take care of safety, the detachable rain liner and thermal liner lets you ride not only into the rain but far and beyond, comfortably
into the sunset. `6,850
*Gloves Rev’It Mantra H2O Gloves
Moulded knuckle protectors and palm sliders, touchscreen-friendly fingertips, face shield wiper, all this in a pair of waterproof, breathable gloves by the world-renowned Rev’It—what more can you ask for? `6,000
*Falco Liberty Touring Boots
Impact protection by D3O to keep you safe, a high-tex membrane to keep you dry, and ventilated air-tech inserts to keep you comfortable. The Italians at Falco have thought of everything. `7,750
*Helmet HJC CL-17
For those who prefer Snell (a safety standards organisation) over an ECE safety rating, the HJC CL-17 is the most affordable option in India. Top-notch build quality ensures the rain is always kept out, and being pinlock-ready, you have the option of a face shield that never fogs. `9,500
*AGV Sport Solare Jacket
No matter what the conditions, you can stay cool, dry, and safe within this jacket. All thanks to a well-ventilated mesh outer shell, detachable waterproof liner, removable Certified European or CE-approved shoulder/elbow armour, and an 8 mm-thick foam back pad that’s upgradeable to CE-level. `6,500
Details: ridematerial.com
anoop.p@newindianexpress.com
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