JOIN USOne day when 23-year old mechanical engineering student Varun Katiyar’s bike ditched him right before he was to leave for a party, what came to his rescue was his long-forgotten and ignored old style scooter. After a few kicks and sideways bending, it ferociously sprang to life. It was, dirty, old, broken, frayed, ignored, worn out but a survivor.
When he reached his friend’s place, Varun was subjected to condescending looks. That is when he realised that his good old Bajaj did not deserve this and decided to form Delhi Scooter Club (DSC). The club, formed last month, has seven young members who go on sightseeing and casual rides twice a month, proudly, on scooters. So far they have ridden around places like Hauz Khas, Yamuna Expressway, Greater Noida Expressway and around Damdama lake.
“I reached my friend’s place and got smirked at. That’s when it all fell into place. It suddenly made sense that my old Bajaj did not deserve this. In fact, no old scooter deserves this. Scooters need to come out, be appreciated for their simplicity and sheer sustainability. This is how the DSC came into being,” shares Varun with Metrolife.
“We are a fast growing club. The curiosity is growing. At present, we have seven members, some of whom are musicians, some work in the private sector and one of them is an expat from Britain,” he says.
But what charm does he find in scooters that no other vehicle, even man’s first love - a motorbike, gives and Varun, a Noida resident, replies, “Scooters are like curvy women. So, who likes what is subjective but for me and my club, its all about the curves, the easy-going comfortable seating and very efficient manoeuvrability. Scooters are safe, low on pollution, easy maintenance and have a very decent fuel efficiency. The personal satisfaction of fun and freedom one experiences after a scooter ride still remains unparalleled.”
Varun, who is also a member of a band The Psy Chai Shop, rides a scooter that is about 35 years old. He re-built it from scratch. Some members have got new scooters, while some have got second-hand ones from dealers or family members.
“We are here for scooter lovers of any age, cast, creed or sex. Our aim is to bring back the long lost carefree, fun, laid-back retro feel back onto the roads. Because its worth it,” he sums up.