The 'gunners' are raring to go

The members of Suzuki Shogun Club ride with pride. Be it the sound of the machine or the look of it, every aspect of the two-stroke bike attracts them to it. The bike, which was manufactured in the 90s, was every college student’s dream bike those days. And for these members, who call themselves the ‘gunners’, nothing much has changed over the years.

“I had bought it back then,” reminisces Jaswant, a businessman, who started the club in the City in August 2012 with 15 members. Now, the members of the Shogun clubs from various other cities join these bikers on their rides too. “We have a pan-India presence and sometimes, we have members from Mysuru and Hubballi joining us. We are highly grateful to the Mysuru ‘gunners’ for helping us with everything,” he adds.

Some of the members just love the sound of the Shogun. Says Rishith, a student, “One of my brother’s friends had it and I would often see it. I loved it so much that I ended up buying it. My favourite part about it is the sound!” According to him, it’s just the ideal bike, to which Rahul Ravishankar, a business, adds, “These bikes were developed on the race tracks. So they give a good competition to four-stroke bikes.” Rahul feels that the Suzuki Shogun is lighter to ride than an Activa! “It’s very easy to ride them on the roads,” he notes.
 
The group has done many long-distance rides to places like Nandi Hills, Chikkamagaluru and Ooty. Every year, they organise a ride on August 15 and this year too, they plan to go to Sakleshpur. Jyothirmoy, an engineering student who is one of the youngest members, is looking forward to this ride. “I have missed out on all the other long rides, so this will be my first one,” he exclaims. Another member who enjoyed the Ooty and Chikkamagaluru rides is Sai Som, a sound designer. “It has been two years since I joined the club and I have made some great memories. The only challenge is to find spare parts.” 

For Mahesh, a mechanical engineer, it’s all about the friends that he has made in the club. “Once a month, we meet in Airlines Hotel for breakfast and go for a ride. It’s just great to meet a set of like-minded people,” he informs. Dhruva agrees as he says, “The best part about our meetings is that everyone knows what the other person is talking about.” He further adds, “In fact, my son has become as passionate about the Shogun as me.”

Rahul Roy, another regular member, has wonderful memories attached to the bike. “When I was around 13 or 14, my brother put me on the tank of his friend’s Shogun bike and took me for a ride! I was so scared back then but I just loved the bike. I ended up getting it later,” he smiles. “The bikes are simple so it’s fun to work on them,” he adds.

Ask Ajith what brought him to the club and he says, “It was a long search online! I used to see many active bike groups on Facebook and would always look for a Shogun bike club. When I came across this club, I was so happy.”

All the members agree on one more thing — they can’t help but give the bike a second look each time.

“My parents always tell me that I am washing my bike half the time while the other half, I am admiring it,” jokes Jyothirmoy. For details, call 9886148380.