Beauty and the bike

A girl meandering her way through the traffic on a bright-coloured scooter not only makes for a pretty picture, but exudes a lot of confident too. While the small town-girls in India, somehow, have been a trend setter in this, their more stylish counterparts in the metros are fast picking up the trend.

Reasons to ride
"It was impossible for me travel on a public bus at office time," says Asha Bhowmick, an insurance consultant, who rides a TVS Rdeo. "And I can't afford an auto every time I step out. So, a scooter was perfect for me," adds the Vasant Vihar resident.

Affordability is not the only issue here. While the comfort of a car can't be replaced, when it comes to staying hassle free, nothing can beat a two-wheeler. "I had to walk nearly a kilometre from the parking space to my office, so I got a scooter, which I can park at office as it takes less space," says media professional Richa Sharma.

Femme power
"We wanted a scooter only for girls, and not one of those unisex models," says Anil Dua, senior VP, marketing and sales for Hero Honda. "After all, why should boys have all the fun."

The otherwise slackening scooter market got a shot in the arm — the growth has been about 48 per cent from the last year — due to these cuties on road. And makers are in no mood to slow down. "It's actually very exciting to be selling two-wheelers for girls in the present scenario," says Devendra Shinde, senior VP, Mahindra Two-wheelers.

And for this, the auto giants, that have been taking care of robust motorbikes and vromming torques all these while, have no qualms in thinking about lipsticks now. "Scooters for girls are designed to carry everything that a girl may need," says Dua.

On asking whether riding a two wheeler is a safe option in the metros, the reply seems readymade. "Point me one place that's secured in in this city," says Tshering Gyaltsen, a DU student. "Atleast on my scooty, I'm in control."

Two wheelers for girls are usually light in weight
Colours plays an important role with Pink, Red and Black being hot favourites
Auto-start and front fuelling are the latest features to make riding easy for girls
Gearless and electric scooters are in demand too
Companies even have special classes for beginners