31 July,2011 09:02 AM IST | | Akshata Shetty
Stunt biker Urvashi Patole, one the top 20 contenders for the first Biker of the Year award, loves make-up and respects rules
For Urvashi Patolia to be among the top 20 contenders for the the Biker of the Year 2011 is not unexpected. After all, the 23 year-old motorcyle enthusiast founded the country's all-women motorcyclist association of India, The Bikerni, in January. The Bikerni members go on biking expeditions across the country, collaborate on dirt racing and stunts and get together to share notes on their passion.
Pic / Krunal Gosavi
Patolia, a resident of Aundh in Pune, entered the contest three weeks ago after getting to know about it via Extra Breaking Horsepower (XBHP), an online motoring forum that she is a member of.u00a0 The Biker of the Year 2011 is an initiative by CEAT Bike Tyres along with other sponsors to honour the men and women who ride the machines that hog the limelight the rest of the time. Prizes include a custom edition of the Ceat Pulsar 220, as well as an Asus laptop. The winner will be announced on August 7.
"I began biking six years ago. My family always encouraged adventure. My mom is a polo champion and my father has always been into motorcycles," she says. Interestingly, her sporty parents only discovered her love for bikes when she broke her first bone while practising stunts on a friend's motorcycle two years ago, she laughs. Her journey began when her dad gifted her her first bike, the Bajaj Exceed 125, in 2006. "He told me that more than owning a bike with a large capacity engine it was important to first perfect the riding technique," she says.
Patolia, speaks passionately about empowering women. "Women have a lot of potential to do thingsu00a0-- and I'm not just talking about biking," she says. Quick to dismiss any suggestions that seek to stereotype her as a tomboy, she says, "People think of me as someone who is manly and only into stuff that interests guys. But that's not true. I also love to dress up and put on make-up as other girls of my age do."
At the moment, the fire in her belly comes from the anticipation of the 20-day Leh-Ladakh tour she will be undertaking in August with her friends from The Bikerni, through which they want to enter the Limca Book of Records for being part of the first all-female motorcycling expedition in India.u00a0Before she signs off she says, "Do not go for a high-end bike just because it looks cool. Buy one that you can handle comfortably. Also buy an ISI-marked helmet that fits you properly. That is crucial."
Log on to https://www.bikeroftheyear.in/ to find out if Urvashi made it to the top six contestants on Aug 2.
