It has been a daunting one-and-a-half-year journey for Shyni Rajkumar and Dauntless Royal Explorers, the first women’s Royal Enfield (RE) Bullet club of Kerala, she founded in Thiruvananthapuram. With members across Kerala and chapters in Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur, the club have grown and today it will officially set foot in Ernakulam district with the inauguration of its Kochi chapter.
Till now, the members from Kochi didn’t have their own trips or meet-ups. “The riders from Kochi would join me for tours on the way at some point during the journey. It will be easier to organise rides of their own if they have an exclusive club,” says Shyni.
Shyni recalls the time she began riding bikes, when the sight of a woman riding a bike, let alone a Bullet, used to draw criticism and abuse. “But today hardly anyone bats an eyelid. They have got used to it and that is how change should happen. There were only four or five of us when I started the club. Today there are almost 40 riders across the state,” she says. Although much has changed for women riders, she believes, there is still a long way to go. There are many, she adds, who are still reluctant to come for trips that includes an overnight stay. But last year they had a Wagamon ride in which 15 members participated.
Motivating the riders
Shyni also trains women to ride the Bullet. The major issue among women, she adds, is lack of confidence and doubts about whether they can handle a heavy bike. There are times, she adds, when she has had to motivate interested women for days before they felt confident enough to take the ride. “Many are concerned about their height. But that won’t be an issue once you start riding,” adds Shyni. For her, Dauntless Royal Explorers is a means to empower women. “The confidence I have gained from becoming a bullet rider is immense and it is the same for most of us. That is what keeps me going with this venture,” she says.
Dauntless Royal Explorers on a ride in Munnar
There are those who come to learn to ride and then remain part of the club for a while before going their own way. The club, in a way, is a launching platform for many, believes Shyni. In that regard, opening of regional chapters of the club would go a long way in making it easy for interested women to become riders.
“At least 15 riders will be there for the inaugural ride of the Kochi chapter starting from Mash Restocafe near Pallimukku and ending at Marine Drive,” she says.
The ride will be flagged off at 2:30 pm by Royal Enfield regional managers. Contact 9048202083.
