From a Bicycle to a Motorcycle

I have been reading Bike India since the summer of 2009, buying the magazine from news stands, and I made a one-year subscription in 2015. In one word the magazine is awesome. I would say the best two-wheeler magazine in India at present.

I am a novice at bike riding but I don’t have any problems with the balancing aspect of it because I rode a bicycle for several years prior to this. I intend to buy a motorcycle soon and have two questions to ask of you. First, during the initial learner and licence phase should I get a second-hand commuter bike and get comfortable on it for the first couple of months or so before graduating to the bike I have in mind: the Royal Enfield Thunderbird or Classic 500? Secondly, do I need a special licence or permit to buy a superbike in India such as, say, the Kawasaki ZX 14R? Is a special training required? Please advise me Dr Oisharya Banerjee, Kolkata

Dear Dr Oisharya,

We would recommend that you go in for a second-hand commuter, because it is the most manageable to learn on. Once you get the hang of things, you can always move on to something bigger. No, you don’t need a special licence or permit to ride a superbike or even a hyperbike in India; your standard ‘twowheeler with gear’ licence will suffice. There is no mandatory requirement for special training either.