Dead Delhi biker’s kin says ban superbikes Family denies man was speeding, friend vows will never drive rashly
MANDI HOUSE ACCIDENT Parents say made a mistake by buying a superbike for Himanshu, others shouldn’t do it as roads in the city are not ideal for these vehicles
Two days after a 22-year-old man was killed after he lost control of his sport bike and crashed into the wall of Lady Irwin College near Mandi House, his family says they want super bikes banned in Delhi.
Himanshu Bansal was riding a 600cc Benelli TNT 600i, which can go up to 200 kms per hour. “The roads in Delhi are not meant for superbikes. They are for foreign nations such Australia and USA where the population is less,” said his father, Suresh Bansal, who runs a utensils manufacturing business in Jhilmil Colony and lives in Vivek Vihar in east Delhi.
A former legislator supported the family’s stand.
“Ideally, in a city like Delhi these bikes shouldn’t be allowed so that kids can’t force their parents to buy them,” said Jitneder Singh Shunty, former MLA and the deceased’s neighbour.
“We don’t want another family to suffer what we are going through,” he said. Though the police said Himanshu and his two friends could have been speeding that night, Bansal is sure that Himanshu was only fond of bikes not speeding.
His mother Kusum Bansal said, “I would say to all the people in Delhi not to give bikes to their children. We made a mistake, they should not repeat it.”
According to the family, they did not want to buy a bike for Himanshu.
They offered to buy him a car instead. But it was only when he insisted that they gave in. Himanshu bought the bike in November 2016 for ₹7.25 lakh.
“Everyone in the family suggested he should buy a car for the same price. But he didn’t listen,” said his mother Kusum Bansal.
A family member, who did not want to be named, said: “He was demanding a bike since September. We kept delaying it. He used to say I will stop eating if you don’t get me the bike,” he said.
The family also denied reports that Himanshu was a member of a ‘super bike group’.
“Himanshu had gone to buy lights from a store in Connaught Place when he met with the accident,” Bansal said.
Himanshu was the youngest of the two sons of the Bansals and helped run the family business.
His mother said that Himanshu had even purchased safety gears like gloves, knee and elbow guard but didn’t wear it that day. Superbikes are fast and powerful. They are an optimised version of a regular motorcycle meant for enhanced speed, acceleration, braking and cornering on paved roads Superbikes have riding positions that are designed to give the best performance while at higher speeds
100-150 cc, high mileage, low power, single cylinder, top speed 90-120 kph
400 cc or more, usually multi-cylinder, low mileage, high acceleration and top speed in excess of 170 kmph. Internationally, a bike is considered to be a superbike only if it is multi cylinder and has an engine of at least 800 cc
or more
to
When shopping for a bike, start with one that fits you. When seated, you should easily be able to rest both feet flat on the ground without having to be on tiptoes. Handlebars and controls should be within easy reach. Choose a model that’s easy for you to get on and off the centre stand; if it feels too heavy, it probably is.
It helps you retain steering control during an emergency stop, and it can be especially valuable on slippery surface.
Keep an eye out for cars suddenly changing lanes or pulling out from side streets. Don’t tailgate; keeping a safe following distance is critical. An object that a car might easily straddle could be a serious hazard when on a bike.
Sand, wet leaves, or pebbles can cause a bike to slide unexpectedly, easily resulting in a spill. Bumps and potholes that you might barely notice in a car can pose serious danger when on a bike.
If you need to ride in the rain, remember that the most dangerous time is right after precipitation begins, as the water can cause oil residue to rise to the top.
A sports bike rider who died after crashing into a wall in central Delhi on the eve of Independence Day was averaging 150 km per hour at the time of the accident, police said on Wednesday. Himanshu (22) would have been alive if he had not violated traffic rules, they said.
However, the deceased’s brother has denied allegations that he was speeding.
A senior police officer said the incident occurred while Himanshu was racing with his friends, Gazi and Lakshay. The entire sequence of events was captured in a video shot through Lakshay’s helmet camera.
The chilling footage showed Himanshu speeding ahead of his two friends on his Benelli TNT, a superbike capable of rapid acceleration and achieving speeds close to 200 km per hour.
When the trio reached the Mandi House Metro station, Himanshu hit an elderly person who was crossing the road. He then lost control over his vehicle, crashing into the boundary wall of the Lady Irwin College.
The elderly man involved in the accident is yet to be identified.
Gazi and Lakshay rushed Himanshu to hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. He had suffered critical injuries despite wearing a helmet.
“This is a case of over speeding on public road and negligent riding. The speeding bike of Himanshu hit a person and lost control. All this was recorded in the camera installed in Lakshay’s helmet,” said deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) BK Singh.
Himanshu’s elder brother, Ankush Bansal, denied allegations that the deceased was riding at 150 km per hour.
“Himanshu was riding at around 80 km per hour,” he said. “He lost his life trying to save the old man.”
Police said the accident made Himanshu’s friends aware of the dangers of speeding. Lakshay has reportedly abandoned his superbike and resolved to never indulge in rash driving again.