What makes riding more appealing? Well, the answer to this question will differ from person to person, but I suspect there won’t be any enthusiast that doesn’t embrace the thrill of stunting on a bike. Stunting comes in various forms, and popping the wheelie on the bike is an art that one master with time and practice. But, this time around, the kid in me is a little mature and wishes to approach stunting more professionally. I know,just like me, there are various enthusiasts out there who also want to approach stunting more maturely.Thankfully, god has heard our wishes, and there is a stunt school run by Chief Stunt instructor-Mr Sachin (aka SACHIN RIDERBOY) ,at Ajmera i-Land, BhaktiPark, Wadala East, Mumbai that makes stunting fun and safe.
Stunting on a bike comes in different styles and forms, and popping a wheelie is regarded as one of those stunts that take a lot of practice to master. Learning to pop wheelies with the help of a rig and professional expert by our side helps to take the fear out of you, and trust me, that’s the best thing that can happen to you while you are learning.
Initially, we were asked to ride and manoeuvre the bike, which was specially modified for stunting. Once we get comfortable manoeuvring them, we get moved to the next stage, where-in Mr Sachin guides us about safety protocols to follow and later instructs us about body positioning, clutch release and acceleration.
Once we were done with the initial briefing, we were set to give it a fly. And it doesn’t seem as easy as it is seen. Thankfully, practicing in a controlled environment comes as a boon because it’s not just safe for the learner but also for the people around them, and hence we genuinely advise not to try stunting on a public road. It’s not secure enough. Infact, I had a severe crash. Thankfully, riding gears and a controlled environment didn’t cause any damage to me.
Despite crashing, I didn’t lose hope, and the humble guiding words by Mr Sachin boosted my confidence to keep going. After every trial, he rectifies our mistakes and guides us to do better and better. The modified bike and the rig are designed to push you to go even harder. After several failed attempts, I finally got a hang to pop the perfect wheelie, but unfortunately, they were nowhere near perfect that could classify as a perfect wheelie. It’s not just about popping a wheelie, but it is also about maintaining a perfect angle and, moreover, that for a distance. And that’s not an easy task that could be mastered in one session.
Mr Sachin says it takes around seven-eight sessions to pop a perfect wheelie. The one session for an hour costs Rs 2500, including bike and fuel expenses. Considering the cost they charge, it is perfectly justified with the learning and experience one gets. And more importantly, safety is priceless. So, whomsoever wishes to learn the art of popping a wheelie should definitely opt for Stunt school. The session is being held right next to the Ajmera Indikarting track. One book the session by contacting Mr Sachin on 8767961180 or by reaching out to him on his Instagram handle named- @sachinriderboy.
“Stunting has always been a daunting ordeal, and I’ve seen enough compilation videos on the internet to steer clear of it. So when I heard my colleague tell me about a professional stunting school where one could practice in a controlled environment, it most certainly piqued my curiosity. In layman’s terms, we were to practice on a modified motorcycle attached to a tricycle like contraption, which prevented us from overdoing our wheelies. You won’t be invincible and manage to pop wheelies without any consequences, but this was a great way to minimize any and boost your confidence and control over your now vertical pointing motorcycle. The experience was quite enlightening and helped me get comfortable with any lifting I’d be indulging in. I would recommend this experience to any motorcyclist even if they plan not to pursue wheelies. So they can find their bearings and be a lot more prepared should the front wheel ever point skywards on their motorcycle.” says Gavin Rodrigues.
Anant Pandey further adds, “I could sense my confidence evaporating in the moist Mumbai air because I couldn’t even ride the wheelie machine in a straight line. Turning that thing and popping a wheelie on it seemed a far-fetched thought. But luck soon favoured me in the second round of our first session, and I got accustomed to the riding dynamics of the machine. Soon after, I was popping wheelies like they were no big deal. Sachin proved his worth by giving us individualized insights, which proved to be a great help. During one instance, I popped what they call a “perfect wheelie” with the front wheel pointing skywards and my thighs clinging onto the motorcycle like a freaking ape! I certainly felt closer to the god and not in a frightening way for a change. After completing the second round, Sachin walked up to me and said, “you’ve already cleared the level 1 of popping a wheelie; it’s now time to learn how to land one!” Those words meant a great deal to me at that point in time as they boosted my confidence by a fair margin. We are looking forward to meeting Sachin again and sharpening our “newly-acquired skills”.
