KOCHI: Going for a journey to the snow-capped Himalayan mountains on a premium motor bike is not an expensive affair now. With the state tourism and motor vehicle departments giving licence to Caferide, the first luxury motorcycle rental company in the state, motor bike tourism is becoming popular. The Kochi-based firm is renting out premium bikes, including Harley Davidson and Ducati, for the adventure travel enthusiasts. "We three friends launched the high-end motor bike rental shop at Padivattom, Kochi, last year. Though the concept is new to Kerala, it is popular in other metro cities," said Mr Alok Nath, co-owner of Caferide.
As the tourism department has permitted the firm to use the logo of Kerala Tourism for promoting its activities, the motor bike tourism is expected to get a fillip. Anyone can hire the bike for holiday trips, short city rides or just to experience the ride on a premium bike. "Any domestic and international traveller aged 21 and above can hire motor bikes from the firm. A copy of valid driving licence, identity proof and a refundable security deposit of Rs 5,000 are required for hiring the vehicle. We've been getting encouraging response from travel enthusiasts," added Mr. Nath.
The bikes are fitted with GPS and advanced safety features and the rented vehicles can't be used for rash driving. The firm also provides cameras and other travel accessories. The youngsters have expansion plans like formation of regular and loyal travellers' club to make the service more popular in the next phase.
