23 August,2026 12:06 PM IST | Mumbai | Debjani Paul
Riddhi Thakkar was a makeup artiste and also frequently vlogged about her motorcycle adventures. Pics/Instagram @gearglimpse54
Riddhi Thakkar, 24, was more than a thousand kilometres away from her home and family in Kandivli when she was killed in a hit-and-run during a motorcycle tour of Chhattisgarh's Bastar region on August 12. Normally, the distance wouldn't have mattered.
She was an experienced rider who had gone on several long expeditions on her wine-coloured Royal Enfield Hunter 350, including group and solo trips. But in that fatal accident, she was not on her trusty Hunter 350; she was riding the damaged bike of a fellow rider who had also met with an accident just an hour earlier.
Why was she riding someone else's bike, and a damaged one at that? This is a question that her father, and thousands of bikers have been echoing in the past week. And it's not the only safety lapse that the biker community has flagged.
Amruta Mane (centre) and Riddhi Thakkar (right)
Riddhi was among 22 women riders participating in a 1100-km Tiranga rally from Raipur to Bastar, organised by the Women Riders Club in collaboration with the Chhattisgarh government. The club had posted an Instagram announcement of its formation on August 7, only days before the fateful ride. That, in itself, is a red flag when it comes to organising an expedition of this scale, say bikers.
It's a pattern that veterans in the community have learnt to recognise over the past few years, as public interest in motorcycling hits an all-time high. New biker clubs are mushrooming across the country. "The problem is every rider now wants to be a group leader or start their own club," says a veteran motorcyclist from Mumbai.
"There should be a system for registration of biker clubs and vetting of the leaders - their experience, safety precautions - before they are allowed to plan group rides."
There's just one problem. "There is no governing authority or federation to oversee biker clubs. There is no one to keep an eye on whether the clubs are following basic safety protocol, or if the organisers are experienced enough to lead big expeditions," says Urvashi Patole, who founded the country's first women's biker club, The Bikerni, in 2011.
In fact, there is no standard set of safety norms that all clubs follow; each group decides its own rules based on the leaders' experience. And if those precautions prove inadequate, there's no one to hold the club accountable.
It's these lacunae that veterans are highlighting in the wake of Riddhi's death. For instance, many have pointed out that the ride started between 3.30-4 am, while it was still dark - a decision that experienced club leaders say they would have steered clear of due to poor visibility no matter the season.
By all accounts, within 20 minutes of the convoy kicking off, two of the bikers crashed. Both women were taken to hospital. One of their bikes - an Avenger - sustained damage to its brakes in the mishap. Riddhi switched to this bike, while someone else from the group rode her Royal Enfield instead. This, too, should never have been allowed by the group leaders, says the community. The protocol is to usually park the bike or have it towed.
Around 5.30 am, while the group was near Markatola Ghat on National Highway 30, a trailer slammed into Riddhi, inflicting catastrophic injury to her lower limbs. According to the police, the trucker fled the scene.
Riddhi and a friend accompanying her were then taken by ambulance to Charama Community Health Centre in Kanker district, while the rest of the group moved on to the meeting point. However, it turned out the Charama hospital was unprepared for severity of Riddhi's injuries. She was moved to another hospital in Dhamtari, but succumbed to her injuries.
For Amruta Mane, motorcycle coach and a friend who has ridden with Riddhi Thakkar in the past, the real lapse lies in what happened after the accident. "When one rider meets with an accident, the ride stops," Mane has posted on her Instagram, "Only one person stayed back with Riddhi and accompanied her to the hospital. That person had to manage the situation, including transferring Riddhi to another hospital. Precious time was lost, and Riddhi suffered heavy blood loss."
The incident has bolstered calls for the formation of a federation that will ensure safety norms and accountability within clubs - a crucial need for a sport that is inherently risky. As Mane - director of the Women On Wheels training school in Mumbai - states: "We have to learn from what happened... We can never bring Riddhi back, but perhaps we can make sure that her loss saves someone else tomorrow."
The motor racing community had gone through a similar crisis in the '70s, before it came together to form the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India
The closest example of a governing body that biker clubs have for reference is the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). It oversees racing competitions, but does not have jurisdiction over non-racing motorcycle clubs that ride purely for passion.
However, biker clubs can, perhaps, take a cue from the origin story of the federation in an era when motorsports, too, was experiencing a similar crisis. "When it started out, there were no rules, no central governing body administering the sport. After World War II, a series of clubs sprung up around the country, creating more havoc than harmony," reads a statement on the FMSCI website.
The accident site on Markatola ghat, NH 30, Chhattisgarh. Pic/X @labheshghosh
"In the '70s, a group of Mumbai riders went to Chennai to participate in a race and were aghast at the lack of rules. After they complained, in 1971, a few clubs came together as founder members of the federation," it adds.
At first, it was registered as a private non-profit company. It soon became affiliated to the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile in 1979 and then the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme in 1986. Then, 15 years after its inception, the FMSCI was recognised by the government as the sole authority to control and conduct motor sport events in India. It drafted its constitution taking cues from international rules for motor sports, ensuring safety and stability for enthusiasts.
>> âKeep a list of hospitals on the route and their trauma care capacity
>> âAmbulance and back-up vehicle must follow the convoy
>> âKnow which SIM cards will work on your route
>> âNo riding in the dark
>> âHigh-visibility vests if low light conditions persist
>> âMaintain the buddy system; any rider that stops for a vehicle breakdown or medical issue must be accompanied by at least two bikers ahead and two behind
Amita Bais, co-founder of Women Riders Club and co-organiser of the Bastar ride, says they tried to stop Riddhi Thakkar from riding the damaged bike
Everyone's been asking Amita Bais and Chhaya Singh, founders of Women Riders Club and organisers of the Tiranga rally, why Riddhi Thakkar was riding someone else's damaged bike.
"We told her we would get it towed, and that it would be dangerous to ride the bike in the ghats. But Riddhi insisted," Amita tells Sunday mid-day, adding, "She was an experienced rider, and since she was insistent, we let it be and decided to leave the damaged bike at the first halt. But within 10-15 minutes, Riddhi's accident occurred."
Amita Bais, co-founder, Women Riders Club, which organised the rally that Riddhi was riding with on August 12
Amita says Chhaya was the convoy lead, while she was the tail, when tragedy struck near Markatola Ghat. "I saw the whole incident," she recalls, "We were on a downward slope and there was a truck ahead of us, so we slowed down."
"Riddhi turned the bike to the right, maybe to avoid the truck... But there was a blind curve ahead. Another trailer sped towards her from the opposite direction. I saw it hit Riddhi," Amita says, adding that she dialled an ambulance service, which got there in five-seven minutes.
As for the decision to send the group ahead while Riddhi was sent to hospital with only one rider, Amita says, "I asked Riddhi's friend, Ruchika, to accompany her to the hospital. Chhaya and I had to remove the bike and Riddhi's belongings from the road, and also move all the riders to a safe spot. We took the convoy to our first halt," she says.
Riddhi was then referred to another hospital as the local health centre was not equipped for the severity of her injuries. By the time Amita and three other riders got to the hospital, Riddhi was on her final breaths, she says.
"I was constantly in touch with the doctors, and took care of all the formalities at the hospital and later, for the autopsy and handing over Riddhi's body to her father in Raipur."
Until recently, they had been members of another club, the Chhattisgarh Moto Queens. Amita counters concerns over such an ambitious group ride just days after launching the club: "This club may be new, but Chhaya and I have led five major expeditions before, including one in Bastar just a month ago with a convoy of 30+ riders. We know what we were doing," she says, adding that the convoy was tailed by a backup vehicle for emergencies with first aid.
Other criticisms have been over starting the ride before daybreak, and continuing even after two riders fell. "We started around 4 am; that is the usual start time in order to cover maximum ground. We briefed the riders about it for two hours on the evening of the 11th; everyone was okay with it. By the time Riddhi's accident occurred [5.30 am], there was plenty of light."
Simple Gour, who fell and got injured on the ride - organised in collaboration with the Chhattisgarh government - alleged in a video that they had set out at 4 am because they had an 8 am deadline to meet a minister. Amita responds, "We had no intention of joining the minister's bike rally that day. As for the meet and greet, even starting at 4 am, we would not have reached there by 8 am, so that was not a factor in our decision."
Is there anything she would change about the ride? "Two of the riders later told us that Riddhi was riding that Avenger since she wanted to vlog on how to ride a bike without brakes, by engine-braking instead. If I had known that vlogging was the reason behind her insistence, I would have asked her to leave the convoy and return home right then."
Akhtar Shaikh, a solo biker specialising in snowy terrain, says riding in a group means taking responsibility for each other
If you're on the road, accidents can happen at any time. What matters is how you respond to a mishap, especially when riding in a group," says Akhtar Shaikh, who has been riding for 14 years.
"I'm a solo rider, so I am only accountable for myself. But when you ride in a group, you need to take the ownership of care for the entire group," he says.
Akhtar Shaikh seeks safety education for all riders
"With so many rider clubs being formed, they are all vying for more visibility and fame. I feel that many are trying to become the biggest club of India, or gunning for a Guinness or Limca record.
But the more people you gather, the harder it becomes to manage that crowd. Are you taking the accountability for each and every rider? There are many clubs who do it, but there are just as many clubs that don't.
That's why I believe there should be some protocols to both form and join a club. For example, no club should be allowed unlimited members. And motorcycle safety should be taught seriously to bike buyers and the youth."
Urvashi Patole, co-founder of The Bikerni, says riding clubs need a standard set of safety norms
It's important that we look at what happened to Riddhi as part of a wider conversation about safety in the riding community," says Urvashi Patole, who co-founded The Bikerni, India's first pan-India women-only riding club, in 2011.
It's a pattern she has observed more broadly in the riding community. "There are many riders who have started riding in the last few years after seeing content creators on social media. But learning to ride a motorcycle and understanding the culture and responsibilities that come with riding in a group are two different things. One of the most important principles in group riding is âleave no one behind'," Patole explains. "Many clubs now have a larger proportion of newer riders than experienced ones. That's not a bad thing, but newer riders may not yet have the experience to understand what running a club entails, or what is required of a ride leader."
Urvashi Patole, head of The Bikerni club, emphasises on the importance of maintaining order during group rides
It's not just clubs. Patole points out: "A lot of people look at creators on social media and get interested in rallies and stunting, or want to learn to ride enduro [in rough terrain]. Adventure schools teaching these skills are also not regulated. Some have foreign certification, but many are just building programmes based on what they have learnt from YouTube or trial and error."
"It's high time the community comes together and finds a way to have a standard set of safety protocols, without ego clashes getting in the way. I am sure when the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India [which oversees motor racing] started, there must have been some resistance to regulation. But they eventually realised that races were getting safer. Perhaps what happened with Riddhi will bring more urgency in the biker fraternity."
Saify Ratlamwala, founder of two clubs, says the protocol is to never allow a biker ride someone's else bike in a group ride, especially if it is damaged
Saify Ratlamwala has 30-odd years of riding under his belt, and runs two biker clubs from Navi Mumbai - the Lazy Rangers Motorcycle Club (since 2019) and 452 Clan (since 2024), which is dedicated to those who ride the Royal Enfield Himalayan 452.
Both clubs are well-known for their rider etiquette and adamance on safety precautions. "For example, one of our rules is there is no revving during our group rides. Secondly, every group ride has to have a head, tail, marshals, and buddies planned before setting out. We usually have two tails - one helps with technical issues, and the other is the main tail who never leaves their position at the end of the convoy," says Saify.
One of their most important rules is that "in case there is a mishap and a rider's bike is damaged, no other rider is allowed to ride that motorcycle. In the unlikely event of any issues, we'll fix it ourselves or arrange for it to be towed."
Saify Ratlamwala says he and his fellow riders use high-visibility vests in low-light conditions
"Taking on an unfamiliar motorcycle when you are already in new terrain is risky. Even if a rider's own bike malfunctions, we tell them to put it aside and ride in the backup vehicle. I always make sure to personally inspect the bikes before and during each ride to ensure everything runs smoothly.
It is up to club leaders to insist on rules, because we are responsible for everyone. Not all bikers take well to this, but if someone does not want to follow the rules, they cannot ride with the group."
