If you have ever ridden a motorcycle, you know how it feels. Most riders would agree that it’s a lot more thrilling and gives you a sense of freedom that’s hard to explain. If you ride a higher-capacity motorcycle, the thrill is even greater. However, there are some people who love to ride but cannot due to physical disabilities. Hero MotoCorp, which handles Harley Davidson in India, recently customized a Road King bike into a trike for one of its employees who is differently-abled
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Harley Davidson India posted a video on their YouTube channel titled “Freedom on Wheels.” Last year, when Harley conducted a competition in India, Chitra Zutshi, a Hero MotoCorp employee, participated. However, due to her physical disabilities, she could only enjoy the event from the pillion seat. After the event, Hero took note of this and decided to do something to help Chitra realize her dream of riding a motorcycle on her own.
That’s how the idea of a trike came into the picture. Hero and Rajputana Customs worked together to convert the Harley Davidson Road King cruiser into a trike by adding supporting wheels on both sides. They removed the side covers and boxes to create more space to work on. Rajputana Customs made a set of supporting wheels with their own suspension for a smoother ride. These wheels even got a metal fender that matched the color of the motorcycle.
Chitra was not aware of these developments, and the video shows that riding a motorcycle on her own was one of her lifelong ambitions. When the custom-made Harley was ready, Chitra was called to the test track at Hero’s Centre of Innovation and Technology Centre in Jaipur. There she met Mr. Pawan Munjal, CEO of Hero MotoCorp, and learned about her surprise. The video shows Chitra’s reaction after seeing the custom-made Road King in front of her. Mr. Munjal can be heard talking to Chitra in the video and telling her that in one of her next trips, he would be accompanying her in the pillion seat.
Other than the additional set of wheels, the motorcycle also comes with a suicide shifter that would help Chitra change gears. Other than this, the rest of the bike remains the same. The happiness on Chitra’s face was quite evident. After a quick briefing from Vijay Thomas, Head of Marketing, Harley Davidson Business India, she sat on the motorcycle and went for a ride with him inside the track. She soon got the hang of the motorcycle and rode it around the track. It was definitely a dream come true for Chitra. Just like the title of the video, the sense of freedom that you get after riding a motorcycle is entirely different, and that was quite evident on Chitra’s face. The Harley Davidson Road King seen here is powered by a 1,745 cc, twin-cylinder engine that generates 84 Ps and 147 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox, and the cost of one of these in India is Rs 28.49 lakh, ex-showroom.
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