If you see a young biker weaving through the traffic he is probably on a 150cc bike. If it is a thud-thud-thud, which will not weave the traffic, but go up the mountain, it is a big black Royal Enfield with a 350cc or 500cc cylinder, as opposed to 150cc that would just weave the traffic and go nowhere.

Inspiring awe among the youngsters the gorgeous and eye-catching Royal Enfield bikes boom on the city streets and, according to the only dealer of Royal Enfield in the city, Shahila Expositions, more than 300 customers are still in the queue to get their bikes, ordered weeks ago.

The demand-supply gap is widening gradually, as more and more city residents are opting for a Royal Enfield bike, popularly known as Bullet.

“When we started this business in 2005, the sales were around 150 bikes per annum. It has shot to more than 500 bikes now. Till February this year, we were the only Royal Enfield outlet in the entire Northeast,” Utpal Talukdar, manager of Shahila Expositions at Six Mile, said. “Classic 350 and Electra UCE are the two models with highest demands,” he added.

There are at least three bike clubs here to keep up the spirits of the owners of the Royal Enfield bikes.

They organise bike rides from time to time, sometimes in and around the city and sometimes all the way to Khardung La, which is believed to be the world's highest motorable pass in Jammu and Kashmir.

A 35-year-old businessman, Bibekananda Kakoti, rides a 350cc Thunderbird Twin Spark bike. In June, he, along with six friends, had ridden all the way to Khardung La from Guwahati. They returned to the city after visiting Nepal en route. “Once you ride a Royal Enfield, other bikes will appear a toy to you,” Kakoti said.

Kakoti is the president of Bulls of Assam, which organised the ride to Khardung La and is planning to take another tour shortly covering all the eight states of the Northeast.

“It was a thrilling memorable 28-day ride with each bike consuming petrol worth Rs 19,000 on the trip. We covered 7,600km,” he said.

Krishnanjan Chanda, the principal of a prominent school in the city, is in his early fifties. Each time he rides his Classic 500cc bike, he feels much younger and energetic. “Riding my bike is quite a different experience. When one rides a bike, one feels the touch of nature. I can stop by the roadside and sip a cup of tea or take photographs whenever I want,” he said.

Chanda, president of Rhino Riders, a club of Royal Enfield Motorcycle enthusiasts, had ridden to Kargil War Memorial recently, to pay homage to the soldiers, who laid down their lives during the war in 1999.

He said riding a bike is his hobby and whenever he gets time he takes a ride along with his friends.

“Whenever I get holidays, I just go out of the city for a ride with my friends,” he said.

Collective activities among the bullet riders abound.

Medansh Entertainment organised a tour among bike riders from Panbazar to Deepor Beel on Independence Day.

The bikers discussed the present state of the Ramsar site.

When asked why the bullets have caught the fancy of the people, Talukdar said, “Earlier, the Royal Enfield bikes were confined among sections of people like the businessmen and contractors. However, now government officers, college and schoolteachers, doctors and engineers are all opting for them. Demand for them is most among those who are involved in marketing jobs. Now Bullets give more mileage and are free from technical errors. They are not targeted by thieves and are less-prone to accidents.”