On His Birthday, Throwback To Bikes Ridden By Rajinikanth

Motorcycles are cool! It’s hard to dispute that fact. Put it in a movie scene with an actor like Rajinikanth and it marks the arrival of something epic that’s about to blow your mind. So, on his 72nd birthday today, we look back at some of the bikes the ‘thalaiva’ blessed on their journey to stardom in the celluloid world.

Jawa:

In an interview thalaivar was asked if he enjoyed driving a lot in his younger days, to which he replied, “I enjoyed riding motorbikes, Jawa motorbikes.” Jawa bikes of the time had a serious impact on the Indian motoring scene. Lightweight, affordable and bratty, Jawas offered a perfect middle ground for those looking for a fun bike slotting right in-between the heavier Royal Enfields and the mental Yamaha RD350s.

Royal Enfield Bullet 350:

To this day this motorcycle needs no introduction. But as the legend goes, after thalaivar fired the Bullet 350, Royal Enfields were ‘made like a gun’ (the writer does not regret that joke). The Bullet 350 is the longest-serving model in a company which itself is over a century old. If anything, for motoring fans this bike is as iconic as Rajini saar himself.

Yamaha FZ16:

The Yamaha FZ16 was launched in 2008, offering a brand-new way of looking at sub-200cc sporty bikes. It’s butch and sharp styling line look futuristic, a little like thalaivar’s character in the blockbuster hit Enthiran/Robot. Here’s a weird observation– notice how both Aishwarya Rai and Rajinikath are wearing colours which match that of the FZ16? Huge compliment for the streetfighter if you ask us.

Suzuki Samurai:

“Two-stroke magic,” ask any motorhead from the 90s and they’d tell you this about the Suzuki Samurai. The toned-down sibling to the Suzuki Shogun was no stranger to fun and had featured in Rajinikanth’s 1993 flick - Valli.

Hero-Honda Karizma R:

Remember that ad on TV where Hrithik Roshan would ride into the storm on his Hero-Honda Karizma to retrieve his cap? Well, who do you think taught him to ride like that, Rajini saar obviously! In his 2005 comedy-horror Chandramukhi, boss man is seen riding a yellow Karizma R and some say, the ‘R’ in its name actually stands for Rajinikanth.

These were some of our favourite bikes featured in Rajinikanth’s megablockbuster movies over the decades. Have we missed out on any, let us know in the comments below.          

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