They are real bike lovers. They can splurge as much money on a bike as they can for a car.'

One may think it is the youth that is most enthused by superbikes. But age is no bar - owners include teens, young actors like John Abraham and middle-aged professionals like Thareja.

For those unable to acquire one, modifying existing machines is an answer. Thareja, for example, owns about five bikes, and has modified three. And Hero Honda's Karizma, a modified version, is his favourite for Sunday group rides.

'Modifying a bike costs around Rs.10,000. It also depends if you want to tinker with the engine or not. Otherwise, with a normal carburettor-modification, the cost can be as low as Rs.5,000,' he explains.

There is also an equally thriving grey market of superbikes as import duty is as high as 113 percent. 'To avoid this, people dismantle them and import them as spare parts, which attract 25 percent duty. It is then re-assembled and sold,' says Yamaha's Tripathi.

He estimates the market for superbikes at 600-700 units a year.

'It's a crazy passion for crazy machines,' says motoring critic Murad Ali Baig. 'These bikes are for the seriously rich. I don't think India can have a very big market for such machines, at least in the near future.'

Agrees Atul Gupta, Suzuki India vice president for sales and marketing: 'I don't see the market expanding. Not because people don't have the buying capability but because there is lack of good roads in the country.'

(Pupul Dutta can be contacted at pupul.d@ians.in)