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Small is Beautiful - Santhosh's Miniature Bike can Carry an Adult Rider!

By Akram Mohammed, Team Mangalorean [ Published Date: January 11, 2012 ] Youth of our generation marvel with blank eyes the motorbikes of our times. There are millions out there with their enthusiasm for bikes hoping to be satisfied by the rush it provides on a highway at top speed. The story of Santhosh, born to Jeevandhar Kumar and Kumuda, is slightly different with Santhosh's aspirations of building smaller. Santhosh, as you might not know, is a holder of two Limca records, one India Book of Records, besides being featured in  Ripley's Believe It or Not for the world's smallest electronic bike. The bike is called 'Mooshiqk', a google search of which will provide you with 4780 results in 0.3 seconds. Raid-de-himalay rally 2004 and 2005 Two other Limca records  Before we go into the details of Mooshiqk, let us notice that Santhosh was born in Moodbidri, a cultural hub of the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada and moved over to Mysore when he was a kid. His dad Jeevandhar, Santhosh recalled as an avid bike enthusiast, fuelled his enthusiasm for bikes from a very young age. Although they were not in a position to economically sustain Santhosh's ambitions, he learned to wait and be patient for his time, as resources were extremely hard to come by. But, it did not wane his enthusiasm for bikes in any manner. He continued pursuing his passion for bikes, participating in rallies, learning about the bikes, repairing them and the like. We must also note that his passion for bikes and rallies took him all the way to the geographical edge of India, the Himalayas, where he participated in two rallies against the best in India. His creative instincts were already in place and he was just waiting for an opportunity to kick in, which in time resulted in the world's smallest electronic bike. Santosh’s bike which he calls 'Mooshiqk' is quite small and is capable of running at 15 km/hr. The bike is just 12 inches high and 18 inches long, enough to fit in a school bag. Santhosh says that the bike is capable of carrying a man of 62 kgs for 15 minutes, and is powered by electricity. Where will you place the battery for the bike, if the bike itself is so small? It is a very good question to ask. Part of the way which made him succeed in creating this Lilliputian wonder, was an ingenious solution to carry the battery in a wearable backpack. Smart. The troubles taken by Santhosh to build his bike is a grim tale indeed. With his limited salary, which he earns by working at Reckitt Benckiser, he has to sustain his family and his hobby. The parts of the bike are often designed by Santhosh by trial and error, 'as it is hard to achieve perfection in the first attempt.' As the reader must recall, his resources are limited. Mooshiqk, he says is not the only small bike he has made. He has made two other small bikes for kids, using sunny engines. He faced a major setback two years ago with the demise of his father, which left him dried up emotionally and creatively. Now, the appetite to create smaller bikes is returning steadily, he says. But, alas, he has little encouragement. Didn't the government encourage him, is a wrong to question to ask in our country. He noted that Dr Veerendra Heggade had offered to help him in his passion towards building smaller bikes. For Santhosh, now is the time to display his technical know-how and build a still smaller bike. Only problem he faces is that of patrons. Patrons who can utilize his skill to the best. How does one ride this small bike? Well. that is a question everyone is asking. Watch Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMR0LUHPWLM