BIKER BOY: The battery-operated toy motorcycles are a big hit with children. PHOTO: P. V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD: Gleaming bikes and cars in flashy colours and trendiest designs are lined up drawing ones attention. The salesmen are busy polishing and fine-tuning the vehicles.

Don't mistake it for an automobile showroom though. It is a popular toy shop in Abids and on display are the latest fad of children.

Toy motorcycles and cars, one may call them but they get as authentic as possible as the children prefer real action now.

The made-in-China bikes and cars, for children aged four to eight years, come in different sizes and the price varies with the size. The range for the bikes is from Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 12,000 and for cars it is Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 15,000.

"In the market for the last four years, their demand is going up every year," says proprietor of Toy Land, Harish Kumar.

`Absolutely safe'

The battery operated motorcycles and cars charged for two hours run for about half-an-hour. Similar to automatic bikes, the moment the child takes the hand off the throttle, the bike stops.

"It is absolutely safe for the children to ride around at a speed of six to eight km per hour in the premises of house and comes with two balancing wheels," Mr. Kumar says.

The bike with petrol model with a speed of 30 km an hour comes at Rs. 30,000. "We sell one or two petrol bikes a year but the battery operated bikes and small cars are the fast selling ones," he says.

The sporty looking single and two-seater open top cars and bikes come with all the features, front and tail end lights, indicators, music and even FM radio.

Parents don't mind these days to splurge on toys of their children's choice.

They rather believe it is the best way to develop their instincts and keep them active, Mr. Kumar adds.

No guarantee

But do these expensive toy cars/bikes come with any guarantee?

No. They last for two to three years with good care. But children being children, it is anybody's guess.

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