Goa romances to the tune of mighty motorcycles

According to the organisers, the roar of over 12,000 bikers who joined the Great Migration to the festival was the defining moment at India Bike Week 2016. Around 700 riders registered on the Ride to IBW, supported by IBW, with medical support and marshalling from Nagpur, Mumbai and Bangalore. The festival was launched by Harley Davidson’s parade of over 2,500 HOG riders down IBW’s Main Street, followed by the DSK Benelli riders. Next was the turn of Triumph Motorcycles, with a parade consisting of the hundreds of bikers who make up the Riders Association of Triumph. The community witnessed several new bike unveilings from the manufacturers - DSK Benelli showed the TRK 502 & Benlli Tornado 302, Triumph the new Street Twin T120 and Thruxton R, Harley-Davidson the new 1200 Custom, and Ducati the Panigale 959.

Manufacturers and sponsors amped up the motorcycling experience with a dedicated test ride track and activities like the Triumph Tiger Academy, Harley-Davidson Touring Bike demo, and Shell the Rev Up zone with their Dyno Wars and power bike displays. The Howling Dog Bar served as the centre of attention, hosting the Innovation Bike display, with models like the Monowheel, a single-wheel vehicle derived from the concept of planetary gear box, and the Skatocross showcased.

Next up was the Moto Art Collective, a curated collection of motorcycle and moto-culture inspired art exhibited, with biking lifestyle elements such as Tattoo artworks by Body Canvas (Thanks to Body Canvas, Motown India Editor got himself a tattoo for the first time in his life), Live Graffiti and Air brushing by Maria Jurkina,Sculptures and painting by brothers HAMMEred & IRONic projects from India’s most creative bike builders, and moto-photography by Ronnie Sequeira.

And if you thought that was all, there was even a bikini bike wash for the well travelled motorcycles. It was sexiness redefined. Hot machines for once had a right match with hot babes!

Addressing media at the event, Martin da Costa, CEO of 70 EMG said, “It was astonishing to see so many thousands of bikers from across India, across motorcycle brands joining in the Great Migration to India Bike Week this year. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many bikes on the NH4, NH17 and the other roads into Goa. It’s been a great day for all of us here at IBW, and it was amazing to see riders from over 400 Biking Clubs hanging out together on site. You can really see the coming together of one of India’s most passionate communities this year at India Bike Week. It’s just a fabulous energy here.

Swati Mohan, Business Head, Fox International Channels India said, ‘‘Building on last year, this year too we witnessed an overwhelming response adding to a great first day experience. IBW has grown over the years and has become a celebration of not just biking, but also a mecca for experience seekers and travellers. We are thrilled to know that our partnership with Seventy EMG that gave birth to India Bike Week is today a platform that helps bring together the nation’s biking community in all its grandeur. What was a closed circuit of automotive owners has today expanded into a vast thriving social circle of passionate explorers fuelled by the growing trend of adventure travel.’’

Then there was the Moto Trials Show, which featured the international sensation and undisputed King of Trials, Dougie Lampkin. The trials biking legend, renowned throughout the world for his unparalleled skills in the discipline, took centre stage at IBW 2016, where fans and spectators alike bore witness to the skills that truly define him as a champion in the motorsport world.

Club and solo riders gathered as a community at the watering holes scattered around the grounds, with hundreds of national and international clubs mingling at the Howling Dog bar, the Beer Café, and the Knock Out Zones. Back for the second time, The Big Trip offered a chance to interact with legends of the road as they shared stories cumulatively gathered over the course of several decades. Some of the speakers this year were Bullet Yatra blogger Dhruv Dholakia; Youhan Mubaraki and Debaashish Ghosh from HOI, who outlined their 25,000 km ASEAN Corridor ride to Singapore and back on their Harleys; and Alankar Misra, who goes by the name of Sole Traveller and did a Trans-America ride in addition to several pan-India rides.

At night time one could enjoy the performances by Soulmate and The Other People, with the singer songwriters at the DSK Benelli stage leaving the crowd yearning for more. Two full days were good enough for Goa and its tourists to revel in the loud and sexy world of motorcycles. As for those who visited the show from far flung areas of India and around the globe, it was fulfilment with a capital “F”.