CRANKSTORM STAGE BIG TRIP

India Bike Week (iBW) HaS been the definitive celebration of the two-wheeled way of life for six editions now. The festival doesn’t discriminate by make, manufacturer or any other parameter for that matter. as long as you love motorcycles and wish to express that love with like-minded moto maniacs, the proverbial doors of the Vagator Hilltop in Goa will always be thrown wide open in welcome. This year saw over 6,000 bikers ride in on everything from blue-smoke spitting two-stroke RX 100s to exclusive exotics like the Suzuki Hayabusa. The world’s biggest two-wheeler manufacturers were present in full force too. kTM had a massive presence and brought along some legends of the brand, including ace stunt rider Rok Bagaros and four members from freestyle crew FMX4ever. kTM’s adventure ambassador and six-time World enduro champ Giovanni Sala was also present at the festival. The brand had some special surprises in store for those attending the iBW, including some drool-worthy race and competition-spec

bikes along with one hotly anticipated launch.

Speaking of launches, kTM’s sister-brand Husqvarna marked its entry into the indian market at this event, with a couple of unveils of their own. Triumph india were present with a cool Triumph café and also took the covers off the latest version of the biggest production bike ever: the Rocket3R. Fledgling electric brand Orxa energies made their first appearance at the festival, too, showing the indian enthusiasts what their maiden product, the all-electric street-naked Mantis, would look like. indian Motorcycles were present as well and showcased their entire portfolio, including the freshly launched and very exciting FTR 1200S.

Moto-themed clothing brand Roadster got in on the act this year and had a prominent presence at the event. They also launched their new biking community, #ReasonsToRoad. Of course, team Bike India was present at the event as Bike Magazine partners. We have been attending the festival since its inception and weren’t about to miss out on making our presence felt this year either. We had our own stall set up there with some brand-new merch.

We also displayed the three bikes we rode down on and hung around for a chat with all our readers who stopped by to say hi.

apart from this mix of old hands and new Oe arrivals, iBW had their usual set-up as well. The Big Trip tent allowed attendees to interact with intrepid travellers who came over to share their stories. The iron Built section saw the who’s who of india’s custom scene put forth their latest creations and the Collectors Corner had some exquisite vintage bikes on display for us to drool over.

The MOd Bike display and the Biker Build-Off took place this year, too, like every year and, of course, no edition of iBW is complete without some pulsating beats to keep the revellers going. This year the line-up included stellar names such as Best kept Secret, Pineapple express, dJ Sureal ft dr. Zoo, dJ Ritviz, and more.

There were four different tracks set up at the festival this time around, allowing those brave enough to take on the challenges for a few moments of glory and some great prizes too.

and what’s a bike festival that doesn’t celebrate the fraternity? Well, india Bike Week allowed all the big rider groups their moment under the spotlight as they took to the stage. a particular highlight was the presence of the Sea Riders from Goa Region navy. They have just returned off the back of massive north east and Coastal rides. Rear admiral Philipose G Pynumootil, nau Sena medal, Flag Officer, Goa naval area, addressed the gathering from the main stage (known as the Crankstorm Stage) along with his Sea Riders.

From lip-smacking meals to intricate motorcycle-themed art, this year’s festival had it all. We had an amazing time chronicling the event and interacting with the amazing people that make up the fellowship of bikers.

From lip-smacking meals to intricate motorcycle-themed art, this year’s festival had it all

The massive main stage at IBW was where the crowd gathered to witness new bike and product launches and to rock out to the various artists that performed there. The most talked-about launches included the new Triumph Rocket 3 with its massive 2,500-cc engine, the long-awaited KTM 390 Adventure, the Husqvarna brand with their India-specific 250s, and the Orxa Energies Mantis electric street bike.

This was also where winners in the various contests held over the two days, including the custom bike build, H-D Flat-Track, and the hill-climb, were felicitated and presented with their prizes. Meanwhile, musical acts like Best Kept Secret,

Ritviz, Su Real & General Zooz, and Pineapple

Express belted out tunes and turned the area around the stage into a party zone.

The Big Trip tent, laid out with chairs and bean bags with a small stage at one end, was where popular bikers, racers, and vloggers got together to meet and talk to their fans about how they gained popularity by creating exciting content about their rides and two-wheeled adventures or about a career in motor sport. Popular among the speakers here were Candida Louis who spoke about her ride from India to Australia aboard a Bajaj Dominar, intrepid travellers Manas Dewan and Anuradha Bhonsale Dewan, who rode across Europe on their Ducati Scrambler, rally star Ashish Raorane, India’s first motor sport world champion Aishwarya Pissay, and track star Rajni Krishnan.

The popular Howling Dog Bar was the official watering hole for the festival. Displaying an array of moto art, the bar hosted events such as a JS Films Calendar launch, a chat with KTM Adventure ambassador Giovanni Sala and a meet up with popular motorcycle vlogger

Oggy F. The bar also hosted the bike build-off showcase and the traditional IBW fashion show where gorgeous models walked down the ramp accompanied by the DJ’s pulsating tunes.

The custom bikes gathered at IBW always draw a crowd and this year was no different. Well-known custom bike builders, including Adil Dumasia, Rezza Hussain, Vijay Singh, Arjun Raina, and Kyle Pereira, spoke at length about India’s growing custom scene and there was no dearth of eye candy in the form of beautiful one-off builds based on everything from vintage BSAs to RD 350s and several Royal Enfields.

Harley-Davidson gave visitors a taste of going sideways at their sandy oval track and also organized competitive time trials with the winner taking home a Rs 50,000 prize. The bikes were based on the modified Street Rod 750 motorcycles that were prepared for flat-track duty by Rajputana Customs and it was Sanjay Kumar who took top honours, followed by Abrar Bin Ayub in second place and Dev Venkatesh in third.