Kick up some dirt at Goa’s eccentric Rider Mania festival
Goa’s blissful Rider Mania is a festival like no other… and you can be there too
‘The beers go down and everyone lets loose’
Rider Mania really is a party like no other. Now if you’ve ever been to an Indian wedding, you’ll be well aware that Indian society produces a nation of people who love to party and with very few inhibitions. Well Rider Mania is a bit like that except with thousands of people all hurtling around on Royal Enfields. The whole lot takes place every November in Goa, India, at a venue called Hilltop, which becomes a festival site for the weekend. There’s a giant Glastonbury-style stage next to food areas and a few different race tracks. A smaller stage inside the Hilltop venue itself, which is surrounded by more food and a load of custom bikes. And then there’s the bike parking, which is so large that it has to be surrounded by food places, so that you don’t waste away before you arrive at things you’ve actually come to see.
The general vibe is that of a small local British music festival with absolutely hilarious bike racing instead of Morris dancers. It starts with some gentle stuff – a trials competition for instance. But there are no Lycra-clad Dougie Lampkin types here, just some local shopkeeper who’s put some gaffer tape over the headlight on his 350 Bullet and ridden straight into the rock garden. One wrong foot and the word ‘DISQUALIFIED’ booms out across the tiny area. No sooner has the last race finished when a load more engines sputter into life across the paddock. Yes, it’s scrambling time.
The dirt track racing begins next and is a sort of cross between your typical Sunday Scramble and a round of MotoGP. I say this because the elation on the winners’ (and perhaps even the finishers’) faces would be akin to them having won a race in the absolute pinnacle of motorsport. But the racing is excellent, as modified and home made off-roaders crash around the track, throwing dust everywhere and generally making a scene. One poor fellow chucks it on the hairpin bend to a chorus of ‘Calamity’ from the crowd – themselves egged on by the MC. He jumps back on within seconds, and continues trundling round, then shoots off straight away at the finish line – presumably to go open his café
after a brief pause for lunch. You see, that’s the real beauty of the racing here – for every person who’s brought their custom race bike on the back of a truck, there’s another who’s ridden down from work on their commuter. Not ones to be accused of favouring one sex or the other, there’s plenty of women’s racing plus the rather brilliant ‘Beer drinking and arm wrestling competition’, which involves a table of empty Kingfishers and bulging biceps. Once the racing is over and the sun begins to set, the music fires up, the beers go down and everyone really lets loose. But once the venue shuts the night has only begun. Bikers disperse across the city, coalescing at late night hangouts such as Jacks or the Mango Tree. But not too late mind – there’s a dawn ride to catch!
We all gather at the festival site at 6am, bleary eyed and full of regret. Together we string out and fire off into the darkness, down country lanes dodging dogs, cows and other riders. The sun slowly rises above the treeline as we crawl into a café. We collectively search for coffee, paracetamol and somewhere to lie down before we saddle up and power off to a waterfall. Riding in India can feel treacherous to begin with but within the hour you’re banging on the horn, crashing over speedbumps and over-taking lorries up the inside. People joke about Enfields being superbikes over here but you honestly don’t need anything else – offered a GS, you’d turn it down.
With the day really breaking it’s time to head to the Garage Café. Part Enfield museum, part social hub – it’s the place to be morning, noon and night. During the day they pump out smooth tea and delightful snacks while in the evening they pour fiery whisky and cook food on a giant grill. Eat here and for ten minutes you’re the coolest person on earth – Steve McQueen has nothing on you.
Of all the reasons to visit Rider Mania, I implore you to go to become reinvigorated by motorcycling. It costs just £25 for a ticket, passionate people from all over India ride to get there and the average age of an attendee is in the mid-twenties. It really is like motorcycling was all those years ago and when you’re there, it makes you think this is what motorcycling could be once again.