We head for Goa for the India Bike Week astride the Ducati Monster 795 and Hyosung Aquila Pro
GOA. THIS SMALL STATE located between Maharashtra and Karnataka on the west coast of the country is a tourist hotspot and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from within the country and outside every year mainly due to the cheap booze and also because of the many beaches and resorts. Families, newly weds, groups of friends and even junkies – Goa appeals to one and all.
In February, though, it was motorcyclists month. Bikers from every corner of the country rode down to Goa for the inaugural India Bike Week, which was organised at a makeshift venue atop a hillock at Vagator. Bike India was also had our stall inside the premises. Apart from that, we had powered the classic bike restoration assessment and the off-road races that were conducted during the event. But we didn’t need those reasons, because, besides it being our job, what drives us the most is the passion for motorcycles. So we borrowed a couple of show-stopper bikes and rode down to Vagator like the other 6,000 riders who attended the event, to celebrate the passion that binds us all together: motorcycles!
Our steeds were Ducati’s made-for-Asia muscle bike, the Monster 795, and DSK Hyosung’s latest launch, the cruiser Aquila Pro. The Monster 795 is the least expensive Ducati you can buy in India and the Aquila Pro is the only imported cruiser in the country priced below Rs 6 lakh, which makes them both very attractive prospects. The Monster has a powerful 800-cc V-twin engine that produces close to 90 PS of power while the Aquila Pro has a 650-cc V-twin that churns out 75 PS. The bikes had impressed us when we reviewed them for the magazine, but this 1,000-kilometre-long ride was an even more exhaustive test. Pune at 5.00 am a day before the event. We wanted to ride down the scenic Karul Ghat from Gaganbawda, but that route passes through the city of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. as possible and pass through the city before it woke up. Thankfully, the whole stretch of