Ride of a lifetime
A group of big bikers hit the road in Sri Lanka and returned with unforgettable memories.
TEN Malaysians, three Indonesians and a Briton had the time of their lives when they went on a biking tour of Sri Lanka. With its beautiful countryside and Unesco heritage sites, this island country in the Indian Ocean is fast become a popular destination for big bikers around the world.
Buzzword Events, a Malaysiabased specialist events company, has been organising unforgettable rides in Sri Lanka for the owners of high powered motorcycles (600cc and above).
“The uniqueness of this tour is that foreign riders get to ride their own motorbikes in Sri Lanka where government regulations do not allow the registration of bikes bigger than 400cc. Only a handful of Sri Lankans are allowed to ride their big bikes on public roads,” said Leslie Tilak Jayawardena, tour director of Buzzword Events.
Last year, the 14 bikers who joined Leslie’s tour travelled 3,300km over 16 days. The route took them to the northern tip of the island, through the east coast of Trincomalee, the central mountainous areas of Kandy, and down south to Tangalle, gateway to some of the most beautiful beaches in Sri Lanka.
They covered 17 cities which included Colombo, Jaffna, Kandy, and Galle. The bikers enjoyed the wonderful flavours of Sri Lankan cuisine and fresh seafood.
Datuk Dr Rahman Gul, 60, a doctor from Ipoh, described his tour in Sri Lanka as one of the best organised rides. “When any incident cropped up, it was promptly attended to. We were even pampered with accommodation in a general’s house,” said Dr Rahman, who had gone on bike adventures in India, Pakistan and Thailand with his BMW GS Adventure 1200cc bike.
Another biker Alexander Lunardi, 69, hopes to travel to 70 countries before his 70th birthday by yearend.
“I plan to throw a party on my 70th birthday to commemorate my travels in 70 countries,” said Alexander who hails from Indonesia. He owns a BMW 1200 GS and a Honda Africa Twin.
Businesswoman Norcilia Omar was one of two female riders on Leslie’s tour. Norcilia described her 200km ride to Kandy as one of the most challenging routes. It was a winding hilly road and she encountered her scariest moment when she overtook a bus and suddenly came across a sheer drop.
Scares aside, Norcilia enjoyed her biking tour in Sri Lanka as it gave her interesting insights into the local culture.
Norcilia has toured the whole of Malaysia – including Sabah and Sarawak – on bike. Her love for adventure has taken her to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia, and Phuket and Danok in Thailand.
“Many bikers commented on the excellent road conditions in Sri Lanka,” said Leslie. “Since they were riding very big and heavy bikes, the roads need to be in good condition to prevent accidents. The Sri Lankan government had invested heavily in the construction of roads.”
Safety is top of his mind. Two months prior to any biking event, Leslie would do a recce of the routes to ensure the roads are in good condition.
“The biggest dangers to bikers are dogs, cats, peacocks and cattle crossing the road. We had a scare once when a rider hit a dog which ran across the road.
“Bikers also have to be careful of the maniacal way inter-city bus drivers and lorry drivers manoeuvre their vehicles on the road,” said Leslie.
“We travel at speeds of between 70kph and 90kph on the road. In Sri Lanka, the weather is usually very hot in March. Anuradhapura and Jaffna are very hot and humid with temperatures ranging from 34°C to 42°C.”
On average, a five-hour daily ride would cover about 200km. There are stopovers for re-fuelling, quenching bikers’ thirst with thambili (fresh king coconuts which are indigenous to the tropical island), lunch breaks and shopping at fruit stalls and handicraft centres.
Leslie, who has been organising bike tours in Sri Lanka for the past three years, has never encountered any mechanical problems with the bikes.
“The bikes have to be serviced to make sure they are in tip-top condition before they are shipped to Colombo,” said Leslie. “Over the past three years, I only came across a flat tyre. It was in Anuradhapura last year. The biker had his tyre changed at a tyre shop.”
Last year, one rider dropped his mobile phone on the road to Jaffna. Four riders turned back to look for it.
“It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, they found the phone by the side of the road, intact and in working condition,” Leslie recounted.
Almost every aspect of a rider’s needs is taken care of.
“There is a bus and a lorry accompanying the tour group. On one trip, the wives of two riders rode pillion on their husbands’ bikes. When they got tired, they boarded the air-conditioned bus which was following the tour.
“Last year, a Malaysian rider developed a high fever in Jaffna and was unable to ride to the next destination, Trincomalee. He rode on the bus and rested while the replacement, a Sri Lankan rider, rode his bike. When he recovered, he was able to ride the rest of the journey,” said Leslie.
Colombo Bike Week 2017 will be held from July 28 – Aug 6. For details visit www.colombobikeweek.com.