Indias biggest motorcycling event went back to its spiritual home in Goa last year. Released On Jan 17, 2023 04:32:00 PMPerhaps the most significant occasion on any Indian motorcyclists calendar is India Bike Week. And with me being fairly new to the cycling scene, I was really keen to see what all the difficulty had to do with. So as quickly as the invite came in, I chose myself to participate in the occasion and experience the frenzy.So with my bags loaded and the bike prepped (I was riding down on our long-term Royal Enfield Scram 411), we triggered nice and early towards Goa. And along the way itself, I was starting to get an idea of the scale of the occasion. We crossed courses with hundreds, if not thousands, of fellow motorcyclists onboard a variety of machines.The India Bike Week went back to its spiritual home in Vagator, Goa, for this 8th edition after a hiatus of 2 years. And you might feel this pent up excitement in the air. The occasion began rather sedately, however as the sun began to decrease, individuals began to show up. And quickly it was an assortment of motorcycle sounds, music and more.The highlight of the program, for me, was the KTM stand. Apart from the Austrian producers in your area produced designs like the RC 200, RC 390 and Duke 390, the stand showed some of its accomplished overseas bikes like the Duke 890, 890 Adventure R and the 1290 Super Duke. Perhaps the most significant draws to the orange stand at IBW were Brad Binders RC16 MotoGP racer and Mathias Walkners 450cc Dakar competitor. Its rare that you get this personal and close with purpose-built race makers and ogle at their engineering quality. Although, it is unfortunate that most of this is just a tease due to the fact that KTM doesnt appear to be really thinking about releasing its huge bike range here extremely soon. What was more India centric was KTMs launch of its garments and riding equipment line called Power use and announced the one-make RC Cup racing series.Apart from KTM, Kawasaki was also present at IBW, showcasing a wide range of products from its variety. Group Green had actually reduced the KLX 150BF, which is generally a road-legal motorcycle, to evaluate customer interest and assess an India launch. BMW Motorrad, too, was present, showing designs such as the R18, C400 GT and R nineT. The brand name likewise seized the day to unveil the 2023 S 1000 RR ahead of its launch. Moto Vault was in presence also, showcasing motorcycles from the Zontes, Moto Morini and QJMotor brands. Pune-based Auto Engina likewise revealed the distinct, twin-cylinder Himalayan 822 at IBW.Aside from the stands, there was a lot of eye candy in the car park too. From Indian Scouts to Kawasaki ZX-14Rs; Ducati Panigales to Aprilia Dorsoduros, all remained in presence and supplied quite the contrast parked next to Activas, Splendors and the likes.IBW likewise had something in store for motorsport fanatics, with participants having the ability to take part in Flat Track and Hill Climb races, amongst others. There were plenty of talks by automotive influencers, discussing all things related to motorcycles. The only downer was the extreme revving of engines that appears to happen every year.And, as always, there was more to IBW than just the motorbikes. Music and food enthusiasts were well accommodated, with live performances from artists such as Lagori and Teri Miko, together with the Big Forkers Meat Fest, which was a section dedicated to barbecuing, smoking cigarettes and barbecuing all sorts of meats.It wasnt just the event itself, but there were plenty of other circumstances that made this trip unforgettable. Our long-lasting Classic 350, which Zaran rode down on, managed to get a leak on Day 1 of IBW. And with mechanics in Vagator declining to eliminate the wheel on a bike with a rear disc brake, we chose to at it ourselves, which actually went much better than expected.If not for anything else, IBW stood out to me for its ability to bring people of all genders and ages together from all over the country, simply for their love of motorbikes. And its not just the motorcycles, however the overall experience that makes it the organization it has actually ended up being. I returned from this journey not too long ago, and Im currently eagerly anticipating attending it again next year.Copyright (c) Autocar India. All rights reserved.

Published On Jan 17, 2023 04:32:00 PMPerhaps the biggest occasion on any Indian motorcyclists calendar is India Bike Week. As quickly as the welcome came in, I nominated myself to attend the event and experience the frenzy.So with my bags packed and the bike prepped (I was riding down on our long-term Royal Enfield Scram 411), we set off early and nice towards Goa. We crossed paths with hundreds, if not thousands, of fellow motorcyclists onboard a variety of machines.The India Bike Week returned to its spiritual home in Vagator, Goa, for this eighth edition after a hiatus of two years. Group Green had actually brought down the KLX 150BF, which is basically a road-legal dirt bike, to evaluate customer interest and evaluate an India launch. And with mechanics in Vagator declining to remove the wheel on a bike with a rear disc brake, we chose to have a crack at it ourselves, which really went much better than expected.If not for anything else, IBW stood out to me for its ability to bring individuals of all ages and genders together from all over the country, just for their love of bikes.