Published On Jan 17, 2023 04:32:00 PMPerhaps the greatest occasion on any Indian motorcyclists calendar is India Bike Week. As soon as the welcome came in, I chose myself to participate in the event 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 set off good and early towards Goa. We crossed paths with hundreds, if not thousands, of fellow motorcyclists onboard a range of machines.The India Bike Week returned to its spiritual house in Vagator, Goa, for this eighth edition after a hiatus of two years. Group Green had brought down the KLX 150BF, which is basically a road-legal dirt bike, to gauge customer interest and assess an India launch. And with mechanics in Vagator refusing to eliminate the wheel on a bike with a rear disc brake, we decided 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 capability to bring people of all ages and genders together from all over the country, simply for their love of motorcycles.

Indias biggest motorcycling event went back to its spiritual house in Goa in 2015. Released On Jan 17, 2023 04:32:00 PMPerhaps the most significant event on any Indian motorcyclists calendar is India Bike Week. And with me being relatively new to the cycling scene, I was very keen to see what all the hassle was about. As quickly as the welcome came in, I chose myself to go to 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 set off early and nice towards Goa. And along the way itself, I was beginning to get an idea of the scale of the event. 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 house in Vagator, Goa, for this 8th edition after a hiatus of 2 years. And you might feel this pent up enjoyment in the air. The occasion started rather sedately, however as the sun started to go down, individuals began to appear. And quickly it was an assortment of bike sounds, music and more.The highlight of the show, for me, was the KTM stand. Apart from the Austrian manufacturers in your area produced models 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. However perhaps the biggest draws to the orange stand at IBW were Brad Binders RC16 MotoGP racer and Mathias Walkners 450cc Dakar competitor. Its uncommon that you get this individual and close with purpose-built race devices and ogle at their engineering quality. Although, it is sad that the majority of this is simply a tease due to the fact that KTM does not seem to be really thinking about releasing its big bike range here really soon. What was more India centric was KTMs launch of its apparel and riding equipment line dubbed Power wear and revealed the one-make RC Cup racing series.Apart from KTM, Kawasaki was likewise present at IBW, showcasing a broad range of products from its range. Group Green had lowered the KLX 150BF, which is generally a road-legal motorcycle, to evaluate consumer interest and examine an India launch. BMW Motorrad, too, was present, showing designs such as the R18, C400 GT and R nineT. The brand likewise seized the day to unveil the 2023 S 1000 RR ahead of its launch. Moto Vault was in presence too, showcasing bikes from the Zontes, Moto Morini and QJMotor brand names. Pune-based Auto Engina likewise revealed the special, twin-cylinder Himalayan 822 at IBW.Aside from the stands, there was a lot of eye sweet in the car park too. From Indian Scouts to Kawasaki ZX-14Rs; Ducati Panigales to Aprilia Dorsoduros, all were in participation and supplied rather the contrast parked next to Activas, Splendors and the likes.IBW also had something in shop for motorsport enthusiasts, with participants having the ability to participate in Flat Track and Hill Climb races, amongst others. There were plenty of talks by automobile influencers, discussing all things related to motorbikes. The only downer was the excessive revving of engines that appears to occur every year.And, as constantly, there was more to IBW than just the bikes. Music and food fanatics were well catered to, with live performances from artists such as Lagori and Teri Miko, in addition to the Big Forkers Meat Fest, which was an area dedicated to barbecuing, cigarette smoking and barbecuing all sorts of meats.It wasnt simply the occasion itself, however there were a lot of other circumstances that made this trip memorable. Our long-term Classic 350, which Zaran rode down on, handled to get a puncture on Day 1 of IBW. And with mechanics in Vagator refusing to remove the wheel on a bike with a rear disc brake, we chose to have a crack at it ourselves, which actually went better than expected.If not for anything else, IBW stuck out to me for its capability to bring people of all genders and ages together from all over the nation, just for their love of bikes. And its not just the motorcycles, but the overall experience that makes it the organization it has ended up being. I returned from this journey not too long back, and Im currently eagerly anticipating attending it once again next year.Copyright (c) Autocar India. All rights booked.