Soaking in the 7 acre festival village in Vagator, Goa India Bike Week, the largest biking festival in India saw more than 6457 enthusiastsand 3000 bikesfrom across the country in its maiden year. India’s first festival to celebrate Indian biking brotherhood was organized by SEVENTY Event Media Group together with FOX Traveller in association with Harley Davidson. With a successful first year, India Bike Week is now poised to become the destination to be for hard core bikers, fans of the two wheeler way of living, travelers, music fans and festival goers.
With 3 concert stages, 28 live bands and DJ’s, 7 bars including a Cigar & Whisky Lounge & Coyote Ugly bar people, race tracks, 16 cage fighters, Stunt Arena, Bike Polo, Big TripCinema, Vintage & Custom Bike display that featured the showstopper Y2K turbine engine bike, Biker Flea Market, Michelin Bibendum tweet contest, Bajaj Allianz safety clinic by Joshua Crasto and Mattie Griffin, Route planning advisory to name a few of the many attractions at India Bike Week, provided the crowd with entertainment and kept them wanting for more.
The highlight of day 1 was Gentlemen’s Dub Club, UK’s dub step headliner act that played for the first time in India. It was an energizing experience for the band performing for a crowd that was glowing with individuality and voice. Wearing their leather jackets, showing of their motorcycles and making that emblematic thunderous noise, the H.O.G parade of around 600 riders who rode down from different parts of the country was another big highlight at India Bike Week on day 1.
Vintage Bikes like The 1941 Norman, BSA M20 1942 500cc, The 1933 Paratrooper were on display. The vintage bike Concourse at India Bike Week evoked a strong response from the crowd.
Day 2 attractions included the Unveiling of Bonneville Dream – India’s first entry into the Salt Flat Races, IBW brotherhood ride and Pankaj Trivedi flag off for the 7 month trans Himalayan ride, International stunt act performance by Mattie Griffin and award ceremony of India’s first ever custom bike build off won by Vijay Singh of Rajputana Customs who encapsulated his entire experience in just one small sentence “Many more IBW’s to come”. Also, Gibson guitars gave out an Epiphone Les Paul at IBW from the Gibson Acoustic stage.
Commenting on the astonishing response to IBW 2013 Martin da Costa, CEO of 70 EMG said “We couldn’t have asked for a better opening festival than the 2013 edition of India Bike Week. We’re already planning 2014, so that it becomes even bigger, even better, more bikes, more bands and more of everything. It’s the start of an incredible journey for us and for the Indian Biking Brotherhood. Looking forward to the next 10 Years! “
KeertanAdyanthaya, MD- FOX International Channels said,“The festival is the greatest congregation of bikers in India’s history and has brought together around 6500biking fans under one roof in its first year. We really hope to inspire a new generation of bikers and make India Bike week an annual property for the biker community in India.”
And why didn’t this event go down very well with a lot of Motorcycling Club which was associated with not so expensive brand???