More than 4,000 two-wheelers from across the country rode to the hilltop of Vagator, about 50km from Goa city on the third week of January. They were participating in India Bike Week, the biggest gathering of bike riders in the country.
Some bikers drove in packs, but many came as lone riders covering hundreds of kilometers. The only thing common among them was the love of wheels and they identified themselves as the biking fraternity.
During the two days they spent here, they shared their experiences, made new friends, planned new trips and met some of the legendary bikers, who created history travelling across the world on two-wheelers.
Many of the budding travellers were eager to listen to tips from 69-year-old Ted Simon of UK, who covered 47 countries, covering a distance of 95,000 km in 2011. Ted had travelled the same route three decades ago and documented his experience in his best-selling book the Jupiter’s Travel.
Nick Sanders, who circumnavigated the globe seven times on his two-wheeler, was eager to share his experience in India which he visited 20 times. “Some of my most fascinating moments happened in India while travelling though Indian villages and spending time with the local people. I never felt as a foreigner and people were so warm and cheerful,” he said. My first ride in India was in 1981 from Kolkata to Mumbai. It still remains an unforgettable experience, he said.
Many armature travellers also thronged the venue to be a part of the gathering. Sidharth Dave, a 31-year-old fashion designer from Delhi, travelled d 2,500 km on his Harley Davidson to reach Goa.
A construction engineer from Bangalore, Moazzam Aziz, who came with his wife Taranum Moazzam, covered around 700km to make it to the venue.
If you thought that only men can tame these huge beastly vehicles, there were a few female riders who also travelled hundreds of kilometers. Twenty-year-old Labdhai Shah led a team of 20 bikers from Gujarat and stole the show when she reached the venue amidst thunderous roar of the bikes.
After hosting two festivals in Goa, the organizers are thinking of shifting the venue to the south to give an opportunity to bike enthusiasts there. “The riders want to meet next time in a different location. Bangalore and Chennai are top priority,” said Martin Da Costa, director of IBW.