Society
For the Love of Biking
Hyderabad Gears up for the India Bike Week
The Hyderabad Biking community is gearing up for the Mecca of Biking - the India Bike Week which is slated to be held in Goa in February, 2013. We caught up with some of the biking enthusiasts in the city who are getting ready to vroom into the event on their mean machines and asked them why they think this event is so life- changing…
The India Bike Week or IBW is modeled on the lines of international ‘Sturgis Motorcycle rally’ in South Dakota that has over five lac bikers visiting every year. And it is being organized for the first time in the country in 2013 and is expected to be the biggest congregation of bikers in India. A Fox Traveler Event, its main sponsor is Harley- Davidson India.
IBW is a unique event targeting 10,000 participants and fans with the best in international biking, rock music and brotherhood. Apart from the super cool motorcycles on display, there will be a lot more to draw bikers- kick ass Live Rock music, super cool bike accessories, motorcycle test tracks, food, exhibitors zones and more, like bonding, love and brotherhood…
However, what really sets the event apart is that it is open to all two wheelers with an engine, which means that a person with a moped, a scooter or an ordinary city bike can participate. That doesn’t stop the crazy ones on their Harleys, Bullets and KTMs from joining in, though.
And true to form, national and international biking groups like ‘Enfield Pirates’, ‘Bangalore Bikers’, ’Born Riders’, ’Road Shakers’ and ‘Eastern Bulls’ are all set to participate in the event and sharing the stage are biking groups from Hyderabad like ‘The Highway Nawabs’, ‘Wolfe Pack India’ ,'Harley Owners Group' and ‘KTM Owners Group’. These guys and gals are waiting to meet the IBM Adrenaline rush head-on.
According to Anoop Pamu, Administrator, KTM Owners Group, Hyderabad, this awesome congregation of crazy bikers can expect 400 bikers from the ‘City of Nawabs’ alone. This, when Hyderabad is not even the ‘Capital of Bikers’ – a title that clearly belongs to Bangalore!
“Even though Hyderabad lacks a big biking culture compared to Pune, Bangalore and Chennai, around 12 bikers from our group, the KTM Owners Group are all ready to storm IBW,” added Anoop.
A top official with Harley Davidson, Hyderabad told us that the first National Harley Owners Group (HOG) Rally Parade is also being organized for the first time during the forthcoming India Bike Week. Around 40 plus HOG members are going to be firing down to Goa from different parts of the country on their Harleys to participate in the HOG event at IBW.
But what is the biggest attraction of IBW, we inquired from Anoop, as there are a lot of other biking events already being organized in the country today. Answering our query, Anoop said,” The main attraction is what’s happening at the event – 16 different music groups like ‘Parikrama’ and ‘Faridkot’ are performing at IBW. Apart from that, the event gives us an opportunity to customize our bikes, buy customized parts, get technical help for upgradation of our bikes plus we have riding gear available at discounts… IBW is a carnival for bike lovers and we wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Anoop also told us that Hyderabad has only two stores that sell biking gear and city bikers usually have to go to metros like Pune to buy gloves, jackets and helmets.
The KTM Owners Group is relatively new to the biking scene, having started only in April 2012 so one can perhaps understand the enthusiasm about the event. But some of the older and more experienced biking groups like the pan India exclusive Royal Enfield owner group, ‘Wolfe Pack India’ have a few reservations about IBW.
When we asked Jack Jigg, the Founder of the Wolfe Pack, a musician and a well known DJ, about his IBW plans, he said, ”I am going to be performing at the IBW. A few members of the Wolfe Pack may be driving down to Goa but nothing has been decided yet. I personally feel that the registration fee of IBW has been pegged quite high at Rs. 3000, and as it doesn’t include food, accommodation and entertainment , there are a lot of concerns about expenditure on the trip which can be anywhere around Rs. 20,000 per head.”
The registration fee for the Goa Rider Mania, a national biker event held in October 2012 was just Rs. 200, making it quite economical as compared to IBW.
Anoop though thinks that it is money well spent as IBW will help him meet more like-minded people. Biking as a hobby anyway never came cheap!
K. Jairam, Dealer, Harley-Davidson, Hyderabad and an avid biker seconds the opinion -”Biking is a culture and the IBW helps the bikers to meet and share cultures. Other countries have a number of biker communities but in India this trend is still developing. Events like IBW will nurture and strengthen our biking communities, so they are important.” And we are sure that the Hyderabadi biking community would more than agree with this statement.
04-Jan-2013
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Shikha Gandhi
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Dear Shikha,
Wonderful article, most inspiring for a retired biker like me. I look forward to learning more and connecting you with other passionate bikers who are keen to organise more such events and take this to a whole new level.
Regards
Ajay
09550345290
Hyderabad
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