Exotic bikes, like-minded people, racing, stunts, music, dance, and biker faceoffs that pop up randomly -- that's India Bike Week (IBW) in a nutshell. This year marked the 10th anniversary of the biker festival, and it took place at Vagator in Goa, which could, arguably, be the only place in the country to host such an event.
The theme for this year was 'Everyone as One,' and staying true to those words, the organisers welcomed bikers from all walks of life. Right from a humble Suzuki Max 100R, a Honda CB400 Four, an array of classic Vespas to the latest and greatest two-wheelers from manufacturers like Kawasaki, Triumph, Suzuki, and Harley-Davidson, one could spot every kind of bike at the festival.
That is not to say that affordable machines and EVs were not part of India Bike Week. On the contrary, Ultraviolette had a separate stand, and there was even a rider's club that comprised tens of F77 electric motorcycles that rode into the arena with furore. There were tonnes of KTMs, classic Jawas and Yezdis, Heros, and even a new Aprilia, among many other motorcycles and scooters.
What stood out from the crowd of two-wheelers was Maruti Suzuki's latest Jimny. Now in its fourth generation, the Jimny offered bikers the chance to experience and test the pocket-sized off-roader's capabilities on a specially curated off-road course. It wasn't surprising to see hundreds queue up to take the machine over the course.
Of course, there were several motorcycle launches from Aprilia, Kawasaki, and Triumph, while other special attractions were venues like the Howling Dog Bar, which was alive with compelling stories; the Big Trip & Ladakh tents, where many adventurers shared their most thrilling stories along with a picture presentation; and The Club Village, which hosted exciting club games for motorcyclists.
The festivities also included parades from motorcycle clubs from across India, mod bike rideups, a custom bike showcase (the Harley-Davidson X440 was solely used for this), and a thrilling FMX show. Oh, there were supercross athletes who put on a show as well.
Furthermore, bikers also tucked into some delicious food at the festival thanks to The Big Forkers Meat Fest, which celebrated the art of curing, grilling, and barbecuing meats, from Goan Chorizo to whole hog roasts by grill masters Alistair Lethorn, Arjun Sikdar, Christopher Fernandes, Delzad Khurshad Avari, Buland Shukla, and Charlton Mendes.
Also read: Kawasaki W175 Street launched at IBW 2023
And finally, there were electrifying music performances by Nucleya, Gully Gang, Disco Kid, Gurbax, Nash, Vipin Mishra Project, and others. All in all, the 10th edition of India Bike Week, which saw over 20,000 people take part, was a celebration of biker camaraderie like no other. Let us hope the next edition beats this.
