Rider Mania 2019 welcomes motorcycle community for specially-abled riders

Billed as the largest gathering of Royal Enfield riders anywhere in the World’, Rider Mania takes place in Goa during the third week of November every year. 
A scene from Rider Mania 2018
A scene from Rider Mania 2018

It's time for the next edition of Rider Mania, one of India’s biggest motorcycling festivals. Billed as the largest gathering of Royal Enfield riders anywhere in the World’, Rider Mania takes place in Goa during the third week of November every year. 

Just like Ladakh, Goa is a spiritual home for Royal Enfield riders and Rider Mania is the time when these riders from across the country ride in with their friends to celebrate for three days.

At the festival, the riders get a chance to catch up with their friends and make new ones, participate in several competitive and fun motorcycling events and also discuss all things around motorcycling and their Royal Enfield motorcycles.

More than 8,000 riders have already registered to be in Goa for this festival. 

The Royal Enfield family is also celebrating some of the most inspirational riders who attend Rider Mania year after year, and while doing so not only break barriers and stereotypes along the way, but also inspire several others in their journey.

One such journey is of Vinod J Rawat, Mumbai resident and founder of the Convoy Control Club - a motorcycle community for specially-abled riders.

About Vinod J Rawat, a specially-abled RE rider
From his childhood, Vinod has been fascinated by motorcycles and always dreamt of riding on one despite his disability.

At the age of 25, he finally conquered his dreams by learning to ride a motorcycle in just 30 days after getting his artificial limb. In the year 2000, he became the proud owner of a Royal Enfield and ever since then, there has been no looking back.

Today, he has ridden to all parts of the country on his 1980 Royal Enfield Cast Iron 350 and has accomplished herculean tasks that in all probability are considered difficult by any person in their daily life. He motivates many around him through his inspirational talks and has also featured on MTV Roadies. 

<em>A scene from Rider Mania 2018</em>
A scene from Rider Mania 2018

He is also the first (Jaipur foot) cyclist to ride Leh Kahrdungala and scale Himalaya 20k feet solo. Last year, he secured the third place in the X-treme of Raid De Himalaya rally race.

His passion for riding helped him overcome every obstacle that was thrown his way. People in his community constantly sidelined him due to his disability and never gave his dream enough weightage.

In order to support others like him and be a catalyst for change in perception – he formed the first specially-abled biker club in the world called Convoy Control Club. 

His club participates in various motorcycling events throughout the year with immense rigour and passion. Rider Mania is a special platform for him as he believes it is the only platform in India which welcomes a diverse community and is a meeting point for so many riders.

His preparation for Rider Mania 2019 is in full swing and he will be accompanied by many members from his club and The Thumpers Club from Mumbai.

For Vinod and many others like him, Rider Mania is not just an event but three days of fun activities and a testament to their dreams and aspirations as motorcyclists. The riders are bound together by their similar interests and are a RE family in themselves.

<em>A scene from Rider Mania 2018</em>
A scene from Rider Mania 2018

The hosts of Rider Mania are sharing Vinod’s inspirational story to be heard among more rider communities, and stir the emotions of many others, driving them to take embark on their aspirational journeys – despite any hurdle that is thrown at them. 

Royal Enfield’s initiative towards propagating change and ensuring environmental responsibility amongst riders, was started with Himalayan Odyssey, 2019. To cut down the use of single-use plastic bottles, Royal Enfield set up community water purifiers or all motorcyclists on the Manali-Leh route. 

Six purifiers were installed across strategic locations which finds maximum motorcyclists ride through, and therefore have a high consumption of bottled water apart from three dispensers that were set up to be used by the participants on the Himalayan Odyssey. 

These purifiers were installed at Keylong Service Centre, Sarchu Camps, Leh Service Centre, Nubra swiss Camps, Pangong Camps and Swiss camps in Debring, while three additional water purifiers were used throughout the journey for Himalayan Odyssey participants.

<em>A scene from Rider Mania 2018</em>
A scene from Rider Mania 2018

Continuing the journey towards sustainability that started during Himalayan Odyssey 2019, Rider Mania will also strongly propagate zero ‘single-use-plastic’ which will be promoted with the hashtag #LeaveEveryPlaceBetter. Royal Enfield plans to eradicate the use of single-use plastic, generated through the purchase and use of water bottles at the festival this year. 

All the registered participants will be provided with metal sippers at the time of registration and provision of refiling the bottles will be made at multiple points at the venue, thus negating the need to purchase plastic water bottles. 

In addition to this, all the food stall owners will make alternate arrangements not to use plastic plates, spoons etc. Royal Enfield is all geared up to welcome riders from all over the globe to the beaches of Goa for an action-packed three-day festival. 

The festival promises events such as trials, slow race, arm wrestling, dirt-track racing and expects more than 8,000 riders at this year’s edition. Plastic water bottles can take up to 1,000 years to decompose and are currently the 5th most commonly found trash item at coastline clean-ups by quantity. 

The three-day festival has an array of events designed to bring together the 8,000+ Royal Enfield owners expected at Rider Mania while making a significant impact on building a sustainable environment at the festival.

<em>A scene from Rider Mania 2018</em>
A scene from Rider Mania 2018

Some of the highlights at Rider Mania 2019

  • Motorcycling events and competitions- Trials, Slow Race, Arm Wrestling etc.
  • Dirt track racing
  • Custom motorcycles
  • Motorcycle gear stalls
  • Music and entertainment 
  • Art @ Rider Mania
  • Garage Cafe Special Workshops
<em>A poster for Rider Mania 2019 </em>
A poster for Rider Mania 2019

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